St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1891-12-27
"0LD REEL FOOT"

A Story of the SiSkiyou Range.
GRANTS PASS, Ore, Dec. 26.-For
many years the construction of a rail-
way across the SlSkiyou range was con
sidered almost an impossibility. The
Southern Pacific company, however,
did undertake and carry through the
work, and now the trader can sit at his
ease and view some of the grandest
mountain scenery OF the Pacific coast.
Previous to the completion of the road
people crossed the long gap in stages.
In many instances the stage and all the
passengers were robbed at points in the
mountains, which at that period were
full of hiding places and retreats
for robbers and grizzlies. Now the
robbers no longer modest and make
afraid, though, an occasional grizzly
may still be found in the high wooded
elevations that overlook Ashland and
the head of the Rogue River valley. The
last one killed there was a fierce mon
SteT called "Old Reel Foot" because of
peculiar reeiing motion he had when
walking or running, owing to a loss of
several of the toes of his left fore foot
in trap.
For many years "Old Reel Foot" was
the scOurge of the Siskiyou and Cascade
rancher alone no less than $500 worth
of stock, and the arena of his depreda-
tons embraced territory some 100
miles long by 80 in width.
He was liable to turn up by night as
suddenly and Unexpectedly as the
flames boys" used to in the Missouri
river regions. and after tapping the
juguiar vein of heifer, steer or COW,
and drinking the blood, would disap-
pear and remain away for months. for
lie never returned to make a second
meal from the same victim, like most
other bears and beasts of prey.
He was fat, unusually large, and, as
he grew old, very unwieldy in appear
ance. And yet no creature that haunted
the mountains could excel him in get
ting out of harms way. 1t was next to
impossible TO follow him with hounds.
because the dogs that once survived his
intimate acquaintance were always glad
to let him alone forever afterwards. The
hunters dreaded seeking him alone, for
he had several times turned upon the
pnrsuer and caused him to fee from the
wrath to come and seek salvation in the
arms of some friendly tree. But as the
boldest and luckiest beast OF prey-in
the woods as we'll as in the wheat and
stock marketS-at last crosses the dead
his fate at the hands of two hunters, a
father and son. who sought him with
their Winchesters early one morning in
the spring of 1890.
"Old Reel Foot" had called at ranch
the night previous and left his familiar
card and autograph in the form of a
dead three-year- steer bearing the
we'll known throat marks, and the hun
tiers LOADED for bear" and followed his
trail.
They were moving quietly along near
the bottom of gully when they heard
a loud snort, and looking across the
hollow and up the slope they saw Reel
Foot not over $50 yards away turning
to look at them as he deliberately re-
treated.
They took good aim and fired stimuli
taneously, both balls striking HIM.
With horrible and de afening roar
that fairly shook the fir trees, he turned
and came rushing, or rather tumbling
and tearing down towards his foes.
swapping and biting at everything in
his way.
a5ln the meantime the two men kept up
their part of the business, well knowing
that the fight meant death to them both
unless the brute died before reaching
them. When within about twenty yards.
paused for final charge, his mouth
open, revealing all his fangs, and his
little red eyes ablaZe with fury. But
just as he uttered his last war whoop
two balls pierced his heart, and, with
mighty lunge, he rolled over dead at
the very feet of his slayers.
The fact that he weighed some eight
cen hundred pounds will give some
faint idea of his formidableness as
game. and it also proves that the East
efn black bear hunts, 10 which the New
York Sun used to give so much space,
are mere squirrel play as compared to
grizzly hunting in the SiskIyous.
Reel Foot's" age could not have been
less than fifty years. He had been shot
at scores of times in the past quarter of
a century. and his carcass carried
enough cold lead to load a whole regi-
ment of Mark Twain's jumping
frogs"
His captors mounted the skin and ex-
hibited the stuffed emblem of competi-
ton all up and down the coast last sum-
mer, ana crowds visited the tent and
felt well PAID for their 1.-TWO bits apiece,
please" The "Shasta route will al
ways be favOrite because of its won
derful and varied scenery. The most
satisfactory view of Mount Shasta is
from SissOns, nearly a hundred miles
south OF where the railroad crosses the
SiSkiyou divide.
The station was named for the man