New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-08-12
CAMPING IN CALIFORNIA.
VIII.
KILLING AND COOKING.
Z" Am woodmau. hat Speak, like Herns the


MOUNT PISOS. July ID.
Durer and the doctor and Harvey no longer 80
hunting as they did in the salad days of our expc-
diton, keeping cold vigls on the tops Of mountains
to be ready for game at the dawn--like Rip Van
Wrinkle. who excused himself to Gretchen for stay
ing ont all night because he wanted to get up
early in the morning" When they planned foray
the other day, they fortified themselves By good
nights sleep. rose at 4, cooked hearty break
fast caught their horses and rode away before the
rest of as were awake. They kept to the east.
beyond the tramping grounds of the sheep. aud
then crossed to tho north side of the mountain,
where there are springs far down tho slope to which
the deer 60 for water When the descent became
dangerous they left their horses and continued the
hunt on foot ,I.f.i s
They took different directions. Harvey followed
q deer for long distance, seeing 1t three times but
never getting fair shot Durer, who had Thought
fully bestowed his pistol upon the doctor for this
occasion, and armed himself with o rife. had
cIambered down Thousand feet or so when he
esped q doe lying in the shade of tree at dis
lance of about hundred yards Now. Durer had
never shot deer. and his first impulse was to call
Harvey. His second and wiser thought was TO
attend to the matter himself As the creature
bounded up he fred and shot her through Just b.
hind tho shoulder. second shot struck her IN the
leg; but the first was enough; she dropped after
two or three springs. The other men were good
way of, but they heard the reports Doctor"
said Harvey; hes got that fellow. sure" And -
1t happened that while Durer was contemplating
his prize, and wondering how he should got II up
the mountain, tho imperturbablo aud soft-voiced
Harvey stepped upon tho scene as fresh and quiee
Is II he had not just scrambled over some miles OK
rock and forest. He put the deer on his back and
4 ~. o,.1 nspor al
bringing horse part way down to meet him. 10
was high noon when tho hunters retained. We
heard Durers j0del in the distance, and he gslopsd
into camp all radiant with his frst deer tied BE-
hind his saddle and his now huntlng-knife honor
ably besmsared. We lunched sumptuously on veni-
sons liver fried with bacon. and listened to the ed
ventures of the morning over dessert OF slowed
prunes until tho doctor warned us that lit wa
I'm prune-dent to eat 90. many Venison II 70
plenty in our camp now that we send launches and
things 70 our acquaintsaoss in tho Ojai Valley
Our water-cans answer quite we'll for getting th6
daily supply from the spring In the glen. but-even
by going dirty--we do not always succeed In limit
ing our consumption to twenty gallons, and aboue
every other day Harvey has to make two journey2
To catch horse and bring load of water takes
about two hours, and makes serious inrosd upon
busy mans time. "This here water business" 70
marked Soper the night before he left us IL tuss
like milking cow, when you once begin. it's goo
20 60 on as regular a. clock. Now, you suppose
Mr.. Harvey goes out and shoots . venison, and 10
delays him maybe half an hour, well. 1t eopase
along evening and the waters got to be brought ~
whsther the venisons brought in or not. Oh. tell
You don't like to run no ways short Of waters u
makes you feel mighty uncomfortable" This "
especially the case place like the top OF Mount
Pinos where the soil Is fine dust and the frequent
fires have left everywhere deposit of powdered
charcoal Harvey calls 1t che dirtiest mountain NJ
ever saw.
Ibelieye remarked in my last letter that on the
summit Of Mount Pinos o gentle sca-brecse blows
every day from the southwest. As The DAILY
Blaherse says whom it is fofced to confess that 10
has falsely accused . man Of robbing bank this
statement appears to have been premature oas
morning. the night wind which comes from tho
north forgot to stop as usual ct SUNRISE 1t blew
continuously, with increasing velocity, for three
DAYS and nights Food, clothes eyes, nostrils.
mouth, skin. were filed with black dust The water
would not boil the bacon would not fry. and All
Hing flung saucepans about declaring that Mount
Pinos was mo good" Camp fires would not warm
us, and on the third evening we went to bed for
shelter before it was dark. Tho Unbeatable ne
minded MS of q storm at sea. for nothing could be
kept on IL. WIN mucu sauor VIC ouiis oh ehc "AA~-
ward side of the dinine-place thick, high screen
OF wattled hemock boughs Al soon as that was
done the wind stopped, and the day turned sultry.
But we have always the satisfaction of feeling that
whatever little annoyance weather may cause NJ
on the mountain, it Is great deal worse down
below.
Hing. like most Chinese servants In California,
is tickle, and think he grows tired of camping,
now that he cannot fish and that pigeons and
auas are scarce His temper Is that of achild, bus
we should be sorry to lose o cook who has given Us
30 many Of the best dinners we have had ia Calf
foruia Anybody who has travelled much In the
southern part of this State will hold well-cooked
meal at its full value. often think of pulmonary
traveller who accosted me astesmboat and gave
me an account of his experience at certain weii-
known town which I will not name. am sure
that many an invalid traveller must have felt as he
did. IL tell you, sir" said he, "shat hotel Is 1use
about the worst hotel in California; and l guess
know, for found out what kind Of stuff the land
lord was buying. He gives his boardsrs tho worss
he can and gets out Of them the last cent they will
pay. But there's lady keeps restaurant In the
town-sbe and her husband does, reckon they are
about fifty years Old each OF 'em-and she knows
me- and the other day got the best dinner there
| ever ate She sent out and got rue PoRTEB
HOUSE STEAK" He delivered these impressive
words very slowly aud as his eyes opened wide the
moisture gathered In them as If sayory odors rom
the grdiron once more troubled the founts OF feel!
ing" PORTER H-o-u-s-e STEAK; aud had
apple-sauce. and tea! tell you. man couldn't
wish for a better dinner. When got through I
asked her how much 1t was. and she said thirty
Eve cents. had half dollar in my pocket. and
iust took IL out and told her to keep the whole Oft
for the dinner was worth it, Why. the raw meat
must have cost her twenty-five cents let alone the
cooking She don't generally charge but twenty
five cents for meal, this lady DON'T says she cans
on account of the composition. But you see this
dinner was something extra" J. IL. o. NJ
HISTORICAL NOTES ON STATEN ISLAND.