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

dangerous even for a strong man.
But she never complained, and
never hesitated to do whatever had
to be DONE"
He also added that their present
fine valley farm with its so acres
OF alfalfa fields, was heavily wooded
virgin forest when the first cabin
was erected. Mrs. Baker worked
side by side with her husband and
IN addition to her household duties.
assisted in the heavy work of clear
ing the forest land for the future
fields And nov, thanks to Mrs |
Bakers help" concluded the pion-
eer. 1--WE have one OF the largest |
alfalfa farms in the vicinity of Lib /
by"
It was in the early days of their
life on the homestead that Mrs Bak-
ker read magazine article which
described the taking alive of noun
tain lions for sale to ZOOS and cir
Gus companies. Mountain lions were
numerous throughout this country ]
and their tracks were frequently /
seen on the Baker land. However !
in talking over this sort of hunt
ing, the Bakers decided the game
was more dangerous and foolish than '
emunerative, attractive as the price i
Of live lions appeared to be. t
In 1909 Baker became acquainted S
With Charley Ordish, lion hunter v
rom Kalispell, who offered to paw o
30 for each fresh lion trail the home 4
'teader could show him. Bob knew t
plenty of good lion territory, and il
lad no trouble in providing ample Il
rails for the Ordish dogs to follow. S,
soon Baker was hunting with
)rdish and in a few months he II
fought his own dogs and went into n
he business of lion hunting on his A
wn behalf. He freed and captured II
is first lion that same year, chok- X
lg the animal till it was uncon- h;
clous. This method of handling al
ne animals did not appeal to Mr.. In
humane instincts, and soon In
e developed technique of his ii,
wn, whereby the cat was seldom ot
loked, but stretched out and hog Fl,
ed in manner that held its power 60
Il paws helpless while the hunter in
muzzled its mouth. ha
The hunter estimates his total MI
itch through the years as $50 to pr
~ lions, 900 of which he has in
ken alive. His greatest take in
~ one year was % cats It was 4rC
is year that he twice brought in ~ A.
We cats as the days bag. Each a ~
ne he took an old female and her 40 40
ur kittens. His largest days bag Slc
adult lions was in 1920 when ~
tracked down and caught four NJ W.
Zlgler Mountain across the Koo- oiD
lai river northwest of Warland. yet;
Being a close student of nature, en- en-
-kker has learned much about his L LiV
me and its habits A young lion o ZEE
usually gives birth to two kit - a.
IS in her first litter. The older Iiie
IS generally have four kittens. The d !
( ratio is estimated by the hunter d
between so and rs percent fe- VIZ
les. When asked which is the N
st shrewd and hardest to capture, OF
chuckled and answered that an dog
Tom has no chiValrous instincts wa
when hard pressed by the dogs. ing
i attempt to lead his pursuers mac
the trail of female and her kit hou
S. and then pull out, leaving the ms
llIy to make good their escape Mrs
be captured. A lion kitten makes ing
desirable pet according to the OF
Ikers, and is less liable to scratch her
bite than an ordinary domestic Wit
Their daughter, Cornelia (now crat
). Clyde Conn, Libby raised W
eral of the cats from small kit- deer
5, and they were so well train true
they would come from any dis first
,e within their hearing when mot
r mistress whistled your
r. Baker had plenty of buyers q 5.
all the lions he caught, shipping for
n to Kansas City, New York rece
=, the Deep South and the far thun
Invest. Horne Geological Co., SO So P
sas City, bought many of his bi md
many others went to the the I