The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1884-01-24
T ale OF a Turnkey.

ITO look at my gray hair said jolly
Jake Graf, the big-hearted head turn.
key at the county Jail to q Commercial
reporter, ''you wouldn't think that
was only forty-tive years of age, would
you?" The reporter admitted that he
looked much older, and that almost
anybody would take him to be at least
| three score and ten.
"Well, I'll tell you the cause of these
gray hairs" continued the good-natured
turnkey, as he handed whole plug of
tobacco through the bars to a prisoner
who had timidly asked him for a chew.
at happened just seventeen years ago
| tomorrow, when | was macninist.
| was sent down to Mississippi County,
Arkansas, by Ainslie, Cochran & Co. to
put up some machinery. Between the
river and where I was stopping was a
distance of about twenty miles, and it
was pretty much swamp land all the
way. One time [ went over to the river
to take boat bound for Memphis, but
when got to the landing | found that
the boat had already passed. 1t was
late at night, and asno other boat would
be along until the next day, concluded
to walk back about three miles and put
up until daylight at a farmhouse. The
night was pitch dark, and on the way
back got off the road, and the first
thing l knew [ was in a swamp up to
my waist. | got turned completely
around, and the more I waded around
the worse off | got. While was wading
around | suddenly heard something
splashing around in the water about 200
feet from me, and it seemed to be draw
ing nearer to me all the time listened,
and sure enough, there was something
approaching, and could not imagine
what it was. called ''Who comes
there?" but there was no answer, and
then began to. get scared, for / knew
there were lots of bears in that part of
the country. l had my pistols out, one
in each hand, and bowie-k knife be-
tween my teeth. When the thing got
within thirty feet of me it stopped,
laundering around in the water awhile,
and then it went back few feet, but
only for a few minutes, for it came
toward me again, coming just about as
close as it did at first. | then saw that
it was great big black bear, and that
it was trying to get at me, but it was
afraid it might strike deep water. It
sat right down on its launches and
there it stayed. | was afraid to shoot
at it for fear of only wounding it, which
would have made it so mad that it
would have taken the chances of drown
ing to get at me. So there | stood in
that one spot, in water up to my waist,
for three hours and half, until some
people living about mile off came to
my rescue. / tell you was glad to get
out alive, but the next day When I
looked in the glass / found that my
black hair was streaked with gray
That's pretty tough story, Jacob"
remarked the reporter.
Yes, you can bet it's true, every
word of it, " replied the fat turnkey.
at may be; but if the night was so
frightfully dark how could you distin-
guish bear at so great distanceP'
"Why, I happened to have some
matches and piece of candle with me,
and when the bear came back the sec
ond time and sat down in the water,
lit the candle. And it was the candle
that saved my life, for it burned long
enough to attract the attention of the
people spoke of, and it was Just about
to flicker out when they came up and
shot the bear. "-LouisUlLIe Commercial