March 33, 1893.] 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



249 



IN THE WILDS OF POTTER. 



As springtime drew near, with fitful spells of sunshine 

 and showers, George and I became xery impatient. All 

 through tlie long winter we had discussed and planned 

 for a fishing trip in the wilds of Potter county, Pa. 



emerged from the woods into Bailey's clearing, on Cross 

 Fork Creek. That gentleman met us with a pleasant 

 smile and invitation for tlie ladies, a.t least, to take ad- 

 vantage of his hospitahty. But they stood firm and de- 

 clared their intention, of sleeping that night in the tent. 

 So George and I selected a green spot just at the edge of 



As early as April 1, our arrangements were complete, I the wood, pitched the tent'and made the bed of hemlock 

 our bill of fare filed, and the date of departure from busi- ' feathers. Before the ladies had returned from Bailey's, 

 ness cares fixed for June 15. During this time my father where they had been arraying themselves in camp 

 and Mr. (),, having heard of our intentions, expressed a clothes, as they called themi wo had things unpacked 



,1-,.^.. +„.,.o..,,.,.n„.r... ... „ . ....... ^^^^ prctty good shape. They took hold'with us and 



an liour before sunset we Avere "in camp" in every sense 

 of the word, and as the sun cast its parting rays into that 

 beautiful valley they fell on four hungry travelers seated 

 around a rough table laden with hot potatoes, salt pork 

 fried with trout, home-made bread, eggs, fresh butter 

 and a large pitcher of fresh milk from Bailey's new milch 



desire to accompany us, and as a matter of course their 

 company was very acceptable, and matters were arranged 

 accordingly. Our bill of fare was altered so as to appease 

 the hunger and supply the wants of four fishermen instead 

 of two. 



On the evening of June 14 we held a council and decided 



that a large packing trunk should be delivered at my 



liouse, and all articles should be brought or sent there cows. 



from e^ch of the other parties. In short, I was to pack After this hearty supper we sat and chatted until gloom 

 the things and see that a drayman took them to the 1 -M darkened into night and the moon cast her silvery fight 

 P. M. train, the foUoAvmg day. While I was thus engaged upon the forest-covered hills dimly outlined about us. 

 word came that father was engaged with a very sick The ladies now began to look tired, and after several ill- 

 patient, whose condition would not alli3w of his lea^dng concealed ya.wns, retired to their room in the tent, 

 (for any great length of time) for several days. This A\'as : George and I listened, fully expecting to hear a scream, 

 sad news. However, I went on packing and without ' as toads Avere abundant, and they were quite likely to see 

 making any alterations on account of one of the party one or step on one. But no, for some time the only sound , 



having dropped out. Brit when the news came next that came from that quarter was the hum of their voices, j ling their lines. Nevertheless we had a fine time and 

 morning that it would be impossible for Mr. O. to accom- j accompanied by an occasional giggle. They called out ' took several trout, more than enough for dinner and 

 pany us, I felt my patience giving away. Wliat were we ! "Good-night" to us again and then all quite still. George supper. 



to do? What on earth could George and I do with all and I sat up for an hour or so longer, planning for the We returned to camp about 1 o'clock and ate our dinner, 

 tliat gi'ub? (It never occurred to me that there were too morrow's sport and congratulating' ourselves on the good ' George declared it was going to rain, and said we would 



Everything being quiet in the ladies' department, we 

 decided to give the stream a trial before breakfast. It 

 was not necessary to go far from camp, the stream was 

 not ten yards off'; here we began to fish. Ten minutes 

 elapsed without success, then came a wild J hoot from 

 George. Looking through an opening in the shrubbery, 

 I caught sight of his bald head. He stood with legs apart, 

 one foot in his hat, and with a face and general attitude 

 that spoke volumes, the cause of which soon came to view 

 in the shape of an 11-inch trout, flopping and squirming 

 about, almost bending Ins 7oz. rod double. Soon an- 

 other fair-sized one followed into his basket oxit of the 

 same pool. 



My tm-n came after a Avhile, and I killed a nice one. 

 The sport continued with good success for about an hour, 

 when we heard a blast from the tin horn we had brought 

 for the purpose. Knowing this to be the signal for break- 

 fast, we turned our steps campward. There we found 

 breakfast in waiting and our wives in a terrible state of 

 anxiety to go fishing. George and I had made a. very fair 

 catch a,h-eady, so we arranged to go all up stream and de- 

 vote the forenoon to exploring its headwaters and romp- 

 ing through the woods. This pleased the ladies and we 

 were soon on our way. Of course we all carried fishing 

 tackle, but the ladies did the most of their fisliing in the 

 trees, and George and I spent the most of our timeuntang- 



many cigars.) It 

 was now 10 o'clock 

 and I knew very 

 well that in so 

 short a time I could 

 not find two 

 friends to make up 

 the party. My wife 

 tried to console me; 

 but no; our minds 

 were made up to go 

 that day and all 

 arrangements had 

 been made. After 

 telling her this, 

 she quietly left me. 

 Suddenly s h e 

 returned and I 

 saw a xjuzzled look 

 in her face. "What 

 is it?" I asked. "I 

 was going to sug- 

 gest a plan to help 

 you out." "Well, 

 Avhat is it?" "Why 

 couldn't Mrs. 

 George and I go 

 with you, I neA'^er 

 went camping, but 

 I feel sm'e I would 

 enjoy it, and I can 

 soon run over and 

 ascertain Mrs. G.'s 

 views." This Avas 

 a plan that had 

 never entered my 

 mind. As briefly 

 as possible I ex- 

 plained to her 

 some of tlie hard- 

 ships of camp life, 

 and reminded her 

 that she had not 

 long been out of 

 the doctor's care. 

 With a laugh she 

 ran away saying 

 thej'' could stand 

 it if George and I 

 Avould put up Avith. 

 them. While she 

 was arranging 

 with Mrs. G. I 

 rushed olT to find 

 father, and inquire 

 into the advisa- 

 bility of taking ray Avife. After a moment's thought he 

 said: "If you are careful, and don't let her get tired out, 

 I think a trip of that kind aa^U do her more good than all 

 the medicine in the world." I tore back like mad. Wife 

 had returned and brought George and Mrs. George Avith 

 her. They AA'ere all of one mind". Very soon the immense 

 trunk Avas repacked to suit the accommodations of the 

 fenimine contingent, and in another hour we were on the 

 way, winding, curving, twisting in and out of the valleys, 

 dotted here and there Avith Avild cherry in fuU bloom, and 

 numerous Avild shrubs arrayed in pink and Avhite. Half 

 the time the engine was in full sight, now creeping close 

 to a boimcing brook, now climbing laboriously uj) the 

 steep mountain grades. 



At 8:15 we puffed into Coudersport, seated ourselves in 

 the "free bus to the Glassmire," and were soon gathered 



AFTER THE SPECKLED BEAUTIES. 

 Fourth Prize, Forest and Stream Amateur Photography Competition. 



Photo by Db. J. :\Iax Mueller, West Chester, Pa. 



weather and success that had thus far attended oiu- trij). 

 After finishing our smoke we crept cautiously to the 

 ladies' end of the tent to listen. All was stiU, and Ave 

 concluded to turn in. Soon George's regular breathing 

 denoted the fact that he Avas fast asleep, and I was not 

 long in foUoAving snit. 



I awoke slowlj' and with a sense of cool freshness, akin 

 to a chill, creeping over me. I sat upright, yawned, 

 stretched and gazed about. All was quite dark except 

 the entrance curtain of the tent, on Avhich the dying 

 camp-fire cast lights and shadows that danced and gal- 

 loped about, forming themselves in grotesque shapes, now 

 fluttering like a wounded bird, noAv standing for a moment 

 fixed as though painted on the canvas, then disappearing 

 like magic. " Hoo-hdo-Jioo-o-oP' came the lonely sound 



- - - , of the hoot owl's song, as if hooting at the arrival of an- 



around the luxurious table of that most exceUent hotel. I other day and his consequent retirement. After a pro- 

 We spent the eA^ening in the pleasant parlors and retired I longed silence, broken only by the murmm- of the brook, 

 early. Here let me say a Avord of advice to those who j then came the soft, sweet twitter of a robin perched some- 

 may contemplate a fishing excursion in Potter county, Avhere among the trees above us. First Ioav and discon- 

 Pa. Coudersport is undoubtedly the center from which | nectedly, then louder and sweeter, and at last, as if over- 



to proceed to any of the most proUfic streams. Mr. 

 Glassmire you Avifi find to be a most accommodating and 

 congenial host. Having resided in this part of the 

 country for over thirty years he is an excellent guide and 

 Avill take great interest and care in directing you to good 

 fishing groimds. He has a fine livery in connection with 

 the hotel. You will do well to imt yom-self in liis care. 



We arose early next morning and after breakfasting 

 on brook trout Avere soon speeding along over the beauti- 

 ful covmtry behind a spanking team of bays. The driver 

 informed us that our trimk and luggage had preceded us 

 several hours on the stage and wave to be left off at 

 CherrA' Springs, a sort of sportsman's inn. seventeen 

 mUes from Coudersport. Plere Ave dined, and, remoAang 

 the back seat of the rig, strapped the trunk and luggage 

 in its place, the stage haA'ing taken a course not lead- 

 ing to our destination, which lay six miles further to 

 the southeast. George and I walked. Tlie roads were 



joyed at the coming birth of another day, he broke forth 

 into a volume of song that echoed and re-echoed through 

 the wood, and seemed to fill the fresh, forest-scented 

 morning air with heaven. Out popped thousands of little 

 heads from under doAvny Avings, and in another moment 

 the whole world seenied to be full of song. The shadows 

 on the canvas groAv fainter and fainter until put to shame 

 by "the firet rosy tints of morn." I rose and threw open 

 the curtain just as the sun peeped above the horizon. The 

 trees, the grass, the field daisies and Ifiies, wore a look 

 of exquisite splendor, clad, as they were, in sparkling 

 gems of dew; and in return for the heaven-sent gift fiU- 

 mg the calm, fresh an- with perfume, 



George and I Avere soon at the brook, ducking pur hands 

 and arms into the cold water and splashing it over our 

 heads and necks. Ough! how cold it was. However, the 

 reaction set in after firm rubbing with towels; and then 

 we glowed like boiled lobsters. The chfll left and then 



not quite So good here and it was 4 o'clock before Ave came a f eehng that I am at loss to express. I was happy. 



have to spend the 

 remainder of the 

 day in preparing 

 for it. There were 

 scA-eral piles of old 

 cherry lumber 

 standing in a 

 neighboring field 

 Avhich Mr. Bailey 

 said we were wel- 

 come to, and cotdd 

 nse for fire-Avood 

 if Ave hked. So the 

 balance of the day 

 Avas spent in con- 

 structing a house, 

 which consisted of 

 two rooms; dining 

 and kitchen re- 

 spectively, with 

 door opening from 

 dining room into 

 the tent, Avhich 

 was noAv^ entirely 

 used for sleeping 

 rooms. We left an 

 opening in the 

 outer wall of the 

 kitchen in order to 

 admit the light 

 and warmth of our 

 evening camp-fire. 

 This done, we 

 made several rude 

 chairs, a stationary 

 table and several 

 shelves. Every- 

 thing was very 

 crude, but served 

 our purpose admir- 

 ably. One of the 

 most serviceable 

 articles we had in 

 camp Avas a small 

 sheet iron stove, 

 Avhich Ave had 

 made for the pur- 

 pose. It was I8in. 

 wide, 24in. long, 

 and about 18in. 

 high, bottomless, 

 and Avith a small 

 stove-pipe to 

 match. This we 

 removed to our 

 new kitchen. 



Evening came and with it a slight shower, after which 

 we repaired to a large pool near at hand. The pool lay 

 calm and peaceful, reflecting the angry clouds as they 

 sped swiftly over the evening sky, and gathering to her 

 bosom the deep shades of night. ' Occasionally an ash fly 

 emerges from the deep forest and flutters— all unconscious 

 of his fate — over the pool. Midway he hesitates, falters, 

 and seems about to fall to the Avater. After scA^eral aAvk- 

 ward dives he recovers his equilibrium and proceeds on 

 his way. But his reneAved vitality proves to be of short 

 duration, as he soon sinks again to the water. In a 

 moment the placid surface is ruffled. A trout fuU lOin. 

 long has risen clear of the Avater, disappearing the next 

 instant in j)ossession of the fly. We Avatched these pro- 

 ceedings for some time and then began Avith great expec- 

 tations to wliip the pool. To our chagrin and amazement 

 we could not coax a single rise. In vain Ave changed our 

 flies and exerted our skill. For some reason, still a 

 mystery and source of speculation to me, we were unable 

 to take a single trout from the pool that evening. In sev- 

 eral instances natural flies Avere taken within a f eAv inches 

 of our oAvn good imitations. HoweA'er, we kept on pa^ 

 tiently until the darkness forced us to return to camp. 



The following day broke clear and warm, and we ar- 

 ranged for another trip up stream, George tried to induce 

 the ladies to Avear theu- gossamer coats, again prophesying 

 rain, but they declinpd them. We left camp about 6 

 o'clock and fished slowly and carefully, all keeping to- 

 gether until about 10 o'clock, when it began to sprinkle, 

 and the ladies sought shelter under some thick hemlock 

 foliage. George and I Avent up stream a little further, 

 taking trout on all sides of us. The sport became so liA-ely 

 that we forgot our wives until the storm became so vio- 

 lent that it spoiled the fishing. 



The rain was descending in torrents. However, we Avere 

 wet to the skin, and instead of seeking shelter we hurried 

 off: to find the ladies. Not finding them under the hem- 

 locks we hm-ried along doAvn stream and soon overtoo\ 

 them. George did not suppress his laughter at sight of 

 them, and soon had us aU ataited. We dragged ourselv* s 



