The Farmville herald. [volume] (Farmville, Va.) 1890-1934, 1906-12-21
0RG-Eared BTuin
Came Back TO Die


Granther Lem Green's house early
this week and told how Ike Carpenter
had shot a "turrible OF gray bear with
only one ear" and was exhibiting him
AZ the store, Gran'ther became So ex-
cited he nearly choked. Grabbing his
hat. he followed the retreaung Eph TO
the little knot Of men who were view
ing the carcass and speculating as TO
how and when the bear had lost his
ear.
The bear, veteran with Tufts OF
dingy gray spattered along his back
and blotches Of whitish hair smearine
his gaunt and muscular chest lay ~
the center Of the group Without ado
Gran'ther ran his trembling fingers
across the skull and along the upper
vertebrae. The next instant he eX-
claimed:
It's him, It's him."
For land sakes, who's him? de-
manded Ike.
"Who?" chortled Gran'ther. ndul-
gently. "Why. it's One-Ear Bill. Yes
sir. that's Jest who lis and here's bis
tother ear
Diving into his pocket. Gran ther
brought up a worn purse made years
gone by from the ear OF bear.
1T does beat all how I've found the
aeeravatin' cuss arter an these years,
he chuckled.
"sho' Granthe you don't hgser he s.
The yarmint you had the goin son win
back in the fall OF '66?' Eph fairly
gasped
Gran ther said it was and proceeded
10 unravel the yarn. In the days OF
the civil war. bears I'm Vermont he
said. had pretty much their own way
I'm the uplands because the hunters
were fighting I'm the south. When
Gunther. robust and so, laid aside his
faded uniform and donned oyerdlls, me-
like many another, set out TO rid the
mills of the n0xious invaders.
I'm those days there was a state
bounty OF sl5 on bears, and as it was a
long way to the county seat, payment
was made on the presentation OF tht
right ear. pro yided the hunter would
give his word that the capture was
made within the state borders.
Gran'ther had cashed in many ears
/ anl bears were beginning to be h
scarce when it was heard that smash
inc big fellow was cutting mp didoes Dl
ni. Do near what is now the Bates place
and retreating TO the crest OF ne.
mountain at daybreak
sbouldering his muzzle-loading mus
tet Granther set forth. and that nigh
pifched camp a few rods above "Iope
sprineo lie knew that if the bea
made nocturnal pilgrimsges to the val
lev fin search OF sheep he could strih
his runway. At the end Of the secon
dav he did locate IT, just where the oh
SAWYER tote road now strikes Pierce
Cobble.
Just as the sky had grayed sufficient
lv 10 make shooting feasible, heaV
body cracked through the bushes am
there 80 rods of, with a SMALL linn
mig i'm his Jaw. stood the bear. Gran'th'
! levelled his trusty smooth-bore an
fired.
"I never seen a varmint drop nea
or" the veteran declared. "Id ha'
, bet the bullet had druv right throna
J, the brain. When ! hefted him ! see
, that I'd halter fetch an OK an snai
him down the mountain. So says ]
/, lest lop of his right ear, then l'll con
r back an git the cuss.
% wal. Jest after ! got the ear q
81. thet b'ar give mighty heave a
a fetched me such shove with his mis-
hind fut that / sot right down. III
next second he was hollerin like al
fred duration an hyperin' up q
mountain. loaded an took anoih
+. shot. but only clipped off his tail,
- away he went clean ont O. sight.
I AS 'twould ha' been cheatin' TO GO
- loot the bounty on an ear with the b
fhet owned it campaign round b
90 it made into this ere purse. an ne'
90 seen the critter sence onil tday. NO
, Won lest look for his tail, an you'll
n he hain't got none. an at his left e
~ AM you'll see a hole in #, an then y
~ feel of his skull an you'll see wh'
the bullet creased The cuss, stnnn
.o him temporary
d. Eph. Ike and all the others looh
% and nodded silently.
~. .Grqnther. said Ike. AS DE nano
m the veteran his hunting knife, that
p, wallet o. yourn does seem sor
"a peiered out. spose you Top of
~, yarminfs other ear an make SO
-, bran new one. ~. y. World
Kentucky's Sons and Daughters
% We are apt to consider New Engla
10 as prominently the region that p
ad pie go from. and some OF these y
England states at times have
neared TO be scarcely more than bre
~ ing grounds for staIwart men
W. women destined 10 inhahit and hi
mo other parts OF the land.
home week in Kentucky reminds
III" how true 30 s. that an intense
graforv movement has steadily e
e. IN oven I'm the middle west for