The Savannah morning news., 1900-08-25

This was a regular hanging-out place for
the bears. One day an old female bear
was giving her cub a boost TO get him
up on fiat car for a little outing when
he slipped and fell under the cruel wheels,
his young life being crushed out instant
ly. The old mother bear, she took it real
hard and did some ugly growing as she
passed by the engine
The incident faded from my mind very
soon A couple of days after that we
came along to Haskins and had to take
the siding for passenger train. The boys
OF the crew and my fireman thought they
would go up in the woods about a quarter
of mile and get some good spring water,
as we had a few minutes to wait before
the frst-oass train came along They
left me all alone with the train.
The running gear of the engine on the
left-hand side, forward under the boiler,
had been working badly. so | thought I'd
look things over l took my long-necked
Oil can and, lighting my torch, got off the
engine and went forward to look over the
troublesome gear. l found that a link
hanger needed 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 DO
sitlon for some minutes when l felt a
strong tugglng at my left trousers leg
" IT'S the boys back from the spring,
/ thought to myself, and they're trying
to get gay with me. I'll just pay no at
tention 20 them Whatever
Il kept right on at my chores, but the
boys kept right on fooling with my legs.
Finally my temper got the better Of me
and | shouted angrily:
" Harry. by jiminetty. If that's Won TN
come out there and kick you so hard that
you won't be able to sit down for a week
Harry was my fireman's name
The only answer | got was a low
growl. L will admit that l got frightened
although such a thing is unusual with
me Nevertheless. having finished nv
work. l began 10 back out from under the
engine, keeping my torch and oil can in
my hands
We'll, you could have knocked me over
with feather. for when I got out SOS
could see, the first thing my ewes lii on
was that old she bear, sitting on her
haunches waiting for me to come out
She was ugly, too. and growing. The
look on her face seemed to say: You are
the cause of the death of my offspring
If you'd been more careful il wouldn't
have happened. I'm here to settle with
you
when got out she made several move
ments toward me, but I kept her at a
comfortable distance by waving my torch
In her face. She was getting holder all
the while, however, and ! knew l would
have TO devise some scheme TO get on the
engine, as l didn't want to try an argu-
ment in close quarters with her. because
bear in an ugly mood as she was is not
a thing 10 be sneeZed at
80 I set my wits to work CHANGING
around / saw that l was nearer to the
pilot of vhe engine than l was to the step
on the side of the tank, and if l could
reach the pilot before the bear did could
get to the cab via the running board along
the side of the boiler and laugh at Mrs.
Bear
u decided to try for it, and, making a
/ feint lunge al my animal friend with the
torch to get her further from me, I busted
for the pilot. l reached it before she did
but just as I was drawing my leg up
the bear grabbed it with both her fore
paws. I tried to break away from her
hold, but it was useless. Turning, | saw
her jaws wide open within easy reach Of
my arm, and something superhuman
seemed to tell me what to do / stuck the
torch in her wide open mouth With the
other hand brought my oil can into play
| ana poured the oil from the can on the
lighted torch in the bears wide omen
| mouth. The effect was very disastrous
for the bear. The inhammable oil took
fire going down her throat, and exploding.
almost blew her head Off killing her in
stantIy.
THE boys got back shortly after that
but they wouldn't believe my story until
! showed them the bears carcass"