The Frankfort roundabout. [volume] (Frankfort, Ky.) 1882-1908, 1892-08-06
CANADA FISHING.
Camp of the Kingfishers.

BIG Eastwood LAKE, ALGo DIST,
ONTARIO CANADA, July 27, 1892.
Editor Roundabout:
As promised, write you brief
resume of our fishing trip to date.
We left Cincinnati at sos a. M, July
18th, via Grand Rapids and Indiana
Railway, with other members of the
"Kingfisher Club" to-wit: Messrs.
Hickman, Culbertson, Foulds and
Snyder, and were joined at Mackinac
City by Thurston, of Central Lake,
Michigan. Our outfit, consisting of
two canvas boats, four tents, a fly
for dining table and a full set of camp
cooking utensils. including a sheet
iron stove-the whole represented
by 81 baggage checks-was consigned
to Hickman's care as general bag
gageman. When he isn't able to get
baggage through without extra
charges for overweights, it isn't
worth while for anybody else to try.
As he shucks his coat and helps
''hist" an extra heavy box or trunk,
the baggagemen haven't the heart to
"kick" about weights. They just
consider him one of the "gang."
Travelling through Indiana and
Michigan, fields seen from the car
windows were teeming with an
abundant harvest. The wheat crop
appeared enormous.
At $40 p. m. we entered Grand
Rapids, a city of $4,000 inhabitants,
and of rapid growth. Here we were
met at the depot by w. R. Shelby,
an old boyhood companion of mine,
whom l had not seen since early man.
hood. A native of Boyle county, he
is now full-fledged Michigander,
having married Grand Rapids lady
and being First Vice President of the
G. R. & /. Railroad. Having two
hours to spare, he showed us such
parts ofthe city as was accessible. That
night we took a sleeper for Mackinac
City, reaching the strait between
Lake Huron and Michigan at a. m.
of the 10th. Here we breakfasted
and had fine views of the broad,
vessel-dotted waters of the lakes
and the heights of the Mackinac
Island. The cars were run aboard
steamer and in an hour landed at st.
Ignace, an iron furnace town.
Thence the northern journey was re-
sumed for Sault st. Mary at the foot
of Lake Superior. The journey was
through a dense forest of pines,
cedars and hemlocks, that can only
be settled by people bent on suicide,
or desire to hermitize, as the land
would hardly raise six beans to the
acre. A vexatious delay at Trout
Lake Junction held us for several
hours, awaiting the delayed st. Paul
train.
One of the spectres that stared us
in the face was the inspection of the
Canadian Customs Officers as we
would cross the boundary. To have
our 81 pieces of baggage overhauled
and the bottoms of our trunks upset
was tedious enough, and then there
was an iDdisposition to have inspect
ed our "medical supply" kit which
some said was dutiable. After n stop
of twenty minutes at Sault st. Mary,
on the American side, we crossed st.
Mary's River on the new bridge over
the rapids, and were halted in long,
low bottom on the Canadian side. |
Here the dreaded inspection was to
take place. Sending Hickman and
Culbertson forward to the baggage |
car with list of our impedimenta,
the balance of our party guarded our !
valises, fishing rods, &C., in the /
smoker. Directly the front door |
of the car opened and customs |
official entered, hearing seal big |
enough to down an OK. 1t was a !
harmless instrument, however, as he |
merely informed each passenger who
had baggage in the baggage car to
go forward with key to have 1t in
spected. Several ladies obeyed the
order, one Of them shortly returning
with the laughable remark that her
face was good enough for honesty and
her trunk passed examination. We