The Portland daily press., 1870-07-25

HARPERS MAGAZINE for August contains
a deal OF excellent reading. The Raquette
Club, which leads the list, is devoted to Ad.
irondack adventures; South Coast Saunter-
ings in England is by Moncure d. Conway;
Mrs. Harriet Prescott Spoford has story en-
titled Two Hearts; and among the other con-
tributors are Jacob Abbott, Annie Thomas,
DIR. Osgood, the author of Guy Livingstone,
Carl Spencer, &c. Here is an extract from
Charles Hallock's Raquette Club:
HOTEL LIFE IN THE ADIRoNDAcKs.-
From Bloomingdale until within two miles of
Paul Smiths the farms were much improved
and the houses nearly all frame. Then our
club struck into what bore some resemblance
to wild country The forest was dense, there
were deer tracks across the beds of the brooks.
blue jays and squirrels screamed and chatter.
ed in the woods, and an eagle sailed leisurely
across the blue rift above their heads. 1t was
eventidc, and the wayfarers watched eagerly
through the openings for the first glmmer of
the sunset sheen upon the bosom of st. Re-
gis. Presently the glorious, inspiring bay of
hounds fell musically and mellow upon the
ear, the sound of chopper was heard near at
hand, suall dogs barked a falsettO accompani-
ment, old wagons, woodpiles, and other evil
dences of civilization hove in sight, and in a
few moments a turn in the road brought the
hotel and the lake simultaneously into view.
A minute more and the Club was shaking the
kinks out of its legs on the long piazza at Paul
Smiths.
A numerous and motley crowd gathered
around TO greet or survey the newcomers.
Tipstaff inquired for the landlord.
Paul said, "Herew
He reported an abundance to eat, but no
beds. Was the piazza pre-empted?" ayes
ax,arx sp1s
lawn? "That was occupied, too, by dwellers
in tents" The boat-house, bowling-aley,
barn, out-buidings? GAN were full" Hat
racks and clothes-hooks in use? "Yes." Tip
staff inquired for Spalding's glue. The land
lord had some. How could he accommodate
the guests? He would do everything in his
power. He had already succeeded in making
the house hold twice its capacity. "Tbe<5
said Tipstaff, '"you will have no. the s)entest
difficulty in sticking us up against ~ wan .an lor
the night. Consider these clap'oards engag-
ed by the Club" -,
A volley of cheers folo-ed this sally, and
the club became favoy'es at once. Several
ladies offered their Ira trunks for lodging,
1t was astonishis wnat multltudes 1ian Of trunks
there knansacIs s, sss' rmshar msshhrDd
coats o;efoth suits, cast Of flies, patent mos
onto 1ets, waterproof boots, selfacting pock-
et rStols, meerschaums, and the like--stand-
ag in corners, hung on pegs on the door posts
and walls, and lying around loose generally.
Strings OF sick fish were laid out on the porch
for the inspection OF dogs and guests. Wood
en- models of big trout had been caught in
days by gone were stuck up conspicuously,
with the date of the achievement and the
name of the great achievsr. The guests, loo,
were motley crowd. 1t being after the reg
lar supper hour, they swarmed upon the piaz-
"a and lawn, and the Club had full opportu-
nifty to survey the wondrous scene. There
were danes in longitudinal trails, who pro-
menaded luxuriantly; maldens in full fledged
paniers; snobs with canes and eyeglasses,
strutting in intensest agony Of selfconceit;
professional sportsmen in fishing suits of ap-
proved material and cut; excursion parties in
bushwort habiliaments, just returned from far
off woods and lakes invalids in flannel wraps
and big easy chairs; old gents in Panamas
and hOmespun, who read the latest papers;
young gents who played euchre and slipped
their claret per last arrival; nurses with fat
babies small, ubiquitous boys in short frocks,
who rubbed molasses tafiy on every body's
clothes; and petite little misses in starch and
furbelows, who minced, and smirked, and car
ried on imitation firtations with children Of
larger growth. Then there were games of
croquet upon the lawn, boating parties upon
the lake, lovers sauntering in the woods, and
a Chickering drumming in the parlor. Down
at the boat house party ofincipient but now
self-approved anglers, who had passed their
first fortnight in camp, were discussing theo-
reti ,al points with the guides, and couple of
bad boys were trying to set the hounds to
fighting on the lawn.
This was the st. James of the Wilderness"
1t was astonishing how three hundred guests
could put up so cheerfully and harmoniously
with accommodations designed for only seven
tyfive! 1t was a "happy family"