The Princeton union., 1894-11-15
SHERIFF. RED GRA VE.
STORIES OF A DISTINGUISHED BRIT
18Th COLUMBIAN.

The Gloomy Anniversary of His Friends
Death-How the Bear Returned Bull
let-The Sheriff Isn't Doctor, but He
Stamped Out Smallpox Epidemic.
Lying in the picturesque valley of
the Columbia river in British Columbia,
with the Selkirk mountains on one side
and the Rocky mountains on the other,
is the town Of Donald, on the Canadian
Pacific railroad. It used to be known
as a s.wide open town, /" but it is now
q sedate little place of nearly 1900 in
habitants. 1t is the meeting place Of
divisions Of the railroad. and from that
reason takes on a commercial impor-
tance that other towns of the same size
along the railroad lack. It also has an
added Importance from the fact that it |
is the home Of Sheriff Redgrave, the |
chief official Of all that country around
for great distance.
Sheriff Redgrave is a distinguished
man not only because he holds the chief
Office thereabouts for many miles, but
because ne has notable past He has
had many fierce campaigns with the In
dians, has fought his full share of dead
ly duels with desperadoes, has drop
ped' his man on more than one occa-
sion, knows what roughing it means in
country the widest of the wild, and
for years before such thing as rail-
road was thought of in that country was
! a marked man.
Sheriff Redgrave is always amiable
and almost always cheerful Once a
year, however, he is manifestly trou-
bled and downcast. It is a custom in
Donald on these occasions to wait until
a goodly collection Of citizens have ar
rived, and then this conversation usual
ly ensues:
''Good morning, sheriff. You seem a
little troubled this morning. You look
blue. Nothing gone wrong, has there?"
some one will say, and the sheriff will
make this response:
"Oh, nc" with an apparent effort to
throw off his oareworn look, ''nothing
is the matter, but the fact is this is the
anniversary of a very sad day with me,
and I never can shake off it's remem-
brance. I" -....
i "Indeed?" some one will say, and at
that invitation the sheriff will tell this
story of an eventful day in his career,
one that annually fills his soul with sad
ness:
'''It was just 80 years ago today that
1 was up in the Caribou country with
the dearest friend ever had. He was a
noble fellow, one that would have
gladly given my life to any day were
! there occasion to do So We were walk
ing through a gorge one afternoon, and
by lamentable oversight had only one
gun with us. Ny friend had that. Sud-
denly we came face to face with an
enormous grizzly bear, one of the old
time bears, tremendous fellows, such as
we used to have in these mountains.
The bear was angry, and I think had
been stung by some bees. He showed
fight, and saw at a glance that it was
either his life or one or perhaps both OF
ours. He came right for us, roaring and
3 determined to kill US.
"My friend was nervous man, and
could see that he was little fright.
= ened. Now, you know that never lose
my nerve, and SO I said to him that
= thought he had better give me the gu1
and let me kill the bear, so as to make
sure Of the job. He agreed and seemed
to be glad to have the responsibility of
his hands. The bear came straight fo1
= US, and took deliberate aim. He hac
= his mouth open, and I aimed to shoo'
= him there and let the bullet penetrate
' the brain, and thus make a neat job o:
= it. When the bear was about ten PAGES
:, off, I pulled the trigger. That bulle
- went straight to it's mark, Of course, bu
= = do you know, just as it struck the beal
y :. in the mouth, that animal for some rea
~ ~ son or other turned on his heels. Th'
Il bullet passed through his head, and tn
!, bear, turning just as it was passing
- through, DETECTED the bullet, so tina
y it flew back to US and killed my frient
>, instantly by my side. Yes, this is al
ways very sad day with me- and an
sure you will excuse me if don't shov
my accustomed cheerfulness.
vt Sheriff Redgrave has another thrill
10 ing experience that he relates occasion
t. ally, and it illustrates his fertility o
" resource in time Of great emergenc
IL and reveals to some extent the reason
y for his popularity and advancement il
1T the estimation of his fellow citizens
IS BE was up in the Caribou country man
a years ago and stumbled into a camp Q
le Indians where there was an epidemic Q
ID smallpox raging. It would never do fQ
Le him to return home after having bee
le exposed to that contagion, and it ais
ID was incumbent on him as man wit
ie a sympathetic heart to try to stamp ou
le the terrible disease He and his frien
10 pondered over the situation for Ion
le time, and at last plan came to them.
: GLOW do you suppose we stampe
that smallpox. out?" the sheriff says a
he tells the story.
well, it was this way. Neither {
I'd US had any medical education, and
90 we had it wouldn t have done any goo6
~ for we had no remedies with us, and
lg would have been impossible to max