The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-08-06
OLD ESTADIRONDACKG GUIDE
zLVAH DOMINIC SAFS HE rs GOING
10 LEAVE THE NORTH TOODS.


There-KiiIed the Inst Moose and the
Last Benver-Now He's Going West.
RAouETTE LAKE. y. Y. Aug. Al Avah
Dunning Is in earnest in what he says. the Adj
rondack region Is TO lose its most picturesque
and interesting character. after a life Of nearly
eighty -four years in the wilderness. for he an
nounoes his coming retirement. He Is the last
OF the race OF moose hunters OF the North
Woods Born in the forest only four years
after the first civilized person had ventured
into the Adirondack wilderness to settle.
he has lived In the forest ever since. He
guided the first party OF hunters that ever
sought the Raquette Lake region for sport. al
though he was then only IL years old and the
region was then virtually unexplored. His
father was famous Mohawk Valley scout and
an Indian fighter during the Revolution. and
the Adirondack border is rich with the tales Of
his prowess and cunning.
About the close OF the war OF 1912 Scout
Dunning took his wife and settled In the forest
IN the Lake Pleasant region and became as fa-
nous as hunter and trapper as he was as an
Indian fighter. Alvah was born soon after his
parents settled in the wilderness and showed
the stock he camo from by starting in
with his father as hunter and trapper
himself at the age OF y. so that for seventy
u
record undoubtedly without parallel. He
has never lived anywhere except In the Adj
rondacks. leaving one locality when its isola-
ton was intruded upon by too much ciyili-
cation and seeking another as yet aloof
from that annoyance. 1t was thus he came
to the Raquetto Lake country forty-hve
years ago. and he has remained there
ever since. for the reason that the difficulty Of
gaining access to 1t kept it for most Of those
years practically out Of the path Of the tourist
The building Of the Adirondack and st. Law
renee Railroad brought Raquette Lake within
easier access from the outside world and
Alvah Dunnng began to grow uneasy. although
the nearest railroad station was miles away. at
Old Forge. from which il was necessary TO
traverse the entire Flzgon chain OF eight lakes
and the carries between them. n good all
days journey by canoe anj aioot. be-
fore lhquette Lake could be reached.
When. four years ago. the railroad put
line OF boats on the Fulton chain
between Old Forge and Raluette Lake. doing
away with tho canoes of the guides. the old
woodsmaas heart began to falhm in earnest.
In 1898 some one put up house at the foot OF
Eighth Lake. where bait. boats and sundry
hqud and other supplies could be obtained.
That was evidence to Cunning that civiliza-
ton was indeed planting its feet on his domain.
81 guess I've lived little too long" said he.
Il been hoping all along that | might die in
the wilderness where was born. but the way
things are going ON there won't be any wilder
ness II don't die pretty soon"
Now that the railroad is to make still closer
connection with the Raquette Lake country.
as he could sell. for the land belongs to the
state and e putting In few Days. i is Re,
says the AIirondacEs are now robbed Of all
charm Tor him, and he is going West-Iust
where he dosn,t know. but far enough, he says.
to lind a wilderness not Threatened by the
a. ret Of bis days as he had hoped to do in
Alvah Cunning is certainly an extraordinary
man: In his eighty fourth year he Is still hale
KIN Ss rs G iii %qG snG
ear so sharp that It can detect the bayinR OF q
hound mile away.
the last Beaver in he lower Adirondacisp i It
was on the Peseeo waters. He was recon
na Gg eS soSsr dam News
dams had become 80 rare that this one was the
ns Sna.sS haa S On o tas s
and he supposed he had discovered colony.
until the next winter. when he thought the
pelts would be in better condition.
" ] hadn't calculated on Uncle Enos. he said
'and Uncle Enos was AN old and experienced
f.neIe Enos at, that time. and It i likely that
ter oil right u there hadn't been a Gran berry
marsh near where had discovered the beaver
that he'd like some Gran berries. and he went
out 10 PICK some on the marsh; man named
along a wh E6o s' a md S Esn
never would have trapped the last beaver. Tn
Gle Enos found the marsh under water.
Dry weather. said he, and the marsh un-,
der water. CHI? That means that there's a
beaver dam somewhere around here -
ncle EnuS hunted for II aud found II. He
A lbOuf Il
weeks later Gilmore told me. Then discov-
cred that Uncle inos was keeping his eye on
While to Keen ~, nv eye on incl Fl Enos and I the
right away TES second night | got a
Rfny' pd " ian 9oD pss any mHfs
lint Old fellow was the only. tenant
the dam had. and he WAS the last Of his race.
or II Uncle En"s hadn't forced me to capture it
for self nrotretion; the last beaver would have
The wild pigeons. which few, years ago
were so plentiful in this county. disappeared
suddenly and mysterionsly from al! their
than the moose Disappeared from the AdiIon-
hacks. p"c4rl.n9 to Dunning, who says that as
that he killed eight enormous ones In Ave days
IL seemed 20 me- says the old hunter:
that could shT S one iI at amost every , turn
were plenty more loft and was counting on
great sport with moose again the next season.
The next season came and tramped the whole
country over for moose. All | got. and all
saw. was two. One OF those two was the last
moose that any ono ever saw in the Allron-
dAcks. except away up north In the ST. Regis
country. where. they say. there 10 now and
to and what caused them all 10 leave our
woods between one season and the next IL Il
mystery, A. know is that they went and
never came back
Cunning remembers when moose and deer
went In droves in the Adirondacks. partcu-
larry the lower part. whore the old hunters
lie has been passed. one winter he and his
father and two others killed 100 moose He
killed his FIRST moose before he was u years
old and OF all the veteran guides rcrollecti0us
Of life In the North Woods this IL eyide( iy his
iavorite He had killed many deer aud oven
bears, but his father had up TO that time re-
fused To- let HIM go moose hunting, because II
mouse hunt was apt TO tax the pluck and en-
duran"r OF men. Tn this particular occasion
his father had discovered signs of moose near
their settlement, and he was going to run the
animal down. The boy begged so to go along
that his father told him TINT AS the moose WAS
not far away he might lead the dog, which he
was to Keep in leash until he heard the word
from his father and then let It go.
Then you cau follow" said his father. md
II you are quick enough YOU can get there In
time to see me kill the moose"
AlNah Was glad to have that much OF part In
&, moose hunt and took his rifle along To make