The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-03-22
A BEAR AND A BARREL.
Too Much Liquor Got the Best of
Poor Bruin,
From he Kdnsds Oitp Sidr.

From the Kansas Ottv Sidr.
Way back in the sos | was tempors
arilY handling the lines of the Sacramento
Overland Stage Company, and it was over
lots of land / tell you, for my route ran
through the toughest section of the Sierra
Nevadas. One night about sunset I was
swinging along the rocky trail at a pretty
good pace, as | wanted to reach Rabbit
creek before dark, where we changed horses
and got supper,
had three passengers, all men, and for
freight carried a barrel Of gin strapped on
behind the stage. The gin was for "Red
Nike" who ran free-andSeasy at the min
ing camp of Rabbit creek. Suddenly my
attention was called by one of the passen-
gers TO a novel race which was going on
down the side of the mountain between a
miner and grizzly bear with the man,
about q hundred yards ahead
running Ike deer. But the
bear was gaining rapidly and il
scanned that be had him sure, when sudden
ly the miner turned and darted off IN
another direction. The grizzly was slow in
stopping. but when he did get Strengthened,
the way he anaihilated the distance was a
caution to catamounts.
Several times the miner played this
trick and on each occasion be gained cons
siderable ground in our direction, but it
could be seen be was rapidly firing, and
unless something happened the bear was
dead sure to get him. We were
wondering what We could do to
suddenly the leaders snelled the grizzly
They snorted and pFanced and started of
on dead rum pus on the break and it
was all | could do TO stop them, and
wouldn't have succeeded only the trail was
up grade.
DOWN THE MOUNTAIN SIDE.
Well, when che horses made their Jump
the barrel Of gin broke loose from its fast
enings and went tearing down the mount
ain side toward the man aud bear, who
were oomingup on dead run. TIE man
| saw the barrel coming and avoided 1t, but
not so the grizzly. He stood up on his
hind legs and. reaching out his paws,
| grabbed it. The way that barrel rolled
| him down the mountain would make a
| coyote laugh.
The impromptu journey was brought to
a sudden euding by an immense bowlder,
against which the bear and barrel rolled.
| The shock separated them, and, strange to
say, the barrel stood right side up with the
head broken in. and only a small portion of
the contents was spilled. To say the bear
was surprised would be putting it light.
| He thought he had his quarry, and when
he discovered it was only barrel his face
| took on an expression of intense disgust.
| However, as is natural for bear, he began
to lick bis shaggy coat, which had been
| sprinkled With some of the gin. The taste
was apparently agreeable, as he kept on
absorbing the liquor with his rough tongue
until the flavor disappeared. Then be
| went over and smelled of the barrel The
inspection was undoubtedly highly salts.
| factory, as he inserted his snout and took q
sup, then he took good. long draught,
and in less than a half hour the bear was az
| drunk as lord.
| CAPTURED THE BEAR!
We watched the proceedings with in.
| terest and after we we're satisfied the bear
had a jsgo on we went down, tied him VI
with ropes, dragged him UP the hill and
threw him inside the stage.
We drove on to Rabbit creek and sold
the drunken grizzly to Red Mike" fol-
800. who chained him up in the corner Of
his saloon and kept him for q curiosity tc
draw trade.
Well. be did draw trade. mike" gave
him a quart of whisky day, and after
awhile he became SO docile that his chair
was removed. After that. for many years
he would sleep around the barroom, anC
! when one Of the boys would come In anC
ask the house up to drink the grizzly would
walk up to the bar, stand on his hind Leg
and wait 10 be served with tin cup full o.
whisky He was q source OF great income
but unfortunately, being attacked with th,
delirium tremens one day he killed th,
bartender and miner with one blow Of hi
powerful paw, and 1t required twenty
Winchester and about 100 pounds of leaC
to cure him of ais uncomfortable passion
for intoxieants.