The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1894-10-28
SULLIVAN couSrr,s SMART BEARS.
Their Action. surprises :Uneie NTH Hs.-
rond TIL He Learned the Cause.

mopd TIL &c Learned the Cause.
i've always said. an stuck 10 IL through
thick an thin" said Uncle Bill Hammond Of
Eldred, that Sullivan county bears, an 'spe-
cially them that lives up Eldred way, was the
smartest bears on earth. an now I'm glad |
done 1t, for they're pruyin' to me this season in
the most amazin' way that ! hain't the victim
o misplaced confidence I tell you, I'm proud
o sullivan county bears this season. I'm kind
o sorry they done It. though, cause IL seems to
me now that II hain't much better'n murder to
go out nm knock one o. then, bears over.
81 gener'ly start out tol'ablc carly in the sea-
son tn skirmish round In the woods up In the
Eldred district. SOS to see what the prospects is
for bear and things, an while ] had always seen
a heap o evidence that our bears was uncom-
mon smart 1t hadn't never s'prised me much,
KNOWN that they was Sullivan county bears.
Twin in the Eldred woods. an so couldn't help
1t. But there hain't no doubt that when I took
my skirmishin' trnmps through the woods this
season ! was s'prised from tho ground up. As
was goin' along a tol'able fair-sized bear jumped
out of a boiler stump. Course there wasn't
nothin' s'prisin' bout that. but, Std o. Rivin'
me a grin, a. our bears usually did when they
seen me in the woods, an then trOttin' of, this
bear riz up on his hind feet. give a few lively
js steps. Topped over on his fore feet, as slick
as anything, an stood there as stiddy as IL he'd
been planted there. Now that was s'prisin'.
"'Great Natur'!' says ]. If this was any
bear but one OF our'n,' says !. 4 wouldn't .
b'lieved it,
THE bear stood on his hands fer a Mute. an
then Topped back ag'in to his feet. an fore I'd
hardly kctched my breath he turned q back
summerset clean over tho stump an. cockin' his
head to one side an GRIMM at me. "a much as
TO say. Well. how does that strike you ? went
of into the brush. turnin' handsprings one after
tother, Eastern ! could count 'em, till he was
"'Couldn't been a real bear. says I. after
got over my s'prise enough SOS I could talk.
Mus. a been a wound-up bear. with wheels in
But I went on a sklrmishin'. an hadn't gone
more'n u quarter of II mile when | come on to a
down an wonder how i'd ever dare to tell Il.
even in the Eldred country. where they know'd
how smart our bears was, an s'pect to have my
citizen u truth an ~veracity: An what was the
sight seen On the limb OF a tree more'n forty
downwards by his toes. Suddenly he pulled
himself UP an grabbed holt o the limb by his
self back'ards an for'ards twixt his foreiegs
Jest as easy a. II he been born an brought up To
- wisht I hadn't seen it, 7 says. i wisht
hadn't seen II, fer III have to keep it all to my
But II wisht I hadn't seen that much. what
go y1 aSs s ! ,b. my teeilmns mus, = ben when
he pulled hisself up an hung by his toes agin.
Then he begun TO swing. an when he got to
way an t'other. b.. all Of n sudden let go his toes
on The limb, an sho. over To another limb; an
iii he got a goin Ike ali possessed, am then 1ne he
let 20 o the limb an, ,riied to another one an
ketched on 20 it with his toes, An 50 he kept
. m pike for home now. These bears is git
tin a little ton spooky fer me-. says.
! hadn't gone fer when 2 bear jumped up ona
log an went 20 standin' on his head didn't
watt 10 see what more he could do, but made a
THE strain o. keepin' this TO myself II be
more'n | kin stand rs i is" says. Il wish these
81 guess I'd gone mebbe a mile when I come
out into q little openin'. an fer a minute ] was
sorry | had come that way. But only fer a
my eyes WAS the hull business bein' made clear. |
\ tremendous big bear. the color ola saddle. an
with a collar round his neck. stood in the middle
AL OF EN- Young chaps. | had forgot all about
that big brown bear, but | recognized him. Last
trict with that bear. He was a trained bear. an
could do more tricks than any hear ever see.
He could turn summersets, an dance, an throw
cat from "A pole, an do lots OF other things. The
bear liked the fun. hut lie didn't seem to like
night he give EN- the slip an run away. The
Italians hunted high and low, but they couldn't
Hm. MO Mob sd th never ~en sse AWAY pSr f sseiniIn5, bad ! tell
the Eldred woods. An what do you s'pose he
young bears OF our'n ali his tricks. same as he'd
done 10 their older brothers an sisters. list as
"Yo bet | was glad to know This, for now
could 20 home an tell what I'd seen without
losln' my reputation; An l thought mebbe IL
hunters up our way this fall, runnin' ag'in them
smart bear OF ouTn and seein' their antics.
might Se surprised m, maybe skeert iol'able
bears as them, don't it,"