Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-09-10
MORE TALES OF JIMMY
Visitors to and Their Interest
in a Young Bear.
HIS CURIOUS FRANKS
HURT ONCE, THOUGH HE
LEARNED A LESSON.
What Happened to a Curious Lady,
Who Was Also Stout and
Nervous.
HIS CURIOUS FRANKS

There may be some one within \ radius
of twenty miles from my home who does
not know of Jimmy. the bear cub but L
doubt it. And almost every one who knows
of him considers 1t a duty to call on him
to pay their respects. so they walk in and
drive in from all points of the compass.
and Jimmy receives them all with delight
COZ descenson, indifference or Vpfegned
disgust according to his mood at the time
OF, in other words. according to the length
of time which has elapsed since his last
meal.
Last Sunday over thirty carriage loads
of people unloaded themselves on my prem
ises during the day, and as many more
came on foot. None of them were friends
of mine and not of them even asked
for me. They were all Jimmys visitors,
and as Jimmy was there to entertain
them himself all | had to do was to sit at
an upper window and watch the run
Among the first to arrive was lady with
little child about two years old Jimmy
was lying quietly on the lawn chewing
clover and did not rise to greet them -
See darling, See the pretty baby bear!
said the lady advancing confidently. ana
letting 90 of the youngsters hand. Baby,
nat the pretty bear and without heSlta-
ton the little one advanced. and patted the
bear on the head. Jimmy took TINS familat
ity as an invitation to wreStle, ana prompt,
IL hut gravely arose on his hind legs ana
Clasped the baby in his sturdy arms: Inc
frightened youngSter screamed and Tell over
backward, and Jimmy, letting go ms ilolu,
stood qUite erect, and eyed ms SUPPOSED
antagonist as though greatly surprised az
TIL sudden termination OF the confess IN
the meantime the mother thorot'siis
scared snatched the child up in her arms
and drove off with 4 remark not altogether
complimentary to owners of bear CUPS. SIe
was learning the folly of taking liberties
with animals while knowing nothing what
80, of their ahits. strength and DISPOSE
tion. She would be more careful next tinie'
perhaps.
Learned Lessen.
She had scarcely gone when man u'o
m and Jimmy went out to meet MIN.
Under the wagon was a well-bred collie
who in some respects showed better sense
than the lady had done He knew hothhS
of bears and. while not cowardly. edged
AWAY from Jimmy until he had had
chance to size him up Jimmy toi!o"eu
Linn with an assurance born of ineXperlence,
until the man, who wanted nearer we"
of the cub. stepped out OF the wagon.
Whether the sheep dog had completed ms
inyestfgat ton or whether the close proXiml-
ty of his master increased his confidence IN
himself | can't tell. but the mans loot had
barely touched the ground before the colhe
sprang forward and caught the young pear
BY the nose Jimmy, having received the
same lesson he had just administered TO
the lady, acted in practically the same way.
l.,
the object of danger, with series OF I'M
complimentary remarks, in his own Ian
guage of course He ran underneath the
piazza to rub his sore nose with his fore
paws. and, although he soon came out
again. nothing could induce him to APP
prOach the dog again.
In the course of the morning. another dog
arrived-a big. gOod-natured fellow. of no
particular breed. black and tan in color.
and with a pair of eyes and tail which
seemed to vie with one another IN appear
ing pleased and happy. He and Jimmy
looked at. one another for a moment. and.
as though mutual confidence was establish
ed on the instant. they strolled slowly up to
each other. Then began a friendly con-
test which lasted for fully half an hour.
and which amused a score of people who
gathered about to witness 1t. Jimmy was
the heavier, but the dog was the more
active So take IT altogether. they were very
evenly matched At times they would
stand up on their hind legs and wrestle
like men. but soon they would fall over on
the grass. and roll about, each trying to
get the other underneath. The dog, not
being so fat, had the better wind and now
and then the bear would seek a rest by
running up tree But each time the dog
was after him, and before he could climb
out of reach. seized the cub by the hind
quarters and brought him tumbling down
again.
Wanted Apples.
One of the next men who came had with
him a basket of apples, and thinking to
make friends with Jimmy. held out the bas-
ket toward him. AS the cub approached
the withdrew the fruit. but with an
Indignant waugh" black paw shot out
ard the strong claws We're hooked over the
rim Of the basket In the struggle which
followed, half the apples We're tipped on
10 the lawn, and after Jimmy had settled
down with fine ripe one between his aWs
he allowed the man to gather up the others
In his attitude toward his different VS.
ltois the young bear seemed to use some
Judgment If he wished to play and
wrestle with any one he seldom selected a
man: usually a woman or child-by prefer
ence it seemed. one who was somewhat
afraid of him. He never hurt any one but
he would jump upon boys girls and
women, wrestle with them and chew their
clothing in vigorous manner, which was
often misunderstood. He picked out one
little boy of about twelve years, and en-
bracing him with his fore paws deliber-
ahely tried to pull his coat off with his
teeth. The boy stood it for a time but
got more and more nervous as he found
himself unable to get away from the bear,
and finally burst out crying. and a man
who was near went to his assistance But
Jimmy wanted that coat. and whenever he
caught sight of the boy he made a rush at
him until the youngster became so alarmed
that he went home.
He Floored Her.
Another OF Jimmys victims was n merry
Gus young woman whose curiosity was even
greater than her fear OF the GEAR She
was more than plump. and Jimmy seemed
to take special fancy to her. She wanted
TO see everything that was going on. but
was constantly on the lookout lest the
bear should come too close for comfort
BY and by, however. when she saw the
cub playing with a group of children at a
distance, her vigilance was relaxed and
she turned to talk with some of her friends
Suddenly there a wild scream as
Jimmy came at full speed from the rear
and struck her like a battering ram
knocking her feet clean from under her
She sat down with surprising suddenness
and Jimmy, having no time to retreat was
caught as i'll deadfall trap. l thought for
a moment that he had been killed. but h
muttied waugh announced the fact that
he was stil alive. and presently he crawIed
out Of the wreck with a rueful look at the
plump young woman who had SO nearly
smothered him. And the young woman
herself. with face about the color of
beetroot. scrambled into her carriage and
drove off. without so much as a glance at
the author of her discomfort
ERNEST HAROLD BAYNES.