Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1889-10-19
SET A BEAR ON FIRE
Tho Bear Set . Creek to Elaxing and
There Was Fiery Time Generally.

Tho Bear Set = Creek to Blazing and
There Was Fiery Time Generally.
| tsFolks NAV not know it, but bears can
| swim like ducks don't know whether they
can dive or not, but if they can, one bear
| that remember made the mistake Of his life
| once by not diving, and that not only, but in
| not swimming under water from one bank
| OF the stream he was in to the other bank be
| fore he came out again The fate Of that
bear was q fearful one, and warning to all
Of the bear family to stick TO terra Trina, IN
the oil regions.
was one of the first seekerN after riches
that went up along the Cherry Thee Kun IN
Venango county to put down oil weAls. 6ood
paying territory had been found and num-
Der Of wells put down in the vicinity OF Cher
ry Tree. Trout fishing was excellent IN those
mountain streams then, oil not having yet
been produced along them in sufficient guam
titles to mingle with the water and spoA 1t
for fishing. I was an enthusiastic trout fish
ernaan, and one day in June, early in tine
days Of the rush to the Oil Creek valley, q
friend of mine and l went very near to the
head waters Of one Of the small creeks that
entered into the Cherry Tree Run for big
days fishing. 1t was getting along toward
dark by the time we had fished to the mouth
of the creek. and we were loaded down with
trout, and about near tired out as two Wig
orous young men could well be. In fact, we
were SO near tuckered out that we concluded
to camp at the mouth of the creek for the
night, although we were within three miles
of the shanty where we were sinking well.
We ate hearty supper of trout, built big
camp fire and lay down on the ground by the
side of it to sleep. The fire threw a glare
clear across Cherry Tree Run, which was
wide and deep there
I wasn't long in falling asleep never
knew what woke me- up, but | awoke some
time In the night. suddenly and wide. The
camp fire was still burning brightly, and as
l lay there looking at the broad pathway of
light it cast across the Run, / saw the water
where the light rested upon it suddenly be-
come agitated, and l soon became aware that
some big object was swimming the stream,
and coming directly where we were lying.
It was a spooky sort of situation, and, to
tell the truth, was scared, SO much so that
/ couldn't stir. lay there scarcely daring
to breathe, with nay eyes fixed inlmovably
on the approaching object. It pulled deGb-
erately across the creek, and as it crawled
out On the shore l discovered that it was an
enormous bear. He didn't pause second,
but slouched right on toward the fire, evil
IDENTIFY prompted by genuine bear curiosity.
The spot where we had ca1nped wasn't more
than twenty feet from either stream. The
appearance of the big bear and his advance
upon our camp broke the spell under which
had been lying, and l sprang to my feet,
grabbed a blazing stick from the fire, and
hurled it at the approaching ANIMAL which
was then almost within an arms length of
me. The brand struck the bear. If I had
been frightened at the FIRST appearance of the
animal in the Run. 1 was simply terrified
when the burning stick hit him, for like
flash of gunpowder the poor beast burst into
flame from snout to tail.
With howl that filed the wood with
frightful echoes and brought my sleeping
friend to his feet in terror, the blazing bear
turned and fed to the creek and jumped into
there he was wofully mistaken, for in an in |
slant the creek, from bank to bank and far |
above and below US, became line of leaping
fire, lighting up the gloom of the forest for
rods on either side, and forming one of the |
most awful spectacles / ever witnessed and |
such one as hope never to witness again. |
ucI0 C1U0 iOm StIeafu OIL |
fame one long, unearthly wall of agony. |
For second we saw the blazing form Of |
the wrstched bear writhing in torture in the
burning creek. Then we saw and heard him |
no more. The terrible heat from the fire !
drove Us back into the woods where we re-
manned for an hour or more, two terror
stricken, trembling spectators Of that sudden
apparition OF flame. Then it died gradually
away and became extinct, leaving upon us
such sense of gloom and ghost!iness that
neither Of US had the courage to remain
longer on the spot, and we lost no time in
making our way in the darkness to our shanty
up the creek.
We learned, on reaching there, that an oil
tank had sprung leak that evening, and be-
fore it could be stopped great quantity of
oil had run into the stream and foated down
On its surface. The unfortunate bear had
struck this inhammable stuff when he swan
the creek, and his fur had become saturated
with it My frebrand had ignited it in
stantly, and in jumping back into the creek,
al abiaze, the bear had set the whole oily
surface on fire and met his frightful fate.-
New York Sun.