The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1894-02-07
STORY or A cRuzzLY's SKIN.

| Tale Of Slaughter and Superstltion
Among the Esklm0S Of Alaska.
| While in Alaska last summer DR.. 1.
F. Everhart, the amateur ornithologist
and taxidermist, of Franklin avenue,
Scranton. Pa, heard story that set
him to hustling like professional ami
NAL collector. This was what he heard
from the natives:
Last February five members OF the
/ Eagle tribe of Eskimo Indians wounded
p deer near the mouth OF narrow
canon that extended into the side Of a
high mountain. The deer ran up the
! canon, and the five native hunters fol-
| lowed it in single file. Three of the
hunters had spears, and the other two
carried almost worthless old Danish
muskets- The wounded deer held out
until it reached the perpendicular head
| of the canon in the face OF the noun
tain, where the Eskimos overlook and
killed it with their spears. No sooner
had the hunters loaded up their game
and started back than they saw huge
grizzly bear striding up the canon
through the snow. The canon was so
| narrow that the hunters couldn't pass
the ferocious grizzly; they were unable
to make him turn back, and to fee
from him was impossible. The Eskimos
were completely hemmed in, and when
the grizzly undertook to get possession
of the deer they fought him off with
their rude weapons One Of the hunt
ers fred muslzet ball at the bear. but
that only stung him to madness, for
the bullet didn't penetrate his thick
hide, and he sprang at the men and
disemboweled two of them at one
stroke of his mammoth claws. The
other three made great efforts to stab
the grizzly with their spears, and in
the brave fight for life all but one fell
dead under the monsters powerful
strokes. The only one that escaped
injury finally laid the murderous brute
low by piercing his heart with the
point of spear.
The tribe became wild with anguish
when the single survivor of the tragedy
in the canon carried the sad news to
them. After they had taken care of
the dead bodies of their companions
they skinned the gigantic grizzly and
preserved the hide as precious relic.
Out of the bears bones the members
of the Eagle band erected a crude
monument on the spot where the four
Eskimos had met death while fighting
the grizzly, placing the bones in such
a form that the spirits of their dead
comrades when they returned from the
happy hunting grounds for season
might rest there in peace and view
the scene Of their final struggle on
earth.
This was the story DIR. Everhart
heard, and after he had ascertained
that it was true in every detail he got
an interpreter and set out to visit the
tribe for the purpose of buying tie
skin of the big grizzly. His first offer
for the skin was SIS. The chief of the
tribe and all of his underlings spurned
the offer, telling the doctor through
his interpreter that no amount OF
money could buy the grizzly's hide, for
the reason that, in the first place, it
a
with, and in the second place, because
the tribe were keeping the colossal
skin in order that the spirits of their
dead comrades might find warmth and
comfort in the fur whenever they re-
turned from the happy hunting
grounds on occasion. 1t was an easy
resting place for the spirits, they said,
and the long and short of it was that
no man in Alaska had money enough
to buy the skin. DR.. Everhart raised
the offer to $50. but the chief wouldn't
listen, and it looked as though the hide
couldn't be got at any price. Finally DR..
Everhart recalled the fact that he had
heard that the Eskimo Indians held a
medicine man in great awe and rever-
ter to tell the chief that the man who
desired to purchase the great bear skin
was physician; that he could cure all
human ills; that he had come direct
from the great white father down in
Washington, and that he would so ar
range and protect the grizzly's skin at
his home in Pennsylvania that the spir-
1tS VI Vic oCdu LSsAlluOS IAAk III ACoGlC lu
it's fur as often and as long as they
cared to The doctor also raised the
bid to $50.
AS soon as the interpreter had con-
veyed the doctors statement to the
chief the latter held long consulta-
ton with his principal lieutenants. and
in the debate the avdrice of the tribe
got the best of their superstition. for
the chief told the interpreter to inform
the great and good medicine man from
the high and mighty white father in
Washington that he might have the
bears hide for s55. DR.. Everhart could
hardly get out the money soon enough
to suit himself, he was so afraid the
Eskimos would change their minds, but
they didn't, and he thus secured the
finest hide that has ever been brought
to Scranton. The grizzly's skin has
been lined with heavy felt. and is now
used as rug on the floor of Dr. Ever
hart's Office, where the enthusiastic
amateur has also fine collection of
stuffed animals and birds for the free
inspection of the public at all times
The great bears hide measures nearly
eight feet from paw to paw, the claws
are three inches long and perfect, tile
nose and head are lifelike and the
longest fur measures seven inches The
lucky collector values the skin at more
than $500. and you couldn't buy il Of
him for twice that sunni Y. Sun.
Uncomfortable vastness OF Space.
The human mind cannot compre bend