New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-12-02
THE STORY or RUDE
THE INTERESTING HABITS OF A PET BEAR.

scranton Penn DEC lone Of the most interest
Inc animate that the writer has seen While traVcne
| through many OF the wild regions ana ru'ai
OF Northwestern PENNSYLVANIA this fall Is tsine oeN
which Is owned By Jacob Muicr who lives ABOUT "i'o
miles cast OF stoddardsvie. The bear was wear olI
last spring and Mr.. Muer caught IL IN the BIZ MARSH
near the foo. OF Locust Ridge. when It was ONLY for
| night old. There other cubs in the nest and
Mr. Multcr SAYS that he snatcbed tho little animal ND
and ran away with without being Obliged 10 kill the
mother az sho ferc at tho time. AMI did not
appear while he making away with the little one.
He reached home safely with his hairy ltile captive,
and he heard the next day that two fshcrmom who
were crossing the edge Of the marsh had boon attacked
by an Old she bear about hour after he had left there
with the cub She rowing around In search OF
her young one. and she made sucn fierce attack on
the fishermen that they had TO fight for their lives by
beating her with stones and clubs and such other wcap-
ons as they found ready at hand. mono Of them hal
| gun or pistol with him. She followed them for
nearly half a mile. and then she gave up the fight
and disappeared in the bushes. she was undonDenIN'
| tho cubs mother. and Mr.. Muller thinks sha 3 sun
lIvi.g % tie ncghborhood 81 re rsrSn.
It was male cub that Mr.. Mutcr had captured so
successfully and he named him Rube, and began TO
| tame him right away lie saws that he tfcaied tho
little bear with great kindness. and that he cot along
great deal better and faster with Rubc bv being KIND
| 10 him than he would have done u he had mauled MIN
around and abused him IN other ways. AZ hrs' Rube
mourncd like baby for his mother and pined awav
a good deal He whned and took on terribly IL some
one did not feed and pet him oftrn but he got all over
! tina, IN tho course of three or four weeks DIT.
Multcrs folks fed him milk and soft fool that he hci
and could eat. and once in n while they gave him
lump Of wild honey that made him feel very happy.
At night Mr.. Mulcr let Rdbe sleep in basket Of
straw near the fireplace and the little cub soon got
used TO that kind of life and IT wasn't many weeks
before he was as tame sud gentle anil playful as a
kitten lie seemed TO forget that ne had ever had a
r,other 50 contentcd with his surroundings had be
become and he played with Mr. Nul'ors dog Tfge
lust as though he dog himself The dog took
kindly to the young bear from the START lie appeared
TO admire Rube. and he hung around him GOOD
| dsr OF the tlmo. Afcr the cub hal grown strong
and big he played so fast and roughly that the dog
would got tired and 60 and hide himself In the barn.
where the bear couldn't get at him. Now and thcn
| TIC got mad at the way RuDe tumbled him about,
and at such times he snappcl at the little bear bn'
the latter took II in good and they were friends
again i'm no time. Mr. Multer says that RUDE never
showed any inclination to iniurc the dog. no matter
how angry I'ce might become over the bears rough
| play.
Rube often tried 10 mako free with MT. Multers
| old cat but she had never seen any animal around
bc,o that looked AT all like the little bear or acted
| as he did. and az first she seemed to be determined
not TO have anything to do with him. She gave him
scratch on the nose or a cuff on the law every time
he undertook 70 plav with her. and the way she spt
and Kissed astonshed him so much that he hnaF got
so that he kept out Of the reach Of her sharp claws
He would eve her and make believe that he was going
to spring upon her and she would hump I'D her oack
and show her teeth IN return. and then Rube would
lie out fiat with his nose between his paws ana give
her TO understand that he was not as dangerous an
animal as she took him to be- In course OF time the
vonng bear the old cats affections and after that
he hadn't friend on the premises than shs was
sbo often ctddled up with him in the wood-box or on
tho grass cut In tho yard and. In case he became TOO
playful 10 suit her. Instead OF scratching him. she
skinned up tree or ran out Of his reach From
that time on there trouble between tie young
bear and the old cat
Mr. Nul'or had a flock OF geese and Rube thrashcd
around among them whenever he felt full Of play
His antics did not please tho old gander at all, and
that watchful master of the ock had to walop Ruoe
several times before he had enough TO let the
geese alone. Then RUDE made effort TO Interest
the hogs in hi, playful pranEs but they only became
| frightened and scampcrcd of into the beech woods.
where thew STAYED for hours Finding that he couldn't
have anv FUN with either the hogs or the ganders
| family Rube made the hens nv around good deal
and when he grew tired Of that. he stirred up the
ducks down bv the brook and set them to ouac king and
! hucring at great rate.
During his first year OF captivity. he was extremely
naulstve at times. and once he paid dearly Tor med
unng with something tha1 lie had no business WIN
there were hives Oi bees IN small lot Dach VI
| Mr. aiulcr's hOLse and lube Was ABOUT mitc
months oid he aOseu arouna one OF the hi'cs Id"eI
a. . ccat near lls uas. ANA nnaiN acted III such 4
uolstcrU1s that bees armed out A. alt All
over head lhey stung him meiciiessiI and lie
rDAed ana tumbeu IN the gia,s whlncd win pam
| until MS master went out anu TOOK care OF HIM. Inc
aDDned various bee-sting remedies 10 poor RUDE 5
| swollen head. and he recovered Ia a DAY or two. but
ne never the hives after that
thai Tune on the family tOOA eAccIIcnt care Vi
Rubr and he GREW very tast AL through The summer
fat. Iha 1rpn u.rs
and mischevous nule ouadrupod. ana ANY thhs ho
dd grcstv amused them and made them Ike hnl more
Along the fail he gOt ia the nouoh Oh iOho"hS INC
cows into the brakc and berry patches a4i thioush
the sA alley places whore they got their TODD and he
and a vealng hcifcr eventually became very much a.
| tacncd another. inc heifcr tooh hhuN W
! iWie and lube returned her attentions and followed
| her around the feeding grounds Tor hours at une
lhe heiier licked his head ana neck as thVueh
he wa, an animal OF the bovine KIND the young bear
standing Us still posi- and apDearng tnofoughiy
10 relish the repeated aDs OF the hefeFs tongue III
rc,rn no would lick her on the nose show that ne
vas grateful for her attentive affection onc Iight
RuDc didn't come home when the catlie dd anu 'hciu
great stir about MS absence. because 'na Ian.h
all IMAGINED inst that the hiile bear hal wsHu"Iea
INTO the woods and got lost for good Then some ono
noticed that the heller was absent also and the hopes
OF The children revived for IT was SUPPOSED ihai INC
two tOtaly different animals were together not far
| awav. a search with lantern was Then made In =
and I'M little hollow lay the cub anu hefer as cosey as
a palr of eats on a bv the fire. iube never eoes
any further the wilds than the estt1 roam at VIII
! and he has never been lost since that time
/ There is old well on Mr. Muters place from
!
old. fashioned sweep. When the cub three months
Old Mr. Multer trained him TO cling 10 the end OF the
,vccp and lifted eighteen feet INTO the air and IL
| wasn't long before Rubc would waddle out and try
! the end of the sweep the moment he saw his master
take The pail and start for the we'll Rubo seemed 10
like 10 be raised aO and never was he 50 unf9 tunatc
As 10 ose his hola and tumble TO the grourM He IS now
a little too hravy 10 perform trch but Mr.. Multer
had him do successfully while the writer was horc
although Rube's weight bent tho old sw"eD about six
inches OF straight line the bear being ele
waited TO a uoint in level with the stout nns;. over
the % which th' sweep balanced back and forth
/ like a hlier-bnard across a Iog
/ Rube allowed ride around the farm the
hay and grain rigging and into the wood, on the
and sleigh. but he n well Trained AM 50 nbcdrEt
that he never attempts 70 get aboard unt aftOr he
has been told that he nav co along lie is heni
As soon the voked up or the horses htchod
10 the wagon and he waits around for h, mastcr 70
,ay the word for him to climb the vehicle look.
/ lne into Mr. Mulers. face and silently asking 10 be