Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1892-08-02
seAas ANo JNIia WAYS.

fwssAisssss ssas,
Books have beeu writtsa steadily
chiefly given Mp 20 bear stories year
after year during The last century, and
tho Newspaper aud magazine sketches
are AMPLY sudleaa In their appearances
and always Interesting. No othet ami
NAL Il % endowed by nature thai can
an0d such On entertainment Tor The
contemplation Of mau; and, With thls
fact steadily before hls eyes, WELL
known naturalist told . star writer to-
day that hs would give him few point
ers on bears, and frrsh story az t~o,
impossible % it might souud.
"in the hrst place tbe bear ls cosno-
polItsn beast; it has . family that ranges
Into the utierinost soiltudcs of Arctic aud
iatermedlate Representatives that occu.
ny the temperate 80 veil Ne the torrid
soncs everywhere, u IL ready aud eager
Ia eat every thing that can he disestesi
In Q warm stomach that belongs 10 the
animal and vegetable kingdoms, having,
Of course, little preferences when u has
q choice Of food.
alta saturnlne attack on the seal, lie 10.
dIcrvas raids on The pig pens aud the
sweet corn patches and its cunning work
~ Q fisherman when fully seen ~ Indeed
only half scen by man, Invariably
form the theme of lively narration
when recollection n stimulated. let
me tell you Of hear that I saw At work
aud which watched With unbroken de-
light; 10 comes 90 pass In this way:
''ln lsGs MAS tramping With an ex-
ploring party at the head waters of the
ltickren River In Britlsh Columbia. We
had pitched our tents an ANAL, clesr.
rapid creek that tumble- music.lly down
from the snow-clsd mountains ut the
Coast Range. 10 vas early in August,
aud the salmon we're running up us
swift, shallow current so NUMERICALLY
that In many places they fairly swan ~
half out of water.
"we came Into camp very early, and
after preparing for the night several
hours of day light still remained. ] took
NV .hot gun aud a small tin pail ani
started down the creek hanks, Intending
Ia plck few berries aud shoot ruled
grouse OF tao. A half hours walk car
fled me mile or so, finding plenty Of
serylce berries (gsultherts), but M
birds. I wanted both, however, AMI
ro.~ from the log where had sai, while
picking the Last handful OF that palatA-
bic Wild fruit, determined "a Investigate
a .lsp-siap sound which every now and
thru came up To my ears from The cr~ek
not FAR away. ! thought Was . bca-
,er-,iLint want In sboot u, for VAS
out of s~ason for its fur, and Ne Tor the
nesh--bah'
~ cautiously threaded my steps
through the poplars and birvhes, aspcos
aud alders, willow aud spruc. tr--s
that lined the stream, looking carefully
ah~sd 1t every turn, when ] came Into
full view NJ the funniest looking hsbef-
man that you can imsgine--here's
sketch 10 him;
~ large. brown cinnamon bear
CLOSELY related 90 the grizzly VAS stand.
Ing upright on hls hind legs In . depth
of water that came nearly up to hi.
short tall he stood near the border of q
Low hank, With his back 10 the s~t oi
th. current, looking down stream; hl.
heavy for~arms ~efv outstr-tcbed and
paws spread tn their utmost extent,
waving them w aud down, right and
left, With about the same motion that
the traditional witch uscs wbsn she
s,lrs her caldron aud mutisrs over "
the h~ar's head MAS cock~t over and
down ne u intentiy peercd Into the water.
so that when an unusually solid mass al
salmon came NJ against the current
ti.o.e huge paws would d-sccnd With all
the force aud rapidi,y At their o~ner''
command With q sidelong ar shoSeling
blow, which would strike anywbsr,
from one "a two ar thru salmon cut and
up Into the air and over on Ia the banl
q few feet distant.
at the instant I hrst ssw Bruin h.
had just thrown, OF, I should say, slap
ped, oct q big sil,cry salmon from the
water. and 10 VAS sailing la q aiming
.emI-circle over "a the hanks, on ~hIcll
u fell with q thump clearly heard by my
ears; i've or .il slippery hsh had prec-i-
Ell u, and they all hspped together; The
bear apparently paid thru no further At
ltention, never taking It, eyes on the
water, or lowering u. waving srn,. until
II again struck Out another, which fell
az as Ia be In fair way Ia squlrm hack
In the crcek.
'.Thsr-upou Bruin, Who vas not un-
mindful ID the situation, Immediately
st.pp~d ashore, and struck the liyel,
lf,.h a square blow over the head, seized
the body aud blt out the checks, which
were the only part ~ the h.h he ate. iis
took up the other salmon In turn, eating
nothing but the checks % each body
then returned To the water, resumed hi'
position, and again besan 10 literally
slap the fi.h out and upon To the bank,
ss be- had previously done. watching the
coming of the scbools With that queer
cast To his head which wss to me- In
tenseiy comieal.
"a. he Was q big brown bear, Will
rough, harsh fur. and shedding At that,
dld not disturb him. I sat and follow
Ell his movement. ne ] have Describes
them az ne alternately caught and ats
his prey until he gave me the Impression
that h~ would be- On engagr an for indeil
mite length of time. hut be- suddenl,
sesined 10 weary of the occupation, To-
after throwing out his last hsh h'
followed u, aud, without giving u any
further attention, gave himself thor
ough shaking, az q vet dog will do
then smiling the air = moment, be- scui
; tied OF Into the bushe. out of my sight
not alarmed by me, but perhaps attract
: ed by some other hear, or started TOT
other quarry.
81 went down tn the hank where th'
bears hsh werr strewn; counted four
teen large salmon, none at them les'
thsn ten pounds Ia weight, aud OF thee
fl.h he had eaten nothing but the cheek
aud small portion Of the nspes."
.