ANAHIM LAKE — Half the population of Anahim Lake are now civil servants and so square you can irear them .tumbling down the street, but not many years ago this was a favorite stamping ground of such men as Lester Dorsey, Panhandle Philips and Morton Kaspersen. Comparisons are odious so let us not ask which was the maddest. Let’s just say that Morton has his memorable qualities. He ~was from the Norwegian colony in the Bella Coola Valle, who came to the lovely West Coast in the last century bearing Christianity, which they claimed would do us some good. Possibly it would have. We never tricd it. Apart from prayer, the colony brought this province one of its first and best functioning tele- phone systems and a heap of ° Norwegian names now spread far and wide across the face of the land — Saugstad, Christiensen, Brink, Engebretsen and other singsong titles. And Kaspersens. But only one Morton Kaspersen. There was only one, because he had said so. When he was old and white bearded, it was one of his favorite stories to tell about himself. He had been camped ona meadow between here and the crest of the Coast Mountains — it was cailed Morton's Meadow, what else? — and iz the dark afternoon of a bitter winter day he saw a pack ef wolves pulling down a cow moose in his pasture. ‘*A terrible thing to see, those ferocious wolves,”’ he said. (He pronounced it voolves, as he pro- neo=wziced one vun, but dialogue is politically incorrect ang this col- umn doesn't carry it any more.) ‘#1 was chopping firewood. I teek my double-bitted axe, and 1 started out into the meadow after those wolves, “But when } got closer I stop- ped. I stopped, and I thought. I said to myself ‘Morton. There are hundreds, there are thousands of moose in these hills. AND THERE !S ONLY ONE MOR- TON KASPERSEN!?’ So I put down the axe and went back to the cabin."’ Morton remained Morton, healthy and a bachelor into a ripe old age. Even when very old, he didn’t need glasses and could drink straight out of the bottle. Our paths used to cross at Lester Dorsey's Three Circle ranch where Morton would come to visit becatise he liked the family so much and leave within a day or two because he couldn’? stand the kids. Paul Si. Pierre PAULITICS & PERSPECTIVES Although neither [ nor their parents knew it at the time, the two youngest Dorseys, Wanda and Fred, had put the run to old Mor- ton. They put kerosene in his whiskey, thumb tacks in his boots and pine cones under his saddle. **Mum and Dad would say ‘Funny, Morton took off so soon,’ ’’ says Wanda, who now runs the Three Circle. She has no idea why they chose to torment old Morton. Perhaps it was because the man was So strik- ing, rose so high above the plane of ordinary mortals, that children sensed he was different and should be worshipped, feared or tortured bui never, never ignored. Thanks to being the owner of a horse herd, Morton spent most of his life visiting, looking for his horses. He would turn up at 2 ranch, any old ranch, any old place in Chilcotin west of the Chezacut valley, any old time and ask if some horses of his brand were on the range. Probably there were. He had horses enough for every ranch from here to Yokahams. However, Morton seldom got far enough from the ranch house kitchen stove to look. He drank coffee, told stories and was wel- tome. He was a good story teller, besides being a good man. My favorite is not one he told but one told about him. He was, for a time, living ona made friends with a black bear which often toddled down the ramp looking for handouts. He showed him of f to Lester Dorsey one day. The bear being outside his door, Morton tcok a large slice of an apple pie which he had made and offered it to the bear. The bear lunged for the pie. Morton withdrew the pie and at the same instant stuck his foot in the bear's chest and pushed. The surprised animal fell off the float Friday, October 2, 1992 ~ North Shore News -- 9 But there is only one Morton Kaspersen! into the chili waters of North Bentinck Arm. “Te has no manners,"’ said Morton. ‘He snatches." The bear, huffing and panting, climbed back on the float. Again, Morton offered the wedge of pie and this time the bear took it very daintily in his teeth and went off quictly to eat it. “He is much more refined now,” said Morton. Not long after that, Vancouver Museum was reported coming to No fancy frills, low overhead and 30 years of experience enables Ed to buy and sel! at the most advantageous prices and pass the savings on to you. Fieldcrest® Royal Velvet® TOWELS Thick and Thirsty brand name Fieldcrest” towels. 100% cotton terry, excellent selection of beautiful solid colours to choose from. Mix & Match. Some sight iregulantes will not aflect wear. Compare to Ed's Price Hand Face Cloth Bath Sheet Elan® $14.00 $ 6.25 $34.00 $ 3.88 $ 1.88 $19.88 collect the pic-eating bear for Stanley Park. Whether or not this was true, Morton believed it. He fed the bear a terrific dose of castor oil and it went away and did not come back until all people who might infringe upon its freedom had gone. Morton could understand that. He treasured his freedom. He us- ed it well, too. Bath Compare to $19.00 floathouse at Bella Coola and had DR. R.T. WALKER Wishes to announce the relocation of his office to 701 - 145 East [3th Street N. Vancouver 988-751! Effective October 5, 1992 ; 88 paid 1x4 16 compa An elegant coordinated 8 24x40 24: Compare to $42.00 bath accessory in 12 fashion colours. 100% Antron nylon with non- skid duragon backing, machine washable. RICHMOND 7800 Alderbridge Way 1 bik. west of No. 3 Rd. 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