New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-04-14
BEARHUNTlNGIN THEWEsT
AN OLD GUIDES STORY OF ADVENTURE
GENERAL JAMES g. BRIsRIE's MAN sTEEEE,
AND HIS EXPLOITS IN WYOMING.


To fAs Editor OF rae Tribune.
Sir: often read in the Eastern papers stories
about somebody killing poor little black bear
down In Pennsylvania, and they make the hunter
out great hero. If people want to hunt bears
Why don't they come out TO Wyoming or Montana
and tackle one Of our big grizzliesp Then IL
they can get away with the game they may
shout and call themselves bear-huHters; but rs
Tor killing poor little black bear-bahl
would be ashamed to mention it. The bear story
writers ought TO come out and interview my old
guide, Steene, who knows more tales than would
fill good-sized Bible. Steene is bear fighter
and no mistake, and has scars all over his body,
received in bloody battles with Rocky Mountain
griz lies
The other night old Steene was feeling pretty
good and we had all gathered at the post traders
store to hear him tell 3 bear story or two.
had explained the workings of the tartf, Edison's
photograph, aerial navigation and Spiritualism'
when Steene said he was tired" and would go
to bed and think
Tell us a bear story, Steene,7 said, before
you go' The old man knocked the ashes from
his pipe and looked troubled, but finally said:
" II Barney and Proctor will keep quiet and fill
up our glasses, have little "reminiscences OF
bygone days that may prove Interesting, not~1th-
standing the wonderful things we have Just heard
II WAS up on top OF the Big Horn Mountains IN
Wyoming, not long ago, that I had the most
remarkable bear hunt ever heard Of Me ana
old Pete the Mexican and Bob Camp had
been lying around camp until the bacon had
become stale and we wanted little excitement
Up in the canyons of the Big Horn in the north
western part Of Wyoming there were lots Of
ro1 iO
The mountains there are the highest in the world,
and"
Come, come said Barney who is a graduate
of the Warren High School in Pennsylvania. and
thinks he knows it all =" Lie as much rs you
please about bears but don't go into geography
to lies
What mountains are higher than the Big
Horns?7 inquired Steenc.
The Himalayas in Asia, the Andes in South
America and the Caucasus in Europe are nll
higher than any mountains in North America
said Barney proudly.
Ever been there - asked Steene.
NO. replied Barney
"Then yer don't know a thing about IT.
Besides, who was talking about North America
said old Steene Al Was speaking Of these United
States and particularly of Wyoming, and say
old Washburn and Lincoln are the highest
mountains in the worli, and for natural scenery
can't be beat, and don't caro- who says they can
Well, I WINS saying, we went up into the
mountains Of northwestern Wyoming, which are
the highest mountains In the world, 70 hunt
bear Our mcdo oppcraudo. was
Your what?" asked Proctor.
"our modo opperando-thats our way Of
doing IL, was
"I thought you killed bears with guns said
Proctor.
And so we do, you ignorant cuss,' cried
Steene, but our modo oppersndo was the way
we did it."
Are they breech-losders?' inquired Proctor
innocently.
For a moment Steene was silent, and then he
rose and walked over toward Proctor. That
Young man suddenly thought some one was
calling lnm in the store and went out.
Now said Steene, that VIC have got rid
Of them burned boys, will tell you my story.
Everybody knows how fond bear is OF honey,
and we took up with US n good-szed Jar Of comb
honey 10 bait them with. First l went ont
with Pete TO kill OF those rare
and beautiful animals known among mountain
men as the Rocky MrUntain goat They live
high upon the tops OF the most rugged peaks, above
vegetation, and seldom come down even to feed
What they live on is still mystery, even 20 the
mountainecrs It requires the nerve Of the most
intrepid hunter 70 capture these animals, ana
have seen men ascend sitter them until the air
was so rare that they Gled at the lungs. We
tolled on upward for several hours, and at last
ON the edge Of fearful pre- !pioe 1 saw band
of several goats and kids. The young ones were
playing and leaping from orng to crag, while
their mothers watched them snXiously and hleated
piteously for them 10 cJme down. One slip OF
hoof and they would have gone hesdlong hundreds
OF feet on the bare rocks below. The band was Al
most inaccessible frOm where we were, being across
the ravine and far up. By creeping out on
line of projecting rocks and then up snowbank
I thought could got a shot across the ravine and
bring one down. We began crawling out on the
ledge which was very narrow, and at places over
hung the canyon below A loose rock or a mistep
would have sent us down five hundred feet. l
often wonder now why we took such risks, but
there is an excitement about hunting rare game
that like war; drives IL man to do desperate things,
To kill u mountain goat Is rare feat even for
an experienced hunter, and was determined 10
bag one II lost my life in doing so.
Once out on the ledge we came TO the peak
on which lay the snow. II was almost vertical
and had 70 cut places in IL for my hands and
feet. With our rifles slung over our backs we
worked slowly up and then along TIC SIDE Inc
snow was hard and crustHd and as smooth ~ glass.
/ could look down the CLASSY surface below me
to where It stopped on the edge OF the precipice.
began splitting blood and once felt faint and
thought / should fall, but still we worked on.
Nv knife was too slow, and l called 20 Pete, who
was Just behind me, to pass forward his hntchet
Inch by inch and foot by foot we worked up, and
AZ last could see around the drift TO where tho
band of goats were They were just where we
had seen them before beginning our ascent Fully
200 yards interviewed between me and the nearest
aoat and Pete wanted o shot also. began max
inc fat place in the snow on which we could
both lie and fire. II took nearly half an hour
OF hard work and was mortally afraid every mo-
ment that the goats would see us and make of
Two or three times they scented US snd moved
about uneasily as II they knew something was
wrong Had not the young kids refused TO come