The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1888-08-15
A Boys Paradise.

MeIuOTy reCdllS une lluJle ones OF YER
mont-not because there are none here,
but l know less what they are chatter
ing about than what my feathered
friends so near them are saying. Only
about forty miles separate my little ones
from me, but in coming here l passed
the haunts of otter, beaver, deer,
caribou and moose. AS the Children's
corner had not appeared in your new
field when / saw it, the grown-up boys
would, perhaps, like to know of the
hunters ramblings and how to be sure
objects of interest are near. The
north town of New Hampshire con-
tains all the animals l have mentioned
and others that | can not enumerate.
The Fairgrounds Of young otter are
found on the banks of these woodland
trout streams, and beaver cuttings in
some places are abundant. | can walk
to some of last winters beaver cuttings
in two hours. Dense forest, extending
twelve miles, from the boundary line
of Canada to the upper settlement in
New Hampshire, near the upper Con-
necticut lake, abounds with all the
evidence of deer that an old hunter
could ask. have seen caribou tracks
iOSOhIiJ oil dDOut tut IIllIu ldhc. July
20 searched out three unfrequented
ponds on small tributaries of the Con-
necticut river. AS l approached the
margin of one of the ponds familiar
sight greeted my eyes and made me
start up the steep wooded slope to avoid
disturbing one of my old friends about
its shores, for this was where he had
taken breakfast and many moonlight
suppers of lilies that everywhere dotted
its forty acres of surface. That foot
print was made by one who carries on
his ungainlv head tree wrong end up,
and when it is well-hardened in Sep
TENDER / will silently visit that secluded
home of the moose. Now, boys of all
ages, do not ask me where they are, for
l have no time to show you; and if
had, perhaps the results of future visits
would not be of as much interest as
they now bid fair to be. So now l will
sit down on a familiar rock on the
shores of the third Connecticut lake,
and while / am enjoying the silent I'M
marred outline of cedars, you may cast
line and sit quietly near. Sink lower,
for at the end of your rod the water
will measure three fathoms, and out
!
the bed. What is the matter now?
Do not get excited. You will not lose
the rod if you keep your seat on the
rock and your reel is singing lively
tune. Wind up slowly now, for you
have the best end of that rig. Easy
now, We have no dip net here, but
my hat will answer for one. But what
a time you are having! Yes, have
him now; and how silvery those sides /!
Only fourteen inches, say, and you
look as if man should be content with
that after days on the brooks chasing
the fingerings and trying to sort them.
Whew, What is up, or down, for you
seem to have an unwinding machine
| hitched to that line this time? So do
not check it yet. The lance-wood will
do that, if held at the proper angle. See
the water fly, seventy-tive feet out!
Reel now, or your line will slacken.
There, you can relax the strain on your
arm now and take look at what ought
not to be landed in this old hat. | have
the reel handy again. What do you
think of those waters now? Sixteen
and one-half inches, and look at the
! gold, besides four full rows of crimson
opOto VII cdCu Sluc. dlll only TeCdlI-
ing a recent experience with friend,
and we did not go on until the basket
was filled and the fisherman's languid
look had disappeared. And when
another year has passed, with its trials
and labor, can imagine the joy of his
outing.
NOTE BY EDITOR-The children
who read the Corner" in The Rural
Ve,monter will need no introduction
TO Ned Norton, We are glad to present
him to the boys and girls of the WATCH
MAN circle, and we wish right here to
give him hearty welcome to the chill
dren's column of the WATCIIMAN.
/" Ned is at home in the woods and
among its inhabitants, and when he has
guided the last tourist out of the sports
mans kingdom and has the time we
shall wish to have him entertain the
young people by the winter Preside.