New-York tribune., 1873-07-26
A PHILOSOPHERS MOUNTAIN CAMP.

A PHILOSOPHERS MOUNTAIN CAMP.
AN OLD ADIRONDACK HAUNT OF AGAssH, HoLMEs.
AND LOWELL - THEIR LoG-HOUsE AND THEIR
CUIsINE-PRoF. AGAssH's EXPERIMENTS.
lPRoM AN OCCASIONAL CORRESPONDENT OF THE rRBUNEl
AMPERsAND LAKE, The AdirOndacks, July 10.
There probably few spots better known by name In
this vast wilderness, and yet seldom visited as the
Philosophers Camp" called because it was estab-
llshed by Agassiz. II is rarely visited even By
hunters that the original path has faded out. and my
guide though he has been to It of times lost his
way twice and had TO beat about long time before he
could strike the right trail While IL is in the outskirts
comparatively OF this wild region, ii IS of from any
route and five miles from the nearest point that boat
eau reach. When you add to this five miles tramp over
a blind trail carrying all your cooking utensils and lug
gage on your back, q mountain standing at an
angle OF 45 degrees you easily imagine why 1t IS
scarcely visited. suppose 1t was this very diff
Guilty Of and remOteness from the ordinary route
OF tourists that caused 1t 10 DO selected by Agassz,
Holmes Lowell, and Others. How Prof AgassZ came to
the knowledge OF this Out-Oftheway place l never
learned. Tho akelet is situated in township, the
owner Of which, having become disguised with such
unproductye property, refused to pay taxes on It, and
IL reverted to the A2assz in way obtained
knowledge of this purchased it, aud formed club, OF
which Holmes, Lowell, and kindred spirits were the
members. OF course the erection OF building was the
first thing 10 BE- DONE This was intrused Martin the
structure was to be Of logs yet there must be board
floors and partitions, q cookingstove, and many
things that could not be manufactured on the
SPOT How these were ever got over such a
mountain, will be AZ sligma y any ono who has ever
crossed t. But Martin did all the hauling In the Winter
by seds and In the Spring put up the structure The oc
cupaon OF 1t by Agasz and his distinguished friends,
soon made the place notorious and the original owner
Of the township suddenly woke up TO the consciousness
I'm
fortunately for Agassiz the time for redeeming land
sold for taxes had not expired and tho at
paid up all aud again took possession OF his prop
erty To retain Agassiz however as speculation, he
offered TO give him the akelet and certain strip OF land
around It. OF the latter had no idea OF being
hemmed in In this way, and made the nucleus OF col
ony aud hence abandoned tho whole thing In disgust
The club dissolved. SIN, the spot where
sueh philosophers, iwits, poets, and naturallsts
had thrown of the restraints OF artificial life had
charm for me. and was not content with one visit
Two rifles and q sack OF potatoes made the tramp
severe one, yet did not regret It, The building bursts
on YOU suddenly for tho forest dense that you
not see il til you are almost at the very door. The first
feeling that of surprise here IN the heart Of the
forest more imposing welnished log structure than
Won can fnd outside oft The main buildings composed
OF one large ample room, which served as Kitchen Tor
rho cookipgstoyo was here dinlng-room, living
in fact for all purposes except sleeping low eanto
each sido added Tor tue ihllef purpose SOine
peeled spruce saplngs answered for posts, between
which boards were laid making double tier OF hunks,
like the state-room OF steamboat. Hemlock boughs
served for mattresses, on which the inmates
customed TO curl themselves up at night like ordinary
mortals The table composed Of boards laid
wooden horses As ate my trout and 4" choke dogs
off IT, gned the Autocrat OF the Breakfast Table
the poet and the great naturalist sitting here discuss
ing with interest perhaps with profound emotion, the
n fryin JulginR
when the larder gets low In the forest, could imagine
how important the question OF what should compose
the next meal would become. or thing felt
tain II any suffered when commons were short 1t
would bo Prof AgassZ or another thing felt certain,
that IL diary could have been kept OF the conyer
satons those breakfast tables although might not
have made very philosophical or profound book 1t
would probably have been OF the most popular that
any OF them over published, and the copyright would
have easily bought another township
OF course It was not easy matter to provision
large club with all the neeessarcs especially as there