The Bourbon news., 1900-11-27
COW ADOPTED CALF MOOSE.
An oddIy-Assorted Couple That Made
Western Logging Camp
Interesting.


has been brought out by the death of
a calf moose which had been adopted
by a motherly old white COW, the rela-
tionship continuing in an amiable man
ner all the summer and until the calf
met an untimely end not long ago,
says the New York Sun.
Last May a severe forest fire came
close to the camp of the Tower Log
ging company near Tower, Mimi. and
though the camp was not in serious
danger, the situation was anxious
enough to cause the gangs to knock
off work and keep a weather eye out
for trouble. One day when the forest
at the edge of the clearing was clouded
with smoke through which redtongues
of flame were tapping up the branches
a BIG COW moose dashed out OF the
smoke and into the clearing, followed
by a calf Both were exhausted, and
they stood for a moment bewildSred,
needless of the men who were watch
ingthem. Then the cow moose realized
that she was in the presence of man,
her hereditary enemy, and se' retreated
to the forest. But the calf was unable
to follow. The mother looked. beseech-
ingly toward the men that surrounded
the calf, but made no attempt to drive
them away as they expected. Then, as
though she had come to the conclusion
that her best course was to leave her
offspring to their mercy, she turned
about and plunged into the woods.
Deer when threatened with peril
have been known to run to man for
protection The protectors of the calf
figured it out that that was why the
COW moose left the calf with them, for
a moose does not desert it's offspring
carelessly, but will defend it with ter
rible effect and desperate courage. At
any rate, the little waif of the forest
was taken to the cook shanty and a
bottle of cows mil < was given to it and
was drunk greedily. After few hours
of rest the calf was as frisky and merry
as it had ever been. 1t did not appear
to mourn the loss Ct its mother, but the
manager of the camp ordered that an
| attempt be made 10 bring mother and
calf together again. A big woodsman
lifted the little one up and carried it
| into the forest half a mile away. He
supposed that when he left it the calf
would call for it's mother, who was
supposed to be lowering around some
where near. But the calf resentedthis
attempt to thrust him out from the
| comforts of civilization, and when the
man ran away toward the camp it fol-
lowed. No mother appeared, and the
calf made its home at the camp, where
it became known as the Orphan.
In few days there was not lumber
jack who would not have fought for
the orphan. The cook saved the choic-
| est milk for the waif and fed him out
of bottle, till one morning the orphan
succeeded in coaxing his way into the
confidence and affections Of a COW
named Bess. Thereafter they were
inseparable companions.
The oddly mated couple was the
greatest attraction of the camp for
months. Kodak fends and tourists
went miles out of their way to see
them. The waif fourished and grew
amazingly under the tender maternal
care of Bess, but as it happened it was
through his foster mother that he
came to his death. One day Bess took
it into her placid mind that she would
wander seven or eight miles away from
the camp for new pastures, and the
Orphan followed. When they were
found the manager of the camp sent
two men after them. The men took
advantage of their outing to daily with
the cup that cheers, and the Orphan
was the victim of their debauch. They
started back along the railroad track
toward camp about an hour before sun
set and presently, overcome by the
liquor they had drank, the men lay
down by the side of the track and'went
to sleep, tying the COW to rail- A
special train came along and knocked
the life out of the poor little body of
the Orphan. 1t is a pleasure to ad1
that the manager of the camp would
accept no excuses and discharged the
two men at once.