The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1896-06-03
BEARS RAFT LOGS.
Taught by an Italian to Pilot q
Flotilla of Timber.
The Skillful Way in Which They
Break Dangerous Jams.

Raftsmen have taken advantage Of
the high water in the river to float logs
to the saw mills. It was on the Loyal
sock creek, which has its headquartert
in Sullivan county, Penn, and it's
mouth about four miles below Will
Transport that the remarkable sight Of
bears guiding RATS to the mills was
witnessed, not long ago Two bears
took one log raft down the stream and
a man and bear took another. IL /
remained for Posi- Puntc, an Italian,
to thus put bears to service.
Posi- Punte camc to this country
five years ago. Punte decided that to
get dancing bear to earn living for
him was better than working himself.
He got trained bear and began td{
tour the country. He found so manyI
cities and towns in Pennsylvania where
the laws prohibit "acting bears" thatl
he reached Laporte, Sullivan county,
with no money in pocket.
Then the Italian was by hunger
forced to go into the woods to work.
Punte would not part with his bear.
Together they lived ina log hut in the
lumber camp. Six months passed.
when one day the dancing bear was
found at home, with two half-grown
bear companions. Punte was some
what afraid at first, but soon managed
to "get acquainted" with the new ar
rivals. He kept the three bears, and
with the aid of the first bear he began
to teach the new ones how to do |
tricks.
In the spring Punte had to pilot
RATS down the Loyalsock creek to the /
sawmill at Mountainville. On one OF
these trips it occurred to him that hd(
might teach the bears how to guide
raft. He no sooner returned to hisl
mountainous home than he started I'd
work.
The bears had been used to holding
the balancing poles with their fore1
paws, and the next thing to do was ia
teach them to use it differently. Las
season it was not unusual for the peo
pie of Forksville to see raft going
Il tpp IA
three bears on il. "Bruin," as hd !,
called the first bear, was always kept
at the rear end Of the raft, and
"Johnuy" and "Gussie" we're on the
front part.
On these trips the bears we're taugh
how to keep the RATS from runnin
against the banks of the creek and go
acquainted with the bends in The
stream. Aided by signs and calls
they became, Punte thought, able tq
run raft. He did not put them Il
the test until recently. They ran thd
raf. successfully. The first trip Punt
was on the same raft with the bears
and they did their work so well tina
he made up two RATS and started fol
the West Branch of the Susquehannf}
River. The RATS were OF logs and
started from near Hillsgrove.
On the first raft "Bruin" and
"Johnny" we're placed. On the second
which followed closely, Punte AMI th'
bear "Gussie" were the pilots Punte
by calling fright" aud "1eft" told the
bear at the oar which way to push o
pull, while at the same time "No.
Johnny" and mo. 2, Johnny" tol{
the bear at the front end OF the raf
ON which side to use the pike pole.
At sharp curve, twenty miles fron|
Williamsport log jam was observed
Punte hurriedly tied up his raft, and|
running ahead, succeeded in boarding
the one manned by "Bruin' and
Johnny" This he also ran to shord
and tied up. The jam was about fifteeI
feet high and blocked the stream
Punte took Johnny" with him h
break the jam.
| The breaking of jam is danger
ous thing, and many fatal accident
result. Johnny" with pike pols|
was sent to dislodge tho anchor logI
After many attempts he succeeded.
The Loyalsock creek is about FORTY
miles long, and runs through noun
famous country, consequently thi
bears were not frightened by men.