May 2 1882.] 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



sag 



one drawback— ■* serious one to sportsmen — there is no 

 fishing 



On Monday afternoon, -with a, companion, I climbed Blue 

 Mountain, 8,762 feet above tide. The upward path is good, 

 though iu some places pretty steep. After a -walk of i 

 and a lialf miles, during which I shot a fine partridge, we 

 readied the top. It is an isolated peak, aud when we had 

 climbed up a dead tree, on which cross-pieces had been 

 nailed, w bat a glorious prospect met tour gaze! Far to the 

 west, beyond the Eagle and Utowana lakes, lay the fair 

 "Queen of the Adirondaeks," Racquet Lake, looking in the 

 brilliant light of the setting sun like a sea of molten gold, 

 while to the north, almost under my feet, was the inlet of 

 Long Lake, and in the distance Tupper's Lake; but turn 

 which way I might, no "clearings" could be seen — there was 

 only the great pine forest, dark and gloomy, stretching far as 

 the eye could reach. 1 began to feel less disposed to con- 

 tinue my journey alone than I had done before. As it was 

 growing dark we did not visit the east "outlook," though it 

 is said to afford the finest view. 



On Tuesday morning 1 left Blue Mountain Lake for the 

 Racquet, mid, as there was a fair wind, made very good 

 time in sailing through Eagle and Utowana lakes." Eagle 

 Lake, though only one mile in length, is very pretty. It has 

 one farmhouse and some cleared land upon its' northern 

 shore, but thai is all. fjfowana Lake is threemilfiS long, but 

 entirely surrounded by forests. About a quarter of a mile 

 down the outlet is a" large dam, which has raised the water 

 so that the little steamers owned by Dr. Durant can pass 

 from one lake to the other. They form a regular line, and 

 carry passengers from Blue Mountain to the dam. Thence 

 wagons take them about three-quarters of a mile, to the wharf 

 of the Racquet Lake steamer on the Marian River. Boats 

 are carried over for 50 cents apiece. The Marian River is the 

 largest feeder of the Racquet. Before the advent of steam, 

 deer were often seen upon its banks; a few were seen from 

 the steamer's deck this summer: but such a thing is by no 

 means common now. In a direct line the rivet is hardly 

 three miles long, but its course is so winding that it is five 

 miles in length. Were it not for the travel, the deer hunting 

 would be very fine. The forest is so dense that even on the 

 little steamer the trip is very pleasant. I entered the Rac- 

 quet about 5 P. M. . and made direct for Bennett's house, 

 where I, too, found the cntertaiument "thoroughly satisfac- 

 tory." Being adjacent to some good hunting grounds and 

 exceedingly pretty withal, it has" become a place of great 

 resort; its bass fishing especially is excellent. On "Wednes- 

 day morning I walked across the point to the summer resi- 

 dence of Dr. Durant, which consists of several log houses, 

 well built and handsomely furnished. During the afternoon 

 I sailed over to an island lying between Bennett's and Osproy 

 Island on which a pretty little Episcopal church has recently 

 been erected, ft was consecrated Sept. 12, 1880, and I Was 

 told that, when the bell began to ring, there was instead of 

 horses and carriages coining down a road, any number of 

 little row boats making for the island from every quarter. 



On Thursday at 7 P. M. I set sail for the lower end of the 

 Racquet. Near (he end of the lake I accidentally ran onto a 

 sunken rock, and, as the wind was pretty fresh, my rudder 

 was torn from its fastenings, and I was compelled to steer by 

 an oar for the remainder of my little voyage. 



I now come to the really troublesome part of my trip. 

 The only way of reaching Forked Lake was by a half-mile 

 carry and the steamboat landing and Leavitt's Hotel on 

 "the Forked ;" and being alone was compelled to carry my 

 boat over on my back, and take two extra trips for my hag- 

 gage. This as it proved was my way of getting over every 

 carry. Having put my boat on Forked Lake, I sailed to its 

 outlet, between which "and the inlet of Long Lake there are 

 three "carries," one of two miles and the others about half a 

 mile each in length. It was nearly 3 P. M. when I began 

 what proved to lie a long, tedious tramp; for by the time I 

 had taken everything over 1 had walked ten miles, and it 

 "was six o'clock. On my way I met three gentlemen with 

 their guides, aud almost en vi'ed them the comfort of having 

 to make one trip only. After stowing my baggage in my 

 boat, 1 rowed down "the Racquet River fo"r about a mile to 

 Buttermilk Ralls, where the second carry begins, but it soon 

 became dark; and as the forest through* which I had to pass 

 was on lire, 1 reluctantly turned my boat up stream to a little 

 island that J had passed" and resolved to spend the night on 

 that. 



I therefore dragged my boat ashore, fastened the canvas 

 deck in its place, covered the whole with the sail, crayvled 

 inside and made myself comfortable, much t'o the displeasure 

 of a host of hungry mosquitoes, who missed a good meal 

 thereby. They, however, sang in full chorus till I fell 

 quietly asleep, and for aught I know a good while after. 

 Next morning I caught some fine trout, which I cooked on 

 embers left by the fire which had just swept through the 

 forest, which I had avoided the night before. During the 

 morning I saw great numbers of my lit tie friends, the red 

 squirrels, that were scampering and chattering in every direc- 

 tion round me. Certainly no one need starve there. I 

 passed over the other two carries in safety; but not without 

 emphasizing a mental resolution to avoid all carries alone in 

 future. It was with a sense of great relief that I sailed out 

 into Long Lake, and saw farm houses and cleared land once 

 more. It is a .beautiful sheet of water, about fourteen miles 

 in length, reminding one of the Hudson with its hilly shores; 

 and when, after passing Kellogg's Hotel at Long Lake vil- 

 lage, I had a distant view of Mount Seward, I could easily 

 imagine that I was above Poughkeepsie, looking at the Cats 

 Trills 



While still some distance from the Island House, at the 

 lower end of the lake, I was overtaken by a thunder storm, 

 and night, coming on soon after, I was left in total darkness 

 in the middle of the lake; but. the good hotel keeper, having 

 seen me in the distance, put "a light in the window for me,'" 

 and so guided me to the house. After a wonderful supper 

 of pickerel and venison I turned in, feeling well satisfied 

 with my day's work, and especially with its cheerful ending. 

 The next morning all traces of the storm had disappeared; 

 and after breakfast I sailed one mile to the outlet, and con- 

 tinued my journey down the Racquet River. Pretty soon 

 I came across a hunting party in four boats, run on the shore 

 some distance from each other. They begged me to go care- 

 fully and keep my gun "handy," as their dogs were running 

 leer. While they were speaking, I heard the distant cry of 

 hounds, and felt sorely tempted to accept their invitation 

 and join the sport ; but I was anxious to reach the Saranacs that 

 evening, so kept on my way. Soon after I heard a rifle shot 

 up the rivet, which I suppose meant a dead deer. About 

 eleven, 1 came to Johnson's carry opposite a burnt knoll, and 

 had my boat taken over on a sled. Sportsmen could take 

 their boats over on their own backs if they chose; but as the 

 carry is a mile and a half round the rapids and Racquet 



Falls twenty-five feet high, they generally prefer to pay down 

 the cash instead. On the way over I fell into conversation 

 with the boy that drove the horse andwith Mother Johnson's 

 grandson — a, nice little fellow about eight, years old. 



They told me they carried over from fifty to 100 boats per 

 week at a charge of $1.50 each to sportsmen, and $1.00 to 

 guides, making a snug little income for the backwoods. 

 The farm house, since Mother Johnson's death, has been 

 occupied by a married daughter and family. It has no 

 w T agon road whatever to the outside world; the only way of 

 reaching the village being by a boat ride of seventeen miles, 

 while the nearest, neighbor is seven miles the other way. 

 Should any of the family become seriously ill, I fear the 

 doctor might find him dead, if not buried, on his arrival. 

 A little further down I caught a very large pickerel, and am 

 told there are a great many in several parts of the river, as 

 well as at the head of Long Lake. I was delighted with the 

 beauty of the forest that lined its banks, with occasionally a 

 lovely natural meadow, that almost made me look for a farm 

 house, though I knew that I was far from anything of the 

 kind. 



After a tedious row 1 reachdfe Calkins' house, from which 

 a very good view of the upper'Saranac Lake can lie obtained. 

 On Sunday morning, sailed two miles to Bartletf's house, 

 where there is a short carry to Round Lake, inlet. Here I 

 took a young man on board/ and with him sailed down the 

 Saranac River to the lower Saranac Lake. I reached 

 Martin's, at the upper end of the lake, about. 2 P. M., having 

 sailed about 100 miles since leaving Blue Mountain. Here I 

 packed my boat in its canvas trunk, and expressed it to 

 Plattsburg, while I prepared for a tramp of sixty miles to 

 Lake Champlain. Next morning I walked to the Ray Brook 

 House, and in the brook which runs through the property 

 and is free to all the guests, I caught thirteen big fellows in 

 less than an hour. Several of them weighed a pound and a 

 half. I never saw such trout fishing in my life. The fly 

 would hardly touch the water before a hungry fish would 

 seize it. At dinner I was agreeably surprised to find '.Mr, S. 

 B. Mills, the well-known pianist, who was preparing to try 

 his luck in the brook. Near the post office, six miles off, I 

 witnessed asunset, that with the light and shade on Mount 

 Whitefaee and the great range was magnificent indeed. 

 Next morning I walked to "old John Brown's grave," saw 

 "the stone' he loved so well." and listened to the widely dif- 

 ferent opinions which the country people expressed respect- 

 ing him. Some called him "an old fanatic." while others 

 praised him highly. About 9 I reached Lake Placid, 

 climbed a hill near by — a signal service station, aud looking 

 toward Mount Whitefaee had a view of lake and mountain 

 that I shall never forget. Lake Placid is five miles long, 

 and contains two large islands. 



During the summer season the pretty little steamer Mattie 

 makes regular trips. At the other end of the lake I took a 

 trail three miles long to the summit ; the first two miles I 

 walked in three-quarters of an hour, but the last took me full 

 two and a half hours. I should not advise ladies to a tlempt it, 

 for the ascent becomes almost perpendicular as you approach 

 the top. The pines that are so large at, the foot keep 

 dwindling down to little bushes, till for the last 300 feet, 

 there is nothing but the bare, bleak rock. The mountain, 

 being cone-shaped, the view is probably the finest in the 

 State. On a clear day the St. Lawrence, eighty miles dis- 

 tant, is distinctly to be seen; eastward, over Lake' Champlain 

 fiie White Mountains are visible; while to the south and west 

 are the great Adirondack peaks and part of the Lake region. 

 When I reached the summit I found three boys who had as- 

 cended the Wilmington trail which, though six and a half 

 miles long, is much the easiest way, the path being so good 

 that horses can be used to make the trip. A trail from 

 French's Hotel is about the same in length; but not, they 

 told me, by any means as good. Near the summit were 

 plenty of huckleberries, and on the way down, the bovs shot 

 two nice partridges. I spent the night near Wilmington 

 with a most hospitable farmer; visited Ausable Chasm" the 

 next day, then took the train to Plattsburg, went on to Mon- 

 treal, and thence returned to New York, delighted with my 

 journey as a whole. 



I might here offer a few suggestions to young men who 

 think of spending a week or two in the wilderness. If two 

 or more wish to visit the Lake region, they would do well to 

 buy an excursion ticket from New York via the Albanv or 

 Troy steamer to North Creek for $10. Stage fare from 

 North Creek to Blue Mountain and return, $5; ten meals 

 between New York and Blue Mountain and return, $5; use 

 of rowboat for two weeks, $6; if divided between two, $3 

 each; rations for each man for ten days, ten pounds of hard 

 tack, two pounds of butter in tin pail, two pounds of salt 

 pork, one can of preserved corned beef, one of condensed 

 milk, coffee, sugar, salt, pepper, bottle of pickles, tin plate, 

 pail, cup, and a wire broiler, $4; powder, shot, two dozen 

 musket balls to use in shotgun for deer, $1.50; "Stoddart's 

 Adirondack Guide," twenty-five cents; map, $1; pocket com- 

 pass, forty cents. Total, $30.15. With a good dog, you will 

 find deer enough near the Fulton chain of lakes, or Little 

 Tupper's Lake. If you have a good "bump" for locality, 

 you won't get lost; if you have not", don't trust yourself, bur 

 hire a guide at $3 per day, who will f urnish a boat for three 

 persons; the extra expense for each, after deducting the $3 

 saved in boat hire, will be $12. Buy all provisions, except 

 butter, in New York. Pack them with rubber coat and 

 blanket, f/wm. underclothing, etc., in a large valise. Take 

 a shawl strap along. Should you wish to visit the moun- 

 tain, buy an excursion ticket from New York to Westport 

 via steamer and Delaware and Hudson Canal Company's 

 Railroad, $10.-20; stage to Keene's Flats and return, $5, 

 Obtain a haversack and fill it with provisions. .V five mile- 

 walk will bring you to the Ausable Pond, where you can 

 build a good ' 'camp" and make your headquarters. Thence 

 you can make delightful excursions in every direction. 



8. W. Ball. 



Fish Pap.asites — Warren County. N. Y— It has been 

 quite a mystery for years to know what are destroying the 

 fish in several ponds and streams among the Adirondacks. 

 urier I investigated the matter. 1 found several 

 thousand dead fish, and on opening them I found some- 

 thing like a leech wound around the stomach of each one, 

 and in some there were as many as six, tied into knots 

 around the intestines so as to stop "all circulation, and caus- 

 ing death. They are white and look like fat with a line 

 through the center like a vein; they are from two to six 

 inches long, and from an eighth to hall' an inch wide, and 

 frcm oii'V-thirt'; second to cm -eighth J: an inch thick After 

 being taken , out they will live from four to ten hours. The 

 greatest mystery to me is that they are outside the gut and 

 inside the fish. The question is how do they get there? — 

 Andrew Lackey. 



MAJOR JOSEPH VERITY. 



CHAP. TTI. 



AYniEN game became scarce m the region whore I was 

 T born, I used to make frequent and extended trios into 

 Adironda, sWilderness which has been made f-imau-; by the 

 exploits of a divine whom I have often met there and hunted 

 with. I remember very well having a canoe race with him 

 across a certain lake, in which neither of our lighl craft 

 touched the water once iu ten rods. Modesty forbids my 

 declaring Which of us won, but my clerical friend gave me 

 credit for being almost I he best paddler lie ever saw. We 

 had another trial of skill in running up the Phantom Falls, 

 when, as we were abreast, he got the belter of me in a rather 

 unfair way. by taking hold of the tail o f a big trout which 

 was just then scaling the cataract, 1 think lie learned this 

 trick of his favorite guide, who was accustomed to catching 

 deer in this way. My reverend friend was very expert with 

 the ride and no less so with the long bow. which he would, 

 draw with any man I ever saw. lie prided himself on his 

 skill as an angler, and I once saw him give a trout the butt 

 in a very effective manner. He was casting from a. boat and 

 hooked a big fellow, which somehow, after bending ths rod 

 into a double circle, got behind him, when he made a vigor- 

 ous pull, and the fish as it came out of the water, struck him 

 a span below the hinder suspender buttons and fell stunned 

 into the boat. 



Speaking of fishing reminds me of an incident of my 

 salmon fishing when by invitation I was enjoying that sport 

 with my friend, the Earl of Brotmerow in the watej 

 Restigouche. I had hooked an enormous fish, and followed 

 him in his mad run downstream, over boulders and in the, 

 stream sometimes up to my chin, when at last I brought him 

 up to the shore of a deep, wide pool, with my rod upright 

 and the salmon almost at my feet. He then started on a. 

 fierce rush straight, across the pool, and I, grown very des- 

 perate, jumped astride his tail and bore upward aud" back- 

 ward upon him with all the strength my tackle would bear. 

 But it had next to no effect as to checking the tremendous 

 speed, and he struck and grounded upon the further shore. 

 which was shoal, with such force that. I was thrown over his 

 head and the tree-tops so far into the woods, and was so 

 stunned by the fall, that when I recovered my senses and got 

 back to him, he was quite spoiled, for the weather was very 

 hot. However, I was somewhat compensated for the loss of 

 the fish by finding five others so gorged upon his carcass that 

 I captured them all as easily as one would pick up a nest of 

 young field mice. 



I had once a rather singular adventure with panthers in 

 Adironda. I had followedtwo of these animals for a week 

 without being able to get a shot at them, when at last I came 

 suddenly upon them in a windfall, lying fast asleep; in fact, 

 so exhausted were they that they seemed to be in a sort of 

 lethargy. Close to them was a" stout tree, the top of which 

 was bent to the earth by a larger one which had fallen 

 upon it. Across the bent tree I tied their tails together 

 firmly with a thong of leatherwood bark, and then with my 

 hatchet cut the top of the tree free, when the two beasts 

 were suddenly hoisted aloft, and as suddenly awakened, and 

 then began such a cat-clawing and caterwauling as I doubt 

 was never seen or heard before. The forest echoed for miles 

 with the terrible uproar of the conflict, and the air was so 

 full of flying fur that it was like a yellow mist, through 

 which it was impossible to get a distinct view of the com- 

 batants. At last the sounds grew fainter, then ceased, and 

 when the fur had settled, I saw that there were only the two 

 tails with some shreds of skin attached, left hanging to the 

 tree, and these tails were all that I had to show for my week's- 

 tramp. 



I had many adventures with bears, among which I re- 

 member distinctly one when an old she bear with cubs 

 chased me around a monster tree some fir teen feel in diam- 

 eter. I found it impossible to get a shot at her 'ill I gave 

 my gun a smart blow against the tree and bent it .o that it 

 conformed to the curve of the tree's eircuiuferenco. Then I 

 fired low, and on my next circuit found lac bear dead, shot 

 through from end 'to end. But the ball kept Hying round 

 the tree and whistled twice past my head as 1 stooped over 

 the bear, when I crawled out of it's range on my bands and 

 knees. I do not know how long it, might have' kept m its 

 circular course if the he bear had not conic up to snuff his 

 dead mate, when it lodged in him aud killed him 'this was 

 the only time that I ever killed two bears with one bullet. 



I am reminded by this of an encounter which I once had 

 with another she boar near my own house. I set out on foot 

 one morning in spring to call" on my friend, the Governor of 

 our State, who lived some five mile's away on the other side 

 of the mountain. | The Governor prided himself much on 

 the excellence of his kitchen garden, and greatly desired a 

 certain kind of bean, which, though of no more than ordi- 

 nary size when dried, would so swell in cookiug that a half 

 dozen of them would furnish a meal for a hearty man. As 

 it providentially happened I carried alone a pocket full of 

 these to give him. I took a light low ling piece ami some 

 small shot, thinking I might secure some specimens of 

 migratory birds, then on their way to tin- north, but never 

 dreaming of seeing anything more formidable than a wood- 

 cock. Suddenly as I was wending my < areless way along 

 the woodland path, a huge and vicious she bear in shed 

 the forest behind me and pursued me with evident intention 

 of mischief. I knew that my small .shot could have no 

 effect upon her hut to increase her rage, aud I thought, my- 

 self iu for a. hand-to-hanrl fight; hut just OS she seemed .-.: 

 to overtake me. it occurred to me thai, my beans might I 

 msh a means of deliverance, and 1 hastily slipped a haudfnl 

 into each barrel. As she came close upon me open-mouthed 

 I turned and let fly both charges down her throat. This 

 checked, somewhat, but did not stop, her pursuit, which 

 she kept up for a mile or more, till I was nearly winded, and 

 was begining to think that my lasi pom- chance was my 

 pocket knife, when I heard a muffled report like the explo- 

 sion of a torpedo under water. Lookiug behind me I saw 

 my pursuer was burst asunder ami kicking her last. The 

 warmth and moisture of her stomach had swelled the beans 

 I its power of containing them, When I arrived at, 

 the Governor's and related to him iny adventur 

 him what seed remained, he at once named iheru the 

 beans." and they proved themselves worthy of the name, for 

 they did bear most wonderfully. 



I once killed a bear in Adironda. which was the most re- 

 1 ile furred animal that 1 ever saw. There 

 as much hair on the inside of the pi ll ..- on 

 claws were covered with fur, ami even his eyeballs had a 

 fine and dease coating of it. A drop of the 



would in. a short time taring out a growth oi hair on 

 the smoothest face and even on the patm of the band To 

 its wonderful powers of capillar stimulation I doubt uot 

 that 1 owe my life, as 1 shall hereafter relate. 



