The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1905-07-28

A@ yania, DR.. w. z. Delaney
has had hls life placed in jeopardy
by denizens of the woods. He was
once chased by bear while he was
riding Oh the Black Forest Railroad
on his rail tricycle., the race being
nip-and-tuck for two miles, and again
at night, while on his way, a-foot, 10
lumber camp, he found himself in
the midst OF a colony OF rattlesnakes,
but emerged unbitten by chloroforming
the Gordon OF reptiles.
But his last escapade, which occurred
one night recently, while he was on
another night trip up the forest branch
on his tricycle., was probably the most
exciting Of all.
DR.. Delaney, in all bis experience as
q practitioner in the Wilds OF Upper
Lycoming County, never carries arms
except those afforded by his surgical
instruments. His railroad tricycle.,
built specially to run Oh the narrow
gusge railroad from Slate Run up 70
the lumber camps eleven miles away,
N rubber-tired, and spins along over
asphalt. Up grade he makes about
six miles an hour, and on the trip down
from the forest he often rides at q
speed Of twelve miles an hour.
On the night in question, which was
quite starlight, when five miles up
into the forest region, he beheld the
form OF what he believed TO be man
in n Nc h,. Oh
five feet away the rays from the head
light on his little car fell with sufti-
cient strength upon the object TO dis
close the fact that ii was not a man,
but monster black bear. 1t was in a
tantrum OF fright and rage, and
chopped its jaws with snaps that bod
ed no good for DR.. Delaney, who. by
this time had brought his machine
to a standstill and dismounted
The distinct rattle OF a chain in the
vicinity of the bear told the doctor that
bruin was prisoner, and he guessed
Alright that the bear had been caught
IN a trap, and I'm attempting, in his
fight with the trap and drag" to
cross the railroad, the drag" had be-
come fastened against the rail and
was holding the maddened bear fast.
BY focusing the lantern light on the
bear Or. Delaney could discern the
fact that the heavy steel trap was fast
on the bears front paw, and that the
chain which held him to the fastened
drag" was about five feet long.
The bear at first wildly endeavored
TO release itself that it might continue
ats flight, tugging at the chain until
IL looked as though its paw would be
torn off its leg. Indeed, in one of its
frantic attempts 10 gain its freedom the
bear clinched its jaws down over the
imprisoned foot as though 10 chew IL
on-a feat not unknown on part Of Ell
trapped black bears. But finally the
animal gave up it's endeavor TO release
itself, and as though he We're respon-
sible for its plight, il plunged furiously
toward the doctor, and for q quarter
OF an hour kept up it's mad attempts
until utterly exhausted.
DR. Delaney was in quandary. The
telephone message which had sum
moned him up TO the camp stated that
man there must have q doctor before
many hours or he would be dead. DR..
Delaney had six miles TO 90 yet, and
the only means OF transportation over
the long, rough road was his tricycle.
ear. He couldn't carry the machine
around the bear. so the only thing left
was to get the bear out of the way.
His experience with the rattlesnakes
stood him in good stead, and he decid-
ed TO try the same trick on the bear,
for in its exhausted condition he be-
lieved that he might be able to success
fully administer chloroform. The bear
by this time was resting, worn out and
painting, on it's hunkers. DR.. Delaney
cut stout stick about eight feet long
and knotted his handkerchief about
one end of il. He then took from his
medicine chest on the tricycle. car a
pint bottle of chioroform. saturated
the handkerchief with the stuff and
showed Il under the bears nose. Nat
uraliy enough, and as the doctor had
hoped the bear snapped az the white
lump and soon had the thing in his
mouth. The chloroform affected the
animal even more quickly than the doc
tor had calculated upon, and at the
end OF five minutes he made no re-
slstance 10 having the stick, with its
handkerchief resoaked IN chloroform.
rubbed about his nose. In ter min
utes he was sprawled on the ground in
n stupor, though DR. Delaney waited
five minutes longer before he attempt
ed TO approach.
He then determined that the bear
was helpless, and first, unfastening
the drag" from the rail. he proceeded
TO roll the numbering bruin of the
track. And then Or. Delaney did
something characteristic. Looking az
the imprisoned brute, with its paw
pinched Ike in wise in the sharp
toothed steel trap, be decided to release
II. With a long handled wrench out
of the tricycle. tool box ne pried open
the jaws OF the trap until he could
draw the bears paw out of IT,
Examining the leg where the trap
had snapped down on il, DR.. Delaney
felt satisfied that there were no bones
broken. and with the handkerchief
with which he had chloroformed the
bear be bandaged the beasts wounds.
pouring on a plentiful quantity OF lini-
ment. This done, he left the bear to
sleep OF its potion -Four hours later.
just at the break Of day. when Or
Delaney returned from camp, the bear