The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1882-10-06
Facts About Bears.

] rise for a few remarks on the bear.
/ have known bruin for the past forty
years. 1 have met him on the trail in
Northern Michigan, Pennsylvania and
the North Woods. 1 have seen him in
Wisconsin and Minnesota.
Ordinarily bruin is about as dangerous
as raccoon or the festive woodchuck.
But it does happen that the mother Of
any mammal win ignore danger to her.
self in defense of her young. Almost any
animal will go wild and reckless of dan.
ger in defense of her young, and the bear
is wonderful on muscle. Conse-
quently, when a she bear turns on her
tormenters it is we'll to keep back about
eighty-five and half feet. She doesn't
want to hurt anybody. She only wants
to get her babies away from that fearful
biped with the Derby hat and dead-rab-
bit cut on his hair.
If you humor her you are safe enough.
If you want to put your hounds on her,
making the escape of her cubs doubtful
well, "you takes your choice" If you
drive her to desperation and she has the
grit to stand by her cubs, "better you
stand leedle back"
Ihave bagged good dealof bear meat.
l have twice been on lone cruise in the
North Woods. l saw several bears there
all intent on their own affairs.
So slight was the danger from wild an
finals there, and so childish seemed the
immense ornaments of the average tour.
list, that 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 de-
tense against wild beasts. All the same,
she bear with her cubs may be dam
gerous. will give three instances that
l can vouch for:
Forty years ago "Jim Steele" with a
record seven panthers, twenty-one bears,
and 300 deer, resided at the mouth of
"Asoph Run" He sent his son, aged
fourteen, 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 COM
menced to say, at was just here" when
an immense bear jumped from under a
bank, reared on her hind legs, and, show
ing all the teeth she had, growing, snarl-
ing and threatening, made at the party.
Old Jim took it in at once. slump on
my back" he yelled to the youngster,
which the boy did at once; and yelling,
and backing and flourishing knife, all
the weapon he had, old Jim and the boy
got away. Then they saw the mother
bear cross the "riffle" 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
party to the huckleberry hills of the
Barrens. While prospecting for the best
berrying grounds he was suddenly con-
fronted by an immense bear, which arose
from behind a large fallen trunk, and,
rearing on her hind legs, made directly
at bin, roaring, grunting, snarling and
showing her best array of teeth. Harry
seized and fourished a pine knot, whoop-
ing and yelling at the top of his voice, as
he ran backward at the 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 l once went
huckleberrying with Farmer T., his wife
and daughter, on invitation Our rig
was two-horse farm wagon packed with
inverted tubs and buckets. Distance to
the ground, twenty-one miles. By dint
of starting at three a. m, and abusing
the horses to unwonted speed, we were ON
the ground at eleven 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 I
had been there before, and 1 thought l
knew of place, about three-quarters of
mile westward, where the berries were
equally plenty, but larger. So 1 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 /
halted to select the best routs for getting
by or over some fallen trees that lay in
my path, when very large, dingy-look-
ing, "brown-nosed" bear sprang on a
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, bark
ing, growing noise common to enraged
bears. On the instant 1 commenced
lively retrograde movement. Once !
caug int my heels and tumbled over back
ward, but got up suddenly. 1t was a
Chinese fight. Growing, snarling, teeth
and claws on one side. WhOODinp. YELLING
and pounding tinware on the other.
Nobody hurt. Bear badly scared. As
for myself, 1 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 fours and took her
self out with her cubs for all she was
worth and Stream.