The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-09-11
BATTLE WITH A BEAR.
AN ALASKAN ADVENTURE WHICH
NEARLY ENDED FATALLY.

OId-Time California PrOspecfOr
and Gold Hunter Relates an i1x-
citing Contest With a Couple OF
Alaskan Brown Bears Near Cooks
IrIet-KiIIcd One and wounded
the other, Which Latter Animal
Came Near Doing For Him.
From the San Francisco Chronicle.
In October 1895, the writer was washing
gold from the beach sands at Anchor
Point. Cooks Inlet, Alaska. had two
indians working with me, but cold snap
having set in on the night Of
the 21st, the water in our
ditch was frozen the next day, so we
we're compelled to close operations for
the season. The Indians are not much on
the work in this section of the great ter
ritory, and we were glad to get a rest.
They were also anxious to take a trip up
Kachekmak bay to collect some traps they
had set out there and expecting to meet
some bear" before they went into winter
retreats. asked me to loan them my $3.50
Winchester rifle in exchange for large
single-shot one of very heavy caliber,
which request L complied with, foolishly.
W. "
era. Indian houses at this point occupied
in the summer months by many families
drying salmon (eucalD for the surrounding
settlements. but at this time they were
all uninhabited except the one nearest the
beach, which 1 occupied, and the next one
farther back, occupied by the two Indians.
1t was my intention to winter here, hunt
ing and trapping, and had laid in supplies
for that purpose The Indians said they
would return in five or six days. 1 spent
several days in setting out traps and fix
ing up my cabin, where I was looking for
ward to spending some four or five months
alone, perhaps in ali that time without
seeing a human being, as the two Indians
intended wintering at Soldovia, a settle
ment on the east side of the inlet. Let
me have companion of my way" says
Sterne, were it but to remark how the
shadows lengthen as the sun declines"
This is a beautiful sentiment, but unless
the companion is a cheerful and agreeable
enc, I prefer being alone. The northerly
winds in this latitude have some peculiar
" irritating effect upon the nervous sys-
TEN, and few men can get along well to-
gerher during the winter months.
On the 18th, about 4:90 p. M, had got
back to the cabin from a prospecting trip,
and, it being too early to get supper, went
out and sat down on the beach bank to
see II there was any sign of the Indians
returning. The sun was just about to
set, the tide was at the full of flood the
sea as calm and placid as an inland lake
scarcely a breath of wind, and the sky
clear, without a speck of cloud to be seen
in any direction. One of those typical
lovely days not infrequent here in Octo-
Der and November The yellow leaf" is
fH1 Gold j.,
then in repose. Earth and sea are re-
conciled. 1t is doubtful if a grander pam
Drama than the bold and varied outline
OF the giant snow-capped mountains here
represented is to be found the world over.
St. Augustine, called by the natives Chi
naboro," is right in front some 100 miles
away, yet does not appear one-third the
distance, so clear and rare is the atmos-
phefe. ThlS island mountain is an active
volcano, and was, at this time, in full
biast throwing up vast wreaths of vapor
that in the subdued light of the declining
gay seemed to soar upward hundreds of
Ieet. Back of this, to the left, the four
peak mountain of St. Douglas looks a
grand and awe-inspiring sight, covered
down to the waters edge with the first
snowfall of the season. To the right. on
the west side of the inlet, looms up nian-
ma, some 1900 feet high. This is one of
Inc principal mountains of Alaska and
Inc highest peak, and at the date here
gwen these were all in eruption Such
scenes as these impress the mind with a
series OF beautiful images, which in after
me are often required to and recollected
Win delight. The day was now an
preaching unto eventide, and shading NV
eyes with one hand, / took last look for
tue bidarki before returning to the house
Wheh was thrown into a fiutter of ex
elenent by seeing two huge brown bears
WF"Hns Ieisurely in my direction along
me pedch not 200 yards distant
Tell backward in the grass. turned nv
sen over on my face, crawled a short dis
cue toward the cabin, and when / had
oUNahced far enough in this way to rise
Mnhout being seen, got up and ran for the
me l tried to put the cartridge belt on.
put Iouhd II would not near reach around
my waist, so extracted several cartridges.
~.u loading the rife put the extra ones in
mS pocket Hurrying back to the beach. [
"io"ea a small pathway that led to a
oultlhg IN the bank, giving both an easy
I'1ue uoWn and affording conceaIment NV
- began to beat so violently with the
teNeltement of the moment as | sat down
81 InS cutting that / feared | could not
onoot accurately, but l tried my Iest to
M IN n|selt and keep COOL knowing full
49,. - 'Hese brown bears were game as any
niii'aIS mat ever roamed forest or Jungle.
~ u iequlred nervy man to tackle them
wv iSSIGtleu having EXCHANGED
s rusty repeating Winchester for this
pl se shooter that 1 was unfamiliar with.
fo,, 81 having tred shot from it, In a very
NJ" lnn utes l was made aware of the ap-
nr0a " OF the bears by a shutting noise
If me 1ie gravel. Presently the nose Of one
bs. 1nein came in view quite close to the
ar an "here | sat. The nose rose in the air
PAU. commenced shifting; then the brute
M, d loW' angry growl he evidently hay.
go So scent or my presence. He advanced
in ,S before he caught sight of me, and
NV ''.g mean time had raised the rifle to
SAN shoulder ready for action. When he
act nie ne stopped, as if in doubt how to
his swing me time to take aim right for
ripb, "t , and fire. The shot took effect
tracy. ~ q, the exact spot, and he fell in his
cartn NS; Hurriedly replacing the exploded
tbe iuSe with full one, l ran down to
Wa 'eaeh 10 find the other bear. The blood
MAJ no" coursing through my veins at a
eIatoi ne The success of this first shot
isbei me- and all signs of fear had van
secoS, report had evidently alarmed the
ain pear, for he was scampering off