The Fremont weekly journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County, Ohio) 1867-1877, 1875-06-25

Important Session.

displayed in the construction of the nest
of an oriole, in the possession of said
club. The subject naturally took the
form of this question, to wit: ''Do beasts
and birds possess the power of reason
ing from cause to effect 2" The great
Cinnamon being called upon to open
the discussion, said TINT he had given the
subject much attention in past years;
with, to himself, but little satisfactory
results. But he had received commu-
nication from the Spectacle Bear now in
Missouri, on the subject, which in his
opinion proved conclusively that some
animals do possess the power of reason;
whereupon the white haired bear moved
the article be read by the Secretary.
The motion was carried, and the article
was as follows:
PIKE STATION, PIKE COUNTY MISSOURI.
"Great Cinnamon and sellow bears of
the Bear Club of Milan, Ohio:
In the last issue of the ADVERTISER,
which was forwarded to me by my wife,
saw an item stating that the club was
in possession of an oriole nest which was
considered wonderfulin its construction,
and that the great Cinnamon would
probably bring the matter before the
club for discussion. l assumed that it
would take the form of a question as to
the reasoning power of birds and beasts,
and having had great experience with
animals and birds, hAsten to give my
testimony on this great question, hoping
thereby to finally dispose of the matter
80 far as it relates to some of the ami
NAL creation. 1 have resided, as you
are aware, in your midst as man and
boy about fifty years. I have been dis
ciple of Blackstone about twenty years,
and have carried the glad tidings of
great Joy embraced in his doctrines into
many of the benighted places in our
land, and am now preaching to the
Pixies with great success. You will all
bear me witness, that in all my goings
out and comings in before you, / have
maintained my integrity; devoting
my time to the advancement of truth;
and hence, feel assured that my expe-
rience and opinions will have much
weight with you in your deliberations
on the great subject now before you.
With regard to the first creation, 1
assume that though they build wonder
full nests nicely weaving and interlacing
the material from which they are made
into well nodded forms of safety and
venience, yet they never improve on
the first builders works. Through all
the ages of the past the oriole has built
her nest in the same form and position,
on the bended boughs, the only change
being perhaps in the material of which
constructed. Hence, it has never orig
mated new ideas, and therefore, in my
opinion, dots not possess the power of
reasoning from cause to e4"~t, for by
this process alone have improvements
been made and has the world increased
in knowledge in the arts and sciences.
This is true so far as my experience and
Investigations has extended with regard
to the whole feathered tribe, from the gi-
gantic Ostricht that with outspread wings
rivals in speed the Arab barb of the
Desert, down to the tiny and golden
hued humming bird that sips the deli
cious nectar from the opening rose bud
gemmed with the morning dew. They
are possessed of only that mysterious
and unknown power called instinct,
used to distinguish it from the higher
and nobler power called reason.
/ am aware that shall here be met
with the question, does not the Gisouse,
of the Kankakee Marshes, furnish an
exception to the general rulel 1 answer
no; for though admit that its mode Of
whistling is an improvement on the
mode of whistling of all other birds
known to naturalists, still claim, and
challenge the great Cinnamon to show
that from the pre-adamite gisoese down
to the unfedged Nesting now sitting in
its downy nest on, the mucky shores OF
Kankakee, that theyever whistled in any
other manner, and unless he can show
this to the satisfaction Of the club, my
proposition must forever remain un-
shaken.
But my experience with the animal
creation has been different, and early in
life it was my fortune to have demon.
strated to me beyond the possibility OF
doubt, that some animals do reason
from eSuse to effect, and that, too, with
precision and nicety equalled only by
a mathenetic demonstration. 1 will
proceed in my experience, from which
drew this conclusion.
When I was a boy 1 was passionately
fond of coon hunting by night, and al
ways kept a good coon dog. On the oc-
casion to which I refer, I owned a good
one by the name of Tige, half hound
and half cur, but a fighter, and able to
get away with any coon north Of Mason
and Dixon's line. One night in Sep