The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1877-05-31
CALIFORNIA BEAR STORY.
Not Cowardly, But Directing to Unkind
Scratching

Scratching.
A few days ago a very exciting but
also ludicrous incident occurred at the
upper end Of Hunters Flat, some ten
miles north Of West Point, Calaveras
county. John Giles, who has been
proftably engaged in trapping in the
mountains above, the past winter, visited
Mr.. Hall, who owns a small ranch on
Hunters Flat. A few hours previous to
Giles arrival bear had paid his respects
to one of Halls Berkshire hogs, leaving
the smaller portion of it under an oak
tree for future lunch. Giles owns a
large steel trap, weighing sixty pounds,
which was hauled to the oak tree; pine
some nine inches in diameter was then
cut down, the butt nearly reaching the
oak. The heavy chain attached to the
trap has an enormous swivel at the end,
which was securely fastened to strong
iron bolt inserted in the butt end of the
pine. The ghostly remains of Berky
were carried up the oak tree and dashed
to the trunk so as to be in sight. The
trap was set, and Giles proceeded to
obliterate footmarks. All at once Hall
yelled in scalp-raising tone, "Here he
comes !" Sure enough, an enormous and
apparently enraged bear was making
rapid Roadway toward the mourners I'M
der the oak. Before Giles got started in
the ensuing race, Hall had taken the lead
by good many lengths, leaping wild
coffee bushes six feet in height with
ease. The roaring of the ferocious
a tho
speed until he was exhausted, when
he ventured to look back and
note with a grateful heart that
Bruin had given up the race. He
shouted the happy fact to his friend, who
was some 400 yards ahead, but Hall con-
tinued the race until he reached his
cabin. The two now concluded to wait
some two hours. Giles had no weapons
with him, and when the time expired
Hall advanced trivial objections, but of
fered to lend his rifle. AS Hail is &C.
knowledged to be bold and skilful hun
ter, Giles pressed him to explain his ap-
parently cowardly behavior, and the
blushing and suffering friend said that
he was recently engaged to the reigning
belle of West Point-did not fear death
but seriously objected to the posi-
bility of Bruin S unkind scratching I'M
der the circumstances. Giles shoullered
his rife and started in the direction of
the trap. He found the Berkshire epi-
cure with his left fore paw in the trap,
which he had dragged some 200 yards,
tree and all. When the monster caught
sight of his jailer his rage knew no
bounds in his efforts to get at him, but
the trap and the tree which had become
fastened to the underground held him
securely. Giles says he lodged five
balls in the BEARS ears, which all in
effectively fattened Balls fired at the
head only penetrated the skin. Several
shots in the region of the heart finally
brought him down, but he did not die
until three hours after. When the
monster had been skinned, his head, back
OF his ears, was found to be two feet ten
and one-half inches in circumference.
The carcass when dressed weighed
1859 pounds. It is probably the
largest bear of the species ever seen in
California. The skin is very fine one,
and Giles intends to present it to Presi-
dent Haves