The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1891-08-09
UNCLE IRA TRIP.
How He Smoked by Proxy and Won $50
by Riding u Hear.

by Riding u Bear.
Uncle Ira Tripp OF Scranton. whose death
| was announced in Thursdays sun" said q
formor resident Of Scranton. now Of this city
was for years n familiar figure down town ir
| New York. when the old Merchants Hotel WAS
| In existence in Cortlandt street. His tall
| erect form. his immense flowing beard. white
as snow. and. moro than all. the peculiar man.
ncr in which he enjoyed his cigar. attracted
attention to him at once When Bill Schenck
gave up the Merchants and took the Westmin-
ster. up town. I ncle Ira became Just as striking
figure in that part OF the city. on his frequent
| visits to New York. He was one OF the oldest
and richest individual coal operators In the
Lnckawanna Valley. his father being one of the
pioneers OF the region. and settled on land
that. when coal was discovered. proved to be
in the richest part OF the anthracite belt.
Thirty years ago Ira Tripp. from ono OF tho
ruggedest OF men. had gradually fallen into
poor health. His physician told him that he
was slowly dying from nicotine poisoning and
that unless he gave up smoking his ond was
not far of. For years he had smoked daily
from twenty to twenty-Av OF the strongest
imported cigars he could buy and it was sup
posed that he was so welded to the habit that
Il wonld be IN impossibilty for him to broak
It. But he did break 1t and broke 1t square of.
too. SO far as smoking cigars himself was
concerned: but he continued to enjoy
his smoke right along. after a novel
plan Of his own. He bought the same
kind Of cigars he had always smoked,
and then hired a man to accompany him
wherever he went. smoke the cigars. and blow
every puff OF tho fragrant vapor into his face.
SO that he could inhsle it. 1t wasn't long be-
fore Ira declared that no got Just as much en-
joyment out OF his smoke at second hand as
he ever did whom no was pulling away at his
Perfectos himself. He had hard work. though.
to get smokers who were willing or able to
quickly following the other IL the course course; Of n
sSmrap,o 2S aEt 4; 70 him. Iwo ,esI.nei
on he spot for inhaling tho smoke before
pulling IT into the lace o. the gentleman tor
vics to not Io until ab"S, fifteen "e year.
exactly. and that was his colorrd man job !.
who filled TIP 0ill ia sveIy respect. and Ne;
for hin up to the day he died.
so n S6a.k
mat K u.se hfI o9
hatitud Il the Merchants. ANA he and / ncis
TraE%t Vol acauainted. Karl suited Ifa 20
smoSing. q tasx which wa; most agroea1is 10
and be asked Kari 70 sSeonHsns Him - and s" DO
lin. They got on Tho from platform. OF u
sIx'h ay uS rHr =. groadTsy and vsssy
aons a"a ". As
and Ira stood with 5 back against tho end OF
hS Gar s sSa sO wn sS1 ssisn
"a mani nj t.s, A. a.rAcsa no attention
proceeding for some time. her INDIGNATION
steadily r.sIpe until sh. could no longer en-
@sn asan 4S.1asS oa s
kered old gentleman: She whipped out Of her
sx KS: 'Gs' s"5 . AXE ifns En-
eissi sn S rom SHi lis sG mouth 81
.rc.%ss Se sSnsss sAs
Hiow,,nH ,. yonr nasty smoke iuto that poor old
",fhe poor old man and Karl wore dunn
racH % hEn ns the SssH Sa
laughed SO loud that DO could havo boon heard
Howl Who hsa EsSoa Sssi s.a ss ~
sn s nFfS 81. S SHa a. ~ e
between Uncle Irq ana Karl kass, we're for eli
high state Of confusion an INDIGNATION.
one NE Gase Ira roar "a. asa .hs
as ne handsd Karl fresh lierisc,n. That IN
Hnenioio.
Twenty, years or moro ago. when lived in
Scranton. Lew Simons ~ 0ouldebUro. n litte
station on the LncknwannH railroad below
scranton Or Lnsht big live Dear to town. lhs
bear la originally 60, captured as II cub In
t ma ard sint e ssm AlIsn; VINO kert TIE
bear npd named il Jei Davis. one Any
It tried to hug one OF the servant Ei,is
animal on the, SPOT to Lew simons. who
Kept hotel at Gouldsboro. He kept the benTT
Tor long time, until 1t had wrestcd with ana
thrown every lumbernan aud bark reelsr IN
against lis life when 10 conciuded 10 take II 70
SerTantan And 20 nsito on He put Il up i9r t3o
pm II ~ nEain.. nn ira lrrp Won u Ihsa
tnrie lr bet the ear aGAinsI, 'op maj ne
could rid IN" animhi rom Vie ko"hs IN
lscenwanna avenue 10 Wyoming, venue. m sn,l
Charley I.uhinsin. h.nk, took Tho net. The
hour 1t wns Iusslc an tug and tumble, 10 see
who would win the bet, Uncle Ira held on 10
the shaggy old brute like grim death. and az
las, foroes him g the point hs was headed for