The Forrest City times., 1898-01-28
; Surprising Act Of a Bear. E;
} A sINNEMAHoNING MANS TALE OF
\ CIRcUMsTANTIAL EVIDENCE.

L NJ TeIDdTkdDie IdtneT, KeuDen
Pettibone, had lived TO be 100years
DID," said the man from over Sin
nemahoning way, you never could
have induced him to judge a man on
circumstantial evidence, after what he
saw up along the headwaters once.
And that's what makes me shy of cir
cumstantial evidence myself didn't
zee this thing that my remarkable ia
ther saw, the principal reason being, |
suppose, that it happened some years
before l was born, and"
Pears to me as if little thing like
that hadn't ought TO make no differ
enee to you, Sinnemahone," said the
man in the red, blue, pink, purple. yell
wand green Mackinaw jacket Pears
TO me that it ought to be jest as easy
for you to set here an remember things
that never happened before you was
born as ii is for you to set here the way
you do an remember things that never
happened sence you was born. Pears
TO me so, Sinnemahone."
Perhaps you're right, Mackinaw,"
said the man from over Sinnemahoning
way, blandly. "But have you no regard
for my remarkable father, Reuben Pet
tibone? If | should set nv extraor.
dinary memory TO work recalling ante
natal happenings, what use would there
have been of Reuben Pettibone's living?
Have you considered what hole would
be punched in the past history of the
storied Sinnemahone if Reuben Petit
bone had not lived and breathed. and
seen and done things, there and there
aoouts? l thank you for extolling my
memory, Mackinaw. but remember. |
beg of you! remember Reuben Petit
bone,
NO; l didn't see this thing to which
refer, but Reuben Pettibone did, and
The incidents of this one of his many re-
markable experiences he handed down
10 me early in life to point moral and
adorn tale.
You may get ketched on the Jury
some day, Praxiteles,' he said. so re
member this and play shy on circum-
s'antal evidence. It1l never do to
hang man on
ana so have always been shy of cir
cumstantial evidence, because of this
'nihg that my remarkable father saw
up along the headwaters and told me
ABOUT There had been long prowling
IN that part of the Sinnemahone bear
VI enormous size and acuteness He
H"u outWitted every hunter and trap
per VINO had pitted himself against him.
anu man down in the West Branch
country had had for ten years a stand
ing ofler of 500 for that invincible
bears hide.
why, my remarkable father used
70 say there had been tons of ammuni-
uoh wasted on the astounding beast.
una what in the world he ever did with
an ,he traps he carried away. year aft
81 year, was one of the mysteries of
.ne "ild wood. They would have made
scrap heaP that a foundry could have
-un ltselt on for months
me hunters were all more than
."ser TO lay this great bear low. as
as Tor the satisfaction and fame
~ No'ilg II as for the $l00 in the coin of
e realm the West Branch man was
eauy 10 put up for the wise old fellows
'ue heuben Pettibone at last evinced
E''Nh"i III teTeSt In the bear. and,
10 ba''rg few days to spare one winter,
~ saui'tered up the headwaters for
w.; purpose of fetching the coveted an
la pack home with him. There would
su w iuh IN circumventing tricky beast
- .n as that, Reuben unused. nut more
g., "o'ihg the chagrin of the unsuccess-
van hunters and trappers. | may as
dian, tn say that my remarkable father
RI get the bear. He was foiled.
ar, ne learned lifelong lesson.
bs.5Fe mere was hunter native to the
Jvs Je"aters whose name was Samson
diaa samson Juff was man of such
msts sreeable ways and questionable
wo'1o nous In the woods that nobody
nit;tan a,u hunt or camp with him. He was
tboaay unpopular, Maekinaw, al
Fyarsh MS jacket had only one color.
wata other hunter on that spread of
rims was in perpetual state Of wor-
mia.. Tor fear that Samson Juff
~ some day strike the untold luck