The Opelousas courier., 1896-08-29
BEARS RAFT LOGS.
Taught by an Italian to Pilot 4
Flotilla of Timber.
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 or the LOYAL
sock creek, which has It's headquarters
in Sullivan county, Penn, aud its
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 a bear took another. 1t
remained for Posi- Puntc, an Italian,
to thus pnt bears to service.
Posi- Punte came to this country
five years ago. Punte decided that to
get a dancing bear to earn n living for
him was better than working himself.
He got q trained bear and began to
tour the country. He found SO many
cities and townsin Pennsylvania where
the laws prohibit "acting bears" that
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 hulf-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
tawmill at MountainviIle. On n of
these trips it occurred to him that he
might teach the bears how to guide a
2aft. He no soon r returned to his
mountainous home t. an he started to
work. -
The bears had been used to holding
the balancing poles with their fore
paws, and the next thing to do WAS to
teach them to use it differently. Last
season it was not unusual for the Deo-
pie of louisville to see q raft going
down the creek with two men and
three bears on it. "Bruin," as he
called the first bear, was always kept
at the rear end of the raft, and
Johnny and "Gussie' were on the
front part.
On these trips the bears we're taught
how to keep the RATS from running
against the hanks of the creek and got
acquainted with the bends in tho
stream. Aided by signs and calls,
they became, Punte thought, able to
run a raft. He did not put them to
the test until recently. They ran the
raft successfully. The first trip funte
was on the same raft with the bears,
sand they did their work so we'll that
he made up two RATS and started for
the West Branch of the S~usquehanna
River. The RATS were OF logs and
started from near Hillsgrove.
On the first raft "Bruin' .end
Johnny" were placed. On the second,
which followed closely, Punte anl the
bear "Gussie' were the pilots. Punte,
by calling fright and cleft told the
bear at the oar which way to push or
pull, while at the same time "No. l.,
Johnny" and mo. 2, johnny" told
the bear at the trout end of the raft
on which side to use the pike pole.
At sharp curve, twenty miles from
Williamsport a 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 shore
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 danger
Gus thing, and many fatal accidents
result. "Johnny," with a pike pole,
was sent to dislodge the anchor log.
After many attempts he succeeded.
The Loyalsock creek is about forty
miles long, and runs through noun
famous country, consequently the
bears were not frightened by men,
New York Press.