Hopkinsville Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1889-1918, 1889-12-13
eEAL's ROASTING sARa
The Use m Ingenious and Talented Boa
Put Them To.

4 Tho Use an Ingenious and Talented BoAR
Put Them To.
Out In the Oaky woods tho Wild, an
finals frequently exhibit intelligence 10
remarkable degree. One OF the
largest planters. Mr. J. K. Beal. In 60
ing the rounds OF his immense planta-
tiou noticed that in field bordering
the Pocasin swamp the best rails from
the fence had been distracted. Any
rails decayed or defective were left
while only the newest and best rails
had been taken. This continued for
quite awhile. The planter supposed
that the negroes had been taking
them, but could find no clue TO the
thieves. After awhile his hogs began
TO disappear until at last when he went
to call them up none responded TO the
cry. Next in the Same field from
whence the rails had been distracted,
tho growing corn crop began TO suffer.
Bushels OF roasting ears disappeared.
and at last the tracks Of some large
animal vera discovered leading from
the corn field to the mysterious depths
OF the Pocasin. They were the tracks
Of hugo bear So much damage was
being done to the crops that II wac de-
termined to try to find the brute.
Accordingly. party was organized
and away they went following tho trail
that became more and more indistinct
The Pocasin swamp Is interspersed
with dry hammocks like oasis In
desert On, on, through mire and
Ooze, on through the little shaded
islands and back again TO swamp
ground. AT last they reached @ large
high hammock rising almost like hill
from the mysterious depths Of tho
swamp. Here high and dry they were
astonished to discover a great pen. "as
large" says the narrator OF this singu-
lar adventure. ''as large as n great
house" Upon examination II was
found that the pen had been built OF
the stolen fence rails. Within 1t were
the kidnapped hogs sleek and fat
Around 1t in every direction were tho
tracks Of the bear innumerable 10
number. and the ground we'll trodden
down. Within the pen were some Of
the remains Of the roasting ears alb
stracted from Mr.. Bears field.
The hunting party were struck with
amazement and sat down around the
well-illed pen to try To unravel the
mystery. There was but ono solution.
Every evidence pointed to this one
fact. Tho bear had stolen the
planters fence rails, had built
the pen upon the secluded ham
mock, had stolen his hogs and then So
Letting his best shoats had penned
them up. and was fsttening them up
for winter use upon Mr.. Beal's roasting
ears. The hogs were recovered. taken
10 Albany aud sold readily for from
seven to eight dollars each TO local
butcher. 1t Is said that the butchers
customers were so delighted with the
sweetness OF the pork and its Juicy
richness they clnmored for more Of the
same kind, but hogs fattened by bears
upon roasting ears were an uncommon
commodity, and the meat could not be
duplicated. An Albany saloon man
applied to the planter for one OF the
toothsome ia. shoats. He wanted to
barbecue It for his free-lunch counter.
But the supply was exhausted. and
free-lunch flends wero deprived Of this
unusual dainty.
On July 4, while Mr.. II. II. Savage
was spending the day hunting. he killed
in the Pocasin bear which turned the
scales at exactly 400i pounds. Il 10
thought that this Is the bear which
tried its paw so skllifully In the BUSH
ness OF raising meat Atlanta Cousti.
tuition. -,