, 1900-09-11
REVENGE METED OUT BY A BEAR.
An Engineers Story of Early Days in
Pennsylvania.

stove committee, says the New York
Sun.
Yes, yes" he said, pennsylvania
used to be a wild state in the days
did my first throttle pulling on the
Royal Blue line and many were the
hair-raising experiences We had.
Bears? Why, they were thicker than
flies on sticky fly paper. They were
a little shy when the road first went
through, but after the novelty wore off
they got SO they enjoyed n ride on a
freight train as much as any hobo liv-
ing and it was no uncommon sight to
see a bear sitting on the edge of a box
car letting his legs dangla over the
edge, just like a real brakeman. Yes.
yes. That's a fact.
In about the widest part of the
country We ran through there was a
passing siding which was called Has
kin's switch. This was a regular hang
ing out place for bears. One day an
old female bear was giving her cub n
boost to get up on a fiat car for a little
outing when he slipped and fell under
the cruel wheels, his young life being
RUSHED out instantly. The Old moth
er bear she took it real hard and did
some ugly growing as she pasted by
the engine.
The incident faded from my mind
very soon. A couple of days after thai
we came along to Haskin's and had to
take the siding for a passenger train.
The boys of the crew and the fireman
thought they would go up in the woods
about a quarter of a mile and get some
good spring water. as we had a few
minutes to wait before the nrst-class
train came along. They left me all
alone with the train.
The running gear of the engine on
the left hand side, forward under tho
boiler, had been working badly, so |
thought I'd look things over. | took
my long-necked oil can and. lighting
my torch, got off the engine and went
forward to look over the troublesome
found that a link hanger need
ed attention, necessitating my getting
down fiat on my belly under the engine
with my legs projecting over the rails.
| had been at work in this position for
minutes when | felt a strong tug
sing at my left trousers leg.
Its the boys back from the spring.
| thought to myself, and they're trying
to get gay with me. I'll just pay no
attention to them whatever
Il kept right on at my chore, but the
boys kept right on fooling with my
legs. Finally my temper got the best
of me and I shouted angrily:
Harry, by iimminetty, if that's
you I'll come out there and kick you
so hard that you wont be able to sit
down for a week. Harry was my fire
mans name.
The only answer I got was a low
srowl. | will admit that I got fright
ened, although such a thing is unusual
with me. Nevertheless, having finished
my work, I began to back out from I'M
der the engine, keeping my torch and
oil can IN my hands.
We'll, o could have knocked me
over with a feather, for when I got out
SOS | could see the first thing nv ewes
lit on was that old she bear, sitting on
her launches waiting for me to come
out. She was ugly, too, and growing.
The look on her face seemed to say:
are the cause of the death of my
offspring. If you'd been more careful
it wouldn't have happened. I'm here
settle with you
when | got out she made several
movements toward me, but | kept her
at a comfortable distance by waving
my torch in her face. She was getting
holder all the while, however. and ]
knew ! would have to devise some
scheme to get on the engine, as |
didn't want to try an argument in close
quarters with her. because a bear in as
ugly mood as she was is not a thing
TO be sneeZed at.
so set my wits to work. CHANGING
around saw hat was nearer the pi-
lot of the engine than | was to the step
on the side of the tank and if | could
reach the pilot before the bear did |
could get to the cab via the running
board along the side of the boiler and
at Mrs. Bear.
81 decided to try for it, and, making
A feint lunge at my animal friend with
the torch to get her farther from me,
| busted for the pilot. I reached it
she did, but just as l was draw
ing my leg up the bear GRABBED it with
both her fore paws. l tried t. break
away from her hold, but it was useless.
Turning, I saw her jaws wide open
easy reach of my arm, and
superhuman seemed to tell
me what to do. l stuck the torch in
wide open mouth. With the other
hand l brought my oil can into play
and poured the oil from the can on the
torch in the bears wide open