|
|
The Life and Death of Reelfoot The Truth About "Reelfoot"
By Geo. F. Wright April 10, 1958 In
the past few years I have been urged by many people to write the facts
concerning the noted grizzly bear, "Reelfoot," and after much thought
and consideration I have decided it would be proper and fitting to do
so, for I have spent sixty-two years in the Siskiyou Mountains where
"Reelfoot" once roamed. In earlier years the story was told to me many
times by one of the bear's slayers, my uncle, Wm. A. Wright, also by my
father, Thos. J. Wright, who hunted unsuccessfully for the bear, as did
other early settlers.
 George Wright (?) with the Spencer 56-46 and the No. 6 Newhouse that claimed Reelfoot's toenails. "Reelfoot" was tough and he lived to be old, his teeth were short and worn from many years of hard usage, and he was one of the largest grizzlies killed anywhere. Many incidents were related of the wanton killing of cattle in the vicinity of Pilot Rock and Jenny Creek; cattle men were awed by the giant size and his cunningness. The stories and killings of other grizzlies have about all been forgotten, but the tale of "Reelfoot" is still told. The end of "Reelfoot" was a dawn of a new era for the cattle men, an era free from the torment of cattle losses. He was hated, feared and hunted, but always respected; after sixty-nine years his stuffed hide is still hunted. I have often heard said that all things must someday come to an end. How true this was of the grizzly race after the coming of the white man, with his onslaught of expanding progress for fortune and fame; his onward push of the cattle industry into the remote areas spelled the end of at least one of the last remaining grizzlies. Many years have passed since grizzly bears roamed the forest of southern Oregon and northern California, particularly in the Siskiyou Mountains, but the memory of "Reelfoot" still lingers. Tales of his great size, immense strength, his ability to outwit the human schemes to kill him, coupled with his uncanny instincts, are told wherever oldtimers meet. During the late 1880s it was believed that "Reelfoot" was the last remaining grizzly in an [area] around the Siskiyou Mountains; however, in the spring of 1890, a large grizzly was killed in the vicinity of Secret Mountain by Rod. M. Frain, W. L. Frain and Frank Ream. This bear had killed a number of cattle in the mountains surrounding Butte Valley; a $500.00 reward was offered for his scalp. To my knowledge, the last known grizzly to roam the Siskiyou Mountains was killed in 1902 by Gordon Jacobs of Hornbrook, California, along the California-Oregon border west of Hilt. However, grizzly tracks were reported later. When the rich and fertile lands of Siskiyou and Jackson counties were first settled and herds of cattle began to graze the surrounding hillsides, grizzly bears were quite numerous. As most of these were only average grizzlies, little attention was paid to those killed. Cattle men were expanding their land and increasing their herds; grizzlies were also increasing their forays. Cattle men hunted and killed, poisoned and trapped bears, while hunters and trappers killed them for food, until the grizzly bear population was reduced considerably. But still the number of cattle killed was at an alarming figure, and it became evident as time went on that two large grizzlies were doing most of the killing. At that time the Grieve brothers were in the cattle business along Jenny Creek, and they also lost cattle. One of the brothers, Robert Bruce Grieve, an experienced hunter and trapper, set a trap in the vicinity of Skookum Gulch, and in time caught a huge female grizzly, said to be the largest yet killed in the Siskiyou Mountains. But still the cattle losses went on, and it was evident that one overgrown bear was doing the killing. For some time the cattle men tried to trap and poison him, and many hunted for him. Except for the huge tracks there was no way to distinguish his killings from other grizzlies'; he was of gigantic size, and the way he killed full-grown cattle was beyond the imagination of men. Robert Bruce Grieve tried his luck at setting a trap for the bear in the Skookum Gulch area, and after repeated efforts succeeded in getting him in a trap, but he escaped, leaving three of his toenails in the trap. This made his left front footprint appear like it was turned in a little, hence the name "Reelfoot." It was found that he roamed a great expanse of territory, his reelfoot tracks telling of his visits in many places. He would disappear from the Pilot Rock and Jenny Creek area for as long as six months at a time. Oldtimers claimed that he went as far as Silver Lake, Oregon. He seemed to kill, eat and move on, although his main travels were along the California-Oregon border between the Klamath River on the east and Pilot Rock on the west. His enormous strength and weight enabled him to kill a full-grown beef with as little effort as an ordinary bear would kill a calf. He would rush upon a beef, usually from a point of vantage on an elevation above his prey, and bear it to the ground, would close his powerful jaws over the animal's back just behind the shoulders, and crush the bones of the shoulder and back. Cows and steers killed in this manner had about the carcasses tracks of "Reelfoot." In the spring of 1882, J. D. Williams, of Ashland, Oregon, was herding his flock of sheep in the vicinity of Bald Mountain. He witnessed one of "Reelfoot's" battles. His sheep were grazing on a hillside; below him in a glade a bunch of cattle under the leadership of a big bull belonging to David M. Horn, Sr. were quietly feeding. The instant the bear appeared Williams took to a tree and viewed the struggle from that vantage point at a distance of some fifty yards. The unsuspecting cattle did not see the bear until he rushed in and killed a calf standing beside its mother. The cow attempted to defend her calf, but a stroke from the big paw left the cow dead. The bull charged down upon the bear; "Reelfoot" was knocked off his feet by the impact. He arose with a growl and charged the bull several times until he succeeded in seizing the bull and bringing him to his death. The bear made a meal of the calf, then wallowed in a mudhole and left. Williams identified the bear by the tracks after the fight was over. William A. Wright tried repeatedly to trap him but always failed. He then tried out a plan of setting his 50-70 Sharps carbine to kill him. The intelligence and cunningness of the bear was soon evident. Wright arranged his loaded carbine, tied to a tree along Slide Creek, in such a way that he thought it impossible for the bear to get at the bait without standing where he would receive the bullet from the carbine. The bear approached the bait from the lower side of the tree, reached around the tree, and started to pull the bait away when the carbine was discharged, but the bullet missed. Again and again Wright tried every plan known to effect his capture, but always failed, so for a time gave it up. So for several years the herds of cattle were being depleted by this grizzly's vicious acts. The cattle men banded together and offered a sizable reward for his capture. Among those having the largest herds and suffering the heaviest losses were Major Barron of Ashland, Oregon, and David M. Horn, Sr. of Hornbrook, California. These cattle men, along with others, combined and offered a reward of $2,700.00 to any person or persons who could prove the killing of "Reelfoot." This stimulated the hunters of this region to extraordinary efforts, and many hard days' tramp and many lonely nights by campfires resulted only in confirming the hunters in the belief that "Reelfoot" could not be caught. Hunters and cattle men, singly and in groups, hunted for him again and again, but all to no avail. His tracks were often seen, and he was known to be in the vicinity, but he kept out of the sight of the hunters. "Reelfoot" possessed a remarkable cunningness in eluding all his pursuers, avoiding the dangers of the many traps set for him. He would seldom return to a kill after he had eaten a meal. It took a beef for every meal. By keeping well concealed in the daytime and traveling at a rate almost impossible for a man or horse to keep up with him, the bear for many years baffled the efforts of the best hunters to kill or trap him. George Cook, a noted hunter and guide, put in quite a lot of time seeking "Reelfoot," and had the good fortune to get a shot at the noted bear; a 38-55 rifle bullet [was] lodged in his shoulder, where it was found flattened against the shoulder blade after the bear was killed years later. During the spring following the hard winter of 1889 and 1890 hundreds of cattle had just been loosened on the range land to graze the southward slopes of hillsides between Hornbrook and Pilot Rock. "Reelfoot" frequently roamed the Pilot Rock area during the early spring, and it was believed he denned up in that area. On April 4, 1890, William A. Wright saddled his horse on his home ranch at Camp Creek and rode to Hornbrook. On his return he met Pedro Smith, who lived on his homestead at the head of Dry Creek, on his way to Klamathon. He reported to Wright the killing of a cow by "Reelfoot" along Dry Creek, belonging to David M. Horn, Sr. The incident was also reported around Klamathon town. Wright continued on his way, stopping at the ranch of the Bean family on Pine Creek. He invited Purl R. Bean to go with him the following day to hunt for the cattle-killing bear. Bean, an experienced hunter himself, was delighted to try his luck. The next morning on arriving at the Bean ranch Wright found three other hunters eager to accompany them on the hunt. On that day, April 5, 1890, the five hunters started after the famous bear, fully determined to capture him if possible. They desired to separate, three going in a different direction than the other two. The country was exceedingly rough, with its high peaks and deep rocky canyons, mostly covered with thick brush and deep snow on the north hillsides, consequently one that was very difficult for man or beast to travel over. The two men, William A. Wright and Purl R. Bean, who were together, found fresh tracks of the bear, and thought it best to report the finding to the rest of the party. After a brief rest the five men returned to the spot of fresh tracks, following them for several miles, soon sighting the bear in the distance. One of the party, being the owner of some dogs brought along for the purpose, unleashed them on the bear's trail, against the expressed wishes of the remainder of the party. Consequently both bear and dogs kept out of sight of the hunters, so the chase ended unsuccessfully again. Weary and disheartened after hunting for four days, the men were ready to return to their homes. Owing to the results of this hunt, William A. Wright and Purl R. Bean decided to try again later on and by themselves; in fact they decided on the very next day.  William A. Wright (left), Purl R. Bean So at the dawn of a new day, April 10, 1890, Wright and Bean, with two dogs, started on a bear hunt that resulted in the death of the much-feared grizzly, "Reelfoot," and was to grace the pages of history and the talk of the country far and near for years to come. After traveling several miles they came suddenly upon the object of their hunt, about three miles south of Pilot Rock, near Wildcat Gulch, in Siskiyou County, California, and near the Oregon border. The bear when first sighted had just gotten up from his bed, made on a flattened wood rat's nest. It was believed that he had gotten the scent of the hunters, and his cunning instinct started him to move along his way. The hunters were standing on a hillside, about one hundred feet from the little gulch, looking up at the bear on the opposite hillside, some three hundred feet from the gulch. They both at once fired from the rear at a distance of about one hundred and twenty-five yards as the bear left his bed; both bullets took effect. As soon as shot he showed fight and made for the hunters, tearing up with his teeth large shrubs and brush in his anger, and fighting the two dogs as he came. Blended with the rifle fire was the barking of the two dogs and the roaring growls of an enraged grizzly bear. The hunters stood their ground, to kill or be killed, taking good aim and firing as fast as possible and with good effect. By this time the bear had fought his way down to the bottom of the gulch, where the dogs "bayed" him for a few minutes, giving the hunters time to reload their repeating rifles. Although the bear showed some signs of weakening, the dogs were tired also. The men agreed that Wright would shoot for his head, and Bean for the heart. With their rifles fully loaded again they started firing; still the weakened bear fought his way up the hillside of the gulch, trying to get at his assailants. When within forty feet of the men the great bear unexpectedly toppled over dead. Thus ended the career of this much-feared and noted grizzly. The hunters probably breathed a sigh of relief and no doubt felt a gratitude toward the two dogs for their much-needed help in bringing their hunt to a successful conclusion. It was never known how many cattle this old and vicious grizzly killed during the twenty-odd years he was known to be a killer, but the figures were estimated to be in the hundreds. With horses and sled the two successful hunters hauled the bear down from the mountains to the Bean ranch home, and began to prepare the hide for mounting. It was mounted by an amateur taxidermist, and in time the hide began to spoil, so it was necessary to dismount it and it was taken to another taxidermist, but due to the spoiled condition it was impossible to make a good job of mounting. This is the reason the mounted animal does not have the exact appearance of a grizzly bear. Missing is the hump so characteristic of the grizzly. However, the mounted bear was placed on a wagon drawn by a team of mules, and displayed for ten cents per person in the towns and villages throughout western Oregon and northern California.  In 1912 I acquired the number six Newhouse trap used by Wright to catch the bear. In 1922 I acquired the number six Newhouse trap from which "Reelfoot" escaped, leaving three of his toenails. This trap was stolen from my ranch in 1950. In 1924 I became the owner of the 50-70 Sharps carbine used by Wright as a "set" gun, but this was destroyed by fire in the same year. The three toenails were for many years on display at the home ranch of the Grieve brothers; one of them was stolen. The remaining toenails, which are 4½ inches long, are owned by George A. Grieve and are on display at the Siskiyou County Museum in Yreka, California. I understand at this writing that Mrs. Mackey, sister of Purl R. Bean, still has the bullets taken from "Reelfoot" after he was killed. It is not known what became of Bean's 44-40 Winchester Model 1873 rifle, used in the slaying of the bear. The 56-46 Spencer rifle that Wright used was, before coming into the possession of the Wright family, owned by G. A. Nordheim, an early California gunsmith of Yreka, California. He had made a target rifle of the Spencer, by fitting a heavy barrel and set trigger, bringing the weight to thirteen pounds. I have handled the rifle many times at our old home ranch on Camp Creek. I have in possession some pictures of the mounted "Reelfoot." In conclusion, I hope this article has given some of the real facts and will clear up many of the misleading statements that have been made and printed about "Reelfoot." By Geo. F. Wright
Transcribed from a
typescript in the possession of the Rogue Valley Genealogical Society.
Though the typescript is twice dated 1958, on it Wright's ZIP code is
typed after his address, and a copy of a Reelfoot article from the
August-September 1966 issue of Frontier Times is bound with it.April 10, 1958 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
OLD
TWISTY.--That old bear, "Twisted Foot," has killed over five hundred
dollars' worth of cattle for Maj. Barron alone, besides what little
butchering he may have done for other stock owners. He is now supposed
to be an enormous cinnamon, instead of a grizzly, and the hunters are a
little more careful than they were when they thought him a grizzly.
When a man is up a tree he is safe from a grizzly, but the cinnamon
bears are good climbers, as well as most desperate fighters. "Twisty's"
foot leaves a track in the mud about the size of a Mexican sombrero,
and his teeth penetrate the skull and meet in the brain of a big steer
when he happens to make a square bite in his butchering business.
Grizzlies Again.Ashland Tidings, September 12, 1884, page 3 BACK AGAIN.--The old grizzly surnamed "Old Twisted Foot," alias "Club Foot," who has preyed upon the cattle in the Siskiyou and Cascade ranges for several years, was supposed to have been killed by a set-gun trap last fall, but, lo, he turns up again, and is now ready for another summer's campaign. Kennedy, the Siskiyou bear sharp, would have sworn last year that Old Twisty had received his death wound, but the fresh imprint of the familiar wounded foot seen on the range last week convinces him that he was mistaken. He says he'll have him this year, sure. Ashland Tidings, May 8, 1885, page 3 The old grizzly "Reel-Foot" killed a young steer within one or two hundred yards of Howard's station the other day. A reward of $150 is offered for his scalp, but he still carries the scalp with him. "Brevities," Ashland Tidings, June 12, 1885, page 3 W. S. Webb shot a half-grizzly bear near Howard's station last Saturday which was at first thought to be old Reel Foot. It was a cross between a grizzly and a cinnamon, and had been wounded in the foot--also carried a bullet in its hip which had evidently been put there some years ago. Ed. Barron examined the carcass and reported that it was not Reel Foot. It was a good bear to kill, nevertheless--an old one which had no doubt killed some of the stock charged to old Reel Foot's account. It was chasing Howard's hogs when seen by Webb, and he gave it a center shot through the heart. The bear straightened up on its haunches and then Webb shot it again, the bullet entering its brain and laying Bruin out "cold." "Brevities," Ashland Tidings, June 19, 1885, page 3 W. S. Webb and Alex. Zevely are still on the trail of old "Reel Foot," and expect to bring in his scalp before many days. "Brevities," Ashland Tidings, July 3, 1885, page 3 The California papers are publishing as sober fact that yarn of the Chronicle about Reel-foot being killed by a couple of counter-jumpers from San Francisco. For the benefit of the editors who may be misled in this important matter, we will state that Reelfoot still lives, and the $150 reward still is offered for his foot and head. "Brevities," Ashland Tidings, August 14, 1885, page 3 Old
"Reel-foot," the grizzly that has killed so many cattle up in the
Siskiyous and Cascades during the past few years, is again making his
familiar tracks up at the head of Kean and Sampson creeks, and has
driven all the cattle down from that neighborhood to the low ranges in
the valley. Old "Reel-foot" is an expert butcher, and the cattle all
seem to know his reputation. A larger grizzly than he was killed last
Saturday on the east or south side of Bald Butte by one of the Grieve
boys, Joe Shepherd and others. He was first caught in a trap set in a
spring where he regularly drank and bathed. The trap was chained to a
fir tree over a foot in diameter, and the bear gnawed the tree in two
and dragged off a part of it to a hiding place in a dense thicket. By
the aid of dogs he was trailed and killed. He was an immense brute, and
rolling fat--having had a choice beef range, this side of the Klamath,
all winter.
After "Old Reelfoot."Some of Maj. Barron's cattle driven down from the mountains by old "Reel-foot" have the marks of big claws upon them, showing that old Reel's hold slips sometimes. "Brevities," Wm.
Wright, of Henley, and a son of Mr. Bean, of Kean Creek, had an
exciting chase after a huge grizzly up among the great snowbanks of the
Siskiyous recently. They were looking for stock and found the track of
the bear and, concluding that it was old "Reelfoot" himself, thought
the present a good season of the year in which to capture his hide and
scalp and rid the range of his depredations. They came upon the bear
somewhere in the region of Bald Mountain, and gave him a good dose of
lead to begin with, but it didn't seem to damage him much, and he
started off on a long trip across the country, with the men after him.
They had snowshoes and the bear hadn't, and as he was compelled to plow
his way along, with the snow up to his throat much of the time, they
had the advantage of him, and were sure they would wind up his career.
But old "Reelfoot" has fate on his side, and the snowshoes of the
hunters soon "went back" on them and the bear made his escape, taking
with him, however, eight rifle balls deposited in various parts of his
thievish hulk. He was in good flesh and as strong as a grizzly can get,
or he would never have escaped. The reason of his good condition was
found in the discovery that his headquarters were in the midst of the
carcasses of some forty horses that had been caught in the deep snow
and perished during the winter.
Old Reelfoot Killed.Ashland Tiding, March 28, 1890, page 3 A Henley,
California correspondent sends us the following account of how old
"Reelfoot," the noted grizzly bear, the terror of the Siskiyous,
finally came to grief: "Last week a quartet of hunters, including a
famous local bear hunter, started out with a solid determination to
capture the old varmint or die in the attempt. They raised his majesty
near Pilot Rock, but he was too active for them, and before they could
come up with him night came on. The next morning Billy Wright and a boy
named Bean started early on the trail and soon came to a small canyon,
on the far side of which was a dense thicket. Feeling pretty sure that
bruin was in there, Billy skirmished around the head of the little
canyon, above the brush, and commenced to roll stones into the thicket.
The old fellow reared up on his hind legs and the boy made signs to
Billy, who returned at once, and none too soon, for the bear at once
started out. Just as he reached open ground Wright shot him through the
abdomen and he turned and charged on them. Just as he reached the
bottom of the canyon both hunters began firing and two balls pierced
the brute's heart. He kept on in his charge, however, and was within a
few feet of the boys when he began to stagger, and, striking his
shoulder against a juniper tree, he fell over dead. He is thought to
have weighed 1400 pounds, and the hunters displayed great coolness in
facing that amount of concentrated angry grizzly bear. He had lost the
toes off one foot in a trip many years ago, giving his foot a deformed
appearance, and for twelve long years has been a terror to stockmen.
Time and again hunting parties have been organized to run him down, but
none has been successful until now. Wright was offered $100 for the
hide, stuffed and mounted, but refused it, and with the assistance of
Mr. Grieve will preserve and prepare it for exhibition."
Democratic Times, Jacksonville, April 17, 1890, page 2 Killed "Reelfoot."
The Henley correspondent of the Yreka Journal says that Billy Wright and the Bean boy, whom the Tidings two
weeks ago reported as starting out to capture old "Reelfoot," the king
of the grizzlies, killed the big bear about seven miles from Henley.
Says the correspondent:
"Wright and Bean found his track at 9 a.m. and followed it until noon, when they located him in a thicket of scrub oak, near Deihl Springs. Rocks were rolled down the hill, and the bear came out. Both fired at [the] same time, and the grizzly fell, but immediately got up again and started for the boys. He got within 30 or 40 feet of them and dropped dead. Ten shots were fired, and all were found in his body, two passing through his heart. He measured ten inches between the ears and 18 inches from nose to top of head. The toes were cut off in a trap 7 or 8 years ago, which gave him the name of "reel foot." His track was unmistakable, and he has killed hundreds of dollars worth of cattle in this vicinity and Southern Oregon in the past 12 years. He weighed over 1400 pounds. The boys skinned him carefully, and intend having the hide stuffed for exhibition. He has been systematically hunted for, for several years, and cattlemen consider this a stroke of good luck, that he has been killed at last." Ashland Tidings, April 18, 1890, page 3 J. Lomas, who is an experienced taxidermist, so far at least as big game goes, went over to Henley yesterday to stuff the hide of the late "Reelfoot," the "holy terror" to the cattle of the Siskiyou Range for a number of years past. "Reelfoot" has become an "historical character," or at least a local celebrity, and it is a matter of public interest to know that his proportions are to be preserved for the inspection of future generations. Ashland Tidings, May 16, 1890, page 3 Old Reel-Foot
ED. YREKA JOURNAL.--Your
correspondent visited on Tuesday last the residence of Mr. Wright, one
of the slayers of "Old Reel Foot," and witnessed Mr. J. Lomas'
arrangements for stuffing and mounting the monster. This was
undoubtedly the king of grizzlies for this part of the world. Mr. Lomas
thinks he could not have weighed less than 2,000 pounds when killed.
Some of the fineness of a front view of his countenance is lost, from
the fact that his tusks or canine teeth are worn off to not more than
one-half inch in length. But what he lacks in teeth he makes up in
claws, which are simply immense. On one foot only two claws are left,
and Mr. Greave has the other three, which he left in a trap some years
ago, thus giving him the name of "Old Reel Foot." He will measure nine
feet in length, and probably could reach up twelve feet when standing
on his hind feet. It is the purpose of Mr. Wright and the boy Purl
Bean, who was largely instrumental in getting the bear, and who, by the
way, is not seventeen years old yet, and quite a hunter, to exhibit the
stuffed animal in Oregon and California this fall.
G.
"Reelfoot" on Exhibition.Klamath City, May 23, 1890. Ashland Tidings, May 30, 1890, page 3 W.
A. Wright of Henley and Purl Bean of Jenny Creek, who killed the old
grizzly "Reelfoot" last April, had the skin of the monster stuffed and
mounted in the most lifelike manner, and had it on exhibition in the
Ashland grove all day on July 4th. The bear has become such a
historical character that everybody will want to take a look at him. He
was truly a monster, weighing over 1700 lbs., and being able to get
away with a full-grown steer, as he has done more than once. The
mounting is very skillfully done, and old "Reelfoot" looms up as big
and terrifying in appearance as when he used to follow his
butchering business in the Siskiyous and thought nothing of catching a
rifle bullet somewhere in his huge bulk occasionally, as he happened to
get within range of a daring hunter, says the Tidings.
Democratic Times, Jacksonville, July 11, 1890, page 1 March 30th Monday, 1891 I eat dinner at Mrs Deronzos and took train back for Medford there I attended to business till freight train south and Come home at eight Oclock. I met Mr Hurly and Tom Guier come to Medford and made the trade Mr Hurley to take possession right away. I borrowed of W H Hurley ten dollars. A Man had a big black Bear on exhibition in Medford Been nice day Diary of Welborn Beeson, Talent, Oregon It isn't known if this was Reelfoot. Dwellers above Shovel Creek assert that the only and original grizzly bear called "Reelfoot" is still living, and that the one killed over a year ago in that section was only a distant cousin of the famous creature which outgeneraled a generation of hunters. Certain it is that one of the genus now operating in that region pursues very much the same line of tactics that has always characterized the wily old brute. If it is not he, he has a worthy successor. "Here and There," Democratic Times, Jacksonville, June 26, 1891, page 3 J. K. Leabo has bought of Bean, the bear hunter who captured and killed the famous grizzly bear "Reelfoot" a year or two ago, his boss bear dog, "Watch," who took such an important part in the chase after this destructive old grizzly. "Watch" is a big savage fellow, and Leabo calculates to catch a few bears with him himself this season. Leabo says he paid $50 for the dog. "Brevities," Ashland Tidings, May 6, 1892, page 3 W. A. Wright, of Henley, who had been on a tour through California with the stuffed grizzly, Old Reelfoot, returned home recently, and P. H. Donoghue brought the bear show over to Ashland last week, putting up the tent near the railroad depot to catch dimes from passengers who have leisure time for sightseeing while the train stops thirty minutes for refreshments. The mounted grizzly hide is owned by several Hornbrook men, and they will probably sell it to someone who wants to take it to the Chicago fair on a speculation venture. "Brevities," Ashland Tidings, November 25, 1892, page 3 Old Reelfoot, the stuffed Siskiyou wonder, has been doing duty as a dime-catcher at the Ashland depot lately during the dull season, while he is recuperating for the labors incident to exhibition next summer at the Chicago fair. Patsy Donohue now has him in charge. "Here and There," Democratic Times, Jacksonville, December 2, 1892, page 3 Old Reelfoot, the famous grizzly stuffed with straw, has been bought by Abbott, the man who had his head tomahawked by Martin, and has been shipped away somewhere. Reports as to the price paid vary from $200 to $600. The property was owned by roadmaster Burkhalter and others of Hornbrook. "Brevities," Ashland Tidings, December 23, 1892, page 3 Geo. Abbott has bought the carcass of old Reelfoot, the grizzly terror of the Siskiyous, and will take it east for the purposes of exhibition. "Here and There," Democratic Times, Jacksonville, December 30, 1892, page 3 Geo. Abbott will show old Reelfoot at the world's fair in a few months behind a piece of canvas sign painting that is a stunner. The artist, H. S. Evans, will not have to depend on his fame being in the hands of connoisseurs, for his production will be constantly before the public at the Columbian exposition in the most conspicuous possible place. "Here and There," Democratic Times, Jacksonville, January 20, 1893, page 3 Married--In Medford, Nov. 28th, Mr. Pearl Bean, of Siskiyou County, Calif., and Miss Etta Brown, of Jackson County. Mr. Bean is a mining man of the above-named place and quite well to do. All their friends are extending congratulations and best wishes to the happy couple. "Kanes Creek Items," Medford Mail, December 7, 1900, page 3 Mr. and Mrs. Purl Bean and children, accompanied by Miss Ethel Brown, left on Monday's train for California, at which place they will remain. Mr. Bean has mining property near Henley, which he intends to develop this summer. "Kanes Creek Items," Medford Mail, March 28, 1902, page 5 Last revised April 21, 2012 |
|
