The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-08-06

well contented when he takes nothing
as when he makes a good CATCH He
may think so, but it is not true He
is not telling a deliberate faIsehood
He is only assuming an unconscious
pose and indulging in a delicate bit OF
self-hattery. Even if it were true, it
would not be at all to his credit.
Watch him on that lucky day when
he comes home with d full basket of
trout on his shoulder. or a quartette of
silver salmon covered with green
branches in the bottom of the canoe.
His face is broader than it was when
he went out, and there is a sparkle of
triumph in his eyes. 1T is naught,
it is naught," he says, in modest de-
precation Of his triumph. But you shall
see that he fingers fondly about the
place where the fish are displayed up
on the grass, and does not fail to look
carefully at the scales when they are
weighed, and has an attractive ear for
the comments of admiring spectators.
You shall find. moreover. that he is
not unwilling to narrate the story of
the capture-hOw the big fish rose
short four different times, to four diff
ferent flies, and finally took a small
black dose, and played all over the
pool and ran down a terribly stiff
rapid to the next pool below, and
sulked for 20 minutes, and had to be
stirred up with stones. and made such
last the hold of the hook was almost
worn through. and it fell out of his
mouth as he touched the shore. Lis
ten to this tale it is told, with end
less variations. by every man who has
brought home fish, and you will per-
ceive that the fisherman does care for
his luck, after all.
How well 1 recall my first attempt
at camping. Alone and in dismal
drizzle I tried in vain to set up small
tent. Disguised and disheartened T
soon wandered over to a strangers
camp, where | was hospitality received
and indicted into some of the myster-
les of camping life. Since then l have
lived and learned, and have evolved
some practical ideas which may be of
some service to other campers.
First the tent. A small wall tent I
by or I by is amply sufficient for
one person. And to each man his own
tent is the best rule. Here is a place
where each one can be as orderly or
disorderly as he pleases. In tenting
with another person one loses some
what of the pleasant solitude and in
dependence of camp life, and even
with the best of companions is liable
to some of that social friction from
which we flee to the woods. I hinge
my top pole in the middle and cut my
side poles in the center joining by a
sheet iron tube, which works freely.
Thus the whole tent outfit can be fold
ed together into small compass and
put in trunk strap and checked to
destination A very convenient form
of small tent which would be worth
trying would be to do away entirely
with guy ropes, which are always
tripping one up, and fasten the tent
by strong pockets at the corners, said
pockets to snugly fit over iron stakes
and tie there securely. l have never
found any use for fly, which is sure
to be noisy in a wind. When camp
ing | live wholly outside the tent in
the open air, except when weather or
night drives me in.
For cooking my main reliance Is a
home made oven, constructed of a bis
cult tin covered with asbestos felt and
then with thin boards. A hole in the
bottom admits the chimney of double
wick lamp, or better. oil stove. The
cost of the whole lamp and all was
about 50, and it fits into a compart-
ment in my provision chest. On awak-
ening l light the lamp. put my break
fast in the oven, and inside of half
an hour it will be ready. This oven
will warm the tent In cold and rainy
weather, and l can camp with it in
places where open fires are not al
lowed as in the park at Mackinac ISL
and. I now regard the oven as quite
Indispensable, and I think every tent
in a party should have one. l use the
open fire mainly for broiling. This
open fire should be built on a heap of
earth, turf or sods about three feet
high, and hanging your implements
around this altar, you can sit on your
chair, read a paper and broil a steak
or fish in great comfort. AS to pro-
visions, get the best Sink a pail of
the best butter in the earth in a cool
corner of the tent, and cover with a
box. and it will keep in the hottest
weather.
For a bed wire mattress folding cot
is best. This with the mattress should
be in two sections. and fold with the
bedding into a large valise whose
handle will be top and bottom bed
rails. The bed sections when set up
can be fastened together, staple or
cleat, and the near ends should be
elastic steel. The whole bed apparat-
us can then be checked as baggage.
If you are skillful you can put your
whole outfit into baggage form and
limit, namely, bed, provision chest,
tent grip; and save all the bother and
expense of freight or express. A party
of campers might, with these outfits
make a very enjoyable and cheap tour
of the world, living at their own hotel
Thus camp on some quiet farm near
London, and go in daily by train, and
the same for Paris, Berlin etc. These
outfits are also most convenient for
gypsying, and can be set up and taken
down in few moments.-Forest and
Stream.