Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1890-04-08
BACH CLUB GOSSIP.

the me mbers come and 90 and a. times the
rooms look deserted. Al such times did
one not perceive here ard there curling
rings of smoke rising over the top Of gen
erous easy chair, sith back turned toward
him be would indeed feel . sense OF loneli-
ness. But when there are bu, tso or three
present, those who ordinarily remain As
dumb a. oysters, open their shells And the
good within 10 seen. In fact one or two, no
names have made the mselves popular on just
such occasions.
At our last me eting the Scribe Vas one
of the first to arrive; and he was sitting by
the reading table in the corner Of the room
while the Senator sat on the other side.
little conversation ensued relating TO in
he rited traits. One of them. forget which.
had been reading something on the subjec:
and hence the conversation.
Yes" .A.d the Scribe, II was talking
the other day with a gentleman about taste
display ed by different people for hunting
and fishing. suppose If any man keenly
enjoys tramp with dog and gun or
severe days work carrying rod and line
along the hanks of some trout brook, that
man is B. We of course have seen men who
talked enthusiastically about this and that
sport when in reality they never appre ciated
a sensation akin u the thrill of delight the
true sportsman feels. B., hoxever, has in
herited this from ancestors who in colonial
days found in the trusty gun, as ore might
say the STAFF of life. I,s always common
to speak of the old hunters trusty piece,
but in reality those ancient flint locks were
far from reliable. And this recalls what
B told me of his grandfather, John Barker
of Fryeburg. the famous bear hunter.
Mr.. Barker came 10 that town be fore the
Re voluiion driving several yokes Of steers
attached TO sled, all the way from Ando-
yer, Mass, when but a lad. The old gen
tleman died in the six les when the Civil
War was raging. and his eyes were not too
dim then to flash when tidings of the strife
reached his ears. His grandchildren loved
to Chamber about his chair, for he could
relate real incidents far surprising to
their young ears, tales Of Indian
warfare even. One of these stories that
thr He'd them most was as follows: Mr..
Barker was out hunting and his deg had
freed bear. Bruin however deemed it
best TO descend and do battle. Before he
could reach the ground Mr.. Barker bad
empt.ed the contents of his rifle into the
numbering animal with, as luck " 1uld have
IT, little eject The shot served only to
enrage him and with one blow he broke the
back of Bakers dog and rushed at the
hunter HIS gun empty and the
bear at his heels, Barker did the next best
thing and that was TO circle large tree.
The bear was huge fellow thoroughly
maddened and determined to get his man
The old flint lock was apparently useless,
there being no time to reload. Round and
round that tree they went till it became e'-
ident that no help would arrive
and that unless desperate meas
ures were taken Mr. Bruin would
make meal of the man fleeing before him
Barker was a man Of iron nerve and would
have faced the bear had he only knife
Something must be done however and that
was just what he did. While staggering
along, for he had become tired with the
race. he reached around to his old pow
der horn drew the stopper with his teeth
and emptied the contents into the barrel
Of bis ride. No time for printing or
wadding or bullets Would the
old flint do it's duty! That was dubious
question at best ard now without printing
was it possible? No moments for doubling
and only seconds for acting. Barker
wheeled and almost TO the open mouth of
the shaggy monster came the muzZle of his
piece q. he pulle the trigger. The flint
Was true to its steel, an explosion followed
and right at the hunters fee t lay the carcass,
the head of which was blown into almost q
shapeless mass
"No wonder B. has a taste for hunting
with such an ancestor as that remarked the
Senator.
But that incident WAS only one of many.
One day Barkers family were alarmed to
see the biggest and most faithful Of his
dogs return in terribly lacerated condition
without his master. In a few hours. how
ever. Barker and his friends, who were
with him on this expedition, returned with
and the condition Of the dog was ex-
planned He had followed bruin
into the den where fight occurred. Bar
ker couldn't be persuaded to stay outside
and leave his four footed friend to his fate
Tying rope to his foot he told the men to
pull him out when they should feel him
kick. If the bear followed they were TO
burr an axe in his skull the moment it pro
truded from the entrance TO the den. In
went Barker and when he reached the spot
where his dog was having a set-to with
the bear he grssped the former by
the hind legs and kicked vigorously
on the rope. Hand over hand the
men outside pulled. bring ng to light first
Barker then the torn ard bleeding dog
whose shaggy assailant followed immediate-
ly after only to have his head split in twain
with an axe the instant he came forth, This
coursge and ardor for the chase seemed to
poss, s. that whole family of brothers
b's great uncle found bear kill
ing his only COW in ths pasture. That
WAS too much for the old eentieman's
choler and snstchipg q club he went for the
BE- ar on a double quick, Though power
full man be soon found thai he had bitten off
more of piece than he could accommodate
with his teeth and he gave several lusty cries
for help. Some faint Imagination may be
had of that fearful struggle, how the des-
perate man lodged and struck at that bear.
He knew his was helpless chance unless
help came. Brrin seemed to realize this
and closer and closer came his big fore
paws to the man he would crush. When
the man could contend no longer, Bruin
reached out ard clssped him round the
waist as il he were a child.
but indiscretion is mighty poor part of
valor." said the cautious Senator interrupt
ing.
There was no death about it. Help
came just at the nick of time. and Barker
had time while his broken ribs were mend
ing to tell the story, which AS been repeat
ed time and again BY the generations of
everyfamily in that town"
During this conversation quite a knot OF
members had gathered around. Among
them VAS LATE" Now that genial indi-
vidual is said to have played with equal
facility Romeo ard Shylock in the pamy
days that he spent on the stage, but when
it comes to q story he always has one that
goes with q laugh and the laugh never fails
to shou up at the proper moment
II heard = good story the other day abou,
an lrishman that showed admirable discra
ton when it was too late. He was hard
drinker and when drunk invariably gave
poor Biddy, his wife. . beating. in point of
fact when in tina, soaked condition
be seemed to regard the beating
as religious duty. Firstly, the
priest interfered Nov. see here,
Pat said the good father. III tell YOU
what! You'll sop this RICH, herd. to- light.
If you ever get drunk again I'll turn Sc into
= rst-d'ye mind that? If / don't see We
I'll know about it jist the same whether We
get drunk or not, and if sc do get druak,
into a rat ye go. Nov remember that
there's q good man.
The priest went away and Pat vas docile
that night But the next night when he
came home and kicked open the door one
glance showed Biddy that he vas loaded to
the hat. She gagged his jag at once and
saw that be vas in fighting trim. 90 she
lodged behind the table in An attitude Of
defense
Don't be afraid, darlin',' ssid Pat. in .
srbdued key as be steadied himself before