The Republican journal., 1896-07-23

Rangeley Railroad was in operation, and
we decided to cross the lakes and go down
the Swift River Valley to Rumford Falls.
The ticket scalper, the poor tourists friend,
was looked up, our return tickets disposed
of and new ones taken for across the Range
eys We embarked in a lively little steam
er, and made our first landing at the ''carry"
after 5even-mile sail. There are many
cottages along shore for the entire seven
miles, and there at the foot of the lake the
Mountain View House is located, looking
out from its coy corner in the forest a the
lake in front and Bald Mountain to the left
1t is charming retreat. The "carry'' is
neck of land one and one half miles wide,
separating Rangeley lake from Mooseook-
Meguntic. A broad, smooth carriage road
has been built through the dense forest at
this point and we found teams in waiting to
take us to Haines' Landing on the latter
lake.
Here is another fine summer hotel, the
interchangeable House. As we stood on
the little pier watching the arrival of Capt
Barker's steamer, which was making its
way across the lake from the Upper Mill
Dam, and which makes direct trips to Bemis,
our next objective point, we were invited by
the captain of the steamer Maise, which
was lying at the wharf, to make a t1ying.v
to Pleasant Island in Cupsuptic Lake. to the
camps of Billee Soule, the famous hunter,
guide and trapper of the lakes and forests of
Northern Maine. Shortly after leaving the
landing in the Maisie, Mr. b expressed
himself as much gratltied at having the OBJ
portunlty of seeing this noted camping
place, adding. that if he could only see Bill
lee Soule, he would go home happy In a
twinking Bilee Soule stood before us, smil-
ing all over his brown, bright face. II am
Billee Soule," said he, land | own the
steamer Maisie, and you shall not only have
a look at the outside of my camps, but my
captain shall give you thirty minutes to
| look inside of them" During the whole
sail he stood near us, calling our attention
to objects of interest along the shores
Of the lake. Near the place where the
Interchangeable lake becomes the Cup
suptic, We passed Indian Rock on our
right, and on our left the camp of Senator
Frye, which is built on large fiat ledge
| that rises a few feet above the surface
| OF the lake. 1t is a rock island Nothing
grows about the camp, except a fine tall flag
| staff that rises from the waters edge. Six
miles farther on, and we are at Pleasant
| Island 1t is not so high here as at Rangeley
being only 100 feet above the level of the
sea. The lake is six miles long, with an
| average of one mile in width. And I Vent
| ure to assert that nowhere can there be
| found a more perfect primeval picture of
| lake, mountain and forest scenery than here
| The silence of this solitude, as the swift lit
| tie steamer gdes softly through the still
| waters, is to us like the moments stiffness
which precedes the burst Of the tempest.
Pleasant Island appears to be about large
enough to accommodate the ten hunting
| camps located here. Between the island
! and the main land there is floating bridge
three hundred yards long, and about five
| feet wide. Captain Soule holds a lease of
the whole Cupsuptic Valley for hunting pur-
| poses and has eight camps IN addition to
| those at Pleasant Island scattered at diff
| ferent points over the whole domain. From
| the steamer, across the wharf, and into Capt.
| Soule's office is not over forty feet. Across
| one corner of the office is a large brick fire
| place, and to-day cheerful fire is burning
| in it, for it is cold and gusty on the lakes.
An office desk and chair occupy another
| corner, a winding stairway Ills third,
while we are standing in the fourth corner,
at the wide open door. In the center of the
| room are easy chairs, where the hunters do
| congregate, when the day is done to invoke
the spirit of the camp, and to place on
record the largest of big fish stories. There
are many fine mounted specimens of moose
| and in h..Sa
| basement of this building is a tine large din
ing hall. To describe one of these hunting
camps is to describe them all. They are
OF different sizes, some to accommodate a
party of ten or more, while others are for
smaller parties. All have huge brick fire
places, nice white beds, easy chairs fur rugs,
| Ne. All are built of the fragrant spruce
| logs. cieanlE peeled and closely Joined to-
gether. And all, from some vantage point,
| look out upon the lake The camps are not
set in regular line, and camps should not be.
| They reminded me of the Old French vii
lage of Tobique on the St. Johns River, in
| looking as though they had been dropped
| from height and had alighted in the direst
| confusion. Possibly the nationality of the
man shows itself here, for | susp ct that the
willy ways of Biilee denote a strain of French
blood in his veins. Houghton & Dutton of
Boston are building camp here. In one of
the rooms | noticed billiard table, also a
great number Of mounted specimens Of birds
and Wild ANIMALS. The gentlemen can leave
| Boston at o'clock d. III. and arrive at the
island at o'clock p. NJ.
We We're just closing the doors of this
camp when sharp whistle called us on
board the steamer for a tfteen-mile sail To
Bemis to the hunting-grounds Of Captain
| Barker. On landing at Benis given
a log camp for home during our stay. 1t
| had large living room and two sleeping
rooms. roaring fire was sending its ruddy
| blaze up the wide-mouthed chimney, and
two arm chairs drawn close to the broad
| brick hearth gave to the room most CHEEKY
appearance. There are eight camps, believe,
at this landing place, and Captain Barker
| has many more at different points on the
Interchangeable. On our way down the
lake we passed "The Birches,' an island
camping place of ten camps. These We're
occupied by a large party from Boston.
| Meals served at Bems at Pleasant
Island in a public dining room. The
food is of the best material, and well
| prepared and the rates are not exorbtant.
These CAMPS will be in great demand dur
| ing the hunting sea son, as they are easily
| reached by the new railroad from Rumford
Falls, which has its terminus at this place
| Somebody said, "There is nothing new
! under the sun" J feel assured, however,
that Bemis has something that was never
known before. | refer to the new railroad
station, The station agent said to us,
There is nothing like it in the whole
| itj, inc +lr Of, a,