Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1891-12-31
GRIZZLIES IN MORTAL coMsAEl
The Terrific Contest of Two Enormous
GrizzIies Witnessed by a Hunter.

The New York Herald of yesterday
tells the following remarkable story of
a combat between two gigantic grizzlies.
Professor Dyche of Kansas State Uni
versity is great hunter and spends his
summers among the wilds of the north
west getting specimens for the museum
OF the institution. During these trips
he gets acquainted with all the guides
and hunters of the region in which he is
hunting, and the result is that when
any of these men get to civilization
they endeavor to call at the university
to see pyche and his museum.
One of these men is now in Lawrence
on such visit and tells story OF all
adventure which he had in the noun
tains of Washington which borders on
the marvellous, but which he is willing
to vouch for, and in addition he has
such evidence that his story is incon-
trovertible. The gentleman is George
Ayres and his occupation is hunter and
guide. He lives in a country where the
grizzly bear grows to an enormous size,
and while he has never been successful
as hunter of the animals he has killed
two or three.
FACE TO FACE WITH A GRIZZLY.
The story he tells is of combat be-
tween two enormous grizzlies, which he
witnessed from the safe retreat Of tall
tree, where he had fied from the ap-
proach of one Of the brutes. Ayers tells
the story most graphically and says that
il lasted long enough for him to get over
his scare and pay close attention to
what was going 3n He had been out
hunting, having started atdaylight, and
ut about 2 O'Clock in the afternoon he
was surprised by meeting large grizzly
right in his path.
He did not have time to do anything
but climb a tree, and the old brute i'm
mediately laid siege to him and attempted
to reach up at him. While this was
going on Ayers heard noise up the
trail and there saw another bear coming
down toward his tree. He thought he
was in for a night of il, as the two
would keep him there until he was
starved or some one came to his assist
ance. He was mistaken, however, for
the two bears were evidently not friendly
and one Of them undoubtedly thought
that the other was poaching on his pre-
serves, for the animals no sooner saw
each other than they roared and rushed
at each other bent on fight
Then ensued one Of the widest scenes
ever witnessed in the mountains-a
battle between the kings of the forest.
The animals fought with skill that
showed them both TO be the victor Of
many previous conflict They Skin
mished for position and boxed with the
dexterity of trained pugilists.
LOCKED IN EACH OTHERS EMBRACE.
Suddenly one made savage rush at
the other and they were locked in an
embrace that was terrific. They roared
and howled and bit and clawed each
other in II most horrible manner. The
whole place was torn up, small trees
being uprootcd In the struggles of the
enraged brutes.
BY an awful effort one tore away
from the other, and then they began
their sparring tactics again, but 1t was
evident that the first bear had got much
the worst of the tackle. Round and
round they went again until second
rush was made, and then there came the
most fearful death struggle. II was evil
dent that one or the other would be left
on the field dead before either would
give up the fight.
They fought savagely, biting and
gouging until one of the brutes fell and
the other got grip on his throat, which
soon ended the fight and the fallen
bears life. After biting and elawing
the fallen enemy until there was no pos
sibility of there being any life left the
victor set to work to eat his fallen foe
and tore great hole in his ham and ate
away a great portion of the flesh. lie
then retired up the mountain, leaving
Ayers alone.
Ayers got down and skinned the
dead grizzly, and now has the hide
with the great hole in the hip to show
that his story istrue. The skin measures
eight and half feet in length and IL
seven feet across its broadcast place.
Ayers says it weighed not less than
1000 pounds and was as large as the
largest bull he ever saw. He has had
the skin prepared for rug with hole
in it, and this hole gives him the oppor.
tunity of telling his story.