Jan. 28, 1893.] 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



76 



trout, but which now, alas! is the victim of the revenge 

 of some evil-minded person who introduced to ita waters 

 the deadly pickerel in spite toward somebody. Here I 

 met one of the most notable guides of the woods and kept 

 him in my service during my sojourn — "Chris." Crandall 

 by name. Little was known of his history, but it was 

 said that he went into seclusion because of a love affair 

 in Vermont. He was a very tall, well built man, though 

 seriously maimed, with flowing hair and beard and a 

 keen eye. While still-hunting with a friend, the old 

 story was repeated by his being mistaken for a deer, a 

 bullet was buried in his thigh, and he ten miles from anv 

 habitation, with the cold of winter chilling him and dark- 

 ness near at hand. His friend, of course, could not con- 

 duct him home, and so built a fire, made him as comfort- 

 able as possible— after taking from him all weapons with 

 which he might effect further injury upon himself, for 

 he threatened suicide— and then proceeded through the 

 woods and the darkness to obtain assistance, which did 

 not and could not arrive until morning. Then the 

 wounded leg was amputated, and the suffering man car- 

 ried home upon an improvised stretcher. His wound 

 healed and he became a most successful hunter, having a 

 record when he died a short time ago of more than twelve 

 hundred deer, many bears and not a few wolves, panthers 

 and foxes. He was also an expert trapper. He was a 

 thorough, woodsman, and no ordinary man could follow 

 his leg and crutch through the underbrush without severe 

 fatigue. His temper was at times violent, especially 

 when a person whom he might be guiding missed a good 

 shot he would fly into a paroxysm of disappointment and 

 profanity. He was a noted character in that northern 



At this juncture Mir. Ingersoll, tall, graceful and of com- 

 manding presence, arose, and in eloquent English, beau- 

 tifully modulated speech and measured words, said to 

 the Court that he appeared in "Sim's" behalf; that he did 

 not desire to submit any evidence, but if the Court pleased 

 he would state some extenuating circumstances and plead 

 for the mercy of the Court. The Justice somewhat re- 

 luctantly granted the request— reluctantly, because he 

 had been a witness to the encounter and to his mind the 

 guilt of "Sim" was clear. He was a thoroughly honest- 

 minded man, and believed in seeing justice done even, if 

 the heavens fell. Mr. Ingersoll began his plea. There 

 in that perfect stillness of the forest, that secluded 

 dell, before an audience of rare intelligence, he 

 brought his very best acumen to bear upon the Court. 

 His oratory was perfect, his voice clear and musical, 

 and his logic all-convincing, at least to one person 

 in the room. He employed all of the arts of his 

 profession to change the opinion of the Court, now prais- 

 ing, then threatening. Quotations from "the books" were 

 as many and thick as forest leaves, and technical ques- 

 tions were raised and answered with greatest ease. 

 Points which had no bearing upon the case other than to 

 befog it were raised, and the laws of Ohio dwelt upon 

 with great effectiveness, always assuming that if the 

 laws of Ohio and the laws of New York were alike— and 

 of that the venerable and learned Court could best judge 

 —then there could be no question that the plaintiff com- 

 mitted an act, such as no man who respects his own 

 honor should fail to resent, when he, the plaintiff, shook 

 his fist near "Sim's" nose. This proposition was elabor- 

 ated, and with a great flight of oratory, which held the 



THE REUBEN WOOD MONUMENT. 



t^tSSS^S^ monument which Justice Vann.of the Court of Appeals, dedicated so worthily, Is situated iu the inlet to Cranberry Lake. It Is 

 t^™^™ ^e hlo-ks of ^aiute, which reach up ahoiit twelve feet above the water. This is the itwcrft.ctoo «» w ,„w> m :i ,.m,>p Vannl 

 "In memory of Reuben Wood, a genial Gentleman and great Fisherman, who was fond of these Solitudes." * 



region of the Adirondacks, a kind of king among Court spellbound, the address was ended, twentv min- 

 gUides; a man of fair ed- J 

 ucation and a lover of 

 natural history. In a 

 book, "Camps and 

 Tramps," wbich my 

 friend wrote, he drew "a 

 somewhat amusing pic- 

 ture of "Chris." and the 

 writer of this while nav- 

 igating the rapids of the 

 river below the lake just 

 after such a rain storm 

 as is peculiar to that tract 

 of country. 



Chauncey Smith, who 

 during nearly all of his 

 eighty- six years lived at 

 or near Number Four, 

 on the west side of the 

 woods, was another noted 

 character and was more 

 widely known than Cran- 

 dall. He spent all of his 

 life in the woods, and 

 probably killed more 

 animals of all kinds than 

 any other man. He had 

 many adventures and 

 many narrow escapes. 

 During one of his wan- 

 derings on the eastern 

 side of the woods he 

 found a nugget of pure 

 silver, and it was the 

 regret of his life that he 

 was never able afterward 

 again to find the locality, 

 though he spent weeks 

 and months in searching 

 for it. His friends never 

 could understand why 

 this should be so, for on 

 all other long pilgrim- 

 ages he was never at fault in his courses, though he 

 never used a compass. He rendered material aid in the 

 composition of tne first map of the woods that was 

 published. He was fond in his old age, and while he 

 retained his mental faculties, of recounting his adven- 

 tures, many times extremely thrilling, and sufficient in 

 number and length to make a book. 



But character sketching is not my intention in prepar- 

 ing these note and observations. Yet, in the incident 

 which I am about to relate, such a phase will occur. It 

 was at Hunter's Home, a mile from Loon Lake, that 

 "Sim," a popular guide, was charged with having com- 

 mitted assault and battery upon another woodsman. A 

 constable was sent in pursuit of "Sim," who was at 

 Round Pond as guide to Mr. Ingersoll, a well-known 

 lawyer of Cleveland, Ohio. Mr. Ingersoll told the con- 

 stable that he could not then spare "Sim," that in the 

 course of time he would deliver him to the constable, 

 who thereupon took hia departure contentedly. A few 

 days later and the time of trial was appointed to take 

 place before Justice Smith at his large and desolate Hun- 

 ter's Home hotel, situated in a narrow and romantic val- 

 ley, through which a large stream flowed and where 

 gathered on Sunday the roughest human element of the 

 locality. At the appointed hour, the Justice made his 

 appearance in a large room, the only furniture of which 

 consisted of an old table, one common chair and a few 

 benches. The attendance was large. Fifty or more 

 guests of the Loon Lake Hotel, with whom "Sim" was a 

 favorite guide, were there to witness a judicial trial in 

 the wilderness. Justice Smith was a short, stubby man, 

 of many years experience in life. His large head was 

 partially covered with long silvery hair and his brass- 

 bowed glasses occupied a prominent place upon his nose, 

 though he usually dipped his head and looked over them. 

 Brown linen trousers, a coarse shirt unbuttoned at the 

 throat, a pair of suspenders and a pair of army shoes 

 made up his only apparent wardrobe. An old and dingy 

 leather-covered book, presumably his "docket," was 

 placed upon the table, and the "trial" began. The 

 complainant was called by the Justice and told his story 

 in simple language, and apparently truthful, for when he 

 reached the real merits of the case describing how when 

 "Sim" was on top of him and almost choked and pounded 

 him to death, and exhibited the remnants of a once 

 cloudy eye and discolored throat, the Justice took occa- 

 sion to verify the statement, for said he, "I seen the fight 

 from beginning to end." When the complainant had 

 finished his story, the Justice asked "Sim" if he had any- 

 thing to say, and indirectly hinted that he had no de- 

 fense, that the place for him was in the jail at Malone, 



utes from the time it was begun. It was the Justice's 

 turn to speak, and he unhesitatingly acknowledged that 

 Mr. Ingersoll had put a new "phrase" upon the affair; 

 that some points of law had been presented which seemed 

 to him like common sense. He thanked Mr. Ingersoll 

 with much earnestness, and confessed that he could see 

 how "Sim" acted in self-defense and that the assault was 

 justified. Then addressing "Sim," he said: " 'Sim,' I'm 

 going to let you go this time; but be careful next time or 

 you may go too fur." After this the justice frequently 

 called upon and counseled with Mr. Ingersoll upon legal 

 matters. Mr. Ingersoll had won his confidence, and ad- 

 vised him honestly. 



I have said that Murray's promises to invalids were a 

 delusion. His book was no sooner issued than hundreds 

 of people, followed by thousands, who were victims of 

 pulmonary trouble, sought the cure he so greatly magni- 

 fied. The pure air laden with the odors of the balsam 

 and the pine and other evergreens were held out as a 

 panacea to those whose last hope was gone as well as to 

 those who had not reached the last stages of consump- 

 tion. In the beginning of the disease it is not questioned 

 that many sufferers obtain relief, and many permanent 

 cures are effected amid these nature's restorers: but, 

 alas, how many left home and were carried in on stretch- 

 ers only to return in caskets. There is scarcely a hotel 

 in the wilderness which cannot write a sorrowful record, 

 scarcely one which a few years ago did not have more 

 the appearance of a sanitarium than a summer resort. 

 Everywhere wan faces were seen: the drain upon guests 

 for pity and sympathy was severe and universal. It was 

 perhaps merciful for this class of deluded people for the 

 hotel proprietors, after several seasons of sad experi- 

 ences, to discourage the reception of both physicians and 

 invalids within their gates, for the latter were not prone 

 to trust themselves when the former could not be found. 

 They, too, well knew what Murray's ill-considered prom- 

 ises and advice were accomplishing, as proven by the 

 many funeral trains which emerged from the woods. 



I well remember the gloom which one morning came 

 over the guests of one hotel when they were informed 

 of two deaths the previous night, one of a young lady 

 who had on the day before been a member of a boating 

 party, the other of a young man recently graduated at 

 Yale with high honors. Neither thought the end so near, 

 even, indeed, if death had been anticipated at all. The 

 aggregated death record at "Paul" Smith's alone for many 

 years past would startle the reader and stand out in pain- 

 ful contrast with the gaiety of that beautiful and most 

 popular resort. It is well that at last the public have come 

 to know the facts, that forlorn and hopeless invalids now 



but seldom seek for relief where none can be found. 

 Great as are the healing powers of the Adirondacks for 

 various troubles to which the flesh is heir, they cannot 

 restore wasted organs of the body, though in many cases 

 they may arrest the progress of serious disease. Con- 

 sumption but seldom originates in the wilderness; it is 

 said, you know, that guides never die of any disease, but 

 blow away. Long continued severe exposure may breed 

 some diseases, but who ever heard of a native afflicted 

 with pulmonary troubles? The bacteria seem to be wholly 

 in the forms of punkies, mosquitoes and black flies, with 

 an occasional deer fly— all too large to vastly increase and 

 multiply and attack the vitals, as the infinitesimal 

 miorobe is supposed to do. 



But among all of these health-giving accessories one 

 danger lurks— in the water. As much as the water is 

 extolled, it is nevertheless true, I believe, that very little, 

 if any, pure water can be found in the forest, and some 

 of it is positively dangerous to health. Poets may sing 

 of the sparkling spring, but almost universally it gives 

 off a decoction of tannic acid and albuinenoid ammonia, 

 not to speak of other impurities hardly less injurious. 

 These waters are leeched through great' depths of vege- 

 table decay and mineral deposits, and as water has a 

 most ready affinity for impurities it must necessarily 

 absorb those with which it comes in contact, even to 

 colors. The water may be "ice cold" and. as clear as 

 diamonds, but neither the eye nor the palate can pass 

 safely and absolutely upon its quality. It is the great 

 bed of muck, the product of ages, which preserves to the 

 forest its lakes and streams. It holds the rain as a 

 sponge, relinquishing them stingily and covering the 

 whole year with its leakage to springs and brooks. So 

 impregnated is the water 

 in many places with veg- 

 etable matter that when 

 exposed to a temperature 

 of seventy degrees for 

 fifty or sixty hours both 

 its taste and smell will 

 become offensive. If a 

 cube of sugar be added, 

 a white film will appear, 

 a sure indication of im- 

 purity. The extreme of 

 care ought always to be 

 employed in the selec- 

 tion and use of water, 

 for the best is none too 

 good. 



Aside from the vege- 

 table impurities which 

 water may contain, are 

 those which come from 

 various metals, particu- 

 larly lead, which is found 

 in its crude state in many 

 localities. Iron is found 

 almost every where in the 

 more mountainous parts, 

 and the oxide of iron 

 tinctures many springs. 

 Sulphur and magnesia 

 are found in considerable 

 quantities in many local- 

 ities. Most of the wilder- 

 ness is rich in mineral 

 Ueposits, not ail of which 

 are positively hurtful 

 when held in solution 

 and imbibed. 



Of economical materi- 

 als existing in the form 

 of rocks, there is lime 

 for mortar, various sub- 

 stances for clarifying 

 sugar (and adulterating it), lira stones, sand for glass 

 and for sandpaper, material for glazing earthenware, 

 porcelain clays and clays fcr firebrick, ochres and stone 

 paints, material for copperas, mica, non-conductors for 

 safes, such as asbestos and other compositions, graphite, 

 etc. Many of these are not calculated for good water 

 filters. Iron ores are found nearly throughout the entire 

 territory, without regard to the proximity of high moun- 

 tains. The magnetic ores have mainly been sought and 

 large amounts of money lost in fruitless attempts to con- 

 vert them. Now, however, there is one successful mine, 

 Benson's, near the O wegatehie Inlet, for a method for 

 concentrating the ore has been discovered. 



Probably the first attempt was made in the forest to 

 reduce iron ore soon after 1813, at the "Old Forge," at 

 the foot of the Fulton chain, by one Herreshoff, a son-in- 

 law of John Brown, once the owner of "Brown's Tract." 

 He was a wealthy and cultivated gentleman and was 

 ambitious to establish a colonial estate. To that end he 

 expended large sums of money in building mills for his 

 colony, clearing two thousand acres of land, building and 

 improving roads and introducing blooded sheep and cat- 

 tle. He induced some forty families to locate on "The 

 Manor," as he named it. He opened an iron mine and 

 constructed furnaces and machinery for reducing the 

 ore, and succeded in producing a single ton of iron. He 

 at last spent his entire fortune in vain efforts to derive an 

 income from some of his investments; but finally be- 

 coming bankrupt, and finding a draft he had drawn on 

 Eastern friends dishonored, he committed suicide. From 

 his exploits "Old Forge" takes its name, and some of the 

 remnants of his folly are still to be seen there. Vast sums 

 of money were squandered at Clarksboro, St. Lawrence 

 county, many years ago, because, a mining expert told 

 me last summer, the company did not understand the 

 location and character of their vein. In Clinton county, 

 notably at Lyon Mountain, there are mines which have 

 been worked with some success for many years, but 

 much more money, it is safe to say, has been lost in 

 "prospecting" in various places than has ever been made 

 as profits by manipulation. But new interest has been 

 awakened, and with new processes it is probable that 

 many successful developments will be made. Near 

 Clarksboro is also a considerable vein of copper, which 

 mineral has also been found in small quantities at White- 

 face and March mountains. There are, unquestionably, 

 precious metals hidden in recesses yet unfathomed, for ic 

 is a well established fact that a few specimens have been 

 found. But I do not propose to write the geology of the 

 wilderness, and have only touched some of its many 

 mysteries. 



