Show the Wooda collateral A presque isle merchant recently carried out a satisfactory transaction on the principle that a bear in the bush is worth a barrel of flour in the hand although in theory it is con arary to the maxims of poor richard and all the other philosophers A long lank fellow from the backwoods whose garb bespoke the healthy and rugged poverty of pioneer life came into barkers store and wanted to get a barrel of flour on credit being asked what security he could give for the bill he admitted that he had no real estate neither a hoot nor head of stock and no personal collateral of any description except a wife and a largo brood of children but he added that he had just gt on the track of a bear and if barker waa willing to take the bear as security he would shoulder his gun the next monday morning and camp right on his track until he got him it was a trade which the bear squared up with his skin two weeks later and presque isle honesty and sagacity were both vindicated lewiston me journal |