The Sunday herald. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1866-1887, 1882-09-24
IN THE ADIR0NDACKS.
September the North woods-Chas.
ing ofthc Decr-Katc rield's Cedar
Ned Buntlinc's WermttnRc-Canoc
ing, Costumes, npd Camp. Fires.
- MquErrEL,Nr,

NONVc NiN Nglll lOO OiUel W iUO uNN IN New 1Otk
while for weeks we have been sitting by the evening
Ares and shycrlng In the carly morning air. noat-
Ing evening pastme Is entirely out since there
Is ftost In the twilight air, and the shining crescent
o the harvest moon looks even cold and frozen Tho
high noon and the midday are tho perfect hours "
the twenty. tour and outdoor sports and exercises
all the more cyhlirntlng In this crisp September
air that Is mcllowcd by the full blaze Of the golden
sun. Veteran srotlsmcu KNOW the delights ot this
IN the wilderness, and although business has
started With fresh vchcmence In al the cities they
lngcr yet tot the late hunting that oven surp1scs
the early trout. nshing. The owners Of the finest
camps delay their coming also until the plague VI the
rungcys the black files and the mosquitoes has passed.
aud by all odds September Is the high season. and
the time " most perfect enjoyment In the Adiron.
dacks.
Tho great Noith Woods have been known Tot SO
many years back that 1t strange that the honor
Of thcr discovery almost rests with Adirondack Muir
ray, the reverend sport from brooklyn, who spread
their fame IN his Muuchauscn tales. \ century ago
troops penetrated the region by what is known as the
old Military Road, that led thcm straight from the
Canadian frontier to the valley OF the Hudson and
forty years ago extensive iron works were carried on
near the now abandoned Village VI TahatTlis. Al
though tho whole region is covered with dense forests,
the dmculty Of getting the lumber out has kept the
desttoycs aloof and preserved the wilderness intact
Here, where the wild camo rovcs the sporismcn
gather each year. spinning their patent lcs over tho
lakes and brooks rs ea,ly as May, and only winding
MP the reel when tho game laws limit ~ September
nfst arrives The rods have been unioiutci aud rut
away IN their cases these three weeks aud tho steady
business since August has been the chase vt tile noble
deer. Tho piu-n.u.g OF the lille and the ct.r.rark
Of the shotgun echo FROM every mountain side, and
the biylug Of the hounds sends Wild music over the
water. At neatly every runway or feeding. q round
hVutpT ~ ruiN IL upfTlpI thN 1pOtput NY
deer the dogs may drive that way, and for hours
these Lone Fishctmen st on their solitary lpukous with
every faculty strained few weeks ago they roasted
on the rocks under the slow Clnniba Are ut the SUM-
hut now they complain NJ stlnenlnC, Cramplug anti
| nearly freezing by sttluE long without moving
The poor deer arc dngGel aul driven every side
and though the woods full Of tho beautiful pink
flowers AMI ferns which they i've ard creeks aud
lakes are floating with lily pads, they scarcely dare
feel except at night, and then the hunters. floating
around In their canoes, the fascinating lack.
light before their eyes aud make swift work with the
rifle.
The whole excitement VI life now Is the deer hunt.
ing and the Nimrcls ngcr from week tn week rs the
chase grows more absorbing. For those less blood
thirsty and those who consider the spoils small
ward for watching and waiting hy the hour and day
there are innumerlbe other things tu caIm the at
| tention. The whole region AROUND the Raqurtte Il
one of the widest beauty, and to reach this finest lake
In the wilderness one comes through scenery of
passing charm The thirty miic stage ride from the
end OF the railroil to Blue Mountain Lake leads
| through broken aud tugGed country, covered with
thick forests, and Blue Mountain Lake Itself Is place
worthy OF the rapturcs Of all tourists The little lake
lies at the foot of the chief mountain peak of this re-
Giou aud PERCEPTIONS heights and sIopng ridges wal
II in the othcr sides The lake Is perfectly trans.
| parent and dotted with little rocky, pine covered
Islands, presents besides broken and ragged soi,
line, made mp Of long promuntoiirs and winding bays
that keep the exploring aisncn busy for days. Thc,
hotels shelter the wandering people, and OCcasiouh
tents and bark shanties shore speak FOR the cam,
Ing pIrtics that make the distinctive feature of Ali
rOndack life. steep tran ut three miles leads tu III,
| top of Blue Mountiu, aud climbing the old cedi
stump once known as 80 Kate Fields Ladder, - thcr
Is glorious view OF silyery lakes, rollug hilltups
| aud mountain Sides Ear below. When Kate Field an,
her pioneer party made the ascent Of Blue Muumtai,
they nailed sticks to the trunk aud branches Of nub
old cedar tree aud by that means mounted to the top
| most branches and booked oil on the coveted view
Since that long ago tho state surveyors have found
higher summit beyond the ladder. where they hnv
erected signal station and clearing OF tho trees al
around 1t, teroIs To be had uubrokcn view To III
four points. Last winters storms blew down Kat
Field cedar tree, aud now the valiant mount ainecr
only pause there To catch breath anI get forecast,
Of the coming feast.
| Beyond Blue Mountain Lake there stretches n cha
of little lakes connected by tiny rivers aud outlets
the first Of which Is Eagle Lake, wlcc Ned Buutllne
the great blood auI thunder novelist. made his hunl
for many years This writer of boys stories came her
nearly thirty years ago and hid himself IN the wilder
| ness TO escape the temptation of drink lie cienre
off farm aud bullt comfortable log house. Duiiu
the winter he worked In the lumber camps, aud /
the summer he huucd aud entertained the wanlcrip
spOrsmen. In between times he roe his thrillIn
tales, and on picturesque little island at the outl,
Of Blue Mountain Lake Ned EuntlIne lid the mo
Of his literary work with the arduous occupation q
watching for deer lie was the finest marksmau
the woods and mighty hunter Of all game ut
casionnlly he would mount his pony aud ride Mt
miles out of the wilderness 10 the first settlements
indulging In one grand spree that sent him hon
humlliatcd to spend another season Of reflection, sell
denial hard work, aud novel writing at Eagle farm
When his wife aud two ildren died the brave Bun
llnc buried them under the hemoCk trees by h
cabin door and LETT the wilderness forever.
| Through narrow outlet boats pass from Eag
Lake To utowaua. aud from that silvcry cNpanse III
little Marion River lclds tu the RlIuctte Mario
River Is a serpentlue aesthetic little stream, whcr
tall trees arch overhead and mirror themselves In
st clear waters for half Its length. At the half-wJ
point there IL quarerofa mile carrv, 'or portag,
where the guides take up their boats and walk
the little fail aud rapids to the sill waters bcyCnt
anu Ilnlh lhlf carry Marion lNtf blOhlHllh 10 llnp
twenty feet, aud is bordercd All It's way with br0a
sheets Of waterllics aud hedge of tails aud pu
ple nag while the feathcry bouGhs of t,mnrack tie,
form solid wall for miles.
II is this network Of lakes aud streams that mak
travel possible through the region, aud with one
these light Adirondack canoes, that weigh less til,
nfty pounds aud draw trac aud four Inches
water one can go anywhere, aud almost row over Il
land after u heavy dew. The crazy little canoes n
used to them ana can balance themselves on the h,i
line kecs; for the least hasly motion, on the unev,
weighing Of tho coat pockets, viii scnd them Oy
without u warming. The guides lift them mp oy
their heads and carry them along At dog trot II
IA over cleared road, and penetrate the thick Woo
aud undebrush as II the ten foot shell their bac
Were not an Inconvenience 10 an the rest of the p
culiarltlcs the Adirondack cnnuo Is propelled
oars that overlap twelve inches more neccssitatl
u hand-oyer hand stroke, or obllGing one TO carry I
elbows In letter position, that would make hi
round -shouldcred for life.
ON tho "quecny Raquett" - the largest Lake
, the Wilderness there the handsomest priva
camps, aud tiny steamboats, ripple Its placid waite
on regular trips. Thirteen miles In length by thr
and four In width, Its shore line Is broken and
deuted to ninety eight miles In the circl
Of the lake, aud, dotted with islands aud cut by 10
peninsuIas, the lake seems separated into dol
small bodies o water, according 10 uiu u,mt al We
4 little red-r rooted Episcopal church has been bu
ON the solid rock Of 81. lubcTt'B Isle, aud each Sl
day at the hour for service Aota Of boats COZ
sweeping toward IT from every pOut of the ltaquet
| The island were - Adirondack - Murray camped
his pnlny days, when popular preacher and a muse
. lar Christian, stlll goes by his name aud further
the lake Beccher's Island Is pointed to as tho 81
. | where the plymouth pastor Camped during some
( his vacations. EI-Mayor Thatcher, Of Albany,
4 one OF the steady campers and mighty hunter Of
: region, and has camps both ON Hue Mountain q
70 Raquetto Lake. DuryUa, tho oswego corn-star
Y millionaire, has little swiss chalet under the sad
. OF Bluo Mountain, and Braudrotl, tho PIN mllllonai
II has lake Of his own, reached by four mile ca
" from tho northwest end Of Raquelc. Tho sons
Il Jessy oakley, the soap millionaire of New York,
:, the most trcc-s sports on the Akes and wlenc'
encountered are walking araonals of an dea
weapons and the models Of hunters fashion, plat
. The Duraut family, Of New York, are the 60
y, landed owners Of the Itaquette country, some me
ber Of tho clan owning bark At every turn uutil
Ia stranger threatens 10 drown his guide at the M
~ mention Of his name.