The Cook County herald. [volume] (Grand Marais, Minn.) 1893-1909, 1893-12-23
FALLING UP A TREE.

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A few years ago real estate business
brought me to the shores Of Puget
sound. After q few weeks work all
my arrangements hard been made, moth
Ing remained but TO wait four or five
months till rise in the price of land
at Gray's Harbor should increase the
business Of the syndicate I represented,
and complete the chain Of circum-
stances upon which the success Of the
venture must depend
During this time of idle waiting I fell
In with several old friends from the
East, who also had not much to do,
and were tired Of the Few amusements
the little towns had TO offer. With
them I set,out on what is called by the
Ilumbermen q timber cruise" or ex-
,ploring expedition into the woods, usu-
ally made with a view to selecting
claims.
We soon found that the art Of timber
cruising, which combines woodcraft
with some knowledge Of surveying, was
too arduous for our enjoyment, and
somewhat beyond our abilities as
:woodsmen. Moreover, we learned that
nearly all the good timber claims were
taken 'up already. $50 we devoted the
rest of the time to hunting, and fishing
the trout streams that braWl down
from the Olympics.
We;occupied cabin in a little clear
ing, :round which ttowered huge itrees Of
the northwestern woeds,-fr, balsam
and 'cedar,-each tree !round, *straight,
and for hundred and fifty feet devoid
OF branches. :OccasionaI openings
among the tops ilet in glimpses of the
sky, and gave lthe forest aisles SUBJ
! dued and gentlellight, reflected perhaps
'from the calm waters ola tiny lake.
We found good sport, though for
some time the really "big game eluded
all our hunting. Shut off as we We're
from tthe wo1ld, in place where we
saw only our own company and heard
only familiar>voices, the drowsy roar of
the river. the occasional cry of some
wild creature and the wind far about
us in the sWaying tops, life seemed a
dream. The heavy odors Of the cedar
and balsam sweetly filled the air and
invited us to rest, so we easily forgot
business, care and; the flight of time.
Ore evening the nearestssettler came
to our open door, bearing "a telegram
for me which had been forwarded by
stage from Shelton to Union City, and
there had sreposed in the postoffico for
several days. The telegram bore this
startling message:
Boom at Gray's Harbor. Lose no
time in returning"
This meant that the price of land at
that place was rising fast, and that a
short delay in going there and finishing
i my AdeaI' might occasion serious loss
TO- the syndicate and myself. u
The message had already been de-
layed .semet days. It would take more
than a week to reach Gray S Harbor by
any travelling facilities then available.
No one there understood my business
fully, or could act for me without a
power Of attorney:
I stated the case to my friends, and
we considered it in every phase. At
last sthe settler said, IF you want to
get to Cr,T's quick, can show you a
way. know Il pass over the noun
tains that will gettus there, five hus-
tie, in five days"
>Iwas: glad to avail myself Of the set
:tlei's offer. The time gained by the
short cut would make up for that lost
lly the ,uelay ,of the message, and I
might still he. in time.
So early the next morning our guide,
my three1friends. and |, with packs Gu
,our baGlss and rifles in hand, were
climbing the foot, hills.
1--WE got to go: by the elk trail,'' said
rthe settler. There amt no othersway,
:and its;]aard tMveEn' because the elks
can jump where we have to climb"
,Elk canae down .e1 cry winter from
tthe mountains to the lowland by >regu-
llar runs (which, from centuries of Use,
.iave been worn into what would ibe
excellent ibridle paths if horses were;as
ssl1re- footed as elk. The trail servedlus
We'll the:fl lsr> day.
But in ;the afternoon Of the second
flny the. elk seemed, to: have "jumped'' lin
good earnest. The trail ended without
apparent cause, and we could find mo
continuance of it. Evidently the crea-
Aneslhad beeniintthe habit at this pdilt
@ scattering and browsing in the woods
and uneeting farther on.
".Mse must find our way alcng this
Shelf" said our guide 1.-The trail will
y likely hegin again on ;the other siae
of THE lridge."
The '':shelf' in question was a broad
strip OF level which lay just below
the rocky peaks ,of the range. Above
lowered SNOW -topped crass, perfectly
inaccessible. Below, a dangerous de-
scent fell steeply away toward the
canon of the river shat separated the
main divide from "a range of foot
hills. Fl.
Along this shelf we tough sOur way
for some aimse through thick and stan
gled brush, and over and under the
huge trunks OF fallen trees. BY that
time the ~ssn elf' had narrowed very
much. and was little more than q con-
:ssiderably bIockadad path winding along
the side Of an laa.aaense pnecipice.
AS we turned a bend we came Hpon
q little open space, Mhere.:a black bear
sst lunching berries. Our guide was
the first to fire, The bear, with en-
ian9ry grunt, rushed away along tie
n,duntain-side, leaving a trail of blood
nnd followed by futile and scattering
fire from the rest OF the party.
Z We followed the animals track, which
kept asong the shelf q little way. then
crossed the divide by a gap IN the
# po0l>S ers1 wont into tho yyonf1S