Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1886-12-02
The Farmer and the Bear.


Joseph McCue of Sullivan county is
little set in his opinions, but owns up
like man when he finds that he is wrong,
says the New York Sun. The other day
he was working in his turnip patch.
which is. right across the road from his
house. There are not many neighbors in
the part of Sullivan county where Mr..
McCus's farm is, which is the BeaverkilI
country, near the Ulster county line.
Mr.. McCue had heard quail whistling in
his turnip patch, and had taken his
gun with him, thinking that may be
he might get the quail for his supper.
As the farmer worked he was finally
brought with his face toward the road,
and he caught glimpse of something
himself up. As he looked toward the
ROAD MS eyes opened very wide. As they
opened Mr.. McCue exclaimed:
by jee!"
What the farmer saw was a bear, aud
it was slouching deliberately along in the
road past the house. There was nothing
but bird shot in Farmer McCue's gun,
but he felt that he must get that bear
He seized the gun and fired both barrel
at bruin. The bear stopped, looked&
deprecatery manner at /
farmer, and then passed on. Th,
farmer watched it until it disappeared in
a bend of the road. Then he examined
the hammer of his gun and blew in the
barrels. Satisfied that the gun had gone
off, he exclaimed:
missed him, by jee!'
Farraer McCue finished his work in the
turnip field and went to the house.
'If l had gone out loaded for bear,"-
said he to his wife, 81 couldn't have seen
my way, the quails would have been so
thick. But there / was laying for auai.
and what do 1 flush but a bear as big as a
yearling colt! If that bear bothers me
tomorrow, though, I'll be sorry for him,
and I'll load the old gun now. Mother,
count me out thirty-seven buckshot for
each barrel"
You mean nine, Joseph" said Mrs. Nc
Cue.
"Thirty-seven, mother, for each bar
rel"
Nine buckshot, Joseph, is big load
for any gun, and will kill an elephant"
Mine buckshot won't hurt coon,
mother, and I'm after bear. Thirty
seven is what l want, but it isn't enough.
I've notion to put in forty-seven, to make
sure. No, I'll take thirty seven; but thir-
ty-seVen amt enough"
So Farmer McCue put in a double charge
of powder and thirty-sevsn buckshot in
each barrel. Mr.. McCue is good farmer,
but his early education as hunter was
sadly neglected.
Nov let the bear trespass on me
again, by jee!' said Farmer McC,e
The next day he went to work again in
his turnip field. The gun, loaded for the
bear, was with him. He had no idea of
seeing the bear, so that when, in making
turn in the field, he came almost face to-
face with it, evidently enjoying itself
among the turniPs, from the way it was
pulling them up and munching them, the
farmer was obliged to open his eyes wide
again and exclaim, with more vigor than
before:
"By jee!"
Farmer McCue was bound to get the
bear, however, and backing off a few
feet to where his gun lay, be picked it
up, took good aim at the bear, and fired
Mrs. McCue heard the report at the
house. 1t made the windows rattle, and
reverberated among the hills like a Fourth
of July salute. The farmers wife ran to
the door and looked over into the turnip
field. There was thick cloud of smoke
over by the stone wall where she had last
seen her husband at work.
"Joseph must have killed the bear" she
said.
But there was no bear and no Joseph
to be seen. Mrs. McCue ran down into
the field. She had not gone far before
she saw the body of the bear stretched
out among the turnips. Looking farther
she saw Farmer McCue also stretched out
among the turnips as stiff as the bear.
Just then Farmer Rose and his son,
neighbors, happened to be driving by.
Mrs. McCue hailed them. They carried
Mr.. McCue into the house. One side of
his face was as black as his hat and swol-
len three times its natural
size. His right shoulder was
dislocated and his arm
was black and blue from the shoulder to
the elbow. It was good while before he
could be brought to. Then he opened
his left eye, and looking at his wife, said
firmly, but feebly:
Mother, thirty seven is enough"
There was a hole through the bear
amidships big enough to run a stovepipe
in. Farmer McCue, little set In his
opinion as he is, but willing to OWE up
like man when he finds he is wrong, !