A BEAR STORY THAT IS TRUE.
Jimmie was a two year old that frequented the vicinity of Longmire
Springs. He was a friendly little bear whose golconda was the garbage
cans back of the Government Mess House. Jimmie could paw over the
contents of three full garbage cans and then consume a gallon of oatmeal
and a pound of stale cake from the hands of the cook's flunkey.
Other bears raided the garbage cans also, but only occasionally.
With Jimmie it was a daily occurance. Personally I would have had no
objections to this habit of his if he had confined his efforts to the
mess house, but one garbage can was like another to Jimmie and often he
visited my own.
This practice came near getting me into serious trouble one night. I
heard a crash on the back porch, "That dirty bear again", I said, and
rushed out fully intending to teach him a lesson.
Just off the porch I could dimly make out the rear shelf of a bear
which was protruding from the overturned garbage can. I was unarmed and
there was no club or other weapon handy, but no one was afraid of little
Jimmie so I did not hesitate.
I was just about to give him one tremendous kick in the ribs with my
#10 hob-nailed trail boot when he heard me and raised up. There facing
me at arms reach was a huge bear that stood fully six feet high in his
stocking feet. It was not Jimmie at all, - and I did not
kick him.
MANY FLOWERS BLOOM FOR SECOND TIME.
By: F. W. Schmoe
There was a wonderful display of wild flowers in the high meadows
this season but because of the dryness of the summer they passed
early.
Recently we have had some splendid rains and now with the season
almost gone many of the flowers are blooming for the second time.
Blue Lupine which blossomed only sparsely early in the year is in
full bloom again, in many places the display is finer than it was in
July.
The potentilla which came just after the snow in June is blooming
quite abundantly and occassional new flowers of the paintbrush, heather,
short-stemmed aster, and buttercup are to be found. This is quite
unusual.
