104 



FOHEST AND STREAM. 



[Am Ti, 1891. 



ever having been there before us. Being unused to such 

 loads our locomotion was not rapid, and our rests were 

 frequent. 



While upon our tramp we came upon a porcupine, 

 killed by lightning— or in modern phrase, electrocution- 

 ized. How did we know the lightning had killed ii? 

 Although there were no Indians in our party to interpret 

 signs, the proof was before us, Lightnmg had struck a 

 tree splintering it to the ground, and at its foot lay the 

 dead porcupine. 



At Figure Eight Pond our guide had a boat hidden 

 in the bushes, and on it we piled our duffle, as "Ness- 

 muk" would call our equipments. 



Figure Eight Pond, a celebrated resort for deer to 

 feed — where I saw seven at one time but killed none — is 

 on a branch of Salmon River, which here runs south 

 through Lilypad Pond, EaggedLake, etc., and then turns 

 nearly north, emptying into the' St. Lawrence below St. 

 Regis. 



Being relieved of evei'ything except our guns, we made 

 better progress, and in due time reached the shanty on 

 Ragged Lake, where we found two excellent guides, who 

 soon had a welcome repast of trout and veniaon, which 

 our long tramp enabled us to enjoy to the full. 



One of the guides that came with us became so lone- 

 some and homesick for a certain damsel he had left be- 

 hind that he was allowed to return, and his place was 

 much more than filled by the two guides found at the 

 shanty on our arrival. 



Our party of six consisted of J. R. Wiltsie, of New- 

 burgh, N. Y. : Jas. G. Wood and the writer, of Pough- 

 keepsie, N. Y,, with A. Sprague, H. Bellows and Burt. 

 Blatchley, three most excellent guides, though Burt, 

 would swear awfully and drink all the whisky he could 

 get, as we particulaily learned afterward. 



Here we passed seven days of real enjoyment, taking 

 trout — real salmon-colored ones, and highly flavored— by 

 day and floating for deer at night. Each of us had more 

 or less severe attacks of "buck fever," but om- rough 

 tables never lacked either venison or trout. Neither was 

 the surplus of either allowed to spoil. Our triisty and 

 active guides, who understood the business, built a stone 

 smoke-house of small but sufficient dimensions, laid 

 sticks across the top, and on these the meat, cut into 

 strips, with the trout properly dressed, and slightly 

 salted, were laid, and the whole covered with thick 

 bark. A slow fire was kindled in the pit and kept burn- 

 ing till all were partly cooked and well di-ied. In this 

 condition either will keep for months, and when eaten 

 at home is a pleasant reminder of camp scenes and life. 



The exact number or pounds of trout we took I cannot 

 give, but of deer we killed but five, which no one can say 

 was extravagant, and to prove that none was wasted, my 

 recollection is that we packed out of the woods some 

 701b3. _ 



During our stay we had many pleasant, and some not 

 so pleasant, experiences, I well remember taking Wilt- 

 sie in the little tub of a dugout and going down th.e lake 

 some distance to look for a deer that 1 felt sure I had 

 killed the night before. In order to get on shore the 

 little dugout was puAed vi^on a bog, from which 1 

 stepped to another, and so on to hard ground, leaving W, 

 in the stern. The contents of the lake at this point was 

 neither water nor earth, being too thick to drink or wash 

 with, and too thin to walk upon, color black, and rather 

 thicker than molasses. 



While out in the thick bushes looking for my deer, a 

 smothered cry for helj) reached my ears. I rushed back 

 to the shore, and in spite of the situation was compelled 

 to indulge in a hearty laugh. There was W. in the black 

 muck, having upset the dugout, vainly attempting to 

 right the boat, or get on to it, holding on with one hand 

 and fighting mosquitoes for dear hfe with the other, and 

 no ground to stand upon, looking more like a bear than 

 the one we attempted to catch on the other lake. By our 

 united efforts the boat was righted, and we paddled back 

 to the shanty. But suck a looking object I never saw 

 before nor since, black from head to heels, while the 

 thin muck had saturated every article of clothing, filling 

 both boots and every pocket about him. As we did not 

 have many changes of clothing he was allowed to keep 

 his bunk while his clothes were cleansed and dried. No 

 more tub dugouts for hini. The writer has but little to 

 say as he came near having a much more, if not fatal, 

 experience, in that same thick composition of water and 

 muck. 



Having satisfied our most sanguine hopes as to the 

 sport, health, scenery, etc., we returned to the hotel and 

 thence to Upper Ctiateaugay Lake, which at that time 

 was in a primeval state with the exception of a single 

 shanty — long since a ruin and its location almost un- 

 known. 



I thought then, and still think, it the most beautiful 

 body of water, with its surroundings, I ever saw. High 

 hills nearly all around it, with thick forest down to the 

 water's edge which no axe had ever touched, nor steamer 

 plowed its waters. 



We made no attempt for deer, but trout were nearly as 

 abundant as in Ragged Lake, but not of the same color 

 or flavor. 



I visited Ragged Lake in 1859 for the last time, for 

 soon after the lumbermen built a dam which ruined its 

 waters so as to destroy the old localities and ruin it for 

 sport for many years to come. It is now owned by a 

 chartered club, I believe. 



The waters of Upper Chateaugay have also been raised 

 considerably by a dam at the lower lake, where several 

 charcoal furnaces are running and consuming the for- 

 ests of the smrrounding mountains, so that barrenness has 

 taken the place of living verdure. 



Perhaps in the aggregate more pleasure is obtained on 

 the Upper Chateaugay at the present time than when our 

 party was there, for noW' it has its thousands of annual 

 visitors, where it then had its tens. 



There are more hotels and near a dozen villas and cot- 

 tages now surround it. Still I know of no more delight- 

 ful place to spend a vacation than there. Fishing is 

 fairly good, while bear, deer and partridge in their sea- 

 son are occasionally met with. 



I have said so much concerning this my first visit that 

 I must omit all notice of later visits to these waters and 

 to other portions of the Adirondacks. J. H. D. 



POUGHKEBPSIE, Juue, 1891. 



A Book About Indiaists.— The Forest and Sttieam will mail 

 freeon apphcacioa a descriptive circular of Mr. GrinnelTs book, 

 "Pawneie Hero Stories and folk-tales," giving a table of contents 

 ftnd specimen illustrations fi'om the volume.— 4 do. 



CIRCUMNAVIGATING THE ADIRON- 

 DACKS. 



I HAD promised that without fall I would "report in 

 person" on or before the 29th of July at Potsdam, 

 N. Y. This involved a long and so often made railway 

 journey from my abiding place in Brooklyn that my reso- 

 lution to make it was subjected to considerable strain, 

 when shortly after making the promise inducements of 

 a very tempting nature were held out to me to make a 

 different journey at the same time. The business which 

 called me to Potsdam could be successfully transacted 

 even if I were not on hand, so long as the other parties 

 to it were. The other business I was assured would fall 

 through without me. 



With a slight, very slight hope that I might so arrange 

 that I might miss neither, I suggested to the friends whom 

 I was to meet at Potsdam a postponement, presenting 

 vividly the hardship to me of being compelled to give up 

 the fu'st and only chance for an outing in the Adu'on- 

 dacks that has come to me in a vtry long time; that it 

 was nearly three years since I had smelt the balsam or 

 "wet a line;" that the trip was "really necessary for my 

 health," etc. But I made no impression upon them. The 

 answer was this: "We would be very sorry indeed not to 

 have you present, but the day is fixed, the cards ready for 

 mailing, the clergyman engaged, and we intend to be on 

 hand at the appointed hour, high noon," 



That settled it. I cleared for my den, lit my pipe and 

 cogitated. Of course I would go to Potsdam — but, and 

 the brilliant idea switched on to my brain circuit — why 

 not go the woods also? Wby not carry out both schemes? 



Considering the Adirondacks as a big cyclone, I am in 

 its southeast quadrant, Potsdam in its northwest; from 

 S. E. to N, W, IS a straight line; a straight line is — on 

 paper— the shortest line between two points. It would be 

 plain sailing from here to the neighborhood of the cen- 

 ter— say Blue Mountain Lake; thence out, if I could be- 

 lieve the "Health and Pleasure" book of the New York 

 Central, for there in "Excursion 768" to "Bine Mountain 

 Hou^ie and return to New York," the mode of travel and 

 cost is given; and part of the route is from Norwood, very 

 near Potsdam and on the same road. But as I gathered 

 up my reminiscences of travel in this section, or rather 

 in what I so thought, I was puzzled not a little. I have 

 years ago gone through to the only Blue Mountain House 

 that I ever heard of, that on the north side of Blue Moun- 

 tain Like, in Hamilton county, and my route to it involved 

 many miles of boating and tramping, lucky when now 

 and then, here and there, I could piece out with a buck- 

 board or woods wagon over genuine woods roads. 



Stoddard's map did not help me. What I wanted was 

 on it, but I didn't see it, for I failed to look in the right 

 place and contented myself with a search all around 

 Blue Mountain House for any road or any place that a 

 road could be put, except the one to Lon^ Lake. Nor 

 could I find within stage range any "Sprang Cove" as 

 given as starting point for stage. 



So I gave up that route and wrote to Mr. Stoddard for 

 a solution of my puzzle. His rejily, received since my 

 return, has enlightened me. There is another Blue 

 MouQtain, and a newer Blue Mountain House in Frank- 

 lin county, to be reached by the new route to Paul 

 Smith's, the Northern Adirondack Railroad, but it was 

 not the one I wanted. The Prospect House, Hollands and 

 the easy route to the Raquette and its delightful resorts are 

 "not in it," and the Blue Mountain House, that I have 

 had good times in, is not that one but another one, and 

 I'm glad that I didn't save money by buying excursion 

 No. 768 ticket. There is a Rome in Italy, and one in 

 New York, yet when one speaks of a winter in Rome, one 

 don't generally speaking mean the New York city of that 

 name. 



Losing confidence in time-tables, of which I had ob- 

 tained too many, representing apparently opposing in- 

 terests, I cut adrift from them, and determined to go it 

 alone; and as I planned and cogitated, an attack of spring 

 fever came to me, and I resolved to start at once, and if 

 the center of that cyclone could not be quickly crossed I 

 would do as I've had to do in real cyclones, trust to 

 Providence and the impulses and chances of the mo- 

 ment to come out safe on the other side. 



Thus I planned: I must be in Potsdam on the even- 

 ing of the 28th ; it is now the 23d. I have six days. I can 

 have a splendid time if I start at once by the sleeper to 

 North Creek, leaving this evening 7 :30 ; turn out at 6 A.M. , 

 catch the tally -ho or perhaps a seat on a buckboard if 1 

 can't get the top seat with the stage driver, breakfast at 

 North River, if as good as the dinner I got the last time 

 I came out will suit, reach Plollands after a "glorious 

 drive" in time for dinner; then if Henry Taylor has got 

 telegram and is not employed he will be there with his 

 skiff, and we will spend the afternoon of the 24th rowing 

 down to the Raquette; and there's many a deep hole in 

 the big lakes, and spring hole in Eagle and Utawanna, 

 and the river that I, and many more that Taylor knows; 

 and the chances are that when we pull out at Ned Ben- 

 nett's, Under the Hemlocks, we will have a few — not 

 many— good-sized trout, and the certainties ar^ that I 

 shall have greatly enjoyed the exercise of casting for 

 them. Even if our basket is bare (and I can hardly be- 

 lieve that the rapids along Bassett's Carry will fail me 

 altogether) Bennett's lai-der seldom is. and I am reason- 

 ably sure of a supper of good trout well cooked. 



Then for a loaf and smoke on the pleasant front piazza, 

 a comfortable night's rest, and an early morning start on 

 the 25th for Forked Lake, We will dine at Fletcher's, 

 and if he gives me a poor dinner it will be his first at- 

 tempt in that line; then down the lake to the carry to 

 Raquette River; and I'll go over again— in memory— an 

 adventure I once upon a time had on that carry, when I 

 encountered a tornado; and that part of it will be 

 pleasanter to think of and remember than it was to go 

 through. A whole forest of trees of all sizes standing 

 quietly on their bases has no terrors for me, but when 

 trees of all sizes, from saplings to big ones, begin a skirt 

 dance that soon develops into aerial flights, and rain 

 every drop a bucketful precedes and follows, trees have 

 no charms for me. We will probably have time to get 

 down as far Buttermilk Falls, and even if we stop short 

 there are several No. 1 spring holes; and if he is still 

 living and there, the old fellow who runs the stoneboat 

 carry for skiffs (whose name I forget, but know he was 

 tall, for the trousers his very deaf wife loaned me while 

 she dried mv soaked outfit, wouW button around my 

 ; neck), will, I feel sure, give us a cot in the attic, and 

 i cook my trout for. supper and breakfast. And then the 



morning will be the seventh day, and I will either rest, 

 go fishing, or more likely si art for Tupper's Lake, thr-ough 

 it and the other one, and if I can't get through to Paul 

 Smith's for the night I can, I think, to Childwood, on the 

 dear little Massawepie, where, nearly thirty years ago, 

 under the guidance of one of the Gale family, l saw and 

 killed my first and only deer (for I don't like to kill them; 

 1 like venison, and I like beef, but I would rather some 

 one else would do the butchering). And whether it be 

 Paul Smith's or Childwood, I shall be sure of a ph asant 

 evening, and will still have Monday and part of Tuesday 

 to "pull and haul on," and the Northern Adirondack 

 Railroad will "do all the rest," with a liitle help from 

 Rome & Watertown. 



Thus, and lots more thus, I planned, and the whole 

 journey seemed as easy as an ordinaxy one. 



I made up my mind on the jump; confided to my wife's 

 care and trunk such of my costume as would be needed 

 at the wedding, to which she too was going, but by the 

 ordinary route; got my gripsack packed, and at about 

 6 P. M. demanded of the Delaware & Hudson R. R. ticket 

 agent, "A ticket and berth to North Creek, by 7:80 train." 



He looked at me a moment m a way which coupled 

 with what he said, displeased me, "There's no such train." 



"But there is, I have been over tbe route before." 



"Yes, that may be; lots of peoj)!e went over it last year." 

 And he handed me a time table to confirm his statement, 

 and pointed out that I couldn't start until 11:59 P. M , 

 which to me meant that of my seven days' leave of 

 absence, I could use but one minute of one of them. 



I retired to a corner with the time table, a disgusted 

 man; and my disgust was not reduced when I found that 

 at the very best 1 could not help being just one day 

 behindhand on all of my itinerary. I could loaf away the 

 evening till midnight — and I had seen "Wang" and all 

 the other shows worth seeing; I could turn out at Albany 

 6 something A. M.; leave Saratoga at 10, and by good 

 luck reach Hollands just about the time I had hoped and 

 expected to reach Bennett's; and not an inch of boating 

 nor a minute's fishing. Not a trout! It was "tolerable 

 and not to be endured." 



Another idea came to me. As my supposed thorough 

 knowledge of the entire woods to the westward of the 

 Adirondack Railroad had proved a dead failure, I began 

 to think that 1 didn't know anything about it, and made 

 up my mind to learn something. And to do that I would 

 explore new fields, and this is the trip which in mind I 

 substituted: Go to Schroon Lake instead; trust then to 

 some one who knows something (I was sure I could get to 

 Schroon Lake alone), and find a way to get over to the 

 Delaware & Hudson Canal Co. road, to strike it if jiossi- 

 ble at Baldwin; thence by boat or train, whichever 

 seemed most feasible, and spend the night and next day 

 at Ausable Chasm; then from Port Kent by rail or boat, 

 according to which I didn't take before to Plattsburgh. 

 Then by the Chateaugay road, a novel woods trip into 

 the heart of the grand old Adirondacks, enjoying every 

 mile of the journey to Paul Smith's and onwaixl. This 

 plan, with some modifications, I carried out; but the 

 "grand old Adirondacks" which that little narrow- 



fauge took me through gave me the blues from the start, 

 or miles and miles we went through and by acres of 

 stump-covered rocks, covered with an inch or so of soil; 

 millions of boulders, piles of iron ore, and w^orst of all, 

 flock after flock of beehive-like structures, surrounded by 

 thousands of cords of timber to be transformed to char- 

 coal. It was a dismal ride; and the clearings of years; 

 ago as we neared Paul Smith's were like jewels m ani 

 ugly setting. If Dante had met me that day 4ud asked! 

 my opinion as to a good model for his road to the In- 

 ferno. I think I should have recommended a trip over the 

 Chateaugay. 



I reached Albany, Saratoga and Riverside at appointed 

 times, 6 A. M., 7:30 A. M, and noon. Staged it to Potters- 

 ville, 8 miles, where a very poor dinner did not cheer me 

 up much; then came a pleasant trip up the lake in the 

 little steamer Effingham, which I enjoyed until at one of 

 the hotel landings a large party of people with hook noses 

 swarmed aboard, and got my camx^stool and my place in 

 the bow, for as they didn't seem congenial I moved aft. 

 I was drifting and not perfectly sure where I should be 

 to-morrow; but as we drew up for one of the hotels, the 

 Grove Point House, I admired its location and pleasant 

 surroundings, and went to it, intending to go on to-mor- 

 row^ — this was on Friday. Monday morning found m& 

 still there, and I would not have left then but my time 

 was growing short. I liked my room, which was well 

 furnished, with a comfortable bed; the view from my 

 window of the mountain across the lake, the table, the 

 attention, the service, the class of guests I found, and in 

 short, the whole surroundings. 



On Saturday I took a trip to the village, a mile distant, 

 in the Effingham, the fare from this hotel being simply 

 "Thank you," In the afternoon I rowed on the lake and 

 fished, catching numerous fair-sized perch and a couple 

 of black bass. On Sunday I went to church, this time 

 tramping with a party, and each evening, for it had 

 grown cold by nightfall, we assembled in the spacious 

 parlor, where a bright wood fire made cheerfulness, and 

 were entertained with delightful vocal music by a gen- 

 tleman and wife and two young ladies from Albany, Mr. 

 and Mrs. Franklin and the Misses Gilligan and Malone,. 

 and the rendering on Sunday evening of "Gloria inexcel- 

 sis," by one of the young ladies, was superb. On Satur- 

 day evening there was a little dance as well, for Mirabile 

 dictu! there were more young men than women at this 

 favored resort, and all of them apparently good fellows.. 

 They were members of a New Jersey Athletic Club, whO' 

 take their vacation here. Y'outh so fax favored those 

 young men that they got as much fun out of catching 

 a big string of perch, as I used to before trout cut them 

 out. 



The only drawback to pleasure was sympathy with the 

 landlord, who although far better off than those of most 

 of the others on the lake, was suffering from empty 

 rooms. He had about forty guests; can take care of 

 about three times as many; but every hotel on the lake 

 was similarly afflicted, and all but one, I was told, 

 were worse off; and the fact that the seaside resorts and 

 nearly all of the watering places have this season been 

 comparatively, empty don't help any. Even at Paul 

 Smith's there were lots of rooms vacant. We talked thia 

 over on the piazzas. All agreed that the abnormally cool 

 summer was principally at fault, but there were those 

 who sought to find special cautes. I for one. Some 

 damned the McKinley bill, others the New York Central 

 Railrnad, which it was claimed was, by making access by 



