Daily Yellowstone journal., 1890-03-07
THE CALIFORNIA GRIZZLY.
The Tcrribl. Experience which Befs1 .
santa Clara Valley Farmer.

santa Clara Valley Farmer.
There were two Americans in the
Sanga Clara valleys at an early day
brotherS-named Howard and Michael
Overackcr. They owned large farms,
had a wide acquaintance and were very
popular. They were also the best rifle
shots and the most cool AMI successful
hunters in the county. | have seen
Michael. at n turkey match, kill lbs
bird at COO yards. They used to kill
wild geese, coyotes, mountain quail
and hare, on the run, with their Henry
rifles. sill, though they had shot
hundreds of deer. anteiopes and elks,
they never went grizzly hunting. At
last. IN 1868, in the san Bcniio o
tairs. Howard Overacker had Ills bear
adventure. and the details are very
characteristic of the habits of the griz-
ely.
The elder Overackcr was then in the
prime of life, extremely strong, wiry,
lean and quick in his motions. Ills
brother and a mai named Ferguson
formed the rest of the p'riy. They
left camp and separated, taxing nearly
parallel avincs. Howard was slowly
working his way through the dense,
thorny bushes, called by Callfornians
c%llaparrll, when he suddenly came
upon Il large and old grizzly ut close
quarters. The animal was less than
twenty feet distant, and ut once, with
a roar of rage, threw himself upon
Overacker.
The hunter, with that marvellous ra-
pidity which such men acquire. put "a
bullet into his foe, threw out the shell.
and had pumpedanother cartridge into
the rifle when the giant of the wilder
ness struck him. The blow delivered
with the right paw struck him on the
face and neck. hurled the gun into
the bushes, and felled him to the
ground. The grizzly instantly caught
him in 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 it from
the bone. Overacker, though perfect
ly conscious. lay without "A motion
through this terrific assault. The bear
suddenly let 90 his hold on the thigh,
aud caught OveracEer by the Shout
der, breaking and crushing the bones
together. From the time when he
rose against the man Ia the time when
he dropped him "A bundle of broken
bones and torn flesh, the grizzly had
seemingly put forth but tremen-
dous effort. Overacker said afterwards
that he was no stronger IN the bears
grasp than a cat would be in his own.
The bear left him amoment, walked
about in circle, returned suddenly and
bit pieces of flesh rs large rs a marble
from various parts Of Overbackers
body, aud then took his final depart
T
Overacker, a few minutes later,
seized the branches overhead and
struggled to his feet, but, 10 use his
own phrase, ''all turned black" and
his companions found him half an
hour later. For weeks he 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 sneer at the Califor-
MIA grizzly. | asked the veteran
whether he would have used a bowie
if he had had il while in the gripof the
forest king. Overacker smiled grim.
ly: 1T was a very large bear,
as large rs an OK. If 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,
it would have been suicide 10 have
tried it. But ii the bear had been fifty
feet of when l saw him. instead o!
twenty, l could have kept out Of the
way long enough TO kill him
Charles Ii. Shinn in New York Post.