Rensselaer Union, Volume 9, Number 14, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 21 December 1876 — A Fight with a Grizzly Bear. [ARTICLE]

A Fight with a Grizzly Bear.

Last Sunday George W. Bruce and a man named Hannahan were hunting squirrels in Waddell’s Gulch, about miles above Waddell’s saw-mill, when the former came suddenly upon a large-sized grizzly bear. He rapidly took in the situation, and being only armed with a shotgun, Bruce, conceiving discretion to be the better part of valor, started and ran away quartering down hill. The bear made chase, and in a few moments was below and before Bruce, complbtely cutting off retreat. The bear, in an upright position, rapidly came upon Bruce, and he aimed and fired, tiis intention was to fill bruin’s face and eyes with shot, with the hope of blinding him, but his advance upon Bruce was so rapid that the load took effect in the breast. In a moment after the bear. knocked the gun from the hunter’s hands and seized him by the right arm. Bruce tore from the grasp of the bear, caught him with both hands by the mouth, held him, aud attempted to get eut a large pocket knife. The bear then caught Bruce’s left hand and bit it through. Bruce again tore loose and, and again grasped the bear’s jaws with both hands; Again conceiving the idea that if he could get out his knife there would be one, grizzly, bear less in Banta Cruz County, Bruce essayed to put his hand to his pocket for that purpose, when the bear broke loose and caught the brave man’s right arm. Bruce now gave the bear a tremendous kick, which sent him some distance. This was the turning point in the fight, the bear running in one direction and Bruce in another. The wounds of Bruce are very painful, but as no bones were broken or arteries cut, he expects to be entirely re covered from the effects of his desperate encounter in a fortnight. While the above-described fight was going on, Hannahan was three or four hundred yards distant, entirely ignorant of the penis of his partner. Mr. Bruce is confident that if he had had a bowie-knife within reach he eotrid easilv have cut the bear’sthroat, as he was sufficiently powerful to turn the animal’s head from him when he grasped him by the jaws. It is not unlikely that this is the same bear that attacked and caused the death of W. W. Waddell in the summer of 1875.— Santa Gnu (.Cal.) Sentinel. _ _ lx Napa County, Cal., one John Webster has received the bounty for the scalps of 4,000 squirrels An unfortunate Justice of the Peace had to count them all before issuing the certificate.