The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-02-14
TREATED A BEAR KINDLY.
AN IMPROMPTU CIRCUS UP IN THE
HEMLoCK BELT.
Tho Captain Tested His Theory and tho
Landlord Proved Tint He Wna Right in

Saying Thnt IL would SRvo tho Hear
Trouble to Pay the Bet Before Trial.
when I stopped at the little tavern at stur-
geon's Corners. up in the Pennsylvania hem
lock belt" said John Gilbert. the travelling
groceryman. Il was afraid l was going to run
slack on entertainment. but 1 was wrong. l
really can't remember when l had a more en-
joyable time than l did at that place. That the
entertainment was entirely impromptu and
unexpected, made IL all the moro enjoyable. /
don't believe I will ever see the like OF II again
anywhere.
In the FIRST place. It was a nice. sunny. mild
winters day. and | ran against a jolly party
gathered at the tavern. There was Cant. Jim
Jones and Squire Bob Evans. and Hod Groo.
the constable. and Pete Bailey, and half a
dozen more whose names l didn't.iearn. They
were discussing bear. and l soon found out
thatsthe hear was Landlord Smiths tame bear.
whoswas two years old and disposed to be I'M
amiable at times. The bear had a kennel in
the back yard of the tavern, where a chain
eiRht.or nine feet long gave him as much lib
erty rs his owner thought was good for the
bear and for folks who went ont TO look at
him. The bears name was Sambo. The
main question that the party was talking over
was the temper OF the bear. and the discussion
had evidently been going for some time. for it
was quite warm when l became an auditor.
= WI FN's ASNNs phlA NupNso Jim OIiSD WI
you got TO do is to show him you don't mis-
trust him. and you're all right. l amt afeard
to go out there now and Pat him on the head.
Maybe you amt afeard to do il. said Pete
Bailey, but I'll bet you the drinks for the hull
house that you can't
I'll Jest take.that bet!' exclaimed the Cap
tain. and I'll show you how easy | kin make
you lose it.
THE CAPTAIN got up. and Landlord Smith
raised a protesting voice and said:
'Cap'n. you better let me decide that pint
right now. 1t won't cost you no more. and
morP'n likely it'll save the bear a lot OF trouble
But the Captain scorned the landlords adj
| vice and wont out to win the bet. by showing
what he knew about bears. Everybody fol-
lowed. and wont along. Sambo was ,parad-
ing up aud down in front of hls.kennel. look
ing as II he was Jolly and contented with his
lot: Capt. Jim strobe confidently toward him.
- lest watch me and see what YOU kin do
with a bear when YOU show him that YOU don't
mistrust him said he.
Eroached. and looked inuuiringly at him.
See said;the Captain. He knows ] don't
When the Captain-got to within a yard or
So OF the chain limit / Thought | detected
SYMPTOMS in SamBo that warranted me in
the bears mind. but he stepped confidently on
his way; must have been right In my dag
bTistIed up,' snapped his. Jaws together and
made y rusf, forward. The suddenness and
force Of the lnnee snapped the chain from its
SamDo ahead faster than even he had intended
to 90 Captain Jim let go a tremendous yell
p" stop him! he hollered; Darn my fool
Giz?Tard, somebody stop him
one another 70 get back through the tavern
door and couldn't take time to, stop, the bear.
close to his heels that the door was slammed
in his face as CAPTAIN Jim tumbled through.
" Cap said Pete Bailey as soon as things
| N0t nnipfnI down n little inside I'll ha
switched if I don't think that bear mistrusted
What the Captain would have replied will
never be known, for sounds of the bear came
from the yard and the landlord threw open the
prancing around the ward, monarch Of all he
surveyed, He had upset barrels smashed all
half q dozen young cherry and pear trees and
was then BEGINNING an assault on the door Of
t OF fat n'g Young Snn ECPRe CHESTER 1nS W ianasoFq The hsG ia a 12atTs
wife had lust discovered the situation, and:
WIG with excitement oyer the obstruction Of
simeon" Simeon! sambo is loose and
a ~" 'Th aaG III Il! y H5% ds cSpfa hs 5 Ji%. ri :Git p a gun:
I'll f91pIibai ow hi his @ efnzy Dl S9nk into G nsh bsi t gun and
,;m ,Bpt Ii LANDLORD d o,o Smith nit didP,twa At : sa n;tS
him. overpower the bear and make him a cap.
TIVE again: Halt 2 dozen armed n,Ss themselves
w wein SIaOs and hi' led bX th heo la 1rnSr ne marehed
out to capture the rampaginC bear. Sambo
stopped in his assault on the pigpen when he
though :i1' he had torn one board of the door.
After eyeiinf p the hmo sftae ha1fesd a moment nc dur dur
Who was armed with, a pitchfork. to Keep his
eye peeled, for he believed the bear was mis-
rr9st,R b By " show ane i lis Teeth tn t a1ndR %g sreIT hn:
savagely, Sambo evidently thought discretion
the better part OF valor and retreated to his
Clan the door shet! Clap the door shet.
screamed the landlords wife from the up-
"LHndloT% smith ran to close the kennel
opening. He had barely reached the kennel
landlord. knocking him down and falling over
!" Now he's killed Simeon. Oh. now he's
killed Simeon shrieked the landlords wife
But he hadn't killed Simeon. Sambo COT
clubs and pltchforks which were thnmped and
ET,sodded actively, \ he N made sde for the back fence
tom, and the bear made a dash to get through
it. He got his head through all right. but that
ahead nor he couldn't get his head loose. and
there he stuck. growing and swapping and
let him alone. Simeon, screamed Mrs.
simeon from her window, Lei, him choke to
deaa1 Bnt Simeon s} seS a dIdn't / in ee1sp to o' ie, him choke
to death in the fence, and in his excitement he
ran up and grabbed Pee 5 ssm6 . Il BY Iu the ~ hind hd h Iegi.
AS the landlord picked himself .uD the men
rushed in on Sambo and were fer rounding
and jahbing him to death: This vas not nc
soon as he could get wind enough he ordered
the attack to stop and hollered for a rope.
and hang him, Hang him high as Haman or
I'll p'ison him.
Smith threw, a moose into 1t, slipped 1t over the
bears hind legs and bound them fast, Then
he lassoed the bear in front and got tho rope
around SambQ's: f%oreleGs. This handicapped
tha banr an that hA WAS "a hnlnlaRas a n rnh-
bit. They knocked another board of the fence,
so they could get him out and then dragged
him back 10 the kennel, chained him up again
and took Off the rope. He was so savage over
his defeat that before the. landlord could get
out OF his wav he made a vicious grab for him.
caught his coat tails and ripped them half way
IF he'd only took a lot o your hide with
en-, cried. the disguised Mrs Smith, I
wouldn't bison Kim. but now ] Will!
Everybody went back into the tavern. and
Capt. Jim paid the bet.
Veal said Landlord Smith. now finding
time to vent his wrath, And i you'd q took
my advice and let mo settle the pint before
tho hurD thing cot stnrtnI II wouldn't n cost