The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-05-05
A Phunny Bear Story.

TO the Editor of the indianapolis Journals
Once upon time there was bear-there were
two or three of them-for that matter the woods
were full of them, as it were and they played
the mischief generally with the pigs Of the
neighborhood. This SO aroused the farmers of
Southwestern Pennsylvania"-f it was there
this all happsned-that they declared war upon
all bears, and upon one old bear in particular,
and the farmers sailed forth to kill, slay and
destroy One man with an old fiint-look fuse,
and three others with clubs formed league, Of
fensve and defensive, the principal purpose be-
ing to avoid danger and get bear meat They
were not long In freeing the old bear At long
range the gunner fred and the elubbers -four
ished their clubs, daring his bearship to come
down, the very thing they most dreaded and
which the bear refused to do. While thus ca
vorting at safe distance young man came
who meant to kill the bear He cimed the tree,
and plunged knife into the heart of the beast
and the bear dropped to the ground dead. The
young man then descended. kicked the dead
brute, waved his bloody knife and sighed for
more bears to kill and went a hunting them
Seeing the bear dead, he of the fint-lock and
they of the clubs cautiously approached the
carcass and tenderly skinned and quartered it,
breathing out contempt for the brutal man that
would stab defenseless bear and then wave
bloody knife and threaten all bears with o like
fate, and then each complacently carried a
on it.
Moral: The hero went out bear killing.
He cared not a copper for the meat He
wanted to protect his pigs, If it required the
killing of every bear in Pennsylvania, and he
was proud of his achievement; the others wanted
meat but would rather do without than to ex
pose their precious bodies to danger. They
were eager enough to enjoy the usufruct, bot
begged to be excused from the hazard of killing
the animal and feigned contempt for the man
who did
Now this pretty little story hath an applica-
tion Once upon a time lot of rebels played
havoc upon the Union, and Union men resolved
to clear them out, whereupon nearly every body
enlisted. Some took harmless weapons and
fused around furiously but were always care
full to keep out of harms way, never getting
nearer danger than the hospital camp. OF
course they wanted the rebels cleaned out but
they did not want to hurt anybody, and, least Of
all. to get hurt But now and then there was
an earnest man who. like the young man in the
story, meant business, and in due time the Re-
bellion was fiat on it's back. These earnest men
kicked 1T, after il dead, and hourished the
bloody shirts 1t had caused as at once a badge of
valor on their part and cruelty on the part of
the rebels. They never stopped to pick MP
spoils. but they never forgot their sacrifices in
the cause of their country aud never for a
moment imagined that rebel. dead or alive
was as good man as loyal soldier, or that he
ought to be intrusted with Office or honor and
now come the camp followers, and the home
guards, and those who fought at long range or
never fought at all, but played doctor, or chap
lain. or sutler, or. In some way, skinned the
dead bear and chartered him, and it is amusing
to heae tfem cry: Bloody shirt" The cruel
truth! o pshaw! They can't deceive honest
and brave men. The men who killed the bear
have right to wave the bloody shirt, and they
will wave it. u. l. SEE