Nov. 27, 1909.] 
FOREST AND STREAM. 
861 
LUNCHEON FOR THREE AT A DESERTED LUMBER CAMP. 
From a photograph by O. W. Smith. 
ing the eight years that I have spent vacations 
in Michigan. The civil engineers’ camp of the 
Michigan University, overlooking South Fish¬ 
tail Bay, presented a handsome appearance with 
its fifty to sixty tents arranged with military 
exactness about the shores, the officers’ quarters 
further up on the hillside and the cook and mess 
rooms at the top. 
There were over one hundred students present 
this season and all were busily engaged. Parties 
would survey sections and fractions, others run 
railroad lines, others make triangulations and 
others soundings about the lake, and their signal 
flags were seen in every direction. They have 
cleared all underbrush away, and from the top 
of the hill above the camp the waters of Burt 
Lake can be plainly seen, and the view of the 
eastern portion of Douglas Lake is very fine. 
Parties would obtain leave of absence and row 
to the hotel, and their coming was known by 
ruffed grouse that are common about the lake, 
and finally reaching a cross road I went south¬ 
easterly for some distance until I struck a trail 
that led me back to the lake, and after resting 
a while on the top of one of the tables I again 
took the boat and pulled for Grapevine Point 
where I landed and spent an hour over the old 
wood road that comes out near and gathered 
a few stalks of ragged milkweed or Lactuca 
scariola, which I have found so efficacious for 
poisoning by oak or ivy when steeped and used 
as a lotion, and used on one or two occasions this 
season. It is well for sportsmen and campers 
to take note and remember this valuable remedy 
which prevents all pustuling and cures within 
three days. 
1 his season I made a new trail along the 
north side of the island that wHl add very much 
to the pleasure of all who stroll through this 
lovely natural wooded spot, as now there are 
Autumn at Douglas Lake. 
Cincinnati, Ohio, Nov. 20. —Editor Forest and 
Stream: It was with peculiar feelings that after 
leaving Pellston, Mich., on the eighth of. last 
August I gradually approached the woods about 
Douglas Lake and saw the devastation made by 
the terrible forest fires that had engaged my 
arduous attention during the preceding .vacation, 
and I wondered how the shores of the lake 
would appear, although I felt considerable con¬ 
fidence in the result of my efforts to preserve 
the greater part, and when I finally reached 
Bryant’s Hotel and gazed over the lake and its 
beautiful island, I felt like clapping my hands 
with the joy that I experienced when I had 
scrutinized every part in sight and found the 
shore line so well preserved, as from that view 
there was very little to indicate the fierce fires 
that had destroyed so much of the forest back 
a few rods only. When in after days I wan¬ 
dered over old trails in the big woods at the 
northwest I was very glad to note that the late 
October fire that had swept with such fury 
through it had not damaged the standing timber 
nearly so much as one would have supposed, 
and that my trails there were yet very pleasant 
for an idle ramble. 
At the hotel I met a number of old-time 
friends as also in the cottages about and was 
greeted most cordially. During the season some 
very fine catches of bass and northern pike had 
been made, and during August and September 
an occasional good catch was made. 
In accordance with my usual habit I did not 
wet a line until October, and as my old friend 
Dr. Tidball dropped in on the second of that 
month I rigged my tackle and we spent the 
week that he remained in strenuous pursuit of 
bass with only fair results, but had a very pleas- 
int time. After that week the winds blew strong 
md cold, so that no one could fish with any 
-qmfort, and for three weeks snow, rain, hail 
md heavy freezes were of almost daily occur¬ 
ence and kept every one from the lake. It was 
he worst October that I have experienced dur- 
the quartettes and glees that were sung upon 
the water. They made a welcome addition to 
the hotel bonfires and dance parties. 
There were but two hotels left about the lake, 
as early in the spring fire destroyed the new 
Douglas Lake House on the eastern shore, and 
it will probably not be rebuilt. 
The famous eagles’ nest has apparently been 
deserted, as forest fires last season swept that 
portion of the woods, and the old tree was 
much damaged. The students guyed it with 
stout wire, but the birds seem to have abandoned 
it. Although remaining about the lake their 
flights denote a new home somewhere north¬ 
westerly, which I have not as yet definitely 
located. 
One of my pleasant trips was rowing the 
Wanderer across the lake three miles to the 
easternmost part of North Fishtail Bay and 
landing where the little trout brook flows in 
and near which is located a pleasant picnic 
ground with tables and seats in the grove, and 
which is a favorite resort for Cheboygan auto- 
mobilists, it being but fourteen miles away. 
From this point I strolled up the old road north¬ 
erly, starting up a number of the beautiful 
well defined trails on either shore and make to¬ 
gether a fine walk of nearly two miles. Several 
of the guests went over it with me and pro¬ 
nounced it very beautiful. I never tire of 
tramps over the island and presume that I have 
passed over the old trail five hundred times. 
Mr. Stimson, Mr. Keegan and Mr. Fitzgerald, 
who have cottages at the upper end of the 
island, are always courteous to trail wanderers. 
In October the first two entertained at their 
cottages a stag party of friends, principally rail¬ 
road officials, and as the weather was fine dur¬ 
ing their stay they had a royal good time. 
Eugene Hamlin, a bright Ottawa Indian, was 
their fishing guide, and I know from personal 
experience that their colored cook George, 
brought from Grand Rapids, knew his business. 
It was a very genial party. 
The changing leaves during October pre¬ 
sented a lovely picture, as day by day the foliage 
from such a variety of trees presented different 
effects, until during the last of the month the 
heavy frosts and fierce winds stripped them of 
their last brown plumage and all but the ever¬ 
greens were bare. The family moved from the 
hotel as usual about Oct. 10 and thereafter until 
