The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1907-09-22

For some reason he named il jeff Davis.
and its quarters were In the Allen House
barn.
Tho hear grow to Re a great pet in Homes
dale and he increased in size rapidly. Al
eight months old he was very large for his
age. Ono day about that time one of the
servant girls Of the Allen House. "a was
her wont, went TO the barn where Jeh Davis
was chained TO fee him buckwheat cakes
and honey. When the girl stepped w to
hand him q pancake the bear seized her
around the body with his fore paws ard
would hav Rugged her to death but for
John Richmond. the stable nan who ran
and dubbed the bear until he released the
girl. Sam Allen decided that he didn't
want any girl hugsing bears aroun his
place and he offered him to the first person
who would give so for him.
1T was court week. and Lew Simons was
over from Gouldsboro attending court.
Lew kept hotel at Gouldsboro and he bought
Jef Davis. n bear was headed up in "A
hogshead and transported by wagon to
Gouldsboro.
sSimons chained the bear to a fagpole in
front OF his tavern. Az that time Goulds-
boro was a great shipping place for lumber
and tan bark. and the principal patrons OF
the simons tavern were teamsters. These
men were tough. double listed fellows,
afraid OF nothing, and the be.r hadn't been
part and parcel OF the establishment an hour
before one Of them engaged in a wrestling
AhBtCu WIFI ia AIE oONN dutChtI pun tLiC
teamster on his back. From that time
wrestling with the . came to be the pas
limo OF teamsters and woodsmen who came
20 0ouldsboro. and some came miles on pur-
pose to have q bout with him. He was 81
uniformly victor over his contestants that
lew SimonA put up an offer OF $50 for any
ono who would get a fall out OF the bear.
sThen q giant German teamster from
TobyhannA. Monroe county, tackled Jen.
and was thrown a. easily as il he had been
~.I~r AAlH A. klA a. kA naa HA arsaA fN...
rounds with the bear. His persistence had
at last aroused Jeff's temper. and in the last
grapple he hurled the giant teamster clear
into the middle Of the road. at least ten feet
away. The defeated giants blood was up.
next time he came up from T~obyhanna.
Lew Simons knew the mans disposition
and sold the bear TO q man from Scranton
for go. .Je6 was loaded on a Delaware
and Lankawanna train and sent to the
safely in tether. and . year later was put up
for $3.50 n a rafle. Lew Simons bought a
chance In the rafie % Scranton and won
the bear. He put him up the same night
for 500 and won again. The bear was
than q, 900 changed hands on him,
AT the sixth raf1e he was won by Uncle
Ira Trtpp,- an eccentric millionaire coal
operator OF Scranton. He made a bet of
100 that no could ride the bear the entire
took the bet. Uncle Ira. who was nearly 70
PEARS old, mounted the bear. The bear
vi alonG with him all right for a rod or
and then dumped his millionaire rider
~ - II tho bear had been the trick mule
. circus and the rider the country jay
Who tackled him. Uncle Ira paid the bet
md declared that he wouldn't own an
lnimal that wasn't broken any better than
IeR Davis was. and he sold him TO Lew |
5imons for S25.
After he bought the bear from Uncle
Trip. Simons made o present Of him
% . friend Of his. who subsequently, dis
Of him to the owner Of a game park
n Pike county. He was chained or roped
20 Q pole near the shack or lodge where
he supsrlntendent or gamekeeper of the
.ark had his quarters. JET Davis was
I've ysass old when this change In his life
.. IS: .uS 6 70 Il K. e q Is: :sV s.np :si''n and