The Washington bee. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1884-1922, 1893-03-18
THE BEAR AND DYNAMITE.
BRUIN TACKLED THE EXPLOSIVES
WITH DISASTROUS RESULTS.

Narrow Escape of a Workman on Rail-
road Who Had Encamped in the Wiids
of Montana The Bear Pays Dear for His
Stolen supper.
Few of the workmen engaged in the
construction of the great Northern Rail
road in Montana but knew Jim Robin
son, or, as he was more popularity
known, Dynamite Jim" He gained
the sobriquet, says the San Francisco
CaN by report becoming current that
he was in the. habit of carrying dyna-
mite cartridges in his clothing, which
made several of the more timorous of
his fellow workmen refuse to sleep in
the same tent with him at night.
An explosion which, luckily, caused
no loss of life, but damaged consider
able trestle work, was attributed to Rob.
inson's carelessness in handling dyna-
mite, which made the contractor dis
charge him. Finding it impossible to
get any more work on the railroad Rob-
inson started for Choteau, town about
eighty miles distant He took an old
trail which skirted the left bank of the
Good Medicine Creek, and towards
evening he had reached place much
frequented by hunters during the sum-
mer season, as bears are said to be very
plentiful in that region, but Robinson
was not aware Of that fact.
Feeling tired he camped for the night
beneath the shade CT large cottonwood
tree. about 100 yards : from the east
bank of the river, and within full view
of the snow capped summit of the
Rockies. Leaving his blankets on the
ground, he collected "deadwood" with
which to make fire, for the nights in
that region are cool even in summer.
When the fire was built and lighted
Robinson sat down and began to eat
canned meat and crackers. The second
mouthful he swallowed he was startled
by hearing growl just behind him,
which made him drop the food on the
ground and brought him to his feet
with jump. Looking,he saw coming to-
wards him at rapid gait and with mouth
wide open. huge cinnamon bear.
He gave bound for the cottonwood
tree, which he climbed with rapidity
which afterwards astonished himself.
AS luck would have it, the tree was a
large one and had convenient fork
about twenty feet from the ground.
Before the bear reached the tree Rob-
inson had climbed into the fork, and
throwing his arms about the limbs,
chung to it with grim determination,
while the bear put his huge forepaws
against the trunk and shook the tree
like an aspen. Failing to shake Rob
inson out of the tree, the bear uttered
several deep growls and then went
shifting towards the fire and began
to eat Robinson's little store of pro-
visions. Robinson took advantage of
the bears absence. and getting rope
out of his pocket tied himself firmly to
the tree.
After devouring Robinson's supper
the bear began to tear the blanket, in
which he found a hard, shiny substance,
Which he tried to eat, but finding it too
hard he dropped it between his two
forepaws and then brought it down with
smash on q rock beside the fire.
A terrific explosion rent the air, while
bear, tons of earth, and pieces of rock
went skyward like flash.
A short while afterwards party of
hunters who were camped in the vicin
itv were attracted to the scene by the
noise of the explosion. They found
Robinson in a dead faint in the tree
One of the party climbed up to him,
and, cutting the rope, lowered him to
the ground, where he soon recovered.
Strange as it may seem, he sustained no
injury, but his clothing was literally
stripped from his body by the force of
the explosion. A few pieces of flesh
almost the width of a mans palm were
all that could be found of the bear.
The cause of the explosion was a
large cartridge of dynamite which Rob
inson carried in his blanket and which
the bear exploded by conclusion. Rob
inson received suit of clothing from
one of the hunters and afterward re-
sumed his Journey.
An Intelligent Tourist.