The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1898-11-10


Pine Creek above Norcross, Me-. un-
der the shadow OF Mount Katahdin.5
q small log camp was established yes
terday by DR.. Merrill Of chusetts
and one or two friends The moose
season began in Maine yesterday, and
the big woods around Katahdin from
the border Of Lake Chesuncook to
Millinockett form the biggest moose
runway In America.
The head guide is Lyon Of Indian
Island, and the cook is Horace Nicolar.
Last season Lyon was second guide,
and the cook and head guide were
white men. This year the doctor has
chosen full-blooded Penobscot Indians
for both these important posts. Last
night the doctor, his guests and guides
doubtless returned from the runway on
the creek, where the first hunter Of
the season always brings back his
moose. Simon, famous local hunter,
was the first on the spot last year,
as he has been for many seasons. Yes
terday it is to be hoped that the doctor
won the race If he did, as the read
ers OF the Sunday Press are glancing
over this article, Nicolar, the cook, is
preparing the edible portions Of the.
big buck for the Sunday breakfast, and
the doctor is going over in his mind
how the antlers will look on his IL
brary wall. If he gives the cook a
thought at all it is probably to hope
that he is a better one than the white
man he had last fall.
To the doctor, to Lyon, the guide, to
the guests of the doctor and possibly
to Nicolar himself, for the Indian is
not vain, the cook Of this little hunting
party is the least conspicuous man in
the camp. He is only the cook, and
his pay is $3.50 day. He Is stolid,
taciturn, smooth-faced Indian, roughly
dressed as BELTS his work His hair is
brushed back from his square forehead
In pompadour fashion. His hands are
softer than those of most woodsmen,
but who looks at his cooks hands? His
opinion as to flank steaks and RIB
chops. baked potatoes and bread -mak-
Ing would probably be listened to with
attention, for these are serious matters
IN the big woods in the keen, hunger
exciting air Of Northern Maine, but
beyond such topics it is probable that
the Bay State doctor and his fellow
sportsmen have no more idea Of who
their cook really is than you have:
That is because they have not seen him
at home. They only know the cook,
not the man, and because he is only an
ordinary Indian from most extraor-
binary Indian reservation, this story is
written about him.
I spent an afternoon, about a fort
night ago, with Horace Nicolar in the
house of his aunt, Mrs. Joseph Nicolar.
on Indian Island, the picturesque res
ervation Of the Penobscot tribe on the
Penobscot river, at 'Old Town, near
Bangor, Me. Mrs. Nicolar is the rich
est Indian in the tribe. She was at
a sportsman's show in the Madison
Square Garden, this city, last spring.
exhibiting the handiwork OF the tribe
In the grass basket, war club and Quill
work lines. sz
There are one hundred houses on the
island, and Mrs. Nicolar's stands near
the water in an apple orchard. We sat
In the parlor, Horace and his wife. his
aunt. pretty Lucy Nicolar, his cousin,
and I. Horace, the cook, sat in
plush-lined rocking chair of the com
Portable lounging type. He was not
dressed as cook then, and his tailor
made clothes became him.
Have you learned anything new,
Lucy?" asked some one.
1--WE got sousa's new march from
The Bride Elect" answered the girl;
and, without waiting for request, she
sat down at the piano and played the
new march with a firmness of touch,
vigor and spirit that made the house
ring and startled the squirrels from
their play in the orchard From the
window the lawn sloped through the
orchard to the ss-grown road. Be
FOND that were other houses some
large, some small, like white mems
dwellings in country towns and be-
yond them rolled the busiest river In
Maine.
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