The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1893-09-16
1 NORTHERN nInRoD.
Thrilling Experiences Of W. 9. Clark,
q Famous Elk Killer.


trappcrs told of by Irving in his "Adven-
lures of Captain Bonneville, and typi6ed
by sublette and others of his class, ar
rived here yesterday from Mount Hood,
Or, and is at the American Exchange
Since November last he has had his
camp pitched on the south side of Mount
Hood, near the source of the Clackamas
and Mollala rivers. For many months OF
his exile there the snow has been more
than twenty feet deep in this wild part OF
the Cascade mountains. He tells story
about it, which, in connection with other
experiences, is fit to go into a book. II
is thrilling aud might be expanded to any
extent.
Clark is Texan by birth, and appears
to be about 40 years old although he says
he is considerably older. He is tall and
raw boned, with blonde mustache and
gray eyes. He began his career by fight
ing Indians and killing buffalo on the
plains, and was for a good while associated
with W. F. Cody, before Cody had made
much of name. Afterward he was for
three years guide Of the Seventh United
States Cavalry with the intrepid and reck-
less General Custer. He YVES with him in
the war against the Sioux, though he was
not on the Little Big Horn with him when
he died.
A wear later he was with General How
b ard in his war with the Nez Perces, and
stayed till the end. In the meantime he
hunted and trapped as occasion offered.
Three years ago he Joined a sealing
schooner and shot sea otter for time,
aud finally ended the year hunting on
the Yukon. The next year he hunted and
trapped on both sides Of the Canadian
Pacific Railroad in the Selkirks, near
Donald.
He saws he has had hard experience
In the Cascades, near Mount Hood. The
trees and brush are very thick, the snow
was unusually deep and it was much cold
er than for many years. 1t is remark
ably good game region, though, and he
did we'll and made great deal of money.
He saws he could have done better but
he was not careful to equip himself quite
we'll enough.
II killed 100 elk" he SAID "and about
600 deer before quit killing IN Decem-
Der and then I devoted my time to trap
ping. did we'll at this, too, for | got
great many mink, lion, sable, fox and
other skins. | only had four horses with
me. | ought to have had six. Then l
didn't take in traps enough. ought to
have had $50 or 200. With 200 traps a
man has about all he can attend to with
out any hunting. Then l didn't take in
quite provisions enough before the snow
got deep and was forced to drag them
in on toboggan. This costs pretty high.
II had packer early in the year, and
as killed the elk, bear and dear, he took
them down for me. Most of the meat l
sold in Portland, but some l took to Ia
coma and Seattle. In December the snow
got so deep that l had to get the horses
out and keep them out, else they would
have been showed in. 1t was then that I
settled myself to trapping"
Clark has savage scar. When asked
if be had not had some narrow escapes in
his hunting he said be had had many of
them with grizzlies and-other wild ami
mails, but one of the worst he had ever
had was recently.
do you see this SCARF" he said "That
was made by big buck elk, on the edge
of cliff close to Mount Hood. l went
out one morning feeling we'll and looking
for game, and saw this big elk standing
broadside, and / wanted him. l crept up
pretty close and shot him. He fell over
and | waited some minutes for him to
make some move to get up, but he didn't
do it.
"Then l started to make nv wav
around the gorge. 1t took me some time
to do it, for it was rough. l finally got
around, and saw him lying fiat. He was
on the upper side, and 1 came up to him.
lie appeared dead, and grasped his ear
in ordel to turn his head and cut his
throat. In an instant he leaped up and
struck me eithes Nth his knee or one of
ais hoofs. 1t knocked me flat, and then
ne leaped on to my chest. l thought he
would crush the life out of me, but some
how had held on to his ear, and be was
weak from loss of blood, and 1 got from
unoer him and still held on. He could
not rise again, though he tried it repeat
ediy, and writhed about threateninply.
tie got part of his antlers under nv
arm, and for time l thought he would
break il.
Il didn't dare to let go, however, for if
ne ever got sweep at me with his horns
he would have killed me. The knife l
had IN my hand forgot about when he
Knocked me down, and it went behind
nae, and as came down on my back its
keen blade cut through my clothes on my
right side close to the skin. As it was
very sharp it was narrow chance that