Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1895-10-09
CHOCK FULL. OF FUN.
HOW MAX RANSOM LEARNED THIS
TRAIT OF THE BLACK BEAR.

The Bear Stripped Him and Put on the
C1othes-His Friends Seem to Doubt the
Story, but ~ Evidence Of Good Faith He
Doesn't Shoot Black Bears Now.
Il don't care what anybody says or
thinks" said Max Ransom Of this city,
an observant sportsman and one who
thinks twice before he shoots, but am
convinced that the predominating trait In
the character Of the great American bear
La q longing for fun. mean the black
bear. The grizzly bear and all his near rel
atives or, as some say, his descendants,
such as the silver tip and the cinnamon
bear, have no sense Of humor in them.
but the black bear, Judging, as do,
from personal experience, is simply look
ing for something to have fun with when
NJ goes out had killed quite number
OF bears before had this little experience,
but have never killed one since or at
tempted to kill one. / wouldn't have the
blood Of bear ON my hands for anything.
Seems to me I'd feel as II were muir
derer. I mean black bear Of course.
1.-The way I happened to change my
mind about black bears and their DISPOSE
ton was this Two or three of US were up
In Pennsylvania one fall deer hunting.
One day, after standing on runway Tor
two or three hours, and judging that the
dogs had taken the deer in another direc-
ton, put my gun down and walked away
= short distance to u barberry bush to PICK
some Of the tart berries. 1rost had
knocked tho berries all off the bush, and
they lay thick on the ground beneath IL.
stopped down and was enjoying the re-
froshinp mountain fruit when felt some
thing tap me on the shoulder. / looked
I'D, and there, towering above me and
with grin on It's face as near as grin
could possibly be on a face not human,
stood bear at least five feet tall, being on
his hind feet, looking down at me, his
fore paws hanging limp against his chest
1t was the bear, OF course, that had tapped
me on the shoulder.
Now, here was q situation. l couldn't
get at my gun. / had knife in my
pocket but with that universal belief l
had always had that tho bear is fierce,
ugly and pugnacious beast that wanders
about with his eye constantly skinned for
some one that no can pitch into and scat
ter about and chew up l didn't think 1t
would be wise for me to rise from the base
OF that towering bear, right into his
clutch, you might say, and defy him with
a knife The bear seemed to be waiting
for me to do something. l was In squat
ting posture and really couldn't make up
my mind what to do. So remained just
Hs was, trying to think what ought to
be done under tho circumstances. guess
the bear must have got impatient, for no
reached down and tapped mo on the shout
der again. 1t was just a gentle tap, as II
he were simply calling my attention to
something or other Then I made up my
mind. thought l might throw myself
quickly forward, get to my feet, cut and
run and make a circuit among tho trees,
supposing all the time that the bear would
DO chasing me until / could get back to
where my gun was. Once there, l would
have no further apprehension as to the re-
suit
$50 made surge forward but before
my head had scarcely changed it's position
tho bears paw closed on my shoulder. In
an instant he jerked me to my feet, turned
me square around and there / stood, face
to face with him, he with n paw on each
Of my shoulders. / thought my only
chance now was to get my knife in action
before the bear finished me, and l careful
ly slipped my hand In my pocket and got
tho knife. l was stealthily passing my
othor hand over to open the knife when
the bear calmly reached down with one
paw, snatched It out Of my hand and
threw 1t away. From tho position tho
bear was in / might have given him q
tremendous kick in the stomach and dou-
bled him up so l could have got to my
gun before he got over tho effects of tho
kick, but didn't think Of It, and I'm
glad now that didn't. wouldn't have
known then what there really is in bears
and would have gone on killing them In
cold blood.
After the bear threw my knife away
he took off my hat, looked it over and then
put it on his own head in rakish way.
He was moro than grinning now-he was
actually laughing and his eyes twinkled
misohievously. Tho next move he mado
was to unbutton my hunting coat and
take 1t of of mo rs slick as could be- This
he threw off to one side and then took off
my vest. He laid the vest on the coat.
' 'Heavens!' / said to myself. This
bear is going to strip me SO he can chew
mo up better.
After taking off my vest tho bear
Vusueu Iut QUNH OH tnbbWO SdTlucHbS anu
deliberately and expertly drew off my
boots! Then he sat down opposite me and
drew the boots on his own feet. After ho
had done that he yanked me off the coat
and vest and tried to put the vest on him
self 1t was too small, but he got the coat
on all right, and then he was sight that
made me tumble right down there and
howl. 1t was the funniest thing l ever
saw. My mirth seemed to please the bear,
and he danced around like tipsy RATS
man, cutting all sorts Of fandangoes and
pigeon wings. 1 guess this lasted ten
minutes, and was sore all through from
laughing, when suddenly the bear stop.
ped, cooked his head on one side and lis
tened moment. Then he stripped my
coat off and tossed 1t to me, and sitting
down pulled off the boots and gave them
back. To take off the hat and hand II
over was only the work Of second, and
then tho bear hurried away into the brush
and disappeared. He had hardly got away
before along came my companions with
their guns. The bear had heard them,
and he knew what would happen to him
from men with guns, and so he got away
as quickly as he could.
"Of course my friends were surprised
to sec mo sitting there half stripped, and
when told them what had occurred they
acted as III they didn't believe ma and |