The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1898-12-15
\ VISIT To GARRETT COUNTY.
Charming Impressions of that Beautiful
Region by one Wen Qualified to
Express Them.
Continued from last 2ceek.)

Continued from last 2ceeh.)
An interesting institution, if such
we may term it, are the fish ponds.
Fully one-third, if not more, of the
farmers and mountaineers have trout
and fish ponds, which are formed
from living streams which have their
heads in the mountain Businesses. If
you desire trout you go to the trout
ponds, if carp to the carp-ponds.
Who would not be willing to live
in such county. Willing to live
always" yes, there are some who
would turn from these quiet scenes
of health and plenty with invincible
repugnance to hydrophobia, those
who move and have their being in the
fashionable walks of your crowded
eities,sshose whose hearts are dead
ened, whose every pore and lofty
passion withered, the holiest emotions
crushed and trampled upon, where
splender only wraps corruption in it's
gaudy mantle, where the beggar and
the merchant-prince meet upon terms
of equality; where the morning
dawns upon brOws blackened by
crime, or haggard with dissipation,
where the frail Of one sex and the
restless and wretched of the other
are floating-foating down the
stream Of forgetfulness - the mere
husks of society who have been Epos-
ing upon their pedestals.
In all of our rides, with hundreds
of as fine apples as ever grew, in every
direction, we did not see a glass of
cider. There are but three or four
places in the county where liquor is
sold, and the propuetors of the
saloons will not sell to a habitual
drinker, and in the many years that
we have been in the habit Of visiting
this section of the State we have never
saw but one drunken man-and he,
poor fellow, met his death with his
own hands.
1t is no unusual thing in this coun-
ty to meeting old men and women
who are close on to hundred years,
hale and hearty and going in every
direction. We attended church at
Hyoe, during our stay, and there, met
with Mrs. Nancy Kitzmiller, who is
in her S8th year. She had ridden
that morning two miles over the
mountains, to attend late service and
came fasting.
The two sports that are interesting
as well as picturesque-are fishing
and hunting during the seasons fixed
bya rigid law. "The Big Yough, :"
Little Yough, "the "Youghiogheny."
deep Creek" Broad Run" and
many others are filled with trout and
bass, and the catching, at times, is
exceedingly spirited-an expert an
gler capturing a hundred fine trout,
and in short time. The bass, like
those in the Potomac, are very fine
and game. Then there are the rock
roller, perch and other nice branch
fish.
Hunting, which opens the 1st of
November and closes i'll February of
each year, is the great and exciting
sport. Turkeys and pheasants are to
be found in almost every direction.
Deer are now scarce, and the bear
keeps close to the great laural forests;
when caught now it is usually in
traps baited with honey. Coon
hunting comes in for its part, the
hunters often bring in two or three
before midnight. The skins bring q
good price and the meat is eaten
Whilst spending a few days at Lake
Brown" some four years since, Mrs.
Richard T. Browning had Il hind
quarter on the dinner table-with
other wild meats, it was first boiled,
then basted and baked, served cold
and was simply delicious-no one
unless those accustomed to eating it,,
could have told it from prime noun
Z, tain mutton. Groundhog is consid-
cred one of the delicacies. Indeed,
the old hunters, all of them, eat any
thing that is found in the mountains
or streams except the snakes. The
most delightful way of hunting tur-
keys and pheasants is to camp out in
themidst of a wilderness of mountains
for several days.-it is splendid be-
yond description. We have enjoyed it
several times and hope to do so again.
We always take occasion to remain
at the rustic camp-waiting for the
game, of which a suf1iciency is cooked
in primitive style, after the return of
the hunters. With the meals over.
the pipes are filed and marvellous
hunting stories are told, lasting until
the nights sleep in the deep and viz
gin forest and with the first blush of
morn, invigorated in body and mind,
midst the towering sublimity of the
mountains and the romantic splendor
and picturesque beauty of field, val
ley, hill and stream, and get day of