The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1894-05-10
MARIPOSA'S BIG MAN
Some Great Exploits Of q Giant
California Hunter.
His Fame 20 He Perpetuated By . Aolu-
meat-etronger Than Sandow and
More Dexteroua Than
COrbstt.


Steps are being taken in Fresno t.
erect a monument to Asberry Wills
the famed Mariposa giant. who used te
whip bears single-handed and who
could lift more than Sandow. and was
altogether moro formidable IN his way
than Cerbett.
| BE was the most famous of all CALI
fornia's strong men, and was probably
the most phenomenal man in his sue
cesses as hunter ever known on the
Pacific coast. Asberry died over 4
dozen years ago, and his body lies in a
rocky defle near the edge of Kings
Canyon. The determination on the part
| of some California pioneers to build a
monument to his memory has caused
many remarkable stories of his proves
| to be related. His phenomenal
strength, coupled with his exploits in
| the Sierras. are fresh in the minds of
the Argonauts.
Asberry was born in Mariposa county,
and at the age Of seventeen years
stood six feet four inches in his stock
ing feet, and was at once entitled to
and received the sobriquet of the
Butterfly Whale" The word 'butter-
fly" was the translation of Mariposa,
which in the Spanish means butterfly.
The name was originally bestowed to
the county because of the very large
number of curious butterflies there.
The whale" was exceedingly fond of
adventure in the wild mountains about
him. He was of fine physique. pro-
portionately built. and with eyes as
sharp as an eagles. His hair and
beard were as black as a ravens wing,
and he always wore quantities of both.
This man was always accompanied
by two companions, whom he desig-
mated as "Old Hell-in-the-Brush" and
'Heart Deep" The former was mag
niicent London twist rifie-bore gun,
which carried an ounce ball It
weighed eighteen pounds, and was an
old-fashioned muzzle loader, but never
in any way went back on the name be-
slowed on it by the Butterfly Whale"
Heart Deep" was huge double-edged
steel dirk weighing eleven pounds,
as the average man would penknife.
On one occasion, while on a hunting
trip on the south fork of Kings river,
he came to a meadow and concluded to
fence off little of it for the use of his
mustangs. He and the single COM
panion with him began telling the
trees. BY some naturalization one of
the trees fell in a different direc-
ton from what was expected. and
caught the friend OF the giant, crush
ing him to the earth. 1t had been a
very lofty tree, was two feet thick,
where 1t caught the unfortunate man,
and was almost as heavy as lead. But
the whale" was equal to the emery
ency. Concentrating all his giant
strength, he lifted the trunk from the
crushed and bleeding form. The maA
soon died of his injuries, but his last
hours were much easier by reason Of
the feat Of his giant friend. Many
other feats of strength were per-
formed by him at different times. his
lifting power was nine times his own
weight, or eighteen hundred pounds.
One of his most phenomenal feats Of
strength, combined with his great pres
ence of mind in time of danger, was IL
Illustrated while he was on the middle
fork Of Kings river prospecting for
gold. Just before dusk one evening
he espied a six-months-old grizzly,
fully two hundred pounds, on
q shelving ledge of rock asleep. The
hi 4o Il L..
beautiful thing alive, and began to
steal up ON it. His companion, Lewis,
advised him that he had better shoot
it, but the Whale" said he would en-
10Y the fun. At this Lewis climbed a
tree to be out of any possible scrim-'
mage. The giant advanced cautiously
up to the edge of the lodge and grasped
he young grizzly by it's hind feet. The
bear woke, was astonished, and for the
irst time in its life summoned all it's |
Toung strength in a desperate battle. |
1t chanced that the edge of the bowl- |
Ter ON which the whale" stood was |
'loping. and he could not get firm |
oothoh. A fearful struggle ensued,
md at length both bear and man
oiled off into the copse of yerba
,uena and fern. The brute was pow
rful and set up yelling.
This called the mother. a huge grin
ly. only few rods away. from the
rush. She came twenty feet at a
'oupd. growing terribly, and with
yes blazing like fire. Lewis, from his
'erch In the tree. tried to shoot Fer
nd fred several times In rolling over
With the bear the whale had come
Ip on top. HereaGzed Immediately his
position, and, grabbing tho
ub by its heels. swung it with pro-
igious force. by powerful swing Of
is great arms, against the giant gris-
~. Its head struck the fiery brute
quare In the mouth, and its bruised
nd bleeding form dropped from his
ands. Quicker than il would be pos
ible to tell it the Whale" had jumped
0 the fore and buried the eleven
ounds of steel of Heart Deep" in
he vitals of the old bear. killing her
Lewis clambered down
rom his tree and looked in vain for
larks OF his bullets. He had not hit
he bear at all Heart Deep" alone
ad done the work.
The giant Of Mariposa only met one
aemy TO which he was forced 70 sue
lmb. Mountain fever at last seized
is powerful frame, his mind departed.
nd soon the reaper wrapped his thick,
Iysterious mantle of eternity about
i'm On the left bank OF the dean