St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1905-05-20
| A Sociable Bear |
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greedy hunters rifle, and his thick
glossy pelt hangs high in Bangor mar
ket shop, waiting for purchaser. Tn
death of Bingo has caused sorrow t
many who dwell in the wild region abou
Seeboomook Falls, and we'll it might
for to these mourners, he was, both il
youth and in middle age, sociabl
neighbor and appreciative friend
Melville Doughty, better known a
Long Mel feels especially sad owe
the loss of his furry friend, for from
long experience in forest life and clos
contact with wild things, he knows tina
1t is 100 to l that he will never aga.,
meet with such knowing and sociabl,
sort of bear as the late departed.
Seems if they might abound some
thin else to shoot in all this countr,
up here, 'cept that one good, decen
BAR" mournfully remarked Mel, as h
sat on the deacon seat at Mclean.
camp and added the smoke of his corn
cob pipe to the general fog. why, tina
bar was as good a neighbours ever had
an I've ben livin' in these parts more'1
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 SC
reg lar, an used to 60 out foragin' on
like any bar, which was only nat'ral,
but he always was neighborly, an never
seemed to forgit what I'd done for him.
Member the time well when he fit a
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 a lot of other good turns that I'll
never forgit. Did good many chores,
too, around the place. Do you good to
see that bar weed my onion patch-jest
rasped them weeds outen the ground
with his claws, like patent harrow. All
he asked for his trouble was dish O.
mush an molasses. Bars is terrible
fond o. sweet stuff. But Bingo, he was
an honist b'ar-never stole anythin'.
He'd set all day side of key O. molasses
an never put paw into it. --.
Summer time, Bingo used to go up
above the falls an fill himself with
raspberries, an our little girl would
60 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 bar pick berries? Well, sir,
when it comes to that kind O. business,
you an amt in it with the slowest bar
that ever wore fur. Nat'ral talent with
EN-
"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
a while with the boys, who were havin'
of great time. A Frenchman had come
over the line few days afore that with
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 Kelley, I'm Ban
gor, he says, There's Bingo-what's the
matter with givin' him ball out O. that
kag?' So they poured some out in big
tin dipper, an give it to Bingo, an cuss
me if he didn't swaller it downs though
it'd ben mOlasses syrup. Pretty warm
In the camp, with big fire a-blazin', an
thoxy %ho%
to work on Bingo. Fore anyone could
move, that there bar up an grabbed the
kag put it to his head an gulped down
bout quart. Then, mister, things be-
gun to hum.
There was Frenchman in the crew
named Paul Larsen, who thought he
could rassle some, an he'd ben shown
on that afternoon while Bingo was in
camp, THROWN everyone he come to-
Bingo, he 'membered this, an when the
begun to bile up inside O. him
an he got to feelin' real good an kinky,
be jest raced over to where Larsen was
q changin' of his pants an grabbed him
round the belly with both paws. Lar
sen he yelled for the bar to let go, but |
Bingo he jest grinned-he could grin an |
laff like anyone human-an' twisted that |
off'n his feet like he was |
.hild, THROWN him on the fiat O. his |
back with q slam that made his teeth |
rattle.
''Then the crowd they yelled an LATED |
1t to raise the roof. an Bingo, KNOWN |
hat was pluase, he jest danced Jig in |
The middle o. the floor. kicked over all |
he seats and ripped blankets of'n |
hunks an fin'y chased the cook out to
The wangan, cause the cook was man
he didn't like. Hit him over the nose
meet. cause he stuck his head in the |
winder.
We'll, sir, the cook he yelled bloody
murder, an shut the door O. the wangan
lamp after him with a bang an bolted
t inside. Bingo, he Jest sot there in che
now. a-waitin' for the cook to come out,
IN all the camp crew couldn't bulge
lin. They might a-done it with an ak,
Z course, but they wouldn't, cause they
bought heap more o. the bar than
hey did O. the cook, who used to be
arber down to Milo Junction. an wore ]