The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1899-01-18
Six Bears and All Tipsy.

Bob Chamberlain's theory that Pine
Creek bears are growing in malice finds
a believer in Frederick Monroe, far
ner living in the Puterbaugh noun
tain district, near the headwaters OF
Jarvis Creek. This is famous re-
eion for black bears, as nuts and acorns
abound there. Monroe is firm be-
lever in the intelligence of black bears.
He saws that, save the horse, there is
DO animal 80 sagacious. He also be-
lieves that they are fond of good time.
81 see that Bob Chamberlain, up to
Cedar Run, thinks the Pine reek
bears are little smarter than the COM
mon run of BEARS" he said, "but ! saw
something year ago this fall that goes
to show that the Larry's Creek and
Puterbaugh mountain bears are step
ahead of Chamberlain's. / have my
cider press away from the house about
three-quarters of mile along the main
road. Near the press runs a little
stream of water that comes tumbling
down through rocky rsvine. This
ravine, learned years ago, is famous
runway for bears. There's not fresh
snow in winter but what l see tracks
either coming up or going down it.
"a year ago last fall / made cider for
Phil Schultz, Abe Myers and myself,
and as is my custom, l shoveled the
'pummies' out onto pile back of the
press. Myers apples were nearly all
sweet, and, as you know, these are har-
der to get the Juice out of than crisp,
sour apple. Well, when I'd got through
with the cider making there was quite
&c Gour min o. IN thprn
had been two wagon loads of them.
The day after we quit pressing it rained
nearly all day, and those 'pummies'
swelled up to nearly double their size.
The next two days were warm.
During the middle of the day the sun
was hot, and it beat down on that pile
of 'pummies' until the whole pile bub-
bled with fermentation. Now, ferment-
ed 'pummies,' if you eat enough of
them, give you worse case eff tangle-
foot than the strongest kind of apple
jack, and l tell you my 'pummies' were
in great shape. l had intended haul
ing them into the meadow, but didn't
want to handle them when they were 80
sour, so let them lie there.
"Well, before the week was over the
'pummies' played part in one of the
funniest things l ever saw. 1t was
this way. My boy John, who goes to
see one of Nose Henry's daughters
across the hill, was coming home close
onto midnight. AS he was crossing the
field above the house he heard a queer
noise down toward the cider press. Al
fret he thought the hogs had got Out
and were roofing in the acorn woods
but when he had stopped and listened
he made up his mind that the noise was
not made by pigs, but by bears. Now
the night was almost as bright as day
from a full moon, but John wasn't quite
brave enough to venture down into thu
ravine alone, 80 he came into the house
and told me what was up.
"'Hold on says 1, wait until l &c
dressed and get my gun, I'll go will
YOU" Before l got ready my daughte
Sadie, about eighteen years of age, an,
heard the racket, and she was bound t.
go along, too. So the three of us
each with gun-slipped down tn
road toward where the bears were q
work. l just reckoned that they ha
got into the 'pummies,' but never ex
pected to find what we saw when W
came AROUND Tue Deuu OF Lne rOausOn
little incline just above the cider press
The moon was shining directly on th
little corner where the press stood, 8
that everything in and about it was q
light almost as if it had been midday
We'll, sir, when we reached poir
where we could see down into the roa
at the press our eyes fell on funn
sight. Right in the middle of the roa
were three iull-grown bears, dancin
one of the prettiest Virginia reels thu
you ever set eyes on at husking be
or an apple-butter making.
"Over to one side of the road neg
the cider press were two halfgrow
cubs, and the way they were huggin
and jabbering and rubbing noses was
caution. These two little devils wei
almost as tipsy as an old fiddler I
an apple snitzin', while the old beal
that were dancing in the road were {
jolly as possible. Indeed, we hadn
watched the queer sight long until
sixth bear came staggering out Into IL
road from the direction of the pumm