River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1897-09-09
AS TO AN OLD
BEAR STORY. /
A Thirty-Year Ssarch for Truth
on the Sinne Mzhoning.


4 on the Sinne M2honing.
STTTTTTTTTTTTTTTrTVTFTTTT<
lust before my remarkable father,
III Reuben Pettibone. took ON the
mortal ailmeut that Iereft the Slime
uahoning country Of its then most
shining light" said the man from over
SinnemahUning way, Il he called me TO
him one day ard said:
'PTaXiteIes. said lie, the chances
are that I'll soon be leaving the sun
kissed borders of the Sinnemahone for
the stormy banks Of Jordan. II had
anything 20 sag about it, don't think
I'll make the change The Sinnema-
hone I don't suppose is anywhere near
as big as the Jordan. but when il comes
70 fishing, I'll bet on the Slnnemahone
every time. I've yanked some old dod-
wolIupers out of the Siuuemahone,
PraNvi / remember once
MY remarkable father was on the
point of telling "a fish story, but ia
terruptcd him.
Father said I. considering thar
YOU are soon To exchange earthly scenes
Tor @NfiAE GtAFA uAAlAAr fANtAt va AAAAAAN
that for prudential reasons il might
perhaps he better if you did not think
up that story and tell IL"
There was mild re roach in the
galc that my remarkable father turned
on me, but. before l cotld speak fur
Their. be said;
"'As ! was saying, PraNiteles, it
won't be long before l shall close my
ears on the musical murmur Of the Sin
nemahone and open them 10 the tenn
pestunus roll 90 Jordan ] would he
recouciied 10 the change IL it wasn't
for one thing. If I don't find relief
from thar before go. my end won't
he one Of peace and calm and joyful
Tesf. You know Nose Comfort, don't
you
Il told father that knew Nose
lo know hes got only one leg?
SAID father.
4 knew that.
And only one arm|
- knew that, too.
And did You know that he was =
years old last Tuesday
= had heard that such was the fact,
and told father So
Well, said he, Nose Comfort Is the
tribuiation THAI IS on my mind, and IL
seems 70 me that can pass away until
my doubt about him has been cleared.
let me tell YOU about him. PraNitcIeS
and then / will ask your Judgment on
him. You're d pretty fair Judge OF
lie. aren't You. my sonT
".Am ~ said 4 can tell YOU lie
the minute hear it,
IAN the minute before YOU hear it,
exclaimed the man in the red blue.
green, pink. purple and yellow Marki-
nav jacket. You don't have to hear IL
at all. 10y guns
The man from over SinucmahoUiuc
way paused long enough TO sr1iie be
niguly ON the man iu the U,Iny -hued
jacket and resumed his narrative.
= told father was a fair Judge. and
he told me about Nose Comfort.
Nose Comfort said he. has told me
something every wear flr more than so
years, and have never been able TO
eAde'lS H'dHt up ms hiihd Whether me-
was iNln- To me or not the first time
he told % 20 me l was sIre that he was
presuming 10 ridiculous degree on my
credullty, for Nose was then only about
-, and he had both legs and arms
When be got caught IN bear trap p
years ago and was neld IN IL by his
right arm three days before some one
came along dnd let nun out. and he
linen N'-d ~ nave Inc arm cut OF close
y the shoulder y SET me 20 thinking
said q myself that 7 ever a man had
the habit ~ lying being held in the
jaws Of 2 bear trap three days and then
losing his arm ought % he "a good WAYS
toward curing him Of H.
wow j. "a good time" said I. ito
tes that story Of Noses
So I went over To see him. lie was
nursing his arm. or, rather, the place
where the arm used to he. and was the
most discouraged and hoPeies>-iookiuc
mortal ! ever saw But l hadn't been
there ten minutes before he came To
the front with hat story, and never
fiuched muscle OF missed word,
Can this be truth2- thought
cor is IL unreceuerutc cussednesS?"
- couldn't answer. and came home
more unsettled IN ms mind than ever.
And SO il went on for Years. Nose told
me the story every thine / saw him. aud
sometimes Ia have To believe IL. aud
then again I'd find myself declaring
that % all the lies / had ever heard Nose
Comforts story was the biggest. The
thing worried me. and louged for helm
AT last Nose lost some more OF himself.
lie Sat down on 4 runway 10 watch for
deer ana fan asleep. The deer came
along. found Nose asleep. and. as Nah
lau Struhb declared. stopped and
hicked h5su III the stomach with both
hiad feet. Tint woke Nose up. His
gun was lying on tie grou 3. lie made
grab for il ana caught 10 by the bar
rel. lie gave 10 yJLk. the hammer
struck against somctI NJ ard the gun
wen, of. The bullet ploWed through
Moses knee. and they carried him
home. But they had 10 cut the leg OF.
Then that story OF Moses began
to Worry me worse and worse. Nose
Vas past - when he lost his leg.
lie Is past 70 said ]. 'and draw
ing along toward the time when the
hunter that never misses his m. rk will
draw bead on han and bring him down.