St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1890-07-19
A FEARFUL STRUGGLE.
an Active Encounter Between Two
Hunters and
Bear.
One Man Is Killed and the Other
Is Disfigured for
Life.
An Enraged Grizzly Puts Whole
Mining Camp to
Flight.

terror of the hunter, has disappeared,
probably never to be seen here again.
His memory, however, still fingers III
the stories of the early days, when our
rivers and can0ns swarmed with Marcy
miners. Many incidents. some terrible
and some laughable, are recounted by
our old pioneers about the dolngs OF
"Epbraim'' in those stirring times.
Even at the present day good bear
story crops up. One of these is worth
relating. One of our worthy Teutonlc
citizens. the hero of many a moving ac-
cident by flood and field, owns, or did
own once, a saw mill near Tamarack
siding on the Central Pacific railroad. A
year or two ago some parties found
where a bear made his home in cave
in that locality, and large number OF
men started out one day to capture him.
Among them was the hero of this story.
On arriving at the spot recent marks
gave unmistakable evidence that bruin
was at home, and a council of war was
held. Some proposed smoking him out.
others blowing him out with dynamite,
etc., but none expressed desire to
"beard the lion in his den." At last
our hero spoke up and said: "You vas
all pack of tam cOwarts! I'll show
you how to get him from the cave
oudtw Thereupon he took a stout
hunting knife and laShed it securely to
the end of long pole. and taking a
torch of pitch pine in one hand,
with his improvised lance in the
other, boldly crawled into the hole.
Presently a loud snort and growl we're
heard by the anxious Onlookers, quickly
followed by the temperance of our
hero. safe in wind and limb. but minus
his lance and torch and badly ratified.
Said he: "Poys, dat vas close call!
Ven | crawlt in dere efry dingS vas as
black as ter tuyfel, and all at vonce l
poke me mine torch against de pears
nose, and he shust give one shnort and
plow NE mine light oudt. tell you l
get me from pere oudt poorly kowlck."
The scheme was gorgeous one, but
its ending was ludicrous. He had To-
Gated the position of the bear, however,
and a few rihe-shotS soon ended the
hunt successfully. Of course the bear
was a black, for as before stated no
grizzlies are now known to exist in this
section of the state.
In the autumn of one of the early fif-
ties, DR.. w. II. Nelson, now promi-
nent surgeon in the city OF Sacramento,
but then practicing in Greenwood, was
out quail hunting. He had a double
barreled gun loaded with the proper
charge for that kind of game, and no
other weapon OF means of defense with
him. The doctor was making his way
up ravine, in a narrow trail bOrdered
xr,f4h nh xul,on cnAIonlxr q
band of hunters from the neighboring
mining camp of Georgetown made their
appearance Oh the hill above him in
pursuit of large bear. Some of the
party saw him and shouted a warning
that the bear was coming down the IA
vine, and for him 10
Break for Dear Life.
The doctor was equal to the occasion,
however, and coolly shouted back to
"Let-him come; am ready for him."
He~had theory based upon some pre-
vious Investigations of the anatomy of
bears head that charge of shot in
the end of a griZZly'S nose must reach
the brain and prove fatal. Coolly cock
ing his gun, lie awaited events. In a
moment or two the bear appeared out
of the brush, not over fifteen feet away,
and on catching sight of the doctor
reared up for charge. The latter has
often since averred that when the bear
erected himself on his hams he appeared
to be at least twenty feet high. Never
for an instant losing his. mind, the doctor
took quick aim and lodged the contents
of both barrels in old Ephralm's snout,
and he tumbled over as ANONYMOUSLY
slain as was Goliah with David's pebble.
This seems almost incredible, but is
true beyond peradventure. l wonder
how many of US there are who would
coolly stand in the presence of such a
foe and put theory to the test? Not
many, | ween.
find feeling of wholesome respect
for the California grizzly dwelling in
the minds of all old-timers who had any
thing to do with his bearShip. They all
with one accord say that these animals
were always ready for fight and never
knew when to quit.
In the summer Of 1850 G. W. Apple
gate and his brother John were mining
at the Horseshoe bar OH the American
river. The nearest base of supplies al
that time was Georgetown, eighteen
miles distant by trail. One evening in
early summer, having run short OF
provisions, George and his brother
started out to walk to that camI
to make purchases and have then
brought over by pack train on the en-
suing day. Darkness soon overlook
them, and while descending into Canon
creek they heard bear snort at some
distance behind. In a few moments
they heard it again, louder than before
and John rather anXiously remarked
that he thought the bear was following
them. George thought not, but in few
cnaOn6c oftnr arnccit1n tbn CT lf
beginning the ascent on the other sid,
they both distinctly heard him come
splash, splash, splash, through tn,
water directly upon their trail. 1t va
as dark as ErebuS, and they were with
put weapons larger than pocket-knive
"a serious position with an angr,
grizzly logging their steps. Their frs
thought was to climb tree, but, know
ing they were not far from the cabin o
Rman named Work, they took to thei
heels and did their best running t
reach that haven of refuge ahead of
Their Formidable Follower.
They reached the cabin, rushed jr
slammed and fastened the door benin
them, and with breathlesS interval
gasped out their tale. Work kept ba
for the sale of whisky, and he and hi
sOn, SlOuG young HILL, Will Two
three miners. were sitting on rude seat
around whisky barrel playing cards
when the two frightened men rushe
in. The cabin was built by plantin
posts firmly in the ground at distanc
of some three feet apart, and in TIL
form of parallelogram. then nailin
shakes upon these posts and on tn
roof The sides were held together b
cross beams, connecting the tops of til
opposite posts. There was one rud
window, made by cutting a hole in tn
side of the wall about four feet from tn
ground and covering this with grease
paper. glass being an unattainable luz
ury. Notwithstanding that there is
belief that there was not man in thos
days but wore red shirt and big II
volver, there was not firearm in til
place.
In few seconds the bear was hear
angrily shifting at the door, and an il
slant later his powerful paw came teal
ing through the frail shakes, and h
poked his head and neck through tn
opening and gravely surveyed the terri
fed party. 1t was ''devil take the hinG
ermost" then, with a vengeance, an
every man sprang upon the bar, an
H.. A. 4