The Washington times., 1906-11-11

hLs that the next time ALBEIT
Pratt indulges ia practical Jokes IRE
wln not daily with q phoHograph
as a means 20 his ends. just at
present Young Pratt is so sore on
monographs that he refuses to look
one IN the FAD. and has gone to a near
by village In the mountains, where talk
ing machines are an unknown quantity
Bet. as he IS known among friends,
is 10 Slab City what Byron G. Hughes
Is 20 New York. and many a townsman
has sm1rted because Of the tricks nc
hts put up ou him. These Jokes have
blcn harmless IN the main. but now
and then Pratt has perperated one
which developed serious consequences.
Not 50 many years ago be dressed Up
rs a ghost und scared old Elder cum
raings 20 badly that he jumped into a
well. where ne nearly drowned before
inc was rescued by the Joker and
hired man. on a later occasion he sur
repti,iously placed ipecac in pumpkin
pies served IT a church social and gave
all the doctors 4 busy half hour.
But both these efforts lacked novelty
and when Bert made his first trip 20
New York on The rau excursion he
k~pt an eye open for ideas. lie was in
a particularly receptive frame Of mind
one afternoon when he stopped in front
az a Broadway shop where q tempting
array OF cameras. sporting goods and
monographs were exhibited. Within. i
salesman was explaining the workings
Of a talkins machine 70 q prospective
customer. At that moment the Iongcd-
sor idea flashed into Berts mind
''I don't suppose we've got one Of
them couuiyances thatu hoot Ike an
owl, have ye?" he inquired Of tho sales
man.
well. no. J don't believe We have, 90
Easped the astonished clerk; but we've
got a dne record Of a bears howls."
.'sho. ye don't say" exclaimed Bert
manlfestIng great delight. Now. come
TO think ont. I fgger thatH ill the
bill botter'n an owl-that is. If it's a
real. Eenewine bar hollcr."
IT'S genuine. all right" laughed the
salesman. THE compsny sent a man
up 20 the Bronx Zoo last spring when
the animals were pairing of and ne got
a fne record Of a disappointed she-bear
I'll Just try It out FOR you and maybe
you'll recognize some OF the blood-cur-
ding love notes
Bert fairly quivered from sheer de-
light when, moment later. the wax
cylinder began to revolve and fierce
wailings came belching through thi
funnel OF the machine Il was tbs
most realistic thing in the way of max
ing bear calls he had ever heard out
side the forest at home, and when th,
instrument had been explained 10 hin
ne paid the price and lugged the prec
,ous burden to his lodging-house. wher,
he took into his confidence shorty
Stebbins. a bosom friend and companion
on the trip.
II so happened Fatty Bates, a pal OF
t0tls was 10 De HitTlleu suoLltI aANN'
their return TO Miss Becky Mann. the
village bell, and it was an open secrei
that Fatty" was IN mortal fear thai
Bert would play some unholy joke al
his wedding It also happened thai
roaming the mountain at the foot oi
which young Bates was to begin house
keeping with his bride in modest cot
tnge was an ugly old bear, known a'
Sly. because no one had been able Il
capture him.
For some reason unknown to man. ou
perfectly familiar to bears. Sly had beer
ostracized by hts kind and had spen
the summer bowling dismally for
mate. He howled IN anger. hope. anC
disappointment. but the fair she-bear'
would have nothing &c do with him an,
he grew more Grabbed and ugly as tim'
went on.