The Western news. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1933-current, 1946-06-27

THE WESTERN nj
Hagaanbach-W Wallace Shows. Natur-
ally his fame as a hunter spread.
and noted sportsmen from all over
the country sought his services as
a guide. One of his highest honors
resulted from the recommendation
Of the noted sportsman, Philip b.
Stewart of Colorado Springs, who
advised Theodore Roosevelt, Jr., and
his brother Kermit to take two of
the Baker trailing hounds with
them on their famous Asiatic hunt
in 1919. The Roosevelt boys men
toned these dogs in the book writ
ter by them describing their hunt,
and entitled East of the Sun and
West of the Moon" In addition to
the honor of sending his dogs on
this trip, the Baker bank account
was swelled $3.50 for each of the
two dogs.
The Pathe film company. ever
on the alert for new and interest |
ing speciality films, sent a represen-
tatlve to Libby to spend about a /
week with Mr.. Baker out in the /
hills taking moving pictures of the
actual capture of mountain lions.
Two thousand feet of film were
Shot" and turned out so well, the
hunter purchased it himself, and
accompanied by their two children,
Jesse and Cornelia, Mr.. and Mrs.
Baker Travelled west and south
playing first run theatres in Cali
fornia and points this side. The
next year, they went east to New :
York City, where they opened on a
.wo weeks run in The Strand. This {
vas followed by a two weeks run {
n Brooklyn, and then by request =
hey returned to The Strand. On
moving the pictures, Mr.. Baker
would appear in person and lecture
n mountain lions and lion hunting.
attractive offers were made for
he pictures, which were sold dur
ng their first season in the East,
he European rights being sold
eparately for $1,000
When the Bakers returned home,
hey were accompanied by a com
lercial movie photographer, Major
lien who spent the winter with
lem taking movies of various
lnds of hunting. Mr.. Baker still
as several thousand feet of stand
"a 35-mm film taken on his lion
lnts, which he has loaned to the
cal theatre in Libby from time to
me for showing in connection with
her shows When the theatre
1ds 1t convenient to run them at
me future date, doubtless many
terested people who have never
I'd the opportunity of seeing the
ctures will make it a point to be |
esent to see the Libby lion hunter
action.
A mountain lion not only can be
eed by the smallest of barking |
gs. but also will not attack a man
long as it can avoid actual ply
al contact. However on extreme
casions, they will turn on man
len they believe escape impos-
lie. In the course of his many
ars OF intensive hunting for the
mails which continued until some
e years ago, Baker had a num-
OF thrilling experiences, some
which were also painful. Aboutl
first of March, 1922, he captured
female lion which gave birth to
litter Of kittens while in capti-
1arch 9th, following the capture
the ioness, the hunter and his
IS returned from Metaline Falls,
sh:, where they had been hunt
lions The Great Northern
De a special stop by the ranch
Sc to unload Mr.. Baker and
dogs. AS they left the. train,
!. Baker met her husband tell
him that the old lion and three
her kittens had escaped from
cage taking off across the track.
bout delay the dogs were I'M
ed and took up the chase.
ithin few hundred yards three
were found which the des-
tive cat had killed during her
minutes of freedom. The
her cat was held back by her
lg kittens and the chase proved
hort one. Soon the cat was
-ched out under a tree, ready
her muzzle. Mr.. Baker had
ived slight injury to the
nb of his left hand a day or
revious while capturing an old
The sore thumb somewhat
cred his usual skill in muzzling
Eat, and inadvertently the third