The record-union., 1891-06-06
THIRTY YEARS AGO.
Experience With a Grizzly Over in
the YoIo Jungle.
Mrs. Wakefield's Celebrated Dried
Apple Pies-How a Promising
Granger Was Spoiled.

nlscences of thirty years ago, published
for some time past, have been read with
much interest, especially the one of April
18th, entitled "A Bear Hunt at Salmon
Falls, Ell Dorado County, and it re-
minds me of similar incident that oc-
CURED to me in 1857, which, with your
permission, will relate.
First, however, let me say that in the
fall of 1850 was engaged in herding
horses in a little valley near the summit
of the Sierra Nevada, where grizzlies
were met with almost daily. To lie
down at night in a lonely place in the
mountains and be awakened from your
slumbers by grizzly crashing through
the chaparral near you is anything but
pleasant, yet it was but one of the thou
sands of incidents that were constantly
taking place during the early settlement
of California. The odors from a little
fried bacon were sure to attract the griz-
Zly to your camp at night, and to peep
out from beneath your blankets and see
his star-like eyes shining through the
darkness, or his nose stuck into your
campkettle was quite entertaining and
very interesting to lover of such things.
But, as for myself, | cannot say that I
was particularly gratified by such exhi-
bitions of familiarity.
las a rule, the grizzly will not attack q
man unless wounded or in the presence
of its young. Should you meet with one
early in the morning coming along a
mountain path, little courtesy obsel we'd
on your part will save a deal of trouble.
Many young man in California has lost
his life by not observing this simple rule
of politeness toward these monarchs of
the Wilderness. / have always observed
1t. and, as an illustration of it, will relate
the incident above referred to.
'One bright morning in June, 1857,
while riding over the plains near the
sink of Cache Creek, Yolo County, 1 was
overtaken by a party of neighbors, con-
sisting of Joseph Cook, wife and two
daughters, William Childs and wife,
William Gibson and George Cook, the
latter young man about Is years old
all on their way to the deltas at the sink
of the creek. which were thickly covered
with blackberry vines, and at that time
heavily laden with ripe fruit. AS I was
well acquainted with the locality, they
requested me TO pilot them through the
tule and willows to their place of des-
tination, Nothing 10th to have a chat
with the girls, l complied with the re-
quest. Now this blackberry district was
about mile square, and covered with
dense growth of tule and willows and an
occasional cottonwood tree. There was
but little domestic fruit in California in
those days, and consequently this black
berry district was the resort of all the
families round about; and on the day in
question there were an unusually large
number present on the delta.
Many cattle were roaming on the
outer edges and in the open places of
these deltas, and their lowing could be
heard in every direction. Prior to the
settlement of the country this jungle of
tule and blackberr vines was infested
nv zZlT huI
peared on the encroachment of civiliZa-
ton. Occasionally, however, some old
settler would straggle back to his former
haunts in the berry season. In fact, but
a few weeks before / had poisoned a
large fellow that had been raiding among
some hogs l was herding for F. s. Free
man. This was well known in the
neighborhood, but everybody thought it
was only a stray one passing from the
mountains TO the tules. But did not
think so, for we had been losing hogs for
some time, and warned the neighbors
about going into the jungles. 1 repeated
the warning on this occasion. But no,
they thought had killed the only one
there, and consequently my bear story
had no terrors for a lot of wild California
boys and girls in quest Of lackberries.
''Our course led us along a narrow path
beaten by hogs and cattle, but so over
hung with briarS and vines that it was
necessary for US to proceed in stopping
position. We had crept along this mar
row path until we had nearly reached
the center of the jungle, where we found
the berries more abundant and of finer
quality. George Cook and l were, per-
haps, a hundred yards in advance of the
company. The cattle on the outskirts
were lowing and believing in their usual
bass voices; boys were laughing girls
singing and everybody was busy and
happy.
thought detected a peculiar voice not un-
like that Of bear, or an angry bull. George
had heard 1t, too, but thought it came
from the cattle and we continued to ram
BILE about among the bushes. Soon we
heard that peculiar sound again, and still
George thought it came from the cattle.
l, however, had my suspicious aroused.
for had heard the growl of grizzly be-
fore in the mountains, but did not wish
to alarm the women and children with
out cause. Again and again we head a
low, deep -muttered 'moo-ah' as we moved
about in the brush. and nearer and nearer
1t seemed TO be as we advanced along the
path.
II now determined to ascertain (al-
though not interested 'on 'change')
whether that voice belonged to a bull or
n bear, and accordingly took hold OF a
long grapevine and gave it a quick,
strong jerk, knowing that if it was a
grizzly he would growl again, but hoping
that II there was one present he was some
distance off. But, on STOPPING down, to
my surprise i saw great, shaggy mon
ster rise from his warm nest to a sitting
posture, quite near me, giving at the
same time an emphatic 'mow-wough =
II understood his lordship's greeting,
and bowed myself-not gracefully, but as
hurriedly as / could-on all fours' from
his presence. My former experience
with these sullen kings of the forest had
taught me that prudence lin giving them
wide BERTH was the better part of valor
Advising George to keep still and not
disturb his majesty's MONDAY nap, we
scrambled away on hands and feet as fast
as the briars and the grace of the occasion
would permit.
But then, I-I-wasn't afraid of
grizzly. Oh, no! 1t was the women and
children that engaged my especial con-
slderation. l had met with bears before,
and considered it just little interesting.
warned George not to tell the women,
lor fear they might get up an amateur
concert, or some other noisy demonstra-
tlon that would disturb old Bruins re-
pose our safety, / knew, lay in still
ness. There We're no trees to climb, and
me prospect of outrunning grizzly
through the briars was not very fiatter-
ing; George, however, couldn't keep
sui the women screamed, the cattle bel
loNsu, ana the grizzly growled, but did
not leave his cosy nest. In fact, it was his
mapping hour On one side of US lay an
lmpentrable jungle of briars and will
lows, on another stream Of water about
twenty feet wide and four 1eet deep, and
the path by which we came led us di-
rectly by the grizzly. OF these routes one
was impossible, another danperous and
to cross the water was not very pleasant.
''In this predicament. old Mr.. Cook
proposed to resolve himself into a ferry
boat, and ship the women and children 10
the other side of the stream. whare the