Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-04-16
NORTH WOODS STORY
TOPIC OF ADDRESS By PROF. WILL
LIAM L. UNDERWOOD.

William Lyman Underwood. professor in
the Massachusetts, Institute of Technology.
at Boston. yesterday afternoon delivered
what he called talk" rather than a
lecture, under the auspices of the Washing
ton Biological Society. which organization
has been giving Saturday afternoon lee
lures for several weeks.
His subject was "A Story of the North
Woods" and the substance was an Illus
tration of life there during the bitter win
ters and the cool springs Immediately, he
spoke of the raising of baby bear by a
woman of the country, the wife of a cook
in one of the lumber camps, and the story
he told was both pathetic and interesting.
1t was illustrated by stereopticon views,
taken from photographs made by the
speaker at the time of the unusual expert
ences through which he passed.
Prior to the introduction of the speaker
DR.. L. o. Howard addressed the audience
upon the subject of the lectures in general,
and told those present that they were, he
hoped, a great advantage to the people and
an entertaining feature of the advance of
culture in Washington. He announced that
there would be a number more on various
popular subjects, and said he hoped that an
even large audience would greet each sue
cessive speaker. He then told his auditors
that he had heard the address in Boston a
year and a half ago that was to be given,
and that at that time he had urged Prof.
Underwood to come to Washington to de-
liver the talk" 1t had been promised
him, he said, and this was the reward of
waiting. He said he felt he not only knew
Prof. Underwood, but that he also knew
the bear he had saved from the wild fast
nesses of northern Maine, and that the sub
ject, under the deft handling of the
speaker, would be of intense interest to the
listeners.
Scientists Present.
In the audience, which crowded the lee
ture hall of the National Museum ard
consisted of men, women and boys and
girls, there were many scientists of the
national government taking a deep per-
sonal interest in the life history of that
bear cub and his frosty surroundings, and
at every pause of the speaker there was Il
spontaneous outburst of genuine applause
The bear of which Mr.. Underwood spoke
was saved from starvation by the mother
of family of five small children, one of
whom she was nursing at the time of the
death of the mother bear and the capture
of the baby bear. There was no condensed
milk in the loggers camp, and when the
men brought the cub home it was not
known how 1t would be fed. The mother
instantly, with maternal affection outorop
ping, solved the problem by nurturing the
baby bear she did her own infant.
The bear and the baby girl thrived and
neither had a name. Mr.. Underwood had
heard of the strange circumstances, and
journeyed deep into the forest of north
ern Maine for the purpose of making the
acquaintance of this remarkable mother
and her remarkable foster child. There he,
being an enthusiastic photographer, made
many photographs the bear and child
developed and finally asked to name
the baby girl.
After elaboration he produced the name
Ursula, the meaning being she bear, and
since the child had been nurtured at the
same maternal fountain as the bear the
name seemed eminently appropriate. The
bear was called "Bruin.''
Mr.. Underwood followed the course of the
bears life to his removal to civilization by
the lecturer, and recOunted all the many in
teresting things the creature did during that
period. During the course of the talk Mr.
Underwood produced many interesting pho
tographs of the great north woods, showing
the manner in which the Canadian snow
shoe is used, the way the immense logs are
f1oated down the streams during the spring
freshets, and the way they are finally land
ed at their destinations, to be cut UP and
tices. The stereographic scenes were splen-
didly produced and brought forth much APP
plause
Primitive Backwoodsmen.
In opening his subject he told several
quaint stories illustrative of the primitive
New England backwoodsman. One of them
was to the effect that he had written let
ter that he would be at the nearest railroad
station to his camp on a certain day. He
later learned that he could get there earlier