The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-05-17

Taught BY an Italian To Help In the
Woods.

Winiamsport CPa) Cor, New York Press.
Raftsmen have taken advantage of the
high water in the river to bricg down logs
TO the sawmills. The RATS that generally
come down the creeks are handled by two
men. while on the river three and four
men are necessary. 1t was on the Loyal
seek creek, which has its h@adWaters IN
Sullivan county, and its mouth about four
miles below this city, that the remarkable
sight of bears guiding RATS to the mills
was witnessed last week. Two DP9r5 Ioph
one log raft down the stream ana inaA
and asbear took another. II remalned lor
Posi- Punte, an Italian, to thus put bears
Posi- Punte came to this country five
years ago. Punte decided that = get a
dancing bear to earn living for him was
better than working hlmseH. IL 50 d
trained bear and began 10 tour me c0un-
try. He found so many cities ana towns III
Pennsylvania where the laws prohlplted
"acting bears that he reached Laporle'
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. Togethe~
they lived in a log hut in the lumber camp.
Six months passed, when one DAY the
dancing bear was found at nome Win Two
half-groWn lear companions. Fu lle Was
Somewhat afraid at first, but soon man
aged to ''get acquainted" win the new ar
rivals He kept the three bears, am VITA
the aid of the first bear he began 10 leacA
the new ones how to do tricks.
In the spring Punte had to pilot ra!ts
down the Loyalsock creek to the saw mil,
at Mountainville. One of these trips II
occurred to him that he might teach the
bears how to guide raft. he no sooner
returned to his mountainous nome IMAM
he started to work.
The bears had been used to holding the
balancing poles with their forepaws, and
the next thing to do was to teach them 10
use it differently. Last season II was not
unusual for the people OF ForkSVille TO see
a raft going down the creek with two
men and three bears on it. 'Burin, as
R~et NJ a W
at the rear end of the raft, and Johnny
and "Gussie' were on the front part.
on these trips the bears were taught
how to keep the RATS from running
against the banks of the creek and got
acquainted with the bends of the stream.
Aided by signs and calls, they became,
Punte thought able to run a raft.
He did not put them to the test until
last week They ran the raft successful
~ The first trip Punte was on the same
raft with the bears, and they did their
work SO well that last week he made up
two RATS and started for the west branch
of the Susquehanna river. The RATS We're
of logs and started from near Hills
on the first rafe BURN and Johnny
were placed. On the second, which fol-
lowed closely, Punte and the bear Gus
sic were the pilots. Punte, by calling
right and left told the bear at the
oar which way e. push or pull. while at
the same time No. l. Johnny and No
of the raft on which side to use the pike
pole.
this city log jam was observed, Punte
hurriediy tied UP his raft, and, running
ahead, succeeded in boarding the one man
ned by Bruin and Johnny. This he also
ran to short and tied up. The jam was
about fifteen feet high, and blocked the
stream. Punte took Johnny with him to
break the jam.
The breaking of a jam is a dangerous
thing, and many fatal accidents result.
Johnny, with a pike pole, was sent to
dislodge the anchor log. After many at
tempts he succeeded.
The Loyalsock creek is about forty
miles long and runs through mountainous
country, consequently the bears were not
frightened by men.