123 
lAua 18, igo6. 
from California seems ahnost like a voice from the 
wilderness, but it must be remembered that in our State 
the Forest and Stream has a great many friends, who 
are always glad to learn of advantageous places to in- 
dulge in the greatest of all sports. The sportsmen of 
other States raay be some day induced to try our streams. 
James Watt. 
June in the Wild Woods. 
BY PAUL TARBEL. 
"A thing of beauty is a joy forever: 
Its loveliness increases; it will never 
Pass into notliingness; but will keep 
A bower quiet for us, and a sleep 
Full of sweet dreams, and health, and quiet breathings — ■ 
An endless fountain of immortal drink, 
Pouring into us from the heaven's brink." 
This beaittiful simile is as true now as when Keats 
wrote it, and its truth will become more and more general 
as the tone of the nation's moral and intellectual standards 
improve. It is a lovable thing to have a beautiful im- 
amigatiouj but after all, beautiful fiction written by beauti- 
ful imaginations is lovable only for its portrayal of fancies 
and facts into one harmonious Avhole — as it pictures ideals 
and nature as we would like to have it in every day life. 
The fascinating qualities of Mary Johnson's ''To Have 
and to Hold" lie largely in the wonderful descriptions of 
the colonial conditions and the almost photographic repro- 
ductions of life in the wild woods. It is natural for 
humankind to yearn unconsciously, to be near to nature's 
heart. 
Many instincts lie inherent within us, which speak 
up at times to prove to us that we are after all but nature's 
children. Nature is to-day, and ever will be, what it was 
thousands of years ago. Sufficient unto the day is the 
happines.s you cati get out of it, and it were much better 
if we can see only the good things of this world and let 
the evil die for want of attention. 
I want to tell 3^011 about a country, and it is only a 
AN EMERGENCY SHACIC. 
I would wait. The thing was wonderfully, yes, fearfully, 
concocted, and why we arrived safely at camp after a 
drive of seven miles is beyond iny ken; but Bob's child- 
hke confidence in both was so captivating that each time 
after trying to knock over son^e majestic pine, instead of 
driving aroimd it, and expressing our desire to assist by 
walking the remainder of the way. Bob would exclaim, 
"No, siree. Sit still. We're all right! You can't break 
this rig." 
Just a mile from Glenbrook we passed through some 
■ . r 
AN INLAND BASS LAKE. 
woods, that presented an exceptional opportunity for a 
view. Here it is. The wind blew from the west, from 
the unknown. I turned my head and it beat against my 
forehead, cold and fragrant with the essence of the forest 
— pine and cedar, dead leaves and black mould, glen and 
hollow and hill — all the world of woods over which it had 
passed. The ghost of things long dead, which face or 
voice could never conjure up, will sometimes start across 
our path at the beckoning of an odor. 
The entire ride of seven miles was an unbroken chain 
of enchantment, but some of its fascinations were lost in 
our efforts to maintain a state of equilibrium. Bob proved 
a skillful driver — only once were we really anxious. 
And here is a picture of Camp McGregor, on the shore 
of the lake. It did not take us a great while to don our 
camping garments, and soon Ave were on the shore, re- 
viewing the grandeur of our surroundings. Before us 
lay the lake, a sheet of Avater so placid and limpid that 
it resembled a bed of the pure northern atmospJierc, com- 
pressed into a setting of hills and woods. The lake is 
about three and one-half tniles in length and from one to 
one and a half miles Avide. 
Of course, its margins Avere irregular, being indented 
by bays and broken by many projecting points. There 
is one effect such scenes ahA'ays produce, and that is 
solemn solitude and sAveet repose. On every side, look 
AA^hich ever way you will, there is nothing meets your 
vision but the mirror-like surface of the water, the placid 
view of the lieaA-ens and the dense setting of the woods. 
So rich and fleecy Avere the outlines of the forest that 
scarce an opening could be seen, the whole visible earth, 
from the rounded hilltop to the Avater's edge, presenting 
one unvaried hue of unbroken verdure. As if vegetation 
the last to turn away. The binoculars were in my pos- 
session, and looking toward a point about a half-mile 
distant, I noticed something moving, and watching closely, 
presently saw emerge from the water line a large doe and 
two beautiful fawns. I called to Christy and Knapp to 
return, gave them the glasses and asked them to look. 
They did, and saw what I had seen. We then and there 
determined to lay for doe and faAAms the following day, 
and, if possible, obtain a fcAV photographs of live deer in 
the Avild Avoods. How Ave succeeded I Avill relate to you. 
Let me say a word here about my guide, James Ford- 
ham. I had written to him to meet me at the McGregor 
Camp, and Avith his usual promptness he arrived about 
supper time. Jim is a reliable, sober and industrious 
guide. A man Avho loves nature and her Avays instinctively 
— a good hunter and a splendid fisherman. The next 
morning we breakfasted and all were afloat by 4 o'clock. 
Remember, in June jn Vilas county it is broad day- 
light until 9 o'clock in the evening, and the sun begins 
to throw its first rays before 3 o'clock in the morning. 
Knapp and Christy, both able and enthusiastic fisher^ 
men, determined to spend the day trolling for muskeU 
lunge, pike and bass, but Jim and I, Avith our glasses 
and camera, were after closer acquaintanceship with Mrs. 
Doe and children. 
I had spotted the exact location of the appearance of 
the deer the evening before, and pointing the place out to 
Jim, he stated it Avas at the mouth of Lost Creek. Lost 
Creek leads to Lost Lake, as Plutn Creek leads to Plum 
Lake. I might mention here, there are about eight fine 
lakes easy of access to Big St. Germain. 
A half-hour's row brought us to our destination, and 
looking along the shore Ave distinguished many fresh deer 
tracks. This view of Lost Creek shoAvs the exact spot 
Avhere deer cros.s constantly, and Jim advised locating 
here. Of course 1 adopted his suggestion, and if you will 
look closely at the picture on the right shore you will see 
our boat. 
I moved about ten rods toward the lake, and entrench- 
ing myself amid the profuse shrubbery, I arranged my 
camera on its tripod, had its focus arranged that if any 
live thing crossed on the point in the left of the picture I 
TWq nSHERMEN EACH WITH A BASS ON HIS LINE. 
had only to squeeze the bulb to obtain its likeness amid the 
Avild surroundings. The heaven was clear as could be, the 
air invigorating as pine-laden atmosphere must be, and 
the beauty and quietness of the surroundings can be 
judged by this vicAv. 
Jini started for the dam, about tAvo miles above, to ex- 
amine some deer licks, which he promised to keep salted 
to itisure good sport when the season fell due, so now I 
had about three hours' uninterrupted quiet before me. 
Everything bore that serene expectancy which is so char- 
acteristic of this locality. Noav and then a robin, a tip- 
up or a kingfisher, and now a lone Avood duck, would pass 
up or down the stream. The surface of the beautiful sheet 
of water was now glittering like a gem in the rays of the 
rnorning sun, and the setting of the whole, clothed in the 
richest verdure, was lighted up with a radiant smile. 
Is it any wonder that Deerslayer, Avhen asked Avhere his 
sweetheart resided, ansAvered: "She is in the forest 
hanging from the boughs of the trees, in a soft rain, in the 
dcAv upon the grass, the clouds that float about in the 
blue heavens, the sweet springs Avhere I slake my thirst, 
and in all the other glorious gifts that come from God's 
providence." 
But where is the doe and her twins? 
Hark! What's that? Looking intently toward the 
point, I see two tiny spotted toddlers wading out from 
the bushes. Not more than four or five feet, but there 
they are as plain as life can make them. They are cer- 
tainly not over two or three Aveeks old. spotted like two 
leopards, ears so large and aAvkward looking, their knees 
hardly seem able to support their ungainlv little bodies, but 
happy as the children of the forest only know hoAV to 
be when no danger is nigh and big mama is present to 
warn and Avatch over them. 
But Avhere is mama ? Ah ! here comes the stately old 
dame. First she puts only her nose out of the bushes, 
looks up and doAvn the stream, sniffs the air, and seem- 
inglv satisfied that all is well, she sIoavIv and maiestically 
walks out in midstream and takes a drink. The little ones 
by this time are cavorting like two kittens, splashing the 
water and making a great deal of noise. Mama is 
afraid- evidently, there is too much noise, for she backs ou> 
of the water, and the little oms obey her instructiorjs and 
frIllft.HlfltIv follow. 
twelve hours' nde from Chicago, that contains within its 
borders as much of natural grandeur, simplicity and 
beauty as any human heart can desire. A country of 
wild woods, of peaceful lakes and streams, of ruggedness 
and health-giving influences, of wild deer and partridges 
of eagle and song birds, of all things as primitive and 
Jovable to the student as the dav Master John Rolfe took 
to wife Pocahontas, or Captain Ralph Percy so romantic- 
- ally Avedded Jocclyn Leigh. 
Oh, for a day in June in the wild woods of Vilas county 
Wisconsin! I have ju.st returned from there, and the 
breath of all things I saw and heard is still upon me 
1 take It for granted you love such things, or why would 
you be reading this paper? 
I shall talk like a plain man, who knows not intimately 
nature, nor her ways, but who loves it all, oh ! so dearly 
Like one who has eyes to see and ears to hear. Not a 
scientist am I, nor an expert fisherman or hunter but 
that IS not necessary, for the country I am going to tell 
you about is not in need of diplomats to make it known 
nor expert anglers to catch its fish, nor practical gunners 
to obtain its game. 
It is a beautiful country for plain people. Believe me 
you can_ catch as many muskellunge or black bass with 
your plain rod and hue as yonder nabob with high-priced 
spht bamboo, reels, flies and other paraphernalia, all of 
which makes it patent that he pretends to a knoAvledge no 
one can master. ^ 
Star Lake Wisconsin, is on the Chicago. Mil- 
A\^ukee & St. Paul Railway Six miles this side 
Of that terminus is a side track in the verv heart' of 
the wild Avoods, termed by courtesy Glenbr8ok That 
IS where my friends. Knapp and Christv. and your ser- 
vant, leave tht luxuries of sleeper and diner It is June 
Q. igoo. and Ave are here for a ten days' outing Our" 
destination is^ Bob McGregor's camp on Big St. Germa-n 
Lake, one of the three hundred distinct waterways of 
Vilas county 
Glenbrook is reached at 11 o'clock m the morning- 
Bob had been notified days before t6 meet us with 'his 
pony and buckboard. It AVas my intention to -print a 
photograph of Bob's backwoods Kvery. but he hSSeS 
that the [defj of poRVfeyance Avas patentrfble. and he Avished 
DESERTED LOG ROAD NOW A RUNWAY. 
were not satisfied with a triumph so complete, the trees 
overhung the lake itself shooting out toAvard the light, 
and there were miles along its shores Avhere a boat might 
have pulled beneath the branches of hemlocks, alders^ 
beeches, birches or melancholy pmes. In a Avord, the 
hand of man had never yet defaced or deformed any' part 
of this native scene, which lay bathed m the sunlight, a 
glorious picture of affluent forest grandeur, softened by 
the balminess of June. 
Mr. Knapp had brought Avith him a pair of binocular': 
and through the magical power of these glasses all dis- 
tances and effects were brought close to our delighted 
vision. We acted like a trio of children. ''My turn next," 
and when at last we heard the Unmusical toot of the" sup- 
per horn,, we A\'ere Inath to go. But go we did. I ws^- 
