The labor world., 1899-11-18
MILD WINTER SURE
STEVE nURGESS COMES IN FROM
NORTH SHORE TO PROPHESY.

NORTH SHORE TO PROPHESY.
Steve Burgess, the old-time north
shore settler, who comes to Duluth
twice year for SUPPLIES and to take
sort of personal squint at civilization
without appearing to commit himself
as approving of too close contact with
the busy world, was in town last
week on his second and last trip of
the year. This quaint character may
always be expected a few weeks after
the opening of navigation and few
weeks before the close. Burgess comes
down to buy ammunition and clothing
and other articles of which he may be
in need. He pretends that he wishes
he could get just what he wants at
Grand Marais or some other north
shore point, but it is suspected that
the old man has secret longing about
so often to mingle with the world,
or to at least come close enough to
feel it's inspiration. The old gentleman
is weather prophet. He does not
always make accurate predictions but
as that is not expected of anybody,
it is not regarded as a short-coming.
Burgess speciality in the matter of pre-
dictions is calling the turn on the COM
ing winter each year. The old gentle
man was asked for his views on the
coming winter one day while he was
here. He stroked his grizzly beard
thoughtfully for some seconds and then
said:
"The comm winter will not be as
cold as last winter
'"That's easy" chirruped profess
sional hotel lounger, "bccausc last win
Everybody knows that this winter will
not be as cold as last winter
Its goin' to be a mild winter and
there's no gettin' around it. The little
clearin' up at my place, the woods,
the birds and animal life all hev their
ways of proclaimin' the comm of an
open winter. BY sayin' it's goin' to be
an open winter 1 mean it will not be Sc
we're. Open winters, such as are some
times experienced few miles south of
here, are total strangers to Northern
Minnesota. In my corn patch this fall
| noticed that the husks were thinner
than usual. That is a sure sign of mild
weather until late in the winter. Birds
that so South with the carly approach
of cold weather were renairin' the nests
that they built last spring, and there's
no tellin' when they'll break camp and
quit the country for more congenial
climes. 7 was out huntin' few days
ago and + noticed that the fur on the
=, G
is usual at this time. The muskrats are
buildin' reg'lar summer resort houses,
better adapted for purposes of ventila-
ton than anything else. Next to a bar
the muskrat is the wisest critter 1
know of. He is onto his job all the time
and he don't have weather forecasts
prepared for him, either.
But speakin' of bears. If I was in
doubt about the kind of winter we are
go'n' to hev I should be convinced by
the way the bears are actin. Long be-
fore this time Of year the bears usual
ly have their private marks on their
favorite trees, but I haven't seen
fresh mark on a hOller tree this fall.
saw bunch Of bears near my clear
in few days ago and they was actin
so all-fired funny that I thought I'd
go over and investigate. shut my
log Brindle up in the house and sneak
ed up along the fence until was with
In 200 feet of the black rascals. They
was congregat n around a holler tree
where big bear made his home last
winter, and who came out last spring
lookin' more like a shadder than any
anymatcd thing I ever see yit. The
bears was llavin fun with somethin'
in thet tree. One of 'em would poke
his nose into the holler place and give
a sort of bear laff, and then he would
run a little ways, shakin' hs head
with delight, while the other bears
would cut pigeon wings and cavort
aroun' as if they were tickled almost
to death. They was feeI1n' real cussid.
Then another bear would poke his
nose into the tree, and then there
would be more of them didoes cut up.
Pretty soon see somethin' black COM
in out of the tree. Blamed if it wasn't
a young bear that had gone into winter
quarters on the strength of a hard
frost and the old bears was havin' fun
with him about his prematureness.
The kid bear came out blinkin' his eyes
at the warm sun and lookin' silly. The
old bears had some more fun with the
youngstcr, pokin' him in the ribs with
their noses and givin' him the laff
generally. They all moseyed off down
to Il camp that had just been deserted
by some of them minin' explorers an
-'
"But what's that got to do with this
winter being mild?" interrupted the
hotel loungcr.
Its got this to do with it," answer
ed the old gentleman with great dig
nifty. You can bet that Il winter amt
goin' 20 be'very chilly when the bears
hey their ioshin' clothes on this late