The Dawson journal., 1883-12-20
VOL. Is NO. 80.
TOLD TO A STRANGER.
The Pathetic Story of Bear Lake
Johnson's Wonderful Bnthmark.


Johnson's Wonderful Bnthmark.
CoRRy, Pa, November 27.-An OLD
man, respectfully dressed, and evi
dently farmer, entered saloon il
this city yesterday afternoon. He
produced fiat black pint bottle and
placed it on the bar without word
The saloon keeper filed it with the
best Bourbon whisky. The old naa
drank it all al one draughi, place.
the bottle in bis pocket, paid for III
liquor and went out. A stranger
who had witnessed the proceeding
remarked to the saloon keeper that
it was a somewhat singular ono.
"See,ns so to you of course" said
the saloon kee per. "IYe used to
think so, too, till we fouAd out. That
old man is Bear Lake johnson. That
isn't his name, bat he lives over near
Bear Lake, and as we don't know
what his name really is, we call him
johnson because it's easy to think
Of"
He's nice, quiet old man, and on
ly takes one drink every nine days.
That was the one you saw him get
away with just now. He's been com
Jag here for years, aud his visits are
always nine days apart. The only
-errand he seems to have is to buy his
pint of whisky aud drink it. Then
he goes away, and comes back again
as regularly As a clock at the end If
nine days. This funny performance
of the cid gentleman finally attract
'ed attention, and it got SO that on
,ihe day be was due here my place
eEould be filed with all sorts of peo.
,pls, curious to soc the man who laid
ia nine days supply of the old stuff
Iet one gulp. We used to sit around
Che stove here night after night try
Ing to hit on some good r.ason for
.he old mans conduct, and 1 got
worked up so over the thing that
made up my mind whom he came in
again to ask him for an explanation.
The next time he came in, and Just
after l had filed his bottle, I asked
7im if he wouldn't tell me why it was
that he drank pint of whisky at one
drink every nine days. He hesita-
ted a minute, and then beckoned 10
me to go with him into my Office. l
did SO. He rolled up the left leg of
his large loose trousers hallway be-
tween his knee and his thigh. There,
on the side of his leg, was the fig
ure of a bottle, which l thought had
been tattooed in his leg. It was the
exact shape and size of the bottle in
which Bear Lake always got his whis-
ky, only it was of dark purple co.,
or
There's a mark said Bear Lake,
that was born with. You see that
it looks now as if it was just painted
on the skin. | wish it was. III
twenty minutes after | drink this
whisky that spot will raise up an inch
shove the flesh, aud be literally a bot
tie of whisky. In niue days it will
have resumed its original position.
Dnring that time / have no desire for
liquor, but at the end of nine days
my craving for it becomes irresisti-
ble. and if sheuld not be able to
obtain it l suppose would ge crazy.
Anything less than the pint 1 drink
woul not satisfy me. could not
drink another moutLful more to save
IN, l.fe.'
The old man, drank his whisky and
went out, but, he came in an hour
att9rward an | showed me the spot
on Ills leg again. 1t was raised an
iacn above thu de>h, as hs had said i
wo4ld be.
Tie stranger th)uS At the case was
4 e., singular one inleedr but Ae
teutured TO ask the saloon-keebel
why the oil man did not take {
stock of whisky home with him, 8,
he might have it handy, instead o
making long journey every nin'
days and carrying back an empty bot
tie.
"Ah? said the saloon keeper
That's his affair, not mine. "YouI
have to ask him."