The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1869-04-29
JaIes, gkettgts, AnetOotss, 1T.
THE WILDERNESS.
DY REV. WEI H. II. MURRAY.


The Adirondack Wilderness, or the
North Woods, as it is sometimes called,
lies between the Lakes George and Cham
plain on The east, and the river St. Law
renee on the north and west. 1t reaches
northward as far as the Canada line, and
south ward to Bonneville. lis area is
about that of the State of Connecticut
The southern part is known as the Brown
Tract Region, with which the whole will
derness by some is confused, bat with no
more accuracy than any one county might
be said to comprise an entire State. In
deed, Browns Tract ls the least Interests
ing portion of the Adirondack region. 1t
lacks the lofty mountain scenery, the in
tricate mesh work of lakes, and wild
grandeur of the country to the north. 1t
is the lowland district, comparatively
tame and uninviting. Not until you
reach the Racquette do you get a glimpse
of the magnificent scenery which makes
this wilderness to rival Switzerland =
There, on the very ridge-board of the vast
watershed which slopes northward to the
St. Lawrence, eastward to the Hudson,
and southwark to the Mohawk, you can
enter upon voyage the like of which, it
is safe to say, the world does not any
where else furnish For hundreds of
! miles | have boated up and down that
wilderness, going ashore only TO ''carry"
around fall, or cross some narrow ridge
dividing the otherwise connected lakes.
For weeks have padded my cedar shell
in all directions, swinging northerly into
the st. Regis chain, westward nearly to
Potsdam, southerly to the Black River
country, and thence penetrated to that al
most unvisited region, the g S b
! Branch" without seeing face but my
| guides, and the entire circuit, it must be
remembered, was through wilderness
| yet to echo the lumberman's axe. 1t is
estimated that thousand lakes, many
yet unvisited, lie embedded in the vast
forest Of pine and hemlock. From the
| summit OF "A mountain, two years ago, |
| counted, as seen by my naked eye, forty
four lakes cleaning amid the depths OF
the wilderness like gems of purest ray
amid the folds of emerald colored velvet.
Last summer / met gentleman on the
Racquette who had just received letter
from brother in Switzerland, an artist
by profession in which he said that shay
| ing travelled over all Switzerland, and the
Rhine and Rhone region, he had not met
with scenery which, Judged from a purely
artistic point of view, combined so many
beauties in connection with such grandeur
as the lakes, mountains and forests Of the
Adirondack region presented to the gazer's
eye." And yet thousands are ia Europe
to-day as tourists who never gave pass
ing thought TO this marvellous country
lying as it were at there very doors An
other reason why l visit the Adirondacks
and urge others TO do so, is because
deem the excursion eminently adapted to
restore impaired health. Indeed il ii
marvellous what benefit physically is Otter
derived from a trip of few weeks tc
these woods. To such as are afflicted
with that dire parent of ills, dyspepsia, Oh
have lurking in their system consumptivt
tendencies, most earnestly Recommend
a months experience among the pines
The air which you there inhale is such al
can be found only in high mountainous re
gions. pure, rarifed and bracing. TIL,
amount of venison steak a consumptivt
will consume after weeks residence ii
that appetizing atmosphere is a subject o
daily and increasing wonder. 1 hav,
Fknown delicate ladies and fragile schoo
girls, TO whom all food at home was dis
tasteful and eating pure matter of duty
average gain of a pound per day for tn
round trip. This is no exaggeration, a
some one who will read these lines knows
The spruce, hemlock, balsam and pine