The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-04-08
THE BEAR PAID THE FARE.
Betsy Visits Her Old Home, Though
Sam Said Ee Couldn't afford 1t.


From the NeIo York Sun
HARRISBURG, March 25.-"Betsy Comp
ton is making her visit to her old home upon
the Chemuug, after oil, :" said Simon Wilson
of Coogan valley. Betsy is the wife of
Sam Compton, the sawyer at the Chuff-
town mills She is also the mother of Sans
four children. the youngest, little Joe, COM
ing 6 months old. He was named for his
grandfather, old Joe Clifford, the raftsman,
10 at the Forks. About month ago Betsy
said 10 Sam one day:
"'Now, Sam Compton, want to go see
pap an nam. It's goin' on more'n two
year sence l ben home, an they hain't
never seen little Joe yit. got to take him
an the young uns up home this very
spring
low and that payment was coming due
on the clearing, and that it would cost as
much as So to send her and the young ones
on the trip
"'Sorry, Bet Sam said, but can't
ste nd it this spring, nobow.'
Betsy had to cry little, OF, course, but
she made the best of it, and gave up the
coveted visit Last Friday Jim Redding,
the blacksmith, dropped III at Compton's.
"'Say, Samr said Jim, want to make
$40, or sumpin' hhe itP
"Well, rutherr said Sam.
"'Come along o. me, then, said jim, an
help me gather IN that bar an her cubs
that's hangin' round the edge of Frisbie's'
"'B'ar be durnedr said Sam. Il got
sumpin' else to do sides chasu' AFTER bar =
Pm knocked out, then said Sam. I
thort you'd go, sure, and hain't wantin'
money bad enough to go alone
THAT was all that wal said between Jim
and Sam on the subject, and by and by Jim
got up to 60. Then Betsy said
"'Has anybody see the bar lately, Jim?'
II" SOL Angle an Frisbie seen it only
yist'day, an had two or three shots at her,
replied Jim. She got away, though. an
now they're waitin' for her to turn up az i'm,
Frisbie says he give any one $50 th't'Il make
him sure O. the carcass
Twenty dollars fer tekiu' chances ag'in
big she bar with her cubs to pertectp ex-
claimed Sam. with a sniff. Il think more O.
my hide thin that. shouldn't wonderP
mo more was said about the bear, and
Sam went away. The next day word came
that the bear had been hustled out Of a
laurel thicket by Sol Angle. She was fol-
lowed by her two cubs. Sol was locking for
her, and gave her shot at short range. He
hit her, but only bad enough to make her
madden than fury, and she turned on Sol
He pulled up to blaze away again, but his
gun missed fire. The bear was too big and
looked too ugly for him TO take the chances
struck in for safer quarters. All Of him
didn't get away, though. for the bear
caught him in the back, took the best part
Of his clothes off clear down to the skin on
his back, and not only down to his skin but
half an inch under it, scooping out couple
of grooves in the flesh that viii Keep Sol
housed up for week or more.
This last news from the bear rather
cooled the ardor of folks around there In
the pursuit of the ugly customer, in spite
OF Frisbie's offer of $50 for the carcass, and
the chances were that the bear would do
about as she pleased in the neighborhood
for all any Of the mill hands or lumbermen
might do TO prevent her. Last Monday
only couple of hours after Sam Compton
had gone to work, he looked up and saw
Betsy tearing over from the clearing. She
had little ice in her arms, and from the
way she looked Sam made up his mind that
the house was afire. He ran out to meet
Betsy, and before he could ask her what
was up she began to shout what it was.
&" The bar an her cubs is Tompin' round
in the creek at the foot o. the gardeur she
shouted. Hurry up over an shoot it, Samp
'Durn the bari said Sam. DO you
spose I'm goin' to git laid up like Sol
Angle? Go back an shet yerself in the
house till the Internal oritter goes back In
the woods
"'But think o. the 900, samP said Betsy :;
buA SlALB AheO tSdAS. All tdA6 llGLl6 JOG
an the young uns up home fer that, an
you ken hev more'n half of it left besIdesp
My hides with more'n S20p said Sam.
go shet yerself in an let the bar got
Betsy turned and went back home.
She hadn't been gone more than ten min
utes when Sam heard gun go of ami it
was right at the foot OF his garden. Quickly
after the first report be heard another one.
Somebody's got in that bar sure.' be
said, and he started for the house. He went
in. Betsy wasn't there. Neither was his
gun. All the young ones we're in the
kitchen. Sam turned pale, and Selling his
ak rushed out toward the creek. There sat
Betsy on the bank, looking a little pale, and
crying like baby. On the opposite bank
lay the bear, deader than stone, with her
two cubs whining about her. AS soon as
Betsy saw Sam she got to her feet, and
pointing to the bear, said:
If y hain't afeared OF dead bar or
two suckin' cubs, mebby y kin think up
some way to git that carcase down to FRS
bie's an git the $50. I'll begin TO git the
young uns ready for takin' 'em on a visit 90
pop an MANN
Betsy walked back to the house, and
Sam got Jim Redding and his helper, capt
ured the two cubs. and took them and the
dead bear down to Frisbe's. Frisbie handed
out the 800, and $40 besides for the two
cubs, and the next morning Betsy and the
young ones started for her old home up on
the Chemung, as happy as crickets."