River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1905-04-20
A Sociable Bear
|S1y9 81

L anu most uuI1du DSdI IuoI OFSA
lived in Maine, is dead, the victim OF a
greedy hunters rifle, and his thick,
glossy pelt hangs high in Bangor mar
ket shop, waiting for purchaser. The
death of Bingo has caused sorrow to
many who dwell in the wild region about
Seeboomook Falls, and well it might,
for to these mourners, lie was, both in
youth and in middle age, 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 1 that he will never again
meet with such knowing and sociable
sort of bear as the late departed.
Seems if they might abound 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 neighbours ever had,
an I've ben Twin in these parts more'n
30 year.
He was left an orphan when he was
just little cub, an l 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
regular, 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.
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 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 a dish O.
mush an molasses. Bars is terrible
fond o. sweet stuff. But Bingo, he was
an honist b'ar-never stole anythif'
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
go 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 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 a great time. A Frenchman had come
over the line few days afore that with
a kag o. morson-that there white rum
the CanucSs have-an' it was passin
round pretty free that Christmas day
One o. the fellers, Jack Kelley. FIN 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 6re a-blazin' an
fust thing they knew that morson begun
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 a Frenchman in the crew
named Paul Larsen, who thought he
could rassle some, an he'd ben shown
off that afternoon while Bingo was in
camp, THROWN everyone he come to
Bingo. he 'membered this, an when the
morson begun to bile up inside o. him
an he got to feelin' real good an kinky
he jest raced over to where Larsen was
a 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 thai
Frenchman off'n his feet like he was q
child. THROWN him on the fiat O. his
back with a slam that made his teeth
/ rattle.
Then the crowd they yelled an LATED
| fit to raise the roof. an Bingo, KNOWN
that was pluase. he jest danced Jig il
| the middle o. the floor. kicked over al
the seats and ripped blankets Off
hunks an fin'y chased the cook out tt
the wangan, cause the cook was mar
| he didn't like. Hit him over the moss
0ncet, 'kause he stuck his head in the
cook-hcuse winuer.
Wei. sir, the cook he yelled bloody
murder. an shut the door o. the wangar
camp AFTER him with a bang an bolte6
it inside Bingo, he jest sot there in the
snow; a-waitin' for the cook to come out
an all yhe camp crew couldn't bulge
him. They might a-done it with an ak
o. course, but they wouldn't, cause they
thought a heap more o. the bar thar
they did O. the cook, who used to be {
barber down to Milo Junction. an wore