The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-11-02
BRUIN GAME TO THE QUILTING,
Fell into the House and was Killed in
Time for the Feast.
From, the Nep York sun.

GREENWOOD, KY, Oct. 2s.-When John
Holiday was married about dozen years
ago his worldly possessions We're very few,
even for Kentucky mountaineer. John
had to build HOUSE. for himself and the
| new Mrs. Holiday, and he didn't waste
much time and money in completing the
job. He located in the valley of Brush Greek,
fifteen miles southeast of here. and pro-
ceeded to erect the Holiday mansion after
the most expeditions and economical
| fashion. About 100 yards from the creek
cliff shoots up to the hight of 80 feet. 1t was
almost perpendicular, and the facs was Of
stone. Against the foot of this cliff Holli-
day built ''lean-to," that is, the cliff itself
served SIS one wall, and the other three were
of logs with a light board roof. The cliff
protected the cabin from all winds except
the southern, and also sheltered it from
much of the snow in the winter. H re John
Holiday and Sarah, his wife, lived and
prospered, and here the little Holidays
grew.
Last Saturday there was a quilting bee
at John Holidays. Quilting bees are great
occasions in the mountains, AMI all the
women within a radius of fifteen miles
usually gather at them. This was a big
one. Mrs. Holidays hospitality was re-
nowned throughout her section. The two
older children-boys eyed II and 9-were
off at work with their her. Ths four
younger were banished to the little upper
room under tie roof, reached by ladder.
There they amused themselves best they
could, while about thirty women congre-
gated around The quilting frame below, and
labored asSiduously at sewing and exchang-
ing the news of the neighborhood. Mrs.
Holiday made frequent trips to the little
kitchen where savory dinner was pre-
pairing.
1t lacke about an hour of noon. The
conversation of the 'quiltersn had become
very lively, and their laughter could be
heard to the edge of the clearing. Then
there was heavy thump overhead.
whats thai" exclaimed one OF the
women.
"Only one of the children tumbled over
on the floor above,n said Mrs. Holiday.
"You needn't mind 'em"
Probably they would have continued their
quilting, but them chlldre4" began to
scream, and one after aAothar they came
tuni bling down the ladder The last was
the youngest Ii tie girl. she was OILY /
years old, and she did tumble down." fall
ing through the trap door to the floor, bat
she was SO fat that ner fail didn't hurt her.
She failed to bring with her the larger pa
of her pinafore, but her motler did II h tvs
| time to notice that, for the next mo eal Il
| big black bear popped through the oi' 1ir%
| right after the children. He turned : me q
sault as he fell, but ne held in his CLAWS an
missing portion of the baoy's pina1ore.
Some of the women screamed and rush 81
| for the door. These were the younger ones.
| The older had steadier nerves. They hal
| lived in the mountains all their lives; they
| had seen bears before. The caildren were
| seized by them, while Mrs. Holiday ran to
the smoke house, where her husband had
left his rife that morning after cleaning it
| out.
Somebody might have been hurt, but the
bear was slightly stunned by his precIpI-
| tous descent, and when he recovered con-
| seriousness nobody was within easy reach.
| The savory smell of the cooking dinner
attracted him, and he pushed his way into
| the little kitchen. A piece of fat mutton
was boiling in a kettle over the fire place,
| for Mrs. Holiday had not yet bought u
| stove. Bruin made for it, and burnt his
nose. While he was growing aud rubbing
| his paws over his nose Mrs. holiday poked
the rifle in through the small window and
| shot him dead.
| The bear had been wandering along the
| cliff above the house. His explorations led
him near the edge, and he lost his footing
and tumbled over and struck on the cabin
roof below. The light boards gave wav,
and he fell right into the group or children.
| They scattered, aud the bear, following
them, tumbled down the ladder, which
| served as stairway He was the first bear
seen this season in this part of Kentucky,
and weighed nearly 400 pounds.
Though he had arrived suddenly, and in
a manner somewhat unwelcome, the bear
did not permanently break up the quilting.
| The guests were quickly gathered together
| again. Mr.. Holiday came up few min
| utes later, it being his dinner hour. Skill
| full hands assisted him, the bear was skinned,
| and some of his choicest steaks graced the
dinner Mrs. Holiday spread at her quilting
A War Among Birds.