The Somerset reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1868-1909, 1890-12-18
For the Reporter.
e.
Stray Leaves
From 4 SroRrsMAN,s D1ARY.

sleighing, anu are carried 10 tue Lake
House mile or more away, where we
tsrry for the night. In early morning We
return to the r X. station, buy our tick
cts and proceed toward our destination on
the Canadian Pacific X. X. to Jackman-
town and Moose River. The Il. Il. from
Greenville to Jsckmantown Is at the foot
OF Moosehead Lake, passing the outlet,
where may be seen the noted Lake dam
about which SO much has been said-by
some to arouse fear, by Others to allay 1t,
then along by Moose River. Brasus and
Long ponds. At Jsckmsntown we find
our genial friend, the collector of Gus
toms, who is ever ready with a smile 10
meet his benighted brothers from the
Hub, and, II need be, send them on their
way rejoicing BY his timely assistance
we secured conveyance up the Canada
road about i've miles. 1t was our good
fortune TO find here a Canadian about
leaving for home with an extra team to
lesd. IN the pupg of which we slowed
ourselves and baggage, the latter con-
sisting of numerous grip-sacks, rifles and
medicine chest. such as all military
men and most all thoughtful sportsmen
take along to meet emergencies in case of
| sickness. BY this comfortable conveyance
we In due time reach Mons. Marcos,
where we stop, change conveyance, and
start for our destination, camp Quietly,
some' three miles through the woods
over very rough road. on e shore Of
! Head Pond. We reach here about noon,
where we find comfort and hospitality
administered by Mr.. Quietly and his OBJ
lging family. Mr.. D, has the past year
established on this lovely spot a hunting
and fishing camp. He has built here six
nice, warm log cabins, all well furnished
with stoves, bough hunks, good bedding
and other necessary conveniences for
camp life. His cooking and dining cabin
are separate form all the others. party
Of two, three or four can have cabin by
themselves.
II, for no other purpose this place can
be well recommended as health resort
for invalids, for sleeping on 4 sweet FIR
bough bed and snufilng the pure forest
air must give health and vigor to all who
come here, SO II seems to me.
| But the place Is especially attractive to
all lovers OF hunting, and trout fishing In
their season, for In this vicinity there are
numerous ponds Astounding with trout
and on the mountains, near by, aud In the
Il DANA Unnda nj daar 20
to be found In numbers uneQualled any
where else In Maine.
From our cabin we have fine view Of
old Bald mountain. on the peaks Of which
there Is never seen any vegetable growth.
Its sides are covered with a dense growth
OF spruce, which makes the view very
lovely-yes, l may say, grand.
| Until Mr.. Quietly established his cabins
here the place was not frequented but
little, II any, by sportsmen. Now 1t Ia
the sportsmen's paradise-if perchance
there can be found such In our Maine
woods. The skias of moose. caribou and
deer, to say nothing of launches Of veni-
son hanging Up In one of Mr.. Dutelly's
outhouses. fully attest tire truth Of this.
| At this time there are about eight or
ten inches Of snow In the woods, thus
making 1t easy to track wild game. On
our way here after leaving the Canada
road, we observed the trail of five carl
bou, where they had crossed but q short
time before. OF course We mourned over
our Ill luck, but sportsmen become &C
customed to all such dssppointments, so
we took the matter philosophically and
passed on, though ever after keeping a
better lookout, and having our rifles
reauy for bus iness.
| IN tho nnsninu FLOR onr arrival ho
son shone out bright and the day bid fair
to be too favorable to be neglected by the
non. observers of the Sabbath, SO with
rifles on their shoulders many went to the
woods for HINT, while others more OBJ
servant of the day only went to examine
the fish holes and fed the fish on fresh
venison. The hunters all return empty
handed, but reported seeing abundance Of
fresh tracks. They were rewarded how.
ever for their Ill luck by sitting down to
supper before q mess Of nice speckled
clubs which would have sharpencd the
appetites of Kings and Princes.
The fish In this pond are peculiar. In
the summer and fall to September, they
are the most beautiful speckled trout l
ever saw, and In the winter they seem to
turn, tadpole like, to speckled clubs.
When Mr.. Quietly offer d them to his
guests, he said we might not like them az
. parrish. All seemed however to relish
them, j. KIM remarked, ''seems to me
they taste very much like common trout"
Eyes" was Mr.. Dutelly's response, very
much like common trout"
Monday morning mine host sets before
US . steamining hot plate Of caribou steak
of which all partate with a woodlands
relish. The guides being otherwise en-
thn Ia 10 nd nd
the pond and In camp preparing for the
morrow. The evening Is passed In relat.
ing marvellous stories about fine rife
shoe ing and the usual camp amusements,
now and then one exclaiming "Do they
miss me at homer"
Tuesday morning all are up early, and
soon as breakfast Is eaten, we take our
rifles. q lunch and guides and are of for
the woods In search of herd of caribou
or stray deer. The wind whirls about
the ears Of these amateur nimrods; the
air is frosty the mercury IL degrees he
low zero. But mufiled In Scotch caps,
leather hunting coats and wooden leg
gings, they fear not the biting air The
par y dlvides-some to 60 to the base Of
Bald mountain, some to Fish nd Mud
ponds. The wind increases aud the air
grows colder, but there Is no turning
back. When fairly In the woods, some
miles, the writer observes fresh tracks In
the snow Of an old buck and doe-unmis.
taxable evidence Of game near by. Slow
ly and cautiously We move on, the tracks
growing more distinct. Soon they divide
the buckin one direction, the doe In an
other. Following the buck-we SO
much wanted-we very soon lose the
trail. What does this mean3 While thus
lnr nnA lar tnnv ~,
far ahead, say the distance Of FIVE PAGES,
where he had bounded. To my surprise
aud with all my caution, the old Fellow
had heard US and bounded off making
the leaps as above mentioned. had
lost my buck without a shot.
1t is truly wonderful how quick these
animals are to hear; 1t Is wonderful how
far deer willleap when pursued; 1t IL
also provokingly wonderful how exceed
ingly difficult 1t Is to get q shot at them
in the woods. And yet old, experienced
hunters knowing SO we'll their habits, are
able to overcome 1t, and frequently shoot
them, but all say that stlll-deer hunting
requires more skill than anything else, mot
excepting moose. The habits of carl
bou are very different. When they first
observe hunter, they either go toward
him little, especially II on the windward
side, or move on few yards and then
20 back for longer aud better observa-
ton. Then, II the hunter Is within rife
shot, il his opportunity. II several carl
bou are on the ice together, as they often
are, and one falls, the others huddle
round and smell of the fallen one, when
II the hunter Is an expert with the rife,
ell the others will be likely to meet the
same fate a. the first one.
Disappointed return to the camp cold
and benumbed, for the wind and cold
had increased. The camp is empty; my