The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1896-04-12
4 GHOST Nv 4 LUMBER CAMP.
It Was Worth SEQ TO dob Rem,ch, and sAe
More Is StiII In sight.


Otis. Me-, April ll.-Job Remick of this town
claims to be the only man who ever slept by the
side OF a bear all winter without knowing IL
job Is a farmer-lumherman. who took q crew OF
choppers to the headwaters of Union River last
December for the purpose Of getting out spool
stuff for the Eddington factory. AS they ex-
pected to stay several months. a good camp had
to be put up as cheaply and quickly as possible.
The site which job selected filled every condi-
tiCn. The camp was placed at the foot OF a steep,
stony ledge. with logs to form three sides of the
structure, while the fourth side was of rock,
which served the double purpose of chimney
and wind proof wall. Job, who combined the
duties Of cook and camp boss in one person. and
WINS obliged to get up early and go to bed late,
made a little bunk for himself next to the ledge,
while the men slept in a common field bed al
one side of the camp.
1t was not long before the cracks between the
logs and Il big seam in the rock were chinked
with mud and moss and the winters work was
started in earnest. Strict camp discipline was
enforced. The cooks and teamsters were up at
4 o'clock. Every mo, ming at $50 breakfast
was ready. and at 9 all started for the woods,
dinner. until dark. when they took supper in
camp. played seven-up until o O'Clock, and went
to roost in the hemlocks.
ing in the latchstring was to fiji the fireplace
with hardwood logs, which kept the camp
""'" u't ihe - tOoh u NCtk UT LWO
to get the frost out of the ledge at the back of
the camp. and when the stones had ceased to
sweat the men began to hear strange noises,
like a giant moaning in pain, which seemed to
come from the rccesses of the ledge. These
sounds. which started after the big fire was put
on at night and ceased before daylight. and were
never heard when the men were up and about,
were at first thouRhtto be due to gases or water
penned up in crevices of the ledge: but as the
winter advanced and the groans grew to snarls
of protest-like the talk of a sick Norwegian
who is trying to swear in English the choppers
came to the conclusion that the camp was
haunted: and began to rchearse the names Of
their fellow townsmen who had been murdered
or died from violence. After an impartial can
vass and a careful onlparison OF voices it was
Of old Ira saS sprasu s.S Who had " Wandered Gas ito to t ibhese
hills three years before after bears and had
s nsyer as come the a ea ( to q, tel ,ho hoy nOi.d he Jared. AZ
every chopper and teamster quit work. leaving
Job and the goblin to keep camp. New men
Bangor. and though job tried to explain the
gr0ans by saying they were due to frost in the
Job and the ghost.
cures like. and that sp;r!ts.G:s,i!!cd are the lest
remedy for spirits discmbodled. job hired his
third crew with the understanding that in
addition TO regular wages every man was to re-
ceive a gill of new rum at the close of his days
and new men coming in for soiace, the crew was
kept good and time logged along until the latter
days Of March; one night after the men had
lullaby above the sleeping camp, job heard q
scratching and clawing among the rocks by his
side. and holding his breath to learn what
was coming next, felt something drop down and
strike him IN the face. 1t was IA large. heavy
object that felt hairy and warm. like a stuffed
army blanket. and AS well as Job could deter
mine by the dim camp fire 1t bore n striking re-
semblance to n bear. When he rose up TO get q
better view the visitor gave II savage growl and
dropped from the bed to the floor. where IL
stood revealed as a full grown she bear. With q
SIS pelt on her back and a SIS State bounty on
her ears.
The choppers and teamsters, aroused by THO
noise, came on with axes. pocket knives, ana
clubs To despatch her at once: but Job. warning
them to go easy, threw II blanket over her head,
and then all graphing In with bedding and
coats for Tenders. she WAS soon tied fast. with a
IhuZzle on her nose and rope handouts on all
her legs, Using sticks. for crowbars they dug
the loose dirt and stones and uncovered q
two young CUBS, In spite OF
from the horses, the bear family were
moved to the hay loft in the hovel.
they were fed until the cubs
could run about. Then. just before they broke
camp, the mother was killed to furnish meat
for the crew. and the young bears were carried
10 Jobs home. where they are now growing fat
and saucy on bread and milk. Besides the meat,
" hich he fed out in camp, the old bear yielded
lob SIS for her pclt, So in bears grease. and So
n BOUNTY. and ne still has the cubs. which he
values at $50 each. In addition to n cash con-
Job has the perpetual laugh on all the
men who were scared away, and is constantly
easing them aboutthe profits to be gained froA
ghosts.