Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1885-09-19

The End Of q Summer which Has
Been Truly GOlden-The Hea1th.Pre.
serving Air Of Pike County-Fish and
Summer Visitors.

| Correspondence Of The EVENING STAR:
MILFORD, PIKE COUNTY, PA, Sept 10.
Passing away-paSsng away:
The golden summer Ia passing away."-Od Song
| "what luckr
"Not fsherman's luck this time my friend
Observe this string of bassr'-AnOn
Beginning with the first branch OF our text,
| the Scotch mist yelling these mountains, their
September chill In the air and the tinge of
autumn here and there on the naples warn us
that the golden summer is dying. And golden
summer it has been to the thousand summer
retreats in all these mountains of northern
Pennsylvania and New Jersey, and eastern
New York, from the Kittatinny, the Shawun-
gunk and the Shandaken mountain ranges to
the beautiful Hudson Highlands and the kingly
group of the Catskills. They never have had
such a golden summer since the war; Here in
this little village of hardly thousand fixed
population and seven miles from the nearest
railroad, we have had since the first of July not
less than fl We hundred strangers any day this
summer. And the rule among summer visi-
week or two and then to '.move on" In this
grand round north and eastward and down
the Hudson homeward bound. Artists, fisher
men and families in search OF beautiful scenery
or good fishing, or health-giving air and pure
water. IN most cases linger here through the
summer, and some of them remain till these
hills nave resumed their winter mantle OF
snow.
PLACE WHERE MEN LIVE LONG.
Pike county, one Of the poorest, toughest,
roeklest and most thinly inhabited mountain
counties of Pennsylvania, is renowned for it's
salubriOus atmosphere and delicious water and
It's large proportion of 'the old folks at home"
IN the eighties and nineties. This, too, nOtwith-
Standing the rough lives of many OF these old
rude fare and scanty clothing But the best
proof of the health preserving air and water of
Sheldon, a famous hermit of these woods. Dis
appointed in beautiful young woman, among
his people in Connecticut, he fled from them,
and sought refuge from human society in a
retreat into the uninhabited woods back here
in these hills. There, all alone, in rude shelter
among the rocks and jungle, half starved,
clothed in rags, and wearing the same suit day
and night till changed by patching, there, in
that rude shelter, the occupation of which was
sheldon lived for forty years. a year ago. or
more, his sister, learning of his den in the
woods, sought it, found him, and took him
home He remained there some months; but
last summer the writer met him in this village
on his way back to his den in the woods, He
was neatly dressed; but he still, with his hard
sunburnt face, his keen watchful eyes and his
tall, why and bOny frame, had more the look of
a wild man OF the woods than quiet villager.
say he is still living and enjoying in his way
his lonely hermitage.
A FIsHERMES's PARADISE
Now for our luck in fishing. Last Saturday q
party OF dozen of us, including half q dozen
school boys and girls, went up nine miles in
tucsc Hills. 10 The big BrlnK and Little Brink
lakes, the one about three miles by two and
I he othera round lake OF half mile diameter
These lakes swarm with perch, sunfish and
pickerel. But the shore of the Big Brink is SO
lined with masses of great rocks that it is diff
cult to get to it. The Little Brink is, therefore,
the lake most patronized by fishing parties
On its shore live Barney Steigler, eghty-two
ana his wife, Seventy-fiye, all alone there
They have boats TO hire, and from these boats
and their presents from fishermen they man.
age to live. Our party, procuring from them the
needfui boats, lost no time in proceeding to
business. In two hours we had caught 200
perch and sunfish, a big pail full. Then a royal
picnic dinner in the woods. then rain and then
we came away.
Last Monday a party of three, a father and
his two boys, from our house, went half a mile
down this river (the Delaware) at day break,
and under a suspension bridge, within two
hours, caught twenty-four black bass, the
largest pound and a half and the smallest halt
a pound, and they had only worms for bait
Next day the writer found this party, and we
came away with twenty-five black bass, only
two or three of which were caught after 8 a. M
Total weight of the catch, nine and a half
pounds. Largest bass, one pound and quar-
ter. Good luck for windy morning. G. b. w.