The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1910-03-22
AN ORANGE COUNTY URS|NE
Which Stole q Lean Pig and Fattensd
1t on Corn and Pumpkins from
Its Owners Field

A Chicago dispatch TO the New York
Herald says:
The worlds welterweight champion
bear story was thrust forcibly upon Cy
De Nry. head keeper of the Lincoln
Park zoo. few days ago. 1t came by
mail, and, after attempting to assim-
ilate its monstrous details, Mr. De Vry
flew to the metropolitan section for re-
lief and succor.
The writer of the geological cata-
pult, it seems, was prompted to do SO
by lecture recently delivered by Mr.
De Nry. in which he stated that from
observations he came to believe the
bear a more intellectual beast than
the lauded monkey.
The amazing rnissive, dated from
Niles, Mich, follows:
Mr.. Cy De Nry: Dear Sir: 1 see that
you, in a lecture. claim for the bear a
higher grade of intelligence than that
of the monkey.
Il have long held this opinion my
self, and i'll several ways l have felt
myself confirmed by this conclusion
Some years ago ] was one Of the
early settlers in Orange county, Fla
and my shack was on the edge of the
twenty acres. I had small field of
corn and two pigs, mostly shoats. One
of them was fat and slick, but tot
was lean and hungry and | couldn't
get him fat. I was awakened by loud
squeals and srowls one night in Sep
tember and hurried to my pig pen,
only to find that the lean and hungry
shoat had lost its mate, and by day
light | saw by the tracks that q bear
had annexed my fat pig to his distant
household in the thick woods.
Il laid in wait for Mr.. Bear for sew
eral nights with the only army Spring
field musket heavily loaded, but no
further trouble ensued for some two
weeks. The bear then paid me a sec
ond visit and, much to my disgust. l
was left pigless and shoatless.
The third night after finding my
self in this precarious condition l was
awakened by the growls OF Tige, my
faithful coon dog, and, stealing eau
tiously from my humble abode, I saw
a shadowy form in my corn patch and
heard the rustling of the stalks. 1t
was a large black bear. Overcome by
curiosity, / watched to see what Mr.
Bear was hunting for. knowing that
he not fond of corn. The moon
was full, and it was almost as light as
day. The bear separated a good arm
full of stalks, the corn not having yet
been huSked, an dtucked il we'll under
his arm and took up Il pumpkin, which
he balanced on his head and held il
there by one paw. Then, rising to his
hind feet IeGs or paws, he started
for his home My curiosity was SO
great that l followed him carefully
and full of wonder.
"After about two miles and a half
he arrived at a ravine where he had
a pen in which was my pig, and the
new proprietor of the pig proceeded to
feed him part of the corn and pumpkin,
while I looked on with mouth and ey es
wide open.
The bear rested his elbows on tine
fence and looked at the pig, seeming
ly with great satisfaction, as near IS
| could tell. as ! was distant some
eight or ten yards. The bear was fat
tening that pig. l was SO impressed
by the evident intelligence of the bear
and so much astonished that l had not
the heart to blaze away at him with
the old muSket, though l had il point
ed his way, for felt sure that if | was
discovered / was lost.
Yours, bill Montgomery"