Litchfield enquirer., 1878-10-24
CAMPING IN MAINE.
ToGUE LAKE, MAINE,
 October 8th. 1878.

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 ToauE LAKE, MAINE,
 r. October 8th, 1878.
 My last letter closed with our arrival al camp on Togue Lake. George and Hub went about 6 miles, and carried that letter, together with several others, and gave to the two lndi- ans on Pockwockamus Lake, but they brought back the intelligence that they -(the Indians) would probably not go down to the settlements in ten or twelve days, se that letter has proba- bly, not reached you, and perhaps never will. When the Pcnobscot Indian gets near settle ment, and comes within range of King Alec hol, he succumbs to his influence as easily. as some of his white brethren. The tribe which formerly owned this entire section, now num- Der about 600 souls. At the time they sold their territory to the whites, they reserved eve 1 " island in the Penobscot river. between tide water, and the junction of the east and west branches at Medway, They now own and oc- cupy all of these, and some of them are beau tiful little islands. Once in four years they choose chieftain, who acts as governor for thetribe: They are allowed to make and en- force laws of their own, and are not subject to any state criminal laws, except for acts con- mitted outside the tribe. Whenever they con- init an unlawful act on state soil, of course, l they are dealt with the same as any citizen of the state of Maine would be. Murder among themselves is punished by being forever dis graced, and banished from the tribe This 
 seems light punishment, but am told that many times the Indian would take deaM in preference. They have fund of three hun- dred and eighty thousand dollars, which is held by trustees for the benefit of the tribe in common. In order to encourage agriculture, the state pays them reward of q have not been able to learn How many) centsp per bushel, for every bushef of grain raised. If by indi- vidual exertion, an Indian becomes possessed of property outside the tribe, he can hold pos session of, and reap the benefits of said proper ty, but he cannot sell, except he hand over the proceeds to the general fund of the tribe. The oldest man of the tribe, John Pennyweight, is actually one hundred and fifteen years old. He made one of cur birch canoes, and it is said now, that he will take canoe across a quarter mile carry without stopping forest, and as quickly as many of the younger Indians. Most of them are familiar with the wild coun- try about here, and they get great many jobs guiding parties to the mountains and at every spring flood, about 75 of them are en- ployed by the lumber companies to drive logs down the river
 am conscious that am already making too long an article by introducing too many side scenes, but it may be somewhat interesting to those who have never visited a numbering TO- zion to hear little of the medus operandi of logging it." In the first place, you must know that this country, from Medway to our camp, and for 50 miles up past the mountains into Canada is impossible except by birch ca- noes, the way we came, and then it is tedious job to get through, there are so many falls and rapids to carry across The river at one place, will spread cut into lake, perhaps ten or twelve miles long and three to four wide Then it will narrow up into stream no wider than the Shepaug Then will come a success sion of falls and rapids, to avoid which you must paddle up some small stream into anoth- CT lake, and by circuitous route, get around again to the river. Our camp is about forty five miles from the main river, but am sure we must have come nearer sixty. There are so many lakes. rivers marshes, and cedar swamps, up through this country, that it would be next to impossible to travel through it on foot. I do not suppose that stranger starting from our camp today, would ever reach the settlements. Soon as cold weather sets in, and the lakes, swamps, and rivers freeze over, then the lumbermen start their ''Tote Teams" for the mountains, with men and supplies. Regular camps are established, and hundreds of men work every day through cold and storms, from daylight till dark. Sometimes the camp will be miles away from their work, but the men must be on the ground swinging their axes at daylight, every time First the gangs of choppers fell the trees. The sawyers follow, and cut the logs into the desired lengths. Then the skidders roll them upon skids where they can be easily loaded next the scaler marks the number feet in each log and brands the company stamp, usually, on the end of the log, through in this stream they must be branded on the side The logs go over SO many falls, that the ends become bat tered and worn. Teams haul the logs out on the ice, if near a lake. If near a small stream tributary to the main river, then they are piled up on the bank to await the spring foods The contract to deliver the logs at the mills or on the main river at Oldtown is advertised, and awarded to the lowest bidder, providing he is man of pecuniary responsibility. am told that the driver on the Penobscot usually gives bonds to the amount of two hundred and fifty thousand dollars, to faithfully fulfil his con tract. If he fails to fulfil them, of course all of those great mills must lie idle.
 Something like one hundred million feet of logs are driven down the river each year. When the long looked for spring floods do come, then the drivers camp is scene of ac- tivity. Everything is''hurrah boys, hustle and confusion. Men are despatched to roll in and start the logs in every little stream The ice is gone from the lakes and the water is full of floating logs, booms must be thrown across, and men stationed all along the lakes to keep the logs finn going ashore, and to keep them going in the right direction. Everything is commotion along the whole line Nights, storms and Sundays, must find the men at their posts, Of course they must have change of hands, to give the men some rest, but the rest is short. Four meals day are eaten while on the drive. The first at three in the morning, the second at ten g. m., the third at three p. m., and the fourth at nine p. m. There can be no shirking of duty there. The men work in the water part of the time and of course are drenching wet at all times. Hum dreds of thousands of dollars are at stake, and every man is expected to strain every nerve until the logs arrive at their desti- nation fnr shn,y1d trn S.n,,et tip,a hn folpa T,