The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-02-27
BEAR ON THE TRACK.
An Incident or Early RniiroRdinE In PennsyI-
vnnin hn an RnaIncer Tells H..

An Incident or Early RniirondinE In PennsSI-
vnnin ns nm Engineer Tells II.
ALTOONA. Pa, Fob. 26.-Abraham johnson
is one OF the few surviving engineers employed
on the old State railroad between Holidaysburg
and Johnstown back In the forties. He used to
run the Henry Clay on the twelve-mile level
above this city, and the adventures he had with
old Hen" as he called it, were many.
d I ever tell you how tho big bear tied up
our line for q week T. he asked n SUN reporter
the other day. NOT VOL. 1t was n funny
kind of snap, but an actual fact, l assure you.
1t was back about 40, l think. and the spot
where the bear held US up is not more than q
dozen miles from here. We were running along
the level at a good gait one morning, with n
train Of about twenty cars. and | was just fig
uring on our chances of catching a good dinner
at the halfway house. when Bill Watts-that
was my i~reman-yollcd out to me:
Look out there. Abe | There's a big bear on
tho track
"Wo didn't have no book of rules in them
days. but II was one Of the unwrittcn laws of
tho road not to run over n big animal. The
superintendent said 1t spoiled the scenery. but I
guess IL was because the biggest engine we had
couldn't stand much of a bump without jump
ing the track. Well, when l saw that bear first
he was standing right in the middle of the track.
W W biNS ofo hhVh - uoIl vi Ma ohO
l blew the whistle and tried to scare him away,
but he only stood UP on his hind feet and mo-
toned for me to come on. Seein' the pesky
critter meant fight. ] stopped tho engine and
held a council OF war with Bill.
Its your turn to drive them off, ; I said. Il
drove them two off last week, beside that wild
cat Sunday morning.
Yes assented Bill, but this here bear
would make two of yours. Besides. he means
fight. l can tell by tho way he looks
"'Shy n stone at him anyhow ! urged. May
be he'll run
II could see Bill didn't like his Job, but he
crawled down and was hunting around for q
stone when he saw the bear coming after him.
cramGie back on the "t footplate. seeing there eTe
WA 81 no iiSht = in Bill the bear went back to the
Hang my, skins. said Bill. when his breath
came back. 4 hired to fire, and III be burned II
I'm goin' to do any more bear chasing
II seemed to me that tho boar had done
anything for fear OF hurting Bits feelings.
opened the road again. Well, sir, we laid there
ating bear didn't just hang around and wait for
trouble; About sun down Bill suddenly jumped
NV got an idea. Abe
I'spit her out says l. for 1 was getting tired
there bear. says be. VEN back the Un train
down out or Sight, an mebbe he will think we're
gone. and cut TO the woods
Il thought this was n good scheme, and we
backed down around a curve and waited about
an hour. But when we run back up again there
had another council ii an The %pshot Of It was "a
the hope that the boar would be gone then.
There was a charcoal, burners cabin near
supper. We discovered shortly that beside the
old folks in the house there was a mighty pretty
married man myself / didn't cuf mnph 6pnra hut
l could see Bill was hnrd hit from the start. We
slept all night at the cottage an next morning
held another session of the council.
II agreed; at last. to go up an see II the bear
was gone. Imagine my surprise on coming on
gone. but had went an 'rought his family dur
ing the night. Leastways.. there was Two big
front of Old Hen when | hove in sight. / went
back to the cottage feeling, very much Disguised.
Well, TO make a long story short. Bill anil
went up to the track three times n day for a
front Of Old Hen all OF that time. Bill kept tho
hTe burning IN the ilre box, but that was about
end OF a week / got desperit. GoinG up to to the tbe
old man of the cottage l says:
odd man. have you got a gun around the
,",sare,.. says he. What do you want to
that's trying 10 t V stop trafi p.4 an " Pm ans so 5Hae a ntee
him Il you'll lend mo the weapon, says l.
Cert, says he. an he brought out an old
crawled up on Old Hen an took a look around.
There w1s only ono bear in sight that l could
see and that was the big fellow that had hunR
around for II week TO make us trouble. Seemed
to me he had got fat on his Job. too. At any
rate no didn't look no thinner than when I first
saw him.
well. sir, with tho old mans gun / drew a
bead on the %critter an let 'er go. / hit him
square between the eyes an he dropped like a
log. Crawlin' off Old lien. I went up an rolled
him off the track, an then went back to look for
Bill. found him an Mirandy baking apple
"'Bill,' says ], 'well have to timber up an get
over the hill. ! stood as much as mortal man
could stand, but | just went up an plum shot
,"'shoi 4 says Bill. J. could see he was not
pleased with the way I was interrupting his
''Git n move on, Bill says /, we've laid
here a week now an we'Ii be running in late II
we don't hurry up
"Mirandy.' says Bill. looking sort Of soft
way.
Come along. Mirandy.' says Bill, AN set on
the seat-box Of Old Hen an when we get to
Johnstown we'll ito uu.'
IN go you. Bill, says she. an she went along
on the Henry Clay.
" was best men at the big wedding at Johns.
town. Bill an me kept tho secret of how we
was held up by the bear, an nobody knew any
thing about II for a good many years. l think
me superintendent must have suspected some
thing was wrong, though, for he said TO me:
ape, you run In II little late with your train
the other day, didn't your