Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1893-04-13
EFFECT OF A FRIGHT.
4 poMPAoouR THAT CANE FROM BE-
ING CHASED BY A BEAR.

q
Experieses - N Advcatursas Young
Traveller Aaong the Mountains II Mar
ipssa. GAIA Terrible Racs DowH
Ms..taia side-A RaaA shot.
George F. Leidig, the proprietor Of
Grants Springs hotel, Maripcsa county,
who arrived here day or two ago. says
that game Of all kinds is very plentiful
IN his vicinity and few miles away in
the high mountains
Il have known Of some curious things
in reference to the varied wild game of
Mariposa." he said, .sbut never knew
Of stranger thing than happened to my
son George and Stage Driver Joe Ridge
way Of the Yosemite line some time
since. George, you know, is engineer on
the Central Pacific railroad, on the diyis-
ion between Wells and Carlin.
We'll, he and Ridgeway thought they
would go up above Glacier point and
have look around. You know that to
get to Glacier point you must climb
about $500 feet and do it all in but little
more than a couple of miles. lisa hard
task. and when yon get up there you
look sheer down. as it were, from eal-
loon upon the world. Before you are
spread the waterfalls of the MERGED river,
the snow capped cones of the Sierras
and everything to make up a garden OF
wonders. Probably in the world there
does not exist a grander sight.
ut is within the confines of the cele-
brated Mariposa grant, to which the
dauntless explorer. Colonel John c. Ere
mont, once had a title, but which ne
finally lost after much litigation. This
YVES for many years known as the home
of large numbers of grizzlies, the most
formidable to be found anywhere. Since
there were SO many Of them, not all the
hunters that have gone into that region
have succeeded in wipng them out.
when George and Joe had finally
succeeded in getting to the top and they
had gazed upon the panorama before
them, they started to the south on a
shoulder Of the mountain. They had
not proceeded far when there We're in
dications of bears. Their great tracks
were visible in some places along the
trail, and they kept sharp eye out for
them. They thought without noticing
much that they were the tracks Of black
bears. There were some birds, and al
together the boys were enjoying them
selves.
Just as they began to descend a wind
ing knoll on the ridge they heard a
thrashing in the bushes rs of some one
whaling them with a long club. The
two had become separated. Ridgeway
was where he could get the best view,
and he suddenly caught sight of a big,
grayish black object lying on log. He
knew at once that it was grizzly, and
he let fly at him.
"Whether he hit him or not was never
found out, but Immediately there was
more thrashing and shri,k from the
bear that made the tall pines ring. Then
there began journey OF that bear to-
ward George. 1t was rapid, for Il griz-
ely can run like wild buffalo, I'M
wieldly as he looks. Ridgeway could see
that he had shifted George or caught
glimpse of him through the bushes, and
he yelled to him to look out, as the griZ-
Fly was after him. Then he took to his
heels himself George had scarcely got
the warning when the bear was almost
upon him. He turned and flew down
the mountain.
1T was q terrible race. Now it would
look as though George would evade the
bear, and then it would appear that there
was no escaping his paws. George zig
Jagged over stumps, fallen trees and
through bushes, the bear still after him.
and finally fell down IA rocky declivity,
where for time he lay half dead. The
great brute had finally given up the
chase, luckily for the young man he was
after, and at length Ridgeway got to
George and helped him to stand up.
Now, here a strange discovery was
made, to which / call yog,r attention
You have heard of peoples hair turning
white in night, as though man had
lived ID lifetime in a few hours.
"When George got down to my place,
his hair, which since his birth had been
fiat On his head, stood up like stubble,
as though it was waxed and combed up.
More than hiatt staid so for two weeks
before he could get it down to where it
was formerly.
The terrible race he had with the bear
had caused it. We all took notice of il
and talked about it during the whole
two weeks. / suppose this may seem
impossible to some, and they may not
believe it, bat it is entirely true. Nothing
any of us conld do during the fortnight
would make the hair stay down.