Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1889-10-09
BIG BUTTERFLY WHALE.
"Reminiscences OF a Giant Strong
Man of the Sierrae.
His Great Foats OF Strength-Capturing
Cub and DIspatching ForO-
cious She Bsar-Death His
Only COnQuerOr.


MS phenomenal strength, coupled with his
daring exploits in the Slerras, are fresh in
the minds Of pioneers. Asberry was born
In Mariposa County, and at the age Of sew
enteen years stood six feet and four inches
high in his stocking feet, and was at once
entitled 70 and received the sobriquet of
tho Butterfly Whale" The "Whale" was
unusually fond of explorations among the
rugged, snow clad peaks of the jungled
mountains. He was man of fine physique,
proportionately built, an eagle eye and q
clear-cut American profile. His hair and
beard were As black ~ the ravens beak, and
he always wore . luxuriant growth Of both
his beard, at twenty-three, reached his
well filled hunting-b belt, and have often
seen him, says the corresponds mt, tie on
his sombrero with his mustache. He had a
sparkle Of humor about him, and his COM
mandinR person, bold, daring and aggres-
siVe makeup made him Q general favorite
In camp.
He, like other phenomenal men, had his
peculiarities. "Old- d-HellIn-the-Brush and
"Heart-Deep" were ever his companions in
camp and on trail. sold He'll in the Brush"
was q magnificent London twist, rife bore
gun which exactly chambered an ounce
ball. Il was an old fashioned muzzle-loader,
weighing eighteen pounds, but it never
went back on Its credentials, as indicated
by its name, when in the hands of the
Whale. "Heart-Deep" was q tremendous
steel two-edged dirk weighing eleven
pounds, which the Whale could WELD az
easily as . pen-knife. These two weap-
ons which he had thus grimly christened
were his constant companions while travers-
ing the mountain ranges from Mineral
King 70 Mount Lyell.
nd hrfI Oh
counters which could be related of him dur
ing his twelve years OF mountaineer life in
Fresno County.
On one occasion, while camped at a
meadow on the south fork of Kings river,
he found it necessary to fence of pasture
for his mustangs He and his companion
were telling trees for that purpose when,
by some miscalculation, tree two feet in
diameter fell on his companion, crushing
him To the earth. But the Whale was equal
TO the emergency. Throwing his giant
strength into his arms he lifted the leaden q
| trunk from OF the PROSTATE form of his un
fortunate friend. His friend died from the
injury, but his prompt action in removing
the tree allayed much Of his pain, and gave
those who knew the Whale an example OF
his muscular strength, which won the
plaudits and praise of the people through
out the sparsely settled country.
The Whales lifting weight was nine times
his own, or 1900 pounds. AT another time he
displayed even greater strength and won
| derful presence of mind He and Frank
Lewis were on the middle fork of Kings
| river prospecting for gold and silver.
One evening about dusk, when nearing
camp, the Whale espied cub bear fully si1
months old and weighing upward of twC
hundred pounds The cub was asleep or
top Of slanting bowlder. Wills determined
at once to capture the beautiful specimen
alive.
Better give him q little lead morphine
and burn a little saltpeter behind it, re
marked Frank, ITO make him sleep sounder.'
But the Whale Wouldn't listen to it. Franl
| got on the pinnacle of q nelghboring tree
so. as he said, he could see just how Will:
caught hold Of the cub. Wills grabbed the
animal by both hind feet, and, startled thu:
] from its lair, the Whale was soon convinced
| that he had large and powerful brute Il
contend with. The cub set up a. ideou'
yelling, and, showing fight, summoned it,
| young strength perhaps for the first time II
| cope with its new-found foe. Tbs bowldel
was slantlng and slick, making footing un
l sure, and down its declivitouS side rolled
man and bear, A thick copse of verbs
buena and fern received the mysterioui
couple into its wild retreat. When foot
ing was reached Wills was on top. but th'
desperate animal by its cries had warneC
\ the ferocious mother OF its peril. Franl
1 from his perch attempted 10 pour hot LEAF
into ths Gpproaching beast, now not NOR
than Atty yards away and nearing the spo
| twenty feet at q bound.
The Whale took in the situation. 1t tool
both hands to overpower the cub; what wa
he to dol There was no time TO theorlze
Swinging the cub ~ boy would cat, h
struck the mother tHH in ths mouth will
| tho cubs head. The bear fell stunned =
earth and the cub slipped from the " hale
grasp bleeding and helpless. Quicker lhal
1 you could even think the circumstance IL
rehearsal, trusty heart deep had done hi
work The cub spd mother had met th'
enemy and they were his'H,
Frank cautiously descended from the uppe
tier OF the wild amphitheater, and spent tn,
remainder OF tbs night in trying to find tn
place in the animals anatomy that the lead
| en- messenger from the rife had penetratet
! on its mission Of death; but he found only
wide, deep gssh through which clever
pounds of steel, Obeying ths influence Of l
giants muscle, I'D served notice OF eject
ment upon the chain of IIic.
| 1ne w naIe met with but one ems ny Y
whom he succumbed. In the spring OF =.
mountain fever seized his powerful frame
his mind departed, and soon the reaper
wrapped his thick, mysterious mantle O.
eternity about him and the Whale was nj
more. On the left bank of the great King.
river canyon, meath a few feet of granite sol
and the refreshing shade of widespread
| ing juniper, wrapped in his hunting garb
unwept, uncofined and unsung, lies the
hero of Mariposa, and above his grave i.
this mpleinscription: THE Whale''