The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1891-12-20
THE BEAR FACED THE MUSIC.
Lured to Death by the Mysterious Bias
Horn of Brass Band.


Horn of a Brass Band.
George GriSwold, who lives on the Loyal
sock Creek, nile and half north of Forks
vile. Pa, plays the bass horn in the Forks
vile brass band. On a recent Saturday
evening Griswold tucked his big horn under
his arm and strobe down to louisville to
practice with the other members of the
noisy village organization. A little after 10
o'clock Griswold started for home in the
bright light of the full moon. When he had
gone nearly a mile from the village. where
the road led through Andrew Harper's farm,
lie heard q noise IN field a short distance
to the right, and looking that way he saw a
bear paving around and crunchng nuts
under big chestnut tree.
Griswold watched the greedy animal for a
moment. and then he stole up to the fence
squatted behind it, p0ked his bass horn be-
tween the rails, and blew single blast that
sent the echoes flying among the surround
ing hills. The foot of the big horn gave the
bear an amazing start. In his sudden fright
he rolled over g number of times and thea
he jumped up and legged it across the
meadows at full tilt. Griswold thought he
had scared the bear half to death. and be
was about to pull his horn our Of the fence,
when he saw the bear turn about and
slowly march back toward the chestnut
tree. He said the brute seemed to be eager
to find out where the noise had come from
horn In the fence and kept perfectly still.
The bear cautiously approached the tree,
but lie did not stop under it TO paw up more
nuts. He waddled directly toward the
fence, shifted the air frequently. and had
his eyes fixed on the horn, the big end of
which glittsred in the moonlight In front Of
him. When the inquisitive animal was
within few yards of the fence Griswold
blew another blast with all the lung power
ne had, and the bear rolled all over himself
and dancing the lot
he had been shot at. Before he had
reached the end of the field he faced about,
snorted half dozen times, and shambled
back to find out more about it. GriswOld
kept the curious brute capering across the
lot in this way for nearly half an hour,
when Charles Harper, son OF the owner
of the land, ran down the road to ascertain
what the horn was being blown for.
As Harper drew near Griswold gave an
other blast, and the bear started off again.
Grswold told Harper in whisper how the
bear had been acting, and Harper began to
look around for something with which to
tackle the bear when he came toward the
fence the next time. He soon found
rusty old ploughshare near tho roadside.
BY that time the bear had turned back once
more and was trampipg slowly toward the
horn. GriswOld promised not to toot the
horn again. and while the bear was march,
ing back. with his eyes bent on the shining
brass, Harper took the ploughshare. crawled
ach to the chestnut tree and concealed HIM
self behind the trunk.
The bear appeared to be determined to
find out what kind of a machine the big
brass thing was, for he slOuched toward it
in bee line, and he didn't turn his head TO
either side as he neared it. The moment he
passed the chestnut tree Harper tiptoed up
behind him, spfang to his side and drove
the point Of the plowshare into the top
of the bears skull with all his might The
rQa nd nm on hi, a
and wheeled around, knocking Harper off
his feet. Harper rallied at once, AMI be-
fore the bear had taken ten steps he dealt
him another blow ON the head with the
plowshare and felled him to the ground.
Griswold then jumped over the fence with
large stone. but before he got chance to do
any thing Harper had killed the bear with
the piowshare. Farmer Harper was on his
way to the spot when the bear turned up
his toes, and the three men lugged the car
cass to the barn. The bear was hog fat, and
weighed 400 pounds.-Scranton special to
n. Y. Sun.