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

/ geyser basin. The creature was acting
in a curious way. now STOPPING. now
rising. now bending over again, as
though busy at some occupation to
which 1t was giving its undivided at
tention. 1t had no notion of our pres
ence. We crept up toward it a little
way and soon found II to be about the
largest grizzly bear that ever came
down the Divide. That is to say. II
seemed so to us; though l do not wish
to make the claim that we saw the
largest bear that ever vast is such
sweeping assertions that bring bear sto-
ries into disrepute. At least it was a
bear. n a big one. and 1 shall sub
nit that IL was the smartest bear. as
well. so to speak, as the most bene-
fetal bear that ever was: and on this
point l shall stand without fear of
successful refutation.
When we discovered what this bear
was doing. we could scarcely credit
our senses. AS you will very well re-
member. the Madison is a stream
Astounding i'm mountain trout. At that
time these fish could readily be taken
in weight up to 10 pounds. though /
bear in mind that this Is no fish story
that l am relating. 1t shows our own
carelessness when I say that we had
not thought of taking any OF these
fish to eat, as we might easily have
~s 1880 s%@AA u
This big grizzly had evidently given
the matter of commissariat better con-
sideration than we had. We watched
him at his work, which he pursued
with grunts and whines OF preoccupa-
ton. varied now and then with bowls
of exultation. In point of fact. the
bear was fishing, and so great was
his sporting instinct that he could not
avoid giving vent to his pleasure when
he found himself successful i'm landing
an exceptionally large trout. His ma
chinery was simple. The trout were un-
used TO lures. The bear trailed a bright
bit of gypsum in the water with one
paw, and simply swiped out the fish
with the other as they rushed up at
the glittering bait. ! had never seen
this sort of angling before.
IT II may be said hat I'm thus sup
plying his wants the bear was not put
ting in use any extraordinary means.
1t Will, j think. be admitted by all that
at least the use to which he was put
ting this food, or rather the way in
which he was reating u. was a most
singular and unusual thing. and one
displaying to the highest degree the
marked natural intelligence OF the
hear. which is really one of the shrewd-
est of all wild animals. This bear was
not only catching fish, but was also
cooking them.
i make this statement with no inten-
ton of causing any surprise, for II
Is nothing new or startling. / pre-
sumo that at least a thousand persons
in the Yellowstone park have caught
a trouto on one side, in cold water. and
have cooked IL on the other side with
in reach of the swing of the rod. in
n of the many boiling springs which
dot that country. Yet this feat had
never. at that time. been performed by
any human being: so that this bear can
in no wise be accused of plagiarism
or even i~mitativeness. He would eaten
a big trout as ! have described. and
then hold ii head down in the boiling
water of the adjacent spring for a
moment or so. until il was thoroughly
cooke Then he woul neatly pile IL up
with the other fish at his side. where
he had raked up several little heaps,
cob house fashion. After a while. when
he seemed to ave satisfied his notion
about h thing. he grunted. stopped
over. and, taking up his arms full of
the cooked trout, he started waddling
OF through the snow up the shelf OF
a cliff which showed on the mountain
side not far away. He a a trail
plowed through the snow about as big
as would be made by a Northern Pa
cific rotary.
/ looked at my companion. he look
ed at me. We spoke not a word. We
e back to our camp. We saw hat
the bear had left a few fish at the
springs and thought he would return
for these. in which snpposition we
We're correct. In less than 20 minutes
he came grunting and complaining
down the trail again-he was very TAT
and gathering up the rest OF his
catch he went back up the hill.
Our plan was very simple. and !