Springfield globe-republic. (Springfield, Ohio) 1884-1887, 1886-12-12
ABOUT CAMPING OUT.
MULFoRD TELLS ABOUT
LIFE IN THE SIERRA NEVADAS.
Shooting q Sage Hen and Suffering from
RsmorSe-Learning the Art Of Camp
ing Out-The Solitude Of the Noun
tains-Indian Fashion Of Sleeping.

Especial CorTespondence.I
BosToY. Dec 6-I was little more than
hoy in wears when stroaed off into the wilde
IF the Sierra Nevadas all alone on pros
pecting" expedition after silver. rancher
lent me a horse and agreed to take his pay
in shares of whatever mines | might find.
l managed from one and another TO scraPe
together a saddle and bride on similar terms.
Some one gave me dog, bought a cheap
gun, and with few dollars worth Of provi-
sions rode out Of the settled portion Of the
country into the mountains
went for a stroll the first evening OF this
outdoor life, leaving my camp in charge of the
dog Put found on returning that he had
made a supper of my whole stock Of meat,
which | expected would last three days.
After that l hung my meat out of Puts
reach, and | had always 10 hang it pretty
high too. The next morning | had nothing
for breakfast but e robin. That robin l
couldn't eat until shot it--and it was full
hour before l could get sufficiently near the
bird to do so.
/ Bloody business, thought, this killing
ones fellow creatures to skin and eat Is not
a robin ones fellow creaturef 1t has intelli-
gence TO build its nest love for its mate, love
for its young, and its song is a cheerful morn
ing melody in those solitudes- Certainly it Is
"A fellow creature.
Once on this trip, while csmped on one Of
the sage brush plains Of Nevada, | passed
and repassed for three days q sage hen sitting
on her nest. was short of provisions. For
two days resisted the temptation 10 shoot
her; but my needs were pressing, and on the
third day did shoot b r and have accused
myself Of murder ever since. had no tent
On The California plains for seven months of
the year | needed none. since no rain falls
there for that period. On the mountains there
were occasional showers. IL one lasted too
long | could generally Contrive a shelter of
pine bark, always plentiful and to be stripped
from the trees in large sheets Camping out
is an art by itself, and was obliged to learn
it by myself learned never to pass an in
viting spot for camping-furnishing wood and
water and grass for my horse-after o'clock
in the afternoon. for the chances would al
ways he against my finding such another be
fore dark, if found any at all. learned
to look carefully about before choosing g
camping spot, 10 see that no dead trees were
near enough to reach me should they fall
Because in these forests, never touched by
man, dead and rotten trees are numerous
very large ones, too, and they are rs liable to
come down in a calm as in storm Often
did l on still nights in those solitudes hear the
crash Of their fall miles away. More than
once, sfter making my arrangements for the
night, have found rotten pine over 100 feet
in height close to me and inclined in my di
rection, and therefore would move of that
ground. Once, after my fire was made and
my supper nearly ready, on looking up saw
suspended by mere splinter in the branches
over me dead limb weighing hundreds of
pounds. 1t was in another shape a repetition
of the sword of Damocles. moved of that
location.
Twice during my absence my camper
rather all that could burn in my camp-came
near doing SO through the dry grass catching
from my fire. After a few such alarms and a
run back home OF mile or on seeing the
danger, learned to cover up the fire well o
remove the dry grass foot or two from it
During the summer the grass and weeds in
California wither and dry to the roots, and so
take fire very easily.
kept my tea, coffee and sugar in canvas
bags holding about a pound each Pepper
and salt In a smaller bag. l had . bread bag
and a meat bag Butter l carried in a tin
-. n.
rolled up these bags in my blankets, which
were strapped behind the saddle. On unpack
ing, placed all the bags in row together
on the ground. That row was my larder and
kitchen, and could put my hand on any
article as soon as it was wanted.
Before so arranged my groceries in this
system Of hags, ItooS them from the blankets
as they were needed, laid them anywhere in
the tall dry grass sbOut me when had done
with them and then spent a good deal Of time
and strength hunting them up. Just so with
knife, spoon or fork. l found it paid in many
ways to arrange all my kitchen furniture and
groceries in regular order on the ground as
soon as my blankets were unstrapped.
My cooking apparatus consisted Of fry
ing pan and coffee ppt. Bread hakes very
nicely in a frying pan. when propped up
nearly upright before the fire or better still
heap of glowing Goals. Imagine the predica-
menE found myself once in on discovering
had left my matches at the last camp, then
ten miles off and no grocery or settler within
twenty miles There was nothing 10 do but
return and hunt them up. Without matches
meant being without fire, and being without
fire meant being without cooked food Acct
dents like these beat at last something like
order into my head, and much needed it
1t was the custom in those days for people
TO carry a revolver slung at the hip. In the
forest for a revolver substituted a hatchet
The weight in iron was about the same. but
the hatchet WAS far more useful for chopping
firewood and many other purposes. l found
it a very good plan to keep secure from the
possibility OF wet or dampness a little bag
full OF dry shavings or whittlings, for often
in the forest it is difficult TO get any perfectly
dry fuel for kindlins. They laughed at me
in q certain cabin where l was staying on see
ing me preparing my bag Of kindling wood,
and called me a granny" Some two years
afterward / met one OF these men
with all his toes frozen of, and among other
things he said Il wouldn't have frozen my
feet had taken pains, as you did, to have a
bag of dry shavings about me-"
l don't wish, however, to convey the i'm
preston that was so very wise then
wasn't l was a harum scarum, careless,
reckless, improvident boy, and nothing but a
special providence carried Inc through.