The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1895-05-08
LADY AND GRIZZLIES.
The CHIEF OF MOUNTAIN HUNTERS
FINDS A hERMlTESs.

mates In the Miilennium-The Old Story
with Romantic Variations.
Among tho daring hunters who for
years have tramped tho Businesses OF the
Cascade aud Rocky mountains Dave Sol
berg Is acknowledged chief. He Is OF mod
est demeanor and no boaster, and yet he
has killed in his solitary wanderings moro
cougars California lions, wolves and griz-
civ bears than would suffice to stock all
the menaQeries In the United States. Un-
like his fellows, he is n college bred man,
Is a versatile talker and tells a good story.
To a correspondent who recently met
Solberg In Spokane Falls the hunter told
the following queer story;
ut was early In September that start
cd out to ill a Chicago order for q 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,
a shotgun, revolvers and plenty OK provi-
sions and ammunition.
Monday, Sept. "a. will always be q
memorable day I'm my experience. Lcav-
ing Ben and one dog In camp, ] 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 of through the dense
thicket / quickened my pace In the direo-
~. hal taE nd nm
on the tracks of what knew must be
a largo grizzly bear Presently, as an
ticipated, the hounds brought the bear
TO bay 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.
II poised my rife and was about to fire,
when, 20 my utter surprise, saw a stout
leather strap about the bears chubby neck,
while from the hrass ring under his throat
dangled q rosette and tassel made OF red,
white and blue ribbons. Besides the ami
mails coat was as sleek and clean as IL he
had Just come from q tub Of soap and wa
ter.
"Was the brute an escape from some
menagerie? Was he household pot, or
was drcamingS None of these, surelyi
We were in the heart of a mountain wilder
ness, more than 80 miles from the nearest
border settlement and 200 miles from the
nearest town ever visited by circus or men
agerie Besides family pets ere not made
of grizzly bears weighing half ton.
II called of the dogs aud put them In
1eashcs. Strangely enough, the huge beast
plunged inst0hter into the thicket and
shambled off up the creek, while followed
as fast as / could lead the hounds. I could
hear the cracking of dry twigs under the
bears feet, and quieting the dogs in order
TO catch his course heard human voice.
the shrill, treble cry Of a woman.
Ho, Dio, Dio, Dio-oP it came.
"Once more I was dazed. All the fairy
stories Of bears and wolves had ever heard
or read came back 20 me, and 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-op
Claiming the hounds to q sapling,
plunged forward. l soon overlook the
bear, which paid no attention to me what
ever, but lazily walked along as IL his busi-
ness was his own and nobody else's, halt
ing now and then TO MUNICH q few berries
from the bushes. AS bruin and emerged
space, what was my amazement to sud-
denly meet face to face q woman--a real,
live womanl The apparition was clad In
buckskin frock and leggings, with high
brogans buckled over her feet, and her
head covered with brown slouch hat,
from beneath which streamed her long
hair. She was 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 cheek
while she stroked his shaggy coat.
Now, sir said the woman, will you
walk home with me and see where I live
with Dio and his familyY
"A 20 minutes walk on a well beaten
trail brought us to a limestone cliff few
rods from the stream. This cliff was near
ly perpendicular, 90 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 80 or 40 feet
deep. Just within was snugly built log
cabin, it's 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
home OF the woman, while a family Of
bears occupied the farther end Of the cave.
Upon our arrival Mrs. Grizzly Bruin
and two half grown cubs made their ap-
pearance all exhibiting the same docile
characteristics as the great Dio. A big
Newfoundland dog also bounded forth 70
greet us The cabin contained three airy
and well lighted rooms studio, or par
lor; a bedroom and kitchen While we sat
at luncheon she told me her history, and
assure you 1t was only the old story, with
romantic variations and practical illustra-
tions. The gist Of the whole matter was
love sorrow caused by the interference OF
unwise parents and resulting in the aban-
donment OF n comfortable home for the pre-
carious life Of 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.
ful docility Of her grizzly pets Frontiers.
men hired for the purpose make monthly