The Unintended Cross-Country Runner
A postal worker’s bicycle breakdown in Marysville leads to a terrifying, high-speed foot race with a black bear.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
Ed Smout, temporary carrier on the Getchell rural delivery route running from Everett, went out yesterday on a bicycle to inspect the country through which he will be compelled to travel. His wheel broke down near Marysville, but he completed the distance just about as fast as he would had he been riding. In fact, Smout says he went faster after he got off the wheel than he did before, for he had an incentive. Just after the wheel gave out, he heard something sniffing behind him. He turned and saw a large black bear casually strolling along in his rear. He quickened his step and the bear livened up. He started to trot and the bear loosened up a long lope that brought him several feet nearer before Smout realized that his bear-ship had evil designs. He began to step out and the bear ditto. Then Smout began to really run. He only touched the ground every hundred yards. The bear apparently wanted to make Smout's acquaintance and was persistent. Finally the bear gave up the chase and Smout reached his destination safely enough, but minus a few pounds in weight, which he had run off.
“He only touched the ground every hundred yards.”
Rural postal routes remain a uniquely dangerous occupation in the Pacific Northwest, though modern carriers encounter more delivery vans than black bears.
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