Browning chief. [volume] (Browning, Mont.) 1941-1953, 1941-10-17
Grizzly Bear Real Hazard
To Men of Early-Day West

Men who came into the west CEN
fury or more ago for beaver pelts
buffalo hides and raw adventure
brushed elbows with enough danger in
a week to last the ordinary man a
couple of lifetimes
The character Of the country alone
its rough desolation, bad lands
scorching sun and agonizing cold, con-
stituted peril enough But there were
others-more dramatic and loaded with
more sudden death.
The Indian was one of these and
the grizzly bear was another and the
grizzly was lesser menace only be-
cause his kind was not SO numerous
The grizzly claimed a wide domain
and the ever-present risk of jumping
one of these death dispensers was
enough to chill to the marrow the
most courageous pioneer who ever
lived.
The grizzly went wherever his fancy
dictated. He didn't have TO fear any
thing And when his dander was up
he wouldn't even have backed away
from an army tank. All he asked Of
man was to be let alone and of the
foolhardy few who didn't. only small
percentage lived to regret their i'm
pulsive actions.
Inhabitants of early Montana were
quick to learn that here was an ami
NAL that would keep on coming even
when shot full of holes, one which
could deal out killing punishment to
the last gasp. An African lion, nat
uralists have said. would be no match
for him. He could render steer hors
de combat with a casual bat of his
paw Only a man with a high-powered
rifle, and a straight-shooting man at
that, was any match for him.
Two Men Who Knew
Had you been a contemporary. Jedi
diah Smith or Hugh Glass could have
given you some ringside information
regarding the proves of this fur
bearing butcher, and so could mem
bers of the Lewis and Clark party
Hugh Glass survival after a jouSt
with grizzly is one of the classic
stories of the old west. In 1920 he
was with a party of men going west
under General Ashley Near the forks
of the Grand river in western South
Dakota, Glass, a man of iron consti-
tuition, went on ahead of the main
party with a companion to hunt for
game In a thicket they bumped into
a huge grizzly Both fired bullets into
him but the rifle balls merely gave
the bear added acceleration. The men
turned to flee but Glass stumbled. AS
he started to rise, the bear, rearing
up on his hind legs, confronted him.
Glass, yelling to his companion to close
-, ;r tDl irS1 tln ~,
as the grizzly knocked the weapon
from his hand and rolled him to the
ground.
Glass whipped out his knife and
drove it into the grizzly's midriff and
Mister Bruin. bowling with rage and
pain, went to work on the trapper with
tooth and claw. With one swipe he
stripped Glass ribs of flesh and a
moment later the mans scalp was
hanging by but thread of skin.
His companion sprinted back to
camp to summon aid.
They later found Glass unconscious
the dead bear lying on top of him.
The flesh was torn in strips from the
mans bones and large flaps strewed
the ground. His scalp hung bleeding
over his face.
No hope whatever was held out for
Glass but rather than abandon him
completely. the party left French
man named Fitzgerald and boy, said
later to have been Jim Bridger. with
Glass to do whatever they could for
him until the wounded man expired
They Abandon Him
Days passed and Hugh remained I'M
conscious. Then Fitzgerald, feeling
that to tarry longer would be mere
waste Of time, persuaded the boy to
leave Glass alone to die. Before they
departed they dug grave at his side
into which he might conveniently
tumble after breathing his last.
But Glass didn't die. He regained
consciousness ard the thirst for ven
esance gave him the viii to live. After