The New Orleans Democrat., 1876-07-20

Around the classic precincts Of Jackson
Square, before our very Courthouse. wanders
lorn. solitary. misanthropic bird. Dirty ant
filthy. IL paddles and dabbes in the gutter for
morsel Of bread TO stay its hungry stomach. bu
even when IL has flshed up something from the
muddy depths. homeless ours invade its quar-
ters and carry Off its long sought morning meal
Who Is this sad neglected bird? A pelican. the
proud symbol of our once proud State Why Il
II not public pensioner2 Why does our State
bird starve while crows and buzzards devour
our substance? II Is burning shame that cries
to heaven.
II Is not thus that other peoples treat .heir
State symbols. The bear Is the national beast OF
the Canton of Berne. in Switzerland but how
do the Bernese treat their bearsp Do thNy let
them wander, unprotected. uncared for through
the public streets. begging for food? No: the
bears OF Berne are public pensioners State
wards.
In 100. an old lady of Berne left fortune OF
6oooo livres TO the cantonal bears. Her relatives
rushed into court to dispute the will charging
that the bears had improperly influenced her
mind. The case was ably argued on both sides
the bears being rich enough to employ the finest
legal talent on their side. and resulted in VIC
tory for the bears. who were declared the old
ladys heirs, put in possession of the property
and had regular guardians appointed to admin
lister to their estate. So faithfully and honestly
was this done that in 1905 the Bernese bears were
worth more than 1000 900 ivres. and were prob
ably the richest proprietors in Switzerland and
among the few European millionaires of that
time
Napoleon Bonaparte when he invaded Berne
at the solicitation OF the vaudois misappro-
priated their fortune for his looming Austrian
campaign. Not only did he dispossess the bears
but he carried them. like the Pope and other
captives, prisoners to Paris There they were
imprisoned in the Jdrdin des Ptdntes. where one
Of them. Martin. became universal favorite Of
the Partisan public.
Among the claims presented against France
mt the Congress OF Vienna was demand by tho
representatives of Berne for their bears and
their bears estate. The money was refused; It
had long since gone for powder and shot but
tho bears were ordered to be surrendered. to the
great disgust of the Parisians. Thus, after an
absence Of over ten years, these once wealthy
citizens returned TO their native town without
dollar in their pockets.
How did the people of Berne greet them-how
did they treat them-As we treat our Pelican?
No; by a unanimous vote fthe Cantonal Council
the bears were placed on the pension list. Not
satisfied with this. fearing that some economical
council of the future might cut them Off as
penslonerssa SUBSCRIPTION was got up by Lead
ing citizens and 10000 lvres subscribed. With
this small estate on the Aarberg road few
miles from Berne. was bought where to this day
live the bears. not as rich rs they were seventy
years ago. but still comfortable and we'll enough
Of to defy all poverty.
Why cannot we do likewise? Wehave patriots
enough among us: they are always super
numerous Just about election time
why cannot some of these people get up sub
scription for our forlorn. hungry. dirty Pelican?
Times are hard. it is true but there are mono Of
us, we hope. SO unpatriotic as to refuse to help
our Pelicsn. even il we have to 60 with but
ourselves.
he Pelican.