Weekly graphic. [volume] (Kirksville, Adair Co., Missouri) 1880-1949, 1883-01-05
Facts About Bears.
A Bear Ordinarily no More Dangerous than a
Wcodchuck

A Bear Ordinarily no More Dangerous than
Woodchuok.
rise for few remarks on the bear
have known bruin for.the past forty
years. l have met him on the trail il
Northern Michigan, Pennsylvania ant
the North Woods. have seen him II
Wisconsin and Minnesota.
Ordinarily bruin is about as danger
GUS rs n raccoon or the festive wood
chuck. But it does happen that the
mother of any mammal will ignore
danger to herself in defense of hel
young. Almost any animal will go wilc
and reckless of danger in defense O.
her young, and the bear is wonderful
on music. Consequently, when she
bear turns on her tormentors, il is vel
to keep back about eighty-tive and
half feet. She doesn't want to hur
anybody. She only wants to get hel
babes away from that fearful bipet
with the Derby hat and dead rabbit
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 doubt,
ful-well, "you takes your choice" Il
you drive her to desperation and she
has the grit to stand by her cubs, "bet.
ter you stand leedle back"
have bagged a good deal of bear
meat. have been twice on lone
cruise in the North Woods. l saw sew.
eral bears there-all intent on their OWE
affairs.
So slight was the danger from wild
animals there, and so childish seemed
the immense armaments 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 hatchet all-sufficient for defense
against wild beasts. All the same, a
she bear with cubs may be dangerous.
l will give three instances that l can
vouch for:
Forty years ago ''Jim Steele" with q
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 a
big bear had chased and nearly caught
him. Old Jim was disgusted 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" be
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.
Then they saw the mother bear cross
the "riffie'' on the creek and scatter ur
the mountain side, to be seen no more
of men forever.
Thirty-two years ago "Harry Ellis, :"
born and bred on Pine creek, guided s
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, grunting
snarling, and showing her best array o.
teeth. Harry seized and flourished !.
pine knob, whooping and yelling at the
top of his voice rs he ran backward a,
his best pace for few rods only, whe1
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
the bottom of the wagon packed with
inverted tubs and buckets. Distance te
the ground, twenty-one miles.
By dint of starting at 8 a. m., ane
abusing the horse to unwonted speed
we were on the ground at II a. m.
among berries so plenty that the grouno
was absolutely hidden. 1t was shor1
job to pick bushel of berries on suct
ground; but 1 had been there before
and thought 1 knew Of a place abou
three-quarters of mile westward
where the berries were equally plenty
but larger. So 1 took large tin pal
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 l 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
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.
growing noise common TO en-
ragged bears. On the instant l COM
menced a lively retrograde movement.
Once caught my heels and tumbled
over backward. but got up suddenly. 1t
was a Chinese fight. Growing, snarl-
ing teeth and claws on one side: whoop-
ing yelling and pounding tinware OF on
the other. Nobody hurt. Bear badly
scared. As for myself, l wasn't scared
a bit! As for the bear, it goes without
saying that when she had played ME of
q few rods, she got down ON all fours
and took herself out with her cubs for
all she was worth.-From Forest and