River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1885-09-03


Joseph Gilbert, the superintendent of
the great farming operations of the
Laguna ranch, recently discovered a
large cinnamon bear in one of the cor
rails of the ranch occupied by band OF
mules. Bruin had evidently RECALLED
himself on some young pigs and gone
into the mule corral to get drink OF
water. While Mr. Gilbert was gone to
the house to get rifle to shoot the bear,
the mules became offended at the
stranger and struck at him right and
left and all other ways known to an
active and earnest mule. The heaviest
battalions were on the side of the mules,
and when Mr., Gilbert returned the
bear had climbed a tree to escape their
fury 1t was then discovered that his
bearship had short chain attached to
him, and on the presumption that some
body had lost a bear the workmen on
the ranch climbed another tree near by
and with a RATA lassoed the brute and
| brought him down to terra tirma. -
Los Angeles Herald.
Sure enough, there were two bears
(Which afterward proved to be an old
she and nearly full-grown cub travel
ing up the bottom of the valley, much
too far for us to shoot. Grasping our
rifles and throwing off our hats. we
started off as hard as we could run dag
onally down the hillside, SO as to cut
them off. 1t was some little time be-
fore they saw us, when they made off
at numbering gallop up the valley
1t would seem impossible to run into two
grizzlies in the open, but they were go
ing up hin and we down, and moreover,
the old one kept stopping. The cub
would forge ahead and could probably
have escaped us, but the mother now
and then stopped to sit down on her
launches and look around ut rs, when
the cub would run back to her. The
upshot was that we cot ahead of them,
when they turned and went straight up
one hillside as we ran down the other
behind them. BY this time | was pretty
nearly done out, for running along the
steep ground through the sage brush,
was most eXhausting work; and Merri-
field kept gaining on me and was well
in front just as he disappeared over
a bank, almost at the bottom of the val
ley. | tripped over Il bush and fell full
length. When | got up knew | could
never make up the ground / had lost,
and beside could hardly run any longer.
Mortified was out of sight below, and
the bears were laboring up the steep
hillside directly opposite and about 800
yards Off; so | sat down and began to
shoot over Merrifield' 5 head, aiming at
the big bear. She was going very
steadily and in a straight line, and each
bullet sent up puff Of dust where it
struck the dry soil, so that ] could keep
directing my aim; and the fourth ball
crashed into the old bears flank. She
lurched heavily forward, but recovered
herself and reached the timber, While
Merrifeld, who had put on a squirt, was
not far behind.
| toiled up the hill at sort Of trot,
fairly gasping and sobbing for breath;
couple of shots and a shout. The old
bear had turned as soon as she was in
the timber and come toward Merritield;
Dlt ilt gave uti LIlt OtdlH NOulib "
firing INTO her chest. and then shot at
the young one, knocking it over. When
came he was just walking toward the
latter to finish it with the revolver. but
it suddenly jumped up as lively as ever
and made off at great pace-for it
was nearly half grown. TWAS impossi-
bic to fire when the tree trunks were so
thick, but here was a small opening
across which it would have to pass, and
collecting all my energies | made last
run, got into position and covered the
opening with my rifle; The instant
the bear appeared l fired, and it turned
a dozen somersaults downhill, rolling
over and over; the ball had struck it
near the tail and had ranged forward
through the hollow of the body. Each
of Us had thus given the fatal wound to
the bear into which the other had fired
the first bullet [CentWy.