The Bossier banner., 1893-04-27
BATTLES WITH BRUIN.
Ha;r-Lifting Bear Stories From Cali
fornia.
EARLY DAYS WHEN HUNTERS HAD REAL
SPORT-THE CANONS ALIVE WITH
GRIZZLIES OF COL.
BUTTS IN THE BUSH.


Especial Correspondence of the Times Star
Los ANGELES, CAL, MARCH 3.-With
the rapid and almost total disappear
ance of the grizzly bear, one of the
most daring yet favorite amusements
of the uative Californian Mexican's
passes away. In the, early days the
canons we're alive with bears, and
even up to the days OF the boom,
when the State was staked off into
town lots, they were comparatively
plentiful. Now, they are hunted with
long-distance repeating rifles. In the
early days, five or six lazadores, with
their viatas, would go on bear hunt,
armed only with lances and butcher
knives. They were very expert in
throwing the viata.
As soon as a bear is seen they cir
Gle around him at safe distance
Each lazadore twirls his viata in the
air, describing a circle, and in turn
throws it at bruin. While they are
making ready the bear sits down on
his hind feet, looking at first one man
and then the other, and when the
viata is thrown he makes an effort to
dodge it. Sometimes he stands erect
upon his hind feet and waltzes
around in anxious expectancy, watch
ing the Mexicans as they uncoil their
ropes of hair preparatory to lassooing
him. He seems to divine what they
are up to, and as the rope with a whiz;
whir-r and whip describes circle in
the air and is about to entrap him he
reaches out with one of his forepaws
to catch the loop. If he is successful
the Mexican let's go-gives him the
rope.
Then another viata is thrown from
another direction and he is caught
by the hind foot. While he is at
tempting to kick out of the frightened
coil, another viata is thrown around
his other hind foot. The viatas are
now fastened to tree and the horse
men keep well out of his way and
amid his nashing of teeth, growing
and frantic efforts to get at them
they ersily succeed in lassoing his
other feet, when he is at once thrown
upon his back, where he lies helpless,
when the lazadores approach and kill
him with thrust of their lances.
A pioneer tells the following
stories:
''On one hunt I took only two laz-
adores. While we had been separat-
ed for a few moments they run upon
a grizzly and commenced trying to
lasso him. One of the lazadores
threw bis rope around the bears body
instead of his outstretched forepaws
The bear seized the vita and began
to draw it in, like hauling in &
clothes-line Unfortunately the Other
end of the vita had not been unloos-
ened from the pommel Of the mans
saddle, and himself and horse were
drawn in by the bear. The saddle
turned, the man fell off, and as The
bear grabbed him, the frightened
horse ran away; also the other Mex
lean. I ran up at that moment, plac
ed my revolver at the side of th(
bears head and fred. The bear re
leased the Mexican and made towards
me, when the Mexican, only slight,
wounded, ran away, leaving me anC
the bear to fight it out. But tht
bear was nearly done for, and rul
and got behind tree. As the wound
ed grizzly came reeling TOWARD
the tree, I reached around and CAV,
him another shot, which settled him
I never saw nor heard of either o
the Mexicans afterward. I do no
suppose they stopped running unit
they got out of the State"
One of the most noted and despe1