The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-02-22

BY WILLIAM t. HORNADAY, Direct
It has recently come to pass that when
ever critic writes at great length upon
author or artist, his praise-up is called
IAN appreciation In similar fashion,
this writing is an appreciation Of twenty
eight bears. There are two more, but at
present, the less said of them the better
for their regulations.
or all the living creatures in the New
York Geological Park. 1,674 in number, the
most grateful and comforting are the
bears. They make less trouble, better re-
pay care. cause less anxiety, and yield
more satisfaction per capita than the
members Of any other collection. Since
the starting of the bear collection in
June, 1899, only one bear has been i'll.
One was executed by another and one
was killed by kind hearted visitor. with
four peaches, fed on the sly. 1t is a
pleasure to keep animals which repay our
care with good health, coed temper and
line development.
Beyond question, comfortable captivity,
or what I call freedom in confinement,
reveals many phases OF animal nature
which cannot be developed or observed in
a state Of entire freedom. The wisest
animals are the most appreciative, and
the most philosophical. They study how to
be happy though corraled, leave all fret
ting to be done by professional fretters,
and mind their keepers. All this is when
under proper conditions, remember. OF a
bear roaming free in a big clean, sunny
yard. climbing, swimming. romping and
skylarking with several jolly companions,
and never leased with food, much may be
expected. But Of q bear in an 8x10 cage,
solitary prisoner in a miserable, sloppy,
sinking cell, cribbed and confined in per-
petual violence to every sense and desire
save appetite, what can you ask? Such an
animal Is but one remove from we'll
mounted skin in a museum. In fact, a
dead animal finely mounted is better than
a live one badly kept; for the latter is a
sin against nature.
In nineteen cases out of every twenty.
bear that is taken young properly
denned and intelligently cared for, prom
pity becomes thing of beauty and a JOY
as long as he lives. No man who knows
anything about bears prefers to capture
them when full grown, and keep them
alive In his geological garden. The most
terrible incarnation OF fury which I ever
saw was newly-caught, fully-g grown
grizzly. The worst black leopard ever
Gagged was a lamb In comparison with him
The longer he remained in captivity the
angrier he got; and at last he died Of an
overdose Of misery and broken heart.
When bears are caught young and
reared in captivity, under proper condl-
lions, everything good in them is devel-
oped and stimulated. and the bad traits
are corresDondingly dwarfed. Take the
grizzly. AS a Wild animal, to be hunted
and killed Ion his native mountains his
reputation is bad. Everywhere, save in
the Yellowstone Park, he is an Ishmael-
ties, his hooked fist against every man and
every gun against him. No time has he
to show his real nature. He can only
eat, rum and fight. But In the reserva-
ton mentioned, a wonderful fact has been
developed. Even in wild state, the
grizzly is not dagerOus when he is let
alone. He baunts the hotels and the
tourists camps and steals food whenever
ne can, but thus far, despite Thousand
opportunities, he has harmed no one!
Our Silvertip grizzy, Engineer" from
Rifle, Col, now three years old, is as
mild-mannered and good tempered as a
Newfoundland dog. He lives with big
Billy, the Kadiak bear, great, overgrown
giant with the temper of a puppy, and
they spend large portion Of their wax
ing hours in ponderously wrestling and
rolling on the floor of their den There
is another bear in their den, a big Gin
namon from Meeker, Col, but they hold
that he is not in their set, and seldom no.
tice him. Although either of these three
animals would, if dangerous instantly
d
foot within their den. they are all Sc
good natured and sensible that the keep.
ers, and laborers who shovel snow, enter
the enclosure armed only with brooms anC
snow shovels, and drive the bears to anG
fro like SO many sheep.
But one cannot always tell what i:
passing in the mind of a bear. This same
cinnamon, Bob Meeker, ordinarily. YER.
decent and good-tempered animal, once
let loose his temper and furnished an in
cident that will long be remembered il
the park.
We received from Canada small blacl
bear cub, year your ger than Bob, which
was rlaCe in the bears nursery with nv,
or six other clubs. Little Tommy" los
no time in showing off very bad temper
He scratched and bit the keepers who fet
him, whipped all of his more peaceabl
cagemates, and inargurated amongst then
reign of terror. Not content with this
he repeatedly "sassed'' Bob and the othe
bears in the next Den, through the bar
Of the partition. He made himself s,
thoroughly obnoxious that AT the end O
the second week Of his reign, we were o.
the point of removing him to solitary con
finement.> His bad temper seemed likel
to infect his companions with the sam
spirit. But just then occurred the Incl
dent:
In the course of his mornings work
the bears keeper passed from Bob's de
to Tommy's, without taking pains to late
the partition door. Bob noted this, saun
tered up very carelessly, pushed the doc
open and entered the next den. Payin
no attention to the other bear cubs, nor
the keeper, he made quick rush for Tom
my in the most distant corner, seized hill
and began to bite savagely. Tomm
yelled for help, and instantly Jappie,
good-natured little fellow from japan
who up to that hour had never attacke
mate, fell upon Bob tooth and CLAW
Tommy fought for his life, Jappie Bit an
the keeper yelled; but Bob kept right OF
= Within ten seconds the keeper has sc
cured his pike pole, and jabbed its spike
point into Bob's shoulder, an inch dee
The blood flew, but the cinnamon kept Q
killing the Terror. The pike was drive
into the other shoulder, but Bob paid r
attention to it. The keeper change
tactics, and began to beat Bob across tt
nose; and this made him yield. Stream
ing with blood from both shoulders,
walked back into his den, and plunged I'M
the pool to cauterize his wounds.
Two days later Tommy died, growing
the last at those who dressed his wound
and we all knew that Bob, the cinnamo
had made up his mind that 1t was
duty to remove that bad-tempered CT
HOWELLS' taLEISURE"