My great great grandfather's youngest brother
hosted the 1914 Clymer Reunion.
Abe Clymer was a widower with one daughter,
19 year old Minerva.
According to the minutes 73 people gathered in the parlors for an enjoyable program, including the recitation of "Betty and The Bear" by 12 year old Harold Worth.
BETTY AND THE BEAR
In a pioneer's cabin out West, so they say,
Some untimely intruder gain'd access, one day,
And made such a racket, he 'woke from his sleep
The lord of the mansion, who ventured to peep,
Thro' a crack, in the kitchen, to see what was there,
When he found, to his grief, 't was a grizzly bear!
"My gracious !" he yell'd to his slumb'ring frow,
"Tlaar's a bar in the kitching as big as a caow!"
"A what?" "Why, a bar!" "Well, murder 'm
— quick!"
"Yes, Betty, I will, ef you'll git me a stick."
So Betty popt out and the poker she seized,
While her man shut the door, and against it he
squeez'd!
As Betty belabor'd the beast with her blows, —
Now on his forehead and now on his nose, —
Her man thro' the keyhole kept shouting within,
"Well done, my brave Betty! now hit 'm agin!
A jab in the stummick! —a dab on the snout! —
Now poke with the poker and poke his eyes out!
Don't be a bit scart of'm, Betty, my dear;
Don't be a bit scart—fur, ye know, I am here!"
So with poking and jabbing, poor Betty alone
At last laid Sir Bruin as dead as a stone.
Then when the old man saw the bear was no more,
He ventured to poke his own nose out the door,
And there was the grizzly stretch'd on the floor.
'T was only a cub; but no matter for that:
He pull'd on his boots and he clapt on his hat,
And off to the neighbors he hasten'd, to tell
All the wonderful things that that morning befell;
And he publish'd the marvellous story afar, —
How "ME an' my betty jes' slaughter'd a bar!
Oh yes! Come an' see ! all the neighbors hev sid it;
Jes' see what We did, ME an' betty —We did it!"
But, alas, all the neighbors were perfectly knowing
That she did the business and he did the blowing. In a pioneer's cabin out West, so they say,
Some untimely intruder gain'd access, one day,
And made such a racket, he 'woke from his sleep
The lord of the mansion, who ventured to peep,
Thro' a crack, in the kitchen, to see what was there,
When he found, to his grief, 't was a grizzly bear!
"My gracious !" he yell'd to his slumb'ring frow,
"Tlaar's a bar in the kitching as big as a caow!"
"A what?" "Why, a bar!" "Well, murder 'm
— quick!"
"Yes, Betty, I will, ef you'll git me a stick."
So Betty popt out and the poker she seized,
While her man shut the door, and against it he
squeez'd!
As Betty belabor'd the beast with her blows, —
Now on his forehead and now on his nose, —
Her man thro' the keyhole kept shouting within,
"Well done, my brave Betty! now hit 'm agin!
A jab in the stummick! —a dab on the snout! —
Now poke with the poker and poke his eyes out!
Don't be a bit scart of'm, Betty, my dear;
Don't be a bit scart—fur, ye know, I am here!"
So with poking and jabbing, poor Betty alone
At last laid Sir Bruin as dead as a stone.
Then when the old man saw the bear was no more,
He ventured to poke his own nose out the door,
And there was the grizzly stretch'd on the floor.
'T was only a cub; but no matter for that:
He pull'd on his boots and he clapt on his hat,
And off to the neighbors he hasten'd, to tell
All the wonderful things that that morning befell;
And he publish'd the marvellous story afar, —
How "ME an' my betty jes' slaughter'd a bar!
Oh yes! Come an' see ! all the neighbors hev sid it;
Jes' see what We did, ME an' betty —We did it!"
But, alas, all the neighbors were perfectly knowing
That she did the business and he did the blowing.
For the 2014 Clymer Reunion this weekend we gathered in the same parlor
and read the 1914 minutes and recited the poem. Ken Miller now owns the
house and was kind enough to invite us to visit.
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