The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-11-27

fact that he has not failed for a number of
years to kill at least one grizzly bear each
summer in the Rocky mountains. He locke
like man who would be more at home In a
Sunday school room than one who would
face grizzly. but he has fought
Is 30 modest about 1t that he cannot be
coaxed to tell particulars that would doubt
less be OF value as additions TO the literature
of exploration. The writer tried for q long
time TO get him to furnish the details Of his
South American journey, but was COM
PEELED to give it up. 81 have lost or mis-
placed my notes of the trip" he said. "And
there was really nothing about it that
would be Of great public Interest,"
In this the public will hardly agree with
Mr.. Clafiin, but 80 long as he remains at
the head OF the largest mercantile house In
the world, it IL hardly likely that he will
publish the story Of his explorations. And
that is likely to be as long as he continues
In active business. That, again. may very
probably be quarter of century longer,
for he inherits his fathers physical stamina
as well as his business ability, and Horace
b. Clatiin lived out the scriptural limit be-
fore laying down his business cares.
1t is easy, however. to get Mr. Clafiin to
talk in an Off-hand way about hunting.
His face briRhtens at the word, and as he
pushes back from his desk, he straiRhtens
restlessly, almost nervously, as if eager to
be handling rifle and facing bear. 1t is
an odd pleasure for a counting room.
Have you hunted much in other coun-
tries than American / asked him
"No. Not great deal, of course, have
shot more or less whenever and wherever
have been in camp. l have not taken the
time for very many foreign trips, but 20
at least as far as the Rocky mountains
every summer"
"Have you found your sport very dam
gerousP
''No, cannot say I have" said Mr..
Clafin, laughing az have been told, times
without number, that / was putting
myself in Imminent peril. And
oddly enough, 1t is the people who
live in the bear countries that are the most
strenuous on the point OF danger. / never
go out without being told by the people
around that l am going to git all tore up
That seems TO be their favorite word; but
80 far laughing again, "I havent been
tore up to any great extent"
Are the stories of the ferooity of the
grizzly bear exaggerated. them"
Yes and no. They are true enough in
one way. Ii is just this; In the olden time
when the white man was unknown in the
bear countries, the grizzly roamed the for
ests just as he does now, but the Indians did
not hurt him, and he looked upon man as
his meat, just the same as all other animals
were. So be hunted the Indian when he
found him. But when the white man APP
peared with weapons that the Indians
had not had, Mr.. Grizzly found
out that there was one animal
that refused TO become his prey.
So he stopped hunting him, for the
bear is the most wary of all animals. so far
as | know animals. There are instances to
be sure, when the bear will. for no apparent
reason beyond his own sheer cussedness, at
tack a man, but sucl instances appear to
be very rare. So far as l know he is seldom
dangerous excepting in two cases. First,
he will certainly fight II he is cornered.
And he will make tremendously savage
fight, too. Then he will certainly follow
and destroy a man IL the man runs from
MIN. There is no earthly use in running
away from a bear, for you can not possibly
get away from him. He will follow you,
and certainly catch you and kill you if you
run. If you don't run he will almost always
get away from you il he can"
Have you ever faced them at close quar-
tersP
Eyes; 1 shot one once that wasn't more
than ten OF fifteen feet away from me. I
was out with friend on the
trail, and l was on one side OF a
hill while he was ON the other side with
my guide / heard a shot aud judged that
my friend had found the bear and shot at
him. lG wasn't at him, either; it was she
bear with two cubs. There was q sort of