Year: 1869

From the Portland Transcript


1n Old L0g0er's Story.


During the winter of 1917 apariy Otter
men, of which | was one, was engaged
in cutting and hauling pine timber on the
head waters of the Saco river, up among
the mountains of New Hampshire. A:
usual in those times, we campcd out, or
in other words, we lived in camp built
of rough, unhewn logs, the crerices o
which were plastered up in the rudes'
manner imaginable, with mud taken from
the swamp. to keep out the wind and
drifting snow. Our furniture consisted o'
few rough seats male of unplaned
hemlock boards, with q long table made
of the same material but for all it, rough'
ness and uninyiting appearance, ! have
spent many happy hour in the losgers
camp. Willing away the long winter
evenings in telling stories, singing songs
and play ing 'high-low- jack, with now
and then heating the cops-pin to celebrate
the hauling of certain number Of thou
sand feet of timber.


But as most people of the present day
will not know the meaning of the term
heating the cops pin,' | will enlighten
them. 1t was the custom, in those days,
among all loggers, after getting in SO
many thousand feet of timber. 10 give
every man full allowance of whiskcy
punch, which was made by heating the
iron cops pin red hot and dropping 1t
into pail of sweetened whiskey and
water. If the size of our pile was to he
Judged by the number of times that we
heated the cops pin. we must haye hauled
an enormous large pile of timber that
winter.


As said, our party consisted OF ten
men all large, stout fellows. brave heart
cd and true, always ready 10 face any
hardship or danger when necessary. 1t
was the duty of nine OF us 10 cutand haul
the timber To the river, while the tenth
filed the double office of opok and
hunter. His name was Samuel MelOon,
or. rs we called him, Uncle sam. He
was quiet. kindhcarted old man, brave
rs n lion, and the most successful hunter
and trappcr in all Carroll county. Many
were the hair-breadth escapes and thrilling
adventures that he passed through, but
good luck ALWAYS attended him. One
day. the first of March. Uncle Sam had
been. hunting, and on his return to camp
he passed through the opening where we
were at work. saw by the expression
ON his face that something more than
common pleased him.


We'll, Uncle Sam, what luck o-day?
asked as he came in speaking distance.


Good, Captaia, good, nc replied
Got one deer by the brook down on the
ntervale; but that is not the best paIt OF
il. have found bears den, Capn, Il
rousing big one, too, in first rate chance
to get him out; hole large enough for
one of Us to crawl right into. | tell you
we will have some fun with the old fellow.
tomorrow exclaimed the old man as he
passed on to the camp.


That night the cid man told us his plan
for capturing old Bruin, which wasits fol-
lows:


You see.' said the old man, the bears
at this time of the year are asleep, though
not so sound asleep rs if il were earlier
in the winter; and / guess l can crawl
into the den and kill him with my knife
before he gets walked up enough to hurt
me-


In vain we talked and triedto pursuade
him not to think of going into the bears
den: but he still declared he would do it
and we knew when once he had fully
made up his mind to do thing no one
could turn him from his purpose. So on
the following morning, before it was
fairly light, we were off for the bears
den, led by Uncle Sam. / took our whole
crew along with me, SO that in case any
accident should befall the daring old man
we should have help enough to render
him immediate assistance. A short time
after sunrise we reached the bears den,
when the old man made immediate
preparation for decending into it. Taking
long rope from his pocket he tied one
end around his right leg, directing some
Of MS tn take hold OF the other; but in no
case to pull until he told us to. Then
taking piece of lighted pitch-wood in
one hand and sharpknife in the other, he
entered the den on his hands and knees.
We watched him until he was lost to
sight by a turn in the cavern, and then
we could only wait and listen for any
sound that might reach us on tho out.
side.


The old man had been gone from sight