The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1886-06-16
HE HANxERED FOR cnrzxLuEs.
an Old Ranchman's First Experience
Ina the Sierra Madras.


an Old Rnnchman,s First Experience
In the Sierra Madras.
Grizzlies ?" replied an old ranchman in
answer to our inquiry made in the Puente
hills, just back of the Hotel Raymond, and
not far from the grim wall of the Sierras---
Grizzlies ?" repeated the old-iimer 'Well,
gents, look at that" and the speaker held
up dilapidated hand that might have pass
ed several times through hay-cutter.
That's what / got for foolin' around a
grizzly I've had all want. I'm as chuck
full of experience as n new convert In
the revival, and If you'll take my advice
you'll let 'em rest. The way I got fooled
was something like this When fust came
out here I was regular tenderfoot; but /
shot black bear till you couldn't rest in
Pike county, Pennsylvania, and nothin'
would do but must kill grizzly. / had
a kinder hankerin' after 1t; so before I'd a
roof over my head hunted up a chap that
lived up in the mountains that had all the
pints, and one mornin' off we went for a
three Days trip, 1t was something that /
wasn't used to-all uphill. Instead of
walkin' up the canyon, where there was q
trail, that old cuss led me right up the face
of the mountain and headed for the upper
range. II was like climbing the roof of an
old fashioned house made for shootin' off
snow, and for Ave mortal hours we dug and
climb. l finally got up, and I jet laid
down for the rest of the day. l was COM
pletely outdd.
The next mornin' we started along the
range, and pretty soon we struck into the
bush. Here and there we could walk, and
then you'd strike place where you had to
go down on your knees and crawl-Pd
noticed the old man was awful polite, a-let-
tin me go ahead, and all OF once, when /
had crawled along about half n mile on
the ground, l happened TO cast my eyes on
the brush on each side and saw that it was
covered with hair. picked some of it of.
/ handed lot to the old man behind, and
says l. What's that 2 Grizzly fur says
he. And this ere's grizzly rum says l.
You've hit it, says he. He was too perlite
fer me, and made him go ahead, and by
and by we came into an open, and in the
soft ground see bear track, l wouldn't
say how big, and the old man said he smelt
bear. To get out We took another trail,
jest hole through the grease woods that
the bears had made, and this time / crawl
ed ahead, carrying my gun. reckon we'd
gone about fifty yards when we came to a
grass patch about six foot high, and made
break into il, and Jest nigh stepped ON the
biggest old grizzly you want to see. He
must have been sleepin', but was up ON his
legs in minute. fell back SO quick that
nigh onto knocked the old man over, but
he see the bear a-comin', and he dropped
his rife right over my shoulder an let fly.
This all kinder confused me, and afore I
could recover the bear was on ne. / got
my feet foul in the grass and down we went,
the bear on top. got my knife out and
picked him for all was worth, but the
critter got my hand in his mouth and chew
ed II like you see, and If the old man hadn't
stepped up and blown his brains out II
would have been q gone case with me- Az
1t was, when he shot the critter its hull
weight, about 800 pounds, came on me an
near CHAINED me out. 1t took all the old
mans nerve TO roll him of, and tell you,
gents, was picture. Talk about your
CORY scenes I was blood from head to
foot I'd been fortune to one Of these
dime novel fellers. One look at me would
hev given him food for reflection for year.
My clothes were torn into rags, and the
czittsr had scratched me so that l looked
like zebry for months to come; but il
didn't cure me, and Pve shot a good many
since. - Pasadena (Cal.) Cor. Springfield
Reps 5'al.