The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1882-10-27
Facts About Bears.
A Bear Ordinarily no More Dangerous than
Woodchuok.

rise for n few remarks on the bear.
have known bruin for the past forty
years. / have met him on the trail in
Northern Michigan, Pennsylvania and
the North Woods. have seen him in
Wisconsin and Minnesota.
Ordinarily bruin is about rs danger
Gus as Il raccoon or the festive wood
chuck. But it does happen that the
mother of any mammal will ignore
danger to herself in defense OF her
young. Almost any animal will 60 wild
and reckless of danger in defense of
her young, and the bear is wonderful
on music. Consequently, when She
bear turns on her tormentors, il is well
to keep back about eighty-five and a
anybody. She only wants to get her
babes away from that fearful biped
with the Derby hat and dead rabbit
cut on his hair.
1t you humor her you are safe enough.
Ii you want to put your hounds on her,
making the escape of her cubs doubt
ful-well, '.you takes your choice.' If
you drive her to desperation and she
has the grit to stand by her cubs, 'bet-
ter you stand leedle back"
have bagged good deal of bear
meat. l have been twice on q lone
cruise in the North Woods. l saw sew
eral bears there-all intent on their own
affairs.
So slight was the danger from wild
animals there, and so childish seemed
the immense ornaments of the average
tourist, that l came to leave not only
my rifle but my revolver behind. And
l found the eight-ounce rod and the
pocket Ratchet all-sufficient for defense
against wild beasts. All the same,
she bear with cubs may be dangerous.
will give three instances that l can
vouch for:
Forty years ago "Jim Steele" with
record of seven panthers, twenty-one
bears and 1900 deer, resided at the
mouth of "Asoph Run" He sent his
son, aged IA, up the creek for the COWS
one evening. The boy came back
frightened and crying, saying that
big bear had chased and nearly caught
him. Old Jim was disguised at the
boys cowardice. Leaving his rifle, he
went back with the boy, and at the
mouth of the Kennedy Run the boy
commenced to say, 'It was just here"
when an immense bear jumped from
under the bank, reared on her hind
legs, and, showing all the teeth she
had, growing, snarling and threaten
ing made at the party. Old Jim took
it in at once. Jump on my back" he
yelled to the youngster, which the boy
did at once; and yelling, backing, and
fourishing knife, all the weapon he
had, old Jim and the boy got away
fha
the ''riffie'' on the creek and scatter up
the mountain side, to be seen no more
of men forever.
Thirty-two years ago "Harry Ellis"
born and bred on Pine creek, guided a
party to the huckleberry hills of the
Barrens While prospecting for the
best berrying grounds he was suddenly
confronted by an immense bear, which
arose from behind large fallen trunk,
and, rearing on her hind legs, made
directly at him, roaring, granting,
snarling, and showing her best array of
teeth. Harry seized and fourished
pine knob, whooping and yelling at the
top of his voice as he ran backward at
his best pace for a few rods only, when
the bear turned and quickly conveyed
her two cubs out of danger.
On the same range of hills / once
went huckleberrying with Farmer T.,
his wife and daughter, on invitation.
Our rig was a two-horse farm wagon,
the bottom of the wagon packed with
inverted tubs and buckets. Distance to
the ground, twenty-one miles.
By dint of starting at a. M, and
abusing the horse to unwonted speed,
we were on the ground at IL a. M,
among berries so plenty that the ground
was absolutely hidden. 1t was short
Job to pick bushel of berries on such
ground; but l had been there before,
and thought knew of place about
three-quarters of o mile westward,
where the berries were equally plenty,
but larger So took large tin pail
and started. Half way to the ground
there is gulch to be crossed, and this
gulch was badly blocked with fallen
timber. When near the bottom / halt
ed to select the best routes for getting
by or over some fallen trees that lay in
my path; when a very large, dingy-
looking 'brown-nosed' bear sprang on
pine, sprang off again directly at me,
got on her hind legs, and began to play
the usual game of scare-showing all
her teeth, making the savage, roaring,
barking, growing noise common to en-
ragged bears. On the instant l COM
menced lively retrograde movement.
Once caught my heels and tumbled
over backward, bat got up suddenly. 1t
was Chinese fight. Growing, snarl-
ing teeth and claws on one side: whoop-
ing yelling and pounding tinware on
the other. Nobody hurt. Bear badly
scared. AS for myself, l wasn't scared
bit! As for the bear, it goes without
saying that when she had played me off
few rods, she got down on all tours
and took herself out with her cubs for
all she was worth.-From Forest and
Stream.
A Family of Monkeys.