New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-08-19
NOTES FROM AN IDLE CAMP.
TENTING IN PIKE COUNTY. PENNSYLVANIA.
~ THE SHORE OF LAKE rEEDY AsKUNG-A RE-
GIoN WHERE TREES GROW AND PoPu-
LATION DECLNEs-THE AGE
OF WAGON TRAINS.


since it is hillgrt piece of water mile or so los'
SHAPED like figure eight, only the nalrows IN tho
middle not very narrow. II is clght or Ten l'''
oms deep fed by springs, and is clear ana cold' l"0'
are some fish here, and occasionally we eaten then'
but we are not very dgent fishermen. They are DasS,
perch pckerel and small fry and one OF the picholi
appears to be Western species which has no Ouse''
east of the Aeghanies according 10 the books
IL is astonishing how much real hard work caihpne
excursion makes necessary, IL you would be co'iol'
able and you must be comfortable If you woulu envy
and profit by such an excursion. The tents mus -
well placed, and well guyed and we'll ditched' neuo
must be carefully arranged and your bedding iurhu'o
and provisions kept dry and tidy. Water and woou arc
10 be got and host of things constantly TO 20 uon0
which would never suggest themselves 10 all mo-
perienced mind. We have one tent Tor three i'Dl ~
and another for two gentlemen, and bower over 'o
kitchen fire which is a triumph OF architecture ~,
covers large rock and let me tell you that le ii1
who founded his house upon the SAND had al '
time than the so.called wise man who buiiueu on
rock and maybe he didn't care If 1t dld 90 away
the floods came. That kitchen IS one 10 De prV" o.
vet nothing less would have done justice W l' 80
To be a good campcoOk is an accomplishment Sop'.''
FROM not post graduate to, ordinary aOili'S III M
preparation. Our cook has practised the art Ho e'
Rockies 10 the Catsdlls, but never mad adVanV'eO
like these before Exploring the edge oil te I'No W
found a rocky point where for fifty years hhDcr'le'
and fishing parties have spent their nights 's
almost the only trace OF them was inc ruins Va ~
box-stove. The top Of this, having TWO poFhocS ""
reasonably whole, and Selling upon IL we Do'e ~
mounted it across two low walls OF Hat stones oc'0
the bower, plugged up the rear ehd anu -,
proudly 10 our chef She accepted 1t gracOusH' Voue
without enthusiasm and glorious meals nave conio
therefrom; but we are panied 10 observe thaI inc
stewpans and skets go into the STOVE 'lio"e" '''0
capacious front entrance that the back emu mas o0'
pulled down and that our precious IRON 'op - 80
only 10 rest things upon that are 10 Oe hop' NV
| our hearts are hurt, but our stoilac"s "io
| eratifed, and Utat IS the main thiHs-a' any wv "
summer camp. ,
II takes some time-mor or less with different lnui
vduals-for even those persons who really ENJOY "
become accustomed to camp-life when they arc suu1
transpIauted from the city. They 40 hoC sioeP wei
the first night nor accept easily on the heAV uaS HUI
! the one after that the spirit OF rest anu P"'
naturaness which invites them. They are nervous or
something to- do-somewhere to go-lhSteau VI Ooiue
ouiot and growing simply as all around them Is dohe'
Int II they are of the right sort this resuessnesS ead
ally subsidies and their souls become harmonous WIN
the quletude of the trees. 1t is Only teh Jay n'o
the roar of Broadway in my ears hiSted" VI 'i0
| tinkle of this brook, which gurgles DeheaVh our
sprlnghouse of ferns Yet New-iork Is 1orsotteh'
seems as far away and uninteresting 40 Town Ill
! china We do not miss it, II you should send us
Tomorrow a morning paper, doubt whether we would
do more than glance at the heaviest headlines, even IL
we paid It that compliment. We don't care "he'ier
school keeps or not.
This Pike County which Horace Greeley long ago
said was noted for only two thlngs-Democrats anu
! had whiskey-has acquired wide and wcuseasohed
reputation for the roughness both Of Its surface anu
of the people VINO try to get living oil OF IT, but hlu
il 90 hard that they are delighted with the easier pick
inCs afforded by the summer visitors VINO lhcauuouSS
penetrate its wids. 1t was Its reputation as wnuer
ness which attracted us. One doesn't ike 70 pnch
tent in hotels backyard, or alongside rairOau Ut
in the midst Of ploughed mown fields. Inc seht
nent of camp life is lost unless you are really In inc
woods. but then you mast have the right knd oil
uoods and that is lust what Pike doesn't AFFORD IL
e Wild enoucht heaven knows, but the wilderness Is OF
an unpleasant KIND 49,
As matter of fact Pike County has been settled
$50 years more or less The earliest settlers seem
10 have come up the Delaware River and tile earliest
industry was numbering. Masthope Station on the
Erie Railroad takes It's from the fact that there
WAS cut the malnnast Of the famous old frgate Con-
stitntion and this was the first point on the Della
ware where the proper stick could DO obtained. Ths
WAS about 1900, or perhaps earlier In lo2o the
! Delaware and Hudson Canal was completed rom
Honesdae to Rondout, and good deal OF settlement
began along It's banks and In the hooks of the narrow
| river valley.
| The Iackawaxen River comes into the delaware
from the vest at Lakawaxen which Is now delight
ful summer resort in spite of the constant stream
of rumbling coal trains, which come down from Penn
| sylvania over the HOnesdale branch line. In ule
triangle between the Lackawaxen and Delaware the
ground rises into wooded and rocky elevation, the
summit of which is five or six hundred feet ABOVE
the rivers or about 800 feet above the sealevel
Fonr principal lakes Ndiate from this summit
Teedyasknng southwark, Wolf Lake nOrthward, and
the big and little Conuas. These evidently occupy
| glacial valleys and the appearance OF the whole
country confirms this, boulders and morraines and
| scratched surfaces Astounding. Wolf Lake. says
tradition takes its name the tact that in early
days when bounty was paid for wolves scalps, an
Indian lived there who would bring In many
more scalps than any one else that the matter was
Investigated. 1t was found that he had Semtamed
| she-wol. which gave him two litters a year. whose
scalps he presented for bounty. This nOurshlng
industry was stopped, but has not been forgotten.
The name Corillas seems to be queer corruption OF
corral II was into the valley of the larger onc-Long
Pond II was first caed-that deer used to be driven,
where they could be cOrIalled In the swamp ana
HI led. But this Is surmlse
Horace Greeley was greatly Interested some fifty
years ago. in a queer enterprise which under
taken-quecr that is, for this region, lie formed,
or helped to form, a colony of people Oh the COM
munity PLAZA sort of Brook Farm This colony pur-
chased a quantity of farming land, some seven miles
| above LackawaXen, and not far from Rowland s..
They cleared large spaces and erected many and sub
stantal buildings, but the climate and the rocks and
the nciglbonng people against them, and after
g few years the dssensOns Inevitable TO such a
pan some accusing others OF shirdng their share Of
work while greedy Of dividends, broke out, ana the
cclonis:s drifted away. Old residents remember well
how Mr. Greeley used to come up and lecture the
people on sundays TO matters of economy and the
best use of their means-tell them what he knew
about farming and p9ny other things Outsiders
would come to listen, but it is doubtful whether they
| nIiad nj he nCuh
was greatly disguised at the failure Of the scheme
for as has been said he uttered the general dicum
that Pike County good for only two things
Democrats and poor whskeythlngs very closely as
| ISOLATED in the mind OF the great editor.
The coonlsts property fell into the hands Of the Rev.
Dr. Taylor OF Grace Church, and the place became
known as Taylorown. He finally disposed Of 1t in
| oxchonoo f.r Gcufhern prOnerfv hut tle hroka