Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1883-09-17
Snow shoe Thompson.
How He KILLED GRIZZLY BEAR WITH
SHOELANCE.


"SnowshOe Thompson will be sent to
the Louisville exhibition by j. II. McKu
SICK superintendent of the railway mail
service on the Pacific coast. The shoes
are those built for Thompson, who was a
mail carrier on various Sierra Nevada
routes for many years, and who died only
few years ago. If a history of few of
the startling adventures encountered by
Thompson could be sent along with the
shoes, they would indeed be an interest
| ing exhibit. For many years Thompson
carried mail over the route from Placer
vile to Virginia City, crossing the Sierra
Nevada on the way. At point just south
of Lake Tahoe on the shores of Fallen
Leaf Lake, Thompson had little cabin
OF his own for use in case he at any time
failed to make Yank' Station. on Lake
Tahoe, on the western trip, as that was
the longest and hardest days snowshoeing
he had, and it meant death to be over
taken by darkness or a storm without
shelter. Each year the last stage to run
over the road in the fall would leave some
bacon, flour and whiskey at this cabin, so
that in an emergency Thompson would
be provided for. 1t happened that one
winter, during storm Of snow SO thick
that Thompson's progress was slow, he
was, in fact, prevented from going any
further than the cabin, on account of
the sudden and impenetrable darkness
which overlook him Just at that point.
When Thompson had entered the cabin
and started fire, he was amazed
to find the bacon gone and the flour
trampled and scattered over the floor, the
work evidently of bear, which had
broken in the door, melted to that rash
act, no doubt by the Odor of the bacon.
The whskey was still there, and, Thomp-
son concluded that few hot glasses of
that would satisfy him for the night, and
after several we'll mixed glasses he rolled
up in his blankets and went to sleep with
his feet to the log fire. He woke at day
break and opened the door to take look
at the weather before strapping on his
shoes and proceeding to Yanks for his
breakfast As he did so he was decidedly
startled by seeing camped just outside of
the door half grown grizzly. which was
evidently waiting to see who or what was
occupying his quarters. Thompson
jumped back and the bear waddled in,
and gave evidence of his satisfaction at
the prospect Of a mail carrier for win
ter's feast. He couldn't get out of the
hoOl, 81 HOIuPSoh
hold of a crossbeam and drew himself up.
The bear camped underneath and grinned
Indignantly, as though saying, "Well,
old fellow, you've got to drop down soon
err or later; here goes tC see which Of us
can outlast the other Thompson sat it
out all that day and the following night.
There was no use in crying for help, as
none would be within hailing until the
spring He could not jump down and
fight the bear with his pocket knife, his
only weapon, and altogether the case
looked pretty desperate for the old mail
carrier. His snow. shoes were leaning
from one end of the cabin to the
wall at the other end. and Thompson fin
ally opened his knife and dashed it with
his scarf torn in strips on one end of one
shoe making 81 formidable lance OF it.
While the bear camped under him he
could not use his lance, the cabin not be-
ing long enough. Thompson at last got
the animal outside the door, by tossing
one of his stocking out, which the bear
lounged out to investigate That got him
far enough to be prodded and Thompson
prepared. When the grizzly had shifted
the bait, it turned round. facing the door,
and found its snout within foot of
AuohPcVh istuNO poiut. hC oiu
carrier only had a loot to draw back his
lance, but he used it to good advantage,
for carefully drawing it back he gave it
sudden lunge forward. the knife entering
the bears brain through one of tbs eyes.
When the exhausted mail-carrier reached
| Yank's and told his story it was doubted,
although Thompson had remarkable
reputation for truth-telling among those
hardy liars of the mountains. There if
YOU don't believe me, boys" Thompson
said. 1.-THE United States mail ken wait
until my carrackter is vindikated. I'll
not leave this place until some of We
doubling lubbers has gone back thar, and
brought me steak from that thar bar"
| 1t was done. Yank himself and some of
the men about the station went back on
snow-shoes, and Thompson had his dinner
off q steak of the bear he had killed with
his snow-shoe lance.-Sda Francisco,
Cali.