Mexico weekly ledger., 1902-01-09
wn,ten for The Ledger.
Monksying With a Grizzly Bear
nY NJ. w.

side of the river two miles below Sac
ramento and during the summer the
weather was SO oppresslyely hot that
1 had to quit work the greater part OF
the day and rest in the shade OF the
trees along the bank Of the river. In
the spring OF that year made the &C
ouaintance Of Henry Meredith, a.
young vIrglnian, who, at that time,
was one of the brightest legal lights
OF Sacramento. During the previous
winter Meredith was the editor OF a
Democratic Journal in Sacramento and
his editorials were always bright,
crlspy and had the true ring Of Jeiter-
sonian Democracy. He was a brilliant
speaker and a fine conversationallst,
and l enjoyed his talk very much dur
ing the brief time l spent in his com
many He was an ardent sportsman
and always spent his leisure time with
either his rod or gun along the river.
Returning from a hunt down the
river n hot afternoon he stopped at
the house to get a drink Of cool water
and as we sat in the shade Of a vide
spreading oak he told me the following
story; II was in the forefront OF the
vast army Of adventurous young men
that swept across the plains in ls49 TO
the new Eldorado in search OF the
golden fleece, and when my company
crossed the grand old Sierras we made
straight for the mines, where, ike
thousands of Others, we didn't make
our fortunes. Down in a deep AND
dark canyon on the river we took VI
our claims and went to work digging
for gold. The first thing we did wa
to build a strong and substantial LOG
cabin, with a good rock chimney a
one end and equip it with hunks
stools and a table. On the mountain
amile above camp there was plenty o
open ground where there was an album
dance OF tine grass and there we turn
ed our horses loose and every day ON
Of the company was detailed to go ~
and see that none of them strayet
away. Deer were plentiful on tn
mountains and the man whose duty
was to look after the horses Away
took his rifle along and brought bacI
! a fat buck for camp use. One after
noon it was my turn to look after th
horses and on finding them all happ
D and ~contented / started out to find
! deer, but after several hours search
! failed to discover one and started fc
Z camp. When about half way dow
; the mountains | saw an old she bea
l. and two cubs enter a hazel thickt
s that covered about two acres {
2 ground and going to the upper side
q the thicket / tried to get a shot 9
her, but as she failed to show herself
returned to camp and told the DO.
I, what ! had seen. They were all
favor Of dropping their work and goir
on a bear hunt and soon we we
climbing the mountains and eve
man had a rifle except one. That ms
was Pat Murphy, a big, brawny Iris
man, who had no gun, but was carr
Jf ing a long handled shovel on b
"A shoulder. / told Pat that a bear was
s. dangerous animal to tackle without
IS gun and that, as he had nothing b
his shovel, he had better stay at d
camp. 'Divil the bit Of it, said b
'oi'm going TO see the fun as well
= the rist Of yea. When we got TO &
upper side Of the thicket we shoute
threw racks and clubs into the bru
Z and fired several shots, but the Q
bear still laid low and wouldn't She
hair of herself. AS hone of US we
4 foolhardy enough to venture In Il
Z thIcket in search Of the bear we co
cluded that it was best to return
camp, but Pat said no. 'Jist wait
moment, said he, and oil make h
= show up for yez divilish quick, an
u with his shovel on his shoulder,
started down through the thick brus
We told him that the bear would te
= him to pieces and begged him to cor
n back, but he kept straight ahead, sa
ing that If the bear got up before hi
: he would split her head wide OPP
= with his shovel. When he reached t
~ middle Of the thicket the bear 81
denly stood up right In front Of hi
VI and Pat struck a desperate blow att
head with his shovel, but it new
reached the mark. With her left p;
she knocked the shovel fifty feet hi
- and with her right she swatted Pat
the left side Of his head 50 hard th
he he turned three somersaults before
NJ struck the brush. We fired seveI
ed shots In the air and shouted as loud
nd we could yell TO attract the bears
st ~tentiOn 10 US and give Pat a chance
get away, and Pat was not slow
!. take advantage of it, for he went &
~ looping on all fours, just like a be
until be got out Of the brush and th
he sprang to bis feet and lit out
camp like a wild turkey. Then
old bear laid low again and as
could not induce her to show
we returned to camp without a
me bear meat. When we got back
'SH found Pat sitting ear the door SIN
ing his old clay pipe and nursing
EE lump on the side Of his head alb,
the size Of a beef's kidney. How
lin you feel?' said l. 'Oi feel that Off
dead man. said he. Don't you
that that auld she divil busted a b
in me head and me brains are all CT
ing out entirely?' After Garrett
n,v feeling his head and finding that
est thick skull was as sound as a dolla
for told Pat that be was not badly b
Pill and he would soon be all right aga
But for many days Pat was a mig
ich ~sOre-headed man al the same"
When Comstock discovered
art mines on the eastern slope Of
ma grand old Sierras In ls60, that at
mi wards proved to be the greatest bon
as "a ever found on the American CO.
nent, Henry Meredith vas in theft
1Ss front Of the vast throngo of Califomi
A that, like a great tidal wave, sw
ish- over the mountains TO the new
ers' gings. At that time Meredith was
ksr gaged 10 the beautiful daughter
ter Judge Baldwin, OF San Francisco,
and was the author Of PLUSH Time
MT Alabama" a book that was very