The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1884-06-19
RYERSON's TAME BEAR.
A Painful Result of Forgetfulness on
the Part of the Landlord.

49, = y y =
"a good many folks think. when they
see Shorty Ryerson for the fus' time,
that some time or other he must ha'
ben LAWN in the saw mill whar the
log had orter ben, with the mill a-goin'
full split; but that amt it." said Sol,
landlord of the tavern at Soils Ridge.
Shorty Ryerson had just gone out.
There was nothing remarkable about
his appearance except that he was less
than five foot high. and that every
square inch of ono side of his face was
scar. sta .ra ..i. f5s .
No, that want it," said old Sol.
'..Ye see, goin' onter five year ago |
had Il tame bar, an KEEP him chained
to that pole out thar in the road. Him
an Shorty was p'ticklar good friends,
an when Shorty want doin' nothin',
which were giner'lly from daylight one
mornin' till daylight mex mornin',
countin' Sundays. he war out thar fool
in with that bar. They'd cuddle
down together and 60 TO sleep, Shorty
an the bar would, jcs' rs nat'ral 'zif
they were both brs. an it got SO that
when Shorty happened TO be away fur
ten minutes the bar ii get so Uneasy
that We could hear him bcller like a
baby all round the Ridge. Shorty
larnt the bar heap o smart tricks.
an business was s'pended half the
time, an the folks all out a-watchin'
him putin the bar through what he
know'd.
1.-The thing that tickled 'em most
was the boxin' matches Shorty an the
bard give. Shorty had rarnt that
bar so he'd stan up an spar with him
ez nat'ral ez life, an l swan if 'twa'nt
sight good fur lifetime to see 'em
stan thar an bat away at one another
ez if they was fightin' fur money an
! the stakes was up. Mother thing that
usety to take the town down was the
way that bard walk into the tavern
| with Shorty whenever any one invited
| him to take sumpin', and stan thar
'longside O. him an take his glass o.
rum ez good ez the best ON 'em. That
bar were harvest fur Shorty, fur
everybody that'd come along'd haf to
call fur Shorty an Solomon-Shorty
named the bar Solomon cause he
knowed so terrible much-they'd all
call Shorty an Solomon in to hev
Shorty an the bar had ther wuthless
skins full pooty much all the time.
They got to be the hardest drinkers on
the Ridge, an l usety say that the fust
thing they'd both git the jams.
''Wall, by-an'-by Shorty and the b ar
| got to be a nuisance. got tired O.
seein' 'em p'formin' out thar in the
road, an suckin' rum, an the hull
town spendin' its time q watchin' 'em,
an threatened time an agin to shoot
the durn bar an stop the hull business.
But hated to do it, an KEEP putin
up with it, an takin' it out in cussin'.
| Shorty alluz commenced business with
the bar long about daylight, an the fust
thing on the programme were alluz a
sparrin' match. One nice mornin' in
| June Shorty come sluffin' down ez us
ual to begin the days work. The bar
were cuddled up round the pole.
Shorty give him whack on the side
an holIcrs out: Come Solomon! Git
up an put up yer flippers.'
The bar got up an put up his flip
pers. Ye see whar that panel o board
fence is, up thar by the hen house?
Wall, Shorty were picked up right thar.
They took him hum an sewed his face
up ez good ez they could, an the bar
were gone when Shorty came back to
the tavern six weeks artcrw'ds He
never asked no questions 'cept to say.
Sol must ha' had the jams, didn't hep
"Ye see, the night afore the bar put
up his flippers to Shorty, ez told ye,
an arter ev'ry body had gone hum TIL
were peddier come long TO stop all
night. He had darn ugly bar with
him that he'd traded fur. and the idee
struck me to swap Solomon fur thai
bar an $40 to boot. an did. The
! new b ar were chained to the pole. an
by daylight mex morning Solomon were
on his way East. An ye see. l furgot
to SEN word to Shorty bout the dicker.