Omaha daily bee., 1897-08-20
TnuMPED THE PIANO KEYS.
4 Bears Merry Time mt summer
Hotel

~ beHFs merry iimc ht summer
Hotel.
There are not many huckleberries being
picked in the vicinity OF the Rocky Point
road just now, that is, by human hands, says
the Providence Or. ID Journal Somewhere
in that part Of the country there is bear.
and there is a general feeling that this ami
NAL has pre-empted all huckleberry, as well
as all other rights. There are not any too
many huCkleberries for bruin, and, besides,
the inhabitants Of that district have become
tired of huckleberry pie, slump and turn
overs, anyway.
Some brave spirits pooh-pooh the idea that
there is any bear around, and say If there
is one ii is a stuffed escape from Brown
University museum. Nevertheless they are
not taking any strolls In the woods There
is bear, however. and he has been seen by
several persons who were pronounced sober
when they told their story
A week ago while the guests were dining
at David Sawyers hotel The Willows, they
heard the piano in the parlor giving forth all
sorts of sounds First there would be a
thunderous boom from the bass notes, as if
some one had struck the keys with sledge
hammer. Then the unseen and unknown
player would run up and down the keys of
the Instrument with the touch OF pile
driver The piano shrieked and groaned,
ciattered and growled. The artist on the
stool was without doubt either drunk or in
tent upon demolishing the instrument
AS matter of fact, though the entertain
ment did not show 1t. the performer had one
OF the chief requisites of first class musi-
clan' Ihat was wealth OF hair that
Paderewski would envy A bear was the
drummer and it was having a great time
IL mad been travelling along the hot and
dusty road on a stomach empty, save a few
nuckleoerrles and the shady retreat of The
/ willows offered haven of rest. 1t walked
into the yard. unobserved on all fours and
/ entered the parlor. After investigating the
! contents OF the room and finding no one II
! investigated the piano. 1t braced itself
| against the stool and, rising on its hind legs
aia IN I's paws on the keys Occasionally the
/ cIaWs would catch, and Bruin. angry at such
| Hnpertinence, would bang down upon the
| them.
me brute was enjoying itself immensely
| wagglng its head from side to side when
| Mr.. Sawyer and some of the guests entered
| tne room 10 ascertain the cause of the
/ piano dlscordant jumbling OF notes The
Iehaie members of the party each uttered
| Z screen OF terror and fed to rooms in
tns otner parts of the house. They barri-
Cduea the doors with furniture and awaited
| developments in fear anG trembling
| Inc entrance of the -ty distracted the
! attention OF bruin. Through the open din
! ing room door came the odor of sayory
! dinner. 1t struck the hungry animals ms
| uils with magnetic force and dropping on
| al tours the brown body made rush for
the dining room. Its progress was not him
| dered by the gentlemen of the party A
| elght OF those glistening teeth red tongue
| ana cavernous jaws dispelled their courage
| Ihe bear wrought havoc in the dining room
! II ate everything there was in sight stuck
| us nose IN the mustard pot, tipped over the
| gravy dish and smashed crockery
It's munger was appeassd however and
| When the attacking party who had obtained
| weapons in the shape OF pitchforks. shoyeIs
| clubs etc, came into the room determined II
| XIII or be killed bruin was very much as.
| tontshed. What had he done that they
| should come after him with all those clubs
| he dldn make move and prepared to en-
! JOY good after-dinner slumber Then for
| the frst time one of the party noticed that
| red, white and blue ribbon was tied ahout
| Its neck and it dawned upon them that the
| bear was an escaped pet. They took coura ge
| IN one hand, grasped pitchforks firmly in
| the other and got a rope tied around the
| interloper's neck. There was nothing hu-
| meek submission on the bears part and
| 1t walked to the barn as if it desired II
| do nothing else.
Mr.. Sawyer kept the bear two days. Then
he was obliged TO release the captive on ac.
| count OF a threatened famine The prisone,
| IN the barn ate as much at one meal as thf
| motel guests consumed in week and Mr.
| Sawyer was obliged 10 free him or 90 into
| bankruptcy
| A man who was walking along the road
| yesterday met the bear. The pedestrian did
| not stop for a close view of the brute but
| took to his heels. an action which bruir
| viewed with dsapproval. The traveller re
| ported his adventure at The Willows and the
| piano player was recognized