The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1889-02-21
BEARS OF CAlAvERAS.
Facts to Prove that They Are More Intoiii-
gent Than the Average Bruins.

are smarter and have more ''sabef
than the human inhabitants of any
other county in the State. There are
lots of them, too-black, brown, CHINA.
mon, and grizzly-and all as fat a,
butter this Fall. They have had nut,
a plenty. and there is hardly a pig
pen in the county that they haven'i
raided.
They got away with my pork in
great shape" said Wilson, when he
was telling a party of friends at the
Richelieu about the surprising prevail
ence of accomplished bears in the
neighborhood of his ranch on Jones
creek. II knew how bears like pigs
built high fence of heavy pickets
around the pens, and sharpened the
pickets as fine as needles, so that no
bear could get over them without
punching himself full of holes. In the
pen l kept dozen hogs, and in another
had two COWS and two litters of fine
pigs. / saw the bears strolling around
nights, but they didn't get any of my
hogs for some time.
''The pigs we're about three months
old, and, as | sat around and watched
them grow, calculated the number
of rich roasts / would have out of the
lot, when one morning / missei one.
There was no way for pig to get out,
or anything to get in, bat q pig was
gone all the same. / couldn't under
stand the disappearance at all. Two
d..ys later another was missing, and in
two weeks my fourteen pigs had been
reduced to six.
where those pigs had gone was
more than l could make out. The
fence was all up; not a picket was
loose, and the points were as sharp rs
ever. / had sat up pretty late several
times to watch the pens, but now do
cided to make an all night job of it I
went to bed in the afternoon and
snored away until plumb dark, when I
got mp, loaded my rifle for bear, and
hid behind log about sixty yards
from my pork corral.
The moon came out from behind
some fleecy clouds and shed a pale
light on the premises. / put in good
deal of the night bobbing my head up
from behind the log, but no pig-steaf-
ing ghosts, no marauding neighbors,
no anything showed up.
sit was lonesome work, and I was
getting tired of it, when through the
haze l saw big black bear walking
along on his hind feet gesticulating
with his paws, and grunting COM
placently as he looked behind him.
Another bear was following in the
same fashion, and two cubs brought
up the roar of the procession. 1t SEEM
ed to ME that they were conversing
together, and when the boss of the
gang pointed over to my ranch con-
cluded that they were talking pork.
1.-The whole outfit steered for my
pig-pen and halted close to it. That
didn't worry me, as couldn't see how
the old bears could get over the fence
to steal my pigs. 1 found out pretty
soon that l had made the acquaintance
of a very accomplished and clever
family.
1.-The grand marshal of the parade
Skinned up an old oak that stood near
the fence, made sign of caution to
the others, crawled out on a big limb
aud waited for Mrs. Bruin, who was
following him, after boxing the ears
of both cubs to make them keep quiet.
Then saw what / hadn't noticed
before. That limb came we'll out over
my pig-pen. The first old bear of this
company advanced along
the limb. which gradually bent under
his weight until the tips of the boughs
touched the ground in one of the pens.
His partner went out along the limb In
the same way, and when he dropped
to the ground, her weight kept the
limb bent
There was the deuce to pay in the
pig-pen by this time. The old SOW
was charging around in great conster-
nation. and the little pigs were skip
ping about keeping close to her most
of the time. Bruin was on the ground,
sizing up the layout, and when the old
sow made lunge at him, as though
to rip him, he gave her a comical look,
as much as to say. oh, what are you
giving us? swiped her one on the side
of the jaw and laid her out
Then he grabbed the fattest pig OF
the lot, climbed upon the limb, which
his side partser was holding down for
him, and slowly wriggled up toward
the trunk Of the tree, the she bear re-
ceding as he advanced.
THAT performance just beat all my
going a fishing. The bears were COM
ing down the tree when l recovered
from my astonishment enough to re-
member that it was my pork that was
disappearing. Hold on, there! ]
yelled, that is little too stiff game,
and whanged away with my rifle into
the tree. / didn't try to hit the bear,
because rather admired the clever
ness of the old thief, and l didn't
want to bust up such an interesting
family.
"Well. sir, there was a great tum-
bling and wrestling in the tree. the pig
dropped squealing to the ground. and
down scrambled the two bears stern
foremost, looking a good deal discom-
forted. As l blazed away few more
times / made little speech to the
bears: Look here, said /, III let you
off this time, but if you come monkey
get hurt sure
1uc ltttic DtdIS ndu scAupcTeu
away, and the she bear hurried after
them as soon as she touched the
ground. The big fellow cooked his
head on one side, and 1 think he wink
ed at me as he went away.
well. do you know 1 never lost
any more pigs. Thatpig-stealing out
fit of plantigrades just took in the sit
uation AS we'll as did, and we had q
complete understanding on the subject
of pork from that time out That Is
why | maintain that the bears of CAL
averas are smarter than the bears OF
any other county in California.