In this contemporary picture of Lola’s cottage on Mill Street in Grass Valley, you can see a bear and a lady on the right. Lola Montez was fond of animals and kept a grizzly bear cubs in her yard. You can see that the bear is on a chain.
Lola met with an accident with her pet while feeding him sugar cubes from her hand. A report from Grass Valley published in the Sacramento Daily Union stated:
The event of most general interest in town today is the attack on Madame Lola Montez by her pet grizzly bear. While feeding him with sugar from her hand, he caught her hand in his mouth, and wounded it badly; he struck at her with his paw, but fortunately did not reach her. A man standing near caught a club, and by a stroke across bruin’s head, caused him to let go his hold, and thereby probably saved the life of the Countess. (9 February 1854)
The story was widely reported. Frank Soule, journalist and editor of the California Chronicle, responded in verse
Lola and Her Pet One day when the season was drizzly, And outside amusement were wet, Fair Lola paid court to her grizzly, And undertook petting her pet. But ah, it was not the Bavarian, Who softened so under her hand, No ermined kind octogenarian, But Bruin, coarse cub of the land. So all her caresses combatting, He crushed her white slender hand flat, Refusing his love to her patting, As she refused hers to Pat. On, had her pet been him whose glory And title were won on the field, Less bloodless hap ended this story, More easy her hand had been Heald! But since she was bitten by Bruin, The question is anxiously plied; Not if 'tis the Countess's ruin, But whether the poor bear has died?
(“Pat” refers to her third husband, Patrick Hull. “Heald” (George Heald) was her second husband, whose name she continued to use after she kicked out Pat Hull.)
goldfields 
Octogenarian Bavarian 1854? Ludwig I. was still in his 60’ties 1854. A bit older than Lola but not that old.
True. I think the poet went with Octogenarian Bavarian for exaggeration and for the sake of the rhyme.
Tanks for sharing the Information. A descendant of Ludwig I. hypothetical Ludwig IV (Prince Ludwig) married here in Munich in May 2023 in the Theatinerkirche. Lola fled into this church on one occation 1848 and was rescued by Ludwig I. I recently followed her traces in Munich. https://duck-links.com/ludwig-i-lola-munich-besar-good-enough-for-the-old-brush/
Thank you for the tour of Munich and Lola’s world. Love the ducks!
Yesterday I was visiting the BMW Museum (car builder) in Munich and came across this information. Which I thought I should share in case you haven’t heard about it.
BMW in the car racing field worked together with a British race car engineering company in operation to 2012: “Lola Cars”.
“Lola Cars” was founded 1958, The name, according to Wikipedia, was inspired by the popular music hit of that time:
“Whatever Lola wants” (Lola gets). Which was inspired by Lola Montez. Covered by many artists. I love Patti Page’s version with the “Video” from the Patti Page Show.
Long time Brand Ambassador for BMW is Grand-Grand-Grand-Grandson of King Ludwig I., Leopold Rupprecht Ludwig Ferdinand Adalbert Friedrich Prince of Bavaria (“Poldi”, successful race car driver for BMW and now also fashion designer). Member of the Jet Set here in Bavaria.
Lola cars — that’s delightful!