The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1889-09-21
A DEADLY PLAYrHrNo.
How a Pair OF Big Bears Once
Fooled with Can of Nitro 0lyc-

How q Fair OF Big Bears once
Fooled with a Can OF Nitro 0lyc.
crime.
There was an explosion OF nitro
glycerine in the oil regions once tina
has always been looked upon as one O
the many mysterious happenings o
that country" said j. c. Henry, on,
of the early operators in Venangt
county, to the New York Sun cores
pondent. because people would never
believe what told them about IL ant
the way itcame to occur. My expla
nation of 1t was the truth, though, and
am the only person who actually
knows that the explosion was not Of
any mysterious Origin. 1t was the re-
suit OF one OF the most curious Incl.
dents that ever came to pass in that
curious country.
81 think it was IN ga that Roberts,
the torpedo man, first demonstrated the
utility of his nitro-glycerine torpedoes
for shooting oil wells after they had
been drilled. Soon after they came
into use / put down well in one OF
the widest parts Of the region, and
any one who was ever In that section
of the state at that time has some idea
of what that means. Nitro-glycerine.
being new thing, people hadn't got
used to handling it yet, and but few
safeguards had been thrown around
the carrying and storing OF the deadly
stuff. We all knew that it was apt TO
go off on very slight provacation some
times, and it was going off every day,
here and there about the region, WHIP
ing folks off the face OF the earth as
completely as If they had never been
on 1t.
1--WE struck the sand in my we'll
along toward the evening of July 8.
There was a good showing for oil. and
all it wanted was good shot OF nitro
glycerine. i had ordered supply of
the stuff, and 1t was to have been at
the well that day, but hadn't come.
The next day being the Fourth, and
my men having made arrangements
for celebrating somewhere along the
creek, we concluded to suspend opera
tons until the 9th. had no idea the
nitro-glycerine would be delivered on
the Fourth. / remained OF the we'll
that day, and to my surprise the team.
ster came in with big can of the ex-
plosive. l didn't care to have 1t
around, and wanted him to take it back
and come with it the next day, but he
wouldn't do it, and placed it on the
derrick floor.
II made up my mind to get away
from there as soon as 1 could. The
woods were full of wild animals still,
and scarcely a day passed that bear
and wild cats were not seen prowling
around. stepped into the derrick to
get my coat, and while l was there /
heard noise in the brush, and look
ing out saw two big bears slouching
along right toward the derrick. /
wasn't posted on bear and without
waiting to think much about it, being
pretty we'll frightened, / sprang for
the ladder and climbed up into the
derrick and got on a beam twenty feet
or so above the floor to wait for the
visitors to 60 on about
their business. 1t seemed, though,
that they had made up their minds
that their business required them to
make an investigation of the premises
and they came right on and sbambled
in on the derrick floor. They nosed
around among the machinery, dangled
the ropes, and clattered about general
ly. They didn't appear to be in any
hurry at all and / began to get uneasy.
"But if / was uneasy over their fool
ing around among the machinery what
do you suppose my feelings were when
the bright tin can containing the
nitro -glycerine caught the eyes Of the
bears and they began to push and roll
It about on the floor? The perspira-
lion rolled off OF me in great beads
and actually believed that / could 4
teel my hair turning white. / did noS
know what minute the bears would
hump the can against something hard
enough to explode 1t. What the result
of such catastrophe would have been
i isn't necessary to hint at. But all
he while the bears were having great
hun with the can. BY and by one OF
he bears lifted it in his paws and rose
lp on his hind feet. holding the can at
arms length, fully six feet from the
loor. All he had to do was TO drop it
md all my men would have found
when they came back next day would
rave been "a big hole in the ground.
As tho bear stood there holding that
AN of death his companion rose up on
lis hind feet two three yards away and
yazed at him in an expectant sort of
way. / had often heard that bears
unused themselves in melon patches
n playing catch with each other by
.hucking a melon to and fro between
hem. made up my mind that these
wo bears were about to have little |
diversion OF that kind with that can
II nitro-glycerine. / shut my eyes
md waited for the climax that would |
urely follow. 1t didn't come and I |
ooked down again and found that the
'ears had changed their minds about |
hat game of catch and were rolling
he can about on the floor again.
"By and by a new idea seemed to
trike the jolly pair Ahundred yards
II so from the derrick there was q ra-
line. One Of the bears rolled the can
mt OF the derrick, and both of them
'egan to scramble with it on the
round, competing with one another
n giving it impetus over the rough
urface in the direction of the ravine.
1t every shove the can was liable to
e sent flying against somc OF the
many big stones that lay thick on
he ground but by some good fortune 1t
missed them every time, and at last
ha haars hid i.,stlad II alonr almost 20