The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-11-26
RAISING BEARS FOR PROFIT.
TURNED THE TABLES
ON BRUIN.

Almost Ruined Hfm-NOv 1t Sup
norris Him-A Woman Tells the
Story of Perhaps the Most Unique
Farm in the World, ana Her First
u.ar Hunt-A Good Animal, Prop
.,lv RAISED on the Bottle by the
uoncher's Sister in the Beginning
and Afterwards Wen Cared for Is
worth $50.
fc.pvright. 1899, by the S. S. Mcclure Coz
rkiah Cal, Nov 20-About sixty miles
vs.t of here, in the highest widest depths
al the Coast Range mountains is the
cabin where Bog Bowman and his mother
and sister live They run what is prob
ablv the queerest farm in all the world.
for tbey raise bears for the market. This
Is how it came about, told in his own
words. and it is all true:
eve started out 10 raise sheep and hogs
;be same as the other ranchers, but the
bears killed them faster than we could
raised them.
"The bears ate up more of our stock
and an of our profit and there was no way
OF getting shut of them with so much
waste land about. The bears were the
best crop every year, so I made up my
mind that they would have to pay for their
keep
They have.
Bog Bowman is known by his fame as
hunter of bear to every sportsman in
Northern California, and any sportsman
who is so lucky as to receive an invita-
don to visit the Bowman ranch in the au-
/, al.
out" occurs, has tales to tell all the rest
OF bis days, of "Bowman's bear ranch"
Ten miles from Laytonville, Bog says
his cabin is, but it is ten miles as the
crow flies. not by the UP and down road
horse walks
/. was the first of September when I
went there and as we rode along from
Laytonvlle Bog, looking up at the trees,
had said half a dozen times, There's "a
fine mast this year, that means a good
crop"
Mast means the nuts and acorns, but
the crop meant bear, deer, grouse, quail
and rattlesnakes as well as pork and
sheep. Abundant mast" means prolific
fauna and fat pocketbooks for the noun
@jneers. Crossing Eli. creek we came to
the FIRST gate of Boys place, and when we
had passed at least twenty Others each
with It's own individual manner of fasten-
ing and hinge, We came suddenly upon
tie cabin, and the deep bayiug of dogs
whose voices had sent a CHEEKY welcome 10
US While we We're still far below.
Ny horse nearly dsmounted me before
Z had invited him to stop, and it took all
my force to keep him from boiling so
that l had little opportunity 60 look about
tdF the cause of his fright Mrs. Bowman
eaught his bride and I jumped down, but
if / had not become absolutely nil admirarl
py my previous experiences in those
mountains 7 believe l should have bolted
myself. Everywhere were dogs growing
and baying and fawning and those half
Grown bears were rolling their ungainly
heads and surrounding Bog with the dogs,
begging for caresses A great full-grown
bear was growing and pacing, not ten feet
from me.
You need not be afraid" Mrs. Bow
man assured me. "Pansy is tied and the
others are as harmless as kittens"
linen l was happy TO see a great chain,
on end at Bruins collar and the other
around tree If Mrs. Bowman had not
BEEN the incarnation of hospitality she
"'ad nave laughed at me, but she did not
anil We were better acquainted, and then
she always reproached Bog for not tell
las ins of the bears.
PIucl<y Womnn's story.
Awy back in The forties the Bowmans
Hat crossed the death trailed plains a
+'A+ couple from Missouri. When the
ee.i hunters came Bowman opened tav-
en- al the ford of the Sacramento river,
"hele the city stands to-day and here
hln- children were Torn 1t was The first
frost Of civilization which the returning
riO'I came upon, and il was not infre-
lent taat TIE Bowmans took in hun
oiea dollars in he morning before the
e1!Iiien had eaten their breakfast, all in
s"I aust at SIG an ounce 1t was Mrs Pow
ul'A VINO answered with the row boat
tue mt@r's summons from the opposite
'@uN pr 'Io-Ferry" and it was she who
20 ed the almost priceless vegei ables car
t..' around the Horn in tins and sold to
'He minors for an amount gagged by
-5 number of tins remaining in The lard
hen Bowman did The best hing he ever
''' +'ne In his many drunken years died
Niie sod out the place. She knew
".'.1 cd was in the soul Of the drunk
children, and in order 20 save them
"o'ed with them up into Humboldt
iefule hills and made q home
N Iu'ians came and burned her house
1in and drove off her cattle; but she
ra.i..l ~, NJ ner mead TO fate. Wounded in
iiSh, with her children, the older ores
".s aud carrying the younger ones and
oil lhfe5 months in her arms, she
Her pursuers al bay with her rifle
, 'Vered her retreat to tie nearest
.'of' live miles to the south. Ii was
co W. outbreak Of the Indians. but it
-1Ir' Bowman her all, and the federal
Te', u.nent is sum delaySg Ter claim for
te.it lrsCm ent
oe. moved farther south into Mendo-
WIKI '"uly ana took up her present home,
r, with the childrens aid. She mas
d to make support them.
Bear Were Everywhere.
H. We're so many bear on the ridge
H. 'eV ote The sheep and hogs and even
w., Aickens and the brave woman
her own brood that none of them
cfe 'iiled away by The demons. The
Ia nave an grown up ana married
'eS of their own except Bog ana
Mary is almost as famous = bn mt
w5 Hor brother and many of the pelts
rsr 70 me city in the spring have her
fr.Y.. Tln'en inside When any Of the
ra h'N the mother bear Il is an inva-
IA custom to bring home tine cubs.
NJ ''y fails their rearing. from the bot
eva. tahsy is the only bear they have
sr.4 -'Pl many years, but she became
- pet that none of the fa r,i,,, u+ero