Baxter Springs news. [volume] (Baxter Springs, Kan.) 1882-1919, 1890-06-28
BEAR AND DOG Flonr.
How show-Mas Got Even with OountS
Fair Down In J0rsoy.

BEAR ANU OO6 PiSVt'
How show-Mas Got Even with County
Fair Down In Jersey.
Twenty-Five years ago ago ! was In
the business Of supplying animals to
menageries and showmen and fitting
out circuses with miscellaneous ma
terial. A show that I had supplied with
material on credit struck o bad streak OF
luck over in New Jersey, and had TO
30 over there and take possession OF the
outfit for the debt thought ! saw o
chance to get out even by running Q
show at the county fair at Newton, N.
j., and l paid sl,5Oo for the exclusive
use Of the grounds sent back most OF
the outfit, retaining only the tent ana
troupe Of ministries. But 1t rained
heavy the whole week, the fair was
failure and l couldn't give my show.
The managers wouldn't return any part
of my $1,000, however. An old fellow
happened along with Q big bear, and l
offered him 500 II he would fight his
bear against some dogs. He wouldn't
do that, but offered to sell me the bear
for 5000, and accepted his offer. Then
skirmished about the neighborhood,
and bought three Of the biggest and
ugliest dogs I could find. One was o
bulldog that was kept at slaughter
house.
Having made all these preparations,
got out some posters advertising q bear
and dog fight and plastered them all
over New York. The authorities at
Newton made o great fuss, and notified
me that would be arrested II l carried
out my programme, but paid no atten-
ton to their kicking. On the day ad"
vertised for the fight all the sports OF
New York, headed by John Morrissey,
focked to Newton, and paid o dollar a
head for admittance to the Playground.
stood at the gate and took in the cash,
which I slowed away in my pockets
The bear was chained to q stake in q
large open space, and man was hold
ing the dogs little way from him.
Constables were lowering about, wait
ing for q chance to arrest me, but Of
course they could do nothing until !
should actually violate the law BY start
ing the fight. was in no hurry, and l
kept the crowd waiting under umbrellas
in the rain until thought I had got all
that was coming to me. 1t was then
getting we'll along toward twilight
A short distance from the gate man
was waiting for me with covered
wagon. The man who was holding the
dogs understood his cue, and my
presence was not necessary TO the sue
cess of the entertainment. When had
collected about 81, 700 sauntered slow
ly toward the wagon, gave the signal to
the man with the dogs, jumped into the
wagon, and drove away at rafting
gait didn't care how the fight came
out, and never stopped until was safe
at Milford, Pa.
When the dogs we're let loose they
made straight for the bear, and no con-
stable cared to attempt to make them
break away. The New York sports, l
was told. were somewhat disappointed by
the entertainment A man who was
there told me that the fight didn't last
two minutes. He said the bear did up
the dogs with three or four cuffs, broke
his chain. and looked around for more
fun with such an eager air that tho
crowd broke down the fence and went
away. Some OF the New Workers got
lost in the Jersey woods, and were two
or three days finding their way home.
The old bear man caught his animal,
and followed me to Milford, but as had
played about even on my Newton trip I
told him to keep the bear for his
trouble, and I returned to New York