The patriot. (Glenmora, La.) 1918-1955, 1919-06-13


n u the best picture of griZ-
ely ever painted. Outdoor
men and big-game hunters say 1t Is
the real thing" Well, 1t ought to be
the real thing, because 1t was painted
from life, so to speak.
There's a little of what might be
called poetic license in the picture,
which improves it from the dramatic
viewpoint. When you read the plain,
straightforward story of the picture,
as told by Director ]. D. Higgins Of the
Colorado Museum of Natural History
at Denver, you will see how the artist
used this license AS to the details
Of the painting, they are the real thing
and no mistake. The grizzly was a
real grizzly; his mounted skin Is now
in the museum. The dogs were real
dogs. The man in front of the bear
is one Of two noted Wyoming guides
either Ned Frost or Fred Richards.
The trees are real trees and they and
the little open space are there yet.
The hunter in the left-hand upper cor
ner coming to the rescue is Higgins
himself. AS for Artist Leigh, he was
rushing around the ring. taking photo
graphs and making pencil sketches and
absorbing ''local color"
The grizzly is worthy of the best eff
fort of the best artist. He is the
'King of the Wilds" on the American
continent. Enos Mills, whose exhaus-
tive work on the grizzly is to be pub
lished this spring, says this royal ami
NAL excels all others in brains; he
does not except either the dog or the
elephant. Mr.. Mills belongs TO the
reason" school of American natural
lists, as contrasted with the ''instinct"
school; the former credits animals
with what may be called mental
process akin to reasoning, while the
latter believes that all their actions
are due TO inherited instinct. Mr..
Mills should know something about
grizzlies; he captured as cubs and
brought up Johnny and Jennie. the
two enormous grizzlies in the Denver
zoo. And he studied the grizzly in his
native wflds. The grizzly will soon be
extinct in continental United States
except in the national parks, which
are sanctuaries for wild animal life.
"king of the Wiids."
The grizzly is queer animal. Not
withstanding his size, he seldom kills
big game or cattle or sheep for food.
He eats nearly everything edible that
he finds. He will root up field Of
flowers for their roots. He will over
turn great powders to get at nest of
ants. He will go to the foot of slop-
ing snowbank in the summer and feast
on the grasshoppers that have become
chilled. He loves berries. And he dotes
ON field mice and chipmunks. But
occasionally q grizzly gets the cat
tle-killing habit and then he becomes
a terror to stockmen.
The experts insist that the grizzly
is not ferOcious by nature. Originally
he was absolute monarch of the wilds.
he took the path and kept it--except
for the slunk-and everything got out
of his way. So he did not have
to fight. After he had been trapped
and hunted and shot by the white
man he gave man wide berth. His
senses are exceedingly keen; it is be-
lieved that he will hear hunter at
distance of quarter of mile and
will scent him at nearly mile. Eter-
nally vigilant, wary, intelligent, he
keeps out Of the way. When hunted
with dogs, his intelligence, endurance
and speed over rough country usually
enable him to get away.