The Portland daily press., 1894-04-04
OLD BEAR Of sKoWHEGAN.
An Awkward Maine Boy Who Made War
Record as Sharp-shooter-He Now
Represents the Garden Spot of the
Whole Earth.

There has been visiting in this region
for several weeks an odd genius named
Simon Cover, of Skowhegan, better
known as Slime" the "Old Bear of
Skow began" He began his career by
running away to the war. He was only
is years of age when they We're enlisting
men at Skowhegan. He was as tall
then as he is now (about six feet, } and
was playing marbles in the street with
his overgrown arms and legs projecting
noticeably from his outgrown coat ana
trousers. The enlisted men marched by
and among them were his two brothers
He left his marbles and resolved to 60 10
the war. His parents took away the old
shot gun that he was Furnishing and
nut a decided veto on any further war
like preparations But that evening be
got a long plank and leaned it against
the side of the house under his window.
In the night he slid down to the ground,
walked to Waterville, enlisted there and
went into camp at Augusta. He served
through the first three years as sharp
shooter, and then came home to SHOW
hogan without scratch. He soon en-
listed again, and continued through tne
war. A sharp shooter in the battle OF
the Wilderness he was posted behind a
tree picking off rebels with his almost
| infallible rifle, when a friend shouted
NYou're wounded He. looked and the
| blood was running from his leg. He
| had not felt the bullet which passed
| through his thigh, just missing the
bone. He was carried to the rear, bu5
| after the battle seized two muskets, and
usinp them for crutches hobbled for
| three miles all over the place counting
| the dead.
| sharp shooter as he was Of the first
| rank. vet there was only one shot THAT
| he was sure proved fatal. He was IN
advance Of the line with other sharp
shooters of both sides IN cornneia
| engaged in kind of Indian warfare in
| the gray dusk of morning. He was
| living fiat between the rows of corn. The
rebels were off on hillside, and when
ever one of them fired he would
Blaze Away at the Flash.
| These shots of his were evidently effec-
tive, for rebel took the risk of creeping
down into the corntield after him." Sine"
| (so his comrades always called Grover, }
heard hin, his senses being unusually
keen naturally, and just then strained
to the highest pitch by the tension of
| the critical situation. Soon he was
aware that the approaching rebel had
| stopped and he felt that he might at
| that Instant be aiming at his he ad. But
| he kept cool with eyes alert. and al at
once the rebel g. head appeared thrust up
between the thickly growing stalks II
corn. Shines rifle spoke, and the head
disappeared. The report was the signal
for dozen rebel shots, and bullets cut
the corn all about. A little later at the
risk of his life, "Sime" resolved to learn
| the result of his shot. He wriggled
slowly along until at last he reached
| the rebel, who was lying fiat on his face.
| The bullet had passed through his
mouth and out of the back OF his head.
| His cooked musket was thrust in front
of him and was evidently all ready to
shoot the Yankee had not the latter's
| bullet come first
| When Grover meets a company of
veterans his greeting always is: Boys,
do yer know who / am? Pm the old
| bear of Skowhegan." And with that he
| executes ridiculous bear dance with
! Bonded knees and dropping hands, and
sings an appropriate song. Then he
shakes hands all round, demanding of
| each man, "Aow's yer liver?"