The morning call., 1890-06-27
GAME AND FISH.
Chnmois, lbex and Mountain Sheep Once
Lived on Mount Shasta.

Chamofs, 1bex and Mountain Sheep Once
Lived Mount Shasta.
There is no man more familiar with Mount
Shasta and the region surrounding it than
the noted pioneer j. II. Sisson, in whose
honor the new town of Sisson, at the west
ern base of the mountain, has been named.
He is now too old and too much disabled to
undertake the exposures and privatious to
which he was formerly Injured, but loves to
relate his adventures of the earlier days.
He is known as thoroughly truthful and
trustworthy, and this gives additional in
terest to his stories of personal expe-
riences. Els wonderful nerve and courage
are illustrated in an aneedote he relates of
an encounter with a grizzly BEAR many
years ago. lie had shot the animal, which,
half blinded and partly crazed by the
wound it had received, rushed forward to
wreak vengeance on its assailaDt. The
hunter at once realized the hopelessness of
flight, and, perceiying the bears condition,
bounded TO the spot where he stood, and
rose upon its hind legs as if to strike him
with its paws, but as he continued notion
less, the bear, being unable to distinguish
him from tree or stump, dropped upon
oil fOurs, and tore off in another direction.
On that occasion Mr.. Sisson's presence of
mind and GOODNESS no doubt saved his life.
Mr.. Ssson says that there have been five
kinds of bears in the Shasta region-the
grizzly, brown. black, cinnamon and white.
The last white bear was seen about ten
years ago. 1t had black legs and head and
a white tody. This species is believed to
be extinct. There were also three kinds of
wolves-the bride, gray and white. The
veteran hunter once had gray VOLTS skin
which was six feet long from tip to tip
when hung up to dry. Of other wild AMI
mails in the Shasta region he mentions the
panther the coyote, four kinds OF squirrels,
kangaroo mice and kangaroo rats with
bushy tails, and also beavers. OF the fish
of the region he enumerates four kinds of
trout which he insists are distinct vari-
cites, namely, the rainbow. mountain, Dolly
Warden and salmon trout, also dog salmon
and Quinnat salmon, suckers, white fish and
minnowS.
Among the curiosities in Mr.. Sisson's
possession is the skull and one horn of an
ibeX. The animal was once found in the
Shasta region. but the last one seen was
killed about fifteen years ago. The horn
has some resemblance to that of an ante
lope, but is of different and distinct type.
Another much priced relic is the horn of
channels, whose skeleton Mr.. Sisson found
imbedded in ice at the edge of the crater on
the main summit of Mount Shasta. The
skeleton came to light through the melting
of the ice, over which the finder had passed
for years while the remains of the chamois
were still covered from view. He thinks
that the skeleton must have been imbedded
in the ice for centuries. No living chamois
has ever been seen in the region, ana it is
probable that the channels and the ibex are
there extinct.
The bex is Of the goat family, and the
cham0is is mountain antelope. In view
OF the fact that the antelope OF the plain
once abounded in California, it is not sur
prising that its mountain relative should
also have inhabited the alpine region of the
State. Mr.. Sisson once saw hundreds of
antelope in single band feeding in the
valley below the great mountain. Noun
tain sheep were formerly found upon Mount
Shasta, as horns and skulls shown by Mr..
SisSOn attest, but none have been seen of
late years.-Marysville Appeal. June Goth.