The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1892-12-24
A FLORIDA BEAR.
But 1t Acted just Like A
Pike County Beast.

Mlntef, SNlU JOnn 0lOert, the
travelling groceryman, "they told
me ~ bear story which they ear
nestly asked me to believe, and, as
am nothing if not accommodate
ing. | brIieyed IL. The bear this
story was about acted to me so
much like II Pike county bear that
] couldn't half but believe that it
really was one of that county's per-
ennial bruin family who had gone
down to Florida to spend the win
ter. believed the story, so [ don't
see that there is anything in the
way of believing that the bear was
from Pike county. If he was he
will never be seen there again and
his folks might as well known it.
"According to this story a party
of New Workers were hunting
somewhere on the Florida coast
when they came to II mass of
,wreckage that had been washed up
on the beach from some unfortunate
vessel. AS they approached the
wreckage they were surprised to
see Il bear nosing around among it.
The bear was so much taken up
with his inspection of the miscell-
aneous articles strewn about that
he did not detect the presence of
the hunters, and they had good
opportunity to watch his actions.
There were cocOanuts, oranges,
pinearp es, and other things of that
kind scattered about, besides casks
and boxes which were still unbrok.
en-. When the party first came in
sight of the bear he was evidently
having his first interview with q
cocoanut. He looked at it with
comical doubt for Il minute or so,
and then smelt of it cautiously.
His investigations thus far being
satisfactory, he touched it with one
paw, drawing the paw away quick
ly, as if he were afraid the queer
object was hot. Then he tried it
with the Other paw, and satisfying
himself that there was no danger
concealed in the big nut the bear
sat down in the sand with a con-
tented grunt took up the nut in his
paws and prepared to regale him
self on the new found morSel. 1t
was plain that the bear had not ex-
pected to meet with SO much resist
ance on the part of the nut, for
when he brought his teeth down on
the hard shell his mouth flew open
and he dropped the nut as if it had
been red hot. AT the same time
he clapped his paws to his jaw and
hollered, 'Ow-w-wv for all the
world like Il man who had been
suddenly struck with toothache
pang.
"This was so cOmical that it
came near ending the show, for it
was all the convulsed spectators
could do to keep from bowling
right out. But they held in and
by and by bruin made his next
move. He picked up the nut again
inspected it carefully and closely
for Il long time, and then held one
side of it with his teeth. Failing
in that, he gave an angry snort and
threw the cOcoanut as far from
him rs he could. Then he fell on
all the rest of them that lay about
and scattered them about on the
beach as if he was IA demon bowler
in II cricket match. When he haC
sucffiiently We nted his anger in
this way on the nuts he picked VI
an orange. That suited him, anC
he sat down and feasted on oranges
He ate all that were within reach
and he then moved to get among
some more, when he got sniff
from a keg that lay on the sand
He paid no more attention to the
oranges, but had that keg up on it'
end in less than no time. A piece
of the head was out, taking the ke,
under one arm, he rammed tn
other paw through the opening ir
the head, took it out and carried i
TO his mouth and sucked it wit
such unmistakable gusto that i
needed no words toNtell that tn
bear had found something that la
way over oranges. lie kept hi
paw working to and fro betwee
the keg and his mouth as rapid
as he could sop and suck, but ths
process was too slow for him, an
wrenching off another piece fror
the top of the keg he pushed hi
head through it. According to tn
story, the bear must have becOm
conscious of the fact as soon as
got his head in the cask that
couldn't get it out again, for he in
mediately made the attempt to gt
it out. His ears and the big fold
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