Children of early generations were the fortunate ones when the question of bear-hunting arose. Many fathers promised their young sons to take them on such an excursion if they would "be good." Bill Nolan, who lived on Laurel, made such a promise to take his small sons Chad and Hamp into the Pine Mountain to hunt for bears.

The boys were elated. For days and days they looked forward to the trip and made themselves ready for the appointment time. Their father loaded the guns and dressed the boys warmly and the three started out for a place called "bear wallow."

Each of the hunters had a "hog rifle." They lay in wait behind a huge log hoping to see a bear appear. The dogs were sent out on the chase. The father knew if they spotted a bear he would have to cross the branch where the three waited.

The dogs took up the chase and suddenly a big, black bear came in sight and the monoster looked more fierce than they had expected. By his appearance he was very mad. The dogs ran him hard.

Passes Near Boys

The big bear passed near the log where they lay in wait. The boys held their breaths. This was the first real bear they had ever seen. They tried to get a better look at him.

"Now hold your fire sons until I shoot first," he warned. As the bear snorted and drug his big feet along the boys tugged at his father's coat sleeve and said, "shoot dad, before he gets away."

"Lay low boys, if that brute will pass on by and pass on peaceable, then let him go," the dad whispered. That was a near as the boys came to shooting a bear on their first big game hunt.

The story of Giles French and his "gentle nag" has been handed ddown through the years. French traded his horse for a "gentle nag" for his wife, Jane, to ride to church.

His wife did not trust the nag. Her husband "set out to prove she was gentle." His little scheme was to send his wife down the road with a sheep sking to hide behind the "big poplar" tree.

She was to hide behind the tree with the sheep skin until he came riding by on the nag. Her part of the act ws to jump out as he rode by and "boo" and shake the sheep skin before the nag. This was to prove the animal was gentle and wouldn't be afraid.

At the appointed time French came proudly riding down the road. Jane waited until they were almost near the tree when she performed the task she was suppose to do.

The animal threw French high in the air and almost killed him. As he slowly pulled himself from the ground he said , "I told you to sort of shake it and sort of not to shake it." His point back fired.

Sunday March 21, 1954

Volume 53 Number 65

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