Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1899-07-12
A FEW ODD ISLANDS.
oescRiseo ~ rHe WAYNE COUNTY
(PA.) MAN. :

Of Fashion. With ~ Occasional
Quees Freak. One DeaaG % SUia
Around Like . Monster Top.
81 read about the floating islands OF
the month Of the Mississippi the other
day," said the veracious man from
HOnesdsle, Pa. THAT reminded me
that my own little old county can boast
a few islands Of the sort. What county,
Wayne. young man. You'll ind II ON
the maps due north Of Pike county.
You city chaps have an idea that all Of
northern Pennsylvania IL Pike county
in expansion. but you were never 60
much mistaken about anything in your
lives. Pike comfy Is all very well in
its way. but its way runs to fish liars
and rattlesnakes. Now. Wayne has
none CT the latter. hut of the former
we'll, talk about Pike county fishing!
Young fellow. Pike county isn't a
marker to Wayne when II comes to
downright, honest, clean cut piscat atOrial
sport Pike may lie about IL better, but
when you come to sift the facts from
the fiction before an investigating com.
mission you'n find that Wayne catches
the biggest front and the fightingest
bass every time. and don't you forget II.
''But started to tell you about the
floating islands in the old county.
Way back in the twenties the Delaware
and Hudson Canal company gouged
channel in the face Of the earth from
Rondout to HOnesdalc and called II .
canal For reservoirs and feeders to THE
canal the level of ponds and lakes along
the route was raised by means Of dams
from 13 to 20 feet While the dams
were in process of building the timber
about the ponds was fclled mp to the
artificial water line, and In many cases
really valuable lumber was left 70 decay
where it fell. These dead trunks formed.
when the water rose to its newer level.
the basis of these floating islands. which
may be found in so many OF the lakes
Of Wayne county. INTERVIEWING branch
es and twigs Of the trees themselves and
large quantities of underbrush served
to hind the logs together in something
like solid mass. thereby forming rafts
of more OF less huOyancy and size. In
the course of time water weeds Of va
riOus kinds attached themselves to the
raft. and eventually became a part Of
it. Gradually light. thin mold ac-
cumuluted ON the island. and In this
mold birds planted seeds and grain,
which. sprouting. growing and finally
dying and rotting. did their part in the
making Of the whole. All of the larger
islands lear from one to a score of trees,
many Of which have attained a consid-
cradle growth.
lyon might suppose that to walk
upon or to fish from one of these islands
would be n source Of some danger. but,
aside from an occasional wettin2 of the
feet no accidents from this cause have
ever occurred. so far as have been able
to learn. The sensation produced by
walking on floating island is very
similar to that which you and have
both experienced when. rs boys. we rsn
on thin. young ice. or thicker old and
rotten ire. You remember how the ice
rsed 10 bend under your weight az you
ran across il. sometimes sinking nearly
IL foot and then with the next step ris
ing to meet you. possibly throwing you
and perhaps giving you ducking:
Well. it's the same way with the float
ing islands. but with the element of
danger eliminated. It has the same fas-
cination.
"Strange as il may seen. very few Of
these floating islands have become per
manently anchored to the bottom of the
lakes. They are as nomadic and rs un-
settled in their habits as the Arab.
They lack what We country people call
stick to itiveDess. They nre the con-
fI,.f t,O
Sometimes Il mere breath of wind will
send one Of them scootins from one end
of the lake to the other and again yOn
couldn't bulge that came island with
a 100 ton, compound freight locomotive
and Il political pull. Once thoroughly
dOmesticated, however, they make ex-
cellent weather vanes. for they invaria-
bly, seek the lee shore Of the lake.
II recall "a peculiar thing that hap
pened years ago tn the island in White
Oak pond. near Aldenville. some eight
or nine miles to the north and west Il
Honesdale. By the way. this particular
island is the largest of the lot: so large,
in fact, that the center rises fully ten
feet above the water line. The farmer
owning this island proposed erecting a
summer house on the elevation. but
was obliged to give it up owing to his
inability to lay proper foundation
without driving piles. and to do that
would result in mailing the. island to
the bottom.
"Well, as l was going to say. this is-
land one day eloped with a southwest
zephyr. which promptly deserted as
soon rs it bad got its consort into the
middle of the lake. There it hoated in
Q sultry summer sun. with NO means OF
motion in itself and milking time ap-
preaching. Presently the edge Of a lit
tie breeze from the northwest struck
the wanderer on the port quarter and
things began to lcok a little brighter.
Unfortunately for the island. however.
at about the came moment that the frst
gust landed a wind Of equal inteneity
came up from the southeast and its
edge caught the island on the starboard
bow In less than q minute there two
contrary winds had that island epin-
ming around like a top. You may be-
lieve this or not. as yOu like. can
chow you the island any time that
you'll come up to the old county. -
Chicago Inter Ocean.
| Tho proDo-.tiOn Of deaf mutes to the