The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1906-09-29

INTO battle with giant condor,
| measuring II feet inches from wing
| tip to wing tip; forced to hunt deer or
Starve in country where deer are
very scarce-these are a few of the
things that befell T. w. Gopher. Of
this city, recently while spending a
few days on the famous Malibu ranch
in Ventura county.
Copners tale may sound bit full
of the strenuous life, but he displays
a torn coat and a lacerated shoulder
as marks of the fight with the lion,
the wings of the huge vulture which
he was forced to kill to save his own
life and saddle of smoked venison
which shows the gigantic proportions
of the deer that once bore it.
The Malibu ranch lies on the wild
est part of the southern California
coast, about 80 miles above Santa
Monica. SO wild and SO little tray
eled by man is this country that Cop
ner's party saw not soul save the
griZzled old mountaineer with whom
they boarded during the entire length
of their stay.
"The days trip had been a long,
hard one" said Gopher, land we were
not exactly looking for game or ax'
element when we wound down The
narrow trail toward the Dexter catin-
1t was about eight o'clock and dark
as pitch.
''lsear the gate is giant oak tree.
with low, rambling branches. Az
passed under it | heard a strange lat
Ting noise in the limbs and leares
overhead. With a glance upward l
saw the dark head of mountain lL)n
move out along a large limb and could
dimly see the huge body of the cat
creeping after. 1t seemed that | could
see the flash of his white teeth in the
darkness and | could feel the loH.
savage snarl he let go when he saw
me.
Instantly | jumped; heavy paw
grazed my shoulder, dragging my coat
to the ground cutting the flesh
through the heavy clothing | wors,
and long, 1.-the object landed on the
ground beside me, almost exactly, in
deed, on the spot where | had been
standing.
II could not have been more than
eight feet away and | lost no time in
bringing the 1880 into play. | emp
tied six shots in the direction of the
dark object. At the third of these
! heard wild snarl, saw the black
body launch itself through the air.
directly toward me, and had just pres
ence of mind enough to fall fiat on
the ground. | could feel the wind
caused by the great beast sn passing.
and | have no doubt | was as pale as
a ghost the moment he went over me.
Il seemed to feel, rather than hear,
the great beast light on the ground
beyond me, and with a bound gained
the shelter of the side hills brushy
tangle, from whence, | suppose, he
ca,ne."
Late that night, when the moon had
come out and the fog had fallen bit,
the hunters went out again, but could
find no trace Of the big cat. Next
day there was trail of blood lead
ing away from the scene Of the en-
counter. but this soon led into rough
and rocky ground, and could not be
followed with any degree of certainty,
so the chase was given up.
Battle with the Scavenger.
On the third day OF their stay at
the old ranch meat ran short, and the
party, dividing into two bands. struck
IN
Geer about mile from camp, and, as
she day was yet young, determined to
push on in search of another buck.
TO brighten away chance coyotes or
other small animals from the carcass
he covered it with his coat laying
red bandana handkerchief on the top
OF the pile.
He made a circuit of some two or
three miles through the nearby can
yons, and, coming down on his deer
from above. was surprised to sec
seated on the carcass, a bird of the
size of a full-grown Newfoundland
dog. He recognized the creature as
one of the rare California condors, or
vultures, which now and then appear
in the COastWise hills, and shouted
to scare it from its feast, which he
could see was rapidly being torn to
pieces.
To his shouts the great bird paid
no attention. He walked nearer, and,
remembering stories he had heard OF
the ferocity OF the giant yulture when
angered. Gopher fired shot from his
revolver over the birds head. There
is a fine of some 5000 imposed for the
killing Of condor, and he Lad no
desire to incur Che penalty. but he
could not bear 10 see his supper van
ishing into the nav of the bird of
prey
Still the condor failed 70 move, but
continued to tear at the deer. from
which It had by this time stripped the
coat thrown over it for protection.
Gopher came nearer, and finally pick
Town Named After Woman Clerk