The Art of Roping a Bear

Some weeks ago, Mr. Fred Parker had an encounter with a bear that came near turning out to his serious disadvantage. Instead of his getting the bear, the bear came within an ace of getting him. Mr. Parker wasn’t satisfied and determined upon revenge for the mental and bodily discomforts to which he was subjected. One day last week, in company with Nicholas McCoy, he started for the Columbia River. In the vicinity of Coal Creek, a bear was sighted. It was nothing more than a good-sized cub, although it looked as big as a mountain to the boys, for Nicholas, although he has seen his sixtieth year, classes himself in that category. A council of war was held and Mr. Parker’s plans of capture by the lariat prevailed over his companion’s advocacy of short work with the gun. Then the chase commenced. Bruin showed speed and bottom and was not overhauled until a point about two miles beyond the Moxee home ranch was reached, where Mr. Parker succeeded in throwing his rope over the bear’s forequarters and by a dexterous twist sent him over on his back. Nicholas then showed the value of his training in mountains and on sage brush plains, for he quickly had his lashings around the cub’s hind legs, and his submission and capture was an easy matter. He was loaded into a wagon, brought to this city and presented to W. Wallace Atherton, of the Hotel Yakima, who has had a pen constructed and a climbing pole erected, where bruin daily disports himself to the amusement of an admiring throng of sightseers.