288 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



[Mat 11, 1882. 



n il :i netier there who is making ex- 

 penses, for whicn the Lord he thanked The birds are' get- 

 ting scared and wary, and some old nettcrs fear they will 

 : -v a body." S"Essir K . 



Wei.I/SBoeo, Pa. 



CAMPING OUT. 



^OCCASIONALLY sportsmen find it necessary to camp out 



, without a regular camp— some. 



by being lost in the woods, and sometimes ingoing 



new hunting or fishing chances, and at 



11 jring up the chase of moose, hear or deer. 



A few hints about the best way to do it, from an old 



may come handy sometime. 

 We will suppose it coming on night and we traveling in 

 with the clouds thickening and threatening an 

 uncomfortable night, and ourselves tired andhungry, with 

 very little to eat or to cover us from cold or wet. ' My first 

 lookout would be to find a brook or spring of water; next a 

 drj tree: then birch bark to kiudle the fire with; then pick 

 out r good dry place to make a bed on— any even spot a lit- 

 tle elevated or slanting to let off the dampness. 



Now we have all these. Cut down the dry tree, peel some 

 bark, kindle a fire on the lower side of your camping chance. 

 Now we hayq some company, especially if there is but one 

 of us — ,'irc is a social element and gives a man courage, and 

 keeps off wild beasts, besides warming us Tip, Well, if we 

 Lave any tea with us we will now steep some and refresh 

 ives if we have the time before dark. Now we will 

 chop down a good sized hardwood tree, or if a good spruce 

 is handy I had rather have it, I learnt this after having 

 hunted for many years. An old hunter told me to try a 

 spruce tree for camp wood. Says he: "It will cut very 

 i easier; you can always find "it, and it is pitchy outside 

 and will get to going easy, and the last part of the night. 

 when you brand up your fire, it will give you a good blaze." 

 T found it just as he 'fold me, and ever after 1 cut spruce in 

 preference to all other woods. Take three logs one foot or 

 more through, lay two on the ground and one on top of 

 : then cut two sticks six inches or more through, two 

 feet long, for fire dogs; then a fore stick of the same tree as 

 your hack logs ; then your dry wood and some other small 

 wood to start a fire, and one spare log of your spruce tree, 

 and you are rigged for a long as well as cold night. Now 

 break boughs of the fir tree, a good large arm full, and 

 shingle Ihcin thickly in front of your fire, for a bed, with 

 the butts of the browse toward the fire, and you can cut 

 down some small evergreens and stick up thickly around 

 your bed, or if it threatens to rain, cut some poles, ten feet 

 long — one or two of them with a crotch in the top; stick 

 them up around quite steep in the shape of a wigwam, or in a 

 circle, leaving it open fronting the fire, and making the 

 room inside according to the number of your party; "then 

 shingle with fir boughs, butts up, several courses, and I will 

 war rant it not to leak, though you have a fearful stormy 

 night. 



In camping on the shore of a lake or river, find, if possible, 



,\ sand beach beside or near the mouth of a brook, as this 



give you good water to drink, as well as a better chance 



to shoot game, (all kinds of game naturally seek a brook in a 



aess) and usually fishing is good* at the mouth of 



You can usually find dry drift wood on the shore, and yon 

 can turn your boat bottom side up for a covering, or you can 

 3 your boat sail over a leaning tree for a' tent* or you 

 can 'Iflut up some poles each side of a leaning tree and cover 

 any kind of evergreen boughs for a camp, or if 

 fhere is no leaning tree bandy, stick up a ridge pole and 

 Flint: out two crotches each way in front to keep up the 

 front end, then proceed to cover your camp as above ; but 

 on a clear night I prefer to build a good fire and camp down 

 in front of it with no other covering than the starry-decked 

 heaven. J. G. R. 



Bbthbl, Me. 



Summer is at hand, the time for tourists to lay their plans 

 e enjoyment of a brief or extended vacation during the 

 hot days which will'soon be here. 



Many of those who enjoy camping out, and their numbers 

 are yearly on the increase, can recall the fact that they have 

 often been puzzled as to what is absolutely necessary for a 

 comfortable outfit. Writers on the subject differ. Some 

 people delight in the employment of expensive guides and 

 cooks, others to go on the economical plan ; some prefer large 

 arties of ladies and gentlemen, others to go solitary and 

 ^ne. The writer, who has had experience in summer 

 *mping. prefers a happy medium of two or three compan- 

 08. And right here let me soy. thai no one mould venture 

 "'•>on a trip of tins kind unless he has first made up his mind 

 n be reconciled to any and every inconvenience, and to be 

 «.u!y al aU times to lend a helping hand toward the comfort 

 a ad happiness of bis companions. A grumbler in camp is 

 i.n ab The number who camp out would be 



largely increased were I known how cheaply a trip might be 

 taken, ft is for the benefit of the economical class that I 

 ii ise to give figures, 

 A camping outfit should be light and compact, so that it 

 may be moved from point to point without incurring any in- 

 con vi e thing should be taken that can possibly be 

 Mi. 1 give below what I have found to be the 

 most convenient for a complete outfit; but many things 

 Which Will be mentioned can be left behind without incon- 

 nee. E very complete outfit should contain a tent, two 

 army blankets, and a piece of oilcloth to lay on the ground; 

 coking utensils, and a few substantials to cook 

 [es, a change of clothing and a few other things 

 ill a camper's fancy might dictate. A good tent is an 

 •ensable article for oomfort — it should be "li.uht: a good 

 one can be made by sewing together three or four strips of 

 unbleached muslin fifteen feet in length; this, when 

 form of an A tent, will be about seven feet 

 high, the ends Will resemble an equilateral triangle, which 

 i wed to the ends of the roof, reaving an opening 



; i, six inches below the apex to the. ground, which 



i rl be provided with buttons or other fastenings in order 



to close them when required; there must be four strong eye- 



: boJ i lie ton t. by which it must be fastened to 



driven firmly in the ground; through the apex run a 



cord and tie each end firmly to a tree, which does en- 



•vith the necessity of tent poles. A. tent put up 



in tnis way cannot be blown down and will shedrainas 



ordinary canvas tent of three times the weight, 



pul up quickly. To make ;l comfortable bed, gather 



and thatch them with the butts toward 



a ana the bops overlapped; on Ibis Iayja piece of 



[nary oilcloth six feet long, which is cheap, light, and 



answers the purpose of a rubber blanket. A thick pair of 

 army blankets make the best covering for night, A three- 

 legged camp-stOol is a convenient article. *A serviceable 

 table can be. made from a yard of canvas with eyelets worked 

 in the corners ; fasten the corners by strong cords to stakes 

 driven firmly in the ground, and you have a table [rood 

 enough— although a little frail, it is nevertheless better than 

 no table. The cooking utensils should be few and made to 

 ■flier as closely as possible — they should comprise 

 a round 10-inch frying-pan without a handle, as a stick split 

 at one end or a small pair of nippers will answer the purpose 

 of a handle and occupies but little spacej a 3-quarf tin 

 bucket for boiling, making soirns. heating water, etc., is b, i- 

 ter than an iron kettle, as it is light and answers the purpose 

 admirably; a small coffeepot completes the cooking outfit, 

 except a salt and a pepper box for table use. For his own 

 convenience, each should have two or three 8-inch tin plates, 

 a knife and fork, a large and small spoon, two tincups — the 

 cups and plates should* each pack together. In addition to 

 the above-named articles, there should be a stout earring or 

 hunting knife, a small handsaw, and a 2-pound hatchet; also, 

 a pound or two of nails of various sizes. 



The amount of provisions should, of course, be regulated 

 by the number of your party, hut whatever is taken should 

 partake of the substantial— such as sugar, salt, pepper, a few 

 pounds of flour and cornmeal, a ham or two, a few cans of 

 corned beef. The delicacies— such as sugar, pepper, coffee, 

 tea, and salt — should he kept in tin boxes: there should also 

 be extra tin boxes and tin bottles, in which to store butter 

 and milk, should you chance to camp near where they can 

 be had. Each member of your party should be provided 

 with a stout knapsack. Mine* resembles those used by school- 

 boys all over the country, hut is much larger, being*18xl8x6 

 inches, and will carry from sixty to eighty pounds, which is 

 double the amount I usually take. It should be provided 

 with straps for binding the, tent and blankets to the top, and 

 also anything which is too large to he accommodated inside 

 the knapsack. The entire expense of this outfit need not 

 exceed fifteen dollars for each one, and when once procured 

 can be used for a number of years. I did not propose in this 

 article to give full directions for camping, but simply to pre- 

 sent to the readers of the Forest and Stream; a simple outfit, 

 Which I have found most satisfactory — namely, an outfit 

 which can be transported by yourselves from point to point 

 without inconvenience, and which contains everything that 

 you actually need for comfort, leaving to the individual 

 tastes of the reader to select what suits his fancy in the line 

 of sport and recreation. If an angler, he will select his fish- 

 ing outfit; if fond of shooting, his' gun or rifle; if an artist, 

 his sketching outfit or camera; if a student, such books as 

 he will lie pleased to'read. 



A word in regard to clothine;, which should be mostly of 

 wool; have nothing to do with cotton clothing, and every 

 night put on a thick pair of woolen socks. If the feet are 

 kept warm and dry, you need apprehend no difficulty with 

 colds — in fact, camping out will cure a cold if the extremi- 

 ties are properly cared for. 



Always camp near some stream or lake, as good water is 

 one of the indispensables; rise in the morning with the sun, 

 build up a good fire, which will very soon disperse all damp- 

 ness and make your abode cheerful, after which take a good 

 bath, and, depend upon it, you feel like a new man, and 

 soon relish those eatables which you would hardly taste at 

 home — in fact, it is about the only trouble you will have 

 in camping — you can never get quite enough to eat, although 

 your camp may he overstocked with provisions; you always 

 feel hungry before meal-time. 



One word more, and I am through with this already 

 lengthy article. Select a camping ground within a mile or 

 two of some farmhouse and supply yourselves with plenty of 

 bread, milk, butter, and potatoes. You will generally find 

 farmers jrlad to accommodate you and at a very reasonable 

 price. Treat everybody civilly, and you will always receive 

 civil treatment in return. " Geo. G. Stf.Arns. 



Iowa. 



THE CHARMED WHITE DEER. 



/"~VNE of the popular superstitions of the hunters of Pike 

 VJ* county. Pa., is that the killing of a while deer will in- 

 evitably be followed by evil results to the one who fires the 

 fatal shot Tt is singular how deep the belief in this super- 

 stition is rooted, not only in the minds of the uneducated 

 backwoodsmen, but among residents of the highest intelli- 

 gence. The Indian tribes that once inhabited the Dela- 

 ware Valley believed that white deer, which were very rare, 

 were protected by a charm, and that their lives were sacred. 

 There is a legend that a young Indian loved the daughter of 

 his chief, and sought her as the queen of his wigwam. The 

 Indian maiden returned his love. Her lover was one of the 

 bravest of braves, and the hero of many a battle. He was a 

 leader amon<r the young men of the tribe and more popular 

 than the chief. The latter was jealous of the warrior, and 

 though hating him bitterly, feared the consequences of hav- 

 ing him removed from his path. The great love of the 

 young brave for the daughter of the chief was seized upon 

 by the latter as a probable, means of destroying his rival in. 

 the affections of the tribe. The chief gave his consent to 

 the wedding of the pair on one condition. This was that 

 the young warrior should bring to the wigwam of his chief 

 the dead body of a white deer as an offering. The lover, be- 

 lieving this to be a delicate but emphatic rejection of his 

 suit, returned without hope to his wigwam — for was it not 

 as easy to pierce the hunter's moon with an arrow as to send 

 a fatal shot within a white deer's heart ? But one day the 

 chief summoned the warrior to his presence. The soreerer 

 of the tribe, an aired Indian, to whom all the mysteries of 

 nature were deemed by the Iribe to be an open hook, was 

 with the chief. The sorcerer handed the young brave an 

 arrow tipped with a silver head, and told him that if he was 

 us enough to slay a white deer the silver arrow 

 would break the charm, of its life and lay it dead at his feet. 

 The warrior irrasped the arrow, and declared that he was 

 eager to show' his love for the Indian maiden by firing the 

 charmed arrow, and offering the dead white deer at the wig- 

 wam of his chief. 



High on the hills overlooking the valley of the Lackawaxen 

 is a lake as clear as crystal. In the Indian days, as now, it 

 was a favorite resort for deer. The young Indian launched 

 bis birch canoe on the waters of this lake and anxiously 

 awaited the coming of deer at night-fall, hoping that among 

 them might be one of the charmed members of the herd. 

 His boons were realized. Just, as the last rays of the sun 

 were glinting the surface of the lake, five deer stole from the 

 wood and stood knee-deep in the cold waters. Among them 

 was a pure white deer. Quick as a lightning flash the "silver- 

 tipped arrow leaped from his bow. It gleamed for an instant 



in the air, and then sank into the white deer's heart, With 

 a cry that resounded far among the hills the white deer fell 

 dead, and its companions fled in terror to the woods. While 

 the death-cry of the while deer was echoing about the lake, 

 the young brave's arms fell powerless to his sides. His 

 tongue refused to give voice. For days he drifted upon the 

 lake. No succor came. He was powerless to end his suffer- 

 ings by throwing himself in the lake. Hi" dead an 

 body was found upright in the canoe b 

 after two "moons" had passed. Bui other i isfortui I f bl 

 lowed the white deer's death. At sunset on the dav the 

 young brave fired the fatal arrow, the chief was found "dead 

 in his wigwam. An arrow projected Fiona his breast. It 

 was taken from his heart, Its tip 'was silver. The sorcerer 

 was never seen again. The maiden, when her dead lover 

 was found, leaped into the lake and found a grave beneath 

 its waters, The tribe was never after with its 



enemies in battle, and was gradually destroyed. The lake is 

 known to this day as White Deer Lake. 



The superstition as to the white deer no doubt was received 

 from the Indians by the early white settlers of the valley, 

 and has been preserved by their descendants. Among thpse 

 who believe in the fatality that attends the killing of a White 

 deer is the Hon. William Westfall. of Lackawaxen. He- 

 was formerly Associale Judge of Pike County, and is the 

 present representative of the county in the Legislature. Mr. 

 Westfall disclaims being in anyway superstitious, but relates 

 several instances that have come under his personal observa- 

 tion. He says he never knew of more than three white deer 

 being in the vicinity of this place, and two of them were 

 killed. 



White deer are always does. What freak of nature 

 makes them white he does not know. The first white deer 

 was killed in Lackawaxen many years ago by a hunter named 

 James Van Gorden This deer had roamed the ri 

 years and the superstition had protected her. She was often 

 seen and was ' 'as white as the driven snow. " Van Gorclen 

 did not believe that so valuable a lot of venison should be 

 allowed to waste, and, not sharing in the popular feeling in 

 favor of white deer, determined to bring her down. He 

 hunted the deer season after season. He obtained many 

 shots at her, but without effect. Then he made up his mind 

 to try the charm alleged to be in the firinc: of a silver bullet, 

 He molded a bullet out of silver, and with his rifle loaded 

 with it. started on the white deer's trail. He came upon her 

 as she was feeding, and sent the 'silver crashing into her 

 heart. He killed the wh it? deef, bur, says Judge Westfall, 

 it was his last shot. A wasting disease 'attacked him, and 

 not long afterward he died. 



The second white deer remembered by Judge Westfall was 

 killed by a hunter named Moses Brink/ He was bunting in 

 company with Alamanzor Griswold, a well-known resident 

 of the valley, and a Commissioner of the county and with 

 Judge Westfall. Brink was heard to tire. "The other 

 hunters joined him. He said he had shot at B fleer as it ran 

 by him. The party walked on. in the direction indicated, 

 and a few steps away found a white deer dead. Prink de- 

 clared that it was not the deer he had fired at, but it was 

 evident that he must have done so. A few steps further on 

 another deer of a grayish color was found. It had been 

 killed with the same bullet that: killed the white deer, being 

 directly in range. The Judge says that not one of the. party 

 was ever able to kill a deer' afterward, although each had 

 been a successful hunter before. Brink at, the time was one 

 of the most hardy and healthy of men. but be died of con- 

 sumption a few months afterward. Commissioner Griswold 

 was subsequently killed by a load of stone falling upon 

 him. 



"The third white deer," says the Judge, "was never killed 

 to my knowledge. I found the deer one morning on a 

 favorite feeding ground, in company with a four-pronged 

 buck. She was as large as a two-year-old colt, and her ears 

 were as long as a mule's. The deer were not over ten rods 

 away, the buck being the nearer of the two. I aimed at the 

 buck, but changed my mind and fired at the white deer. 

 She threw up her head gave me a sorrowful look, and then 

 went to eating the grass among The buck, of 



course, was a mile away by this time." I tired a dozen shots 

 at the beautiful creature, but not one had any effect ajo 

 left the woods in disgust, That deer was well known to all 

 the hunters along the Lackawaxen. and she finally disap- 

 peared. After my experience with." he* I sold my favorite 

 rifle, the companion of years, and purchased a more costly 

 one. But luck was against me. I bad scores of the finest 

 shots a hunter could wish for, but 1 could never kill another 

 deer. I gave my gun away, and have not been in the woods 

 for years. IknowX am not superstitious, but I would not 

 Are a fatal shot at a white deer for the entire gold fields of 

 California. 



The white deer which was proof against Judge Westfall's 

 bullets may have been the one which had no charm against 

 the aim of Hornbeck Shinier, and his companions, Bevans 

 and Frank in. 1872. Shinier was a native of the Lacka- 

 waxen Valley. He made a fortune during the war. He 

 had for some time been proprietor of the Exchange Hotel in 

 Wilkesbarre, Penn., and was a well-known politician and 

 sportsman. In the above year Lyman A. Bevans was a pros- 

 perous merchant of Port Jervis, N. Y. Henry Frank was a 

 leading business man of the coal regions. In the fall of 1873 

 the three were camped in the mountains a few miles back of 

 Lnckawaxan, deer him tine-. Theystarted a white deer, and 

 all three succeeded in getting a shot at it and killed it. Hl- 

 luck attended every one of the partv afterward- Shimer 

 became an invalid, and died a miserable death two or three 

 years afterward. His affairs were badly involved and his 

 property dissipated. Henry Frank failed in bu- 

 1875, and died of smallpox! Bevans beoami ba 

 1878, and last fall committed suicide in an outhouse of his 

 residence in Port Jervis by blowing his brains out. These 

 misfortunes would have no doubt overtaken the men if they 

 had not flown in the face of superstition, but it would be im- 

 possible to make the old-time Pike county hunters believe 

 that they were not directly due to the killinc of the white 

 deer on the Shohola hills.— Owr ' Tillies, 



MoTortstr. Stjk, Iowa, May 1.— Game has been unusually 

 plenty here through the fall, winter and spring, and the out- 

 look is certainly good for fall chicken shootimr. Chickens 

 are more plenty than they have been for yea rs in this locality. 

 Quail -ire rather scarce, 'but enough to give as some -port 

 next November. Solves seem to be on the increase here, 

 and several have been killed in this coiurty in the last few 

 weeks. Ed. DeLong killed an old one and captured seven 

 pups. The scalps are worth five dollars each, paid by the 

 county, Ed. feels rich; wants to hunt wolves all the time. 

 — MaW 



