Amador ledger., 1908-03-13
FROM OUR
CORRESPONDENTS
Adventure With a
Grizzly Bear in 1850.

(From our Aukum Correspondent. }
March Sin the spring of 1850,
fourteen men had constructed a long
log house on a little level bar on the
north fork of the Costumes river,
which Is now known as Bucks bar,
where the road now crosses the river
Leading from the Somerset house in
FL Dorado county, and on to Dia-
mond Springs, PIacerville and other
minor points.
The house had been built strong as
a sort of fortress, as a protection
against the Indians, who at that time
we're treacherous and hostile. The
little army of pioneers had among
them an old brass pistol, that they
had decided to use as a signal gun.
1t was understood that the pistol
should be left loaded and ready for
action. In case of danger the first
to get to the house was to fire the
pistol, signaling the others to come
to the fort Immediately. The late
John HarIeIl of Shenandoah, was one
among the fourteen that occupied the
fort. The sun had risen from behind
the blue range of mountains of the
east, and had burst through every
crevice and through the dark avenues
of shaded retreat along the rocky
sides of the river. Two men, HaIreII
and man by the name of John Ar
water, had started up the river. 1t
was Sunday morning and the two
were on tramp of adventure. They
had barely reached the place where
the Somerset house now stands, and
which has since been built, when the
two heard the rever berating report of
the signal gun at the fort. They
turned on their heels like top, and
ran like a deer for the fort. When
they got there they found their part
ners in a ripple of excitement. One
of the crowd, a man by the name of
VIM. Wyatt, stood in the center of the
crowd with his long Kentucky rife
in his hand, hatless and breathless by
relating his morning adventure with
a grizzly bear. He had run from the
top of the huge mountain to the west
overlooking Bucks bar. He declared
he had been attacked by a huge
grizzly and had shot it, and it had in
its fury chased him down the noun
tain side. When Harrell arrived he
suggested the idea of going in solid
force and tracking the man and grIzz
ly back to it's lair. Accordingly they
all marched out in line and up to-
ward the top of the mountain, where
the Jutting ragged cliff stood out
sheer and perciptous. They had
reached near where Wyatt said he had
shot the bear. His tracks had shown
his way down the side hill as he fed
from the bear, but no sign of the
BEARS tracks were to be found follow
ing him. Wyatt was clustering sort
of a man, who had declared he was
afraid of no grizzly in the wilds of
California. lie had been scared, aud
badly scared by the bear, so much so
he imagined it had really chased
him. "Right there boys, he said,
81 shot the hear" A huge shelving
rock was before them. Not a sign
of life could be seen. One man
climbed up a small tree to see if he
could see the grizzly, but failing he
got down. The party then concluded
to march up IN solid phalanX. The
fourteen men cooked their muzzle
loaded rifles, and marched in body
up to where they could see under the
shelving rock. They saw the grizzly.
lying outstretched upon the ground.
They threw a rock which struck it
and bounded off but it didn't move.
They went mp close and saw the blood
upon her paw. She was stone dead.
The mau had shot her in the mouth
as she arose out of her bed to fight