The Van Buren press., 1895-08-31
GRATEFUL BEAR CUBS.
Tale OF a Potato Field by a Man
from Sinnemahoning Way.
HIS Uncle's Power of Remembering, His
Fathers business Idea, and His
Own Willingness to Take
Homer's Place.

hOmors Place.
Honestly" said the man from Sin.
nemahoning way, II feel sorry for
thls side OF the mountain every time
come over from old Sinnemahone |
do, really Honest, dol Why? Be.
cause, in the first place, this side of the
mountain seems to feel its littleness,
and its away.down-in-t the depthsness,
as 1t We're, and l can see it wondering
what it's on earth for, knowing that
Sinnemahone is just over beyond, kick
ing Its heels in the air, SO to speak
like lamb on the hillside and swelling
up, and looking sassy, as If it might be
steer in the oats! And. in the second
place, because have noticed a prepon-
derance of yaller dog on this side of
the mountain, and then this side of the
mountains bears amt up to snuff. Ill
fares the land, to Fastening ills prey,
where yaller dogs accumulate and
bears ain't gayr Sorry? Why, I'm SO
sorry for this side of the mountain that
II had bosom of destruction with
me I'd sweep every one of your yaller
dogs into the Allegheny river yander,
and then 60 and drive herd Of Sinne-
mahoning bears over here and give you
new start in lifel Sinnemahoning
bears! Why, say, Homer made the
mistake OF his life in not waiting a few
thousand years and being born on the
old Sinnemahone! Then he'd have had
something to twang his Tyre about!
He wouldn't have had to tramp bare
foot over the hills of Greece and ad1a-
cent bailiwicks, making heroes and
heroines out of more or less disrep-
utable folks, but he could have stamped
and sloshed along the storied Sinnema-
honing, in pair Of cowhide boots, and
sung of bear till the cows come home!
| often lie awake nights regretting
that Homer made that mistake. Those
Sinnemahoning bears ought to have a
Homer to put 'em on record as they
should be put. But all is not lost.
Homer gave old Sinnemahoning the 60
by, and preferred ancient Greece to
bears grease, but ell is not lost. Old
Sinnemahone may not have Homer,
but she has Mel And II her bears don t
go down to posterity with bells on my
name amt Praxitelss Pettibone!
"The trouble with me is, my memory
isn't long enough to do the Sinnema-
hone bear full justice. have to deal
with him as contemporary, and con-
temporaneous history is q triHe dan
gerous to handle, for there are other
people who are contemporaneous, and
they may insist on proofs. 1t is much
nicer to deal with history that was
contemporaneous with your grand
father, for then the burden OF proof is
on him, and all you have to do is to
cite authorities Now, II had mem
ory like an uncle of mine once had,
could go way back beyond this ques-
tion with ease, and show up the SHINE
malone bear in shape that would be
much more amusing than any he has
put on within my recollection, amazing
as that shape has frequently been.
That uncle Of mine quit working his
memory, though, quite suddenly, and
the reaction hastened his death. He
was letting it h ave full sway once, and
after he had at last called it in, the
new school l-teac her, who had never
heard my uncle remember before, said
to him:
"'If Ihad your memory and fearless
ness in exercising it, l would write a
book and call it "Recollections OF the
Lv C,,rvivor " ,
Somehow after that my uncle quit
remembering and went into decline,
and never stopped this side OF Jordan.
"When was boy, ten years or so
old, my father, Reuben Pettibone, said
to me one day;
'Praxiteles, said he, I s'pose you
know them 'taters is to be planted to-
day. guess we'd better get at EN-
"I knew it we'll enough, but l had
lust dug lot Of worms and had every
thing ready to go down to the creek
and try for trout. So said:
ayes, father. But the trout are
biting tremendous SO they say
".Is that SOP said father. Well, my
son. I spose, then, you've been digging
fishworms"
",Yes, father said l, feeling good'
for father was an indulgent parent.
-"And got your pole and line all
fixed ready, too, Is'pose% said ne.
7 ".Yes. father, said. and felt just
ms II was as good as on the creek.
"'Well,' said he, 4 s'pose 1t wouion !!
.h d,fparance If only one of
us planted 'taters to-dayT
"nNot bit,' said l, If 1t don't make
any difference to you.
1No, it don't says he. You're sure
YOU got fishworms enoughP
Plenty, said, starting to get my
".And you're sure the trout are Dit
ing good? said he. ,. ..,
~l"Srhey were never biting oes'ef'
said l. =, M
IAN right said he. I guess IN
..Le tho mole, then, and go down 10
The creek and see what luck III have.
You 20 op planting 'taters as II !
wasn't here, and get in as many as you
can for n's good day for planting II
uo,, oat that field all in to-day you can
% fishing yourself all next week.
81 was a triAe set back, but couidn !
h.,n admire the preponderance OF the
business idea in my father. 1t WASH. 7
f,sh,nr that he cared 30 mucn noou.,
=, nas the getting in Of the 'taters' and
rou,ll notice that he didn't make up
I,s mind to go fishing until ne 1ounu :,
/ could get along with the planting IN h1a al
right. My father was remaraspie !. J.