The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-03-26
John BURROUGHS
CABIN.
CHARACTER STUDY
oF ..THE WOODLAND GENIUS"

1obn Burroughs Lives and Works.
his Personal Appearance-A Liter
arv WoOdpiIe-COOks His Own
MeaIs-Tens Why He Loves His
Garden and Orchard.
4 ,-au, York. March 24.-When John Bur
coughs began to write about nature thir-
~ wears ago the remarkable ability he
/ assesses of making the subject interest
,rp to the general reader was recognized
nj once. He was accorded the foremost
Mace among American nature writers al
most from the stare, and this he has held
d ever since.
Authors who made the out-of-door world
their theme have multiplied in recent
Years. but a quarter of a century ago Bur-
roughs was nearly alone in his chosen do
4 main. His work had and continues to
have all the charm of original observation
IN new fields and the fresh, boyish nthus-
,osm of his descriptions is uneqdaIled He
has been a pioneer blazing path into the
unknown. Many now follow in his foot
steps but the position of patriarch of the
clan Is his by common consent, and
amone his fellow craftsmen he is regard
ell with universal affection.
Mr.. Burroughs personal appearance is
stfkingly typical of his standing among
authors of his class. He has something of
II pioneers simplicity of dress and manner
and he has the snowy hair and long white
beard of the patriarch. If you see him
about his home you would take him for a
farmer-not one of the callous- handed, di-
Ianiiated sort who carry the odor and
CRIME of their calling about with them,
vel one who is used to real work. never
thaless He has a fondness for the com
fort of old clothes and easy Shoes and he
IS no stranger to manual labor, though
most of his farming consists in planning
and directing.
The farm is his chief support, not his
literary work. He does not write for a
living, but writes only when he feels NOV
ed to do so and because he loves the wild
things of the woods and fields which he
describes with such truth and insight.
In his earlier life Mr. Burroughs was
for a long time a school teacher, and
later, for several years. held a govern
ment position In Washington. But the
country always called to him, and at
length he bought little farm on the west
shore of the Hudson, about half way be-
tween New York and Albany, and turned
his back on city and town life forever.
He has named his place "Riverby." 1t
Is strip Of seventeen acres lying on the
long slope that sweeps steeply back from
the river, and here he raises great guam
titles of grapes, currants, peaches and
other small fruits for the city markets.
A Woodland Genius.
On one of the higher terraces of the farm
stands a substantial stone house, hiding
in a grove of evergreens. But this house
Is much too civilized to soil our nature
lovers shy woodland genius He no soon
er had his home established therein than
he built a small one-room study down the
hill on a ledge overlooking the broad river.
To give IL the proper flavor of rusticity
he covered the outer walls with bark,
which makes it's occupancy as near liv-
a ing in a hollow tree as one can come with
any comfort In this study Mr.. Burroughs
kept his books, here he wrote and here he
n meditated by an open fire.
Outside he had a woodpile which he cut
into fireplace lengths with his own hands,
thus, as he affirms getting the heat from
the wood twice over, once in the working
a up, and again in the burning. Under the
caves of the study he nailed up boxes
an invitation to the birds, and in winter
he fastened pieces of meat to the near
trees for the birds to pick at in the hun
Il cry cold. The feathered folk accepted his
advances and in return adopted him as
n peacefully disposed neighboE and
friend; and they revealed all their secrets
to the good gray man who had his home
In this little bark-covered building on the
hiIslope
One would think that now our nature
enthusiast, in surrounding so idyllicly
Tranquil and rural, would have been sat
ished; and so he was for a while. But the
environment did not stand the test of time.
Ihe highway and the village ere not far
away, two lines of railway threaded the
valley, and the Hudson with ats commerce
was always before his eyes. These things
Jared on his sensibilities. The place was
100 public, the prospect too cultivated and
100 much associated with trade and traf-
me- and he felt more and more a lack of
tne primitive simplicity that was his es-
pecial delight.
hiding Deeper I'm the Forest.
As the land in the vicinity recedes from
me river 1t grows wilder, and at a little
remove rises in rocky, tree-clad ridges that
III places are mountain high. Mr. Bur-
loushs IN his leasure often tramped those
WOODED Wiids. and the desire grew on him
70 HVe among them. As a result he finally
uo.sht several acres of swamp. land in a
noLoW nigh among the hills and entered
""h enthusiasm on the task Of draining
Idish, clearing out the brush and
'' ~, and building himself a cabin.
p, ne spot Is mile and half from the
tts.'eIpy home and its only approach is
clreuitious and seldonl-used wood
rI + indeed, it is so sequestered that
""en strangers come to seek out the IA
Tous nature writer they sometimes get
~ ana wander for hours about the stony
,iteIrins before they find the little GIN
where stands his cabin.
Building "sIabsides."
~, ms us cabin is built on ledge of rock AT
e borders of>a swamp. It is fair-sized
ba3.E ana half structure with one room
s1o" stairs and loft above. Along one
Is a broad piazza with shaggy cedar
r[. me outer walls are of slabs. ana
s, ems mas led its owner to call if "siab-
a~. name not altogether liked bv the
r. friends. They find the title too
r5l ou' Mr.. Burroughs saws. 1T Is a
if 7I ana ready place and why shouldn't
.,o ave rough and ready nance CAM
Of anything that has the least talnt
think a VI aIectation, and 1
s.antIv r Tl@osloes' will grow con-