Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1897-03-19
GRIZZLIES Or iOAn0
Tscit Agreement with Men In the Asras
Days Not to Modest Each Other

a racit Agreement with Men In the Eafas
D.ys Not to Modest Each Other.
speaking of grizzly bears" said
Judge Henry /. Warren to New York
Sun man, I'VE didn't look on these an
imals as particularly dangerous In
Idaho when I was the United states
district attorney Of that territory. IL
a man attacked one ut close quarters
he sometimes got killed, but at q lit
lie distance not much more attention
was paid to bears than If they had
been so many hogs or cattle. Between
human beings and the bears there
seemed to be ut that time tacit
agreement to let one another alone.
Zone OF my hardest horseback trips
led me through wild region where l
often saw bears. At one point the
trail crossed an open valley, dotted
with scattering big trees and clumps OF
underbr ush, and ON the further side
wound up q steep mountain side
through thick oak and pine woods.
Coming down into that valley one day
I saw, little way off on my right,
Eve bears, two very large ones and
three smaller ones, constituting pos
sibly family party. They were rum
ming about here and there nosing the
ground, turning over stones and knock
ing to pieces rotten logs, hunting for
mice and grubs. They apparently
paid no attention to me as rode past,
one hundred and fifty yards away.
NV horse looked little wild and fidg-
eted some at the sight Of them, but l
kept him in the trail without difficulty.
''At another time q bear gave me
considerable Of scare. l had just
crossed this same valley and was just
beginning to ascend tho wooded
heights beyond it. had dismounted,
and was leading my horse up the steep
hillside when bear broke out OF the
bushes a little behind me and came for
me furiously, showing her teeth and
growing. stood still, expecting to
be torn to pieces the next moment
from the determined way in which she
came-it was she bcar-but She
stopped just short of scizing me ant
turned to dash in tho same way ut my
horse, and at that dropped the bride
and made up the trail us fast as coul;
20. My horse, instead of turning bacl
to run for life in the clear open grount
of the valley, when she charged at him
made detour up the hill and camt
back on the trail behind me. The bear
looking mighty ugly with her frothinl
mouth and bristling hair, kept up he
demonstrations, directing them princi
pally ut my horse. You know how I
horse, when thoroughly frightened
will seek the company and protection
Of humanity, and so, do all could +
drive him away, my beast all the tim
kept right behind me with his nose a
my shoulder, trembling with fear, blu
refusing to leave me, as the bear KEEP
making dashes ut us out of the bushes
| sometimes from one side and sometime
from the other.
II didn't know then what hav
learned from the habits Of the animal
since, that the bear was running blui
ON us and did not mean SO much t
harm us as to scare us away. She ur
| doubtedly had cubs concealed close b
in the bushes and resorted to n commo
trick of the female bear to drive ava
intruders. Probably If ] had stood m
ground she would have tackled me an
in that case it would have been all u
with me. She followed us one hui
bred yards or SO and then, seeming sa
listed that she had got us fairly on tn
run, fell back into the bushes an
watched us out Of sight"