Evening star., 1900-08-18
A BEARS REVENGE.
An Engineers story of Early Rail-
roadinE Days I'm PennsyIvania.

From the New York Sun.
The fat engineer had been trying 20 make
himself heard for some time and finally
succeeded In getting the attention of the
members of the roundhouse stove COM
mttee.
Yes. yes." he said. Pennsylvania used
to be wild state in the days when I did
my first throttle pulling the Royal Blue
line, and many were the hair-raising ex-
periences we had. Bears? Why. they We're
thicker than dead flies on sticky fly paper.
They were a little shy when the road first
went through. but after the novelty wore
off they got SO they enjoyed a ride on
freight train as much as any hobo living.
and 1t was no uncommon sight to see a
bear sitting on the edge of box car. let
ting his legs dangle over the edge. just like
a real brakeman. Yes, yes. That's a fact
In about the widest part of the country
We ran through there WAS a passing siding
which was called Haskin's switch. This was
a regular hanging-out place for the bears.
One day an old female bear giving her
cub boost to get him up on fat car for
a little outing when he slipped and fell
under the cruel wheels, his young life being
crushed out instantly. The old mother bear.
she took 1t real hard and did some ugly
growing as she passed by the engine.
THE incident faded from my mind very
along to Haskin's and had to take the sid
ing for passenger train. The boys Of the
crew and my fireman thought they would
go up in the woods about quarter Of
mile and get some good spring water as
We had a few minutes to wait before the
first-class train came along. They left me
all alone with the train.
The running gear of the engine the
left-hand side. forward under the boiler.
had been working badly. SO I thought I'd
look things over. took my long-necked
oil can and, lighting my torch, got off the
engine and went forward to look over the
troublesome gear. | found that link hang
needed attention necessitating my get
ting down fiat on my belly under the engine
with my legs projecting over the rails.
had been at work in this position for some
minutes when | felt a strong tugging at
my left trousers leg.
'' It's the boys back from the spring 1
thought to myself. and they're trying to
get gay with me. I'll just pay no attention
to them whatever
Il kept right on at my chore, but the
boys kept right on fooling with my legs.
Finally my temper got the better of me and
| shouted angrily:
Harry. by jminetty. II that's you I'll
come out there and kick you so hard that
You won't be able to sit down for week.
Harry was my fireman's name.
The only answer L got was low growl.
l Will admit that 1 got frightened. although
such thing is unusual with me. Never
theless. having finished my work. 1 began
to back out from under the engine. keeping
my torch and oil can in my hands.
We'll. you could have knocked me over
with a feather, for when | got out SOS
could see. the first thing my eyes lit on was
that old she bear, sitting on her launches
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. II you'd been more
careful it wouldn't have happened. I'm
here to settle with YOU
when / got out she made several move
ments toward me. but kept her at a com
Portable distance by waving my torch in
her face. She was getting holder all the
while. however. and l knew / would have
to devise some scheme to get on the engine.
didn't want TO try an argument in close
quarters with her, because a bear in
ugly mood as she was is not a thing to be
sneezed at
so 1 set my wits to work. CHANGING
around I saw that l was nearer to the pilot
of the engine than was to the step on the
side of the tank and If 1 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 al Mrs Bear.
Il decided to try for it. and. making
feint lunge at my animal friend with the
torch to get her further from me. / busted
for the pilot 1 reached it before she did.
but just as l was drawing my leg up the
bear grabbed 1t with both her fore paws.
/ tried to break away from her hold but Il
was useless. Turning, L 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 and poured
the oil from the can on the lighted torch
in the bears wide open mouth. The effect
was very disastrous for the bear. The in
fiammable oil took fire going down her
throat, and. exploding. almost blew her
head off. killing her instantly
THE boys got back shortly after that.
but they wouldn't believe my story until
L showed them the bears carcass"