The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1898-02-03
JOHN BEARGREASE'S
=. FIGHT FOR LIFE.

/ jim Bt-AhuhEAoE, the 1nOlan
IL who carries the mail between Two
Harbors and Grand Marais, Minn., has
& again begun his winter trips, overland,
Unsteady of by boat, as is his wont dur
ing the summer and fall months. John
has been off duty much of the past sum-
mer and his temperance as the regular
mail carrier was the signal for hearty
congratulations by his many friends
along the route. He is not as handsome
as he was at this time last year, but he
knows a heap more.
His face and hands are covered with
unsightly scars and his once jet black
hair is plentifully sprinkled with silver.
For several months during the last
summer it was generally believed he
was dead, as had disappeared COM
pletely from his accustomed haunts.
His rifle and portion of his clothing
were found near where terrible strug-
gle had taken place in the snow and as
no trace of the Indian could be found his
friends mourned him dead.
Mass had been said for the repose Of
bis soul by the priests of the region,
who know Beargrease well (for he is
Grout Catholic), glowing tributes to
his memory had been printed in the
press Of northern Minnesota and men
who desired to fill his position as an
employe of the government had for
warded their applications to Washing
ton, asking for the place. But Bear
grease was not dead, and in spite of his
awful experience with pack of timber
wolves he will continue to carry the
mail for some time to come unless
President Mckinley sees fit to remove
him and place voter in the position.
The experience of Beargrease demon
strates that this far northwestern
country is still wild enough to suit the
most exacting and that an overland
trip along the north shore is not with
cut its perils-especially in the winter
time-of which the people of the big
cities know little.
Between Two Harbors and Grand
Marais lies strip of country which
rivals Siberia in it's bleakness and death
like silence. For a distance of ITS miles
the cold waters of the lake beat in
sullen anger upon desolate, rock
bound coast, in a vain endeavor to blot
out of existence shore upon which not
a living thing exists. Even vegetable
life is absent, and animals of all kinds
avoid the dismal cliffs as if they feared
some hidden enemy.
Two Harbors is the ending of the
railroad, and the country from there to
Grand Marais is practically trackless
waste, relieved only by small clumps
OF scrub pine back from the lake few
miles. In the summer the trip from
Two Harbors to Grand Marais, where
dwell few fishermen, is a wild, but
not particularly unpleasant one; but
in the winter, when the icy blasts from
the Manitoba country sweep down like
hurricane and cut like knife, and the
chill waters of the lake dash against the
shore as if eager to tear asunder the
cold granite hills. the journey is fraught
WIN danger, and more than one hardy
p'ospector has lain down and died
while endeayoring to go from one point
10 another.
During the winter months the few
oozen people who comprise the Grand
Marais settlement are cut off by bar
riers OF snow and ice from the outside
world, and We're it not for the crude
maii service inaugurated by the gov
ernment for their benefit some wears
ago they would be isolated entirely
irom the rest of the country. so far as
.ne knowledge of affairs in other places
u concerned. The mail is carried from
Two Harbors to Grand Marais twice
"eek-not in the regulation govern
.'ent mail pouches. by weH-fed neat
uniformed guard. but in the inside
Fcket OF full-blood Indian, Bear
grease, who in the winter makes his trim
on a Cog sled and in the summer on foot
or in canoe,
NO white man could be found to run
sue FISK which the mail carrier must
.ssume, as the compensation is small
aa !. she dangers great, so in the course
vents the contract went to the Chin
IVA Indian, who can talk little Eng
.10 Who retains nearly all he char