Daily Yellowstone journal., 1890-02-15
THE CALIFORNIA GRIZZLY.
Tie Terrible Experience which Bcfeli .
santa Clara Valley Farmer.


There were two Americans in the
Santa Clara valley at an carly day
brotbers-named Howard aud Michael
Ovcraclscr. They owned large farms,
had a wide acquaintance ana were very
popular. They were also the best rifle
shots and the most cool and successful
hunters in the county. | have e e
Michael, at a turkey match, kill his
bird at 600 yNds, They used to kill
wild geese, coyotes, mountain quail
aud hare. on the run, with their Henry
rifles. Still, though they had shot
hundreds of deer. anielopeS and elks,
they went grizzly hunting. AT
last, in 1865, in the san Benito noun
tains, Howard Overacker had his bear
adventure, and the details are very
characteristic of the habits of the griz-
ely.
The elder O~veracker was then in the
prime OF life, extremely strong, wiry,
lean and quick in liis motions. His
brother aud a man named Ferguson
formed the rest Of the party. They
lett camp and separated. taking nearly
parallel ravincs. Howard was slowly
working his way through the dense,
thomy bushes. called by Californians
chaparrll. when he suddenly came
upon a large and old grizzly at close
quarters. The animal was less than
twenty feet distant, aud at once, with
a roar of rage, threw himself upon
Overlclscr.
The hunter, with that marvellous RI.
pldity which such men acquire, put a
bullet into his foe. threw out the shell.
and had pumped another cartridge into
the rifle when the giant of tine wilder
ness struck him. The blow delivered
with the right paw struck him on the
face aud neck. hurled the gun into
the bushes, and felied linn 10 the
ground. The grizzly instantly caught
him III three places-one paw over the
ribs, breaking two and tearing them
loose; the other paw ON the ankles,
ripping and crushing the flesh; the
teeth and jaws closed on the thigh,
mangling the flesh and tearing il from
the bone. Overacker. though perfect
ly conscious. lay without a motion
through this terrific assault. The bear
suddenly let go his hold on the thigh,
and caught Overacker by the Shout.
der, breaking and crushing the bones
together. From the time when lie
rose against the man TO the time when
he dropped him "A bundle of broken
bones and orr flesh. the grizzly had
seemingly put forth but u tremen-
dous effort. Overacker said Afterwards
that le was no stronger in the bears
grasp than "A cat would be in his own.
Tie bear left him moment. walked
about in a circle, returned Suddenly aud
bit pieces of flesh as large as a marble
from various parts of OyerbackerIs
body, and then took his final depart.
Ire.
Ovcracker, a few minutes later,
seized the branches overhead and
struggled to his feet. but, To use his
own phrase, ''all turned black and
his companions found him half am
hour later. For weeks lac was not ex-
pected to live. but his wife's nursing
and his magnificent constitution pulled
him through. Two years later Over
acker returned to the same region and
shot two large grizzlies without any
assistance. One of them received eight
Henry rifle bullets before he sue
cumbed. This little sacrifice to his
vanity being accomplished, he hunts
no more bears, and even discourages
the light minded sheer at the Califor.
mia grizzly. l asked the veteran
whether lie would have used a bowie
if he had had it while in the gripof the
forest king. Overacker smiled grim.
ly: 1t was a very large bear,
as large us an OK. II John Sui.
livan had been in my place, and
had driven a bowie through the bears
heart, he would have been killed in
the death struggle. AS fora revolver,
il would have been suicide 10 have
tried il. But ii the bear had been fifty
feet of when | saw him. instead o!
twenty, | could have kept out of the
way long enough to kill him.
Chnrlp. IA Shinu i'm Now Work Post