Bear Facts from Pennsylvania 

 Newspapers 



Twenty-five Years Ago, January 16, 1896 

 A Queer Bear Trap 



The Baker brothers, "in the Black Forest region,' 

 continued to use their beer keg trap inaugurated last 

 Winter with great success, writes a correspondent. 

 This trap is made by driving long sharp spikes through 

 the edge of a beer keg, then placing a bait on the bot- 

 tom of the keg. The keg is then chained to a tree. 

 The bears force their heads past the spikes to get at 

 the piece of meat on the bottom of the keg, then when 

 they try to withdraw, the sharp pins hold them prison- 

 ers. A funny incident of this sort of trapping is re- 

 lated by one of the Baker boys. One morning early 

 this season, they went out to inspect their traps, w'hen 

 they found one of them missing. The chain ha'd been 

 forced from its fastening. Ajfter a half hour's search 

 they came onto the thief. It was a ridiculous sight, 

 for he still had the 'beer keg over his head and was 

 dragging the chain along. He heard the men coming 

 ajnd started on a 1 remarkable good gait to get out of 

 their way. They expected every minute to see the old 

 fellow go "kerplunk" against a tree or sprawl out on 

 the ground over the rocks, but he did neither. Ex- 

 cept for stepping on the long chain occasionally bruin 



68 



