The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-07-12
BERRY FAMINE IN MAINE.
Human Beings and Bears. Too. suffering
in Consequence Of II.

AURORA. Nc. July 1.-The failure OF
the wild strawberry crop this year has
brought trouble to many homes in eastern
Maine TO the city families who expected
to buy the fruit brought in from the country,
for mailing their winter preserves; TO the
country hoys and girls who hoped to secure
their circus money from selling what they
gathered in the fields, and to the hears,
who lay on he first coating Of fat for the
year by foraging among the rocky pastures
and gorging themselves upon the ripe
berries.
Owing to the great scarcity OF the fruit
the celebration on july was hollow
npckerv in many towns, the young FOLK
being unable TO buy fireworks for lack of
funds In the villages the nice old womf n
who give afternoon teas and invite the
minister in 10 sample their strawberry
preserves are In despair and do not know
which way to turn for a substitute.
But the suTerings endured by the human
race are az nothing to the hunger which
has afflicted the bears, who have grown
very audacious from their long fast and
are coming right up to the farmbouses
and taking whatever they can find in the
way Of food.
Early this week, while Mrs. Martha Jordan
WAS picking some strawberries in her gar
den, a bear climbed the stone wall at the
boundary line and amhled close up 10 her
side, picking the fruit from two adjoining
rows, apparently unconscious OF her pres
ence. As soon as che r, allied the character
Of the visitor she dropped her large tin pan
which was about half full of fruit. and ran
10 the house and locked the door.
Finding about four quarts OF ripe berries,
all picked and ready 10 eat, the bear nosed
about the pail for a moment, and. inserting
her head under the wire bail, began to fill
herself at leisure No sooner was the last
berry gone than the bear discovered that
she had made a mistake. The wire bail
had gone over her head and her neck with
great ease. but when she tried to remove
it she met with trouble.
She scratched and clawed at the pail and
tore the hair from her neck in trying to get
released and. finding that the pail remained
in place Ms firmly as ever, she staggered
over the wall and CROPPED her way toward
the West Branch of Union River, into which
she fell and swan across. in the hope OF
washing the pail away
On reaching the further bank she was
seen to reel away for the woods, falling
! down several times before she disappeared
in the bushes,
Meantime Mrs, Jordan had escaped from
her house by the front door and called the
neighbors TO her aid. They pursued the
bear with shotguns and dogs. They crossed
| the branch of the river on a bridge below
| the village, and, putting hounds on the track
| of the bear, soon overlook her.
| She was lying among bunch of ferns,
| and two lean cubs were SPRAYING across
| her body On coming nearer the hunters
saw that the bear was dead, having been
| drowned in about two gallons of water
which remained in the pail after her swim
| across the stream The taut wire fitted SO
| closely over her neck that her nose was
| forced to the bottom Of the pail and the
| water had done the rest.
The village blacksmith has adopted the
| two cubs. and Ia making them grow rapidly
| by feeding them all the new milk they can
drink.