New-York tribune., 1892-08-14
THE ATTENDANCE AT THE GAMES.
he attendance at the League games yesterday was as
A BEAR as A USICIAN.
THE FUN BRU1N GOT OUT OF BASS DRr

THE FUN BRCIN GOT OCT OF bhSo pho"'
Summit Level, Penn, Aug. 81 used TO play
bass drum In Il little brass band down in the village
ok miles from here said Sullivan County
monntainecr land one afternoon in the blackberry
season | put nv drum In the wagon and started ior
the vlage to play at political meeting In the evening
was going 10 pick pail OF berries to sell IN the
village 50 drove 10 the head Of the guf ran the
wagon to u shady place few yards from the ROAD
and hung the drum on tie dead limb OF tree, so as
TO let the horse feed out OF the hind end OF the wagon
The berry field half mile up the hill behind
the woods and / hadn't been picking long before
/ heard some humping on the drum. Imagined
that some boys fooling with it, and the beating
continued long that cut switch ana ran down
to the woods 10 make the urchins stop. stole
through the woods sin as ] could, and when /
got in sight OF the rig had 70 stop and laugh at
the way I'd been fooled
"a larg. bear was standing upright In front OF the
drum and tapping II with his right paw, US though
he had found plaything that pleased him Immensely
| decided 10 let the amused animal have his NIL OF
fun with the drum, long as he wasn't doing any
damage to it, and squated In the bushes and watched
him. The bear beat the drum for several seconds,
and then he put HIS paws It. pressed It against
the tree poked his nose through the strap and worked
and wrgged TIL the strap slipped on OF the limb and
slid over his head 10 his neck That was something
I wasn't expecting, but / still had desire TO see
tie bear perform, and 50 kept quiet In the bushes
"When the bear saw that he had the drum all to
himself he danced around on his hind feet and beat
both heads with his paws, ticRled as child with
a new playthlng. He the happlest bear ever
saw TIL he backed against the horse lie didn't seem
TO be thinking about anything but the drum when he
came In contact with the end OF the horse ana
the horse let fly with both feet and kicked the bear
on the rump. The blow made him stagger and
brought him 10 his senses In hurry. lie stopped
beatins the drum faced abou snorted at the horse,
his hack fhr
of q tree. All at once he shook bis head at the
horse and started for the avne placing his paws on
the ends of the drum, and not trying to thump IT,
al then realized that the bear was going TO ruin
my drum, and l grabbed a club, headed him of and
drove him out TO the road Instead Of dashlng across
toward ME and begln 10 play on the drum again.
rsn around and got behind him, intending TO cut the
to face the music by wheeling about every time he
saw me circle out Of the road once came near near
backed up the road and played away on the drum as
though lie knew that he was annoying me. After J
IN. strap the bear danced from one side Of the
To the otler and added ins,ih TO insult by snorns
Finally found piece OF wagon tire in the ditch,
and rushing up TO The tantallng brute. MT him
thing could have done, but was hopping mad and
j didn't stop 10 consider. The bear dropped on all
drum into a shapeless mass under him, and dashed
on toward the isvne, dragging nv ruined drum be be,
his legs. Az lne Debt plullgtU lOfWHiu ur FIt
parts of the drum in the brush and before l could
rt to him the strap broke and left the rest Of it, and
the political meeting down In the village had TO get
along without bass drum that night. The bear
looked his shoulder at me as he went cantcrng
through the woods. and was mad enough to Kill him.
"a few days afterward was tening the story TO
a lot OF mountain men over at snndown and when
had got through, jeff BotsfoId accused me OF moraly
wounding his tame bear Ned. lie said that Ned had
come home that night with frlglltful cash In his
forehead, that he would never have known how the
bear got the wound If hadn't told the story. and
that Ned died The third day after. The bear had
been taught 10 perform lots Of tricks and he had taken
posses sion OF my dram because II something new
10 him. and therefore pleased him immensely. Bots
ford said that lie wouldn't have sold the bear short
OF $40 and when convinced him that the destruction
OF nv drum a tJss Of more than $40 10 me, lie
set up the drinks and agreed TO let the matter drop