The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-09-18

The tail of the Black mountain bear is ex-
tremely rudimentary, and in some cases is
merely depression.
Some species of the bear hibernate in
the winter, occupying hollow tree or
cave in the earth. They remain station
airy at such times, living on the record of
their glorious past. The Kamchatkan
bear is found in kamchatka. The flesh
of the black bear of Black mountain is
eaten for food. 1t tastes like q hot box
People who can get cod liver oil to eat
seldom eat bear meat. The bear eats
mostly berries, roots and herbs, and
therefore should be good eating himself,
but he breaks over the rules sometimes
after lent and eats a colored child.
Now and then one at dusk hears the
shril cry of a shote adown the shady val
ley of the north branch of the Savanna
noa. Then the peasantry Of Black mount
ain crouch closer to each other, and they
cali in their great wealth Of dog where it
will be safe, for they know that Senator
Vance is feeding the bear with one Of his
clipper built hogs.
Senator Vance's hogs come of hardy
race OF ridge rooters easily detected by the
long, sad face. He is a mountain hog and
fond of liberty. reminding one of William
TELL except that his legs are longer. He
is sure-footed and clings to the crags and
precipices like chamois. yesterday"
said the senator, I'VE killed rattlesnake
and wanted the boys to keep it to show
you, but I've got thirty or forty hogs run
ming around here loose in the woods wait
ing for chestnuts or the third party or
something of that kind to come along, and
SO they ate it up.
These hogs during the summer diet and
train themselves down great deal, take
long walks and otherwise bant themselves
till they look like autumn leaves. Then,
when the autumn leaves and the nuts and
acorns come on. you will see the razor
back, if the crop be good, fling his tail
gayly over the dashboard and let bygones
be bygones. Should the mast, as this crop
Is called, be short, or only half crop, of
course his tail will naturally hang at half
mast. but that is neither here nor there.
When taken up and fed "a month or so
after this course of chestnutting the Black
mountain sandy shote or coral insect soon
becomes delicious morsel, the hams being
as large and juicy as those of the buff
cochin hen at maturity.
ate couple of these hams at Senator
Vance's table. and l shall never speak
lightly of the ridge rooter again. He is
subject to none of the diseases peculiar to
corpulence. He breathes good air, eats
the pokeberry iii midsummer till his CELL
ings and wainscotings are as red as Chi
nesc demonstration then he eats the Wild
cucumber, which falls from the cucumber
tree after the squirrel has had all lie wants.
and the result is that by November he is
ready TO take a course of corn in the ear or
elsewh here. and winds up at the glorious
yuletide when the holly berries are red
and the mistletoe and the persmmons are
both ripe, still slender and girlish in
figure, but as tender and juicy as Brazil
nut.
Sometimes one strikes mountain hog,
however, that will not take on flesh. but
remains thin and angular. These are
often killed and dried just as they are,
and may be used to clean lamp chimneys
with.
Senator Vance lives on the saddle of a
ridge in such a position as to have in front
OF the house the highest peak of Craggy
mountain, while st the back of the house,
straight down Sn feet, you hear the roar
and tumble of the North Branch. Here
stands Gombroon the restful and ideal
| home OF North Cardinals favored son and
| senator.
What made you call it Gombroon ?" I
asked Mrs. Vance as ate another water
! melon and concealed the rinds in Mai.
| Sledman's umbrella. / asked this Ques-
| ton because plzen political adversary
| said that IL was mighty poor taste for a
| United States senator 10 name his sum-
tGtE Bplite tOf n iiltat convey Oh
| and fiea-intected novels on the Persian
| gulf
| The little seaport on the Persian gul {
| had nothing 10 do with it," said Mrs
| Eance. I'D been reading an article on
! "Tne Vagaries of Eminent Men," and
| among others the dream of DeQuincey
| that seemed TO haunt him in all his later
/ years. that he had conquered. owned and
ruled distant island called Gombroon. In
! all his work and in ali his leisure, as pur-
/ pie background to the picture of actual
| lie. stood this ever present country which
he called Gombroon.
$50, when in the midst of this, husband
| wrote me that if he could think as earn
| estly and industriousiy Of the coming con-
/ vention as he did of the COWS and the
! orchard upon Black mountain he would
| probably be more successful as politician,
| named the home 6ombroon. and Com
| broom IL is likely 10 remain"
You get of the X. & ID. train at Black
Mountain station. aud there you secure a
1 tiacre drawn by two melancholy mules.
/ Black Mountain station is not financial
/ center, hat is still dictated 10 by Wall
| street. 4 large political meeting was be-
| ing held there AZ the schooihouse on the
afternoon OF our arrival, and good, pure