!, 1SHH.I 



FOREST ANt) STREAM. 



88 



Me., arriving in Eastport about 9 A. M, next morning'. 

 Here a steamer waits to take you to Calais, some fifty miles 

 up the Si. ('mix River Fare",. Boston to Calais $5, state- 

 room ami meals extra; say $8.50 additional. 



A tilth war is the one our party took, viz.. to Calais by 

 rail. Wel.tt'Boston at T P. M. June 1, 1883, "which we 



will call Friday, because -itch was the fart. A-ftei tl) 



ter bad suggested several times that "de bunks am made up, 

 we mined iu, and when our eyelids Were pried 

 open by the morning sunbeams we were ,n Bangor. 



It lacked odd minutes of 6, and as the Maine Central train 

 would not leave till 7:05 (from the same depot.) we drove to 

 the Bangor House and breakfasted, 



About 11:50 A. M. we reached Vaneeboto', where we 

 stopped for dinner and changed cars for McAdam Junction, 

 six miles distant. 



At 1:1.") we resumed our journey, reaching McAdam about 

 1:45 P. M., where we again changed cars for St. Stephen, 

 via New Brunswick Railway. 



From Bangor to MeAduni there is nothing in the shape of 

 scenery to delight the eve. After leaving Oldtown, thirteen 

 miles from Bangor* you suddeuly plunge into a wild* raeasol 

 trees, not green and fragrant, with the resioous odors of the 

 evergreens, hut grim and ghastly monuments of departed life. 

 monareJls of the forest, scarred and withered in the paSsil C 

 flame, which was lighted by the locomotive. Charred, 

 dead and dying trunks, stunted undergrowtllfl and molder- 

 iug vegetation on every hand is the only sight lor tours. 



The same is true, on the X. B. lfulway after leavi 

 McAdam till you near the coast; tbeu green fields aad 



vitiug pastures givet the eye. neat farm houses appear. C 



clear running brooks invite the gaze. From McAdam to 

 St, Stephen the distance is thirtv-flve miles. We reached 

 St. B. at 3:45 P. M. 



St. Stephens is very quiet and uninteresting. Calais, its 

 neighbor on the opposite bank, is decidedly a lively little 

 place. It has two good hotels, tin; St Croix Kxehamre. by 

 J. R, Kimball, and the American. We tied up at the former, 

 and were nutcb pleased with our accommodations aud treat- 

 ment. As it was Saturday, we determined to remain here 

 over Sunday. 



Monday morning we found our way to the St. Croix & 

 Penobscot Railroad station, about half a mile from our hotel, 

 and at H A. M. we started and crawled slowly toward 

 Princeton, twcuty-t,wo miles, which we reached al 9:30 

 A. M. Part of the way the railroad follows the banks of the 

 St. Croix, crossing it twice, when finally it plunges into the 

 wood-, ami you sec little till you reach Princeton, which is 

 headquarters for the Grand Lakes. It lias two hotels, the 

 Lake House, by far the beat, kept by Mr. Rose, and another, 

 for which even the inhabitants had BO name. 



There is little of interest here. It, is ». very quiet spot, 

 having a population of only some 8(10, aud no particular 

 business save the lumber interests. It is, however, a pleas- 

 ant town, but flat with little scenery. Its quiet streets bold 

 a sort of Sunday atmosphere, while the people move about 

 as though they had just finished their last piece, of work and 

 didn't expect any more just at present. The lake at. this 

 point is narrow and its surroundings flat. 



About 10:80 A. M. we went aboard of a tub called the 

 Gipsey, bound for Grand Lake Stream, about twelve miles 

 from Princeton. Of all wa'er craft, this is the worst. To 

 call if a. steamer would lie to damn I be name forever. It 

 was neither a i at trap nor a wheelbarrow. If was an oblong 

 box with an inclined bottom, with a roof on it, having no 

 .sides, aud out of which projected a. piece of stovepipe, which 

 for convenience .sake was made to lap down with a hinge, as 

 a jaekknii'e blade shuts over back wdten the backbone is 

 broken Tn the center of the tub was a wheezy piece of 

 mechanism that behaved much likea badly demoralized force 

 pump, which furnished the motive power. 



After the. thing started the fireman worked constantly, 

 opening the door of his donkey furnace with one baud and 

 cramming in wood with the other, shutting it after each 

 mouthful' of wood. In tow we, dragged fifty barrels of 

 "hemlock extract,'' which We pulled in tile face of a heavy 

 wind. 



Of passengers and "bark peelers" going to work, we num- 

 bered about twenty passengers. Seats there were none, and 

 we lay about promiscuous-like on the wood pile and bag- 

 gairc. Afterwards it occurred fonts to get upon the root', 

 which we did, whence we could take in the whole situation 

 of things. It also occurred to us to look at the steam gauge, 

 and we found the donkey struggling up stream under 130 

 pounds of steam! And then the reflection came, 1 wonder 

 if our folks will ever mistrust how- our lamps went out. 

 Wfile ploughing along at less (ban three miles an hour, 

 smoking our pipes from the "hurricane deck," we were 

 startled by the commotion below. Lpon inquiry we found 

 it was nothing only our tub was sinking, and the captain 

 was damning a fourteen-year-old boy— who 1 presume was 

 first officer- because he had not discovered it and given the 

 alarm before. "1 guess we can manage to get her ashore 

 afore she goes down," was the first remark we heard after 

 the swear-storm was over. The situation was delightful; it 

 was only two or three miles, and if we had good luck we 

 would be there in an hour. The water had tilled the hold 

 aud was rising on the wood-box floor. 



My first lieutenant took in the situation iu less than twenty 

 minutes (quick time for him), and waited on the captain. 

 "Why don't you cut I he tow adrift?" says Moneybags. 

 "Don't bother' me now," ejaculated the- captain. Nothing 

 daunted Prex. moved up on his other wing, and shouted, 

 "If you don't cut your tow adrift she'll drag us down." 



To this the only reply was a murmur between an oath and 

 and a sigh of despair. From the cyclone deck twelve faces 

 peered over upon Moneybags and the captain, whose blanched 

 races indicated they were facing death with what little 

 bravery they had. The chances between being blown up and 

 dragged down. wire about even, "Why don't you gel youl 

 pump agoing?" inquired Moneybags." "Got no pump," re- 

 plied the captain, as he fished'np an old water pail from 

 the wood pile and set to bailing out our old tub. Altera 

 few minutes' diligent work my leftcnant reported we were 

 gaining on the leak, and we got easy again; the captain 

 changed his course again aud steamed up the lake. 



At ; J , P. M., four and one half hours, we had made the 

 12 miles! and reached the foot of Grand Lake Stieam, 

 where you "carry" three miles to the foot of Grand Lake. 

 At the toot of the stream George I Hew keeps a very Deal 

 and comfortable house, and taken passengers across to the 

 lake on a comfortable wagon. We tarried Long enough to 

 get a very good supper, and then a half hour's ride over a good 

 t-O'ld tooli us to the lake, when- We found comfortable quar- 

 ters at James Forties's, at a charge of one dollar per day. 



Grand Lake settlement is quite B village, haying some 200 

 inhabitants, a large tannery, poat-olUee, store, etc", but alas! 



for the fishing; what will become of that, with this advent 

 of civilization hitheshape of a tannery? Before this was 



built the best fishing iu this realm was in Grand Lake 

 Stream itself, Nbw fish are seldom taken here. And a 

 large dam across the entire foot of the lake cuts Off all com- 

 munication from below. 



If is sad to note the springing up of mill's, factories and 



'i .-, along such of our wafer courses as are teeming with 



large quantifies of lish. Not that I would descry our indus- 

 tries, but ndght there not be a compromise between a «jta] 

 destruction of every living thing iu its waters and the 

 monopoly of such waters. 'Could The refuse of these iudns- 

 l.-ies be taken care of and not suffered to go into these pure 

 aud sparkling waters, there would he less need of restocking 

 our depleted waters. 



We remained here Only two days, aud devoted them to 

 fishing along the shores tip-lake, a distance of some twelve 

 or fifteen rn'iFs. We were rather early for fly-fishing. 

 Most of the fishing at this time is done either with bait or 

 single fly. "Trolls" and "spinners" are prohibited by law. 

 During our stay we met with fair sport, taking about seventy- 

 five pounds of land locked salmon, lake and brook trout 

 (mostly of the first). Our largest was a "laker"and weighed 

 eight pounds. Our salmon would average one and one-half 

 to two pounds each. 



This fish has not been as plenty here for a year or two 

 past as formerly, but they run larger, which lead's the guides 

 to say tbey are beginning tO run out through the tannery 

 and the closina- up of Grand Lake Stream. 



There is a "hatchery" he 



. but it is iu bad odor with Ihe 



is more injury titan good. 



lunds two or three "racers," 



'strinped" the season before and 



"d one of the most intel 



guides, who insist that it ^ 



We caught while O " 

 i, e. , fish which had t _. . 

 returned to the lake. "The 

 ligeuf guides at the lake, picking up a "racer," "that fish 



:il never be fat, if you hadn't caught him he would have 

 died. He's got some old spawn in him, and he'll always be 

 lick," saving which he ope.sd it with a knife and displayed 

 l bunch of old spawn glued firmly together. "And that 

 ain't all," continued the guide, "these same fish would 

 deposit their spawn when it would come to maturity and do 

 some good, but you can't find where these hatcheries have 

 ever amounted to anything." 



In this vein every guide and habitan of Grand Lake 

 spoke. I venture no opinion myself, but give the remarks 

 and opinions as I noted them. There are several good 

 guides here, both white and Indians. From experience 1 

 would say lake the white. The Indians are mostly lazy and 

 shiftless, sames Baghv. Randall Day and Wm/Ellsmore, 

 white guides, are good". B=giey exceptionally so. "Tomah 

 Joe" and his son, Newell Tomah, Indians, a're fair guides. 

 I should have mentioned that about three miles up lake 

 from Princeton is an Indian settlement, where we stopped 

 . got Newell Tomah, and where you can uaua'ly pick up 

 a few guides if wanted. Navigating for fish ou these lakes 



done mostly trorn birches, although I saw two or three 

 boats. A birch is the most desirable, and tiiose they use 

 here are pretty staunch for birches, and not as "cranky" as 

 1 have seen elsewhere. 



The Grand Schoodic Lakes arc quite, large iu extent as 

 the reader will note by consulting the map. The different 

 links or bodies of water forming the entire chain, are known 

 by different .names, and different kinds of iish abound there. 

 Salmon, bass, brook and lake trout, and pickerel are all to 

 be found in its waters, and along its shores are also to be 

 had plenty of deer. 



With regard to reaching Grand Lakes it should be noted' 

 that to go in by Calais and Princeton is slower than by 

 Winn or Forest, from the latter places by private teams one 

 can drive at once to the fishing grounds via Calais, it takes 

 a whole day from Calais. There is only one train a day at 

 S A. M. from Calais to Princeton and only one boat up lake 

 from Princeton to Grand Lake stream, if you leave Boston 

 bv boat Monday A. M. you reach Calais' Tuesday nisht 

 and Grand Lake stream Wednesday night. If you leave 

 Boston Monday night you reach the lake same time. If 

 you leave Boston Monday night by rail you reach Winn or 

 Forest Tuesday forenoon and fishing grounds Tuesday 

 night, one day earlier. Geo. A. Fat. * 



THE CRUISE OF THE SAIRY GAMP.-III, 



TUST for one day the rain held up, and a brighter morn- 

 ing never dawned on Rnquette Lake than the one on 

 which 1 paddled out for a cruise across the lake. The 

 Water was 1 ke a mirror, the air was perfect. It was a day 

 to be marked with a white pebble. I had several invitations 

 to visit private camps, and 1 availed myself of them pretty 

 largely. I found several of tliese camps most delightful; 

 gotten up with the utmost care and in excellent sylvan taste, 

 I had Occasion to no'e that venison aud trout were always 

 forthcoming, in moderation, though the close season for deer 

 was not quite over. But a game constable whom 1 inter- 

 viewed, rather had the idea to my notiou. He said, "I ain't 

 here to spoil sport, but to save the deer and help sportsmen 

 to a good time. If 1 catch a man slaughteriu' or ciustin' I'll 

 make it red-hot for him. But if Imeet one of the boys with 

 a party who has been two or three days On the side lakes and 

 ponds' floatin', I ain't goin' through their pack-baskets." 

 Few spot tsmen kill deer enough to hurt the increase of deer. 

 Most of the breech-loaders brought into the wilderness never 

 perforate anything more sensitive than an empty tin can. 

 But, if there were no deer, aud no fishing, how many would 

 come to the Northern Wilderness? 



And on the glorious day above mentioned, I had a taste of 

 genuine, healthy woodland pleasure. For once it did not 

 rain, aud 1 was dry— no small item for a man who runs too 

 liaht for even a change of clothes, beyond a blue woolen 

 shirt and a pair of yarn socks. 1 left the Raquette for 

 Forked Lake, and the demou of storms resumed his sway 

 once more. I was detained by bad weather again at 

 Fletcher's, the only compensation being a full supply of 

 venison and the best of black ba.-s. The latter have become 

 most abundant, both iu Forked and Raquette lakes, and 

 the pure cold water insures the quantity. On the first mom- 

 ma, when it did not rain, I not an earfy start down the lake 

 and theRaqdcite River for Long Daki . via the rapids and 

 Buttermilk Falls- since Adirondack Murray's book, called 

 Phantom Falls. Aral as on H previous occasion. 1 spent an 

 hour watching the dashing, foaming water, and footing op 

 the utter impossibility of any man or boat ever tumbling 

 over those ragged boulders, and coming out anything but 

 corpse aud kindling wood. 1 made the. river and the three 

 carries, sighting one deer, aud chasing a flock of ill 

 mile. The deer walked leisurely off, The ducks kept just 

 ahead for a while, aud finally huddled into a little cove and 

 let me pass them within thirty yards. 1 carry no breech- 



loader through the woods. My only weapon is a jack-knife, 

 and that not loaded. Deer and ducks were safe for me. 



A mile below the last carry 1 turned in to land at the new 

 camp of Dave Helms, erst guide, and now landlord of a 

 most pleasant camp or hotel (all the moderate sized hotels 

 are camps here). 1 found his site beautifully' chosen, on a 

 piney. breezy, sandy point, high, dry and healthy, his 

 charges very moderate, and. no slight item, good fishing 

 aud hunting in easy reach. Parties came across the woods 

 from Blue Mountain, complaining that charges were high, 

 no fishing or hunting; nothing to do but loaf around the 

 sly lish hotels or row on Blue Mountain Lake. I recom- 

 mended them to tty a week or two with Dave. 



When a morning came that promised well, I once more 

 paddled out, my destination being the. Plait Camp, three 

 miles from the loot of Long Lake. This time I had a pleas- 

 ant breeze and no rain, the wind being dead aft, a most 

 desirable thing with a oouble blade. I found Senator Piatt 

 in camp, and the pleasant visit, fish, venison with open bark 

 ramp aud huge log fire in front, go far lo compensate for 

 the almost daily soakiugs I have caught since leaving the 

 Forge House. 



J Ought io mention that Helms' Camp is oulv twenty-five 

 rods from the house of John Plumley, "Honest John," 

 Murray's guide for several seasons. 



It goes without saying that I. made his acquaintance, and 

 asked him some leading questions concerning his woikas 

 Murray's guide. He said, ".Murray was a good woodsmen, 

 lie came iu with his wife, and guided himself sometimes. 

 He could take bis boat over the carries as well as I could. 

 The big trout? Oh yes. He caught a good many large 

 trout. The one he caught iu his "Nameless Creek" was not 

 the largest I saw htm take. He was a capital hand with the 

 fly-rod. His "Nameless Creek" was the inlet of Shallow 

 Lake, It was just boiling with jumping trout that evening. 

 As to his shooting Buttermilk Falls, any fool who lakes one 

 look at the falls knows better. But we both did run the 

 rapids, both the upper and lower. It is a little risky, but is 

 often done. Sometimes a man leaves all bid his seals aud 

 oars, but 1 never broke up a boat there. 1 don't think Murray 

 meant lo say he ever ran the falls. Yes, I am on the guide 

 list yet. Have got a party as soon as I can get. my hay iu." 



And so much for honest John Plumley, one of the ex- 

 perienced guides who can paddle you up to a deer by night, 

 or put you ou to a spiiughote where big trout abound, with 

 the best. 



Ou leaving the Piatt camp my goad luck ou weather de- 

 serted me. It was ten and a Half utiles to go by lake, liver 

 aud carry, to mother Johnson's. The last three miles were 

 made in a soaking rain that left me without a dry thread. 

 The next morning, being once more dried out, 1 swiiiili out 

 in the little Sairy for a seven mile paddle down the Raquette, 

 aud up Stony Creek ponds, lo the Hiawatha House (DuRett's). 

 For once I had dry weather and a pleasant trip, though the 

 wind was high. After dinner I earned over to Corey's 

 (three-quarters of a milei, aud spent the afternoon examin- 

 ing some models of Adirondack boats, interviewing guides, 

 boat builders, etc., and looking over the Uppar Saranac, 

 which looked altogether too rough for the Satry._ So 1 de- 

 cided for once to relieve tired muscles by a ten mile ride on 

 the little steamer that navigates the lake". 



I had already paddied more than tin? distance from side lo 

 side of the wilderness, and, it it looked like dodging to 

 avoid water on which the canoe could not live, so be if. 



Paul Smith's, Adirondacks. Nessmuk. 



tn\al ]§i§torg. 



NOTES ON THE BLACK RACER. 



Editor Fttnxt i' ml Sir, 'tut: 



Mr. Arthur E. Brown's very entertaining account of the 

 pilot black snake, mountain black snake, or black racer 

 {Ctihiint obsoletMt Say.), in the last number of Fouest and 

 Stream, reminds me that I may be able to add a few bits of 

 information respecting this interesting species. While cor- 

 dially indorsing the most of What Mr. Brown says, there are 

 two points respecting which f must, in the light of my own 

 experience, differ from him, viz., the asserted extreme pug 

 nacity of this species, and the statement that "in length it 

 never exceeds six or seven feel." 



As to the first question, it is of Course quite possible that 

 during the breeding season, aud especially when the female 

 is near, the male of this species, as is well known to be the 

 case wilh the common black snake (liaziuntium coimlrirtor), 

 may develop an extremely pugnacious disposition, This I 

 do not attempt to deny; but in recording simply my own ex- 

 perience, I am obliged to say that I have almost invariably 

 found this the most passive of reptiles, and I have killed 

 more specimens of this snake than of any other, excepting, 

 possibly, the common water snake of the same region f Tro- 

 pidouufiis rhoiidiifer). Very often have 1 been first made 

 aware of one's pro •unity by the very distinct vibrations of 

 its tail upon the dry leaves or grass near my feet; and upon 

 such occasions, this imitation of the rattlesnake's warning 

 would be continued after the head of the snake had been 

 pressed to the ground by a stick, but usually no violent 

 r defensive demonstration was made". In fact, I 

 have killed several which made but the Slightest resistance, 

 and no attempt whatever to escape 



Six to seven feel is a not uncommon length for this species; 

 in fact, I should say that six feet was not above the average 

 for the larger specimens I have met with. I have killed several 

 that were more than seven feet long, and have seen others, 

 among I hem individuals that were eight feet and rnore in 

 length, lying dead in wagon roads, some of them haying been 

 killed by vehicles. The largest one 1 ever saw, however, 

 was at the time estimated to be upward of nine feet in length, 

 and was dispatched without 'difficulty, I was returning 

 from the country on horseback, ami first saw it crawling 

 across the road about fifty yards ahead, and as then seen, it 

 not only stretched entirely across the wagon tracks, but for 

 a considerable, distance "on each side. ""Dismounting and 

 seizing a pole, I got near it just as it reached the fence and 

 disappeared under a pile of rails, which, however, were soon 

 removed ana his snake-ship dispatched. Being much the 

 largest one I ever saw, the desire to preserve its skil |i 

 to attempt taking it to town, but after dragging it for less 

 than half a mile It became too heavy and was diopped in the 

 ro;d. Unfortume* \\ the spi dii at of tying it to tin- horse's 



tail, which has sin: ' -J lid not occur to me at 



the time, aud I had no knife with which to remove the skin. 

 1 was therefore very reluctantly compelled to leat 

 no opportunity to : ' . ; Jed, The length 



of thin specimen 7 can only estimate, but as 1 sat in the saddle 



