Marietta daily leader. (Marietta, Ohio) 1895-1906, 1900-11-22
THE TEACHER
Enjoyed Meeting the Bears and Got a Pho
tOgraph.

John Crocker, who drives the stage
on the back road between Brewer ant
Bucksport, Me-, a timid schoolma' am
who was going to teach in East Bucks.
port foolish horse with no knowl.
edge of zoology and three badly fright.
| ened bears met in the road leading
through some birch woods on the bor-
der of Long Pond a few days ago, and
in ten minutes had manufactured ma
terial enough for the construction OF
half dozen comedies. The bears
were the only ones that had cause to
complain of ill-usage. The evening
before they had called at the orchard
of Harold Burril for the purpose of
taking late supper, and Burrill, hear
ing them crashing about among the
trees and mistaking them for boys
who had been pestering him for weeks,
had fired his double-barrelled shotgun,
loaded with SALT among them at short
range, causing a great scampering and
much smarting from the wounds.
Burrill went home expecting to be
arrested for murder, while the bears
made dash for Long Pond, where
they could swim about. and let the
salt dissolve and ease their pain They
had crossed the pond and were leaving
Hancock county behind them intend
ing to cross the river to Hampden,
where the people are afraid of bears,
when they met the stage in the woods.
Crocker had been telling the teacher
about bears, and remarking that he
should like to see one of them so he
could show her how easy it was to fix
them in way that would forever pre-
vent them from soaring anybody.
"If 1 wasn't sure I'd be scared to
DEATH" Said the teacher, "I'd be de-
lighted to see one. They walk so
Observation-Disclosures, you know"
"Yes'm," observed Crocker, with
rising infection, which indicated that
the case was not SO bad as the word
implied.
Wouldn't it be delightful to meet a
bear right here in these bright woods"
she exclaimed. Then could tell my
friends all about the adventure, and
have "a really truly bear story with my
self for the heroine to relate to the
dear children"
BEARS amt nothin'." exclaimed
Crocker, fourishing his whip. "Why,
could drive hull flock of them with
this little stick"
About this time the horse pushed his
ears to the front and snorted. Crock
er pulled on the reins, cut out twice
with his whip and told the animal to
go long" an order which was
promptly obeyed. The horse reared on
his hind legs, making a sharp turn,
which cramped the wheel and overset
the wagon, throwing the driver, pas
senger and an assorted lot of mail
bags and bundles into the ditch. AS
soon as this feat had been ac-
the horse ran for home.
"Whao!" yelled Crocker. "Whao!
gosh durn ye, or. I'll"
Then he heard a noise behind him.
and looking around saw the bears and
concluded that it was his turn to run,
and put his resolution into practice at
once. AS he was speeding in the di- f,
rection of East Bucksport, and the |
horse was diligently pursuing a course
which led ito Brewer, he heard the |
schoolma'a am calling after him:
stop where you are, Mr.. Stage |
Driver; don't go any further or it will |
spoil my photograph. Splendid! They !
are all in it, three bears, a man and a |
broken wagon. I'm so glad the bears
'ame along when they did. The light |
vas just right. I've made such a nice
exposure. Now, you may go and kill
he bears if you feel you must, but 1t
seems too bad-they look soinnocent."
She loked about her. The driver
Ind horse were both out of sight, and
he bears were disappearing behind
lump of bushes.
'Oh, DEAR" she added, "why did he
20 away? I'm all alone, and there are
ure to be snakes on the road summing
themselves in the warm gravel"
Crocker told thrilling Story of his
ight with the bears, which lasted
more than an hour When he was
med for neglecting to deliver the
nails on time, the teacher was called
n to give evidence. She was anxious
o help him out, but overdid the job
nd made things bad for Crocker,
fhen She produced the photographs
he had taken of the scene. The mail
QUITE over the back road is about to
e let for term of five years to the
1west responsible bidder, and there
re many who seek the job. Crocker
as horses and complete outfit for
he work, but he will not put in a bid.
is thankless task to carry the :
lails, he says.
--------~-----------
yITo 1,a xrn a ,,.ox,, TL,,,~d.osl,D