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No. 1
29 Wednesday, A

Roping the Bear

south of Saco

Rose Stoneberg of Timber
Creek compiled the following
information and historical
documents, typed up by her
daughter Sierra Stoneberg
Holt. Its an exceptionally good
read:

2014 marks the 150th
anniversary of artist Charles
Marion Russells birth. It also
marks the 110th anniversary of the
1904 event depicted in his 1916
bear roping painting titled Loops
and Swift Horses are Surer than This is a present day picture taken by Rose Stoneberg of the butte in one of Charlie Russells
Lead. William J. Nankeman, a paintings below. You can see that not much has changed except there is a lot more grass!
local historian, arranged to have a
commemorative boulder monument
placed in Saco in 1954. It has a
plate listing the cowboys working
at the spring roundup of the Square
and DHS outfits. These cowboys
were present when the bear was
actually roped. Mr. Nankeman
traveled to the Anderson ranch 50
miles south of Saco at that time and
had Timbercreek Bill Anderson take
him to the site of the actual event.
Mr. Nankeman had interviewed
a friend or relative of a cowboy
participant who described the
location using the names of local
drainages and landmarks. At that
time, a steel post was driven where
continued on page 2

Roping the Bear continued from front

Mr. Nankeman designated as The Place. CM Russell, who liked his

paintings to have realistic settings, had visited the site with some of
the Circle C cowboys. A butte resembling the background butte in
the painting is located about a mile south of the actual roping.

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Phillips Sheriff Recalls Day Russell Got Picture Subject, 11-71937 Great Falls Tribune?; Malta, Nov. 6 (Special)

Prominently displayed in the office of Sherriff Ray L. Campbell
of Phillips county is a copy of Charles Russells painting Loops and
Fast Horses are Surer than Lead. The picture is a group of cowboys
who have roped a bear and portrays an incident that occurred in the
Larb Hills in which sheriff Campbell participated.

It is generally known that most of Russells pictures are taken
from actual happenings, but few persons can recall as vividly as
Sheriff Campbell the experience that resulted in the painting which
is one of Montana artists most colorful.
The incident occurred on June 1, 1904 at the head of Larb and
Timber Creeks south of Saco. Campbell was cooking for the Square
roundup crew. J.H. Milner of Fort Benton owned the brand and
W.W. Jaycox was manager. Joe Reynolds, well known early day
Phillips County cattleman, was representing the Long X. Wallace
Coburn was repping for the Circle C. Otto Able and Frank Howe
were among the riders, and Charles Shufelt, later drowned, was on
his first job with a cattle outfit. In all there were about 20 riders on
the roundup.
40 Horses Missing

It had been raining during the night and early in the morning
of June 1, the nighthawk reported to Jaycox that about 40 head of
horses had gotten away during the night and were still missing.
Jaycox sent several of the cowboys out to gather the horses, the rest
of the men going about the duties of rounding up cattle for branding.

Jaycox rode to the top of hill and after looking around the
country discovered the missing horses coming toward camp at
breakneck speed. He shouted that they were not being driven by
a man, and started toward them on the lope. About the same time
the men who had been sent to find the horses approached and
discovered that a huge brown bear was lumbering along behind the
horses at a remarkable speed.

Shufelt, astride a big bronc, got in close to the bear who took a
swipe at his horse and pulled out a pawful of his tail. The frightened
bronc stampeded and Shufelt spent the next several interesting
minutes trying to stay aboard. Reynolds and Howe made several
casts with their ropes, but every time they succeeded in getting a
rope over the bears head it would throw it off. Finally Reynolds
managed to get a rope on his hind foot, giving Howe a chance to get
one over its head.
Not a Gun in Crowd

The frightened horses held the furious bear while the men
killed her with rocks as there wasnt a gun in the crowd. Campbell
roasted a piece of the meat, which wasnt particularly enjoyed.
Wallace Coburn got the hide and a short time later related the story
to his friend, Charles Russell, who was inspired to paint the picture.

Campbell says that every detail of the incident is brought out in

continued on page 4

SUPPORT THE TROOPS FUNDRAISER

According to Jackie Bird, organizer, it costs $50 to fill a box with goodies &
$15.45 in postage to mail it. She is currently mailing these boxes to 18 soldiers.

Please stop by for lunch and support a great cause!

Friday, August 15th

11:30 AM - 1 PM

Served under the National Guard canopy

First Community Bank Courtyard
2 nd Avenue South Glasgow

Proceeds will go towards items to send to the troops overseas

Another
scorcher
tomorrow

Tonight: Isolated showers and thunderstorms before

7pm. Partly cloudy, with a low around 66. East wind 5 to
11 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%.
Thursday: A 20 percent chance of showers and
thunderstorms after 1pm. Mostly sunny and hot, with a
high near 97. Northeast wind 5 to 8 mph.
Thursday Night: A 30 percent chance of showers and
thunderstorms, mainly after 7pm. Mostly cloudy, with a
low around 67. Northeast wind 7 to 10 mph.
Friday: A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms.
Mostly cloudy, with a high near 89. Northeast wind 5 to 7
mph.
Friday Night: A 40 percent chance of showers and
thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 63.
Northeast wind 6 to 9 mph.
Saturday: A 40 percent chance of showers and
thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 88. East wind
5 to 9 mph becoming south southeast in the afternoon.
Saturday Night: A chance of showers and thunderstorms.
Mostly cloudy, with a low around 61.
Sunday: A chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly
sunny, with a high near 88.
Monday: A slight chance of showers and thunderstorms.
Mostly sunny, with a high near 88.
Tuesday: A slight chance of showers and thunderstorms.
Mostly sunny, with a high near 89.

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the picture. It shows Reynolds and Howe just after roping the bear
and Shufelt trying to control his horse. Two riders are approaching
the scene.

The cowboys returned to the Square ranch on July 1 and were
informed by Jaycox that they would have about eight days riding to
do in the Missouri River Breaks. He advised them to travel light and
said that a man would stay at the ranch to look after their war bags
and belongings.

Returning to the ranch eight days later the men discovered
that someone had stolen two horses, hitched them to Jaycox spring
wagon and driven off with everything moveable. The man delegated
to stay at the ranch was gone.
Cambells $85 handmade saddle and Navajo saddle blanket were
gone as were guns, clothing and the bed rolls of the entire outfit.
Some time later the horses were found, but none of the cowboys
belongings were ever recovered.

a bunch of Indians camped on the creek skinned it and brought the

cowboys the hide and quarter of the meat. They thought it was a
cinnamon bear and it weighed between 500 and 700 pounds.

Wallace Coburn, one of those present, told Russell about the
bear about 1914 and Russell painted the picture.

Here are the names of the cowboys in that group: W.W. Jaycox,
foreman of the Square outfit, living at Lanark; Ray Campbell, sheriff
of Phillips County, Malta; Bernard Gibbons, Malta; Dan Martin,
Frazer; Frank McDonald, died at Poplar; Q. P. McClammy, Oswego;
Doc Corigan, Malta; Jim Ivy, died at Frazer; Orman Broom, Hinsdale;
Bob Ader, Hinsdale; Frank Howe, Arizona; Bill McClammy, Poplar;
Joe Reynolds, Frank Patterson and Morman Swain.

William J. Nankeman Memorial Rock

In the Larb Hills south of Saco on the spring roundup of 1904
the cowhands of the Square and DHS cow outfits successfully
lassoed and killed a large grizzly bear. Joe Reynolds, skillful rope
Story of Russell Painting of Lassoed Bear is Related, Great artist from the Long X, lassoed its hind paw and Frank Howe repping
Falls Tribune? Feb. 15, 1939, Poplar, Feb. 14 (Special)
the Circle C dropped his loop over its head. While they pulled in

This is the story of the killing of the big bear, painted by Charles opposite directions, Frank Patterson curved some well-aimed rocks
M. Russell, told by Bill McClammy of Poplar, one of the cowboys and then applied his jackknife and subdued the powerful bear
who caught the bear. In 1904, about 15 cowboys of the D.H.S. and without firing a shot. This unparalleled roping event was pictured
Square outfits had two wagons camped in the Larb Hills south of by Montana cowboy artist Charles M. Russell, Master Clerk and
Hinsdale. One night the night-hawk of the Square outfit lost part Recorder of the free open western range in one of his most famous
of his remuda. He came in with about half of the horses in the paintings which he titled Loops and Swift Horses are Surer than
morning. He told the cowboys something scared the horses during Lead. This monument commemorating the fiftieth anniversary of
the night, but they all made fun of him, saying he had gone to sleep the epic event is presented as a memorial gift to the citizens of the
on the job.
Saco community and the Historical Society of Montana by William

They started on a circle at daylight, with W.W. Jaycox, J. Nankeman, Saco, Montana, 1954. In honor of Montana Cowboy
foreman of his circle, who died recently at Hinsdale, leading. When artist Charles M. Russell, Pioneer cattlemen and cowboy riders.
three or four miles from camp they found the saddle horses lost the Square Brand cow outfit established 1884 by Milner Livestock
night before. Jaycox started two men back with the saddle horses. Co. Fort Benton, Montana Territory, Cowboys riding range: W.W.
Then one of the outfit saw the bear. The bear was just a little way Jaycox, Foreman; Ray Cambell, Cook; Bill Ator; Arman Broome;
from the horses.
Doc Corrigan; Bernard Gibson; Frank Howe; Bill McClammy; Frank

The men decided to catch him and all started out. The bear McDonald; Frank Patterson; Joe Reynolds; Charley Shufelt. DHS
started for the badlands and first one and then another cowboy quit Brand cow outfit established 1880 by A.J. Davis, S.T. Hauser and
the chase. Frank Patterson stuck to the chase and called back: Granville Stuart, Helena, Montana Territory. Cowboys riding range:
Come on, I got him. He had chased the bear into a deep, narrow Jim Swindle, Foreman; Joe DeGrew, cook; Jim Ivy; Dan Martin; Q.P.
coulee and the bear had turned. They tried to rope him but he would McClammy; Joe Parky; Nate Quinn; Al Shaw; Norman Swain; Bill
throw the rope. Finally someone roped a front foot and another a Todd; Jim Vail; Virginia Bill.
hind foot, and then they stretched him out. Patterson jumped off his
horse and cut his throat with his jackknife. They left the bear and Pioneer Cattleman in Montana: The Story of the Circle C Ranch

by Walt Coburn, 1968, University of Oklahoma Press

There was another incident that gained Frank Howe a certain
measure of immortality. In 1916, Charles M. Russell painted
a picture of three cowpunchers roping a bear in the Larb Hills of
Montana. The painting was titled Loops and Swift Horses are Surer
than Lead. The cowpuncher in the foreground on the bald-faced
roan horse, head-roping the bear, was none other than Frank Howe.
The cowpuncher on the white horse, who had roped the bear by the
hind legs, was Joe Reynolds, part owner of the Long X outfit. The
third rider on the spooked horse was the Shufeldt Kid who rode the
rough string for the Bear Paw Pool. The bear roping had taken place
during the fall roundup a year before the painting was done.

Wallace Coburn had told the bear-roping story to Charlie
Russell, and the artist, who was stickler for correct detail, took a
pack trip with Wallace into the Larb Hills. He took Frank Howe along
to get the factual background for the painting. The scene of the bear
roping was near the place where a few years earlier Wallace Coburn
had killed a silvertip grizzly she-bear and her three nearly grown
cubs without moving from where he was crouched behind a dead
tree. That was some sort of record for bear hunting.

Through Russells painting, Frank Howe attained his place
in the sun. Even in Arizona, where he later went to ramrod the
outfit Will and Bob Coburn owned near Globe, Howe was known
as the cowhand who roped the bear. The glass showcase that
held an old gun collection at Charlie Collins Saddle Shop at Globe,
Arizona, displayed a somewhat pocket-worn, fly-specked card with
the inscription: Bucket of Blood Saloon, Dodson, Montana. Frank
Howethe Man Who Roped the Bear, Owner and Proprietor. Have
One on the House!

Never a man inclined to hide his candlelight under his bed tarp,
this raconteur of the Montana cow country sang his own saga and
fashioned his own legend from the warp and weave of the tall tales
told at roundup campfires and in ranch bunkhouses on a long winter
evening.

during the night, taking their bunch quitters alongwas he getting

deaf?

Ray Campbell, who was the roundup cook and a good cowhand
in his own right, opined that the nighthawk must be tone-deef, and bill
Jaycox agreed he was shore-hell stuck with a night blind, tone-deef
nighthawk, and that was about the size of it.

It wasnt only the rain and thunder and lightnin poppin close,
the nighthawk kept trying to explain, that kept scattering the remuda
from hell to breakfast. It was somethin else that kept stampedin
the horses every time I let em scatter out to graze. I like to rode my
horse down hazin them scattered bunches back into the remuda.

The nighthawk suggested to Jaycox that it might be a good idea
to have a cowhand lope over to the DHS roundup that was camped
a couple of miles away and see if their nighthawk had spilled any
horses during the stormy night.

Ill swear on a stack of Bibles, the harassed nighthawk pleaded,
that it was some sort of spook that was boogerin my remuda last
night. Mebby a bunch of horsethieves, or the halfbreed Metis that
live in the Larb Hills.

Alibi Ike, Bill Jaycox snorted his disbelief. Ive got the one
and only night blind, bell-deef nighthawk in the Montana cow country.
Spooks and horsethieves, Injuns on the war trail! You been mixin
loco weed with your Bull Durham? Jaycox tossed his empty tin
coffee cup in the big dishpan and headed for the rope corral that held
the remuda, to rope out his horse for the morning circle. That was
the wagon boss manner of announcing that breakfast was over and
it was time for the cowhands to catch their morning horses.

Jaycox detailed several men to hunt for the missing horses,
then led the rest of the twenty-odd cowpunchers on early morning
circle, dropping them off in pairs to work the rough scrub-timbered
country.

It was one of those chilly mornings with spotty showers spilling
from the black-bellied thunderheads driven by a raw wind. The Larb
Hills was typical badlands country cut by deep box canyons, hogback
ridges and sandstone rimrock, spotted with scrub pines, buck brush,
Now, for a truly colorful recount...
and thorny clumps and tall thickets of wild berry bushes. A few miles
read to the end for a good chuckle!
distant was the wild plum thicket where the previous fall my halfPhillips County Museum by Walt Coburn in True West
brother, Wallace Coburn, had killed a big female silvertip grizzly and

In 1916, Charles M. Russell painted a picture of three her three big cubs one evening at sundown, thereby establishing
cowpunchers roping a bear in the badlands country of Montana, and some sort of a record for bear hunting.
following are the true facts behind this painting he titled Loops and
Jaycox and his circle riders were about three or four miles from
Swift Horses are Surer than Lead.
camp, scattering his men as he went along. He had dropped off Joe

On June 1, 1904, the Milner Square roundup with Bill Jaycox Reynolds, who was repping for the Reynolds Long X outfit; Frank
as wagon boss, was camped in the Larb Hills near the head of Larb Howe, the Circle C rep; and young Charlie Shufeldt, known as the
and Timber Creeks, north of the Missouri River. It was the spring Shufeldt Kid, a bronc rider who rode the rough string.
calf roundup and consisted of around twenty cowpunchers.

While riding along a scrub pine hog-back ridge Jaycox sighted

Rain had been falling off and on during the night, and when the the missing horses. They were bunched up and running, headed for
nighthawk brought in his remuda at daybreak and drifted them into camp like they had been found by the men detailed to hunt them.
the rope corral, he was missing about forty head of saddle horses. But there was no sign of any horsebackers hazing them towards

That morning at breakfast the luckless nighthawk was the butt camp, and as Jaycox watched the running bunch it was plain that
of a lot of rough joshing and hoorawing because of the horses he those horses had been spooked and were running scared just as the
had spilled and like as not the wagon boss, Bill Jaycox had chawed nighthawk had claimed.
him out for sloughing off on the job, accusing him of bushing up in
Jaycox motioned towards the running horses, calling out to his
the lee of some rimrock to get out of the rain that mebby he had circle riders that the nighthawk was correct as hell.
better pack a lantern instead of a midnight lunchhow come he
At about the same time Bill Jaycox had sighted the missing
hadnt kept close track of the bell horses that were apt to stray off continued on page 7

TWO STORY 4 PLEX

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horses, Joe Reynolds and Frank Howe and Shufeldt Kid had caught
sight of them at a much closer range, and saw what was causing the
stampede. It was a big bear following a short distance behind the
frightened horses at a seemingly clumsy loping gait but surprisingly
fast.

Head him off! Frank Howe shouted and took down his ketch
rope, shaking a loop out as he gigged his horse with the spurs. Joe
Reynolds and the Shufeldt Kid were already spurring their horses to
a run, loops built in their ketch ropes. The three riders traveled at a
high lope to head off the big bear.

Let it be said here and now for the benefit of any reader
unfamiliar with the Montana cow country or unaccustomed to the
instinct of horseflesh, that the sight and pungent odor of a bear was
synonomous with danger. Even a gentle broke saddle horse would
become badly frightened at bear scent. The animal stench of a bear
would flare any horses nostrils and doubly terrifying was the sight of
a charging bear. That warning instinct of danger was especially true
of the cow country range horses which were at the mercy of prowling
wolves and coyote packs, mountain lions and bears, any hungry
beast of prey in search of fresh meatbut bears in particular.

At sight of the three rapidly approaching horsebackers the
loping bear halted in its tracks. When the riders came nearer,
coming at him from three separate directions to hold him trapped,
the bear reared up on its hind legs, prepared to do battle.

The Shufeldt Kids green-broke bronc showed less fear than
the broke cow horses of the other two men. The Kid was a good
bronc rider, wild and reckless as they came, and he spurred the
bronc close as he swung his loop. As the loop left his hand the
bronc whirled and the bears forepaw combed a bunch of hair from
the horses tail. The loop missed its throw by a narrow margin, and
the spooked bronc bogged its head and commenced pitching and
snorting. From then on the Shufeldt Kid had his hands full to keep
from being bucked off and set afoot while his loose horse stampeded.

Frank Howe spurred his frightened horse close enough to
try his luck. His big loop settled down over the bears head, but
before Howe could jerk up the slack the bear pawed the loop off with
one swift swipe of its paw, and Howes horse whirled and tried to
stampede.

Joe Reynolds spurred his horse near enough to try his luck.
As his loop went across the head of the bear, still on its hind legs,
the bears paw shook off the loop. Joes horse shied off and tried to
pitch but Joe yanked his head up as he crowhopped and tried for a
fast getaway.

Frank Howe then spurred in for a second try. As he threw his
loop, his horse shied off and the loop missed. The bear suddenly
decided to make a run for it.

As he dropped down on all fours and started off at his fast
clumsy lope Reynolds spurred his reluctant horse in pursuit. They
closed the gap, Reynolds roped the bear by a hind leg, jerked up the
slack and reined off. Thrown off balance, the bear rolled over on its
hindquarters and was dragged along by the saddle horn.

Frank Howe spurred in close, swinging a hungry loop that
head-roped the bear. Howe jerked up the slack, taking his dally
wraps around the saddle horn as he reined off. The noose jerked
tight around the bears thick neck, and the next moment he was
stretched out, choking down.

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The choked animal sounds and the close-up rank stench of
the hairy pelt put terror in both rope horses and Reynolds and Howe
were hard put to handle them. For a while, it was a tug-of-war and
odds in favor of the fighting bear whether or not the two spooked
horses would force their riders to turn loose their dally wraps on the
saddle horn to prevent a pile up of bear, horses, and men.

By that time several cowhands had ridden up, ropes down and
loops built and each man trying to control his frightened horse.

Shoot the bear! Gods sake! Shoot him in the head! Frank
Howe cried out, and Joe Reynolds was seconding the motion in
colorful profanity. But nary a cowpuncher there packed a six shooter
that morning, having left their guns behind in warsacks and bedrolls.

Finally, at long last, with the bear choked down and gasping,
the angry snarls were no longer heard and the stretched out animal
had quit struggling. A cowhand named Frank Patterson dismounted
and opened the big blade of his jackknife. Other cowpunchers on
foot grabbed big rocks and began beating on the bears head, while
Patterson was struggling through the thick matted neck hair to cut
the throat of the slowly dying beast. It was not until after the bears
throat had been cut and its skull beaten in by rocks and it was dead
beyond all doubt that Frank Howe and Joe Reynolds released their
dally wraps around their saddle horns to slacken the taut ropes.

The bear was turned over to Pete Beaucrafts, a FrenchCanadian Metis breed, who was camped on the creek hunting
wolves. Pete and his squaw skinned the hide and kept all the meat
except a hind quarter which the outfits divided between them.

Petes squaw tanned the hide and gave it to Wallace Coburn to
place in his trophy room at the Circle C Ranch.The cinnamon bear
was full grown female they judged to weight between 600 and 750
pounds.

Ray Campbell, in later years Sheriff of Phillips County, who
was then working as roundup cook for the Milner Square outfit,
described the bear roast he cooked as being tough and gamy.
Somewhat of an understatement, according to Doc Corrigan who
was repping for the 76 with the Milner Square wagon. Doc said
when he cut off a big hunk of the roasted bear meat with the blade
of his jackknife and shoved it into his mouth, it had a rank taste and
was as tough as chawing on an old cowhide. The longer he chawed

continued on back page

the tougher it got, swelling one side of his jaw for all the world like a
lump-jawed steer. He was about to choke down, when all of sudden
he puked up the big hunk of swole-up bear meat, and his unhinged
jaws popped back in their sockets loud as a .22 pistol shot. Doc
said if anybody ever mentioned bear meat to him again hed bend a
six-shooter barrel across their boneheaded skulls.
From Rose Stoneberg:

The roping of the bear in the Montana badlands of the Larb Hills
thus made its notch in cow country history. The story was told more
than once by Frank Howe around roundup camps and bunkhouses
when I was present to listen. The pertinent facts of Frank Howes
version of the three cowhands roping the bear are identical with the
story Ray Campbell told in a written statement made at Malta when he
was Sheriff of Phillips county in 1954, at the time Mr. W.J. Nankeman
of Saco, Montana was compiling historical data for the plaque on a
boulder monument at Saco, in commemoration of the roping of the
bear and the Charles M. Russell painting depicting the event.

I have also in my files a duplicate of a statement relating the
story of the bear roping made by Jim Swendell, wagon boss of the
DHS roundup, and Q.P. McClammy, a cowpuncher working for the
DHS.

Since Jim Swendells version of the roping is somewhat
vague regarding the identity of the actual ropers, and brings Frank
Patterson, one of the Milner Square cowhands into the picture,
allow me to quote a few paragraphs of his statement regarding the
roping of the bear.

They started out on circle at daybreak with W.W. (Bill) Jaycox
leading circle. When three or four miles from camp they found the
saddle horses, lost the night before. Jaycox started two men back
with the saddle horses. Then one of the cowboys saw the bear.
The bear was just a little ways from the horses.

The men decided to catch the bear and started out. The
bear started for the badlands, and first one cowboy and then
another cowboy quit the chase. Frank Patterson, who was riding
a somewhat locoed horse was able to get the horse to do most
anything, due to the fact that he was somewhat locoed. He stuck
to the chase, whipping the bear at every other jump with the end of
his lariat. He chased the bear into a deep narrow coulee and called
back, Come on, I got her! The bear then turned, making a strike at
Pattersons horse. The bear missed the horse, but caught the tail
and pulled her claws full of hair from the horses tail.

They tried to rope the bear but the bear would push the rope
back over her head. Finally someone roped a front paw, then another
(roped) a hind leg. They stretched her out. Somehow, none of the
cowboys happened to have a gun that morning, whereupon after
throwing several well aimed rocks at the bears head, Patterson
jumped from his horse, and cut the bears throat with his jackknife,
having a tough time doing it.

From then on the Patterson horse was called the Bear Horse
because he followed the bear.

Save for a few minor discrepancies the main details of
the roping of the bear are much the same. Put the two versions
together and you might get the true story, but undoubtedly it was
Joe Reynolds of the Long X and Frank Howe of the Circle C who
were the actual ropers, with the Shufeldt Kid (Charlie Shufeldt) there

at the scene.

The roping of the bear took place in 1904 and it has been over
forty years since I heard the story as told by Frank Howe and Joe
Reynolds. Let it be said that Frank Howe was a natural story teller
around the roundup camps and bunkhouses, and while I had heard
him relate the story of the bear roping many times, he never told the
exact same story twice, and I have only vague recollection of his
mentioning that Frank Patterson was riding a half-loco horse.

Frank Howe and Joe Reynolds have long since departed on
that last ride across the Big Divide, and Bill Jaycox has long gone
to the Shadow Hills. I doubt very much if any of the cowpunchers
working for the Milner Square or the DHS outfits are still alive. To
the best of my recollection Sheriff Ray Campbell has gone on the
Long Circle.

It was Wallace Coburn who told the story of the roping of the
bear to his lifelong friend, Charlie Russell. Since the cowboy artist
was a stickler for details he had Wallace take him on a pack trip to
the actual scene in the Larb Hills where the roping took place, and
they took Frank Howe along to explain how it really happened.

In his painting that bears the date 1916, Charles M. Russell
has captured the badlands country of the Larb Hills in perfect detail
as I remember it. The clumps of wet sagebrush in the foreground
were typical of the badlands. The only discrepancy in the painting
is that Frank Howe is wearing a cartridge belt and holstered sixshooter. None of the cowhands had a gun that day.

In the 1916 painting, the bear depicted is a silvertip grizzly.
Thus Charlie Russell made use of his artists prerogative to change
the big Cinnamon Bear to the more ferocious silvertip grizzly.