During many years in the West, Mr. Philip A. Rollins was an accurate and
sympathetic observer of the grizzly bear. He knew him in various
localities, and saw him under countless conditions. He hunted him with a
gun and then without a gun. He raised grizzlies, kindly and
intelligently. He is one of the highest authorities on the grizzly. He
kindly wrote for me the following from his personal experience:--
"To one who knows and loves bears, Enos A. Mills, from one who
loves them, Philip A. Rollins.
"One summer day, now almost thirty years ago, a cowboy, hunting from
our Wyoming ranch, killed a female grizzly bear. Her two attendant
cubs were brought to the ranch by the cowboy, an operation which
decreased the value of his clothing, and lessened the quantity of
his skin. The names of Jim and Bessie, hastily bestowed as the
party, in part hauling and swearing, and in part twisting and
growling, made its arrival, were, for the sake of accuracy, later
changed to Miss Jim and Mr. Bessie.
"The youngsters were presently introduced to their sleeping quarters
in the 'bear parlor,' an enclosure connecting with the main room of
the ranch house by a doorway usually closed only with several
curtains of heavy felt. Five black bears had their abode in the
'bear parlor' when the little grizzlies registered their advent--a
registration effected by clawing and biting everybody and everything
within reach. After a few days marked by pandemonium and the
enticements of very frequent meals, Miss Jim and Mr. Bessie were
the dictators of all the black bears and the friends of all the men;
of all the men, save one,--he could not refrain from teasing. Months
passed; the little grizzlies increased in strength. The teasing
continued. One day a visiting surgeon set three ribs and an arm.
"Except for this research into human anatomy, nothing untoward
happened until the end of four years. Meanwhile the two grizzlies
had, at all times, come and gone at will into and out of the ranch
house; had, whenever they desired, tidbits supplemental to their
food; attended the ranch meals, perched in orderly fashion on a
bench at the foot of the dining-table; and, after the first six
months, made any excursion they wished, being absent from the ranch
sometimes for several successive days, going thus either alone or as
the companions of whatever man might have occasion to travel across
country. These trips not infrequently made them adjuncts of a
fishing-party, and on such occasions they were always content with
their toll of the first four fish caught--two fish for each bear.
"No attempt was ever made to exact from the bears the performance of
tricks. They were treated from the outset in the same manner as one
would treat a well-trained hunting hound, save that special care was
taken that they should be fed before approaching either the men's
dining-table in the ranch house or the lunching group of a
fishing-party. On their bench at the foot of the dining-table, they
never were indecorous, never snatched at any food, but would sit in
dignified silence until called by name. Upon the sound of its name,
the invited bear would lumber down to the floor, shuffle along to
the chair of the inviter, and, having been given and somewhat gently
received, the promised confection, would promptly return to its
seat. It is true that the returning bear would not infrequently in
passing, give playful, if vigorous, pokes into the bodies of its
fellows, but none of the blows were aimed at or reached a human
being.
"The grizzlies were true companions, for they had all the
affectionate faithfulness of the best of dogs, intelligence far
beyond that of any horse, and endless sense of humor. As to
intelligence, they repeatedly used their brains in a manner which
perhaps is best exemplified by the following instance of another
grizzly which I watched years ago: An animal which, discovering a
half-filled food-can, and prevented by the semi-closed lid from
touching the contents, takes a stone between its paws and smashes
the lid, has claim to brains, even if that animal be only a bear.
"I have said that nothing untoward happened during the four years.
On second thought, an untoward event did occur. One November, a
quantity of freshly preserved blueberries had been obtained from the
East. These berries were transformed into twenty-four large
deep-dish pies, one for each man on the ranch. On the date of the
anticipated feast, an entertainment at a neighboring camp
depopulated the house, but did not degrizzly its environs. In the
early evening of that day, the house was approached by a file of
men, pie-bent, expectant, joyous. Two house logs pulled from without
doors, bear-tracks done upon the snow in vivid blue, forewarned that
twenty-four pies had passed into history.
"At the end of the four years, Miss Jim fell victim to poison,
whether set for her or for wolves we never knew. Presently Mr.
Bessie was once more teased, this time by a visiting ranchman. After
the ranchman had been reassembled and revived, it was decided that
the bear must be done for. He should not be killed. That smacked of
murder. He should not be caged in a zoölogical garden. He had not
sinned according to bear law. Accordingly it was agreed that he
should be lost. He was led two hundred miles from the ranch and
bidden to go his way. His return to the ranch preceded that of his
keeper by eight hours. He was led to the mountains of Idaho, and the
duration of his return journey not improbably is still the minimum
record for that course. Finally two admirers conducted him to Oregon
and there parted with him forever. The last view disclosed a
cheerful expression as he contemplated two hams tied to a tree,
partly for purposes of strategy and partly as a parting gift."
* * * * *
A real acquaintance with the grizzly bear appears to fill every one with
admiration for him. Mr. William H. Wright, quoted elsewhere in this
book, understood the grizzly thoroughly. His comprehensive book, "The
Grizzly Bear," is dedicated with these words:--
"WITH THE RESPECT, ADMIRATION AND AFFECTION
OF THE AUTHOR,
TO THE NOBLEST WILD ANIMAL OF NORTH AMERICA,
THE GRIZZLY BEAR."