Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1891-08-14
FIGHTING GRIZZLIES.
EXPERIENCES or A MINER IN THE
JAWS OF AN ANGRY BEAR.

The shaggy Monster Laoerated tho Hunter
aio.t TrightfuiIy and Then Watched over
the Body untn satisfied That life Was
Extinct
The name Of well known citizen Of
Humboldt county on the Russ HOUSE
register few days ago recalled TO his
friends the story Of desperate fight
with grizzlies in the early days.
1t was In the fall Of 1851. aud ihrco
starving men crawlcd through n thick
growth Of Humboldt county timber and
found themselves facing eight monster
grizzly bears Goadod TO desperation by
hunger tho mon determined 10 attack tho
fcrocious animals. Tho heart Of Thomns
soabring failed as the little party drew
near the bears, and no sought shelter by
climbing tree.
Tho other men. 8. X. Wood and Isaac
Wilson. threw prudence to tho winda
and advanced TO within fifty yards Of
the bears Wood fred his nno and tho
nearest bear fell. biting and tearing tho
ground as though IN the agouics Of death.
While Wood was reloading his riilo
Wilson brought down bear
Five Of tho grizzlies retrcatcd up
rayinc. but ono shaggy monster remained
with hnr fallen companions. She sat
erect on her launches aud turned her
eyes on tho mon as II daring them 10
battle.
Wilson. awed by her aspect, ran for n
tree, while Wood tried TO reload his gun,
but found himself unable 10 ram tho ball
down on tho powder. While In this pre-
dicament the grizzly that had not He'd
rushed ~ him. Wood succeeded In get.
ting Into n small buckeye tree. and used
his gun TO beat the bear of rs sho ut.
tackled tho trco with tho intention Of
shaking him ont.
IN TIE JAWS OF A GRIZZLY.
While he was engaged In fighting of
this bear, Wood, 10 dis horror. saw tho
animal ho had wounded rise aud rush to-
ward him. No blows that no could in
fict on the wounded animal could check
her. AT tho first spring she made tho
tree broke and the bears jumped for
Wood. lIo gained his feet aud made
with all speed down tho mountain. where
another small tree stood about thirty
yards away. He reached tho tree with
tho wounded bear Mt his heels, mud. seiE.
ing the trunk, no swung his body around
10 rs TO give tho bear room 10 pass him,
which abe did, rlunging hcadlong down
tho mountain about twenty yards
Before Wood could. with hs failing
strength. swing himself into tho tree tho
second bear bounded up and seized his
right ankle. By this tlmc tho wounded
bear returned, and as Wood fell sho
snapped at his face. He lodged, and nho
caught his left shoulder.
Thon commenced n terrific struggle.
Tho maddened animals tuggcd In oppo.
hito directions at Woods ankle and shout.
der. ind he was In Imminent danger OF
being torn 10 pieces lie fought ns best
hc could. but each oxertion he put forth
only intensified tho rage Of the bears
When no was almost fainting with
pain tho bear that had not been wounded
dropped his ankle and trotted slowly
after his companions up the ravinc. Then
the wounded bear let 20 her hold on his
shoulder. Wood sank back ON tho
ground. and lay perfectly quiet us though
h'Abf hAlhi1 hhiAHk W hlAAiNNs no
grizzly stood majostlcally over him.
watching for tho alightest movement,
and snarling with rage. Tho pain that
raclsed tho mans frame was frightful,
and no riskod his lifo In an effort to as.
sumo IN easier position.
RESCUED IN BAD SHAPE.
At tho first movement tho grizzly,
roaring fnriously. rushed at him. She
showed her nose close to his face and
shifted at him, but Wood was again mo.
tionless, md the bear, raising her head,
gave vent TO unearthly screams
Wood, knowing that his lifo depended
on II. remained motionless. and tho boar
trottod after her companions up the
rayine.
When no attempted 10 rise Wood found
that his right hip was dislocated and hi.
left shoulder ohowcd 10 tho bone, while
his clothing had been stripped from hii
body and his flesh had been chewed In d
hundred places, Inch by inch ho pain
fully dragged himself from the spot, un
Ill soabring and Wilson, accompanied
by David A. Buck, tho latter Of whom
had been left 10 guard the camp, found
him and carried him to their quarters.
At this spot tho party remained twoly,
days, subsisting on the meat Of the beai
that had been killed They were lost IL
the mountains, but finally Wood, despit,
his agony, insisted upon being tied TO
horse and accompanying his friends II
search for path to civilization. During
the ten days that followed, every step o.
tho horse that Wood rodo caused un
speakablo torture 10 tho rider, but Woo
boro II like n martyr, and an occRsiona
groan was all the complaint that eseapet
his lips.
Finally they found a road out OF IN,
mountains and reached the farm OF Mrs
Mark West, thirty miles from Sonoma
where Wood was cared for, and in sii
weeks was able to join his friends In san
Francisco.
The injuries inflicted by the grlzzle
made Wood n cripple for life and event
ually were the cause OF his death, ant
1t was his son who told Of this eight witt
the grizzlies.-San Francisco Examiner
Welcome Visitors.
First Little Girl-Aunt Maud and Aun
Clara. visited US yesterday and the,
IL. -