The Logan Republican. [volume] (Logan, Utah) 1902-1924, 1904-03-23


Hol nous mountain lions in his
CABIN III the mountains at Browns
Flats, north of that Dunkard settle.
ment, as told in the Los Angeles
Times, brought wildly to the recolec-
ton Of the writer the blood.curdling
adventures of the late Uncle Ari Hop.
per with an old grizzly she bear in
the Black Mountain, near San Jose,
early In the summer of 1869.
Scores of bears had fallen victims to
the deadly aim of this bluff old pion-
eer and hunter during his lifetime. yet
In involuntary shudder escaped him as
he related the following story to the
writer at his Covina home few
months after celebrating his golden
wedding. before he met his untimely
death several years ago. by accident
ally shooting himself in the stomach
while hunting rabbits in the wash just
south of Covina.
Il had been for many years consid-
cred n daring and successful bear
hunter. but one morning in the month
of May, 1869, l had all the concelt
knocked completely out of me when |
ran up against the vicious old she
bear that made her home at Black
Mountain, about thirty miles north
east OF San Jose. This old grizzly
was the largest and most dangerous
she bear l ever heard of in the Coast
Range, and 1t was she who came so
near getting Nose Williams on this
mountain several years before | made
her acquaintance. At the time | speak
of l and several of my friends were
camping on the Arroyo Bayou that
runs through the deep canon on the
west side of the Black Mountain, where
we intended to spend several days
hunting and fishing. Early one morn
ing told my friends that l was GO
ing up the mountain to kill one of the
big fat bucks that felt assured would
be found on the summit. l spent near
~ the whole forenoon ON .ae mountain,
but luck was against me that day, for
not single deer was to be seen.
then started down the steep ridge that
leads from the summit down to the
fork of the creek, and as this ridge was
well covered with oak trees l kept a
sharp lookout for the game l was In
search OF. Proceeding few hundred
yards below the chamisal, l saw a
young bear about forty yards ahead
Of me, and without stopping to think
took shot at it. When the cub felt
the sting Of the bullet lit was only
slightly wounded, it began to howl.
and in moment the old she bear
rushed into view. She started after
me with blood in her eye, and l darted
down the steep side of the ridge as
though ten thousand imps were after
me. About sixty yards below the top
OF the ridge there was an oak tree. and
you can bet put in my best ticks to
reach that tree before the bear closed
in upon me. The tree had forked at
the ground, and one-half of 1t had
blown down, and onto this log
sprung, Just as the bear was swapping
at the tail Of my coat. A desperate
heap landed me In the fork of the tree
Just as the bear mounted the log. See
ing that she was sure to catch me.
took my heavy rifle with both hands
and threw II with all my might down
sn the bears nose. The heavy blow
checked her long enough for me to
Nimb higher up the tree, and to scram'
BE out onto the first long limb
reached. The bear was close at my
reeAs, but she fortunately climbed out
IN a larger limb q little to the right
sf the one I was on. BY the time
lad era wled out on the limb as far as
] dared without breaking 1t Off. the
Infatuated animal was directly Op
Rosite me, swapping viciously. As
she had to nse all her feet to hold onto
the limb. she cOuld not make use OF
her huge paws to knock me off. Sc
she tried her level best to reach my
face with her huge jaws and bite my
head of. To avoid this I caught hole
q some small branches above. anC
threw my head back as far as could
Just then I thought was Il goner, an,
my time bad surely come. Blowing
her hot breath in my face. with he
nose only few inches from mine, he
fanss looked as long as the tines of ;
rtchfork, and her mouth MS large a
q rain barrel as she snapped vicious
" in her endeavOrs TO reach me.
thought OF Susan and the kids ut hom
and wondered how they would fee
when they learned | had been torn t
pieces by a bear. Then | thought o
my companions down at the camp, an,
IN order that they might know wher
TO come and find my remains | shout
% as long and as loud as | could
Tho yell must have been similar I
the roar of Niagara, for Mt sevent
Uncle Ar possessed pair of Indi
rubber lungs, and voice like fog
horn, and he could let out yell tina
would have made Comanche India
ashamed for himself.
when l let that blast from M
lungs that went reverberating up an
Gown the deep canon for many miles
II so frightened the old bear that sh
backed down the tree In n hurry an
put In her best ticks TO reach In
chamisal. l tell you, my boy, that wa
me closest call that | ever had, and
a lan eli In Nf m