The Hazel Green herald. [volume] (Hazel Green, Wolfe County, Ky.) 1885-19??, 1891-08-21
HIS FIRST AND LAST GRIZZLY.
A Bear Experience that was Enough for
Lifetime.

A Bear Experience that was Enough for
Lifetime.
My friend Tom Coleman and were
discussing various matters over our
after-dinner cigars at an uptown res
taurant the other evening, writes a
correspondent, when the conversation
turned on hunting and fishing ex-
periences. Tom had just returned TO
this city from an extended tour through
southern California. Incidentally /
asked him II he had run across any
grizzlies on the Southern coast range.
"Any grizzlies?" repeated Tom.
well, rather. That is" he added, 81
ran across, as you call it, Just one soil
tary grizzly bear More properly speak
ing, though, the bear ran across me. 1t
was my first and last grizzly, too, as
sure you. ! was down in San Ber-
nardino county. about the middle of
last month, when it happened. l
had been trout fishing all the
morning with indifferent success,
and about noon concluded TO
rest awhile. An old log lying under a
clump of manzanita bushes afforded
me good seat, and / had soon filed
my pipe and was smoking away with
that degree OF natural comfort which n
glorious days sport in the open air al
ways inspires.
~ had started out with old Jack
Waterman, at whose ranch was stop
ping; but Jack had become tired and
gone home. had no gun or weapon
OF any kind, but didn't suppose | would
need any, as Jack had told me on start
ing that they warn't nuthin' TO shoot
round these parts but bars, and they
hain't been bar seen round here for
n year past.
'As l sat there contentedly smoking
thought l heard n rustling in the
bushes just back of me. Some bird, |
thought. l then picked up stone and
threw il in the direction of the sound
Pretty big bird, thought /, as the
rustling continued louder than before.
then threw q larger stone, and immedi-
ately following my shot the sound of
some heavy body crashing through the
chaparal made me think that some of
old Waterman's cattle had strayed that
way. l was satisfied with this, and sat
down again and resumed smoking
Say" remarked Tom, suddenly,
''can you imagine bear as big as
house? No? Well, that's just what
i saw as l suddenly turned around
That's what was making the noise in
the bushes, ~ bear, a regular grizzly
and a whopper.
Scared? Well, should say so.
My teeth chartered like pair of Span
ish castanets There he stood, though,
not more than thirty feet away, sort of
sizing me up, as il were, and all could
do was TO sit there and stare back at
him. | wasn't sure whether grizzly
bears, like Bengal tigers, made their
meals off strangers or not. This ami.
NAL looked as il he could have swal.
lowed me whole If he had wanted TO,
and the more looked at him the big
ger he seemed to get.
well, just sat there as still as a
bump on log for, II seemed TO me, a
number OF hours. Then. the bear DELHI
erately walked up to whore was sit
ting. OH, Lord! thought I, I'm done
for now surely. Well, sir, that brute
just walked by me, gave snort and
"a sniff, as If To say: what excuse have
you got for living, anyhow and then
off 1t went down the ravine.
III must have sat there an hour after
that without moving, Finally braced
up and started for home. forgot both
pole and fish, Old man Waterman
thought d been bitten by rattlesnalse
when i reached home that evening.
''No, stree, ' observed Tom, "l'm not
l.
That same bear is there yet, I've no
doubt, only If anyone wants to go out
there and hunt for il advise him TO
take Calling gun with him, that's ALL"
IN. Y. Herald