Telegram-herald., 1886-07-25
WAY UP IN ONTONAGON
A Fisherman 5 Luck IN the Up
per Peninsula
8llIg TIE CREEK F0S L0ili Trout
r sfi0 in the Shadows on Long Aoss :
3 nat Vaog From F~tsfsa Ceoars
-1os Nature haases MOT
scipper of the CitY aan.

Dh taE Rt4uh ta4s. ~ tfea-l t.it ets-D.
jay ~ There are surely more SORTS and
klnds ot c3Qutry up Ga this Acrlaern vii
derness t4an iu any equal Territory tne
world over Ne have been here nearly
moagl and have Lad ghe civilization OF Ash
land siiA ils magnificent h0,el and lis lm-
mediate environment Of Chippewa - lgwams
and rioe helds Ne have climbed tie ridges
Of tae in5n mountains that are ylelalnE
such .re4sure al Bessemer uu a. the south
east. We have been among tie hills OF o. the
westward, where since / wrote YOU lasl, we
have continued 10 feast upon bass and sen-
s0n-now Ne are in lhe midst OF something
else peculiar ia It's distlnctiyeness As
any. The way Was this. We came down TO
EAs.e river intending 90 meet some friends
from Chicago there aud 90 back % the a.
German lakes iur some lalskallonge fishing
But, unding Only telegram informing us Il
delay, We ioand a week, tine on oar hands,
and so. hearing that there Mas some trout
fishing at MatersmeeI We prepared 90 20
and take il in We have left ali our heavy
duile back al Eagle, aud are here with only
a birch bark canoe, little shelter tent and
a couple Of blankets. We left Eagle or
freight train. All of me crew soon became
enthusiastic over the country and its sports
aud We soon discovered in them a body Of
Jealous sporismen. perfectly willing 10 stop
the train for half an hour az some
water tank 10 fish for trout in
the brooks thereabouts The engineer es-
pvcially was a great fisherman. and when
he nad stopped ms machine al State Line
he came back into The cabOose and began
20 arrav himself IN top boots and a rubber
coat. Tom Was going 10 run her iu he
said, and he was going to get OF al the
six-mile tresile and fish up toward the
tank Watersmeet is nothing more than
tank, depot, and one house that is called
hotel. Did We want 10 20 'lOng2" One
OF Us did, and 50, clad in rubber coat
aud boots, as the tram slid slow
ly over trestle when Tom had slowed
her up. we jumped of into the high grass,
rod IN hand, 50 see what was 10 be seen. It
was new sort of country for this section
Almost swamp, grown high with grass
anu ciumps of sedges, with a liJIie clear,
cold stream winding about among alder
bushes. This grass, too, is not the good.
orthodox grass OF a meadow, but a decep-
tive covering hiding many deep we'll full
of ice-cOld water. The ground Is full of
springs that feed these BROOKS each
OF which has followed out
place for itself. They are deep, and slyly
hidden by Overtwining grasses. Fancy one
making cast and stepping suddenly back
I ward into a high-deep bath of freezing
/ spring water. Those boots were both full
/ long before the creel had enough in IL to
count. But there were trout in the brook
/ Plenty of small ones, and some good sized
and before dark there We're three or four
dozen in each basket. Then we sought the
railroad, and, happy to be free from the
I danger OF pitfalls, began our march toward
the tank.
Yesterday we flhed the Ontonagon, a
branch of which flows hard oy the little
station where We camp lt is desperate
stream TO fish. For miles all about here is
nothing but cedar swamp, that might vel
! remind one of Florida or the darksOme
/ deeps OF the Dismal swamp. Long moss
hangs in testOOus from the grand and
! twisted cedars; great roots. above ground.
twist about. rendering lOcomotiOn next TO
I impossible, while directly along the ri ,er
thck fringes of cedars make casting almost
impossible. Wading is the only solution.
and that Is questionable business. for the
water is deep and swift. and along the
shore the bottom is wast-deep in Ooze and
slime. Nevertheless, we wade, and We get
some lovely trOut-half a pound and up
ward-picked up here and there beside
this log or this clump of grasses. Among
these alders is a great wallOwing place for
deer. and many bed do we find. sheltered
among netted bOughs where some graceful
beast has found resting place Aud here.
beside this bank where there are biueberry
bushes, are the marks of bruin. 700 alway,
seeks out haunts where he eau feast on
fruits.
Ii l. the middle of the afternoon when
We emerge from the swamp. and. % our ioy
carry a heavy cree back 10 camp. Ii /.
probably three miles back bv the railroad
and as we walk II We try TO keep count O
the number of fresh deer tracks We dis
cover alongside or crossing the track Their,
is bend in the river about mile frOn
where we left IT,, and as II comes near
in an open sweep the temptation j.
too strong to make east or tive
under the trees along the opposit,
shore. The casts are made aud two mic,
trout are Eriggling in the creel and we eros.
a little open piled with half-burned logs {,
reach the track again. As we step 90 u,
next to the last log, in the climbing process
necessary 70 get across. the last log seems OF
a sudden TO get right up before our eyes
nas lOg horns? Then our ewes discove
the great rcd buck. that hidden behind tha
log had suspcioned that II was time for hin
to wake up. OF course, We had no gun
people never do have when they see deer
But he walks of ten steps, 50 near that thl
sinker on the trout line might swing full In
his face and turns aud looks a. rs lie Il
q magnificent specimen ot the buck ords 7
Horns like the branches ot some grea
tree such horns ! dont think I ever sss
0n q deer before. There he stands. nod
ding that graceful head up and down. shak
ing those immense antiers as if IN good ma
tgred mockery Of our impotent rage Ba
p rsge melfs info admiration ere long aud w
cannot but be glad thai the beautiful crea
tire is safe Then Just % see him ran. ".
shout and clap our hands and away h
+ Z cs ieaping aud skiepine despite his siz
and branching antiers Thus far ou
r Water,mest venison has hean af Frdu
meat hui brook trout are not bad chuck f0
any one
To-Day has been the day cf -Snn8a
p in the woofs The ola guide bari.f sua.
& what to make of 90 ohan we to'd him O.
2 sleep Eis morning. as uf were nof ga.u
F. oat today He uas uo. used fo f. he sal
aad fDen bsre his ssd testimony sEain.
the religion If the Vara'ioners wht.g
De Aas piIoted So this morning p
Slept aie late fer ere woods though 81
p hns.fasrei as o'clock. Then we lir oa
IS p.fts aa3 went lor a stroll bF wsr of ser
man through toe words Nature e.
f m'ehte narth q and + haze never fur
enc. fa uuf think afaonE aI fhnee. .r a
r.sfine among h-r crsrrs vha IS Fl
+. a0HeieTer la Datures God a0 ra
. mesn 10 ssT that Az Others ar
e tanetisrs. or even taat they are 81