The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-08-04
A POET CANOEING.
Boyle OReilIy's Adventurous Paddle Down
the Connecticut.

Boyle O'Reillys Adventurous Paddle Down
the Connecticut.
Boston Advertiser.
People who have seen Boyle OReilly only
on the lecture platform, recalling his fair
skin and clean-cut features, would not recog-
nize the poet and editor, says the Springfield
Republican, in the athletic nut-brown ca
noeist of cropped head stopping yesterday at
Father OKeefe's in West Springfield. Flaky
bits of sun-burnsd cuticle lie on his nose,
cheeks and ears, and through lightly-fit-
ting suit of blue flannel his biceps and
shoulder muscles bulge like those of his dis
tinguished fellow-ctizen, John L. Sullivan.
This change from the scholars delicacy to
the prize-fighter's sturdiness is largely due,
at least as regards the bronzed face, to a de-
lightful elevendays' voyage, without hat
tent or umbrella, down the Connecticut, a
river that to Spring6elders regularly sug-
gests malaria, seldom pleasure almost never
health. MIR. OReilly's voyage was full of
adventure and interest. He and his COM
panion DIR. Ransom Guiteras, of Boston,
also a strong and experienced canoeman,
launched their boat July 10 into the upper
waters of the river. Their only guide was
an imperfect chart of the stream, and
this they soon lost in an accident. For pro-
polling power they had their paddles and a
small sail, but logs in the river soon rendered
the latter dangerous, and it was shipped to
Boston. Their canoe, a light but strong Ra-
cine boat, in which they did the Merrimac
and rounded Cape Ann last summer, was
packed with wagon load of things needful
including edibles, drinkables, blankets, an
oil stove, gun and boxing gloves. Thus
equipped they proceeded rapidly down
stream, shooting almost all the falls and rap
ids in their way, and sleeping at night in the
open air under the shelter of trees on the
river bank The beauty of the river scenery
was a constant surprise and delight A hun
bred times day, as Mr.. O'Reilly puts it, they
cried, This beats the Rhine" or This is
ahead of anything on the Merrimac." But
soon their attention was diverted from the
scenery by the appearance of numerous and
troublesome enemies in the stream-rolling,
pushing, stubborn logs. The two voyagers
in all their canoeing had never met and CON
quered logs, and were at first irresolute. If
they tried to push log from their course, it
simply pushed them from its course. They
noticed that the loggingmen talked to logs
as TO persons, swearing at some,
little fellows and wheedling the
big-giving to all personality. The canoe
men had no more trouble with logs. They
found that by pushing it end ON they
could move the most hulking log as they
pleased. mo wonder the loggers personify
them" says Mr.. 0'Reilly. why, they are
like ignorant men; you cannot crowd or
force them, but you can guide them gently
wheresoever you will" From fearing the
logs they grew to like them, and now they
consider their presence in the Connecticut bv
no means against it as a canoeist's stream
First OF ALL" according to the canoeing
poet, "a canoeist must know how to swim;
second he must master the habits and dis
positions of logs"
The next serious adventure came in the
night of Sunday, the 10Th. All along the
full moon had tempted them to keep their
la -,
that night caught them in the midst of rap
ids, hid the shore IN darkness and blinded
them totally with its driving rain. Unable
to make the shore they were forced 10 go on
with the current Suddenly a drive Of logs
came down upon Them and before they had
time to speak or plan for safety the end of a
big log swept over the boat striking both
men and upsetting the canoe.
DR.. Guiteras's legs were tightly wedged
in by new stock of provisions. After.
sinking several times and almost giving IN
hope, he freed his legs from the canoe and
swan ashore. When M. OReilly arose
after the tipover, his head bumped against
logs and he finally came to the surface at
some distance from the boat. Diving again
under the logs he got hold of the boat and
chung to it. being swept down with the cur
rent, till his friend had run half mile up
stream, swan across, borrowed farmers
lantern and boat and rowed down to the
rescue, picking up paddles, coffee-pots and
stray bottles on the way down. This acct
dent cost them their chart of the river and
many of their traps. Mr. O'Reilly is full of
enthusiasm for the Connecticut's charm for
the canoeist, as we'll as over the general
charm of the canoeist's life He and his
friend agree that there is no river in the
country that has the Connecticut's adyant-
ages for canoeing. or that so fully repays the
voyager. Mr.. 0'Reilly marvels that he
passed and heard of no other canoeists on a
river so beautiful with cities and towns full
of sportsmen on its banks The Connecticut
ought to become, in his opinion. the princi-
pal canoeing stream in America and bear
many hundred canoes or it's bosom every
-