Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1891-02-24
e Bears Crazy Ride.

liLtl6 HHFTD~'RSNRS fhi'EOSu iuue Hull
the s,eam sawnils on The upper waters OF
Spring Brook, near Scranton, Pa ibto the
hemlock slashiogs on higher ground. The
rails are of hard wood, and the little road
curves this way and hal for distance OF
two miles and half from the mills. Cars
loaded With ssw legs are ruu down to the
mills by eraglty, and eingie horse dEawn
two empty cars to the upper end OF the road
at trip. Logs are slid down the hilleides
near the cod of the road, where they are
loaded on the ears. Last Wednesday morn
log James Conoyer drew two cara to the end
of the road, and rode the horse back to the
mile. Geo. Wickep hoffer, Simon Schultz,
Wm. F,.rfsster, David WILBUR and Jacob
Hyde loaded Ger as soon as they couio,
and HYDE started for the mills with Il. TIE
other men then strobe up the hillside to get
more legs ready, leaving their dinner cana
in Tie empty car. 10 less than he!f an hour
Wilbur noticed 8 bear wsddling ifom one
end of the car to the other. he called the
attention OF his companions TO ii, and the
meD stopped working, watched the bear .and
made no noiee tc scare It, Tee bear walked
around the car half a dcZan times, and then
1t put Its paws on the rear end and moved
It's uose from eide 10 side. Pretty soon
the bear climbed upon the hind
end of the platform and the car began to
roll slowly down the iCclioe. The move
ment of toe car seemed TO tickle the bear,
the woodsmen said, for. instead of ju Tping
of. it sat upon its hsuuches. hugged tse',
surveyed the surroundings. and appeared to
be very much pleased with Its ride. As The
car gaiued speed, the bear began TO dance
back apd forth on lite hind feet, but 1t ddn's
attempt to slide eff. Il acted a. If t was in
ecstacies over the way it was sailing along,
and, es it praDced from one end of the plat.
form to the other, it upset all the dinner
cans and sent them rolling from the sides of
the car At THE the woodsmeu al yelled
like IodaUs but the bear kept on dancing
ss though it badn't heard snytbing but the
pien, ans iumb!ipg OF the Wheais. Then the
70 u started on Gead run after the runs-
way car and Its happy four-footed passen-
ger, yelling at tho top of their lungs
as they raced down the hillside 10 short
cut to the track, When they etruck the
track the car was rolling along at higher
rate of speed than they could run. They
ran few rods further, and then they came
to halt and yelled. At last the bear heard
them, and stopped dancing long enough to
take good look at them. Then 1t startsd
In again, and the as!onisbed woodsmen re-
sumed their chase, until tho car and the
bear went out OF sight around curve. The
bear was still dancing for all he was worth
when they got their laet glimpse OF 1t. The
rest of the story Is told by Ccnover and
Hyde, who we're on their way TO the head of
the road with couple Of fempty cars. Como
yer was driving the horse, and Hyde vas sit
ting on the hind car. a mie from the mills
Nd h. nE hn ft1r-
ther end OF quite long stretch of straight
track 1t had just dashed around @ curve,
and Conover saw the bear hopping up and
down, balancing hack end forth, crossing
over and cutting up as though 1t was per-
fectly intoxicated with delight. Seeing that
the BEARS swiftly running vehicle was bound
to craah into bis train ln few seconds Con-
over hastily unlocked the horse and drew it
from the track, at the same time yelling out
20 Hyde to slap on the brake and jomp.
Hyde did 30, and when be struck the ground
the bears car was within $50 feet of the sts
tlonary cars. II was going at terrific rate
for 1t had run all of q mile and half, and
1t was gaining speed every second, sppar.
enty to the BEARS entire satisfaction, for it
continued to caper all over the platform.
When the car struck the standing ones, the
bear went end over end the whole length OF
the two cars the splIoters f,w. aud the bear
landed on the track 10 heap. 1t was slight
ly atunned by the fall, aud Hyde grabbed
an axe from socket In one of the cars and
made for IL. Before he got to 1t the cars be-
gan to run back, and be sprang up to put on
another brake. Ooe of the whesIs crushed
the bears pave while Hyde was on the Car,
and the bear rose up and tipped the car
over. Then Conover grabbed the axe and
split the BEARS hesd open. The animal had
evidently besn bernstipg for several week
and had come out in search Of food. 1t
weighed 800 pounds.