Litchfield enquirer. [volume] (Litchfield, Conn.) 1829-current, 1880-12-23
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A LITTLE SooToH TBRRiER's IMPORTANT Sci
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The train was delayed several hours There
| were but half dozen passengers all told, and
they all got out on the station platform. In
looking down the valley from the station
| (Truckee is awav up in the mountain on the
main line of the Central Pacific railroad) we
could see some kind Of an animal coming
down out of the timber and making its way
over the top of the snow towards the river. It
looked like steer or mule, and none of the
passengers thought 1t was anything else.
The snow was four foot deep and frozen so
hard that one could walk over the top without
breaking through Captain Vincent Yore, of
st. Lewis, q man well known in steamboat
circles both in st. Lewis and Pittsburg and in
fact all along the river, was one of tie passen-
gers. There is considerable of the daredevil
under his quiet demeanor, having run up the
upper Missouri in his early day, and attended
many an Indian council along with General
Sherman, when the general lived in st. LOUIS.
Yore was returning from San Francisco,
where he had been to settle some railroad bus
mess for ST. Lewis parties, and was fixed up
neat and bright as q new pin. He spied the
| animal, and said he thought 1t was bear, and
that if he had gun he would go down and
shoot it. We all laughed at him, for he did
not look much like bear hunter, and the sta
tion AGENT burly fellow with red flannel
shirt, and boots outside of his pants-a regular
picture of forty niner-joned In, saying he
would give him gun If he wanted to shoot
the grizzly. Chptain Yore was a good shot
and could keep cool under very trying circun.
stances. The agent who was at once the ex-
press agent, ticket agent, and baggage-man
combined, went into his little office and
brought out beautiful breecL loading rifle
Handing it to Yore, he said sarcastically,
''Here's gum" Captain Yore took the gun
and started towsrd the end of the platform.
The passengers, of course, never dreamed he
was in earnest
The station agent called him back when he
had gone down one OF the steps, and bringing
out rat terrier dog of tue light woolly Scotch
pattern, said
"Here you'll want dog when you go bear
hunting" ,s..
Captain Yore turned back, picked up the
dog, and putting it under the flap of his coat
started down toward the bear. The grizzly
had by this time got out far enough to be
plainly seen, as he made his way across the
narrow valley. He looked to be the size of
horse, and did net seem to care whether
there was anybody within short distance of
him or not. The Rocky Mountain grizzly is
the largest and, when aroused the most fero-
cious of all animals in Western North Ameri-
ca. Travellers on the Union and Central
L
men that is Gagged on the platform at Lathrop
an eating station on the California end of the
line. 1t has foet like the fifteenth amend
ment" and is as large as Kerry COW.
| The bear kept quietly in his course, and
| Captain Yore went straight toward Iim. The
station agent realized the danger Yore was in
and his anxiety was quickly communicated 10
the passengers. They got closer and closer
until they were only about the length OF q train
apart. Yore stopped, took out the little dog
and set him down. The terrier made for the
bear at once, and, going behind him, bit him
| on the heel. The bear turned around to see
what had scratched him on the foot, and the
minute he turned, Yore who had been standing
| MOtionless watching the bear as ii CAME lace
toward him, brought the rifle up to his nose
| and flashed at him. The bear Immediately
slapped himself on the shoulder with his paw
and went toward the captain. The passengers,
who were watching him, were now wild with
| excitement. HE has hit him" said the old
| Californians on the train, land now he must
look out for him." Yore never moved. The
little snipe of q dog bit the bear on the heel
| again. he turned once more and again Yore
unloaded on him. The bear slapped himself
on the shoulder and Strengthened up as if to
| 90 quickly for Yore. Then the beast broke
through the snow and almost Disappeared from
our sight. He tumbled and rolled and waltzed
around. The old Caifornans were almost
breathess with fright. THE bear is tramp
ling out place to fight, run, run, run !" they
screamed to Yore; but he stood motionless as
q statue. The little dog few around the top
of the pit the bear had made and barker,
Presently the bear put out his head to get his
assailant's position, aud fixing his eyes on
Yore, he crawled out of his hole in the snow.
| He had Just steadied himself on his four legs
when the dog bit him once more, and Yore
let him have 1t again, quick as flash, the
moment he turned: once more the grizzly
slapped himself with his paw, indicating he
had been hit. He started on a trot towards
Yore, who now had four loads left in his rifle.
Twice again the dog bit the bear, and each
| time when he turned, Yore unloaded into him,
bringing the rifle up to his face as quickly as
if he threw weaver shuttle. After he had
fired the fourth load and the grizzly's pace
was not slackened up much, as you could
scarcely notice his limp Yore turned to
move back few PAGES, and as he did so he
broke through the snow and went down to his
armpits. The passengers, expecting every
moment to see the iufuriated monster crush
poor Yore; covered their eyes in perfect ter
rOr. pad. B.. ID.
The bear had got within few yards Of
Yore, and but few seconds would decide IT,
| The dog bit him again. and Yore, who had
| the rifle firmly sighted, poured it into him,
two loads in quick succession, and stretched
him as he was almost at the end of the rife.
The whole thing occurred in less time than
it takes to tell it. The passengers rushed
| down with q shout. They brought the in-
mense bear up to the station and dubbed to-
gether and bought the rife for Captain Iore,
and the captain laid down $50 gold piece
for the little dog, which he brought back with
him to st. Louis, for, said he, THAT dog saved
| my life"