The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1894-11-07
WATCHING FOR A GRIZZLY.
The Californian Cot Him at Last, But
Ee Had Tight Call.
rrom the snn FrancIsco Eszaminer.

The Californian Cot Him at Last, But
Ee Had a Tight Call
From the san Francisco Examiner.
Anton Sweitzlle, bee raiser, came
! into Los Angeles from Sehunga canon,
Just north Of this city, yesterday with
the skin of grizzly bear, which he
had killed few days before after a
thrilling encounter. Skin measur-
ing fully twelve feet long, and has the
paws attached, each of which meas
ures five by ten inches, showing the
enormous size of the big beast. He
weighed over one thousand pounds.
Sweitzke owns little bee ranch up
in the canon of Tehunga, one of those
openings i'm the mountain range which
shows itself lust above San Fernando.
He keeps a hundred or more stands of
bees, from which ordinarily he derives
his living. One morning recently he
went To attend his bees and found a
couple of hives overturned and the
bees in the widest commotion. One
glance sufficed to show that thief had
been there and had robbed his bees of
their honey during he night, and the
tracks in the ground showed that the
thief was "A bear of enormous size.
SweitZke SAYS that had he known it
was grizzly bear he would have pick
cd up his camp and moved or let the
bear have what was left. He supposed
the bear to be of the ordinary brown
variety, which are easily put to flight
if not killed, and he determined to kill
the bear.
Sweitzke, after the first assault, stood
watch nightly with his rifle, but the
bear did not make his appearance.
The watcher was beginning to think
of giving up his vigilance three nights
ago, and had returned to his cabin,
when he heard something approach
ing from the opposite side of the can
on. He kept out of sight and awaited
developments. Almost before he could
realize il the bear was within 100 feet
of him. Without ado, the bear
knocked over a hive and reached for
the contents.
"You may laugh, but do you know
that the bear looked as biz a an ele-
phant 10 me when finally got good
look at him." said Sweitzke, when he
told about his encounter. He did not
lose any time, however, in trying a
shot at the bear, for the loss of his
honey made him angry. The first
bullet, which was from a 1895 cart
ridge, made the bear cease his feast.
The animal whirlcd around with a
growl of rage and started for the bee
keeper. 1t took but a few jumps before
another shot was sent after the first,
with the effect that it seemed to mo-
mentarily check the bears progress.
Il was only for moment, however,
/ for the next second the beast was with
/ in ten feet of Sweitzke ana in an up
right position, with paws raised, mouth
wide open and in frenzy of rage.
Sweitzke said that he knew if he
/ turned to run he was lost, as he could
not reach cover in time to save him.
self His only course was to make the
next bullet find some vital point, and
/ then if it was case of hand-to-hand
struggle he would fight il out TO the
last. He said he can yet see the fright
ful fangs and the big scarlet tongue of
| the beast, with its ears laid fiat and its
eyes glowing, a il advanced snarling
and growing. The bear was just with
| in reaching distance when Sweitzke
| pulled the trigger. The bear staggered
then fell and began struggle to regain
his feet. But the wound was fatal.
The bear had to give up, but in its
struggle, even at the last, il tore up the
ground in all directions.
When the animal was skinned three
| bullets besides SweitZke's were found
| imbedded in the skin, showing that
some other hunter had taken a shot,
probably from safe distance, at the
bear in the past. All of his own bul-
lets had taken effect i'm vital parts, the
last one penetrating the heart. He
was a monster, and, although Sweitz-
Ike has seen many bears and had many
encounters, this one was the largest lie
had ever seen in southern California
He will never tackle another grizzly,
he says, without he is in good, safe
position. Had his last bullet failed to
reach the exact spot, or had his nerve
deserted him just as the bear was
reaching for him, he would be dead
man.