The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1898-12-29
Smart Pine Greek Bears
Jerry Chamberlain Has Proof Of
Their Intelligence.
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Terry CHAMBERLAIN. of Cedar
IL Run, Pa, says he has hunted black
bears in the Pine creek region for As
years, and his observation proves that
Bruin advances in sagacity and deviltry
as the people progress in cupidity and
modern me ethods. Chamberlain is firm
in the belief that black bears hold con-
ventions. for one day in the latter part
of the past summer, while on bee tree
hunt, he saw what he thinks was bear
pow-wow. His attention was attracted
by queer chopping or chattering noise,
interspersed with a series OF low. quick
sqeals, sometimes several OF these to-
gether. He investigated and found
that the queer sounds were made by
colony or gathering of black bears in
the shade of ledge Of rocks. There
were nine bears. and all full grown.
Chamberlain had an excellent chance
for observation from the top of the
cliffs which overhung the meeting
place. He says the bears were lying
about in very lazy fashion, except that
one, which seemed to be the boss, sat
on his "hunkers" in the center OF the
group. This bear was very demonstra-
tive in his movements, and it was he
who was making most Of the chattering
noise. An occasional grunt or squeal
from the others seemed to indicate ap-
proval or disapproval, as the case might
be. Chamberlain watched the queer
gathering for half hour or more. I.
broke up suddenly after every bear in
the crowd had shambled up backward
against a straight hemlock tree and
marked his height with scratch on the
bark. Then, when each had taken his
measure, they went grunting away in
different directions.
But something that happended to
Chamberlain about two weeks ago is
construed by him as positive proof that
the bears nowadays are much sharper
than those of 20 or 30 years ago Cham
berlain, during the season, succeeded
in finding four fine bee trees. He al
ways waits until early frosts before he
cuts his bee trees, for he believes In Civ
ing the bees all the time possible to fill
comb. Then, too. II the honey is taken
after cold weather the stun is not SO
soft nor the bees so hard to smother.
In the early part OF November he and
helper named Kuntz carried tubs and
buckets TO a place nearest to all the
trees to gather the crop of honey. The
first tree chopped yielded splendid lo'
of the finest honey that Chamberlain
ever saw. II had evidently been gath
cred from buckwheat and white clover.
Fortunately, too, when the tree fell, it
1on ol
on the ground quite gently. disturbing
the comb little. The men got over
tubful of honey out of the tree. They
carried it to what they considered
safe place under a shelving rock, while
they went a mile or two further on to
cut another bee tree.
Unfortunately for Chamberlain and
his tubful Of honey, it was the next day
before he got back TO where he had hid
den the tub. sudden storm having
compelled him and his partner to beat
retreat for home. Next morning they
went to the ledge of rocks where they
had hidden the honey. but much to
their chagrin they found that somebody
during the night had removed tub and
all. They were not long in finding out
the thieves. however, for as they stood
cursipg the thief who had robbed them
Of their hard-earned sweets Chamber
lain's practical ear caught from wind
ward across the ravine a sound that
made him exclaim: "Bears! the black
devils. they've got our honey" And
sure enough they had-and. what a
mess. too.
Sneaking through the thicket that
formed the underground in the little
ravine the men came upon a semi-clear-
ing beneath clump of oak trees. part
way up the other side, where they be-
held a sight that at first made Them
cuss in their choicest style, but which
at second glance appeared so ridiculous
that It made them laugh. In the clear
ing were four black bears-two old