The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-03-05
CONNECTION A BEAR MADE.
TARIED INCIDENTS THAT MARKED
HIS PROGRESS.
Cnsti Suspicion on n Man Who Attracted
Portable Property, Scared the Popu-
lntion, Toasted ON Pork and Mutton,

be Just tickled all to pieces when l called on
him the last time sald.John Gilbert. the trav-
slling groceryman. He said he was ready to
give me an order for goods that would pay my
board for a week, Z
" We haln't got him ylt' he said. but We
know where him and tho rest Of 'em comes
from and-we're closin' In on EN-. You re-
member the boar. don't your
Did l remember the beari ] should say.I
didl That bear knocked all the profits out OF
the trip | had taken through that part OF Jer-
sey a month or 20 before. and I think I re-
membered him. l had Just dropped In on this
friend and customer OF mine and was talking
busIn ess with him when a farmer came in look
ing worried.
What's up. Simeon2' said my customer to
the farmer.
why. that black shoat OF mine turned up
missin' some time.lastsnight, and cant find
him. replied the worried farmer.
You hain't been up on the ridge yet and
seen Job about It. have you?' the storekeeper
asked.
Yes said the farmer. I only Jest como
in from there
"'Hain't job got the shoat1' inquired the
storekeeper. looking surprised.
He don't think he has, replied the farmer.
Now the Job they referred TO. as l learned.
was a chan living four miles back on the Blue
Ridge. and folks generally around there
seemed to be a triie shy Of him. They didn't
come right out and say that Job would steal.
but from what.they were in the habit Of hint
ing he appeared to have a good deal OF mag
netism and things had a way OF sticking to him
when he was around and walked away. When
somebody's sheep or pigs or chickens couldn't
be found anywhere on the premises where
they belonged. the owner Of the missing prop
erty simply went IN to Jobs and brought
them back. SO as this farmer who had Just
lost the black shoat had been to Jobs and
didn't find It there. my friend the storekeeper
was naturally surprised.
" DO you mean to say that Job hain't got
the shoat?' he repeated.
" He don't think he has, said the farmer.
III tell you how 1t lays. As soon as / missed
my pig this mornin' ] was put out worse'n
Gregory's aunt cause 1 was busy, and hated
to spend the time a hookin' up and drivin' to
Jobs to fetch the pig back. But as we was
'spectin' to kill in a day or so and needed the
pork. l didn't see no way out o. Roin' to Jobs.
So l hooked up and'drove to his place.
job" says l. i've come after my black
shoat. and a. he Is a pesky %cri:ter 20 drive. I'll
have J 20 af Se y sera Il he5P his IL f head E for h Minute
Your biRfk shoaty"' says he, Il don't
WHAT makes You Il think sol" says JOB obb,''
Job fsI ssra at he1 h she as sTai for a while.
and looked up to, the SKY as II he was, tryin' to
get things straight. Then he shook his head
''Darned if I've got any recollection Of
him %folle,rin' me In" says he. but III go look.
50 we went out to Jobs pigpen, but the
shoat wasn't there. We looked all over the
premises. but there wasn't the sign OF a pig
'WeIl. Job" says I. maybe you've run
and, sold him" i, says. tryIn'. to kind o jog
jobs memory. Job scratched his head aG,in
and looked puzzleder than ever. BY and by
"I might a done It. Simeon" saws he.
but It don't seem to me as if I'd q had time
black shoat didn't foller me home and clear
over into @A bach PIShEas sSo5ty, last ssts n MaS, s djd her her
yes" says JOB: ,simeon's."
"..IYaesss."H i says J says Mag
MOP says Mag. "Nothin' amt follered
you home sence Colwell's two sheep tagged you
II don't believe your biani shoat foiiered me
in; Simeon. He might but I'll be darned III
That's all the satisfaction I got out o,
JOB, said a6 the owner 2, Of the missing pig. and
The circumstance Of the farmers pig being
missing didn't seem to be anything to cause
fact that 1t wasn't at Jobs worked on folks like
everything. That made the passing OF the pig
tically suspended to discuss it. Along toward
noon a man came riding into town in a great
Has anybody around here lost a black
1T wasn't, a minute before he had all the in
formation about the missing shoat there was
And Job hain't got him. neither!' every
body, was particular TO declare.
We'll. said the man on horseback. It's a
darn good reason why JOB hain't got him! A
even a bristle OF him left II il hadn't been for
me and Croker disturbin' the bear. When
me and Croker came out square and plump
the town; he had that shoat half eat up. and was
stuffin' the rest OF 1t in as fast as he could.
Simeon! The bear seen us as soon as We seen
him. and was as scared as We was. l guess. for
he trotted on; but he's hangin' around over
do %This n news vas like T E 1o n}6s HhrobpP;ng
couldn't remember when there had been a
boar in that county before. There wac no kind
that town was torn w, with excitement over
the bear worse than the one was that [ had
scared from its meal on Simeon's black shoat.
had pointed straight for that place. and hnd
lage streets, and so on UP the railroad and was
believed to DO even then in hiding on the out
sHr1tI ma't or Tso l2f dyln'e 10 p0uhee upon
1T WAS plain that they had never been used
to bear at AID about that quiet New Jersey
village. The men were all talking fiercely
about going out and hunting this one down.
but somehow none IF them went. Nobody
could advance any plausible theory as t.
where such a thing as a bear could have come
from to turn up so suddenly IN that locality.
Its, coming had disarranged things, BUSINESS
and social. There was to have been a dance
In that LOWE thar evening, and everybody had
B BsSn tho S%Su 1tnns 9 Rad he sS Bs 6 q sl95iS@sy ol fv tImse =
the beauX. Of the place had urged never so
hard. which they didn't. they, couldn't have
induced a belle to go out of her house that
night. The general sentiment among the
girls was expressed by the red-cheeked din
ing room girl OF the hotel during supper that
evening. in conversation with a young chan
whom she called Charley.
" BE | l:oin' to the dancer she said. Not
on your life. Charley! ! like sque6zin' pretty
much, but don't want to be squoze by no bear!
Naturally, | got tired sitting around listen
ing to excited talk about bear. and ] went to
bed early. When go: unsnoXt morning
we're tho night before, The bear hid killed
nine sheep in different places Whereabouts.
and i was plain that something had TO be done
to rid that ncighborhOod Of the bold maraud-
er If people expected to live and prosper there.
So u dozen men got guns and dogs and start
81 ,,t 80 1n,. .ov tln min aar M