Hauned Mansion Stories- Brother Dave

DEAR DEPARTED BROTHER DAVE

HE CHASED A BEAR INTO A CAVE[1]

Name: Dave Burkhart[2]

Born: 1823

Died: Nov.1858

            [Written in a journal by Bob Ebright[3] in 1927.]

There are many tall tales…about men so huge and strong that they could do incredible things. John Henry, Paul Bunyon and Big Bad John are just a few. Well, one man who stood head and shoulders above the rest was Brother Dave Burkhart. Now he didn’t have a blue ox and dig the thousand lakes of Minnesota. Nor did he race against a new fangled steam drill and fall down dead just after winnin’. No, what Brother Dave did was a whole lot better, harder and more noble than anything those men did, because it really happened. I was there.

Dave had been hangin’ around New Orleans for the better part of ten years. He’d come to town back in ’41 when I wasn’t even a gleam in my pappy’s eye. I seen him livin’ in a shack near the docks and unlike most of the bums and drunks who wasted their lives on the waterfront, Dave worked. He was the hardest workin’ man I ever did see. He’d load and unload ships all the day long and then hire on to a freight outfit to deliver the goods at night. He’s up before dawn and went to bed only after the last oil lamp ran dry.

He was frugal too. Never bought new clothes unless his was fallin’ off and like I said, he lived in a little shack down by the water. My pappy would’ve tanned my hide if’n he’d know’d this but, once, when I was about six, I asked Dave why he lived there.

“Son,” answers Dave and bends way down to look me in the eye, “I got a wife and a boy about your age home in England. I miss them terribly. I have to work hard to earn money, and not spend it, so I can bring them here. Do you understand?”

I looked into his huge sad face and said, “If’n you lived with us you could save more money and bring them here. Then you’d be happy.”

“I suppose that’s true Bobby. But I like living here by the water. It reminds me of my home near Preston. You run along now, your mother will be worrying.”

It wasn’t until years later that I learned they had borrowed money to get Dave here and his wife was thrown into debtor’s prison when she couldn’t pay. That man worked like a slave to bring her and the child to this promised land, but that’s getting’ ahead of my story.

One bright summer’s day in 1850 Crump’s Circus and Cavalcade wandered into town before swinging east for Atlanta. The parade was moving through the narrow streets when CoCo the bear saw Dave and lumbered over to smell him. Ya see Dave was a hairy giant of a man at seven feet tall and 300 pounds. Coco thought she had found herself a he-bear and got quite a shock when it was a man. Dave, who wasn’t afraid of anything, faced down the bear and the circus moved on.

That very night Dave was approached by the circus owner, Rolly Crump.  Would he be interested in wrestling the bear as part of the show? He was assured of $100 and no one would get hurt. Dave agreed. It would have taken months to earn that on the docks.

All the town showed-up to see this huge mountain of a man fight with a bear. Rich, poor, sailors and merchants were there. Even the Graceys came down including Young George who was home from law school.

Coco was lead into a ring wearing claw mitts and a muzzle. Her trainer whipped the poor beast into a frenzy and scowled at the few who dared look askance at his cruelty. Then, from one part of the crowd, came a rumbling murmur.

“Here he comes…Look how big he is...I wouldn’t do it for all the tea in China.”

In a perfect calm Dave climbed down out of the stands. Coco looked and Dave looked back. Coco growled and Dave growled back. Coco stood on her hind legs and Dave stretched to his full height. Coco roared and Dave roared right back. They came together in a titanic crash and the fur flew! She slapped him across the head with a mighty blow which would have felled 10 men but Dave shook his great shaggy mane, let out a bellow and grabbed Coco in a rib-crushing bear-hug.

Only those who witnessed the feat ever believed, but I’m here to tell ya, Brother Dave held onto that bear with all his might. They thrashed and tumbled, kicked-up dust and made enough noise to think all Hell had emptied on that very spot. After 20 minutes Coco lay fainted on the sawdust and Dave Burkhart raised his hands in victory.

Lesser men would have gone off to have a drink and enjoy the company of a friendly young lady. Not Dave. I kept my eye on him the whole time and as soon as the crowd began to leave he climbed down and took to petting that bear’s head and whisperin’ in its ear. Ol’ Coco woke up none too happy but Brother Dave was calm and friendly to her as was his way with all living things.

That first show was such a success that Crump invited Dave to join his entertainers.  They went on the road and within a year Burkhart had saved enough to pay his enormous debt. His wife and son were freed and joined him when the Cavalcade went to Europe in 1853.

This was a wonderful time for Dave. He had become Coco’s trainer after the previous man (who had a weakness for the bottle) had foolishly entered Coco’s railcar after a night of merry making. Little was found of him the next morning.

A whole new world opened for the simple and honest fellow. He saw people and places beyond his imagination. He made friends everywhere he went and preached the Good Word to all who would listen. Among his closest companions were three of the roustabouts and the new tightrope walker who was the little sister he’d always wanted.

By 1857 the circus was beginning to fail. Their acts were no longer new and surprising, many of the animals had become tame and a pall had settled over the troupe.  It was a downtrodden Rolly who addressed his odd family.

“Tomorrow we leave for America. We’ve seen the capitols of Europe and there is little we have not done; few who have not thrilled at our show. Let us return to our homeland and see if we are welcomed.”

The performance in Boston was a smash and all felt hopeful for the future. None more so than Lilian the Tightrope walker who fell deeply in love with a gentleman she met after the show. Her days on the line would be over as soon as he made a partnership in his firm.

After a fortnight the circus moved down the line: New York, Washington, Raleigh, Nashville and finally Atlanta. It was here in the spring of 1858 that tragedy struck.

Coco had never been the same gentle bear after devouring her first trainer. Only through Dave’s calm hand and loving presence was she manageable. As fate would have it he had broken an arm while unloading in the Georgia capitol. It was impossible for him to perform. The Great Bear Fight though had become a mainstay of the bigtop and rumors of a cancellation had hurt sales badly. Reluctantly Dave allowed his son Joseph to step in.

The boy was only 17 but nearly as big and strong as his dad. Tiny Joe, as they called him, rushed into the bear’s waiting arms and had his back snapped before a horrified crowd. He died instantly. Clowns and rope pullers tried to wrestle Coco down but she had gone wild. Pandemonium reigned as curious onlookers became hunted game. Coco tore at anyone she could reach including Dave’s wife Elizabeth who rushed the beast in defense of her child. Dozens were injured because, in his haste, Joseph had not put the muzzle on tightly enough nor the mittens at all.

Coco escaped into the backwoods around Atlanta and was hunted for weeks with no success. After his arm mended, a distraught Dave Burkhart joined the posse. Six months hard searching and they came upon a secluded cave with human bones scattered about the entrance. Coco had become a man-eater.

Dave stood before the hunters and pleaded with them, “Men, I loved that animal like my own son. And I don’t fault her for doing what God made her to do. But she has become a danger to the folks about. I trained her for 10 years. Let me do it. If I don’t come out alive, try and kill her quick.”

  Without a hint of fear, Dave stepped forward into the clearing. Just then a deep, gurgling, hungry roar burst from the woods to their right, followed quickly by the blood-soaked she-bear. He leapt into the air, howled like Cerberus himself and rushed the surprised bruin. She cocked her head to the side and retreated to her cave. Dave didn’t hesitate before chasing in after her.

To the men waiting outside it seemed unreal to hear a bear’s furious thundering mixed with the sobs of a heartbroken man. Finally the tumult died down and both man and beast were found dead within.

As a final gesture to her old friend, Lilian had Dave and his family brought back to New Orleans. She held a magnificent wake for the man who had touched the lives of hundreds. People from all over the parish came to share their stories of how Dave had helped them all. Each tear-soaked episode brought his memory closer to those who only thought he was a big, lumbering fool.

The last echoes of Amazing Grace were winging over the placid bayou when a hulk of a man strode from the back of the tent.

“I thank’ee Ma’am. My Dave would’a been grateful for your kindness.”

“He was a good man; a true friend. May I ask your name?”

“I am Bartholomew Ma’am. Dave was my little brother.”

“I can see that. Well, Bartholomew, what may I do for your family?”

“I know ya planned to bury him here and it’s very kind. But I plan to take them home to Preston. Meanin’ no disrespect o’ course.”

“I understand Bartholomew. Of course.”

The preparations for a grand funeral had all been made and Lilian felt such a degree of sisterly love for the man that she decided to hold it as a remembrance. With solemn pomp Dave’s empty casket was buried in a place of honor at the mansion.

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[1] Brother Dave Tomb by Loring Loding, “Boodie131” on Flickr.com

[2] Dave Burkhart built the model of the Haunted Mansion.

[3] Model for Bust #1 in the Graveyard