Rogue River courier. (Grants Pass, Or.) 1886-1927, 1900-11-08
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, Bill Blake ard the Bear

2 Dill DlGkE dl!u llle DedT =.
6 Also Two Girls who Seemed to Need
Il No Protection.
siAeASaSiAS SiASnSiAS'ASASaS
A QUARTER Of century ago, wheI
~ the valleys and bottom-lands o
Pennsylvania were decked in the abun
dant growth of timber which was ma
ture's heritage, any self-respeciing lol
jObber, If his attention had been di
rected to the desolate Kettle Creel
region, would have turned up his nos,
disdainfully and passed on to greenel
fields, says a Williamsport Pa.) cor
respondent of the n Y. Sun. But tn,
days when a contractor could choos,
his place of residence are practically
past, and SO it was that Hank" Bell
man was reduced to the extremity
last fall of erecting his shanty ant
starting operations in the heart Of tn,
jungle-like forest overlooking Kettle
Greek. The camp is fitted into a lit
tie patch Of clearing ground far oyei
the mountain top. A narrow turnpike
winds up to it from the highway hun
dreds Of feet below, and beyond it, ex.
tending into the wilderness, great
wastes of fallen trees. stumps and
piles OF hemlock bark show what the
woodsman's ax has been doing all win.
ter. Directly surrounding the shanty
the trees have not all been removed
and on the frosty winter nights, when
the snow hangs in great layers upon
the heavy branches and the air is SO
crisp and keen that sound travels
through it with as much precision as
though shot from a megaphone, the
pnnthers and catamounts climb up
into the tall timber and wake the
slumbering echoes OF the forest, as
well as the boys in the camp, with
their wild and dismal howlings.
One OF those nights came about a
month ago. The panthers and wild
cats yelled more furiously it seemed,
than they had done before during the
winter, and added to their woeful wall
ings was the voice OF the north wind
as it tossed the snow against the
weather-beaten sides OF the shanty.
For that night the shanty was good
enough for the boys. When supper
was over and the storm showed no
signs Of abating they all gathered to-
gether in the big lobby" which is
home, club, society and Sunday school
to them, and prepared to make the
best of night indoors Now these
woodsmen are not the sort Of men who
can spend an evening over book or
enjoy themselves at any tame diver
sion, and on this night even jack
poker had no charm for them. The
fact is that they were just in the mood
to listen to one of Bin Blake's stories
SAY, Bill" said one OK the woods
men. what tRrnal cusseduess ever
possessed you to leave the good job
you had in the Slate Run camp last
fall and come up to this pesky hole?"
NIL Blake pufred contcmplatiyely at
his pipe for a moment, after which he
said:
well, mebby | had a purity good
reason, il | wanted to tell"
Then he laughed quietly. Nobody
spoke, and when Bill had finally gone
over the details in his own mind, he
continued:
"You see I'd never have gone to the
Slate Run job in the first place, but
FOR one thing. Down at the city,
where | had a lovely suit as coach
man for a rich lady, got knocked out
In a love affair. You needn't grin,
Shorty. | kept myself purity spick-
an-span on that job, an il do say
1t, they want many han'somer rib
bon singers drivin down the pike
Wall who the gal was don't matter,
an il hain't no ones business who
the dude was at cut me out. only
mention the incident for the sake OF
cNpla'uin' why IL was at ever went
back to the lumber business at all
"Nou see, everything went sort o.
contrary with me in town after that.
got sick OF the whole business, an
all the time while was driyin' them
spaukin' hosscs through the streets
my mind would keep a-ruunin' back
to the old camp life where knowed
they want like 20 be no dudes nor
no gals to play hide-an'seek with a
feller's heart. So back ! goes to the
old Slate Run job, where was well
known an only had to whistle to get
work
"WHll. the very first night | spent
In the camp ! made mp my mind IL
want no use for mc 10 try 90 get
away from the gals Right i'm that
camp they was two as purity ro's MS
you'd care To see n'rccs uf ''r boss
wife. ] guess a-,is.'iu' thar th"y '1ld
me, FOR their health touuj ogt a'orc
! was I'M the camp very lanr 'at they
was a little too healthy for that place
rs 10 was, an yoc) see purity soon
what nude me think $50,
"rhe damsels started right I'm by