The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-12-18

While / cheerfully contribute my re-
markable experience with a bear TO the
columns Of the Christmas Standard. l
shrink from putting the story | have
To tell in competition for "a prize, be-
cause / know how prone men are to
exaggeration whenever they are called
upon to recite their adventures with
bears. Yet l believe that my long years
of residence in Montana justify me In
feeling that no citizen Of his state
would for a moment sus~ect that. In
telling my rather thrilling encounter. |
would be tempted to depart from the
truth merely for the sake of winning
an award for highest excellence. | ap-
prehend that. In this contest. the bear
story that shows the marks of truth
and veracity IL the one that will. IN the
end. triumphantly carry OF the first
prize. But, however that may be. /
shall write not chiefly with the award
in view-but rather to relate an ex-
p%erience with bear, which, ! firmly be-
lieve. no man who tells a straightfor-
ward, honest bear story can match.
I was out one day. early I'm the time
OF my residence In Butte. walking along
the brow Of the steep hills that bound
on the east OF the valley which stretches
in front of the city OF Butte. l had
started out in the companionship of a
prospector long age well known I'm Mon
and long since gone to his grave,
and in "A crude way ! was learning from
him how To do "a little prospecting on
my own account We had climbed the
hill near which the present Homestake
tunnel Of the Northern Pacific branch
penetrates the range. My companion
had one several miles away in the di-
rection Of Beef Straight. while /. on
Guiding to shorten my tramp. had
ranged along until I came within sight
of Butte at a point above the present
poor farm in the valley. l had been
climbing down the steep Hill there n
had just been taking "A rest. l a not
done much prospecting. i'm fact. | was
neither a good loafer nor "A good pros
pector. My total equipment was "A lit
tie prospecting hammer, and that was
the only weapon | had l was not
thinking Of hunting, was not looking
for trouble with man or beast. and in
deed was not prepared for any trouble.
IL may be well supposed. therefore. that
l was i'll fitted for the events that en-
sued.
IL was growing late i'm the afternoon.
n / was thinking about going down
home TO the town. which I could see
just beyond in it's ragged outline. I was
a bit tired and. as | have remarked. I
was resting for n lazy half hour. All
at once i heard back Of me. al just In
the sag OF the mountain. a sound which
at first thought I took to be made by a
railroad train. This. of course. was
impossible. for there was no railroad
there. What then could be the cause
Of the tremendous putting and the echo
ing blast which sounded like the chal-
lenge OF the iron horse among the hills ,
j started to my feet n looked up the
slope behind me. whence there came n
crashing as though a stampede Of cat
tie was coming down the hill through
the brush and trees. IL o but a
glance To solve the riddle. 1t was "A
bear that was coming. n big bear. He
was coming directly i'm my direction.
IL was the oldest looking bear that
mortal ever saw. IL was normal in APP
pearance from the rear as far as SIS
shoulders, and then Il looked more like
"a barrel han a bear. As a
matter of simple fact. II was "A combin-