SMALL COUNTRY NEIGHBORS 397 



political campaigns. Frequently when I have been on 

 the stump in places where there was still a strong tradi- 

 tion of the old Whig party as it was in the days of Henry 

 Clay and Tippecanoe Harrison, I have reviewed pro- 

 cessions in which log cabins and coons were prominent 

 features. The log cabins were usually miniature rep- 

 resentations, mounted on wheels, but the coons were gen- 

 uine. Each was usually carried by some enthusiast, who 

 might lead it by a chain and collar, but more frequently 

 placed it upon a platform at the end of a pole, chained 

 up short. Most naturally the coon protested violently 

 against the proceedings; his only satisfaction being the 

 certainty that every now and then some other parader 

 would stumble near enough to be bitten. At one place 

 an admirer suddenly presented me with one of these coons 

 and was then swept on in the crowd; leaving me gingerly 

 holding by the end of a chain an exceedingly active and 

 short-tempered little beast, which I had not the slightest 

 idea how to dispose of. On two other occasions, by the 

 way, while off on campaign trips I was presented with 

 bears. These I firmly refused to receive. One of them 

 was brought to a platform by an old mountain hunter 

 who, I am afraid, really had his feelings hurt by the 

 refusal. The other bear made his appearance at Port- 

 land, Ore., and, of all places, was chained on top of a 

 wooden platform just aft the smokestack of an engine, 

 the engine being festooned with American flags. He 

 belonged to the fireman, who had brought him as a 

 special gift; I being an honorary member of the Brother- 

 hood of Locomotive Firemen. His owner explained that 



