St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1890-12-15
BEARS OF ALASKA.

An Indians Desperate Struggle
A Mode OF Hunting That Re-
quires Nerve.
Juneau (Alaska) Special to Rocky Mountain
News.
Both the courage and brute strength
of the Alaska Indian are phenomenal,
as was recently displayed in one of
many instances that have come under
notice, IN which powerful native of
Alaska came out victorious in a hand
to-hand struggle with large and fero-
ciOuS black bear.
The Indian (Jim), with one complain
ion, an Indian boy about sixteen years
OF age, was out bear hunting on Admi-
rally island, southeast of Juneau, when
the dogs ran a large black bear out on
OH the woods, when Jim, taking hasty
aim, fired, slightly wounding the bear
i'll the neck. The sting of the wound
enraged the brute, and, turning upon
his asSailants, he reached jim with a
few bounds, aud together the Indian
and the bear Went rolling over the
ground in life and death struggle.
In the meantime the boy had taken to
his heels out of harms way, and, sup
posing that his luckleSS companion was
clawed into strings,he fastened to camp
with the news. Immediately upon per-
celylng the bear coming. Jim whipped
out his ponderous hunting knife, and
the first affectionate hug on tie part of
the bear was reclprocated Oh the part of
Jim by thrusting his murderouS weapon
to the hilt i'll the brute's side. In the
struggle jim managed to keep firm
hold OF the knife, never withdrawing it,
but using all his strength to push the
blade in deeper until finally it reached
vital part. when the bear relaxed his
grip and rolled over in the throeS of
death. jim, mangled and torn, and
bleeding from dozen ugly wounds, lay
exhausted upon the ground for some
time, but finally, with superhuman
effort. he struggled to his feet, skinned
his prize, and, throwing the skin over
his shoulder, started for camp, meeting
his companions on the way, who were
coming to gather up his remains for
cremation.
Upon examination Jim found that he
had come out of the fight with two
broken ribs, deep cash in the thigh,
and horrible and dangerous wound
from the brute'S teeth, starting in on
the lett side OF the nose, leaving the
lower eyelid hung by a small particle
OF skin, running back under the left
temple. where deep hole was made.
and ending down under the jaw, where
the lower JaWbone was broken. As
fearful as this last wound is, the hero of
this battle is now doing we'll and Occa-
slOnally utterS snort of contempt at
the coWardly action of his companion
IN running away and leaving him to the
mercy OF an enraged bear. Jim will
Keep the skin as memento of the hard
est fought battle of his life.
10 the bear hunter the wildc of
Alaska offer paradise that can be
found In no other country on the globe,
as Is attested by the yearly shipments
OF choice hides, which reach an euor-
nous amount. The most choice of
these are the black bear, which roam
the woods by hundreds, and prime
skins of which bring from S25 up to as
high as 500 each in the market During
the excursion season tourists from all
parts of the globe make a thriving
trade for Alaska merchants in the bear
skin line. There are five distinct Spe-
cies of bear in Alaska, the black, brown
or cinnamon, and cross, which inhabft
all portions of Southeastern Alaska and
the upper portion of the Yukon coun-
try. Further north, in the st. Elias
Alps, is the home of the ST. Elias griZ-
Fly, which in size, ferociJy and color
much resembles the grizzlies of the ST.
ezra Nevadas, and still further snorth,
along the lower reaches of the Yukon
and the ice fields of the Arctic ocean is
the white polar bear. AS brave and
skillful in hunting bear as the Alaska
Indian is, he seldom hunts the st. Elias
grizzly. both for the reason that there
is but little profit on the hides, and the
ferocIty of the beasts makes hunting
them most hazardous undertaking.
Their mode, however, of killing them
is by shooting into them from heavily
charged smooth-bore musket heavy
slug of either lead, copper or iron: then
awaiting their charge which never
fails to follow the shot, with a long,
heavy and strongly made spear, resting
the butt of the weapon on the ground
and planting one foot firmly against it.
The point of the spear rests at an angle
TO pierce the bear in the breast, and
the bears own weight, when it strikes
the spear in its mad charge, is calculat-
ed to drive the weapon through him,
or pierce him deep enough to cause
death. AS will be readily seen, if at
this critical moment the hunters eour-
aye should fail him, or by miScaIcula-
ton the spear failed to impele the
charging beast, the hunter would be
Knocked senSeleSs and Immediately
torn into shredS. This mode of bear
hunting may have its advantages, but
there IS none but the Alaka Indians
who have the nerve aud courage to try
the experiment.