The Newark journal., 1920-03-25
Seldonia, Alaska,
 January Il.

Dear Cousin.-I have just had a letter from Ida and she tells me that voc are at home. I have heard from home and also from her that you were in poor health, which I am sorry to learn.
 Thought 1 would cheer you up place I will tell you that we have the largest bears in the world, weighing as much as 400 pounds, known as the podeak brown bear I live on the bay and 1t is five miles to the tim Der line, and above that there is grass and tons of berries. Mountain sheep and black and brown bears are num- erous.
 Well, it was one fine morning about the 18th of September I went up to get a sheep. I have a camping ground in the last bunch of trees on the trail, and when 1 got there this fine morning, 1 saw two of those big brownies as we call them. They were about half mile straight ahead. 1 put the field glasses to my eyes and got good look and then advanced. It was up a steep hill all the way and it took me 45 minutes to reach the place and I got there too late; they were gone. Now I am on a hill, or 8 mountain, that is in the shape of an egg. Not tree or a bush on 1t. 1 go on east half mile and look down in the valley on the north and see a big black bear, but he has the advantage of the wind and I don't bother him. Remember l am after a sheep. 1 need the meat, which 1 must say is the best meat in the world We'll, little further on 1 see another black bear but he is two miles to the north I could see him plain with the naked eye but 1 was going east yet and 1 went clear around till I came to the valley on the south. No sheep on that hill that day, but down in the valley 1 see an they live on berries they make fine meat. I sat down and watched them l for a long time. 1 hated to go down as 1 would have to climb back to the | top of that d. mountain and then down again, and then 1 was good eight miles from home and it was noon and I had hunch that if I got cub 1t would be case of kill ing the old lady as she would be in the pack. I sat there and watched them run from one berry patch to another, as they would run as fast as they could, with the old lady in the lead and the three cubs trying to keep up We'll, of course I looked out a route and found that l could keep behind a little hill and then in little creek bed and get to them. So down l go on big circle. I came to the top of the little hill to take look, as 1 have been out of sight for half an hour. I found that l was in 400 yards of them. I have gun that is good for the 400 yards, but cub is small target that far. I dropped my eye down the route, and there lay 200 pound black bear just about 60 yards away. He was dead to the world in nice sunny spot. l could almost hear him snore. rais- ed the old faithful Winchester and sent him message that tore up the gravel just over him. As was shoot ing down hill, 1 shot high. He jump ed to his feet and ran four or five jumps and stopped to see what had happened The rifle cracked again and the son of a gun rolled 600 feet further down the hill just as you have seen "a rubber ball bounce down hill. went down and skinned him and took the hide, which would weigh about twenty pounds, and 25 pounds of fat which is the best lard in the land, and started for home, nine miles away and two miles up steep hill, and the sun down. It was then 2:15 and I got home at 6:45.
 By the way, I didn't tell you, but those brownies have their bluff in on everybody except Andy. Everybody will tell you to let them alone, as they are awful hard to kill and very dangerous when wounded, which is true. Andy is my nearest neighbor and good Swede, too, but a bear hunter for keeps. told Andy my