River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1889-10-17
ON AN ELK's BACK.
The Extraordinary Adventure OF III
johnson, of Montana

The Extraordinary Adventure OF jim
johnson, of Montana.
There was one Individual who rode
real wild elk without saddle or bride,
and probably only one. The feat. how.
ever. was not performed for the pur.
pose of gaining applause or notoriety,
but happened through considerable un.
willingness on the part of the rider
1t was one of the most singular adj
ventures that has ever happened In all
the experiences of Western nimrods.
Some time during the year 1868 party
of hunters who had been camping on
the Missouri river, in what is now
known as Montana, meeting with poor
success, concluded they would change
their tactics and move to better
stamping ground"
So they proceeded up the jefferson
river. and for a fortnight met with
most excellent success, all kinds OF
game peculiar TO the region falling be.
fore the unerring aim of their rifles.
Elk and deer were plenty, and the
hunters did not need to go far from the
camp to find them.
One day while the party was out ir
the brush and separated from each
other considerable distance they sur
prised quite large herd of elk, and
the animals ran at n tremendous rate
of speed down grade toward deep
valley, aiming TO cross over to tn
mountain opposite.
The firing OF the hunters guns al
the animals Immediately became SO
rapid and sharp. and the hallOoing
and shouting so loud, that they were
so badly frightened TO take no notice
of an enemy in front, and bounded
over rocks, brush and small trees with
startling rapidly in their wild efforts
to escape.
One of the nimrods, James Johnson,
who was considerably in advance OF
the remainder of the party, caught .
glimpse of the elk approaching and
ran up hill to secrete himself behind
rocks and bushes, and thus not only
head the animals of, but get a good
shot as well.
AA@ S1iAtA a. NiAOAtN BOSll1Vh atiQ
waited long enough, as he supposed,
for the elk to approach him, but as
they did not come he concluded they
had gone in another direction. Sc
with gun in hand he pushed ahead
anxiously expecting to get capital
shot.
just rs he was emerging from among
crags and dwarish evergreens the
whole band of elk. not knowing his
presence and without warning, swept
down and all around him. and he found
himself right IN the midst Of the herd.
Indeed, so suddenly and unexpected
ly had they dashed around him that
to use his gun was quite impossible.
and it was knocked from his hand be-
yond his reach. In fact. he became
wedged between two elks and was
lifted bodily, and tossed or thrown in
such a manner that he fell headlong
over a declivity and dropped plump
upon the back of a big buck, lighting
astraddle.
Quickly grasping the elk by the
horns, he held on with all his strength
while the animal plunged and reared
and snorted in the most violent man
ner, closely initiating the bucking of
Cayute pony.
The other elk were considerably af-
fected with curiosity at the strange
antics, stopped a moment and eyed the
suspicious movements of their com
rade, and when they discovered one of
their well-known enemies astraddle OF
the leaders back they almost jumped
out of their skins to get away.
Then it was that Jim's wild steed
took still greater alarm, and made a
terrific dash for a clump of thick pine
bushes to free him of his unnatural
appendage, and as Jim didn't care &c
hold on any longer. but preferred to
excuse himself, he let go all hold and
went flying through space and into the
thicket at almost bullet speed.
When his companions came up they
found him quite senseless and covered
with bruises, but in due time he recov-
cred.
He has, however, made a solemn
vow that no will never again under.
take to "baclxn a wild mountain elk,
and is under the impression that if he
had been fastened TO a cannon ball he
could not have been hurled through
the air at a much faster rate of speed.
For a long time afterward johnson
was known among his companions by
the appellation Of ELK Jim. Mon
tana Cor, Chicago Inter-Ocean.