The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-01-02
TOO MANY BEARS"
This Bear Story Sounds Romantic but 1t Must Be True,
Because 1t Was Written by Montana
District Judge
Written for the New Year STANDARD.

whom the writer was one, win
- tered on the fiat opposite the
mouth of the Gallatin river. and built
a large number of houses-in fact laid
out and built a town and called it
Three Forks" and all were wealthy
in expectation, as each member of the
community was possessed in his own
right Of any number Of corner lots In
the spring of 1863 no steamboats, hay-
ing sgnfied their intention of coming
up the Missouri to our landing, the de-
mand for the purchase of corner lots
was not as great as many of us had
anticipated, and there being no sale
for the wood that we had cut and cord
ed up during the winter. with which
to burn brick in the spring to meet the
anticipated demand Of the building
boom that we all felt certain would
occur, several of us began casting about
TO find some chance to get out and get
a square meal.
\ party of seven or eight of us, among
whom | remember William Tracey, now
of Bozeman Major William Grahame.
and man and wife named Roush.
afterwards of Bozeman with three or
four wagons and OK teams. conceived
the brilliant idea of opening d new road
from the Three Forks to Benton-Eort
Benton then called-going down on the
east side of the Missouri river, through
country, concerning which, none of us
knew anything whatever. We crossed
the jefferson and Gallatin rivers Just
above the confluence, CROSSED over some
cedar covered hills and down into the
Missouri river, and followed down the
river. passing the place where Town
send is now situated. keeping in near
the foothills, passing down by and near
what was afterwards Confederate gulch
and on till we struck IA large Indian
trail that we afterwards learned was
called the Flathead Indian trail To the
buffalo country. This trail left the
Missouri valley and followed up a small
creek, which ] have since learned was
afterwards called Whites gulch
Leaving this gulch we followed the
trail up the mountain side and after
some hard work succeeded in landing
our wagons on top, where the country
opened out into somewhat broken,
partly prairie and partly timbered eoun-
try, where we had a splendid camp.
The Indian trail bearing too much to
the east we concluded to abandon 1t,
and turned north. travelling. as we sup
posed, parallel with the Missouri river.
Being somewhat short of meat | took
my saddle horse and gun, a muzzle
loading rifle, and rode on in advance
to try and kill some game. / had a navy
revolver and only a few matches. |
took nothing with me to eat. expect
ing to he with the wagons again in a
black and tan foN-hound. with no more
sense than the traditional hound pup.
We had no definite understanding as
to our route, and were simply feeling
our way through the country. | rode
on in the direction that | supposed the
wagons would take, and after going a
few miles, saw an antelope, and fooled
away some time trying to get a shot
at it, but was not successful i'll so do
irg, and first thing that l knew it was
about 10 O'Clock, and | had secured no
game, nor We're there any wagons in
sight. This was about the middle of
May, the weather clear and pleasant,
the hills covered with green grass and
flowers. and feeling In a pleasant frame
of mind. the absence of the wagons did
not i'm the least disturb me. as | felt
certain that / was in the only open
country through which they could pass.
| concluded To ride on and see if |
could find some game. and ridiug up
the slope of hill | saw about one hun
dred yards to my right a bear lying
down in shallow wash or gully. He
had not discovered me and was evil
IDENTIFY asleep.
As ! was not particularly hunting
bears that day and being in an exceed
ingly good hum1r. and not looking for
any trouble, ! concluded that ] would
not disturb him. but would ride above
and around him, which | proceeded to
do, keeping away from him about 125
yards. ] had gotten on the other side
of him. and about 100 yards from him.
and was riding along slowly and
keeping watch on him and admiring
his immense size--he was a large griz-
zly--when my horse struck his foot
against a stone. making a noise that
awakened the bear from a sound SUM
Der. He raised himself up on his
launches, and gazed at me much like
drunken man, presenting too tempt
ing mark for me to resist, though
we'll knowing the danger. The dog
had not yet seen him. My horse was
none too gentle, but | jumped off and
kneeling down Indian fashion, l aimed
at his breast, and at the crack of the
gun he went over on his back, and /
went onto my horse. Bruin scrambled
about for minute or so. recovered his
feet and made for a deep wooded hol-
low d few hundred yards off. with the
dog after him, but / did not follow
The dog returned safe and sound in a
short time. There was no danger of him
getting hurt, as he had more discretion
than any other dog that | ever saw.
i then rode on up the slope to the top,
and looking over what appeared TO
have been the rim Of small lake at
some time, ] saw quite a large basin,
say 300 or 400 acres, bounded on the
east side about half way round with a
ridge or rim covered with large granite
bouders. In this basin I saw as ] sat on
my horse seven bears busily engaged in
digging some kind of roots. Nearly all
of them appeared to be immense fell
lows, either brown or grizzlies. l made
up my mind that | would make no
trouble. though | was after meat. After
surveying the field over / noticed four
Of them off quite distance in brush
and near the rim or rocky side bound
ing the fiat or swale on the east. and
| at once concluded that three Of them
looked small and black, and / fancied
| had found some black hear | had
often been told by hunters that the
black bear was not dangerous. and that
their meat was good. so ] Immediately
made up my mind that 7 would take
some bear meat back to the wagons, for
/ had no doubt but what | would find
my companions in camp without any
trouble. How we'll succeeded as 4
bear hunter the reader viii soon learn
| thought To ride around, keeping be-
hind the rim or ridge and cut Of sight
until / could come u a point opposite
70 the place where / mad seen the four
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