The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-01-09
A PIKE COUNTY ROMANCE
The Pathetic Tale OF Peggy Ann as Told
oy an Innocent Looking Stranger.
E5-.-. ~. - u g..

it has got nosed around here yet about Jim
bonesett having TO shoot his trained bear,
Sassy Sam, has ItF' asked an innocent look
Ing man, who had come in on the night
train and had been listening TO some remi-
niscences and experiences of different mem
bers Of the Fairchili house circle, which was
sitting in informal session.
Net yet, replied Landlord Ross. 1--WE
don't hear much news OF that kind any more
since Steobens got married and Jake lap
ham went 70 New York. So Sassy Sam Is
dead, eh. Well. where did be live when he
was slivem
Down my way" said the stranger.
Yes, Sassy Sam is dead. Jim had to shoot
him. He got the big head, Sam did, and
Jim had to put bullet in It. He was an
ungrateful cub, that bear was, but what
nice mother be had His mothers name
was Peggy Ann. She lived a number OF
years on Jim's farm, and II ever bear had
a romantic life Peggy Ann did. Ten years
ago next sDring a fine Berkshire SOW be-
longing to Jim gave birth to a litter of nine
coal-black pigs. This interesting pig
family was kept in an open inclosure out
near the barn, and early ons morning
when the pigs were about week old,
Jim heard great squealing among
them, and hurrying out he saw q bear get
ting ont of the pen with one Of the Digs un-
der its arm. The mother of the kidnapped
pig had made the fur fly out of the bear,
and 1t seemed glad to get away without tar
rylng to capture more than one OF the fam
lily. After that Jim moved the old SOW and
her pigs TO small building that had been
used as a smoke house, where he could shut
them in and prevent further raids upon
them by bears. Two or three days after
ward jim fed his pigs and started for his
work and forgot to close the door of the
smoke hOOaa Whan ha hama ak
night his wife told him that early in
the afternoon she heard the pigs squealing
as If their little hearts were breaking, and
going out found the mother gone and the
pigs huddied together in one corner OF the
inclosure The old SOW hadn't returned 20
her family when Jim and his wife went to
bed, and they we're at loss to understand
her strange disappearance. As soon ss ne
got up next morning Jim went out TO take
a look at the pigs. Everything was quiet,
and when he got to the smoke house he was
reloiced TO see the old SOW laying IN her
place as comfortable as ever. sucking her
family. But what was Jim's establishment to
discover that the vacant place az her mater
nal fount which had been made vacant by
the heartless kidnapping raid Of the bear was
filled, and that black and furry baby bear
occupied the place. The thing was plain as
day to Jim. The SOW, smarting for revenge
on the bear, had taken advantage Of her
first opportunity to get away, tracked the
bear to It's lair. and watching until the
heartless marauder went away on some
similar expedition, had kidnapped the bears
cub and brought it home with her.
That cub thrived amazingly in charge
Of its strange foster mother, aud grew up
and away beyond its foster brothers and
sisters, A feeling of undying, affection
seemed knit between the bear and
Old Blacky, as the SOW was called,
and 1t grew stronger as one by
one the pigs were taken away and fattened
and Killed. Jim named the bear Peggy
Ann. it being that kind Of bear. At the
age OF two years she was a whoppng
big animal, and Jim trained
her to work the churning machine,
take the COWS TO pasture, turn the cider
mill, drag the harrow, aud make herself
generally useful about the farm. She was
as kind aud gentle as a sheep and when she
wasn't at work spent most Of her time cheer
ing up her beloved foster mother who was
getting old and feeble. The first thing
Peggy Ann would do when jim appeared in
the morning was TO hurry Co meet him and
put up of her great big paws to shake hands
with him. She liked Jim next to her foster
mother, and she was favorite with the
whole family.
when Peggy Ann was years old some
thing occurred that changed her whole life.
The old SOW, her foster mother, died l
have heard Jim tell about the frantic way
in which poor Peggy Ann took on when she
found she was an orphan. Jim said her
grief vas enough to make an undertaken
weep. They buried Old Blaeky under tree
in the orchard and for weeks Peggy Ann
spent all her spare time at the grave mourn
ing for her beloved foster parent. While
she did not neglect her duties on the farm,
Peggy Ann became listless and apparently
discontented. 1t was noticed that she would
stand for minutes at time and gaze MOURN
fully at the woods, and frequently was seen
taking long walks along the edge of tho
fields where the woods began.
THAT bars bar natur's comm back to
her sence Old BlAcky died. Jim said to his
wife one day, an I'm afeerd she'll go back
to fnst principles an git to be bar aein
one o these days.
Zone evening that fall Peggy Ann went
out to Old Blaoky's grave without eating
her supper. Whom Jim went 10 bed that
night she was mourning on the grave yet
He woke up in the night some and still
heard Peggy AIMS plaintive lamentations
at her foster mothers grave. When Jim
got up next morning Peggy Ann didn't
come to greet him as usual, and she was no.
whore to be found abont the premises.
"'She's gone back to be bar ag'in, poor
old galp said Jim.
There was a great sorrow at Jim's farm
over the going away of Peggy Ann, for she
wasn't only q valuable piece of live stock.
but she had endeared herself to the family
by her cheerful and gentle ways. No effort
was made to trace her and fetch her back:
for as Jim said, she had reasoned the whole
matter out and knew what she thought was
best for her To do. The backbone of winter
was just about getting ready to be broken
the next spring when Jim Bonesatt almost
tainted away one morning to SEQ big bear
come running toward him in the yard. Jim
was about to turn and leg it for the house
when the bear stopped and lifted one fore
paw. Then jim recognized Peggy Ann,
aud they had e joyful time in the
family when Jim hurried in with the
news. And no had moro news than the
arrival OF Peggy Ann to report, for at
her side waddled fluffy ball OF coal black
fur in the shape Of a two weeks old cub.
Peggy Ann and her cub were given the best
of quarters and in a couple Of weeks she fell
iutO the harness again and buckled into her
work just as of old. But she wasn't the
same. She was listless and discontented,
frequented Old Blacky's grave and seemed
unhappy. But she kept right on and when
her cub was old enough they broke him to
do the work his mother had done so long
and he got to be as apt as she was but not
so willing nor cheerful. When the young
bear got 80 he could do the work well Peggy
Ann disappeared again.
~ see it ALL said Jim. The poor OF
bar can't stand 1t to be around the farm
without Old Blacky, and she didn't have the
heart TO leave US short Of help. Soon as she
got her son all broke into the harness she
iaft the farm mn has gone back 20 tha Wild