The record-union., 1893-12-09
A PACKERS TALES OF '499.


Such were the vehement calculations of
German miner named Rosenfeldt on re-
turning TO his tent one evening in the
summer of '49 tthe mining camp of Aqua
Trio, otherwise known as Cold Water
Diggings high up in the Mariposa Mount
aims.
The "pig nigger" to which Rosenfeldt
had reference was one Of these huge,
shaggy, grisly terrors for which Califor-
ria was renowned in those days, mann
moth grizzly bear, comfortably seated on
its launches and self-complacently warm
ing itself at Rosenfeldts campfire.
The glimmering of the lurid flames
threw baleful CLEANS upon the uncouth
feshy incubus Of the wilderness as it sat
there so serene and we'll pleased with
itself, and the ingenious German had ac-
tually taken the dlabollcal, ghoullsh-
loosing creature to be some wild and
wooliy old barbarian whose habitat was
the dark and silent corridors OF the prlln-
eval forest that blackened all the canyons
round, and whose presumptuous, sell
seeking arrogance was about to get MIN
into trouble. But RosenteIdts horror at
the frightful mien OF the grizzly was
thrown into the shade by his indignation
at the portentous impudence Of the beast
in taking squatter's possession OF MS
campfire. He had just purchased some
provisions, with which to mend his even
ing cheer, at my store-also cloth tent
situated in the center OF the Struggling
settlement, about sixty yards back, ana,
as ne had urgent use for his fire, it must
have made MS eyes roll and his whiskers
curl in fine frenzy 10 discover a pig
nigger'' sitting there as if it had made up
It's mind to stay all night.
Hence Rosenfeldt, alarmed and IN
.censed, had requested me, in loud and
vigorous tones, TO come out and shoot
the burly intruder. Hearing his outcry
1 reached the door of my emporium just
ia time to see the miner turn on his heel,
lose his hat, and with his hair erect, come
wildly sprinting back.
'Mein GOtt in himmelp' he exclaimed,
as soon as he had caught up sufficient
breath and nervous energy, after reach
ing my tent, TO vOcalize and artlculate
with. "Mein Colt in himmeln' he re-
peated, pointing toward duSky spectral
object which could be dimly deserted IN
the cleaning and light OF his campfire,
"W as fur Elm ogre ist das?'
''Sacre doodle dooi" | responded, when
/ had caught sight OF the object. that is
grizzly beaI." Then L jumped for my
rifle, but the grizzly bolted before L could
get bead on it and disappeared in the
gloom OF the surrounding forest and
brake, muttering savage growls OF re-
senttuI disappointment.
Rosenieldt attempted to excuse his
own pusillanimOus but ludicrOus flight
by explaining that the bear had made
some move as ii to start alter him. But
the other miners, many of whom We're
also spectators OF his paniCky retreat,
made Il laughing stock Of him for a long
tune afterwards Notwithstanding.
one night two grizzlies got into my
Ii irf.ian OF 4 ACgI1a itfTIn
not much of kitchen, being merely an
inclOsure, formed by strong brush
fence which had patch of nature's blue
pavilion for roof, but it was utilized for
culinary purposes, and the grizzlies, lured
by the savOry odors from within, leaped
over the fence and were in the act OF help
ing themselves right aud lett to my COM
estibles when l, attracted by the racket
they were making among my cooking
utensils, discovered them. Now, consid-
ering the fact that | always established
my bazaar in the very heart of the mining
camps which l visited it may be readily
imagined that l was almost benumbed
with astonishment at the audacious and
indelicate greediness OF the stolid old
bandits.
The sight of my countenance, which
must have been furiOusly perturbed by
horror and anger, was sufficient to put
the animals to flight, but the brazen
cffrontery OF the two grizzlies in making
themselves at home in my kitchen was
long cited on the Mariposa as q standard
illustration OF peculiar trait in the char
acter OF lbFSaS ferOc.
Not long after this incident occurred
one of the Aqua Trio miners, who had
been prospecting in the woods near, was
attacked by a ierocious old anthropopha-
gan, a she grizzly with two cubs, and
torn to pieces.
on another occasion a negro miner
this time bona tide colored gentleman
who had been prospecting near Aqua
Trio, was pursued and treed by bear
which did not stop with this, but at once
proceeded TO climb the tree after the ne
gro. OF course the negro lost no time in
coming" out on branch, whittier the
bear also followed him. Finally, when
the negro could coon out no further on
the branch, he let go the end OF it and
dropped to the ground. This the bear
could not do Without imminent danger of
reducing his ponderous anatomy TO pulp,
and the negro effected his escape, run
ming for dear life until he reached Aqua
Trio, about two miles distant. When he
arrived his eyes, his voice, his color, his
gestures, all displayed to US the abiect
terror by which his mind had just been
agitated.
on one of my packing expeditions from
Stockton to the Mariposa placer mines |
- =
single lle in dale of the foothills near
the Merced River. l at first took them
to be squad OF Spanish cattle, but when
L found out my mistake l gave them
wide berth.
Grizzlies frequently came into my camp
at night to pick up the o1al and craunch
the bones which they found about (Ihe
way a grlZZly craunches bone is calcu-
lated to make man sick with horror)
on such occasions their presence in the
vicinity OF my camp was always made
known to me by an alarming hubbub
amongst my pack mules, which invaria-
bly, huddled close together terrified and
trembling as IL possessed by evil spirits
that also inspired them to set free chorus
after chorus OF unearthly. sonorous
snortS.
My first introduction to a grizzly oc-
CURED on the bank of the San Joaquin
River near its confluence with the Mer-
ced. | had pitched my camp there about.
dark, and myself and party, three in
number, had Just sat down to supper, at
which it was a service OF danger Tor any
thing but a bear 10 disturb US, when.
oddly enough, huge grizzly, crushing
through the brush, marched straight up
to our campfire, shifted contemptuously
and, espying our party, alnbled of. To
judge that we all dropped our chop
sticks and that our eyes stuck out,
would be taking a mild and liberal view
of our behavior. We were simply over
powdered by terror. Every nerve and
muscle in the party seemed TO relax and
lose its energy, a ghastly paiIOr over
spread every countenance. When the
grizzly was gone, however. there WASH I
a coward IN the party, and we finished
our supper with much gusto.
Coyotes also gave great scandal by an
noying me at night. and / was compelled
to follow the river banks on nv exDedi-