The copper era., 1905-07-20
REMARKABLE BATTLE
 WITH BIG BEAR.
A Blue River RanCher Tells of His Ex- citing Experience With Silver Tip.

tails of fierce fight which he had some time since with an old silver-tip bear, which had been a terror to the ranchmen of that section for many years. While riding his range in the neighborhood of Maple springs he cut the. trail of bear, which was nothing unusual in that section. He had four dogs with him and a pistol, hence he did not hesitate to follow
 the trail, feeling certain that he
 would have little trouble in dispatch
 ing bruin. MT. Fritz had killed many
 bears previous to this time without an experience worthy of reporting.
 But this bear was different. He was
 not only big, old and tough, but also
 a fighter. He trailed the old fellow
 only short distance when he was overtaken in some pinon timber.
 MT. Fritz opened fire with his pistol.
 The dogs also took an interest in the
 fight, but the bear did not appar- ently take any interest in them, but
 he made break for MT. Fritz, and
 being on higher ground he jumped
 partly onto the horse and grabbed
 him with his mouth and claws. Fritz then got another shot which broke
 the bears jaw, and caused him to re-
 lax his hold on the horse. MT. Fritz
 then emptied his revolver at the
 bear thinking he would settle him,
 b,1t Ouyi,,o t0 fha facf tho+ +ba bOrca
 was fractions and the bears hide
 tough he was not able to land a fatal shot. He rode off a short distance and reloaded, and then discovered
 that he had only six cartridges. In the meantime the dogs were follow ing bruin and worrying him greatly.
 He then took up the trail, and after following it about a mile overlook the bear in a narrow canyon. The dogs had given up the fight. He dis mounted from his horse and followed the bear up into some sharp rock, and just as he was surmounting one of them the bear jumped onto him and together they rolled down sev- eral feet, the bear landing on top. Fritz landed face downward. He was somewhat stunned by the fall, but was quickly brought to his senses by the bear taking the back of his head in it's mouth, and had it not been for the fact that the brute's jaw had previously been broken, no doubt the battle would then have ended in favor of bruin. Even as it was MT. Fritz's head still shows deep scars from bruins teeth. Fritz managed to get his gun into action and firing over his shoulder caught the bear in the mouth, the bullet coming out at the butt of his ear. Ordinarily this should have ended the fight, but not so in this case. The bear apparently realizing that he conld not use hls mouth effectively proceeded with his claws to tear the leather "chaps', off ot the now almost helpless man. This turned him over and he was again able to use his pistol, which he did until every shot had been fired. | The dogs again took an interest in the fight, and attracted bruins at tention, but every time MT. Fritz at tempted to get up the bear came back and sat upon him while slap ! ping at the dogs. He used the pistol as a club and broke it. He then | managed to get out his pocket knife, which was so small and light that it would not penetrate through the tough hide of the bear. Fritz then | realized that his only show of escape was through the dogs, and he en- couraged them in their attack, and in this manner more dead than alive, with his clothes torn off, and bloody from head to foot he managed to reach his horse. At this time his nephew, who had heard the shooting, arrived on the scene, and the two men fol- lowed the bear who was dragging the dogs with him. When they overlook the bear they saw that he was very sick. The newhew took one shot at him, and he soon afterwards died.
 MT. Fritz was laid up at his ranch for many days, and will carry the. scars of the battle with him to his grave.
 When the bear was skinned seven bullets were found in his body.
 That Arizona is very well able to run state government without being joined to New Mexico, is apparent from figures quoted by the Arizona The territory is on strictly cash basis and on July l, the first day of Arizona's fiscal year, had S272, ,676 in cash in its treasury. The territory has bonded debt of a mil ion dollars and taxable assessment ,f over S45, ,O0O, O,OOO-exceeding that of New Mexico. The total indebtedness ,f all of the counties and muni- ,ipalities aggregates, S2,OOO,OO0, it is rue, but that is less than five per ;ent of the total assessment. Ari- ona's five per cent. bonds command premium of ten cents on the dollar : Il the money markets and taken al- | ogether there can be no financial eason why Arizona should not be s civen statehood upon its own merits. '