The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1876-08-02
A HUNTERS CAMP.

= : : = = : = : =
A HUNTERS CAMP. r.
A Novelty ON tho Centennial Grounds
Western Life IN IL 10 In Civilization.
The Hunters Camp" on the Gen.
tennial grounds is visited by hundreds
daily It isin rayine and son aacreek
that runs through she park q a long
piece OF oak bark, pegged with its outer
side against tree, with an inscription
carved on it's inner side with a jackknife,
tells the visitor that the curious struc-
ture which he sees is The Hunters
Cabin" It is reached by crossing a
bridge of two logs. and if the visitor
has cane he will probably tap on the
back with it to, satisfy; himself that
they are not flesh and blood the tin
ducks and brakes floating at anchor in
the stream. Safe over, he is confronted
by, ,the. hunters watch bdog-aS dWarfed
brown bear tethered edsto A tree which
shades the skitchsn and dining hall "a
little circular wall of sooty stones, with
a black iron pot hanging above it, and
sharp pointed roasting or toasting sticks
leaning over its sides, and table
made of huge strip Of bark supported
on four stout twigs stuck into the
ground. A camp fire Of logs is con-
stantly burning, near by, and at night
it casts such q light through the wooded
vale that the bloodthirsty redskins dread
to approach the cabin. 1t succeeds,
also, in keeping the hunters warm these
frigd July days and proves ths mortal
foe Of Centennial mosquitoes. The two
chaps sitting at the table must be in
spected before a look is taken at the
cabin. Theyares attred in full Western
hunters costume, which is quite as out
landish as Robinson Orusoe' coonskin
cap, buckskin tunic, with fringe like a
leathern Aynet for a horse, breeches of
the same stuff and similarly fringed, and,
moccasins. - With sharp sticks for forks,
and with Arkansas toothpicks rourteen-E
inch butcher knives), they are helping
themselves from wooden platters to
Rocky mountain venison obtained from
West Philadelphia steers, and to cracked
Arrapahoe maize produced by Bucks
county savages. Three times q week
they have hash, and on Sundays they
add the luxury of bread made of maize
meal, which they grind between fiat
stones. Their speech does not lack the
peculiar charm of Western classics.
While one;"t u be teetotally chawed up
for sucked egg" il he amt near q
"gone coon for " chawt-a-backer,"
the other hopes he "may be toasted on
forked lightning if he ain't spun out
cleaner'n bars tongue of everything
'cept crumbs, -, and ".these - he wants
for ss.smobins.p 5aEHEs1EE8tB u
The cabin IS saltbo1 shaped, entirely,
open in front, built Of logs, and thatched
with bark as hostile to water as ducks
back. Underneath the bark is coat
ing of palm and cedar branches to in,
creas, the warmth. This it has little
difficulty in effecting, assisted by the.
cracking camp fire just in front of the
cabins ~sWithinzare twoTcamp lounges
the only beds y These are exactly like
hospital stretchers, but having Two legs
at one end 80 as to elevate the head Of
the sleeper. Among the other articles
displayed inside are the skin of white
polecat declared to. be the only white
polecat known to- have been; ever seen
in the United States), the stuffed head
Of a leopard, skins Of black and grizzly
bears, elk antlars, horns Of. Rocky noun
tain rams, bows, arrows, 1noccasins.
wampum, stringsiof grizzly bears claws
and other curiosities captured from the
Indians; rifles Of auld lang syne, fish
spears and. fishing and. trapping imple-
ments Of every description, table made
of nicer bark than that in the table out
side, and two objects of the shape ard
size of an enormous Goldfish, and made
of plaitedwinowS These ere isuowslloes.
The feet are slipped under straps in
the center, and the wearer jogs along
fearless OF fsinking in the snow and, hope
less Of making hop, step and jump
over a fence. cam do the redskins
have feet ssbig as, them T. was the in
uocent inquiry Of q spectator. Below
the cabin dam has been constructed,
the stream being thereby made broad
and deep enough for the hunters to
amuse themselves rowing about in the
two Indian canoes which they have
there. 10 cut the story short, this
hunters cabin with its sconteists and
surroundings, afford complete llustra-
tion of the life of q Western hunter. IE
is improbable though that many Of
those daring and enduring pioneers are
fortunate enough to find for their head
quarters such a lovely SPOT as Landowne
!rayine. .s-i.ilEliE(H 3Hi tu