The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1914-07-07
THE THREE BEARS
NEW BERN EMBLEM
Why That City Has Adopted
The ArmoriaI Bearings of the
Capital of Switzerland
(By BREVARD ID. STEPHENSO..)

New Bern, July 4-Residents re-
turning atter a more or less lengthy
absence to ths venerab!c own Ct New
Bern-founded by old Baron de
Graffenried and at various ti...cs he
home of men conspicuous in history.
including the reSen North Carolina
senior Senator-almoSt invariably give
vent to a questioning exclamation at
sight Of three images of blaCk bears
with red ~tOngueS. sticking out over
the 81 sidewalk from the front Of the ctr
hall.
The life-like -nimals have effective
~ Weakened an Interest IN town ira
dition. for nearly all who didn't -
ready know about them-and his in
Guides about everybody excel those
Of the older residents who are natural
ly interested III such thingS-have
proved themselves eager to find out.
To be sure. everybody la observed
back of the mayors seat in the city
hall a great silk banner. richly
wrought in cOlorS, bearing \ coat OF
arms in which the central FIRE is q
bear. And most of those who Oh
served it knew that this banner. pro-
tected by glass and guarded as preci-
Gus, bore the coat of arms Of New
Bern.
"Bern'' Mean Bear"
But few of eve the city'S own in
habitants, however. it is safe to say,
knew that "berne" is old Swabian for
bear and that the name Of the
pleasant community on the Neuse
could be traced directly back to one
particular old bear which lived and
had his being. according to Swiss ira
dition. thirteen hundred years ago i'll
the wilderness bordering the Rhine.
The Swi ssT'radition.
st. Call was an Irish follower OF
ST. COlumbanS who founded in the
year GA at what is o st. Gall.
Switzerland. a monastery of the Bene-
dictine order, later made an abbey.
Joseph Addison. whose name is a
synonym for simplicity and purity Il
dictiOn, visited the place in 1870. and
his writings is to be found the fol-
lowing:
The town n abbey Of st. Gall
carry a bear fer their arms. The RO-
DRY in very great veneratiOn. and
represent him as the first convedt
their saint made in the country
Addison quotes the following ac-
count, which '-e says a Benedictine
monk at ST. Gall with tears of afec-
ton in his eyes related to him:
"St. Gall, it seems. whom they call
the great apostle Of Germany. found
all this country a little better than a
desert. AS he was walking in it on
a very cold day he CHANGED 20 meet
a bear in this way. The saint. in
stead Of being startled at the rea-
counter, ordered the bear to bring a
bundle of wood and make him Z fire.
The bear served him to the best II
his ability, and at his departure, was
commanded by the saint to retire into
the very depth. of the woods, and
there pass the rest of his life without
ever hurting ma or beast"
Ernlp gay g thu u-icc t~ol;t;0~
ried out the saints instructions to the
letter. and the model department OF
this beast caused his many descend
ants to be Generated very highly.
The capital of switzerland vas
named Berne after the bear. and for
sever centuries Berne has maintain
ed a bear-pit at public expense. The
beasts are one Of the sights Of the
t city.
History of Banner.
| In the third paragraph Of this ar
, ticle reference was made to the ban
: ner with the bear coat of arms Whic 4
hangs back Of the mayor seat in
; the New Bern city hall. How this
l possession was acquired is told be-
1 low.
The capital Of Switzerland in 1891
celebrated the seven hundredtb ami
' Versary of its founding. and the town
or New Bern, North Carolina. was
' specially invited TO axe part.
Accordingly. the city on the Neuse
i sent her mayor as an official repre-
2 sentative.
The board of aldermen three wears
2 vater formally adopted for New Bern
; me arrnoriai bearings-and coiors OF
e the mother city.
In 1896 the council of Burghesses
OF the city Of Berne presented TO he,
offspring the standard which now has
: the place Of honor in the New Harn
n city hail
Inc presentation Of the was
c the occasion OF much ceremony tn
swiss minister to the United States
y coming TO New Bern for the purpose
he made a gracious speech. conciud
ing with the eloquent words:
MI Mayor, Citizens OF New Bern
II Let this banner fly under the shade
OF the Star ~Spangied Banner: both Il
u iead In the peaceful struggle for tn,
n welfare of mankind"