The record-union., 1894-08-18
OACRAMENqANS IN The MOUNTAINS
How Summer SojournerS Are Passing
the Time.
A Lady's Notes on Camp Life IN the
High sierra-Letter From
klamath Springs.
CAMP DEFIANCE,
MOUTH OF SQUAw CREEK,
August Is. 1894.

AuSuSk TO- 1oJts
EDS. RECORD UNION: AS we know
that you take an interest in your towns
folks who are away from home. 1 send
you this short account of some of our do
ings, which may serve to interest some of
your readers.
In the first place. just think of the
courage required TO camp on (cr rather off
the Tahoe road after the fact that bold
hywayman held up the stage a day or
so before we came. This morning our
men left as glrts in camp and went about
their several occupations.
The Deer Park stage came along and
gave US lift up the road. My two COM
panions got out to GO a little further up
tie road to Join one of our men, and [
started back to mind the camp. As
walked along the dusty road 1 reflected
that was all alone and with very val
liable borrowed crochet pattern about me,
and also the RECORD UNION, Just come by
mail. l felt great deal better when l re-
membered that surely the paper was solid
enough 20 make itself felt about his ears
if ] was so unfortunate as to meet the
highwayman, and fortunate enough to
GET to his ears. l also concluded to give
him the point of the crochet-hook, in
stead of the pattern.
To people who never camped out it
might seem to be very disagreeable, but
as it also seems that each person is re-
quired TO eat during life so much dust or
dirt. why not begin now and get your
amount swallowed and have done with it?
We try TO imagine that we are Adam
and Eve, or aJ all events the first eight
souls created, till the stage passes and the
mosquitoes arrive and dispel our dream.
But must do even the mosquitoes justice
They evidently came with the tourists TO
the lake, for more polite set L never
knew. They have not forgotten their
calling hours. and come between and )
O'Clock, and we always take good care
TO be out when they come.
To show howI nicely we must be situ-
ated, l viii mention the fact that lady
on the lake stage this morning spied our
tents in the hollow, and exclaimed: .Oh
look isn't that lovely?" But I doubt
if she could be persuaded to try it, We
have tried it for the last seven years and
do think it is lovely.
We have a forlorn batchelor in our
party. and [ would give a good deal 10
see him get into bed. He has a very fine
mattress and plenty of bedclothes, and to
keep the night dew Oft his brow he has
made himself little tent. 1t is as wide
as his mattress, ana about a foot and a
half high. He crawls into bed head first
aud draws the tent shut at foot from the
inside. He keeps his trusty gun under
his pillow, but l am afraid we should all
be eaten up alive before he extricated
himself from his t9nt to come to our
rescue. e depend more on our trusty
dog than on his gun, and hope that if it is
our lot to be eaten up we shall be so
sound asleep as not to know it.
The folks left the gun with me one day
when l Kept camp alone, and 1 was as
much afraid OF it as l should have been
OF a bear, or the aforesaid highwayman
though / should not like the folks to
know how / looked at it and wondered
what / should do If anything happened.
Now. l have not the slightest idea how
much room this will take in your paper,
SO you must excuse me ii l trespass,
but l do want to say word about ''us''
campers. VIII you kindly explain how
Il IS that so much comment arises about
campers spelling the fishing? Surely
On Gods great earth there is room for
folks who live in tents, as we'll as folks
W no stay at high priced boarding-pl places,
and it answers well the fish question also.
II boarders don't get many fish it is be-
cause they are dressed up too fine and
don't want to walk, and expect the fish
TO come and be caught. All can get
enough if they are willing to work a
little. But they say, "NO, the campers
have spoiled the nshing." 1 say it is not
falr TO say so.
1t is very true that the streams and
creeks are stocked by private individuals
with fish for the benefit of their guests at
their houses, but it is also true that they
are stocked by the State as well, and as
we live in the State and pay taxes we
have right TO catch fish-if we can.
l shall have to close with lots unwrit-
ten, for l get started about something
else and neglect our camp. [ am sure il
everyone does not camp ont in their
summer outing il is not my fault, for |
have talked myself hOarse more than
once in its favor.
Just imagine how convenient our bath
room Is, and what could be more roman
tic than sitting on log in the middle of
the stream and letting the water cleanse
your tired feet for you tall in the light Of
the full moon. If you viii just dip your
feet IN with u rush, as it were, the worst
Is over-at least they say so, for have
not tried it yet. / shall try when the sun
is full instead of the moon.
DO you realize what an undertaking it
is to write when you are out in the woods.
with your school days eighteen years be-
hind you and the dictionary at home in
the bookcase? If so, you will appreciate
this letter. What great deal I have not
told you abOut-bhe pine gum getting all
mixed up with one's teeth, and the adj
vantage of being where, Il you get in a
hurry, you can hurry without irving to
be digniiied about 1t; and lots of other
things. i. \. r.
AT KLAMATH SPRINGS.