The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1881-12-23

Every one who ne had occasion dur.
Ing the past few DAYS - pes I'd Sells
A Co 3 store hes doubtless bed bic CO
riosity aroused BY The light q nom
ter bear skin suspended from one q
the door-poets- Doubtless 4 has o.
Cured 70 many that this very name
moth skin might have behind e vory
mammoth story.
Instigated By the natural curiosity
which such . suspicion would Incit6v
the reporter boldly attacked TIE sub
jet and Va e length rewarded b
having pointed out 70 him the man
who brought il this trophy of the
chase. Dressed IN . duck suit, with
high hunting boots. blue shirt. son
white hat; an athletic. well-knit form
surmounted BY head painter would
envy, eyes Of steel blue. the observed
was . fair sample Of American man
hood. He refused 70 allow bis name .
be used. but gave the facts as follows:
Some time In August party Of throo
or four went out from Ruby on hunt
When they had reached 4 point about
twenty miles west Of Ruby, on the re-
ervation, they succeeded in killing
some half-dozen deer. Not being able
70 transport their game they buried &
and left, intending 70 return later on.
About 3 month afferward two Of the
party returned. and, much 70 their die
gust. found the deer had been dug up
By bear, Is they supposed. One q
them, accompanied BY two dogs, start
ed in pursuit Of the bear on his trail
Il followed" said this gentleman. '-up
mountains and then down again. like
the King Of France: across gulchcs and
basins. where probably no white man
had ever been before. All the time the
trail grew more distinct. and the suspi-
cion that palpitated my heart became
more certain As everything betokened
very large animal ahead. l might tell
you how 4 scrambled over places ~
most impossible. but 70 make long
story short, came up 70 the maraudef,
and moment afterward wished / was
anywhere in the world except IL front
Of that grinning bear. Why. gentle
men," aud he turned to the crowd
standing around, that bear was =
big As the side Of q house.
= II was on the side OF the mountain,
miles from civilization. no assistance
was at hand One Of my dogs stopped
about one hundred yards from the ami
NAL, and with tail erect and every hair
bristling. refused 70 20 forward. /
looked At the bear and the bear looked
At me. looked around and saw there
was no way out Of IL Bruin slso r. ~
in the situation and growled. she wing
the ugliest fIy trap ever saw.
4 For q moment hostilities were sus-
pended. and both sides studied the sit
uation. Then Old Sleep with :
ferocious snarl. sprang forward. but
the bear did not notice him The
dog went nearer and nearer. until
with one swipe Of his paw the bear
knocked him into eternity and down
the mountain side. NY blood was I'D,
and let fly with my Winchester, but
it did not seem 70 do any good. The
bear started ct me. / fred again
Still he came on. fired still another
shot. but couldn't stop the avalanche.
The whole mountain seemed coming,
and l know my hair stood on end.
Nearer and nearer be came and again
and again shot, but without any ef-
feet I thought il was my last day.
My chips were ready 70 60 il. but when
be was OF about ten feet fired my last
shot and. thank God. dropped him. 1
made up my mind then that / hadn't
lost any more bears and wasn't going
TO look for any. Gentlemen. that bear
weighed nine hundred pounds. Yea
sir. nine hundred pounds. And his
skin. when green. weighed sixty
pounds. He measured from tip 70 tip
eight feet.
"It Il . fine bear skin. but when you
zee me looking around for any live. IN
tanned animal that looks like : bear
you can buy al the properties il
Conundrum Basin for fifty cent?"
The gentleman in duck ncrvously
wiped tie preparation, which the ~
membranes had started. from his brow
and nervously walked away. Gsnnison
(C0lo.) AesCs- DeDsocrGf.