

FOREST AND STREAM. 



245 



gaged about thirty of them as " waiters" or boatmen, while 



• H bougnl up hy clubs. A few will 



rorn batteriEB, but it is oold, hard worl to lie on youv 



buck La ■ day out in the open sound; and very few 



gnd many seasons of this kind of 



: Sorb, Ik Railroad and 



same have also drawn many of 



the Co rorl on. the rood, as -waged 



have been high and i have paid ready cash. 



which i iir history of railroad construe - 



lion in Ij road ever buill in the 



State that has not begun by asking State, county or town 

 aid before Bommenokig work. 



ie road from near Cniri- 

 tuek Court House to Edenton, earryiiig dog, gun and fishing- 

 tackle, and t'o' ' and the study "of the ways and 

 manners of the people interesting. 1 was always welcome to 

 every hi i wiiributions of game and fish were al- 

 ways received with thanks and considered a full equivalent 

 for a meal or lodging: and it was seldom 1 could prevail up- 

 on any lei .- / money. The houses arc gener- 

 lOUntry people of the 

 same means at the North. As the climate is so much milder 

 sucl ighthouseaas the Northern 

 farmers; ami the open log stables would shook u fastidious 

 Northern fanner's eye, BpJtj perhaps, the people and stock 

 are as healthy as they are North. Chills and fever is the 

 prevail i nil of a mild form, and those who 

 Use Tain or juniper water arc free from malarial troubles. 

 Tiiepeopla are prosperous also; and I doubt if debt is as 

 general among them as among the same class North. Land 

 is very cheap and labor is good, while close proximity to the 

 rkets will soon make all this Eastern country 

 prosperous. Every few miles the railroad crosses some dark 

 stream heading up into the juniper or Cypress swamps, and 

 I never failed to catch a basket full of good, sweet fish, mostly 

 chub, perch or pickerel : while the woods are full of quail (or 

 liey calf them here.) woodcock, sora, squirrels, 

 rabbits, i «es and other small game. The cultivation of up- 

 land rice is becoming a very profitable industry, and the effect 

 will be to increase the numbers of birds enormously and 

 make the hunter welcome among the farmers. At the head 

 of the streams in the swamps, deer, bears and wildcats 

 abound. The hands on the railroad caught two young bears 

 about one mile from the town of Edenton recently ; and 

 leer have been shot by the men at work in the woods. 

 1 did not admire the towns. The houses are mostly old, 

 d lapidated and weather- worn. And the idlers of the country— 

 the young sawbones, half- Hedged lawyers, small merchants, 

 innkeepers, scions of old families run to seed, and the crowd 

 usually found gathered about the post office or barroom, of 

 the southern village — ate a class of humaus I do not admire. 

 The taverns are characterized by dirt, fleas, bugs, greasy 

 bad coffee, saucy darkey help and high prices. I ad- 

 vise all sportsmen traveling through this country to avoid the 

 towns and stop with the farmers. The barroms hi the towns 

 are fearful dens. Black and white drink at the same bar and 

 from the d e rty green-glass tumblers. Iceis an unknown 

 luxury, except in one or two of the larger towns, and there 

 they em] me dirty, floury bartenders, as in the 

 smaller ti >wns. During my journey through the country the 

 question of prohibition or anti-prohibition was agitating the 

 minds of the people ; and the giant minds of the village 

 cans were bard at work on the question. The election 

 came off while I was in Re. squotank county, and the State 

 wem against prohibition by an overwhelming majority of 

 about 150,000. The darkeys went against 'ft to a man. 

 They were told that it was an entering wedge to taking away 

 then- liberties, and that the Democratic Governor and' other 

 leaders of i hat party were in favor of the law. That was 

 enoueh tor them. In fact, it is an established principle with 

 the average, darkey to vote "JeoS fodder way from old 

 Marsa, and den 1 knows ise kerect." On the morning of the 

 day of . hibition question I overheard a 

 conversation between a big darkeynamed Jim and one of the 

 scious of the old chivalry. The scion Was anxious to have 

 some garden truck planted, and was trying to hire Jim to do 

 it, but no inducements he could hold out would induce Jim 

 to work on election day. He offered to double his wages. 

 No, no. lie re-enforced his offer by promising a plug of 

 tobacco. No go. He strengthened it by a proffer of a good 

 dinner, and a drink at night. Ail to no purpose. At last 

 the darkey impatiently said: " Boss, (lis is 'lection day, and 

 I can't miss belli' Leah, nohow, Why, boss, I would ieab a 

 'coon up a tree to go to lection." The scion knew that set- 

 and went off sadly to plant ids own truck. 



1 'near there are a goodly number of Democratic darkeys in 

 the South, but have not yet found any. They are Republi- 

 can to a nian, and the darkey who has the courage to vote 

 the straight Democratic ticket at a regular election must have 

 considerable back-hone. I beard a good story illusti 1 1 1 

 feeling ward what they call a "traitor." In 



one of the villages they have two darkey churches, a Method- 

 ist and a Baptist, and there had been a strong contest among 

 them as to which church should have the strongest member- 

 ship. They had taken about all the colored people within a 

 radius of seveial miles, and in their rivalry had not been very 

 particular as to the character of some of" the new members. 

 At last one Jack Skinner, a desperate hard case, proclaimed 

 his intention of joining the Baptist Church. He had violated 

 all the Commandment:, several times, but Some of the leaders 

 •of the church decided that they could pray off all his sins, 

 and concluded to let him in ou his promise to acknowledge 

 all his numerous transgressions. It took several nights to 

 draw I hem all out, and a luap of hard praying to wash them 

 off. Some of his confessions caused some scandal, involving 

 more or less the character of some of the ' ' sislering" of the 

 flock. But the elders were bound to have his whole record. 

 said he had "Tess.-d" all his sins but one, and he 

 feared that was an unpardonable sin that they would never 

 forgive The eiders toid him it must come out, and assured 

 1 1 pray it off. He was very reluctant, 

 him several hours, the old boas elder 

 ck a cuff beside the head, and said: 

 i, yer, we can't fool wid you all night. Out wid 

 it! out wid it !" At last poor Jack faltered out that in the 

 late election he had voted the Democratic ticket. This was 

 too much. They could pray off all his sins but that. As 

 Boon as he made his confession there was a general yell of ex- 

 ecration and a rush for him from all quarters, and Jack had 

 to make a break for the woods to save his carcass, and has 

 never bee j seen iu that part of the country since. 



It is amusing in traveling along the line of the railroad to 



hear the boasting and bragging of the people in the towns 



and villages, ThenS are many Raymond Sellers, who see 



, man could see only bankruptcy. 



puts in a claim for future greatness, Currituck 



Court House, which is about six miles from the road, is to 

 have a branch road to that point, and expects to cut off from 

 Elizabeth City all her lower Sound trade. Hero 

 men will come to reach the fowling region, and the excur- 

 sionists from Norfolk will coma to pure air and 

 bathe in the Sound. Stock and truck will all come through 

 here. The suggestion that it is about a mile to 

 from shore is met by the prediction that Senator Mali Ran- 

 som will get an appropriation through the next t 

 have a ship ditch dug out to the main channel. "It 

 wouldn't cost over half a million dollars. 1 ' 



At Camden Court House they point with pride to their 

 big oak, under which a whole Sunday-school picnic c in rii.' 

 shelter ; to the beautiful Pasquotank," whose dark ivatei 

 full of fish ; to the rich swamp land, which only needs State 

 aid to become a perfect Egypt. And then Matt Ransom 

 will get a little appropriation of a quarter of a million to dig 

 the river a little deeper from Elizabeth City up so the Old 

 Dominion steamers can come here, and, presto, change! 

 There you have yonr metropolis. 



At Elizabeth City they call your attention to the splendid 

 harbor, magnificent wharves, big stores, new process cotton 

 factory, the ship-yard, steam mills, lower Sound trade, to 

 the lines of steamers to Newhern, Washington, Roanoke 

 River, and other points : to the fact that it is the terminus 

 of the old Dismal Canal, which only needs the hah. 

 tor Matt Ransom to secure an appropriation of about a 

 million to bs a ship canal ; and where is the rival town that 

 has any show with their city ? 



Ten miles further on yon teach Hertford, where they 

 claim they are nearer to the Alligator, Scuppeinong River and 

 the big fisheries on the lower Albemarle Sound, and Duraut's 

 Neck, the garden spot, of eastern North Carolina. Here are 

 forests of virgin timber near at hand. They point with 

 pride to the new academy and float-bridge that proves the 

 engineering talent of its people. They also need a small ap- 

 propriation of a few hundred thousand to clear some danger- 

 ous obstructions out of the Perquimans River, but Matt 

 Ransom will fix that at the next session of Congress. 



Woodville, further on, puts in its claim to future greatness, 

 as it is high and dry and has a rich country back of it. 



At Edenton, which is to be the grand terminus of the 

 railroad, they laugh to scorn the claims of the other towns. 

 Here all the trade of eastern North Carolina is to centre. 

 Steamboats are to run to the Scuppernong, Roanoke, Cashir, 

 Chowan, and Alligator rivers. They, too, have an academy 

 and a harbor, which only needs the use of a bridge about 

 half the time to keep a channel open to deep water in the 

 sound. But Senator Ransom has promised to fix that mat- 

 tor. All these towns, however, need " Northern capital and 

 energy to develop their immense resources." The experience 

 and judgment will be furnished on the spot. I understand 

 that the railroad boom has struck the people on the other 

 side of the Sound, and I shall make a tramp among them 

 when the weather gets a little cooler. 



In the meantime I shall remain on the coast, making my 

 headquarters here in Kitty Hawk, which has the advantages 

 of post office, telegraph, store, good fishing, shooting and a 

 bracing air that is free from malaria. 1 wieh to thank some 

 one for the " Fourth Annual Book of the Michigan Sports- 

 men's Association," which I find very interesting. 



John Bkoxson. 



A TRIP TO HATHA N BOG. 



ON September 6 we left Sherbrooke, in the Province of 

 Quebec, by the International train for Lake Megantic. 

 on our annual hunting and fishing excursion. At. Cooksbirc 

 we met our genial friend, Charles Peunoyer, Esq., and 

 Albert W. Pope, brother of the Minister of Agriculture, 

 who accompanied us to the lake, where we were soon enjoy- 

 ing one of Jerry Ham's comfortable suppers. The distance 

 from Sherbrooke to Megantic is seventy miles, over a first- 

 class road, but, as one train does the greater part of the 

 freight as well as passenger traffic, the trip occupies nearly 

 five hours. Here we met Majors Ramage and MeMinu, 

 (the latter of the late Confederate service.) both jolly, whole- 

 souled companions, and last, but not least, Captain John B. 

 McDonald, known to every frequenter of the lake as " John 

 Boston," to distinguish him from the numerous John Mc- 

 Donalds, with whom that part of Compton county abounds. 

 John deserves more than a passing notice. He is the pioneer 

 of Lake Megantic. On our first trip there, some twenty 

 years ago, he was the only white man we met, and the only 

 occupant of the lake shore, except old Pamee, au Indian, 

 whose hut was near the head of the lake. Pamee has long 

 since departed to the happy hunting grounds, but we recol- 

 lect when the profusion of moose relics in the vicinity of his 

 hut gave evidence of his prowess in the chase. 



On the occasion referred to, John Boston, then Mayor of 

 three townships, (the united townships of Hampden, Whit- 

 ton and Marston,) was our guide, counsellor and general 

 factotum, and proprietor of the only "dugout" around the 

 lake. He paddled his own canoe, when he could, but when 

 the current of the ChBudiere faded to run smoothly, had an 

 utter disregard for pole and paddle and, with rope over his 

 shoulder, took the towpath up the middle of the river. At 

 such times he didn't wear kilts, they would have been super- 

 fluous, but you'd have been kilt with laughter to have seen. 

 John take frequent involuntary headers over tl 

 boulders. The boulder the3 r got the bolder he got, and we 

 finally had the satisfaction of looking out on the broad ex- 

 panse of Lake Megantic. Time had dealt gently with John 

 Boston. He appears hale and hearty as when we first knew 

 him, when the flavor of the flatstone on which we cooked 

 our trout only seemed to increase his appetite. May he long 

 continue so. When he lias crossed the •' one more river" 

 many on this side will mourn his departure. Many of the 

 old settlers in this part of the country bear the same name, 

 and there are various ways of distinguishing them. Once. 

 when holding an election "at Winslow, fifteen miles distant 

 from the lake, it became necessary to swear in one Angus 

 McLeod as special constable, and as* there were several of the 

 same name on the voters' list, we asked him how we should 

 distinguish him from the others. "Put me down Amrus 

 McLeod, P. S.," said he. "P. S., what's that for?" 

 "Piper's son," said Angus, and the signature of "Angus 

 McLeod, P. S.," appeared in the election returns. These 

 old settlers are natives of the Hebrides Islands, and the 

 Gaelic language is generally spoken. Some of them are 

 totally ignorant of any other. 



The site of the present village of Agnes used to be our 

 regular camping grounds for several years, and we venture 

 to say there is scarcely a rod of it upon which our campfires 

 have not been lighted, or a portion of our in 

 placed, It lies at the outlet of the lake, upon both sides of 

 the Chandiere River, and is the present terminus of the In- 



ternational Railway, soon to be extended to Moosehead Lake, 

 Me., and by connectipnwith the Bangor and Piscataquis and 

 other railways, from a direci line between the Atlantic and 



Western Canada, and will effect a saving in distance of some 

 three bundled miles as compared wi ads. It 



: the iarge gleam Saw nulls of the Berlin Mills Co., Of 

 who snip a large quantity of lumber by rail It 

 ii tins four hotels and several stores. The Prince of 

 Wales Hotel, by Major McAuhty. is very pleasantly situated 

 upon the lake shore, and is liberally patronized by transient 

 guests. The Criterion, by Mr. Morrison, is also pleasantly 

 situated upon the opposite side of the river. The trout fish- 

 ing is good here in September, when the fish go into the river 

 to spawn, and no prettier fish swims than one of these fresh 

 run trout, with its bright crimson -ides. The fishing last 

 September was very good, and many catches of ten to thirty 

 pounds to a rod were made in an hour or two from the vicin- 

 ity of the railway bridge. In the swift water they afford 

 excellent sport, being large and garnev, usually runnitag from 

 one to three pounds. 



As the little steamboat waS not on hand we waited a day, 

 when she came along, and we wo . , •', for the bead 



of the lake, distant twelve miles. Both sides of the lake are 

 now settled, and though rough and stony near the shore the 

 land is very good a little way back. The scenery is very 

 fine, especially the background formed by Megantic Moun- 

 tain near the head of 'Victoria Bay, and the vie wof the bound- 

 ary-line mountains looking toward the head of the lake from 

 the residences of Majors McNinu aud Ramage. The trolling 

 for lake tiv.ut or 'lunge" is good in Juuc and October, and 

 the favorite trolling ground is off Sandy Point rather more 

 than half way up the lake. Three or four years ago at this 

 point, in company with Capt. Thomas, of Wimbledon fame, 

 we took, by trolling, over 300 pounds of dressed lunge in two 

 days, lying by from ten o'clock until tree. The largest we 

 caught weighed fourteen pounds. On the west shore near 

 the head of the lake is the steam, saw and grist mill, of J. 

 E. Myers, the first mill erected at the lake. Mr. Myers is a 

 French-Canadian with a New England experience, and a me- 

 chanical genius. iN early everything connected with his en- 

 gine and machinery he can make and repair, and is never 

 stuck in providing anything that any ordinary mechanic can 

 turn out in wood or metal. Tie is a justice of the Peace, and 

 has a sufficient knowledge of medicine to prevent him from 

 poisoning himself or friends with any of the drugs or chemi- 

 ■ hich he keeps a liberal supply, and dispenses when 

 required. His mill is used principally to supply local de- 

 mand. Within a mile or two aud buck from the lake is 

 the village of Piopolis formed by Papal Znuaves. Across to 

 the heacfof the lake, and we drop anchor at the Pamee car- 

 ry. A. few rods above here, a Mr. Flint, of Toronto, is 

 ; a large and very substantial steam mill. He owns a 

 tract of laud between Megantic and Spider lakes. His lum- 

 ber supply will be principally from Spider. In connec- 

 tion with his mill Messrs. McLeigh and'Wright, spool and 

 bobbin manufacturers, of Beebe Plain, will also run a mill 

 for the manufacture of white birch, a large supply of which 

 as well as poplar exists at Spider. The Messrs. Leonard, of 

 Winslow, are cutting a quantity of poplar for shipmeut to 

 the States. Wlute birch sells for twenty-five to forty cents 

 per cord, standing. Mr. Flint has built and just launched 

 a steamboat with fifteen horsepower engine for the use of his 

 mill, but which will make regular trips through the lakes. 

 A team here carried our traps across the Pamee portage to 

 Spider Lake, a distance of one mile, for twenty-five cents per 

 load, cheap at double the amount. Here we meet our guide, 

 S. D. Ball, better known as "Dew," and, after a two-mile 

 row. are snugly installed in ourtown shanty, beautifully situ- 

 ated upon a point commanding a view of every part of the 

 lake. Before us lie the boundary-line mountains, and from 

 one part of the lake we can distinctly trace the boundary line 

 over three seperate mountain peaks, looking like a swath 

 mowed through the forests. 



Spider Lake (Indian name Maccannamack) is from four to 

 five miles in length, with deep bays or indentations, radia- 

 ting like the legs of a spicier. It abounds in bass and a species 

 of white fish, the latter of which sometimes run two pounds 

 weight, also cusk, chub and trout. The trout are found in 

 the inlet or upper Spieler River in a small stream on the north- 

 east side of the lake, and in June in the lower river between 

 Spider and Rush lakes. The general course of the lake is east 

 and west or at right angles with Megantic. Between the 

 two lakes as the stream, runs lies Rush Lake, but as this 

 course is some two or three mdes longer it is seldom followed, 

 a portage of three-quarters of a mile being necessary to reach 

 Spider. There are now four or five settlers round Spider 

 Lake so that to get-large game it is necessary to go three or 

 four miles up the river, but as some party had anticipated 

 its in this we concluded to remain at our shanty, and spend a 

 few days in fishing and partridge shooting. The yiew is 

 lovely. The cloud shadows arc chasing each over the bound- 

 ary mountains. The setting sun bathes in sunshine Big Me- 

 gantic Mountain, and the twilight comes on so gradually 

 that the transition from light to darkness is scarcely percept- 

 ible. The loons are calling each other on the lake, and re- 

 gretfully we retire to rest, for if the loons know anything we 

 shall have wind to-morrow, and we want to do some trolling 

 before the lake gets rough. 



After several days' fishing and shooting with fair success, we 

 concluded to go through to Ilathan boa., m Maine, and Ball 

 spent a couple of days in blazing a line and balding through a 

 small boat capable of carrying two, but BO totllish that a quid 

 of tobacco couldn't be shifted from one jaw to the other with- 

 out danger of a capsize. tin the 19th we started from the 

 upper river, and after a six-hour»' tramp over the mountains 

 reached the bog, distant four or five mdes, about 8 p. at Our 

 party consisted of four and, owing to the difficult nature of 

 the route, were unable to carry anything but provisions, 

 light cotton tent, one blanket, and firearms. Large game 

 ntiful. and it was necessary to keep very quiet. The 

 tracks of deer and moose were abundant. Every rod of 

 ground in the vicinity of the bog aud its inlet was tracked 

 Tike a cattle pasture, and numbers of freshly-cut paths 

 llii'- luh the moss led to the water on all sides. We con- 

 cluded to camp on L ie "' burnt itind," some two miles lower 

 down, v. here we could pick up camp wood without being 

 obliged to use an axe. While two of us took the range the 

 other two, with the traps, took the boat through the bog and 

 town 'he outlet. In doing so we srere obliged to haul the 

 boat over two icted beaver dams, the upper 



one of which floods the bog to a depth of five feet, making a 

 water about a quarter of a mile across, which was 

 covered with lily-pads. These pads hid bet 11 



through the whole exte it of the bog. The 

 dam. constructed some distant-. 



-ny built at a point whl support of two 



large granite boulders, and is evidently to prcveut t 



