Daily camera., 1899-02-01
WOMEN WHO HUMP.
Modern Dianas Are Numerous in the
Maine Woods
by Professional Gu1dss
the Fair Disciples of Man,
rod Go Forth to
SlRY.

. Slay. ea- #.
Though women have been hunting IN
the state each fall with good fsnccess
for the last ten years, women have not
before this ventured in unless with
male escort. These women who are
stepping up beyond the Depsiconneag
dead water" are some very self-reliant
women from Massachusetts,. They work
in. some of the stores in pcpulouscity,
and, being spinsters, decided to paddle
their own canoe this season. One, or
two reliable guides accompanied them,
and, according to all reports, they are
doing extremely we'll. One of them
vouchsafed the information to a pass
ing sportsman that they were doing "a
blessed sight better than if they had
half dozen men tagging them around
to see that they didn' wet their feet or
blow their heads off with their rifles"
But" remarks oldr Jed Hawkes.,
there won't be any spruce gum left in
that neighborhood. Lord, how those
women are yanking. They say they
have chewed. great deal of gum in
their lives, but that they never knew
what the clear quill was till they came
Gown here into the state of Maine.
While they're about it they are going to
take back all they can dig, buy or beg
tosthe; city,, Even the tall trees can't
hide their big Jumps away from these
women. Three of them wear bloomers
and have lots of muscle and they kin
climb anything that comes along. from
trees to- catamounts. Those women are
safe enough" r..
It is said that half the parties that
went into the Moosehead region last
fall had women as members. 0s.s a..
You see, the women have for so many
years heard their male friends tell OF
the ecstatic delights of hunting in the
big Maine woods that their feminine
curiosity has been excited and there
has been veritable clamor to be al
lowed to go in. Once in awhile there is
one woman who finds the trip enough
TO last her: for lifetime. The fun isn't
at all as she has expected it would be.
. The woods may be good enough for the
men, but as for her, she prefers the
boulevard and the shopping district.
Then there are other women who
>:leet the most ferocious weather the
Maine woods have to furnish; who are
Grenched every other day to tie skin
and who get dumped out of a canoe two
or three times just by the way Of vs-
riety. a,I s,.,,d -...a -.-.sa~- ..-.
=, These women go home and tell all the
folks that they have had just the most
lovely time and that they are all inn
patience for the year to roll around, so
that they may 60 again. These are the
kind, of heroines that can extract fun
from every mshap. They are the only
kind that should tackle the dubious
pleasures of the Maine woods. For that
ciass-and it is an extensive one-that
enjoys roughing it, there is, no enjoy
ment in all the world like the autumn
forest. But the person who goes in for
the first time without proper concep-
tion of the nature of the fun will be su
premely, miserable himself, or herself.
and will make all the folks around more
miserable still.
The women haven't commenced to 60
into the Aroostook and the Pamadum-
cook wilderness yet to any great eX-
tent. Last year several parties went in
from Stacyville to the vicinage of old
Katahdin. and remained several weeks
until the snow came. The women were
of the right sort to stand all the adver-
sites, though they were from the city
and said that they had the best time of
their lives.
And the ladies have had pretty good
luck up that way in the shooting line.
One Lynn doctor has been. coming down
into Maine every fall for years after
moose.
He has been able to shoot deer
enough. But deer have got to be too
small game for him. Last season he
brought down his niece to see HIM get
the prize, for he felt sure that at last
his patience was to be rewarded.
One day while they were coming down
Black stream the niece. who wasa little
way ahead in a canoe with one of the
guides, saw a moose standing near the
waters edge The animal was side on
and presented splendid mark. Up
went the little rifle, and though the
hand of the maiden trembled convul-
Sively good fate sped the ball true and
the moose fell dead with bullet
through his heart.
That night the uncle figured UP that
he hadspent over 81 900 in chasing after
amoose through the Maine forest-and
still lacked the moose. Herewas his19-
oyear-old niece down for the week. and
10! she almost had moose brought to
her. The uncle disgustedly decided
that hunting was about all luck, any
way. y "a ~
;, There Is one thing, to say about the
women who have been coming tosMaine
woods for the last ten years. Not one
has yet shot one of the guides for bear
aor her husba nd. for deer The woods
men say that when the women are out
hunting they are very cautious. with
all woman's inherent fear that some
thing will happen, and that no matter
how unskilleds the woman, may besin
the use OF firearms they, the guides, are
never apprehensiye of accidents. 1t is