Ohio History Journal


Brief Biography of William Henry Holmes 511

Brief Biography of William Henry Holmes  511

younger son, William Heberling Holmes, having a wife

and three daughters, is in business in Detroit.

 

BEAR HUNT IN YELLOWSTONE PARK -- 1872

BY W. H. HOLMES

I had a curious little bear hunt experience in the

Gallatin Range when I was with the first Hayden ex-

pedition. We started out to climb one of the mountains,

one party going in one direction, and the other, with the

outfit, in another direction. As we went along, we saw

much small game and frequently tracks of mountain

lion, bear, deer and elk. I was forging along alone on

my tired little pony, when suddenly I saw a large black

object just ahead. I thought at first it was a horse, but

finally made it out to be a large black bear rooting in

the snow. I was armed with a pistol only, and, deciding

that discretion was the better part of valor, turned about

and beat a hasty and perhaps undignified retreat. Se-

curing reinforcements later, I returned to seek his bear-

ship, but he had disappeared. Then I found by exam-

ination of his tracks in the snow that at the very mo-

ment I had started in one direction the bear had started

in the other, and with such remarkable impetuosity as

to clear 12 feet at a jump. My chances of escape would

have been very slight if he had decided to come my way.

We followed his trail and came upon him in a deep ra-

vine, where he was finally killed.

 

A GRIZZLY BEAR ADVENTURE -- 1874

BY W. H. HOLMES

Mr. George B. Chittenden, of Connecticut, who was

a member of the Hayden Survey of the Territories in