The Banner-Democrat. [volume] (Lake Providence, East Carroll Parish, La.) 1892-current, 1895-10-05
GRATEFUL BEAR CUBS
Eale OF a Potato Field by q Man
from Sinnemahoning Way.
His uncic's Power Of Remembering, His
Fathers business idea, and His
Own Willingness to Take
uoner's Place.


Homer's Place.
Honestly" said the man from Sin.
mentioning way. II feel sorry for
THIS side OF the mountain every time !
come over from old Sinnemahonet I
10, really Honest, do! Why? Be.
cause, In the first place, this side of the
pountain seems to feel Its littleness.
and its Observation-Disclosures,
as it were, and / 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
a steer in the oats! And. in the second
place, because have noticed prepon-
uerance OF yallcr dog on this side of
the mountain. and then this side Of the
mountains bears mint up to snuff. Ill
fares the land, to Fastening ills prey.
where yaller dogs accumulate and
bears amt gayr Sorry? Why, I'm so
sorry for this side of the mountain that
l had bosom of destruction with
me I'd sweep every one Of your yallcr
dogs into the Allegheny river yander,
and then go and drive herd of Sinnc-
mahoning bears over here and give you
;. new start in life Sinnemahoninp
bears! Why. say, Homer made the
mistake of his life in not waiting q few
thousand years and being born on the
old Sinncmahoncl Then he'd have had
something to twang his Tyre about!
lie wouldn't hive had to tramp bare
foot over the hills of Greece and ad1a-
cent bailiwicks, making heroes and
heroincs out OF moro or less disrep-
ntable folks, bit ho could have stamped
and sloshed along the storicd Sinnema-
boning, in . pair of cowhide boots, and
sting OF bear till the cows come home!
4 often lie awake nights regretting
thai Homer made that mistake. Those
Ssnnemahoning bears ought to have a
TONER to put 'em on record as they
should be put But AL is not lost.
Homer gave old Sinnemahoning the GO
by, and preferred ancient Greece to
bears grease, but all is not lost. Old
Sinncmahone may not have Homer,
but she has Me! And If her bears don't
SO 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 q contemporary, and con-
tenporaneous history is a triiie dan
gerous to handle, for there are other
people who are contemporancous, 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, if had mem
DRY like an uncle of mine once had,
could go way back beyond this ques-
ton with ease, and show up the sinnc-
malone bear in a 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 fastened his death He
was letting it have 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 Ihad your memory and fearless
ness ia exercising it, would write
book and call it Recollections Of the
Delnge, by Survivor
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-
II knew it well enough, but I had
just dug a lot of worms and haa every
thing ready to go down to the creek
and try for trout. So said:
YES, father. But the trout are
biting tremendous, so they say
" rs that COP said father We'll, my
son, s'pose, then, you've been digging
fishworms?
''Yes, father, said /, feeling good,
for father was "a indulgent parent.
"'And got your pole and line all
fixed ready, too, s'pose?' said he.
Ives, father said. and felt just
MS If was as good as on the creek.
"'Well, said he, 4 spose it wouldn't
make much difference If only one of
us planted 'taters to-day?'
mot Bit said /, if it don't make
any difference to YOU
'''No, it don't, says he. You're sure
you got fshworms enough?
Plenty said, starting to get my
pole.
".And you're sure the trout are Bit
ing good?' said he.
They were never biting better,
said /.
...All right. said he. I guess I'll |
take the pole, then, and go down to |
the creek and see what luck FL have.
You go on planting Eaters as if l |
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 /
go fishing yourself all next week.
81 was trifle set back, but couldn't I
help admirc the preponjerance of the
business idea in my father, 1t wasn't
fish,ng that he cared so much about. /
It was the getting in of the 'taters, and
you'll notice that he didn't make up |