Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-09-12
RACING WITH A SHE DEAR,
A Cunning woodsmnn Who Carried
on One of Her Cubs.
From the New York T-ibune

A Cunning W0odsmnn Who Carried
on One of Her Cubs.
From the New York T-ibune.
The habits of the American bear have
long beer carefully studied, and found to
be generally Objectionable. For instance, it's
habit of sleeping all winter is quite absurd.
Ne animal needs So much rest as that all
at once. and, even If it did, it ought to be
ashamed to take it on account of it's evil
example to- other animals. Then, there is
its habit of sucking its paw. It outs the
paw in it's mouth late in November, and
| does not take it out till early in tine ensu-
ing spring. The most hardened naturalist
VIII not venture to assert that 1t is
healthy or respectable habit. That 1t is
vicious and immoral one is shown by its
erect on the animal itself. When 1t first in
seFts It's piantigrade member into its mouth
and curls up for its six months nap it Is
plump and aforementioned bear. even a
wadaiing and pingaid one, showing the eff
fects of a liberal diet and healthy assimila-
tfon: when 1T wakes up it is thin as a soda
cracker and 80 weak that it can hardly
crawl out Of it's hole. If 1t had been around
during the winter like the other animals
and taken wholesome exercise it would
| come utsaf~its- tlormitory almost as ro-
bust as when 1t went In. Then there is it's
habit of carrying Off pigs. While the farm
er is asleep it visits the sly and tucks one
f-pig under one forearm and another under
the other. and. thus burdened makes its
way to- its forest lair, the pigs screaming
piteously all the way, with no moral effect
on the bear whatever. No one has ever
pretended to justify this sort of conduct
the part of the beast and many of its
other customs are equally censurable.
New studies of its habits constantly
berg made, some of them, pursued while
the student is pursued by the animal. be-
Ing thus extremely accurate and realistic
In their conclusions. One of these is de-
scribed by trout fisherman of Otter Run,
tributary of Pine creek, near CANNED,
In this state. He was occupied in fishing
in the former estuary. and while so en-
gagged got bite Which disciplined expert
cree Immediately identified as big one
He. therefore. at once proceeded. according
to local custom, to hang the fish in the top
most branches Of a neighboring tree. While
preparing to recover it by climbing the
tree. another local custom, he heard low
groWl proceeding from the underbrush near
by. Listening again, he heard two growls
The first one proceeded from young cub
which its ursine mother had deposited
there; the second one proceeded from
other Both were on deck and ready for
business, but they were of tender age and
the fisherman, leaving his suspended trout
amid the bouehs, had little difficulty in
placing one of the cubs under his arm and
starting for home There was a narrow
gauge railroad nearby with a platform car
and O steep down grade, and the captor
thought If he could reach 1t without being
bear his escape with his whmpering quar-
~ would be easy and assured. But that
bereaved animal was prematurely aroused
and was almost upon MIN when he remarn-
bered that he had in his pocket q handful
OF salt and pepper with which he had in
tended to sauce his frugal brookside repast
Of onions Without pausng in his flight
he threw these mingled condiments direct
ly into the eyes of the pursuing bear tTr-
posing upon the animal considerable con-
| fusion and delay and just enabling him to
reach the refuge Of his rolling stock, which
was at once started down the hill, fish
ermah. cub. trout basket unconsumed
onions and all.gs,. assstser
But the bear. having paved the saline
ard peppery frfitHnts out of her eyes, and
got her second wind, was again upon their
rratk'' following the car down the incline
With banks ard howls. of rage. the speed
or both being about equal and the space
between them sseing<t6osna marrow to rank as
first.class sec9Elty,.=Eu as the decl!vfty
presently Began to IAN at sharper angle,
the car drew gradually away from the
pursuing animal and was soon so far in
advance that the latter gave up the pur-
suit, and when last seen was sitting on the
cross-tfes bowling bitterly and paving the
remainder of the salt, out of her eyes.
The lesson OF the occurrence is that cub
hunting Is most safely pursued in forests
adjacent to narrow-yauge railroads. with
ready platform car at hand, ard a steep
regions. ard canine and ethnological re-
inforcemebts. 1t also goes to show that
the ursine eye is sensitive to the most
commonplace table condiments and that
while under their influence, it's most vio-
lent maternal emotions may be transiently
interrupted. These are not very important
facts. but in the study of bears every lit
tie helps They widen our knowledge Of the
animal trifle. but do not greatly increase
cur respect for its habits. If it had STAYED
at home and paid proper attention to its
young. no such occurrence would have hap
pened, and by the time Of the autumnal
equinox they would have become sufficient
ly ablehediad to defead- themselves against
any trout fisherman in the western range
OF couhtfesseahd nifght=have left a record
fer Rtg stealing equal s2 her own.