Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1877-02-06

Until two years ago the Trip throuRh
Rangeley Lake to its outlet was made
either in Captain Crosby's sail-boat or in
row. boats. Rsngeley Lake, by the way,
is !, ,jll feet above tide water. It's breadth
is three miles and its length nine miles.
and few more picturesque scenes can be
imagined than fleet OF six or seven
row-boats. each with small United
States flag floating from It's bow, rapidly
moving down the lake, carrying one or
two sportsmen on the way TO the head
quarters of the famous Oquossoc Angling
Association.
Leaving the steamer "Molly-chunk-e-
mink, the name OF which has thus gal
lsntly been metamorphosed and Angli
cized from the Indian appellation OF Lake
Mole chunk -e-munk, members OF the
angling association named or visitors to
their camp cross two-mile carry from
the foot Of Rangeley Lake TO the junction
OF kennebago Stream with Raugeley
Stream, where is Camp kenEebago. A
wagon takes the baggage, while the
sportsmen themselves walk across
through an excellent wood road. which,
however, is marshy enough in spots to
make very careful stepping or very thick
boots Indispensable. Indian Rock-a
locality famous even in the aboriginal
annals OF Maine. as It's name indicates
is on the lett bank Of lhe stream, directly
facing Camp Kennebago. Tradition re
lates that this spot was lavorite haunt
of the Indian long before the white man
ventured so far into the forest. and that
as late as 1855 they made visits hero from
Canada each season.
The lakes OF the Rangeley group are
so located with respect TO one another
that it is extremely difficult for the visitor
10 get clear idea oil their relative posi-
lions. Nothing does this so effectively
as an ascent of Bald Mountain. which is
one of The most prominent objects in this
whole landscape, since il rises seventeen
hundred leet above the level Of the lake.
The ascent may be made with compare
tive ease by any one al all accustomed to
mountain climbing, and there are several
paths TO the summit. Bald Mountain is
in reality peninsula. It's base is washed
by R.ngeley Lake, Rlngeley Stream,
Cupsuptuc Like and Mooseucmagunlic.
A narrow strip OF land on the south con-
meets il with the main land. Oace on
the summit, looking eastward, you see
the Ringeley, its graceful form deeply
outlined and every indentation plainly
marked. Old Slddleback, rockribbed
and bare, and rising four thousand feet,
faces you. Sill further east are the twin
Bige.ows, Mount Abraham, and the E4s.
and Wes, kennebago Mountains. That
thread OF silver in The immediate tore
ground is the wide and rapid Rangeley
outlet, which falls twenty-five feet in the
two miles intervening between the point
where it leaves the lake and its junction
with The caimer and deeper waters OF The
kennebago. At this point can be clearly
distinguished the grounds and buildings
of Camp kennebago, with The stars and
stripes waving from the tall ilsg-staif.
Something more than words is necessary
TO do full Justice 10 the eNquisitely varied
panorama of lake and mountain, the
beauty Of which could be hardly more
than indicated by the catalogue Of names
necessary 10 identify them. Few finer
views can be found in the English lakes,
among the Trossachs. or even in Switzer-
land, than this from the summit OF Bald
Mountain.
Before describing Camp Kennebago in
detail, it may be as well TO give 10 brief
a sketch OF the history OF the Oquossoc
Angling Association. OF which orgauiza-
tion this camp is the head quarters. So
long as thirty years ago, sportsman
now and then worked his way through
the wilderness to these lakes, but II ID
only within the last fifteen years that the
Rangeley, Kennebago and Cupsuptuc
Lakes. with the upper end OF Mooseluc'
raguntic, have become at all well known
TO anglers. The Richardson Lakes
Welokenebacook and Molechunkemunk
with Umbagog, forming the lower lakes
in the great chain whence the Audroscog'
gia River derives its mighty power
have for the last thirty or forty years
been frequenled by score or more o.
Boston and New York gentlemen. These
sportsmen were invariably found a
'Rich's" middle DAM" Mosquito Brook
or the Upper Dam" Hundreds oi
, spotted beauties, weighing from two to
, eight pounds, were captured by these
anglers year after year, but they wisely
kept their own counsel, and il an item
occasionally found its way into the New
York or Boston papers chronicling the
arrival of six or eight pound speckled
trout. those who claimed to be best in
, formed dismissed the paragraph with a
sneer at the ignorance of editors who die
not know the difference between brook
trout and "lakers." In 1860, Henry O.
Stanley. of Dixdeld, now one of the