Rensselaer Republican, Volume 13, Number 24, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 3 March 1881 — The Grizzly Bear. [ARTICLE]

The Grizzly Bear.

* The grizzly bear is the moot terrible of all beasts. Its great strength, its enormous sixe, its ferocity and its courage render it a more formidable enemy than the Ttori. It ranges the westward-lying slopes of the Rocky Mountains from Mexico to British America, and is a constant terror to the region it inhabits. The average length of the grizzly bear is about seven feet, and its weight nine hundred to a thousand pounds, although much larger specimens have been killed in Arizona and other southern regions. Grizzlies do not often attack men unless surprised or infuriated, or driven by desperate hunger to sieze upon everything which crosses their path. The grizzly bear has a strong hold on life, and has often beeu known to run with great speed, and even to swim deep rivers, with twenty or more large rifle-balls in its body. Il is so difficult to kill and so furious when aroused, that a hunter will never attack the grizzly single-hand-ed if the encounter can be avoided. The hunter may escape by climbing a tree; for, although young grizzlies can climb like a cat, the old bears can do nothing more than stand on their hind legs in vain endeavors to reach the branches' where the man lies concealed, and growl spitefully. There extreme heaviness, however, is thought by the Indians to be all that prevents tnem from climbing. A hunter once took refuge in a tree from one of these savage breasts, and having vainly discharged all his ammunition at the monster, he endeavor ed to hit it in the eye with cones, thinking to drive it away. But the grizzly only became more infuriated, and began a brisk war-dance around the tree, howling all the while in a terrible manner. At length the branch upon which the hunter was sitting began to give away, and the the unfortunate man felt himself doomed to certain death. Closing his eyes, he resigned himself to the worst, when, instead of falling, as he expected, into the open jaws of the huge beast, he, together with the heavy branch upon which he had been sitting, landed with a tremendous thump upon the grizzly’s head. The animal was so astonished and frightened at this sudden and unexpeeted assault, that it took to its heels, and soou disappeared in the forest. Such miraculous escapes, however, are not frequent, and the number of Indians and hunters killed by grizzlies is, very

large. Young grizzlies have often been captured, and when very small are as playful and affectionate as dogs. But they are not to be trusted, for, as they grow older, their savage nature develops, and they are liable to become dangerous property. Unless they can be surprised away from their mother, their capture it attended by the utmost pej-il. Nothing can exceed the fury of the mother bear if her little ones are molested. Rising on her hind legs for a moment to survey the object of her hatred, she will utter a hoarse “huff, huff, hufT," and charge madly, and wary and courageous must be the hunter who can overcome this savage monster. Hunting the grizzly is usually accomplished by parties of men well mounted, and with bands of trained dogs, but the huge beast will make a desperate fight for its life, and often severely wounds numbers of its assailants, before being forced itself to succumb, — Harper't Young People.