The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1907-04-12
A BEAR THAT SAVED HIS MASTERS s
LIFE.
BY CHARLES c. JOHNSON.

| D1 ShAhLfSo u JOHSSON.
When Keeper Snyder, who watches
over the Zoo at Central Park, New York
City's best known breathing spot, look &c
into the black bears cage summer morn.
ing several years ago. he saw what looked
for all the world like a little bunch Of
brown fur lying in one corner, close at the
side of the big Bruin all the children st
greatly admired.
''Oh, papa,' said Hattie, the keeper:
little girl, who knows the park animals as
well as her father, II do believe thai
there new cub!''
And so it was, for, when the big mother
rose and ambled toward the cages front
the bunch of fur resolved itself into hel
tiny counterpart, and cried Justify.
Joe, as the new bear came to be known,
was not of the sort that scented trouble
He seemed to think it gay and beautiful
world into which he had come, and early
in his career plainly made up his mind tc
taste all of Iife's joys that came within
reaching distance. Often this idea Of his
gave him bodily pain; once or twice his
tastes were such that they nearly ended
his life He managed to survive these
experiences, however, and grew with the
months into as rollicking bear as the Loc
ever knew, great favorite with beth the
keepers and the public. In the early
morning, before park visitors arrived III
numbers, Keeper Snyder would take Joe
out on the lawn that stretched i'll all dlrec-
tions, and there taught him many things
that wild bears never even dream about. Sc
Joe became accomplished and withal kind
ly, for he never was abused, and learned
to look upon humanity in general as being
friendly to him.
One day man from Canada told the
Zoo superintendent that he had fine beal
of sort which the Zoo had long coveted.
1t happened that the Canadian first cal
was an early one, and it also CHANGED that
Keeper Snyder was putting Joe through
his PAGES at the time of the visitor S al
rival. The stranger, who was vastly
pleased with Joe later told the Zoo super.
intendent that he would exchange his beal
for Joe, provided the Zoo management
would give him fair consideration besides.
The strangers offer found favor, and ii
was not long before Joe was formally given
into the possession of new owner, coaxeC
to enter crate, and then to begin jour
ney such as he had never imagined. Joe
stood the trip to the railroad station fairly
well. He had seen teams and automobiles,
and they had never hurt him. But when
he was taken into the great freight yarc
and locomotive came kissing past, his
calmness forsook him. His crate wa:
strong, but not sufficiently so to withstand
the mighty blows Joe gave it in his terri
fed lunges 1t gave way on one side, anC
there followed such flight of employees as
the freight sheds had never before wit
messed.
Joe made his way into dark corner
and, for the first time in his life, showed
temper But his new owner knew all abou
bears, and, after long effort, convinced Jot
of his friendship, managed to get him int
another crate, and loaded into an express
car.
1t was a good deal like carrying Goals tt
Newcastle to take bear up into the Mus
koka country, but it so happened that MIR
Monteith, up at Rosseau, who was Joe
new owner, wanted bear whose charac
teristics were different from the traits O.
the bears he had sometimes met and con
quered. That is how Joe came to 60 tt
Rosseau, where he was released from hi
crate one morning and ushered into place
that made him think of the only home he
had ever known.
After awhile master and bear wen
walking together, out toward the great
woods that seemed dark and mysterious tt
Joe, and not to be compared to his OWL
comfortable quarters.
On one of these walks the two friends
ventured farther that usual, into wilder
section of the neighborhood. 1t was g
long walk and Mr.. Monteith grew tired
So it happened that he sat down under al
inviting tree and fell asleep, while Joe re
mained on watch. Mr.. Monteith slum
bers were suddenly broken by series Of
deep growls and then fierce struggle.
Half dazed at the sudden awakening, he
saw what few persons have witnessed, a
battle between two bears. One was Joe,
now big and lusty; the other was plainly a
bear of the woods, little inferior to Joe in
size, and not at all behind him in his de-
sire for war.
Mr.. Monteith rose to his feet, and,
seizing his gun, which he had CHANGED tc
bring with him, tried to take a hand in the
contest waging. His movements appar-
emily disconcerted Joe, and the woods beal
took advantage of this by making a sudden
lunge, throwing Joe over, and seeming to
disable him for moment. Then the
woods bear turned his attention to Mr..
Monteith, and, with clumsy swiftness,
caught him before he could use his gun.
But Joe had recovered and employed
the same tactics his assailant had success
fully tried on him. The woods bear fell
and released his hold of Mr.. Monteith,
who lay PROSTATE, so great was his exhaus-
tion, yet an eyewitness of what followed.
All the spirit of his ancestors seemed
revived in Joe, and he attacked the woods
bear with ferceness that carried success
with it. Joe had been taught how to
wrestle, and, to his owners amazement,
I -. III SnIn