Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-10-15
Ouewittimg a Big Grizzly Bear
TO Capture Her widest Cub
By FRANKLIN WELLES CALMINS
Author of Frontier Hunting
Noni"


of seven understands the uselessness of attempt
ing to combat prejudice which is rubbed in
the grain. 1t would of course, be folly to
explain that our grizzly is weaponess-
his claws-for the big paws are swinging back
and forth as Elijah parades the lawn, and it is
wcll-known now that a grizzly crush the
skull of buffalo bull at single blow" To
be sure, nobody this extraordinary feat
performed by the padded paw of any creature, yet
it is well-known that grizzly can do it.
| got acquainted with Elijah through his dam
at a Government camp in the Yellowstone Park.
In fact, l may say that Mrs Ephraim gave
introduction her family The camp old
one. 1t had been occupied by military police and
also by the park warden superintendent. The
bears which no is allowed to modest, had be-
come exceedingly tame. -
You may imagine my delight when | discovered
that Madam Ephraim had young family donliciled
at no great distance and then my disappointment
when the warden informed me that | must not lay
hand upon d cub of them to remove it from the
Government precinct.
Not without act of Congress-, he added
laughingv and still if any of them tame enough
to follow you beyond our jurisdiction l shall be
glad to spare few grizzlies.
As the park limit lay some miles to westward, his
concession did not seem to offer me much encourage
rlent and yet determined to what could be done.
The dam of the litter known at the
camp Sairy Jane" familarly as Sairy' l
made haste to cultivate her acquaintance / began
by secreting myself in coulee near the garbage
trough and by showing myself to madam while she
was at her meals. The refuse of the camps cook
was dumped in the ear-trough at haf-past seven
in the morning, and it was Sairys habit to come
down about eight o'clock for her breakfast She
was a big grizzly, and her relitivcs-probablv her
progeny, of which there were a nunbcr-neVcr put
in their appearance until she had retired.
At my fr-t appearance sitting stock still upon
the bank of ditch, Sairy became uneasy She
presently shuffled away without finishing her meal
On the second morning she eyed me askance and
made a hurried breakfast. On the fifth morning
she was Indifferent and followed her at a respect
full distance far enough to locate her lair in deep
Crcvacse. When she came the opening of her
notch she halted and looked back at with such
air of not being home to callers that babe her
4 polite good morning. 81
had accomplished something, however for l had
carried the smell of into her mountain niche,
and the next morning made it pronounced
by keeping closer at her heels and by rubbing
my swcaty hands upon trce-trunks, stumps and
rocks.
1t was a week before ventured to visit madam's
family This did while she was at breakfast and
of without letting her At first |
OILY looked down the cubs from the top of a
projecting boulder. in the piny notch where they
were at home. Sairy had chosen this sheltered
crcvasse among rough tumble of rocks for the plain
reason that numerous small cracks and crevices
would offer her babies security from the clutches
OF any big intruders
There were three fluffy little fellows, less than
weeks old; and they just beginning tumble
each other about in awkward play. | noted
that one was bright and active above his fellows
He was already inclined to go journeys of dis
covery. Once or twice he waddlcd down the tiny
canon, shifting wisely and gently cutting small
stones which DISTRACTED his path AT length he
travelled beyond my limited range of vision, but
hack Nv with an air of hayi had a