Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1895-07-10
ALASKA'S BIG BEARS.
GOOD FISHERMEN, ROADMAKERS AND
FIERCE FIGHTERS.
What Hunters Who Fave Met the Grizzly
Have to Say Of His Alaska Cousin-They
Do Not Fear Man and Will Fight While
MORALLY Wounded.

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| Do Not Fear Man and Will Fight While
MORALLY Wounded.
A traveller who recently returned from
Alaska says: 1.-The Alaskan brown bear
is huge, shaggy animal, varying in
length from 6 to 12 feet and weighing
from 500 to 1900 pounds. found him
to be an expert fisher, and during the
salmon season he frequents all tho rivers
emptying into the Bering sea and the
north Pacific and their tributaries as far
as the fish 60 After the salmon run is
over the animal retreats into the recesses
of the hills, where berries and small
game are plentiful Among other things
he does besides fishing and occasionally
chewing up hunter, he is q great road
maker for this part of Alaska. Nor only
are the banks of the streams trodden into
good trails by these huge numbering
beasts, but the swampy plains are cross
ed in every direction by paths leading to
the hills The traveller will do well to
follow them in journeying across the
country, as they invariably lead to the
best feeding places along the stream and
form the best routes to the hills
A hunter who has spent some time
there recently chasing brown bears
writes several Of his experiences to the
Seattle Telegraph.
MY first encounter, he says, with
one of these brown bears was q startling
experience for me, and I have always
thought equally so for the bear. We had
| CIV
rent Of the Kocwak river all day, and
toward nigEtfall pitched our tent at the
base Of q high bluff forming the right
bank Of the stream. While supper was
being prepared I climbed the bluff to
get look ut the country and was walk
ing along with my gun carelessly held
i'll my left hand. The top of the bluff
was densely covered almost to the edge
with spruce ard alders, and TIE under
growth was SO thick that it was impos-
sible to see more than n few feet through
it. Ahead Of me cluster Of rocks effer-
ed q temporary place to sit down and
enjoy the view, and l made for it. Just
as l reached the nearest rcck tremen-
dous shaggy animal arose apparently
from under my feet, and Immediately
recognized il him the brown bear of
whose terceness the natives had been
telling me for weeks. NY first instinct
was to shoot, and 1 probably would have
done so had my gun been in my right
hand, but the first motion 1 made the
bear reared on his launches and was so
formidable locking that concluded to
wait and SEQ what lie intended doing.
After a moments hesitation. during
which he turned his head from side to
side and licked his chops in a most sug-
gostivc fashion, he dropped on all forrs.
and with wonderful quickness turned
and sprang out of sight in the dense
underground. When returned to camp
and related my experience, Tab tah-rok,
my native guide, assured me that the
bear must recently have concluded q
heavy meal, or otherwise lie would have
attacked me.
"Some officers from some of the YES
sells Of the Bering sea fleet went ashore
at Herendeen bay during the summer Of
1891 on Il deer hunt, and one of the
party saw n bear about 100 yards distant
eating berries. Without Thought of the
consequences, lie RAISED his gun and fired
at the animal.
1.-THE shot went wide CT tho mark, but
at the report of tie gun the bear started
for the hunter on Z dead run. His charge
was met with shower Of bullets from
the officer 8 repeater; but, although bad
ly wounded, the Infatuated animal did
not hesitate an instant and rushed
straight at his enemy. When within
about 10 feet of the hunter, the bear
rose on his launches and prepared to
close. Blood was pouring in streams
down his body. One ballet had shattered
his upper jaw, but he was so full Of fight
that the final outcome Of the struggle
would have been extremely doubtful had
: not another of the party arrived and
; ended the fight by shooting the brute
through the brain. An examination of
the bears body showed that he had been
struck six times. Three of the shots
We're in parts of the body ordinarily con-
sidered vital and would doubtless haye
caused death, but the vitality Of these
animals is almost incredible. Instances
are cited of their running over 100 yards
: after being shot through the heart.
Last summer, while was at Sand
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sence of over a month in the vicinity of
Portage bay. and reported having killed
33 bears. One day they killed seven. In
order to show that they were not spin
ming hunters yarns they brought the
. skins with them. and sold them at q
trading post ut Sand Point. During the
summer Of 1891 two prospectors were
looking for coal lands near Port Moller,
and about a mile from the shore they
came upon an immense brown bear en-
gagged in catching salmon in small
4 stream. One Of the prospectors immedi
ately opened fire, and evidently wound
E ed the brute badly, but he got out q
sight in the thick brush. Being anxiou:
TO secure the skin the two men started
to follow the wounded animal They
had not gone dozen steps before thu
;. enraged and wounded brute turned OF
them. and before either one could lire :
shot he seized one man by the leg ant
. hit ,,a,r1x- of a,,l fton cv,raney y,y,oy