Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1895-04-19
LADY AND GRIZZLIES.
THE CHIEF OF MOUNTAIN HUNTERS
! FINDS A HERMlTEsS.
She Likes the Lower Animals As Compan-
ions and Has q Theory which Cuimi-
mates In the MiIlennium-The Old story
with Romantic Variations.


Among the daring hunters who for
wears have tramped the businesses or the
Cascade and Rocky mountains Dave Sol
berg is acknowledged chief. He is OF mod
rst demeanor and no boaster, and yet nc
has killed in his solitary wanderlngs more
cougars California lions wolves and griz-
zly bears than would suffice to stock all
the menagerics in the United States. Un-
like his fellows, he is a college bred man,
is versatile talker and tells good story.
To a correspondent who recently met
Solberg in Spokane Falls the hunter told
the following queer story:
sit was early in September that start
ed out to fill Chicago order for lot OF
cougar, black lynx and cinnamon bear
skins / directed my course toward the
upper Salmon river, my objective point
being 200 miles southeast of Pierce City.
Besides Ben, stout Lapwai half breed, my
faithful hired man of all work, caterer,
tent keeper ETC., my outfit consisted of
two Indian ponies for packing service.
three old hounds, camp fixtures, two rifles,
. shotgun, revolvers and plenty OF provl-
lions and ammunition.
MONDAY, Sept. "a, will always be
memorable day in my experience. Leav-
ing Ben and one dog in camp, l started
early in the morning for an all day trip,
directing my steps toward the headwaters
of the little stream near which we were
camped We had gone about two miles
from camp when Tige and Fan struck
scent and bounded off through the dense
thicket ! quickened my pace in the dlrec-
ton the dogs had taken and soon came up
on the tracks of what l knew must be
large grizzly bear Presently, as l an
ticpated, the hounds brought the bear
to bag few hundred yards ahead This
was clearly evident from the altered
tone of their cries. When came up with
the dogs, there, sure enough, was big
grizzly sitting on his launches and com
placcntly taking in the situation.
Il poised my rifle and was about fire,
when, to my utter surprise, saw a stout
leather strap about the bears chubby neck
while from the brass ring under his throat
dangled u rosette and tassel made of red
white and blue ribbons. Besides the ami.
mails coat was as sleek and clean as if he
had just come from tub OF SOAP and wa
ter.
WAS the brute an escape from some
mcnagcrie? Was he q household pet, or
was l dreaming? None of these, surely
We were in the heart of mountain wilder
ness, more than 30 miles from the nearest
border settlement and 200 miles from the
nearest town ever visited by circus or men,
agerie Besides family pets are not made
of grizzly bears weighing half ton.
Il called off the dogs and put them in
leashes. Strangely enough, the huge beast
plunged instanter into the thicket and
shambled off up the creek, while 1 followed
e., 7 Ia ~. 7
hear the cracking of dry twigs under the
bears feet, and quoting the dogs in order
to catch his course heard a human voice,
the shrill, treble cry of woman.
Ho, Dio, bio, Dioop it came.
Once more l was dazed. All the fairy
stories of bears and wolves had ever heard
or read came back to me, and L was begin
ming to distrust the reliability of my senses
when the Cry came again, a good deal
nearer and louder: 'Dio, Dio. Ho, Di-o-oI
Claiming the hounds to sapling,
plunged forward. l soon overlook the
bear, which paid no attention to me what
ever, but lazily walked along as if his bust
ness was his own and nobody else's, halt
ing now and then to MUNICH II few berries
from the bushes. AS bruin and l emerged
from the thicket into Il partially open
space, what was my amaZcment to sud
denly meet face to face a woman-a real,
live womanl The apparition was clad in
buckskin frocll and lcggings, with high |
broglns bucklcd over her feet, and her |
head covered with brown SLOUGH hat,
from beneath which strcamcd her long |
hair She was a blond of the most perfect |
type She snapped her thumb and finger,
and the bear walked to her side, reared |
up on his hind feet and licked her check |
while she stroked his shaggy coat
Now, sir, said the woman, will you
walk home with me and see where l live
with bio and his family?'
"A 20 minutes walk on q well beaten |
trail br ought us to limestone cliff a few |
rods from the stream. This cliff was near
Iy perp endicular, 40 or 80 feet high, and in
its face on a level with the bank of the |
creek there was broad opening, or cave,
perhaps 10 feet high and 30 or 40 feet
deep. Just within was a snugly built log
cabin, its front gable end extending out
side far enough to catch the sunlight and
permit the escape of the smoke from stick
and clay chimney This retreat was the
homo of the woman, while family of
bears occupied the farther end of the cave
Upon our arrival Mrs. Grizzly Bruin |
and two half grown cubs made their ap.
pciirduCe, all eAHlDltlnp tne same uOClle |
characteristics as the great bio A big
Newfoundland dog also bounded forth to |
greet us. The cabin contained three airy |
and well lighted rooms studio, or par.
Tor; bedroom and kitchen. While we sat |
at luncheon she told me her history, and | |
assure you it was only the old story, with |
romantic variations and practical illustra.
tions. The gist of the whole matter was a |
love sorrow caused by the interference of |
unwise parents and resulting in the aban. |
donment of a comfortable home for the pre-. |
carious life of a recluse Only two or three |
trusted friends know the secret of her |
whereabouts and mode OF living.
Backwoodsmen built her the cabin five |
years ago, and about that time she bought |
pair of grizzly cubs from the Indians and |
reared them on condensed milk To this |
simple diet and the kindest treatment the |
philosophical lady attributes the wonder
full docility of her grizzly pets. Frontiers
men hired for the purpose make monthly |
visits to the cabin, bringing upon pack |
animals every comfort and many Injuries
THE hermitess maintains that mercy |
between man and man and kindness to the |