The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1890-08-01
NARROWING GRIZZLIES.
Daniel Sections Remarkable Bear Stories.
Sworn to in Court

Daniei sections Remarkable Bear Stories.
Sworn to in Court.
The title of boss bear killer of North
America never has been definitely and
finally conferred. Grizzly Adams
achieved wider notoriety than anv
other man in his line, but that was be-
cause he caught the bears alive and
made a show of them. Sylvester
Scott OF Sonoma county, with his rec
ord OF 400 bears, seemed to be entitled
to the appellation, and even Morgan
Clarke did not dispute the claim. al
though he has been mighty destroy
er of bears.
But Daniel Sexton of San Bernar.
dino, whose modesty has kept him in
the background for many wears. now
comes to the front with some of the
most remarkable bear stories ever
heard. Mr.. Sections claim to recog.
milton is not based upon mere camp
hre yarns or country grocery expert
ences. All that he says is sworn to on
the witness stand in the United States
district court.
Mr.. Sexton was witness in the suit
OF John Morongo and others against
Messrs. North and Grid, a case involv-
ing the title to the Potrero village and
lands In San Bernardino occupied for
thirty years by the Indians, who have
failed, through ignorance, to conform
to the land laws. Mr.. Sexton was
cross-examined about the condition OF
things on the disputed land thirty
years ago, and developed either a to-
naclous memory or fertile magma
ton.
Counsel, to test his accuracy. put the
simple question:
Were there great many bears in
those years." and started Mr.. Sexton
on a series of "reminiscences that were
highly interesting The following re-
port is from the court stenograpRer's
notes:
Mr.. Sexton-Oh, yes. | went out
one evening from my camp and coun-
ted fifty bears within gunshot of me.
eating cherries.
Q.-Wild2
A.-The bears9 No, they were not
wild; they didn't scare at anything.
Oh, you means the cherries. Yes, they
were wild cherries. But the bears did
mt know anything about being hurt
and were not wild. They weren't
scared of the Indians, because the In
dams never killed bears.
Q.-What variety of bears were
they2
A.-Grizzlies.
Odd you see that sight more
than once?
A.-Lots of times. Why, B. D. Viii,
son went up the mountain here to
Bear lake, and he had twenty-five
men with him-Californians. They
counted 100 bears at one time. The
mountain was what you might call just
lousy with bears. The men divided
into pairs and went for the grizzlies
with their lassoes, two men to a bear.
They lassoed eleven bears and brought
them into camp-just naturally led
'em right in.
Odd you kill any bearsa
A.-Well, | think | did. When
Mr.. Temple came out from Los Ange-
les to get some lumber, l had pile of
bears, and showed them to him and
asked him how much bear meat he
thought there was in that pile. He
said he thought there was about ten
tons. | think there was more than
that, because there was more than fifty
bears In the pile, and | think they
weighed more than 500 pounds apiece.
Q-Who killed all those bears?
A. | killed them. | harpooned them.
| 10 h.
didn't know how to set a harpoon.
made some harpoons and set them,
and | would have three or four bears
harpooned every morning-three OF
four old grizzlies. If you had been
there like l was, and seen three or four
old grizzlies with harpoons in them,
dragging logs and chains after them,
you would never forget it,
Q.-Were there any California lions
about there that were dangerous to
stock?
Al never saw but one California
lion in this whole country, and | killed
him with an AK. Maybe you think
that isn't SO, but the way killed him
was this: didn't have gun with me,
and | went out with an Indian to cut
some timber. | had the AK and moth
ing else, and the Indians dogs ran a
lion up a tree. The Indian told me to
60 back and get my gun, but told
him, eff | go you will let him get
away" The lion was on small limb,
and / threw a stone at him and hit
him between the eyes, and that stun
ned him. He turned tail and was going
to jump, but happened to hit him
just right and dazed him. Then
made the Indian fetch stones, and
pegged stones at the lion for about an
hour and half, should think. When
he turned tail | stoned him on the end
of the spine. | stoned him until he
couldn't use his hind legs, and then ]
cut the tree down and killed him with
the ax.-Banning Cali Letter.