The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-01-27
THE GENUINE GRIZZLY
IF You've LOST ONE you CAN FIND
HIM IN BRITISH COLUMBIA.
He Is Likely to Weigh LOGO Pounds,
Will BE Nine Feet Long, and i'm All
Respects an Ugly Customer.

Pomona (Cal.) Letter in Chicago Record.
John Houston. who is spending the winter
in southern California, is known up and
down the Pacific coast because of his ex-
perience in bear hunting in the Rocky
mountains and the Sierras. He has slain
over two hundred black cinnamon and griz-
ely bears in the last twenty years, and his
SCARED face, his lacerated hands and the
great Wounds on his arms and chest bear
evidence of some terrific encounters he has
had with the bear family in his wild noun
tain life.
II used to think" said he, while circle
of deeply interested hearers stood about
him the other evening, that there was
nothing in the shape of a wild bear that
could equal the grizzly bears Of the noun
tains in northern California and Oregon,
and I stuck to it that for size and ugliness
none of that tribe anywhere could beat
Them Since L have been hunting up in
British Columbia I have changed my mind.
You wouldn't believe it, but the grizzlies in
the canyons and mountain forests away up
there are simply mammoth by the side of
the members of the same family in the
States / have never killed or seen griz-
ely in the States that weighed over LOO
or loo pounds and measured eight feet
from the nose to the tip of the tail. The
majority of the beasts weigh 900 1000
pounds, and their length from tip to tip
is about feet inches
In British Columbia and even in Mani
toba there are any quantity of these great
hulking critters that weigh 1,4O0 pounds
and nave seen some that tipped the beam
at l,6O0 pounds when ready to cut up. The
bears up there frequently measure feet
inches from the nozzle to the tip of the
tail, and have measured several carcasses
that were little over nine feet in full
length.
Il don't know how to account for such a
dlfference in size between members of the
same family OF beasts in this country and
across the line in Queen Vic's realm. but it
is so. You may Imagine the overpowering
feelings of man who, alone in canyon or
in some forest, miles away from any hui
man being. suddenly sees advancing upon
him a great grizzly bear, standing at full
length on his launches. some nine or ten
feet high, with forepaws extended mouth
open and eyes flashing anger and rage,
While powerful roars issue from it's throat.
You may have some idea that it takes the
coolest nerves and the steadiest aim for a
man TO stand his ground and wait for such
monster to advance so near t0 him to
present the best possible mari. for a ball
that shall be fatal Errors of aim judg-
ment at such time must not be allowed
for. 1t must be instant death to the adj
vanclng grizzly, or probable death q few
seconds later to the hunter. But it is just
such excitement, such hazardous and wild
sport that keeps me hunting for months
every year. when could have comfort and
plenty by living in a town or city.
How many grizzlies do think there are
n British Col .n, e Why there must be
Manitoba together For over twenty years
the number of black and grizzly bears
slain annually has been reported at Vic
tOrla and Vancouver to be from 800 to l.
O00 Twenty years ago there were ten
times many bears, and in one season
nipeg and at Victoria over 1000 bear skins
for less than 81 each But the grizzlies are
gone, and the moose is fast going. l doubt
if the beasts will ever really become ex-
tinct, for they are hard to trap. and live in
human habitation. The best grizzly and
black bear skins now easily bring SIS among
the fur buyers in British Columbia. can
remember when the same peltS could have
been bought by the wagonload for 81 or 81
fashionable. and there were tens of thou
sands of buffalo to furnish skins for winter
AN EXCITING EXPERIENCE.
1.-THE most memorable experience ever
had in following grizzly in the sum-
mer of 1876, when 1 was new at bear hunt
ing was with a half-breed Sioux Indian
in a sparsely timbered region north of Da-
kota in the Manitoba country. We were
among heavy brush one morning when We
suddenly came upon the largess grizzly, in
deed the largest bear, had even seen. My
Indian companion was about thirty years
of age, perfect type of muscular and
sinewy hunter. He did not know what fear
was, and was cool and unmoved in the
presence of a maddened grizzly. At the
same time he had the caution of all good
half-breed hunters in attacking q grizzly,
and at once looked for every point of van
Il
be compelled to- come to close quarters.
Our appearance in the opening had been a
tearing a hollow log to pieces with its
great front claws in search of squirrels.
after recovering from its first surprise
the bear rose its hind feet and relieved
itself of few roars that were not reassur-
ing for our comfort. 1t threw it's fore paws
straight above it's head, and for an instant
stood If about to charge upon us. 1t
probably had such intention, but as it stood
erect. a vulnerable and vital part exposed
of which parts there are few on a grizzly
bear-my Indian companion took cool aim
and sent a ball into the animals vitals. 1t
gave two or three powerful blows with its
fore paws the wounded part, accom-
panying them with its well-known roar or
howl, and fell dead without moving out of
it's tracks.
1.-The bear had hardly reached the ground
the Indians rifle being still raised in read
mess to pour conc @ ot into ehe AM
cent-when there came a loud crash in the
brush to our right, and before either of us
4
half-breed guide raised clear from his feet
and hurled through the air for three or four
yards, falling in heap on the ground near
the bear he had killed. A second grizzly
had heard the cries of the one the Indian
had shot and had come dashing to the
spot. 1t had not waited to look into the
cause of the trouble, but had taken a hand
in it at once by an attack on my compan-
ion. The Indian did not need any further
intimation to know what he had on hand,
and he was on his feet again with amaz-
ing quickness. The blow from the bears
paw had torn the. flesh from his left cheek
and side of his head. and it hung in strips
down his neck. The Indians gun had
been forced from his hand. The blood
poured from his head and face in streams
He quickly drew his short-handled hunting
ak. which was in his belt and awaited the
charge of the bear; which sa was s ), nearly as
1.-THE second charge of the bear was so
terrible that it must have borne down half
a dozen men, and consequently my muscu-
| lar companion was no more than reed
before it. He went down and the grizzly
stood over him and growled as if enjoying
| the hunters peril and rejoicing over the
fate that awaited him.
A FORTUNATE SHOT.