The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1890-11-09
0LD-TIME BEAR STORY.
Remarkable Experience Of Bill Jones
in the Spring Of
Sixty-Five.
Prospecting for Placer at the Head
Of the Big Hole
River.


River.
six Weeks In . Bears Den After .
Terrible Battle for
Life.
One of the strongest and most narrowing
adventures have heard for some time was
related by grizzled miner who came to
Montana in the early '69s. In those days
the country was literally Allied with game
and it was no trouble to ret deer, ante
lope, elk, buffalo or more. Beaver and Of
ter were plentiful, as werelalso bear. Pros
pectors went out in the fall of the year and
remained all winter, subsisting chiefly up
on wild game. Flour was very dear and
at times very scarce. In the winter Of 81
IS many people lived in the Gallatin valley
almost wholly upon wild meats That was
the winter of the flour famine and this de-
sirable commodity was SO scarce that the
price in Helena rose to $1.25 pound and
but little was to be had at any price. But
this proved no serious drawback DO long as
plenty of meat could be secured, and NO
one appeared to suffer no Inconvenience on
account of the enforced abstinence.
During that winter nearly every gulch in
Montana was prospected for placer gold.
Holes were sunk and the gravel carefully
panned for traces of the precious metal.
Among the manv miners who went out in
to the noun tains in the fall of ga to try
their luck was Bill Jones and Tom Ander-
son. They left Alder gulch in September
with couple of pack horses loaded princi-
pally with coffee, sugar, bacon, beans and
tobacco, picks and shovels, bedding, etc.
They started for the head of the Big Hole
river, expecting to reach the Big Hole ba-
sin. which at that time contained large
herd of moose, estimated at fully 600 ami
mails. They pitched their camp on small
stream issuing from the basin, and having
gan the erection of q cabin for winter, and
in short time were busily prospecting for
gold.
Their success was only moderate, but they
calculated that by running drain to bed
rock vast wealth would reward them for
their pains. But before settling down to
steady work on the drain they laid in a
Roodly supply of meat, sufficient to last
them until spring. There was little excite
ment in hunting the moose in the Big Hole
parently never been hunted and had never
heard the report of gun. Three Of these
superb beasts were secured with little
trouble and the meat packed to camp where
it was hung up in an open shed prepared for
the purpose.
A good many bear sigma were noted in
the vicinity of the camp and several were
seen ct different times, but they were not
molested. In November there was heavy
snowfall which drove them into their holes
for the winter, and the only wild animals
seen from that time on were few gray
squirrels and an occasional coyote, which
sot up dismal yell. A few magpies chat
tered and laughed in the willows near by
and several tom-tits picked industriously
at the frozen moose meat all day during
the entire winter.
Jones and Anderson were old chums,
having crossed the plains together and
mined in Colorado before coming to Mon
tana. They worked industriously on the
appear with the approach of spring.
BY this time the tobacco, sugar and cof-
Tee were running short and new tools were
needed, SO it was decided that Anderson
should return to Virginia City and secure
start was made for the town. Jones con-
tinued work ON tho drain. They expected
to have reached bedrock by the time the
grub played out, but il was deeper than
they anticipated. On the night following
q visit to the camp. This unwelcome guest
proved to be grizzly bear in search of
food. It was the season of the year when
they awake from their long sleep. lean and
hungry and ready to pounce upon anything
IN the shape of food. Smelling the moose
meat at the camp the animal made straight
for 1t. Jones heard the racket outside
but the night was dark and. realizing that
the intruder was bear, he forebore to
question its right upon the premises. But
with the break of day he was out to do bat
tie, II necessary. 1t was too late; the ami
NAL having satisfied its hunger on guam
tlty OF meat had decamped for its den.
When Jones discovered his loss he was very
mad and resolved upon revenge. Imme-
diately after election he shouldered his rifle
and putting large hunting knife in q
sheath BY his side, started out upon the
trail OF the bear, which could be easily fol-
lowed in the snow. f4t
The trail lead up through heavy pine
forest toward q rugged peak about i've miles
away. Walking was difficult but Jones
never faltered in his determination to wipe
out the bear that had stolen his meat. As
ne neared the crest of the mountain, the
wind, which had been blowing moderately,