Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1903-02-06
OLD TIMES RECALLED

of shootin' match in so long mat | begin
to wonder what a shootin match is-an'
speakin' y shootin matches, | says to OF
81 t'other day:
"'Si,' l says, do you mind the shootin'
match for bear at Perdenkamper so
years ago.
" 4 mind it jest as if it was Yesterday
I says 81. An | won the bear, too, says he.
"Now that want the way | remembered
that shootin' match, not by jugful, for
it was toer'b plain in my mind that |
won the bear myself. But | didn't say
nothin'.
''In them good oil days when things was
! haprenn' right along, Perdenkamper's was
the shootin' match center for the null coun-
try Folks used to keep the run O what
was takin place here an there, jest by the
shootn' matches at Perdenkamper Per-
denkamper not only gave a grand annual
shootin match every New Years, Giner1
Jackson birthday, Washn tons birthday,
Fourth O July, Thanksgivin', an Christ
mas, but if a neighbours boss died, or if
some one riz more Eaters or buckwheat
to the acre than common, or somebody
got sold out by the sheriff, or a man that
Perdenkamper knowed was drawed on the
jury, or was 5 peenied as a witness, or was
took up on suspicion O KNOWN consid
cradle about missin' sheep, Perdenkamper
would put out bills for special shootin'
match to celebrate the circumstance
But the main pint in this here shootiS'
! match at Perdenkamper' 80 year ago, was
bear that was ketched by Perdenkamper
himself, on purpose for the shoots. He
had it tied in an empty stall in his barn.
When Perdenkamper went to bed that eve
the stars was shinin' bright. The bear was
90 .ton H.. - L.. -,
for tappin', there was considerable O other
cheerin' goods in a jug or two an couple
O. kags, an every prospect was pleasin'
for the shootin' match next day.
"When Perdenkamper got up in the
mornin', though. there was somethin' like
half a foot O. snow on the ground, an it
was snowin' yit This was discouragin' for
the shoot, but by and by the squire had an
idee, an says:
! 'Perdenkamper says he why not let
your bear loose give MIN good, fair start,
an turn this. shootin match into a bear
hunt?'
The idee was took up unanimous, an
we went out to see Perdenkamper turn
the bear loose. Perdenkamper went in
the barn and then came rushin' out ag'in
"'The bear is gone! he hollers Slipped
his rope, as sure as powder, an cut for the
woods
An sure enough, there laid the rope an
the bear was gone. The fallin snow had
kivered his tracks, or we'd "A started right
in on the bear hun an been glad So there
we was. Of course, there was a fat hog an
some turkeys to be shot for, but the bear
was what had drawed the most on us an
the losin' OF it jest swatted us way down
in the dumps, an though the bar'l o cider
h., H. ,l,,ft
they couldn't drownd the sorrow fer the
losin' OF that bear, an guess that shootin'-
match o Perdenkamper's would "a passed
down into history as a funeral ii the squire
hadn't had another idee.
"'Whars Bart says he. L hain't seen
Bart here to-day, an he never missed
shootin' match before, says the squire.
THAT was so, an nobody had seen Bart
around that day. Things had been said
about Bart considerable, an some folks
didn't make no bones OF sayin' EN- pretty
strong. So when the squire missed Bart
at the shoot he got the idee, an says
That bear o Perdenkamper' mowt a
slipped its rope all right an got away, but
there amt no bear that ever stole pig,
that could "a pulled the peg out o the hasp
O. that barn door, the hasp bein' on the
outside an the bear on the inside, he says.
Gwen jest go over to Bart's an git that
bear, says ne.
An some of us went over to Bart's.
Bart had the bear hangin' up an was jest
gon' to skin it.
"The squire yanked him around by the
shoulder an says:
You jest load that bear on your sled
an haul it back to Perdenkamper'> An
after YOU git it there you pay Perden-
hamper so for stealin' it an five dollars
fer KILN it or I'll jail you for six months,
says the squire.
Bart done it all without a peep, an we
had some toer'be good shootin' for the
bear, after all, spite o the snow.
But while | was takin' to 81, tother
day bout that shootin' match at Perden-
hampers, says to him;