The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1890-11-27
FOOLING A GRIZZLY.
Pargon Honeyfoot's Adventure In
tho Mountains.
His shine Were Skinned, Nut Bruin Didn't
Succeed In Making Meal Of the Pieus
Man-Quser Antics sf .
Tall Sapling.

II never put myself up as much Of
bear-killer," said Mr.. Gleason, rather
better known as "Old George" Of Cor
mans Station, Los Angeles County. to .
San Francisco Examiner man. "As .
matter OF fact, during the twenty-five
years that I've been fooling around the
mountains 1t has been my practice to
let 'em alone II they let me alone, and
II they don't let me alone to climb .
tree and let 'em get tired.
"But there was one time that broke
my rule. have roasted with the fly
catchers more than one night rather
than get into muss with bear, and
I never thought 1t was my business to in
terfere when somebody else was doing the
roosting, except this once. 1t was about
twelve years ago, and Parson Honeyfoot
was preaching around these parts, first
in one camp and then in another, usual
ly winding up here at CORN ans on Sun
days, when all the boys would come in
from the camps and mines after their
mail. I was coming down from the
Frazier mountain one Sunday morning,
and saw right ahead of me on the trail
great big grizzly. He was across the
canyon from me, and as he seemed to be
going right ahead about his own busi-
ness, just sat down and waited half an
hour to give him chance to get out of
my way. just about the time was ready
to move on there was a smashing in the
brush where I had last seen the big
bear, and the blue burro the parson
always used to ride came tearing and
braying down the trail. knew him
by his having only one ear. He lost the
other fooling around buzz up on the
Sawmill mountain. I waited to see
what he was running from, but nothing
came, and pretty soon I logged on. I
was kind of anxious about the parson
and kept my eye out for him. After
little heard his voice shouting down in
gulch off the trail, and right away I
found where the bears track turned of.
'If it had been anybody but the par
son I'd have gone right on, but it seemed
kind of low down to shake preacher
that way, SO took off through the brush
in the direction of the noise. 1t was
just about as nasty place to tackle
bear as you would want. Nothing but
thick manzanita and chaparral that
made travelling mighty slow and hardly
tree in range that man could climb.
All the smaller trees had been burned
off in some of the mountain fires years
before, and now there were only some
little thin saplings that had come up
since the fire, and big old oaks and bull
pines that had come out of the fire only
scorched.
pretty soon saw the bear. He was
chasing around sapling, occasionally
stopping to claw at the tree and shake
it. From the upper branches Of the tree
came the calls for help, and pretty soon
made out Parson Honeyfoot clinging
to the tree away up among the leaves,
yelling and praying.
"Well, you ought to have seen that
bear shake around that tree. Every
minute expected to see the parson let
go and come a-tumblin', but he held on,
though his coat-tails tapped and
snapped around like the lash of coach
whip. I guess the grizzly kept trying
for fifteen minutes, then he seemed to
give up the scheme and lay down growl-
ing to think up new one. 1t took him
about five minutes to get new idea,
but when he did he went about carry
ing it out with rush. He just got hold
Of that sapling as high as he could
hang his whole weight on 1t and bent
the tree over little, then he began to
back away, changing his grip hand over
hand. OF course, every step he took
backward brought the top of the tree
lower, and began to try for sight be-
hind the grizzly's ear.
"Still the bear kept backing, and
Parson Honeyfoot was almost to the
ground. 1 cooked my rife and took q
rest over my knee, because 1t wouldn't t
do to miss in such place as that.
'Just as I was about to fire the old
grizzly turned his head and saw the par
son just behind him. He was so close
that the bear simply let 70 and made q
grab.
"The tree, released from his weight,
new up, and the bear simply got q leg Of
the parsons trousers, and the tree went
up like catapult-thst's what they
called 1t, didn't they?
'It shot the parson out ahead like Q
boy shoots stone from springy single.
saw him sail across tho arroyo with
his coat tails spread like birds tail.
He landed fair in the branches Of big
pine, forty feet from the ground. and
thirty yards from the sspling.
THAT saved him. The bear was dis
gusted, but he went to the pine and
started to watch and I climbed up into
the sapling and from there pumped lead
| into him 80 fast that he soon curled up.
Tho parsons shins were skinned,
but he wasn't hurt much. He couldn't
stand the country, though, and won't
away. He gave me the one-esred burro
and he's packing my grub and blAnkets
yet"