The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1910-11-06
BLACK RAN KILLED A BEAR
AND OTHER BEARS AVOIDED
THE .MORELY FARM.
rhe EarMer Firmly Believes mat me
spectator Rear warned ilis Feiiswste
Keep Away Anyway tine Marauaiers
Game Back when the Old Ram Died.

W
Keep Awa,-Anyway tine Marauaiers
Game Back when the Old Ram Died.
H,RRIsRCR0, Nov Wv neither or noe
the bear that vas an eve witness to the
killing Of another bear by Farmer Peter
Morelys big blaci; ram went OF and some
way carried the news TO bears in general.
as Farmer Merely firmly believes il did
said Col Parker of Cameron county.
so that from that time until the death
OF the ram not long ago no bear had
v-n;ured 20 trespass on the Merely farm.
although they have not hesitated tn
visit frequently the premises OF Farmer
Aorely's neighbors. IL Ia a fact that the
ram had only been dead three days when
a bear came into tho Merely pasture
aud killed a sheep and with companion
bears has been hanging around there ever
since evidently hiding It's time for another
raid.
The story OF Farmer Morely's big
black ram is a classic along the Clarion
headwaters. For years the ram. although
holding the proud position a. head OF
the sheep family on the farm. had meekly
done weekly duty a. the motive power
of the family churnin& machine. Lake
Jim Smiley's jumping frog. no ono had
ever seen any moro points about that
ram than there waa about any other ram
until the pulling on OF the event that
made him famous one day Aveyears ago.
a monstrous big bear had been for
some time devoting himself to thinning
out the Merely sheep flock. II had foiled
all the hunters and trappers in their
efforts to get the best OF him, there being
then no law protecting heara in Pennsyl-
vania and after he had killed three Of
the Merely sheep the hired man wan
detailed to stand guard over the pasture
armed with a double barrelled shotgun
loaded heavily with buokshot and with
orders TO give Brun both barrels the in
slant he stuck his nose in among the sheep.
The man having stood guard thres
days. with night relief by neighbors. and
the hear not having come around. he
came to the conclusion that Bruin had
discovered the plot and had decided tn
give mp further attention to the Moreiv
sheep On the forenoon OF the fourth
day. though. the confident guardian Of
the flock was startled TO zee the boar
scramble over the stone wall only q few
feet from where he was standing sentinel
Br,,in put forward such a ferocious front
that the hired man dropped the gun. took
the wall ut one leap and ran with news NJ
the bear new invasion 20 Fhrmer Merely.
Farmer Merely fastened 10 the pasture
lot. When the bear came over the wall
and frightened the guard away the sheep
were feeding in a group in the middle %
thelot. Bv the time Farmer Merely ar
rived at the wall. where the gun had been
dropped and still Law. only one Of the
flock remained where the feeding group
had been. That one was the big black
ram. The other sheep had fed to n far
corner Of the field. where they wsre hud-
died together. bleating in terror as they
gazed hack at the big hear shutting along
Without delay Farmer Merely picked
up the gun. and ss he did So he saw in the
edge OF the brush on the outside Of the
field and about three rods distant another
bear standing there as IL taking note of
what might happen in the pasture before
he ventured TO come over into il himself
and take paw in collecting some mutton.
Neither bear was within good sunahos
and Farmer Merely. disconnected a mo-
ment bv the fact that there were two bears
90 deal with. started to draw closer.
There being mutton moro choice than
the black ram to be had in the flock. tho
hear in the field paid no attention to him.
but was passing on by him. ShufYiing con-
iemptuously along he got IN range of tbs
ram and lust then the ram seeuA to haze
made ND his mind TO resent that uutem,s
a. we'll as the intrusion. Taking a jump
forward he leaped in tho AIR and hurled
himself like rock out OF q catapult
against the bear.
The Jolt was so great and unex pected
that the bear went down before IL like q
lump Of lead The wind had been so
thoroughly knocked out OF him that hs
Law there almost long enough to have
taken the count with the ram. now mad
an the way through. standing ready 10
land again IL he got tho chance Tho
bear scrambled to HIS feet by and by
and gazed in wild surprise at the ram
Farmer Morely himself had stopped in
amazement. and he saw that the bear M
the edge os the brush Rot had risen on hia
hind feet il TO get a better view 81 the
battle. and the farmer says that astonish-
ment stuck out all over him The bear
out what had happened 90 him. for tho
black ram landed on him again and down
he went
The bear in the brush now danced
about all excited. Farmer Merely said.
and the farmer hurried on again Co get
in sure gunshot Of tn. one the ram was
pounding. but he needn't have been
anxious. The bear hadn't got all tho
way 10 his feet the second time when
the ram III on him again. This time
the blow fell square on the bears neck
The ram stood ready To give II 10 him
again when he got up. hut he didn't get
UP. And he never did get up. When
Farmer Merely arrived he saw that m"
bear was dead. The black rams las,
Smash had broken his neck. killing the big
int r,ider doubtless instantly.
Looking around to s~e What chance
there was for him to get load OF lead
in the bear that had been an excited Wit.
ness of the fight and the fate Of his fel.
low. Farmer Merely saw that he had
no chance at all. That bear was rhrashinx
away from there through the brush like
"a steam engine. The farmer sent load
Of buckshOt after him. but II any Of IL HIT
him no one ever knew it,
THAT great exploit Of course brought
ride fame to the black ram. and from that
day an long az he lived he was unver
again put to che treadrnill work OF running
a churning machine. And from the dav
Of that exploit too. as they will tell You
all about the Clarion headwaters. no bear
bad aver INT r1lded on the Mnrelx nremi.ea