The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-06-11
DOWN THE TIPPECANoE
RECoLLECTIoNs OF A PLEASANT
TRIP ON AN INDIANA RIVER.
An Unconventional Outing That At
fords Rest and Recreation to
Weary Men at Little Expense.

Fellows, IT'S like a dream. I can't be-
iieve IT," was Pap's exclamation.
II was the first day OF our canoe trip on
the Tippecance river. The sky was clear
and brilliantly blue. the air soft and warm.
but not too hot. the foliage and grass WV
idly green as far as the eye could reach.
and the water so perfectly transparent that
pebbles and shells in the sandy bottom,
seven feet below Us. were as clearly seen
as II there were no liquid intervening. AS
King said. it was like floating on air."
There were four Of us-the ideal number
for such an o~uting-colIege men, who had
elected thus TO spend a part OF their long
vacation. Pap Milton was a portly pro-
fessor, whose rotund form. gold glasses and
i~ncipient badness had won for him the pa
ternal appellation used above. Way was
small and light. and, in his corduroy knick-
erbockers and small cap, presented a de-
cidedly youthful appearance. A half-blind
farmer had mistaken him for Millions
son, and Pap and Son they were
throughout the trip. The third member of
the party was at once the youngest and
the tallest. He was immensely strong and
boundlessly fertile in resources, so that, in
emergencies, we were sure to call upon
Hayes. The fourth and last was King,
whose fondness for playing on words had
won him the title pun gent"
We had made vacation trips severalIy in
all directions. Some OF US had camped.
fished and hunted in Canada and along the
St Lawrence, in the forests of upper Mich
igan n the far Northwest among the
Rocky mountains and even in foreign lands.
Therefore, when one proposed to spend two
or three weeks In a boating trip down the
Tippecanoe. he was derided for suggesting
onvfbfpc 81 h1AoI-.z t..
stances. however, made it more convenient
for all TO remain within the State that sum-
mer. and so it came about that the quartet
agreed to put up with the tameness of it,
and make the run merely for the sake Of be-
ing out Of doors.
The result was a surprise. The Tippe-
canoe, fed by a chain of beautiful lakes
and following for the most part through a
SSndy country. Is as clear as any spring.
there IS no wild scenery, but ~verywh
Is quiet beauty. a crook eder stream prob
ABLY was never known-not even the classic
Meander-than is the Tfppecanoe in parts
OF us course. More than once We were told
and had reason to believe the statement
that a half or a quarter of a mile over
land would take US to a point three miles
or more away by river.
In its upper course, the Tfppecanoe, flow
Ing through level country, whose soil alb
sudden rise and fall which mark the his
tory or streams in a billy region. where
locks OF a clay SOIL ABOUND. IL 1OWS on
equally. rising a few feet when it's lake
feeders are high. and falling very gradually
as they are drained off. A rainstorm which
would make a yellow torrent of many an
other stream. produces no visible effect on
this, either in raising or In discoloring it's
water. In this lies one OF its chief charms.
Its lower course. from Monticello down. is
rore readily affected by rains, because the
water drains rapidly from the hills direct
ly into the river.
HOMEMADE CANOES.
Our canoes for the voyage were of our
own manufacture, each twelve feet in
length, twenty inches wide at the bottom
and twenty-six at the top. tapering in a
gentle curve to a sharp point at each end.
They had been finished carefully, tipped at
each end with zinc and painted an ivy
green color, so that our little fiotilla pre-
scented a very attractive appearance. The
boats had been shipped by freight to War
saw and thence carted to Tippecanoe lake.
the source of the river. There they were
sunk IN the water at once and left half
full while we went into camp for a couple
OF days BY that time the wood had swollen
surncientIy and they were perfectly tight.
Eaeh canoe carried one man, with his traps,
and when loaded thus drew about four
inches Of water. The motive power was a
long double paddle with a fve-foot paddle
IN r~eserve). but this was used mainly for
steering purposes. as we were content for
the most part to float with the current.
the rifles.
Our voyage began early In the morning
OF the third day. Striking camp, which
practice soon made easy. was slow and
awkward that morning. but finally the sew
fleet was of. We Travelled light" each
having a pair of blankets one complete
change OF raiment (all of WOOD and a few
small articles such as comb and brush,
tooth brush. towels and soap. a box OF
fshing tackle and a paper book or two.
= small round mirror. which the rest Of us
sneered at-and borrowed on occasion. Mil
ton had brought a razor. which proved
game. A small wide-mouthed bottle pro-
tected our matches from damp. and perish
tin can with tight-fttlng lid. our general
baggage. which was divided among the sew
eral boats; consisted of a tsnt-merely a fly
a small bundle-a few necessary cooking
utensils. such as coffee pot. saucepan and
apiece. with one or two extra. and such pro-
visions as we had in stock on breaking
Emp: Two % US Cared ny rods. ana
first few days from the lake the river is
quite small, and frequently is blocked more
or less completely by tSms OF logs and
fallen trees. over or through which II is
necessary TO drag and lift the boats at the
cost OF much effort and not a little discom-
fort An occasional low foot bridge and
numerous wire fences at or near the sur
face OF the water also contribute to vex
the soul OF the navigator. Whenever we
had time TO forget these annoyances. how
ever, which sometimes occurred between OBJ
StructlOnS, We FOUND compensation In ENJOY
ing the beauty OF the scene. Long stretches
OF unbroken forest are succeeded by culti-
waited fields and these by grassy hanks shad-
ed by oak. ash, elm and beech trees, 20 say
nothing OF the ugly sycamores and the
dropping willows which line the banks of
every stream For miles at a stretch we
might have landed at random and been
practically certain OF finding a good camp
ground.
OUT OF THE WORLD.
Most OF our trip was made in solitude so
far as encounters with strangers were con-
cerned. Occasionally a boat was met or a
fisherman seen, but often we could go on for
half a day without sight of human face.
Fields of grain. usually Indian corn, fire.
quently bordered the stream and farm
houses could be seen in the distance, but
the farmers were too busy to loiter along
the bank and see us pass. and no doubt felt
a sort OF contempt for our incidence when
they did happen upon US. As we passed
the wooded portions Of the country, Way,
who had hunted and fished in various lands,
was on the alert instinctively. and almost
always was the first 10 see or hear a squir-
rel or a bird that was worth the shooting.
As evening approached We chose a place
that struck our fancy and went into camp.
One stop was On an island perhaps one hun
dred yards long and twenty wide. rising