Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1898-05-05
BRUlN ON A cowcATcHER.
After He Got OFF There Was a Lively
Bear Hunt.

After He Got OFF There Was Lively
Bear Hunt.
Not long ago as railroad train
was passing through Wilder's cut,
near Olcut Run, Pa, the engineer
was astonished to see black bear
! coming around sharp curve. The
cut is so narrow that there is hardly
room for a man to stand aside and
allow an engine to pass without
striking him.
Bruin was more amazed than the
engineer. Instead of stepping aside
he reared on his launches and await
ed events. The locomotive was run
ming less than 20 miles an hour, for
the place is a dangerous one. Upon
seeing the bear the engineer shut off
steam and applied the brakes, but
the distance was too short to escape
| an accident. The cowcatcher slid
under the hind legs of the brute and
lifted him off the ground.
/ Thinking all trouble was over, the
engineer put on steam once more,
while the fireman climbed out of the
cab window and stole along the
| guard rail to find out what had be-
come of the bear. He was there,
clasping the cowcatcher, the lower
! part of his body just grazing the
ground and his head almost reach
ing the bottom of the headlight. He
seemed to understand that the only
thing he could do was to hold fast,
and he did SO during the run to the
next station, ten miles distant. The
station agent was standing at the
depot door as the train approached.
The sight of a full grown bear on
the cowcatcher fairly took away his
breath.
AS soon as the engine came to a
standstill bruin slipped from his
| perch and made a break for free
dom. This took him straight toward
the agent, who dashed through the
! door, slammed it shut, leaped
through the rear door and went up
the street at furious rate, calling
out: Bear! Bearl Somebody get
a gun!'
Soon the town was in turmoil, a
yelling crowd following in hot pur-
suit of the bear, some of the boys
pelting him with stones. Suddenly
big shepherd dog bounced out of
yard and dashed after the bear.
Bruin paused but minute or two,
but when he passed on the rash dog
had no future interest in the pro-
oeedings.
At the street corner lawyer car
rying double barreled gun came
face to face with the bear, but the
latter turned down the nearest alley.
The crowd increased and encircled
the frightened animal, making es-
cape impossible. Finding himself at
bay, bruin backed up against the
barn, rearing on his launches. The
lawyer sent two bullets into the
hear, whereupon the wounded ami
NAL charged the crowd. One urchin
fell, was trampled upon and had a
leg broken. The lawyer slipped an
other bullet into his gun and sent
the shot through bruins head and
finished him.
By this time the engineer and fire
man recalled the fact that train
load of passengers were waiting at
the station and hurried back and re-
sumed their official duties after a
bear hunt of about 20 minutes. -Bos-
tor. Transcript.
Japan has one of the best engi-
neering schools in the world and is
beginning to manufacture creditable
electrical machinery.
Dun's weekly Jraue review says: nus
tilities have not as yet changed last
weeks conditions. There is much
postponement of orders by men who do
not know what they are waiting for
and much restriction of loans by banks
which are abundantly strong. All this
checks new business and the volume of
transactions through clearing houses is
= per cent larger than in the week of
1899, with no foreign trouble But
this increase would be much larger but
for speculative stagnation here, New
York clearings being 81 per cent
smaller than in 1892. Railroads are
doing a great business, 81 per cent
larger than in 1852 in April earnings
+h"a far and i2.9 larger than last wear.