The Coalville times. [volume] (Coalville, Utah) 1894-1923, 1904-03-18
4 Dldck u
Id adventure.


4 4 was bcslegcd by four enor.
Cgopr nous mountaia lions in his |
cabin IN the mountains at Browns
Flats, north OF that Dunkard settle. |
ment rs told In the Los Angeles
Times. brought wildly TO the recollec.
ton OF the writer the blood.curdling
adventures OF the late Uncle Arl 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 blutr old plon.
Ger and hunter during his lifetime yet
an involuntary shudder escaped him as
he related the following story to the
writer at his Covina home a few
months after celebrating his golden
wedding. before he met his untlmciy
death several years ago. by accident.
ally shooting himself In the stomach
while hunting rabbits I'm the wash just
south OF Covina.
Il had been for many years consid.
cred a daring and successful bear
hunter, but one morning In the month
Of May, 1869. l had all the coucelt
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 Il was she who came no
near getting Nose Williams on this
mountain several years before l made
her acquaintance. At the time 1 speak
OF 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 20 spend several days
hunting and fishing. Early one morn
ing l told my friends that l was go
ing up the mountain 10 Kill one OF the
big fat bucks that felt assured would
be found on the summit. 1 spent near
~ the whole forenoon ON ne mountain.
but luck was against me that day, for
not a 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 n
sharp lookout Tor the game l was In
search Of. Proceeding few hundred
yards below the chamlsal. l saw q
young bear about forty yards ahead
of me. and without stopping to think,
took n shot at H. when the cub felt
the sting OF the bullet dt was only
slightly wounded). It began 60 howl.
AMI in a moment the old she bear
rushed into view. She started after
me with blood In her eye, ana darted
down the steep side OF the ridge az
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 l put IN my best ticks to
reach that tree before the bear closed
n upon me. The tree had forked at
the ground, and one.half OF Il had
blown down. and onto this log |
sprung. Just as the bear was swapping
At the tail OF my coat. A desperate
leap landed me IN the fork OF the tree
tust aa the bear mounted the log. See.
ING that she was sure TO catch me.
tSok my heavy rifle with both hands
and threw II with all my might down
on the bears nose. The heavy blow
checked her long enough for me "a
dimb higher up the tree. and TO scram
BILE out onto the first long limb
reached The bear was close nt ms
meals. but she fortunately climbed out
on q larger Limb a little TO the right
az the one I was on. by the time
had crawled out on the limb as far n,
1 dared without breaking It OF. The
infWiated animal was directly op
posits me. swapping viclously. Al
she had 10 use all her feet to hold ont,
the limb, Bhe could not make use o.
her huge paws TO knock me or. ~
she tried her level best TO reach mi
face with her huge jaws and bite M
head of. To avoid this caught hOlt
u same small branches above, an,
threw my head back as far as l could
Just then thought was a goner. an
NJ time had surely come. Blowing
her hot breath in my face, with he
nose only few inches from mine, he
fshss looked ms long as the tines OF
pitchfOrk. ana her mouth as large n
rain barrel as she snapped vicious
" in her endenvors 70 reach me.
thought OF Susan ana the Kids at HON
AID wondered how they would fec
when they learned had been torn {
pieces by a bear. Then l thought q
my companions down AZ the camp an
n Srder that they might know wher
to come and find my remains | shout
81 a. long and as loud MS | could"
The yell must have been similar {
the rear OF Niagara, for at sevent
Unele Ari possessed n pair OF Indi
rubber lungs, and voice like n foi
horn. and he could let out yell tina
would have made a Comanche India
ashamed for himself
when | let that blast from m
lungs that went reverberatlng up an
down the deep canon for many mile
II so frightened the old bear that sh
backed down the tree In a hurry an
put In her best Hicks TO reach IA
chamisal tell you, my boy. that wa
the closest call that / ever had, and
sHly escaped death by the skin OF m
th"-J. s. Matthews. In the 10
Angeles Times.