Evening star., 1896-08-22
AT LOWER SARANAC
Fashion Penetrates Even This Love-
ly Wilderness.
BICYCLING IN MAINE WOODS
Proper Gowns for Hunting, Fish
ing and Lounging.
ALSO MOUNTAIN CLIMBING
166


Copyright 1896 by the Bacheler Syndicate)
LOWER SARANAC. August q. 1896.
Sometimes in these green arches of the
woods / hear the mellow '"clank, clank,"
of cowbell. and am reminded of the cow
bell which Mrs. Frederick Gebhart sung
to her four-in-hand in Bar Harbor, just in
frolic, before left that blase place.
Sometimes 1 see figure rapidly ap-
preaching over a perfect road, wheel
mounted, and reminding me of Newport
and the wider world less wild, until it
comes nearer and / see that it is-of all
things unexpected-a woods guide, slouch
hat on head, pipe in mouth, pack basket
and seventy pounds of camp kit on back,
pedaling serenely along, with a frying pan
handle sticking out over his shoulder.
Or i hear the beat of hoofs and drum of
rolling coach wheels, and think of the car
riage parade of Saratoga: a white gown
with blue facings, glinting far through the
trees, giving a reminiscent flash of the
white breaking surf of blue ocean on the
Newport rocks; but when l see the men,
then of no place in the world save these
glorious woods could / be reminded One
point the Adirondacks have of superiority
to all other American summer resorts;
during the last part, at least, of the
son the men outnumber the women almost
three to one. 1t is the paradise of the
daughters of Eve.
Men Who Stay.
Not the mere Saturday-to-M Monday fly
aways. mind you, who leave five blue Mon
days In their wake every week as they de-
part, but men who stay. And such men!
Here at the Saranac there is considerable
colony OF inyalids-has been since Robert
Louis Stevenson stayed here-but after the
10th of August they are all at once quite
outnumbered by the big. manly fellows, in
h-aS
belted bouses. with even more than the
usual masculine profusion of pockets, who
come to chase the forest deer and kill
them up. as Jaques puts 1t. Nowhere else
VIII you see so many fine men at once,
save on the Thames just before regatta
week, before the crowd of 'Arries appear
oiNthe scene.
1t is a wilderness strangely modified
One hundred miles from east to west it's
magic circle covers, one hundred miles
from north to south, like big. round green
putton sewn on mother earth, but it is now
tnrid by railroads. much of the way rum
ming through game preserves where the
unscared fawns poke their noses through
lhe Wlre fence and gaze wide-eyed at the
passing portent; and there are big hotels
gaiore, SO that even In the heart of the
mighty woods the seven-Saratogaed daueh-
Ter OF the sirens can display all her finery
Modern Diana.
The huntress, the fair Diana, who her
self shoots deer, is fortunately a rare thing
mere. oftener read of than seen. But 1t is
nne thing to don ones hunting gown and
properly chaprroned. of course, go floating
for deer late at night through black.
moorless stretches of water, the boat MAX
ing no sound, the paddle thrust noiselessIy
,hroush the water. until at length the dark
lantern hashes full on the dun coat and the
big startled eyes-and then away flies the
deer; for, as / said, the woman Diana sell
dom shoots.
ha 10 ,aI
adventure by belaced and beribbo1ed
rnamr1as and piazza women as nerveless
and uselessly splendid here as elsewhere
Such gown was worn last evening by the
anxious, millioned mamma of a daughter
who had been ordered by her physician to
1aIl III love, If possible and who had come
20 the Adlrondacks as the best possible
place TO I'LL the prescription. She wore-the
mamma wore, standing on the piazza fair
forty and not thin-a beautiful dress in a
pale lilac tone, striped with lace down the
skirt and across the skirt and down the
corsage and over the sleeves There were
belt Of cerise ribbon was the one touch of
solid color about It, Such gowns are worn
In the widernesses.
Matron and Maid.
The two young women, matron and maid
hardly distinguisEable, off for the floating
expedition were far differently clad. One
wore a brown cloth costume with a close
cut many DuttOneQ ana parting over
a channels waistcoat front. The turn-back
GUNS Were of the same material, and the
hat was quilted Alpine, best suited for
woods wear. Just the least touch more
elaborate was the young matron's plain
blue serge with its white waistcoat front of
soft silk, its chamois belt with enamel
pendants. its dotted tie, stiff collar and
cuffs and sailor hat, but withal a sensible
costume in contrast with the other ladies
on the verandaS. Both the adventures
wore russet leggins, which seem to go we'll
with all short-skirted costumes, especially
here, where briars Go abound, and where
even the men are beginning to find them a
welcome addition to their ordinary costume.
1t is the wilderness, but only twelve
hours OF from New York and q week
from Paris. and we have evening gowns
on parade, fresh from either city, such as
one in white satin embroidered in silver
sequins. pearls and brilliants, which par
dcularly noted, because 1t was extremely
up to date, and because it's bodice was
short and sharp pointed, because the
sleeves were like little short capes Of con-
siderable circumference, and because an
embroidered band followed the line Of the
low decolletage and was upheld by two
similar bands over the shoulders, and prin-
cipally do / record the fact that the skirt
was almost as richly decked as the bodice.
Fishing and Flirting.
But for the most part the swell costumes
affected here in the woods are day gowns.
There are wonderful white costumes and