The Starkville news. (Starkville, Miss.) 1902-1960, 1905-05-05
| A Sociable Bear
&sSsS15S!Sgsg9sS1sG! 81

nlNGO, the best, most accomplished
ID and most human bear that ever
lived in Maine, is dead, the victim OF a
greedy hunters rifle, and his thick,
glossy pelt hangs high in a Bangor mar
ket shop, waiting for purchaser. The
death of Bingo has caused sorrow to
many who dwell in the wild region abslt
Seeboomook Falls, and we'll it might,
for to these mourners, he was, both in
youth and in middle age, a sociable
neighbor and appreciative friend.
Melville Doughty, better known as
Long Mel feels especially sad over
the loss of his furry friend for from
long experience in forest life and close
contact with wild things, he knows that
it is 100 to l that he will never again
meet with such knowing and sociable
sort of bear as the late departed.
Seems if they might a-found some
thin else to shoot in all this country
UP here, 'cept that one good, decent
bar" mournfully remarked Mel, as he
sat on the deacon seat at McLean's
camp and added the smoke of his corn
cob pipe to the general fog. Why. that
bar was as good q neighbor's | ever had,
an I've ben livin' in these parts more'n
80 year.
He was left an orphan when he was
just little cub, an found him one day
a-suckin of his paws at the aidge o the
tote road to the falls Brought him home
an give him some mush an molasses,
an he sot right up like any child an in
jyed it, too. When he got some size on
him he quit stayin' round the camp so
reg'lar, an used to go out foragin' on
his own hook. Then he went to DENIM,
like any bar, which was only nat'ral,
but he always was neighborly, an never
seemed to forgit what I'd done for him.
I" Member the time well when he fit
lucifee that got into the camp an would
have ct up my little girl-fit him an
licked him to shoestrings, too, by gosh.
Pulled the same young one out of the
lake when it got in over it's head. an
did lot of other good turns that I'll
never forgit Did a good many chores
too, around tho place. Do you good to
see that bar weed my onion patch-jest
rasped them weeds outen the ground
with his claws, like a patent harrow. All
be asked for his trouble was dish O.
mush an molasses. B 'ars is terrible
fond o. sweet stuff, But Bingo, he was
an honist b'ar-never stole anythin'
He'd set all day side of keg O. molasses
an never put paw into it.
Summer time, Bingo used to so Up
above the falls an fill himself with
raspberries, an our little girl Tould
so long with him. When he'd got his
own fill, he'd turn to an fill the little
girls pail-could do 1t quicker'n scat.
Ever see a bar pick berries? Well, sir.
when it comes to that kind O. business,
you an amt in it with the slowest b. ar
that ever wore fur Nat'ral talent with
'em.
"Bingo, he hadn't no faults but one
He did like likker. Some one down to
McNulty's camp learnt him that. He
went down there one Christmas an sot
q while with the boys, who were havin'
of great time. A Frencnman had come
over the line few days afore that with
a kag O. morson-that there white rum
the Canucks have-an' it was passin'
round pretty free that Christmas day.
One o" the fellers, Jack Kalley, f'm Ban
gor, h, says, There's Bins o. what's the
matter with givin' him bali out o. that
kaS?' So they poured some out in big
tin Hyper, an give it to Bingo, an cuss