The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1900-04-08
BILL BLAKE AND THE BAR.
ALSO TWO GIRLS WHO sEEMED 10
NkED No PROJECTION.
Bil Explains Why He Loft the social A..
fractions Of Slate Run for u DreRry
woodchopper's stat In Kettle Creek
-HIa Two Exciting Bear EncOunters.

-Hts IWO EhsttIuB
wnLiAMspoRr, Pa. March 81 A quarter
of a century ago, when the valleys and bottom
land, Of Pennsylvania were decked 10 the abund.
ant growth Of timber which was Natures herl-
tage, any sell. respecting log Iobber, II hs aten-
ton had been directed " the dcso!nte Kettle Creek
region, would have turned up his nose dlsdain-
fully and passed on to grs'n-r fields. But The
days whom a contractor could choose his place
Of residence are practically past, and so 1t was
that"IIank" Brllmau WAS reduced 10 the extremity
last fall Of erecting his shhntv and sn ring opera
tons In the heart Of the jungle Ike forest over
looking Kettle Creek. The camp ~ fitted into
a little patch ~ cleared ground far OVER tho noun.
tain top. A narrow turn ike winds up ~ II from
| the highway hundr ida Of fest below, and beyond
Il, extending into the wilderness, great wastes
| Of fallen trses. stumps and piles Of hemlock bark
! show what the woodsman's axe has been doing
all winter. Directly surrounding the shanty tbs
trees have not all been removed, and on the frosty
winter nights, when the snow hangs In great
| layers upon tho heavy branches and the dir Is -
| crisp and keen thnt sound travels through IL
with AZ much precision ~ though shot from .
mngSphone. the panthsn And caarnounts climb
w into the tall timber and wake ths s,umbertn9
echoes OF the forest. AZ vol as the boys IN the
camp, with their Wild and dismal hcwlings.
Ono Of those nights came about q month ago
Ths panthers and wildcats Vailed moro ~fuItou6y.
Il seemed, than they had done befors during ths
winter, and added 70 their woful wailings was
tho vdcs Of thu north wind a. II tossed tho snow
| against the wea thsrbaAten ddcs Of ths shAnty.
For that night the shsnty was good enough for
tho boys. Whcn supper WAS over and He storm
showed no Sgns Of abatins they all gathered
| Together In the big lobby which is home, club,
| society and Sunday school n thsm, and prepared
10 make the best Of a nigh In toorsl Now these
WOO lsmen are not the sort Of men who osn spend
| an evening oveY . book or enjoy themselves AZ
any tame diversion. and on this night sven jack
| poker had no charm for them The fact 10 tbnt
they were Just In thu mood 70 listen 10 one Of Bill
Blaiss stories.
II was blake who, on q cold winters night tn
yeare q -, entered a dive In ths Pigs Far dis
tic N Potter county and, with q rev olver In each
hand. forced the landlord and guests out into ths
street. after which he filled up on the best whiskey
In the house. Then, when the proprietor re-
turned with a posse OF armed help, Blake barn.
caded h,rlseli In the cellar and would pcither
emerge nor allow any one N enter until entire
immunity Was PROMISED by the blo"vlis con-
sta Ne.
Say. Bnl.- said one Of the wpodsmen, what
tamal cussedn,ss ever posseesed you 10 lenNs
The good Job you had In the Slnss Han camp last
III! blake prfcd coQtemplauvely at his pipe
for a moment, after which he eaid: -.
well, %esby | had a purity good reason II I
Then he laughed quietly. Nobody spoke,
and when I'll had finally gone over the details
in his own mind. he continued,
You see I'd never have gone N the Slate Run
lob In the fret Mace, hut for one thing. Down at tho
city, where ! had a lovely suit as %coachmsn for
S : Iaeh n. l e ! fs sn' sRSf,y, o." te iH q !ssf i paisy
apick an span on that JOB, an II O. say i, they
want many han orper ribbon singers dnyin'
GSMp u nn' Il R'S hahn moo No one p Bu IL VII" h. dude
was a, cut mo out only mention the INCIDENT
Tor the sake Of ezplAinin' why IT was at | ever
"You sec, everything vent srt @ contrary
with me In town after that. got dck Of the v lJlc
business. an all the time while | was dh in them
would Ieep %n-runnin' back TO the old camp life,
where l knowed they want Ike to be no dudes
nor no gals 10 play fidean 60 seek with q ~fcller,,s
heart. So bask goes to the old Slate huh !Gh.
!Wali. the very nrss nigh. | spen. in the camp
u made g., wr my ,i m1nd tb I, va n Rir da' in nor tb me t eam MY
they was two as purity gals as you,d cnIe TO see
~,,-nicces OF the boss's wife, guess, ayiiun. thar,
! was in the camp very long at they waga little
too healthy for that place as it was, an you'll
see purity soon whe, made ne ,Link 50,
The damsels started neht in by FIRTH with
me. an they was 80 winsome At forgot al about
the city gal light away | met EN- half way
in the firth game an # seemed r., me a. was
in clover. The other fe.lers was all gettin' ical-
Gus Of the way the gals was shinin' round me;
but It want exactly my fault il they wa'nt In
II. so | didn't b ther about that. hsli, things
went Cd lovely for about a week, an one / light
the gals says 10 me. they says; Let's go along
down an get some apples
Now the o'chard was. quite = ways below tho
camp an 1t was closed In by q big board fence
about TX feet figh. ~ course vent. We had
a Jolly time guiu' toward the o'chard an the gals
seemed more loviu' 10 me than ever. When wo
go, thar an l seed the high fence | wanied 10
, fust an then veil fo,ler SO Of course ! wont:
I ~, a board up to TIE 'encc an c;uub over an
been q minute i waited thar an dian'' hear a
sound from the other ,ide.
Yes, says ! y myself, 1 sec what they're ~
i Y1ssn p"s says ! ss on. % ISsd 70 so orip 3 oIse sshs Ike: O. I
thought you'd change your minds, purity d%earies'
But thew a nj no anSwe or, an / begins to get Kinder
an see what was the matter when heard a grovl
behind me an turned round quick Lands o,
Thar was a big, uglylookin' cinnamon bar
me. WALL bet tie e ~beeni'ul locks NJ mine stood
on end like pore pine 1uills., They want no use
any, not even a j~ackkniie or weapon oil, no kind
10 tackle Jest then, 10 | babe Jr. bruin a hasty
farewell an made for the fence.
but now, boys, come the trouble In earnest.
II was an easy enough matter to get over that
fence. but when II come 70 gettiE' back, why that
was a different thing. | seen | couldn't do II
nohow an 80 Jest stood an turned my back TO
the fence an waited. Drum was within three
feet Of me then IN, be nj up, onto his hind feet
an stood thar moyin' his head about in a threat
enin' manner an motiorin' at ME with his big,
ugly paws. The moon was slinin' ont bright
an clear above us an as he stood thar betw zen
me an IL he was one Of the most skeeryIookin'
| sights | ever sen. lie didn't appear to be narv-
GUS or discontenlel In the least an made up my
mind | wouldn't he nGryous either. so, lookin'
straight into his face an reckonin' the distance
| ricscd ont n spot on the biz feller'] under Jaw
an give him slch n Nick with my big cowhide
boo, at he yelled uith pain.
"You can bet didn't wait tn Soe the result hut
/ Jest took II across that ocbard az II the devil
was NJ my heels. Loriy, how my feet lid welt the
a b ard was gone, and ut / went; | reached 4. all
right an was Jest about half way through when [
heard a siuflin' an pantin' behind me- at MAIDS
my blood freeze up in krotty lectle humps. Boys,
di1 YOU ever know a bar could bunt' Wall,
| have had the fact drilled into me IN q purity for.
at such a lively gait that nii;ht was nothin' moro
nor leSS than that bars head, was knocked
into q heap on the outside Of tho fence an thar
/ laid, huggin' the ground an slivcIiI' and eX-
pecun' every second o. md Bruin on top Of me-
i don't know how long II was lore | dared raise
my head an look round, hut when ! dill they
wa'n't no BAR in sight made NJ my mini after
wards at Bruin was ieS! as anxious to get out
side - that fence as | was. lie must have gone
i'm through that very hole in the ienc. an was
probably putin in his hes. Hicks 70 get out again
! for. I could give him another kick. When ! got
10 the hole ahead Of lin Of course he couldn't
very well do anything else than knock NE out
" ~ ~