The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1902-02-16
NPTATIONS OF
THE GOOD BEAR
Strange End of Deacon Todgers
Pet Bruin.
HE WAS ovER-PR0UD OF HIM
temperance People Laid The sIame to Wills
key, bui There We're Suspicious OF
Work of a Jealous Evil
Minded Black Snake.
HE WAS 0VER-PR0UD OF HIM

was cut OH, or Tainef down 10 pItS. Inc
temperance people of cur town laid the
blame TO whiskey. couldn't agree with
them.
'Ivhiskcy properly applied said to
Deacon Todgcrs, trying to comfort him
over his loss, never harmed man or beast.
J5ut a combination OF Tom Wilson's JOY
producer, nitro gIyoerine, and a jealous
and evil-minded snake would bring to a
sudden end the career of the most culti-
ratcd bear that ever trod the pike to
fame
..Thc deacon had caught the bear when
st was cub and had trained 1t careful
~ in the way good bears should so.
There's no denying that he made sue
cess of his experiment.
'.Whesrit approached the period of adult
l,earhood that bear had forgotten more
than any other bear in tho county had
ever known. He could appreciate the OK
ceilence of good whiskey and play sew
erai games Of cards. Besides that he
would run errand5 for the deacon, act as
watchdog at night and see that the good
deacon didn't get the worst end of 1t il
no got mixed up in little scrap OF any
kind.
THE deacon could never teach the bear
10 play a good hand of. poker. But despite
his sorrow al lulS W ii'S tStJ IL
good old man was mighty proud of the
bear.
one little fault that bear Of mine pos
scsscs. the deacon used to say admir-
jnsiy, though with just a little touch of
regret, but / haven't the heart to blame
him. seeing how few men who pretend to
Intelligence can ever be taught to play
tho national game properly.
A BLACK SNAKE.
Twin A in tho
ursine family, Tom Wilson's pct black
snake could cash in nearly as well at
his own game A good many people
thought the snake knew as much as Tom
himself did OF course, Tom wouldn't
quite agree to this proposition. But he
was Inonstrous proud Of that snake, just
The same
Poor Eve Tom used to say in sort
of I. regretful manner. If the original
Serpent in tie Garden had the intelligence
of this cultivated animal of mine, l don't
wonder she yielded 10 temptation. Ever
since / began to appreciate the ability OF
a properly trained snake, have felt that
She had been blamed too much for that
apple affair
And Tom would shake his head in
saddencd way as much as to say he was
sorry over the whole affair and that II
lie had boon there it wouldn't haze hap
i,cned.
.rhe good old deacon, thinking that he
really needed a little Stinlulant TO keep
Himself in condition for doing his dllt.'
in an efficient manner, used TO crop DOWN
to Toms tavern quite frequently IN the
evening. Naturally he took his cherished
bear With him.
..ordinarily the snake was asleep in the
back room in the cvcning. But one night
he happened TO be performing in the bar
room when the deacon and the bear came
in. After the shake had finished his eN!ll-
btion almost every one appiauded.
The snake sweIled out what chest ale
had and looked proud and happy, ike
snake who has done his duty and more
than his duty. But the deacon smiled
sort Of scornful.
OUT OF HIS CLASS.
For a, crawling reptile, he said. sar-
castle like, I'm not denying that snake
of YOURS does fairly well. But, OF course,
he is not TO be mentioned in the same
breath as my bear, when it comes to real
animal intelligence.
..Tom Wilson sneered at This and al
lowed that the only place where there
was any belief i'll the bears ability was
under the deacon's own hat
"A good bear, 4 well-meanins pear
lie observed scornfully, but for true Gull
1,Ire not to be mentioned with my snake.
..Jhe deacon was almost daZed Win
honest indignation at this attack Oh me
net he cherished like a son lie alloWed
that the snake wouldn't be ono, Two iels
nj tho post, il the bear really showed
what he could do.
Ito make things interesting he Put up
!, s,rettv good wager with Tom Wilson on
The relative merits, of the bear and snake.
u,h.,n he cleared an open place on the
floor and nut the bear through his tricks.
IT don't know that the bear was realiy
my smarter than the snake, ailnousi,
Of course, their talents lay IN olitereht
directions. But everybody loves a sooo
pear ana maybe that preJudlced me boys
little. AT any rate, when the pear I'M
1shed. the unanimous opinion was tiiat
the snake had been beaten.
.eTom paid over the bet, though ne
ai6n,t show any cheerful alacrity about
doing it The defeated snake cfawleo
nwav in a humble manner. But there
vas a lookin his little beady eyes taat
didn't Dromise any Christmas presents
for the bear if Mr. Snake ever saw a
chance 10 get even.
"a couryle of days later Tom Wilson
went to a corner of the barn, where ne
had some nitro-glycerine stored. Inc
snake was lying on the floor Tom, De
ing sort OF VeNed at the snad.es aeisae
of the former night, aimed a KICK AT II.
WAS VERY CAREFUL
..Instead of making a violent effort 70
dodge the kick the snake stuck out ms
head and took the kick there. Then he
.,rawled away after the manner of
snake who didn't want to be kicked, put
would prefer being kicked on the head 10
s,,,f.cting his body to any jolts by hur-
,ied craving Tom was mighty puzzled.
why. instead Of taking that kick III
4be body. where II Wouldn't hurt him,
Aid that snake stick out his head?' Tom
observed 20 himself. And Why did he
r,awl away in that cautious manner, as
81 he considered himself too valuable to
no iarrede Can it be that sorrow, over
bic defeat has turned the l.ra;n of my
..i,e, shed net, or affected it With paresisF
IA moment later. when Tom looked for
the nitro-slycerine he found IT all gone.
rr,,en he remembered that the slSceEane
has n sweetish taste. He realized that
the snake had eaten it. he was TOO over
,nved to think he had not given the nitro
.rIycerine laden snake a vigorous KICK IN
.be hodv to mind about the loss OF the
ernlos,ye. He hurried out into the yalc'
where the snake was summing himseit.
Take a day off, he said to the snake