Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1895-08-17
GRATEFUL BEAR CUBS.
Tele Of a Potato Field by a Man
from Sinnemahoning Way.
@as Uncle's Power of Remembering, His
Fathers Business Idea. and His
Own Willingness to Take
HOmer's Place.

come over from Ola OInnemduOu0! L
do, really! Honest, do! Why? Be
cause, in the first place, this side of the
mountain seems to feel its littleness,
and it's ay-doUn-in-th e-depthsness
as it were, and l can see it wondering
what it's on earth for. knowing that
Sinnemahone is just over beyond, kick
ing it's heels in the air, SO to speak.
like lamb on the hillside and swelling
up, and looking sassy. as if it might be
a steer in the oatsl Aud. 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 amt gay" Sorry? Why, I'm SO
sorry for this side of the mountain that
IL / had bosom of destruction with
me I'd sweep every one of your yaller
dogs into the Allegheny river yander,
and then go and drive herd of SHINE
mahoning beaAs over here and give you
a new start in life! Sinnemahoning
bears! Why, say, Homer made the
mistake of his life in not waiting 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 ADA
cent bailiwicks, making heroes and
heroines out of more or less disrep-
uta BILE folks, but he could have stamped
and sloshed along the storied Sinnema-
honing, in d 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 all is not lost. Old
6innemahone may not have a Homer,
but she has Me! And if her bears don't
go down to posterity with bells on my
name amt Praxiteles 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 a trife dan
gerous to handle, for there are other
people who are contemporaneous, and
they may insist on proofs. It 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, if had a mem
DRY like an uncle of mine once had, |
could go way back beyond this ques-
ton with ease, and show up the SHINE
malone bear in a shape that would be
much more amusing than any he has
put on within my recolle ction, amazing
as that shape has frequently been.
That uncle of mine quit working his
memory, though, quite suddenly, and
the reaction fastened his death. He
was letting it h ave full sway once, and
after he had at last called it in, the
new school-teacher, who had never
heard my uncle remember before, said
to him:
If had your memory and fearless
mess in exercising it, l would write
book and call it "Recollections of the
Deluge, by a Survivor"
Somehow after that my uncle quit
remembering and went into decline,
and never stopped this side of Jordan.
when l was q boy, ten years or so
odd, my father, Reuben Pettibone, said
TO me one day:
'Praxiteles,' said he, 4 spose you
sknow them Eaters is to be planted to-
day. guess we'd better get at 'em.'
ST knew it well enough, but 1 had
just dug lot of worms and had every
thing ready to go down to the creek
and try for trout. So | said:
GGtVac fafhar RI1t tho
biting tremendous, SO they say
s. Is that SOP said father. We'll, my
son, s'pose, then, you've been digging
5fshworms?'
Yes, father, said L, feeling good,
for father was an indulgent parent.
"'And got your pole and line all
fixed ready, too, s'pose" said he.
"'Yes, father said. and felt just
as if I was as good as on the creek.
"'Well,' said he, L s'pose it wouldn't
make much difference if only one of
sus planted ;tatcrs to-day?'
''Not bit,' said l, if it don't make
amy difference to you
's'No, it DON'T says he. You're sure
you got fshworms enough?
Plenty said, starting to get my
s''And you're sure the trout are Bit
ing good?' said he.
They were never biting better,
said L
"1All right said he. 4 guess I'll
take the pole, then, and go down to
the creek and see what luck I'll have.
You go on planting 'taters as if I
wasn't here, and get in as many as you
can, for it's good day for planting. If
you get that field all in to-day you can
$50 fishing yourself all next week.
Il was trife set back, but couldn't
help admire the preponderance of the
business idea in my father. 1t wasn't
fishing that he cared so much about.
1t was the getting in of the 'taters, and
you'll notice that he didn't make up
his mind to go fishing until he found
I could get along with the planting all
right My father was remarkable
man in a good MANY respects, and it is