Hank Sharp Ropes a Bear as told by Joe Pearce and originally published in the Apache County Historical
Society Quarterly.
The wide open cattle ranges during the early settlement of Arizona were ruled by smoking rifles,
but in this case the range was domineered by a sea grass rope in the hands of a cowboy.  The Twenty
Four Cattle Company owned by Englishmen by the name of Smith and Tee headquarters were located
about twelve miles north of Springerville.  Their summer range in the White Mountains ran from what is
now known as McNary to Sheep Springs.  Hank Sharp was the range foreman.

A big grizzly was roaming around the summer range, killing cattle wantonly.  With the cattle
being so numerous, he didn’t try to eat them.  The bear lost two toes on one of his front feet when he
pulled himself out of a steel trap.  Packs of wolves, coyotes, lion and bear would follow his bloody trail
and never went hungry.  Many animals ate the poisoned bait and stepped into the steel traps set for the
killer bear.  He would hang around water holes and springs where the cattle watered down in more level
country where he could pounce down on upon his prey.  After his kill, he would lumber off into the deep
canyon of Whiteriver and hole up in caves and secluded places.

A reward of two hundred dollars was being offered by the big company whose ten thousand
cows wore the 24 brand.  The local stockmen or livestock association placed a like reward for the killer,
which attracted many hunters and trappers to the summer range.  True, the trappers killed a number of
bear and wolves, but the bear out-smarted them and always make his getaway.

Hank Sharp, the range foreman, often said to his men that he would lay his line (rope) anything
that roamed the White Mountains.

The 24 had a dun-colored cutting horse that was brought in on the big trail herds from Texas
and was used for no other purpose.  Hank would ride him on short trips where roping was involved.  The
roundup was at Haystack Cienega about four miles east of where the big lumber camp of McNary is
now.  Hank was piloting the chuck wagon into the cienega when he and the cook spied a bear nipping at
the heels of a steer, going at high speed right through the willows.

The story in Hank’s own words:  “I built me a rather small loop, patted my horse and said,
“Come on Alamo.  Let’s go get them.”  I dropped right in behind the bear and down through the willows
we went.  Alamo was fast and seemingly had no fear of the bear.  As the bear was so engaged in the
chase, he had no time to look around and as he passed a small glade, right on level ground, I gave a
couple of hard swings and let out some forty feet of rope which was tied hard and fast to the saddle
horn.  The loop went right around the bear’s wooly head.  Alamo set his hind feet in the ground and
gave the old bruin a helluva jerk, flopping him on his side.  As soon as the bear got up, I made a side run
on him and jerked him mighty hard, but we just couldn’t move him as there was too much port on my
line.  I then tried to snake him, but old Alamo was not strong enough.  The old bruin was trying to pull
the rope off his neck so I kept the rope taut.  I could see that he was not enjoying the show.

At this juncture, the cook saw the boys coming in with the roundup.  Waving his hat at the boys
in the lead to come at once, pointing at my trouble with the bear,  they came at high speed in time to
see the bear make a quick run and jumped with his front feet right up on Alamo’s hips.  With his mouth
wide open, he bit at me but missed a little and bit the cantle of the saddle, taking a mouthful of wool
and rawhide.  I could see he had big white teeth as he snapped at me and tore the seat of my saddle.
Mr. Smith, the owner, arrived in time to see that.  I now wanted to get loose, but had no time to finger
around in my pocket for a pocket knife to cut the rope.  I sure did keep the rope taut and jerked him to
keep his mind off me till help came.

The first boy tried to heel the bear as he ran by but his horse shied off and he missed.  The next
boy threw his rope string to catch the bear around his neck but my rope threw his loop away.  Next
came Henry Beeler who had his .45 out.  I told Beeler to shoot fast and damned straight when he started
as the bear would sure make fight on me as soon as he was wounded.  Beeler emptied his .45 out and
made every shot tell, hitting the bear where ever it happened to be.  The old cattle killer bear slowly
spread himself out on the ground. I told the boys that me and Alamo had tussled with the killer over an
hour, but I guess it was only about fifteen minutes.

Mr. Smith aided in skinning the bear and had the head cut off to remain on the hide.  Hank gave
the hide to Mr. Smith, who had it tanned and mounted.  When he returned to England, he presented
the skin to the Queen of England.  Placed in Buckingham Palace the skin can be seen by all who might be
interested.  The skin was a large as the biggest cow hides in the White Mountains.

Mr. Smith, after the cattle ranches were sold, gave Hank old Alamo.  Alamo was kept and given
his freedom at the Hank Sharp Ranch in Nutrioso, Arizona.  The faithful old horse was fed and groomed
by Hank and during his last days refused to eat his grain unless it was given to him by Hank.  The old
horse was given a right decent burial, which brought tears to the eyes of those who participated in his
final rites.

This is a true story, well-known by many pioneer cowmen and citizens of ApacheCounty.  While
seated around the chuck wagon at dinner that day, Hank had little to say, but did say, “Boys, I have said
that I would lay my line to anything that roamed the White Mountains, but I have now changed my
mind.”

From “Lest Ye Forget” 1980