Sept. 28, 1901.I 
FOREST AND STREAM. 
2B6 
heard it often, and can tell yo'u all about it, from the time 
the teams were fording the river in the morning and 
delivering wheat at the mill, and getting flour, and trading 
and doing business generally, until Mr. Kite and his 
family were carried off in their house that night." 
■'Well, all the same I advise you to pull up and get off 
this low, flat here," he continued, in a different key. 
"Down yonder half a mile below the ford the ground's 
higher, and you'll be safe there." 
After our friend's departure — he was in his shirt sleeves 
like the two or three other natives who had visited us 
during the morning, and who came and went with an 
indifference to the storm which surprised us — we sat down 
to lunch, at the close of which Mr. Martin joined us, in 
company with one of the men from the still house. Both 
were in their shirt sleeves, and, of course, wet to the 
skin, to which fact both were apparently indifferent. They 
Joined us under the shelter of the fl.y, taking the proffered 
stools, and sat and smoked and chatted with us for an 
hour or so. 
"Yes," Mr. Martin replied, in answer to a query from 
Lacy, "I've run this river often in th' ol' flat-lx>atin' days. 
No, I didn' never run a boat ; I was a helper. What was 
that? Well, you see. two men's th' crew of a boat; one 
Stan's at th' bow, an' th' other at th' starn. A great, long 
sweep's hung at each end, an' th' boat's han'led by these. 
Th' man at th' bow he runs th' boat. That is, he has 
th' management of it, an' th' man at the starn's th' helper, 
an's under th' other man's orders. Yes, we've often run 
boats when th' Avater's es low es 'tis now; but it's hard 
tejus' work, an' it takes twict er three times es long to git 
through t' Riverton 's it does on a better stage. No,_ we 
don't like to run in cle'r water; we'd ruther hev it a little 
muddy, so's we can't see th' rocks; they look so clost they 
bother an' confuse us. You see, we run by th' riffles an' 
surface signs, an' not by seein' th' rocks. Whenever a 
rock's clost enougli to th' top to bother us it makes a 
riffle, er break, an' we dodge th- riffle — yes, if we can, fur 
we don't allays make it in tryin' to dodge 'em in swif 
water, an' when a rock's deep enuf b'low not to make no 
break it's too deep to bother us, an' we don't care to see 
it, fur seein' it only confuses us. You know in cle'r water 
th' rocks looks so clost when th' water's reely sevril feet 
deep on top of 'em.'' 
"Yes, we've often noticed that, and I've often said that 
for flat-boating, muddy water was probably preferable to 
clear on that account," I remarked. 
"So have I," assented George. 
"Nevertheless, I much prefer clear water for a cruise," 
remarked Lacy. "The river is so much more beautiful, 
and I like to see the rocks and reefs slide smoothly up 
stream under me." 
"Oh ! unquestionably," I exclaimed, "for cruising I in- 
finitely prefer clear water." 
"Same here," added George. "There's no fishing when 
the water is muddy." 
"Wal, fur a pleasure trip, like yourn," Mr. Martin as- 
sented, "of course cle'r water's better ev'rj^ day, but it was 
business with us. an' Ave didn't want no cle'r water." 
"I suppose you boatmen had lots of adventures," sug- 
gested Lacy, as he hunched his stool a little further under 
the fly to escape the drip from its lower edge. 
"Oh! yes," he replied, laughing; "we didn' hardly ever 
make a trip 'ithout gittin' more'n one duckin'. I recleck 
a good one I got onct, at Bixler's dam. P'raps you know 
wher' thet is ; 'bout fifteen er twenty mile b'low th' White 
House. Yes? Well, we was tryin' to make thet shoot. 
Th' bow man swung his end over to th' shoot an' yelled 
to me to swing th' starn aroun' into line. I reeched my 
big sweep aroun' to one side to git a bite on th' water an' 
jes' then one corner o' th' gunalo struck ag'in the side o' 
th' shoot, an' she Stopped. Th' river was up a little, an' 
runnin' strottg, an' th' force o' th' water swung th' blade 
o' th' sweep right roun' under th' end o' th' boat, an' 
lifted me overboard es neat es yoti please, an! drapped me 
into th' river loft. astarn o' th' boat afore " 
"Why, couldn't you hold it?" exclaimed Lacy, as we 
all laughed. 
"Hold notliin'!" he replied, as he laughed again at the 
recollection; "three men couldn't a held thet sweep with 
th' water a-comin' agin it like thet! Th' rain's comin' 
on harder'n ever," he continued, as he rose, and the two 
started back to the stillhouse. "We'll hev a wet night 
of it. You all'd better pack your things and come up to 
th' house an' stay all night — I'm a-feer'd yovt're not com- 
fortable here — you'll git wet, sure!" 
We thanked him. and assured him that our quarters 
were both comfortable and weatherproof; with which as- 
surance he was lain to depart. 
It was about 2 o'clock, and the more or less intermit- 
tent rains of the morning gave place to a hard, steady 
downpour, which beat fiercely on the fly overhead, and 
blistered the smooth surface of the river, which now be- 
gan to be streaked with long lines of muddy water, al- 
though, as yet, there were no signs of a rise. Violent 
gusts of wind accompanied the rain, driving it in fierce, 
slanting lines, and under the pressure of which the fly 
rose and fell overhead, and tugged wildly at the restrain- 
ing lines, which we quickly tightened and made as secure 
as possible, and before which the tents on the canoes 
yielded and shook, and swayed from side to side, but 
stood firm in their places; f( r nothing short of a hurri- 
cane could tear thetti from their fastenings. 
Having by this time exhausted the outside resources 
of the canp, including each other's society, we betook 
or."' Ives to our respective cabins, to lie and read, smoke 
or uf-ze, as the mood suited us. Hastil}'^ raising the flap 
of my tent, I ducked quickly inside, where I took off my 
vve: canvas shoe? and long, woolen stockings, put on dry 
ones, and ensconced myself sntxgly in my blankets, which, 
considering the fact that the steady rain caused the day 
lo be quite chill, as well as dull and cheerless, were very 
comfortable. After tightly buttoning my tent all round, 
and extra securing the fastenings at the bottom of the 
tent to the stout screw-eyes under the gunwales, as an 
added precaution against the howling blasts of the storm 
without, which, laden as they were, with great sheets of 
heavy ram, hurled themselves against the sides of my 
tent with considerable weight and force, and adjusting 
my head-rest and pillow, I stretched myself out at full 
length in my blankets, and lay and read in a sense of de- 
licious comfort, pulling away, meanwhile at a good cigar; 
the snugness and comfort of my cozy little cabin trebly 
heightened and enhanced by the pandemonium outside. 
My dgar smok^-d out, my book presently fell from iny 
fingers, and I dropped off into a delicious' doze, conscious 
ail the while of th*^ roar of the storm, and the beating of 
the rain on rny tent; much as one sleeps snugly in the 
berth of a sleeper, to the roar and rattle of the train, 
awakened and disturbed only by the quietness incidental 
to the stops at the stations. 
Finally J awoke to find it half past five, and, with the 
supper problem in my mind. I pidled on some dry, heavy 
clothes, including a' pair of sto-ut leather shoes, and 
stepped out. 
Hastily jerking my rubber coat oft' of the rear end 
of my tent, and throwing it across my shoulders, I made 
for the shelter of the fly, and took a look around me at 
the prospect. 
It was stifl raining fiercely and heavily. Night was fast 
closinj.; in. Nothing was visible through the fast gath- 
ering gloom — no mountains, no hills, no landscape, no 
clouds — everything enveloped and obscured in the dense, 
impenetrable leaden gray cloud of rain, which wrapped 
us around in its heavy folds as it drove before the blasts, 
wreathing and whirling in vapory masses, or driving in 
fierce, slanting lines, through which the lofty, tree- 
clothed bluff across the river loomed up vague and far 
away, a little darker than the rest of the sky; and the 
trees around us Avandered off indistinctly in the gloom 
above, as they swayed and tossed their branches in the 
storm : the air seemed saturated with falling water, as 
though the storm cloud were driving along right on the 
ground around us. 
I was speedily joined by George and Lacy, Avho, with 
rubber coats over shoulders, came scurrying through the 
rain to me under the partial shelter of the fly, where 
we proceeded to hold a council of war. 
"Well, what do you think?" asked George. 
"It looks quite like rain," said Lacy, with a feeble 
attempt at facetionsnfess, which proved a failure. It 
wouldn't do — the subject Avas too serious, and he couldn't 
even laugh at his OAvn joke. 
"We'll undoubtedly have a rise to-night," said I, "and 
it won't do to leave the canoes Avhere they are, down 
there by the river." 
"No, that it Avon't," said George: "and the question 
is, will they be safe anywhere on this flat? With that gully 
behind tts we Avill be on an island, if there is anything 
of a rise." 
"I Avish Ave were over there, across the river, on the 
side of that bluff!" sighed Lacy. 
"So do I, AAdth all my heart!" was my earnest reply; 
"but Ave're not over there, and we couldn't move over 
there Avithoitt getting everything wet in the attempt." 
"Couldn't we manage to paddle across there, AA'ith the 
rubber sheets Avell wrapped around the bedding, and Avith 
the tents up?" he continued. 
"It can't be done!" said George, decidedly. "In such 
a storm as this you couldn't keep your bedding dry Avith 
the cockpit open, sheet or no sheet, even if you could 
paddle across Avith the tents standing, and you " 
"Well, why not paddle across Avith the tents standing?" 
Lacy persisted. 
"HoAV are you going to see through the front wall?" 
replied George, conclusively, "even if you could get the 
boats over Avithout their being capsized by the Avind be- 
fore you could get a quarter of the Avay across?" 
"That's so," adniitted Lacy; "and then there's all the 
camp dufile — the fly, the stove, the cooking things, pro- 
visions, etc. — that cannot be carried unless properly 
packed. I at first thought maybe the things might be 
piled on the decks and ferried across, but — no, it won't 
do!" he concluded. 
"Here comes Mr. Martin," said George; "avc'II see 
Avh.at he thinks of it." 
"Well, Ave'll hcA' a rise, an' you all's too clost to th' 
river, doAvn ther," he said, in ansAver to Lacy's query, 
as he reached the shelter of the fly, and took off a huge, 
yelloAV oiled coat from his shottlders, and shook the 
Avater from it. "I come doAvn to see you about it," he 
continued, "I don't feel easy about you." 
"Do you think it Avill reach the highest point of this 
island?" I asked. 
"No, I don't hardly think it Avill," v/as the reply. "This 
piece of ground ain't never overfloAved 'xceptin' in th' 
highest floods; an' I think it'll be safe enuff ther' if you 
c'n moA^e yur tents tip 'ithout gittin' ever'thing wet." 
"That's easily done," said I, as I put my rubber coat 
on and took a turn up over the highest ground to pros- 
pect for a new site for the canoes. 
"There's nice ground for them up there, on top of the 
bank," said I, as I rejoined the groitp; "and Ave'll just 
pick the canoes up and carry them bodily up there, tents 
and all, just as they stand." 
"Can you do that?" asked Mr. Martin, as Ave all walked 
doAvn to the boats. 
"Oh. yes," I replied. "You notice that the tents are 
fast all round to the boat.*^, and not to the ground, and all 
that is to be done is to carry the boats 'Up. tents and all." 
"Oh. yes, I see," he replied, admiringly; "I hedn't no- 
ticed thet before." 
The canoes Avere accordii;gl3' picked up, tents and all, 
just as they stood. Avithout the least disarrangement of 
anything, and carried, one at a time, up the long, gentle 
slope, and placed in their ncAv positions for the night, and 
securely Avedged in the sand, AA'ith rocks placed under 
their bilge-keels to render them firm, care being taken 
to place them in positions as free and open as possible, 
without limbs or OA'erhanging branches to catch the tops 
of the tents in case the boats should be afloat before 
"morning. The upstream painters Avere then made fast to 
the trees as high above the ground as we could reach. 
"How about the fly?" asked George, as we returned to 
its shelter, after completing our moving. 
"Well, I think thet's safe enuff wher' it is." Mr. M. 
replied, "It's a good deal higher'n Avher your boats Avas, 
an" is a'most es high es \s'her they is now. You might 
put them loose things up a leetle higher" — indicating the 
camp stove, cooking utensils and other camp impedi- 
menta — all of Avbich Averc scattered around on the lower 
side of the fl}'. They Avere picked up and carefully placed 
on higher ground. 
"NoAV I think yer safe enuff!" he said, as he threw the 
big, yelloAV oiled coat oA'er his shoulders, and took his 
departure, and Avas almost immediately lost to vicAv in 
the blackness of the stormy night that AA'as closing in 
around us. 
A» C A. Membership. 
The following have been proposed for membership to 
the A. C. A. : 
Central Division— Oscar J. Steiner, Harris Buchanan, 
W. F. Benkiser, Ralph Heeren, George W- MacMullen, 
H. W. Cromer, all members of the Dtiquesne C. C, and 
all of Pittsburg, Pa. 
Eastern Division— George F, LcAvis, of Boston, Mass. 
— ♦ — 
Yachting Fixtwfes, 
Secretaries and members of race committees will confer a favor 
by sending notice of errors or omissions in the followmg list and 
also of changes which may be made in the future. 
SEPTEMBER. 
26-28 0ct. t.— International Races (America's Cup), off Sandy Hook. 
While Columbia was being put in the finest possible 
shape for her coming contest with Shamrock II., Consti- 
tution Avas at Bristol being dismantled, preparatory to 
being laid up. Some of her sails and spars were utilized 
on Columbia, but the balance of her gear was placed in 
the lofts of the Herreshoffs. The steel mast has been 
removed and there is now nothing left on deck or below. 
Constitution will be towed to New London, Avhere she wiH 
be put in Avinter quarters. All but two of the crew were 
discharged, and they were retained as ship keepers. It is 
stated that in the event of Shamrock II. winning the Cup 
a challenge will be at once forAvarded by the New York 
Y. C. to the Royal Ulster Y. C. for a series of races to be 
sailed next year oft' Belfast. Constitution is to be named 
as the challenging boat. 
Mr W. Butler Duncan, Jr., will represent the New 
York Y. C. on Shamrock II,, and it is said that Mr. Robert 
Ure will act in a similar capacity for the Royal Ulster 
Y. C. on board Columbia. 
Our Boston Letter. 
Boston, Sept. 22.— Even though the racing season is yet 
scarcely closed, active preparations are being made for 
next season's racing throughout New England. While 
the yachts that have been contesting throughout the sum- 
mer are being hauled out, their owners are deciding upon 
improvements or have giA^en .orders to different designers 
to turn out ncAv boats. As the field, particularly in Bos- 
ton, is very large, there is an immense opportunity of 
shoAving some radically dift'erent ideas in models that will 
be seen in the racing arena next season. 
The racing season in Massachusetts Bay, of the Yacht 
Racing Association of Massachusetts, and of clubs whose 
races are not sailed under the rules of the Association, has 
been very successful, and the result is that there is an in- 
creased interest in all directions. There is quite a flock 
of yacht designers around Boston, and, in consequence of 
the interest that has been stirred up in the sport, it is 
likely that all will have a chance to show what they can 
do next year in the line of speed. 
CroAvninshield is already well stocked with orders for 
yachts for next year, for all parts of the world. He has 
dropped 90-footers for a short time, at least, and has 
settled down to hard work on all kinds of models. Among 
the ncAV ones he is Avorking on is a 30- rater for T. L. 
Parks, of New York. This yacht is to be built under 
the new and lengthy rating rules of the Seawanhaka Y. C, 
and Avill race in Long Island Sound. There is a 21-footer 
for I. Bergman, of St. Petersburg. This boat will greatly 
resemble the American raceabout. A small cat is being 
turned out for Chas. H. Davis, of South Yarmouth. Lines 
for a 22ft. keel cruiser are being turned out for F. H. 
Wringe, of California, Avho summers at Marblehead. The 
yacht Avill be sailed in the waters around Marblehead. A 
30-rater is being turned out for Rev. Chas. E. Whitcomb, 
of Hamilton, Ont. This yacht will be yawl-tigged and 
Avill measure about 25ft. on the waterline. 
Yachtsmen in Massachusetts are noAV waking up to the 
fact that, although Independence Avas unsuccessful in 
beating the other go-footers, the showing she made has 
been very creditable to her designer. He has, rio doubt, 
convinced the majority that the principle of Independ- 
ence's model is the most speed-producing in the bunch. 
It Avas hardly to be expected that Crowninshield, in his 
first atiempt. should master all the little difficulties of bal- 
ance which his contemporary has found out only after 
many years of practical demonstration. Independence, 
however, Avas coming all the time and showed improve- 
ment Avith every race, and it is much to Crowninshield's 
credit, even though she did not get over the line in first 
position once, that he came as close as he did. 
Starling Burgess is already rushed with orders, and 
bids fair to get practical experience enough in a fcAV years 
to make him a fitting sticcessor to his illtistrious father. 
He is a deep student, and Avorks hard and faithfully to 
get the most out of a design. He is now at Avork on the 
lines of two Y. R. A. 21-footers, one of Avhich is for 
Sumner H. Foster. Mr. Foster raced Opitsah IIL in this 
class during the past season, and has done much to revive 
the class. Opitsah IIL was third in her class on the 
season's Avork, and Mr. Foster is evidently intending, with 
his usual persistency, to keep at it tmtil he gets one that 
Avill top the class. Mr. Burgess Avill not state for whom 
the other 2T-footer is being des'gned, but it is strongly 
suspected that she is for himself. He is also designing 
tAvo Y. R. A. 25-footers. These, too, are dark horses, 
although one is thought to be for his uncle, Walter 
Burgess. Besides these, he is at Avork on the lines of a 
25-footer, a 28-footer and four igft. speed launches. 
Fred Lawley is another forttmate Avho has plenty of 
AVork cut out to keep him busy all the winter. He has a 
number of large boats to design, as well as a few for the 
Y. R. A. classes. The 56ft. schooner Avhich he designed 
for Mr. TAVombly has been completed, and is noAv ready 
for rigging. He has also turned out a 102ft. steam yacht, ■ 
Avhich is now rapidly nearing completion. In Lawley's 
basin, the new steam yacht Aquilo, owned by W. P. Eno, 
