New-York tribune., 1885-03-15
THE ADIRONDACKS.
VII.
ON CAMERON'S JOB.
sr ,yr connrsroypyr OF TIE rRrBuSE.l

S.RANAC LAKE N. Y, March 1O.-I have tried 10
sonvince the friends who do me the favor TO rcau
these letters that winter is by no means du'i
season in tho woods 1t is not dull for the strahger
wholfnd exhilaration in the sleghing, tne rao"i'
and fox hunting don't let 1t be known III Ehg'ahu
but thoy shoot foxesl, and the frosty ar; aho
ss;ther "a IL dull for the permanent population. Fol
EXAMPLE there are balls. Several OF the large sum-
mer hotels make it practice to throw open theII
doors. in sleghing time, for grand dance. The
snow.banks ara broken down, the fires are Rindled'
the beds are thawed, the largest rODm is cleared
and the long silent kitchen wakes to life. ln some
way the nows of the iestal appointment spreads All
over the North. People assemble from absurd dis-
tancos. A ball at Loon Lake this winter are"
dancers from the Vermont side OF Lake Chainpaih,
and ride of fifty miles is popularity considered
n small price to pay for such an evening OF deight'
The guides, tho farmers, the lumbermeh' the
Villagers, are all fond of balls; and may add. IN
explanation of this taste that many OF the Adiron-
dack country girls are exceedingly pretty mere
Was ball at one of the Lake Placid hotels little
while ago. and was assured that it was splendid
affair. for they had seventy five couples and band
of music When We took our customary drive next
morning. we met considerable proportion Of the
seventy-fve couples going home. friend of mino
drove for some distance behind n loving pair who
we're continuing in the cutter the gentle exercises
interrupted in the ballroom by untiinely morning
But on these roads must be careful and just as
He leaned over to kiss Her, the horse swerved. the
.Ie;ob tilted. and the man fell ont. There's many
tin into snow-ba 'twixt the kiss and the lip.
The Lake Placid road had been deep and danger
ous since the last great storm; but so many sleghs
went to the ball, and so many persons fell out OF
them that the snow was pretty well beaten down.
aud the time seemed proptiOus for visit to Cam
H. D~.,w anHV nf
for Tough who is supposed to be able to drive any
thing where and three of our friends followed
IN second sleigh ajob." in the S'nac vernacu-
lar. is loggng-camp; the one in question is stu
ated high ND on Haystack Mountain mot the Hay
stack near Mount Marcy. but local Haystack
which l do not find named .on the map): and 1t is
reached by driving. four miles on the Lake Placid
road and then crossing the fields to lumber track
which starts from dense thcket. The ascent OF
three or four miles is exceedingly rough, even with
two feet of beaten snow covering the stumps and
stones. 1t is just wide enough for one sled. the
descent being made by another track, sleeper.
somewhat shorter, and smoother because 1t is worn
by heavy loads At one or TWO points, however,
the two tracks run together. and at the first OF
these places. having been msdirected as to the
wav. we took the wrong turn. Presently in the
thick of the forest we found ourselves face to face
with an enormous sed-load of logs. The ground
fortunately, was comparatively level. and the
team was easily stopped. ~ going up on the
iobY, called out tho teamster "Yes." swell.
you'd ought to went round over the hill"
Teamsters are always good-natured In this country
of narrow roads, and after much tramriing and
soupding of the drifts q spot was chosen where
where we could haul into the bushes, and the load
passed in safety. Once more, before we got hack
into the up-rOad. this tryIag manGuvre had to be
performed but in time after hard pull, through
woods hardly touched by the axe, we reached the
small clearing where the lumbermen have their
camp We seemed to be on the summit. but in
reality the site gently sOping terrace. and the
sharp top of the mountain a long way of.
close growth of timber. none of it very large,
pressed hard upon the clearing. the dark green
sprnces and basams interspersed with beech. WHICH
hods its w,tbered foliage all winter and spots the
sombrs forest with vivid patches OF tawny yellow.
The camp consisted OF only two buildings, ono Tor
the men. the other for the horses Tho cabin was
rude log house. about thirty feet long ana smiee %
or eighteen feet wide. with steep shingled ROOF
from hch projected two pieces OF stoyeplpe he
logs were by no means well fitted, and the chinks
but psrecty stopped w,tn poles sSsf
obstructed by cone OF dscoiored ice holtieu WIN
tca-leaves. There vas no one to- he seen outside,
hut knock brought cordial invitation TO
enter and we found ourselves In the camp Kitchen
and livng room, where neat and good looking
young couple the man dns ana Wiz The room took ne
,atber mora tban half the length of the building and
lie ful width. 1t bad au undulatng moor OF rough
blanks one or two small glazed windows close to
the caves. few shelves along one side stationary
table on trestes along the other and In the middle
taised on blocks large cooking stove There were
two or three wooden chairs. and there were long
benches in front of the table. Nothing could he
rnder OF more meagre than the equipment OF this
house. IN which thirty-twO people had spent four
iong winter months but there was pleasant air
of cleanliness throughout the interior. and sayory
pdor rose fIOm the stove. The substance OF the
which we're Kissing in the frying-pan. Something
was smoking In large iron pot, and pan OF batter
foreshadowed 6apjocks. We were urged to stay
and dine aud one Of the men, who seemed dsap-
pointed at our refusal, promised us hrst-rate iced
At the back OF the principal room, cut of by lank
partitions; was small h closet probably occupied Dy
furnished with a few tin basins and q stove FROM
this bare apaI tment stairs led to the loft where the
rows with passage,way between them. each bunk
being intended foI three men. There was evidently
no lack of ventilation for daylight shone through
of the two stoves on the ground floor were carried
through the loft and ont ut the ridge, 80 that as
long a. the fires were kept up the men wero prob
ably pretty warm. Only ten OF the thirty wood
cutters were IN camp ut the time Of our visit. for
Camerons job was nearly finished, SO far as telling
the timber went. and the camp was soon to break
men and teams employed in this work. however.
form distinct force and are not boarded In camp.
were running the shanty" looked forward to the
end of their exile with great satisfaction. They
had been isolated since October. and had long ago
consumed their last SCRAP of reading matter; 80
that present we brought. of newspapers and other
periodicals. was received with lively express ions Of
pleasure. The men were coming IN to dinner when
we took our leave. We meant to drive further and
see the woodcutters at work, but word was brought
that loaded team sot in the rOad,' the
teamsters had sent up the mountain for help, and
meanwhile the way was hopelessly blocked. AS the
distance was too great for most Of our party to 60
afoot, we turned homeward
The condition of the steep downIOad might have
been little startling to nervous traveller, the
snow was worn so frightfulIy smooth, and the
uneven track. deeply quilted, made many sharp
turns A heavy load must 60 down at considerable
sDced. and to guido it requires nerve and Judgment