The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1892-04-06
A CRiZZLY'S JAG.
It Converted Him Into a Barroom LoafeT
and Finally Caused Tragedy.

my turn for story?" said the
colonel. "Well, I'll tell you a bear
story which, though it isn't very thrill
ling, is powerfully true. Way back in
the sos was temporarily handling
the lines for 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 was swinging along the rocky
trail at pretty good pace, as 1 want
ed to reach Rabbit Greek before dark,
where we changed horses and got sup
per.
II had three passengers, all men,
and for freight carried & rfel of=gia
strapped on behind the stage. The
gin was for Red Mike, who run free
and-easy at the mining camp of Rab-
was called by one of the passengers to
a novel race which was going on down
the side of the mountain between a
miner and a grizzly bear, with the man
about 100 feet ahead, running like
deer. But the bear was gaining rapid
ly and it seemed that he had him sure,
when suddenly the miner turned and
darted off in another direction. The
grizzly was slow in stopping, but when
he did get Strengthened the way he
annihilated distance was caution to
catamounts. Several times the miner
played this trick and on each occasion
he gained considerable ground in Our
direction, but it could be seen he was
rapidly firing and unless something
happened the bear was dead sure to
get him. We were wondering what
we could do to help the poor fellow,
when suddenly the leaders smelled
the grizzly. They snorted and pranced
and started off on dead run. I put
on the brake and it was all l could do
to stop them, and wouldn't have sue
ceeded only the trail was upgrade.
"WeI, when the horses made their
jump the barrel of gin broke loose
from its fastenings and went tearing
down the mountain side toward the
man and bear, who were coming up
on dead run. The man saw the bar
rel coming and avoided it, 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
coyote laugh.
aThe impromptu journey was
brought to a sudden ending by an i'm
mense bowlder, against which the bear
and barrel rolled. The shock separat-
ed them and, strange to say, the bar
rel stood right side up with the head
broken in and only small portion of
the contents was spilled. To say the
bear was surprised would be putting
it light He thought he had his quar-
rv, and when he discovered it was
only barrel his face took on an ex-
preston of intense disgust. However,
as is natural for bear, he began to
lick his 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 disap-
peared. Then he went over and
smelled of the barrel. The inspection
was undoubtedly highly satisfactory,
as he inserted his snout and took sup,
then he took good long draught, and
in less than half an hour that bear
was as drunk as lord
"We watched the proceedings with
interest and after we were satisfied
the bear had a jag on we went down,
tied him up 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 for 800, who chained him up in
the corner of his saloon and kept him
as a curiosity to draw trade.
"Wen, he did draw trade. Mike
gave him quart of whisky a day and
after awhile he became so docile his
chain was removed. After that, for
many years, he would sleep around
the barroom and when one of the boys
would come in and ask the house up
to drink the grizzly would walk up to
the bar. stand on his hind legs and
wait to be served with tin cupful OF
whisky. He was a source of great in
come, but unfortunately being at
tackled with the delirium tremens one
day he killed the bartender and a
miner with one blow of his powerful
paw and it required twenty Winches-
ters and about 100 pounds of lead to
cure him of his uncomfortable passion
for intoxicants "-KdnSas City Star.