Buchanan County Bulletin

A Ferocious Bear Fight.

In the western pit a great, savage, old cinnamon bear was in company with five black bears, all about the same age—two-thirds grown—twenty months old. Uncle John Robinson presented this bear to the Garden and he says it is a cinnamon bear, one of the most ferocious species next to the grizzly. When with the show he was troublesome, and it was always found necessary to keep him chained in the cage. Be it said to the big cinnamon's credit that he lived for a year with the five little bears on terms of intimacy and good fellowship. But the little ones were grown into almost full-sized bears rivals of old Cinnamon, as we shall call him. It is supposed that visitors threw food into the pit, and that the little ones being nimbler than old Cinnamon, got more than he did, and this excited his jealousy. Be this so or otherwise, at five o'clock yesterday afternoon old Cinnamon mounted the most active of the little bears and then commenced a fight such as human eyes seldom look upon.

Two of the four other bears climbed the snag of a tree set up in the pit, a third climbed up the iron gate, and the fourth paced around the pit in a tremor of terror. The noise of the conflict drew a crowd to the scene, many of whom were ladies. The latter frequently turned away from the scene, but, drawn by some overpowering force, returned to it again.

Cinnamon's style of fighting was to seize his adversary by the throat, just back of the ear and quartering under the jaw, close upon him like a steel trap and hold him down, shaking him occasionally with short shakes, but always bearing down and holding fast. The little one, which was only half or two-thirds the weight of his assailant, shrieked human-like. At first his cries were appalling, like the words "Take care! take care!" but they soon faded into a succession of hoarse, gurgling sounds, half sigh and half shriek. At first the keeper, Mr. John Nordheim, tried the effect of punching with a pole to make bruin quit his hold, but it was no go. He next threw a lot of fresh fish right under his nose, but the bait did not take; then the water was thrown on him—a big stream from a hose. The little, lacerated black got up and made circles around the cage, shrieking and crying at a terrible rate, while the bear on the cage bars and the two perched on the tree, shook like blown leaves, as if fearing their turn would come next.

The little one, though, that had stood on the floor a looker-on all the while, crouched in the corner, half in defiance and half in fear. Old Cinnamon ate his fish, and then returned to the little bear. The little fellow jumped into the pool, and old Cinnamon pounced on him to drown him, as the spectators feared. Again the hose was applied. Old Cinnamon did not seem to mind it. He tugged little blacky out of the pool and commenced chewing him up.

At this moment John Nordheim bolted into the den, armed with a long-handled, heavy spade. "Oh don't go in," shouted men, and shrieked women, but he had passed the portals. Thud, thud, thud—three thuds of the shovel on bruin's head released little blacky, but turned Cinnamon on brave John Nordheim, who had nothing but a spade.—Thud, thud—down went Cinnamon. and up he got again and staggered close to little blacky, and opened the fight again. Thud, thud, thud—thick and heavy fell the blows on old Cinnamon's skull. The old beast loosened his hold and ran into the dungeon next to the pit. "Un-lock that gate," shouted Nordheim to Mr. Tenner, "and I will lock up for good now."

Mr. Tenner obeyed, and Nordheim shut the door. Once the door was securely shut, it was amusing to see the four frightened, but unhurt bears leave their posts and strut up to that door, then stride around the cage after the style of Mose, as much as to say, "Won't somebody please knock a chip off my shoulder?" Around and around they marched, returning to the door. smelling it, feeling it cautiously, and rearing up against it, as if to make sure that all was safe, then strutting off Falstaff-like, when the danger was gone.—Cincinnati Enquirer.