Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1894-01-22
4 WINTER IN me WOODS.
Nc BssusM or Fii5 Pssads 4 sprses
eua aad Absndaaes q Health.

A winter in the woods.
The thoughts Of 1t opens up before one
the great and almost unbroken forest in the
stiffness Of winter. No cracking twigs,
singing birds and rustic Of foliage. out
a dead white expanse, frozen stiffness
and the wind refrain in the trees nearly a.
ways in 3 sad undertone. Nothing ami
mated, nothing to interrupt an almost life
less tranquility except an occasional shfill
note from the blue jay. That il, unless
you get within sound Of the numbering
camps, the shaw. and ''gee," the clanking
of the chains. the rollicking song with
which the woodsman sometimes enlivens
his work, tie badinage and shoutings back
and forth of remarks intended to be humor-
Gus.
Pint do you think 1t quiet, this life of
ne sp,rtspAn in the Maine woods during
winter!
Yn1 volldr think 90 after talking with
enc who has been there. A gentleman ON
way home from the woods quite num-
If miles back of Greenville was seen by
JOURNAL reporter Saturday, and it was
very entertaining to hear him tell of the little
adventures and amusements and tramps for
game that he and his companion had there
during the past two months. They were
intending to spend the winter in the forest,
but relative Of his friend was taken sick
and they left the sport, the woods and their
friends Of the numbering camp and came
back to civilization.
Eyes we were sorry to leave and come
back" he said. "You've no idea Of the feel
ing of freedom. unless you've tried it, which
comes to one in the great woods. il he only
knows where to find his snug camp and
plenty Of provisions. You have no feeling
of hesitancy when long tramp or some
quite difficult undertaking is proposed. No
doubts trouble your mind as they did when
you sat at the desk and brooded all
the way home at night as to some fancied
evil in the future. Oh! but we did have
some Jolly times over in the numbering
camp evenings. The camp was big one,
everything was neat and the furnishings
were commodious. At the north end was
the big open fireplace and they would have
it piled high with logs every evening and
what lies they would swap! can hear
,leir ringing laugh now. Only healthy red
blooded fellows can laugh like that"
Fish? trout? SSH. You know that
sometimes in the summer the trout have had .
little too much sunshine before you get back
to camp. Well, this doesn't happen in the
winter. Crisp, Drowned to turn, seasoned
just right my but those fish hadn't known
tsint since they left the lake and they
just went right to the foundation Of reg
ulation balsamic appetite"
Cup where we we're is more than $50
miles from Boston. There are quite few
parties in the woods spending the winter.
We found some of them stopping at the
Kineo house annex which is still open. Oh
yes we found it quite cool up there. Kineo
you know il 400 feet above the sea level.
The snow up there is about four feet deep
and our means Of locomotion was by snow
shoes. Did you ever take a ride
over the ice route from between
G.eenville and Kineo. No? Well it
10 cheerful remembrance if you are
properly dressed, and 90 10 a "swell" society
affair. But in the former instance we'll
dressed means that you should have very
thick garments, furs are preferable, for the
wind draws down the lake worse than you
ever felt it through the widest and deepest
throated chimney"
1.-THE lake has frozen very smoothly this
winter and the ice is thick. Here and there
are holes cut to water the horses. The
horses in our team were driven tandem
along the road which is marked out with
trees sticking up or down Gas you like it)
in the ice. was really sorry when l bid
adieu to the two Spencers looming up in
the distance"
LET me add il you 60 by this route dress
warmly for this drive over the lake. Go
prepared to bring out some spruce gum.
We brought back 80 lbs. and the getting of
it didn't inconvenience us in the least. Yes
on the whole don't know but what pre-
fer winter in the Maine forest to summer.
All but IL one gets lost, his chances of
seeing home again are exceedingly slight
To Consider New Masenic Quarters.
The Masons of Augusta seem determined
to have new and more commodious quar-
tiers than at present. Bethlehem Lodge was
4L. G..A A.. ~..o;aA . iiAoo IA conaulf