The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-01-22

Wf NNANN AH1 EAN1NN
him In October the year before at the mouth b l
Mcconnell Brook. For the remainder Of the
night the stout. hearted cid man sat on the
edge OF the bunk, axe In hand. smoking his
pire, but he heard no more OF the maIauder.
Any one who Ia familiar with the ways OF the
lumber woods will readily appreciate how rap
idly the news OF so uncanny nm event ns this
would circulate. Within n week the story that
the whoopcr had grown bold enough TO enter
the camp In which Hunter was sleeping and
steal the lighted candles. and that His track In
the snow was like that Of n man. was related
in every lumber camp from Glassville TO Black
Vile. SOM OF the older men living ut Hayes
vile recalled the fact that when the whooper
was first encountered In tho Clearwater coun.
try In the early seventies he was supposed to
be a panther, or Indian devil. but no tracks
such as any Wild animal would make we're
ever found. They also recalled the clrcum-
stance that on one occasion a human track was
found on q maple ridge where the whooper
had been heard yelling. but this. at the time.
was thought to be the trail OF some providing
GUNNER or peddler takinR a short cut from
one camp TO another. Old George Scott main
tanned that when the whooper appeared TO him
he stood erect and had the general shane OF n
man. while Carson declared that tho prodigy.
as he saw him, resembled a bear In color and
form. with the execution of u white stripe
down his forehead. Soon after this an old
traDper named George Brown went Into tho
DunRarvon country and set several traps. bait
ed with codiah and pork. for the whooper.
Brown became almost blind that winter and
vas unable for some time afterward to travel
alone In the woods.
IL is impossible. from the mass OF conflicting
testimony and the many stories that were told.
some In Jest and some In earnest. to determine
with certainty when the whooper next ap-
peared. II any peculiar noise was heard in
the woods or any article was lost or any bad
luck occurred IL was attributed to this pha,-
tom visitor. some Of the logging crews at
this time were chiefly composed of Frenchmen
from the north shore. These men would rush
into camp at the least unusual sound and re-
fuse to turn out for work before sunrise in
the morning. They all crossed themselves
at night and prayed TO be delivered from the
whooper.
On the next occasion when the whooper was
personally seen the riddle which had bafled
the woodsmen Of the Sou'west for 80 many
years was solved. The nature and identity OF
the whooper were fully established. although
his origin and method OF existence remained
as profound q mystery as ever. On the oven
ing OF July IL. 1S98. a party OF sportsmen and
their guides were occupying an abandoned
lumber shack called Ponds camp. about two
miles from the DunRarron River. The leader
Of the party was Frederick Irland of the Con-
gressional reporting staff at Washington.
With him were VIC Fredericton sportsmen,
two guides and the canister. The fire in the
old Rundown stove had died away. the lights
were out and nearly all the party we're asleep.
suddenly.a series OF yells that aroused all with
in the camp was heard in the outer darkness.
An interval Of silence followed and then a,re-
markable figure appeared in the open doorway.
At once a candle was lighted, and the figure. all
aged man, clad In tatters and with long. DISNEY
elled hair. shambled into the circle OF light and
proceeded to rub his thin. grlmy hands at the
stove. To questions put by the fishing party
he returned incoherent replies. He spoke
some words OF English. from which it was
gathered that he had been in the woods a long
time that he lived on berries. nuts. frogs and.
as he called them, quails. The only articles
he had with him were n rusty axe and small
Catholic Bible. When food was offered he
mumbled a blessing and then ate voraciously.
He seldom made any response to the questions
asked him. He declined the invitation TO sleep
in the camp and lay CURED up in the dooryard
all night. In the morning he refused to remain
to breakfast, but strobe of into the 'trackless
forest in his bare feet. He had an old pair of
boots without soles which he carried slung
over his shoulder on his rusty axe. Before
he left Mr.. Irland took the old hermit's photo
graph. The conclusion reached by the party
was that he was a man whose mind had been
unhinRed by religion. How he contttved to
exist without fire. weapon or any food. save
such as he could find in the woods. and espe-
cially how he was able to Withstand the re-
~lentless cold OF a Canadian winter, were prob
lens that defed solution.
II this was the veritable whooper. and there
- A - I~..I IL lI. w..l
human kind must have filled Kim with alarm.
for when next seen he was nearly POO miles
from the DunRarvon. at Upper Millnoket Lake.
in the extreme north Of Piscataquls county.
Me. That was one evening in the middle
OF the GLOWING September. Curled up by the
embers OF a fire which he had managed some
how to liGht he was found on the shore OF the
LAKE by a party Of s~portsmen. His faded coat
in latter, his complexion that of the earth. he
wore the wreck of what had once been a pair
OF trousers. now held together by tendrila OF
spruce root. and on his feet were moccasins
covered with swamp mud. He said he had
had nothing to eat for twelve days. He had
neither axe nor blanket. compass nor Matches.
He said he had lived upon bunch berries.
frogs. dead fish and a kind ofsred-topped grass
that grew In a pond. The photograph of the
hermit was again taken and showed him to be
the Identical parsonage met sby Mr.. Irland's
party. The sportsmen who found him at Mill
noket used him kindly and prevailed on him
to remain with them a couple Of days. after
which he was supplied with money. clothes
and two days provisions. padded across the
lake and started Town the tote. road to Oxbow.
That was two years ago. since which time.
so far as known. the old forest hermit has
never been seen by human eye. Whether he
was the original Clearwater whooper. or
merely a latter-day whooper. is still a matter
OF fierce debate among the hardy woodsmen
OF the Miramichi. All that can be said with
is that during the past two years no
man in that wild region has heard the yell OF
the whooper. nor found a sign OF his presence
in the wintry SHOWS.
"What Have I to Do with Thee"
To THE EDrron OF THE sus--Sir: Your CORE
spondent, Al L. g., Is right so far Us he goes. "T
emoi kai sol 60 is idiomatic Greek for What have I to