San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1889-08-10
The Bear Set a Creek to Blazing and
There Was Fiery Time Generally.

The Bear Set a Creek to Blazing and
There Was Fiery Time Generally.
Folks may 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 a fearful one, and a warning to all
of the bear family to stick to terra firma, i'll
the oil regions
| was one of the first seekers after riches
that went up along the Cherry Tree Run in
Venango county to put down oil wells. Good
paying territory had been found and a 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 spoil 1t
for fishing. | was an enthusiastic trout fish
erman, and one day in June, early i'll the
days of the rush to the Oil Greek valley, a
friend of mine and went very near to the
head waters of one of the small creeks that
entered into the Cherry Tree Run for a 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 as near tired out as two Wig
orOus young men could well be. In fact, we
were so near tuCEered out that we concluded
to camp at the mouth of the creek for the
night, although we were within three miles
Of the shauty where we were sinking a we'll
We ate a hearty supper of trout, built a 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
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
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 a-itatcd and | soon became aware that
some big object was swimming the stream,
and coming directly where we were lying.
1t was a spOoky sort sof a situation, and, to
tell the truth, was scared, SO much so that
| couldn't stir | lay there scarcely daring
to breathe, with my eyes fixed immovably
on the approaching object. 1t pulled delib-
erately across the creek, and as it crawled
out on the shore discovered that it was an
enormous bear. He didn't pause a second,
but slOuched right on toward the fire, evi
icntly prompted by genuine bear curiosity
The spot where we had camped wasn't more
than twenty feet from either stream. The
appearance of the hIg bear and his advance
upon our camp broke the spell under which
| had been lying, ana | 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 had
been frigh. encd at the first appearance of the
animal in the Run, | was simply terrified
when the burning stick hit him, for like
fash Of gunpowler the poor beast burst into
dame from Snout to tail.
With howl that filled the wood with
frightful echoes and brought my sleeping
friend to his feet in terror, the blazing bear
turned and fled to the creek and jumped into
the water. If he had expected to find help
there be was wofully mistaken, for in an in
slant the creek, from bank TO bank and far
above and below us, became line of leaping
lire, Lighting up the gloom of the forest for
rods on either side and forming one of the
most awful spectacIes | ever witnessed and
such a one as | hope never to witness again.
There came from that roaring stream of
fame one long uAearthly wall of agony
For a second we saw the blazing form of
the wretched bear writing 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 a sense of gloom and ghostlinesS that
neither Of us had the courage to remain,
longer on the spot, and we lost no time il
making our way in the darkness to our shantyI
up the creek
We learned, on reaching there that an OF
tank had sprung a leak that evening, and be
fore il could be stopped a great quantity off
oil had run into the stream and lOated down
on its surface. The unfortunate bear had.
struck this iuslammable stuff when he swan
the creek, and his fur had become saturated
with iJ My frebraud had ignited it in
slauyly, and in jumping back into the creek,
al. ah.aEs the bear had set the whole oily
surface Oh fire and met his frightful fate
New York sun