Year: 1860

soMETHINQ ABOUT BEARS.
"A REMINIsCENCE OF CALIFORNIA.


The Grizzly Bear is the largest, as we'll a


the most formidable of his species. He j


found everywhere along the western slope Q


the Rocky Mountains but it is in the coas


range of the Sierra Nevaos., in California


that he attains to the grestest size. 1t san.


he will not taste flesh, and is naturally of


mild and pacific disposition, but when arrous


ed by wounding or otherwise, becomes a


once the most ferocious and dangerous O.


animals. His tenaciousness of life is very


great, which makes him the more to be dread


cd, and wounds which would prove nstanta


neously fatal to other animals, have but little


effect upon him. When unmolcsted he


seems inclined to avoid the presence Of man


and will generally shy away from him al


sight. This. is not always the case, however


for the female, if accompanied by her cubs,


will attack any living creature that happens


to come in her way.


One beautiful moonlight night in the early
part Of September, as was returning home
from neighboring village, came suddenly
upon two fullgrown bears. 1t was almost
as light as midday, but sudden bend in
the road had prevented me from seeing them,
until was within few yards Of where they
stood. They were in the act of lying down,
and although they must have been aware of
my presence, they gave no indication of tn.
fact. did not tarry very long, however,
having but little curiosity to learn whether
bruin would fight or run away, but left the
place myself with considerable degree Of ra-
mir L.
along the road leading from Georgetown to
the Boston Tunnel, on the Middle Ford of
the American River, met one of those large
animals in broad daylight. We This bear
ship and myselD were travelling on the same
road, but in different directions, and were
perhaps withing forty or fifty yards of each
other before discovered him. He saw me
about the same time, and stopped, and raised
his head, and looked towards me for Sec
ond or two, and then walked in the same
general direction, shying off from the road
little to the left, while Gid the same on the
opposite side, and in this manner we passed
each other He manifested, as will be seen
no disposition to molcst me- but on the con
trary very politely gave me the road, but al
though did not avail myself Of his polite
ness, willingly record the little incident in
his praise.


The savage disposition of the female has
already been alluded to. The first settlers Of
California met with many adventures illustra.
tive of this. will alludc only to one, that
one very briefly, and occurring as it did, in
my own immediate neighborhood, |, can
youch for its correctness. Aparty Of miners,
three in number, were returning to their
camp late one evening, when all of sudden
a large she bear came rushing upon them,
from clump of Manzanita bushes, which
stood by the road side, and before they had
time to recover from their LIST movements of
surprise, the bear seized one Of them, and in
less time than it takes me to relate the cir
cumstancc, had so mangiHd the poor fellow
that his life was despaired of for long time,
the other two took to their heels; the. bear
after them, one escaped, the other shared the
fate of his wounded comrade. The bear did
not leave them for some time, but walked to
and fro between them, first giving one bite,
and then the other, ever and anon turning
them about with her paws, as if to satisfy
herself whether they were really dead or not
Both ultimately recovered, but remained bad
ly crippled and disfigured forilife


In the summer of 1854, 'tminer," whose
name have forgotten, offered to wager five
hundred dollars, that with nj other weapon
than knife, he would attack and kill on the
spot the largest and most vicious bear that
could be produced. The wager was taken,
and the fight came off in the presence of a
large number of persons, some fifteen or
twenty miles north of Louisville" 1t was
a barbarous spot at best, and while every one
was on the tip-toe Of curiosity to know how
our hero would manage so unwicldly an ami
NAL, he, "cool as cucumber" stepped bold
ly into the arena. The bear was now let
loose. Our hero was armed with two knives


-one Of which was in his right hand the
other in belt which he wore around his
waist. His left hand was protected by a
heavy buckskin glove, made for the occasion.
AS he entered the ring, he paused for mo-
ment, then boldly and with firm step ad-
yanced towards the bear, who with open
mouth stood on his launches to receive him.
A deathless silence now pervaded the crowd
breath for time" A terrible combat was
about to begin, in which the life of fellow
mortal was at stake; for unless he killed the
bear, it would most assuredly kill him, and
the chances of victory were largely in favor
Of the bear. When our gladiator had arrived
to within nearly arms length Of his antago-
mist, he again paused-the latter still upon
his launches, remained motionless as stat
ue, each steadily cycling the other for sec
ond or two, when as quick as thought, bruin
made pass at our hero with one Of his paws,
which must have ended tho combat had he
not adroitly avoided the blow by quick
to the right, at the same time ma
king q thrust at the bear with his knife
He missed his aim somewhat, inflicting only
a slight wound, which, without disabling the
bear in the least, only enraged him the more,
and what was still worse, by some means or
other, the knife was wrenched from his hand.
Nothing daunted, however, by this piece of
bad luck, he now thrust his gloved hand into
bruins mouth, while with the other he drew
his remaining knife from its place, and
plunged it into the bars side to its very hilt,
penetrating the heart, which soon put an end
to the conflict


Then such wild shout as went up from
that crowd, | never before listened to. The
very mountains seemed to catch the sound
and bear it up to Heaven. Our hero was
unharmed, with the exception of his left
band, which was pretty badly mutilated, not.
withstanding its covering.


Thus ended one Of tho most Intensely ex-
citing scenes which ever witna-.-a.. and the
like Of whies.. have no desire to behold