The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1900-08-14
Bill Brown Gambling Bear
He Created a rifS' LASS Scandal in Church Circles and Their
Cost His Trainer a Pot of Money Signalling That
lom Was Holding a Full House.

game of poker in particular to a once
innocent bear
But Bill didn't seem to think he was
uolnS any wrong.
Your singing words Of reproof might
apply, If under my guidance this inteIli-
gent animal was actually going to play
poker. But I've too much conscience
ana not enough money for that game. |
can lose money to Tom Wilson fast
enough myself to cause vacuums in the
Brown ~eXchequer. What l propose to do
IS simply TO teach this bear the differ
ent hands in the game of poker. 1t won't
be long before he will know every hand
ana be able to give q little signal for
each one. Even the most sanctifed of
men can't blame the bear if, in his inno-
cence, be happens to sit behind Tom
wilson and signal the value Of the hand
Tom is holding. And if l should happen
TO use that in the way in
Whlch 1t can do the most good, neither
the recording angel nor Pike county hu-
name society cranks can lay the blame
at the door of that plump and innocent
minded pet of mine
Looked at il that light it din't seem
as If the bears moral integrity could
come to grief. Tom Wilson might have
d protest coming, but Tom had already
won SO much of the boys money that it
seemed a commendable act to reduce his
surplus. The only party whose character
was likely to suffer was Bill Brown, and
his conscience had the reputation of be-
ing flreproOf. l was sort of anxious to
see how the bear would take to poker.
SO L couldn't see where it was up to me
to warn Tom Wilson.
There's no denying that bear was
a born poker player. Bill hadn't been
training him over a couple of weeks
before that intelligent animal knew every
hand, from a pair of deuces to a royal
straight flush. Bill taught the bear to
make little signals with his front paws,
showing what the hands were. After
the bear had the game down pretty pat
Bill would put a poker hand on the table
an. look at the bear in an inquiring way.
Then the bear would give a signal. If
the bear called the hand right Bill would
give him a bit of meat, or a little honey,
or some other d~elicacy dear to the black
bear heart and palate. If the bear made
a mistake a powerful bump IN the side
of the head was all that was due him.
Finally Bill judged his pets education
was complete. He was the most self
satisfied man in Pike county.
Talk about higher education,' Bill
remarked compl2cently, when l came
over to see how his ~unrighteous scheme
was getting on. a man don't appre-
ciate what can be done by a judicious
mixture of loving care, and honey, and
an occasional humping, until he has
witnessed the intellectual feats Of hon
est old Bill Brown black bear. Bears
of attainments have been
IL I,4 +fic
Is the first one that fully understood the
noble game Of poker. Saddened spirits
| and depleted pocketbooks will be the
portion of those who try to win money
from Bill Brown and his bear
"But Bill was so proud of his scheme
| for getting even with Tom Wilson that
he couldn't keep still about it. The
matter came to the ears Of the minis
ter and Elder Howard. They came
over and demonstrated on the peril IL
which Bill was putting his own soul
and the good bears moral character. Bill
wouldn't be moved, and insisted that he
was not leading the bear into evil ways
You can't really say that the bear
is a gambler, for will make it a point
to see that the money earned by the
firm Of Brown, Bear & Co., goes &c
Brown said Bill. And as far as l an
concerned, all l want to do is to ge'
! back the money Tom Wilson robbed me
of. Although 1 might be persuaded tt
take a little more, even at the risk CT 8
jar to my conscience
Even after BiIIs explanation the nm
lister and the elder didn't quite approve
of his plan. But as they regarded Ton
Wilson as a good deal of an instrumen'
of iniquity, anyhow, they dint feel caliet
upon to give away BiiIs little game.
THE next evening Bill piked over u
the tavern early and began playing POKE
with Tom Wilson. The intelligent pea
perohed himself on his hind legs be
hind Tom. where he could look over TN
cards. Tom being accustomed to seelnE
the bear with Bill Brown, didn't thini
much of this. But there wasn't a nam
held by Tom Wilson that escaped tn
notice Of that bear. All Bill had TO az
WAS to glance at the bear and he kneV
in a second just what Tom was playing
The result was that when the game brok
ND Bill had a bunch of money and Ton
had accumulated a stock of experience
that he would have been glad to dlSpos'
of at a mighty small price. Tom wa