Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1900-11-10
ALazy Pike County Man
Hiram Lampsons Attempt to Geta
Living Easily.


over the country" said Deacon
Todgers, mo one was surprised
when the agent for a big curious
came up here early this spring try
ing to collect five animals in general,
but with special yearning for wild
cats and bears. He offered good prices,
but the boys, knowing the difficulties
of the case, didn't take much interest
In has scheme. So everyone was sur
prised when Hiram Lampson. who has
the reputation of being the LATEST man
IN the whole county. spoke up and al
lowed he would furnish the agent with
bears and wildcats enough TO meet
the demands of any ten circuses.
L amt so foolish as | look said
Hiram. when 1 demonstrated with him.
Who is the best ventriloquist in this
county,
"'You are responded.
land who is the best mimic?' he
asked.
You are, Hiram Lampson,' 1 an
swered him. impatient like. And you
are the biggest fool. too. Do YOU pro-
pose to give an entertainment for the
benefit Of Pike county bears, and
charm them so that they will be Will
ing to let you sell them to any circus
agent who happens to be in the vicin-
fly? Your undoubted Talents may
amuse n Sunday school class, but they
won't carry YOU far along the Pike
county bear and wildcat theatrical cir
cult. which seems 10 be your Intention
TO organize
Hiram looked hurt at my flow of
sarcasm.
Its no wild animal vaudeville en-
tertainment I'm going TO get up. dca-
con- he said. earnestly. My plan rs
based on the understanding of wild
animal nature acquired sitting around
in the woods on warm summer days
when prejudiced- observers thought l
ought to be p.owing. My muscles
weren't very busy then. to be sure, but
my intellect was working overtime
81 was clean puzzled to see how Ri
ram was going TO catch either bears
or wildcats by means of ventriloquis
or mimicry. After making me prom
Use not TO give his plan away. he un-
folded his scheme.
During these spring months what
are Pike county animals busiest about?'
be asked.
Most of them are devoting their
energies to looking after promising
fnmilies,' said I.
=" To be sure, deacon, to be sure an
swered Hiram, with the air OF n man
who has gained an important point
in an argument. Now take the case
with bears. VIII an old bear, an ex-
periepced bear, wander into any trap
devised for the catching alive of I'M
suspecting bruins? Bpt if bear thinks
its cub is in the trap it will blunder
right ahead and so be trapped and ex-
changed for good money for the bene-
fit of an intelligent but over-modest
hunter
Even then didn't see through Hi
rams plan. Il don't see,' / argued,
how you are going to get your cubs.
Even the youngest and least suspicious
OF bear wives or mothers will look
with doubt on your plan of starting
bear creche with her cubs. And it's
certain no wildcat is going to COM
NIT her kittens to the tender mercies
of Hiram Lampson. Day schools and
nurseries are all right in their way,
but / don't believe you can ever make
'HSh popular Win Ilhe county Wllo-
cats
Nonsense, Deacon said Hiram, i'm
patiently. It's not a training school
for teaching the bear cub or wildcat
kitten idea to shoot that I'm after.
mean to bring my active intellect and
justly famed powers of mimicry into
play. Down at the end of the big
gulch 1 will build pen with little
door to it. Then 1 will get up tree
and initiate the crying of a bear cup
in distress. The call will seem to come
from the pen. Any mother bear that
hears it will hike for that pen, and
won't rest until she has explored the
INSIDE. Once inside, that bear will
stay until she is exchanged for shek- |
els for the benefit of Hiram Lampson.
And the same scheme will work all
right with wildcats. Once let me get
my plan in working order and any
famine in the wild animal supply can
promptly be averted by applying to
your Uncle Hiram
Il was more than shocked at the
moral callousness of the man and the !
way he gloated over the prospective
breaking up of happy if belligerent,
families. Hiram Lampson,' / said to !
him, soiemnly, it's playing on the ten
oerest emotions of mother bears that |
you are proposing. It's using the
mother love of unwary wildcats to
draw them into captivity. You NAV
prosper in your ungodly scheme for
awhile, but in the end fate will reach
out and grab you by the neck and
twist it.
but did my solemn and well-chosen |
words of warning turn Hiram from his
evil ways? Not a bit. Within three
days he had his trap fixed. Then he |
climbed nearby tree, sort of hid in
the branches, and sent out a cry like
baby bear that has been caught in
a trap. There's no denying Hiram had
talent in his unsanctifled way, for that
call was the most notwithstanding
thing ever heard. And before Hiram
had repeated it half dozen times a