The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1867-188?, 1884-10-01
A POLAR BEARS SPREE.
AN INTERESTING ALASKAN STORY.
A Remarkable But Presumably Authentic
Bear Story From the Re-
gions OF the Frozen
North.
[Chicago Tribune.1

whisker which was visible above the edge
of his celluloid collar left one to infer that
the curls of which Nature had bereft him
were originally of a similar hue. The end
Of his nose was tinted to match, and his
tout ensemble, so to speak, reminded one
of a Connecticut Deacon run to seed.
He had just arrived in Chicago that eve
ming, and the confidence operators did not
know what to make Of him. He threw his
gripsack down behind the stove in the bar
room of West Side hotel, kicked the spit
toon into convenient position, took the
only four-legged chair, and made himself
as much at home as possible. He said
nothing to any body, and, beyond squirt
ing an occasional stream Of tobacco-juice
at the stove, exhibited no symptoms Of an
mated existence.
The boys didn't know how to size him up
-whecner to take him for State-Fair Wis
itor or missionary; so as the best way
OF opening the conversation, Skin-an'-B Bone
Jake asked him to take drink.
The stranger gave a deep sigh, and ris.
ing to his feet, walked slowly up to the
bar, helped himself to big horn Of blue.
grass whisky, and swallowed It at gulp.
SCENTS" he said, "Here's at you. have
drunk every sort Of drink from lager beer
to champagne, but the fre-water Of the
pale.faces knocks 'em all out In fact"
he added, "it saved my life once In most
extraordinary manner"
eTell US how 1t was" said Skin.an'- Bone
Jake.
"Waal," said the stranger with drawl,
tine and two other fellows was on hunt
in expedition for seals and such like up
the Northwest coast of Alaska In the win.
ter OF rs. 1t was powerful cold, an no
mistake-a matter OF hundred degrees or
so below zero, should think-and US fel-
lows was most froze TO death. We were
pretty successful-had a good many seal.
skins. and had shot couple of bears,
when we met with an accident. Our boat
was smashed in a jam Of ice, and there
was nothing for 1t but tramp Of q hun.
dred and fifty miles to the nearest Esqui.
maux village. We hadn't got far on the
way when tumbled into hole in the ice,
and cut and bruised my leg so that
couldn't walk step further
at was death to stay there, for our pro-
visions were nearly all lost when our boat
was smashed, and what we had left were
running very short. So Bill Smith and
Jim Kenny left me to take care Of myself,
while they went for help. They left all
the skins we had saved from the wreck for
me to take care of, as well as enough grub
TO last me until they got back, and small
keg Of whisky that we had brought along
with the other things on sled made OF
the timbers and planks Of the boat. They
made me a sort Of house to crawl into of
slabs Of ice.
81 watched them as they trotted away
over the snow, their footsteps leaving no
impression on the hard, frozen crust, and
felt so melancholy when they were out Of
sight that thought / would brace myself
up with little suthin' The whisky was
half froEe in the keg, so we had busted in
the top. | had TO break the ice to get at 1t.
Il guess pll have to chop the Ticker with q
Ratchet II this cold keeps on says TO
myself. was just a-goin' TO dip some out
Of the keg with a tin cup, when what
should | see, comm over the ice lickety.
split, but a Polar bear, the biggest ever
set eyes on. There was no use trying to
run away with my game leg, so crawled
into my ice-house and looked out through
the slabs with one eye, hoping he would
pass without seeing me.
"But there was no such luck. When he
got to within hundred yards he turned
up his noso to the breeze as II smellin'
suthin', and then made bee-line straight
in my direction. Waal, my heart went
right down into my boots; 1 don't think 1
ever felt so tired in my life. IT'S all up
with you, pard,' l says TO myself. you
WON'T never shoot no more seals In this
world. That bear is hungry-I SEQ 1t in
his eye-and you're his meat
81 hadn't any weapons, not even knife I;
for they had all sunk when our boat was
smashed. There didn't seem TO be three
cents worth Of chance for me; so lay
down with my nose in the snow, waiting
TO be dragged out, like a rat from a hole.
heard the bears step outside, and loud
snufiing. Then, all being quiet for mo.
ment, looked out between the slabs OF
ice and saw the bear. He was standing
with his snout in the whisky.keg, drink
ing with all his might; ! could hear II
gurgle as IL went down his throat When
he finished his drink he began to stagger
around, and, after amusing himself for
awhile tumbling about and trying to stand
on his head, he turned over on his back
and went to sleep, drunk as lord.
Gas soon as saw the beast was help.
less crawled out on all fours and sat on
top OF II, TO get warm and think. The more
/ thought the more necessary II seemed TO
do something at once. II he got sober he
would gobble me up TO certainty, and II
was useless TO try 10 run,for IL, for /
couldn't get very far with my game-feg.
II had had even aipenknife might have
killed him while he lay in that helpless
condition, but didn't have a weapon OF
any sort.
~ sat on top Of the bear and thought for
more'n two hours. He was q white ele.
phant on my hands, an no mistake. What
should do with himi And what would he
do with me when he got soberp II he
would only stay drunk until the other
fellers came back By Jovel that was the
ideal
~ propped up his shag gy head on the
whisky.keg TO get IL into a convenient po.
sition and 10 thaw the ticker by the
warmth Of his body; and, taking tin fun.
mel and the cup, poured about four quarts
OF whisky down his throat