The morning call., 1894-11-10
FOUND BIG GAME.
Adventure of a Party of
Miners
NEAR FORTY-MILE CREEK.
One of the Men Picked Up by
Cutter Tells Story.
BESIEGED THROUGH THE NIGHT.
Two Big Bears Tried to Get the
Party'S Provisions and
Were Killed.


on the Victoria steamer and took up his
quarters in a sailors clearinghouse on
the water front
Yesterday Mr.. Bemis told the true story
about Forty-mile Creek and its alleged
gold fields. dispeling all rumors set adrift
by returning gold-hunters regarding the
splendid opportunities for getting rich
there. He says that none but the har-
dened men can stand the exposure and
lack of food at the diggings. Although
there is plenty of gold in the streams there
is no way of transporting provisions and
clothing TO the mines, therefore the placers
are of very little value. Ee advises no
man to go there in search OF wealth.
At different dates within the past ten
years newspaper space-writers have had
three or four column Spasms over Forty
mile Greek, so that what Mr.. Bemis had TO
say about the place was not news. 1t was
the story OF a bear hunt that he told about
that cause ed the reporter to get out his
pencil and 60 to work.
"a party Of six persons and myself
started for the diggings from Juneau, with
provisions enough to last us through the
Journey" commenced the speaker. when
we reached For y-mile Creek, near the rip,
we were so exhausted by our rip that We
decided To make camp for day or so ana
rest ourselves. The weather was dry and
cold, so we camped down near the river.
eve had not been thinking much about
bears, but one OF our party who had fol-
lowed the creek for some distance in
search of small game came back and re-
ported that he had seen bear tracks in The
snow that looked as if they were fresh. Il
was too late TO start out after Mr.. Bruin
that night. We decided to hunt him down
the next day.
'ha tan nad iSfn taI ~
to tho branches of trees and big fire of
rine bougns started. We did not fear any
visitor that night.
"a bout 10 O'CLOCK. when three Of us were
sitting around the fire smoking and trying
10 keep warm. we heard the cracking of a
tree branch about 100 feet distant. We
listened and the sound was heard again.
jumped to my feet and secured my rifle,
f r | Immediately surmised that it was our
friend the bear looking for something to
eat.
lone of my companions secured a Ian
tern and by its light we carefully APP
preached big spruce into whose branch eS
we had hauled sack of hard bread. The
| surrounding trees cast a shadow over the
ground, preventing our seeing ahead very
| tar.
Eve had not gone ahead dozen steps
| when terrible grOwl was heard. 1t was
more like a deep roar than anything else,
~ EliLLlI, tllc ldillcl D-lthIbTt
| beating hasty retreat. We all followed
| him.
1T was decided best to remain close to
| the fire as it would have been the most IN
wise tuing to have tried to kill the anim a l..
| We therefore returned TO the tent, heaped
more branches on the embers and prepared
| to wait for morning.
| 1.-The brute of bear did not propose tn
! be cheated out of his supper. He seemed
| 20 be naddened by his ruthless attempts
! to secure the crackers ana turned bis at
| teDti0n to another tree close TO the back
END of the tent, where g lot of coffee and
canned goods had been placed in a sack
aud hoisted from the ground. We could
hear him tearing at the bark of the giant
Of the forest with his sharp claws, growi-
! ing and making a hideous noise all the
| while. he got holder all the time
| His big clumsy form could be seen every
| few seconds Apr oachlDg to within few
| feet of the lent; then he would turn
! around and go at the tree again. The
| grows increased aud soon two black forms
were observed-Druin's mate had come to
| his aid.
''By this time our whole party of seven
was hugging the fire with cooked Winches-
ters in our hands. We expected a charge
momentarily and were prepared to give
the brutes a warm reception.
"Once or twice whrg. the largest of the
two beasts approached the tent we were
tempted to shoot, but IN the uncertain light
we might have missed, then some one
would have been killed, for in it's bind
fury the grizzly stops at nothing
"Our great fear was that the fire would
go out. We were afraid 10 make 1t very
bright one, because our supply of fuel was
somewhat limited and there was no one of
us who cared to risk gathering more.
Luckily for US the bears made no at
tempt TO charge us, though 1t looked sew
eral times as If they were goiog to attack
the rear eud of the tent We stood guard
until morning. when our visitors LETT us.
CLAW marks were all over the trees
where our provisions had been raised.
The rope holding sack of potatoes had
given way, letting the precious vegetables,
which were worth their weight in GOLD.
fall and spill all over the ground The
bears had either consumed or stamped on
all the contents.
big tracks of bear feet where everv-
where. They led toward a pile of high
rocks and broken ground. In a spirit of
revenge we decided to rout the monsters
out of their lair. Rifles were loaded and
cartridge-belts filled.
The trail led up narrow ravine into a
big pile of powders that formed an arched
and rugged entrance to a sort of cave We
stationed ourselves three on each side of
the opening and one over ii. The distance
from the mouth of the cave 10 the TOD of
the rocKs was ABOUT ufteen feef, and the
position OF the watchers was a compare
lively secure one. A number of branches
of spruce were gathered, lighted and
thrown into the cavity below the powders
with a horrible roar and rush the
two bears came bounding out of their den
They seemed blinded by the smoke and
did not notice US posted on the rocks
above them. The female paused to turn
around, and as she did so the order to fire
was given.
"a half dozen bullets struck her in the
head and she dropped on her stomach. but
was up in AN instant and, with her COM
panion, trying to scale the smooth surface
of the powders. Another bullet or two
fired at close quarters tumbled her over
dead as a herring.
"The big fellow was not slow in seeing
that he would nave to run the ravine a
short distance and around the rocks to
ge. up on top. We were pumping lead into
him right and left. but he did n OF seem to
mind 1T Bit He kept straight ahead
The three OF US who were on the north
side of the gully got over to the other side
as quickly as possible. We were not any
too soon, either, for the monster was on
tie ledge in a second and preparing to
cross over to where we were punched
working our Winchesters till further
orders.
Several well-directed shots laid him
out aud tie fight was won"