I'm grateful to FJ Barrett and TJ in San Diego for their comments herein, although I feel much like a person eavesdropping on my neighbors. I make it a habit not to get involved is such discussion as this. I found this site only because I'm in the process of rerecording my song The Story Of The Preacher And The Bear for our new CD: The New Christy Minstrels 'Recycled' Vol. II, and I was checking the accuracy of the misplaced writing credit. I have been telling folks for years that my co-writer was Joe Arzonia, and Jan Hansen has brought to my attention the following data:

Excerpt from POPULAR AMERICAN RECORDING PIONEERS: 1895-1925, by Tim Gracyk:
 
"Arthur Collins recorded 'The Preacher and the Bear' soon after it was published in 1904.
Normally credited to Joe Arzonia, the song was actually written by George Fairman
(1881-1962) of Front Royal, Virginia. In 1955 Fairman wrote to Jim Walsh that in
1902 or 1903, shortly after he composed it, he sold for $250 all rights to the song
to Arzonia, owner of a cafe in which Fairman played piano, adding that songwriter
Arthur Longbrake was a frequent patron of that cafe. Longbrake, who established the
Eclipse Music Company, shares credit with Arzonia on sheet music, which sold well
when published by the Joe Morris Music Company...." 

I am ever so grateful for the internet. It gives each of us, all of us, a chance to get it right. To Laura, whose daddy from East Tennessee sang about baptizing the bear, I can PROMISE you that he did not sing about baptizing the bear prior to 1960 or before he heard our NCM recording (or a version from someone else who had). That's mine, and it's original. I adore the folk process, and I firmly believe that PD music ought to be allowed to grow with each performance thereof, but I won't touch an old song unless I can improve it. I have no desire to put my name on such a song simply to grab the songwriter's gold or glory.   Giving The Preacher & The Bear a punchline is one of my proudest moments, although proper credit was the furthest issue from my mind when I reworked this gem. I rewrote the lyrics simply to better entertain my audiences. I felt the song needed a punchline.

Cheers! Randy Sparks, Founder, The New Christy Misntrels
P.S. Please visit our website: thenewchristyminstrels.com