Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1900-10-20

est expression in the Indians and half
breeds. The Indians of the PenobScot
tribe are now in great demand. A large
community lives at Indian Island. a few
miles up the river. and though civilized,
docile, and refined. they preserve undi-
minshed the woodcraft and hunting
skill of their savage ancestors. There is
not one Of them today who does not
know the North woods by heart. ana
cannot take and follow the paths which
were the war-paths OF their forefathers.
one Of these red princes OF the forest IS
Treauy missed this year. That Is BE
Sists upon calling Frank Loring. The
Lorings are Il distinguished Nassachu-
setts family noted for culture and poll.
zeal DISTINCTION. i may be questioned.
however. If one OF them can spear
salmon, transiiN an eagle on the wing. or
kill a bear single-handed with \ hunt
ing knife; These are b C's 70 Big
Thunder" who has long been one OF the
most noted guides and hunters of the
PenobsCot. Though the good priests and
Sisters OF Mercy have been patiently
educating his forebears for hundred
years they have not altered the deep
love of nature and his instinC, for the
wigwam and the campfire. He started
last week with another Indian 10 make
tional capital. where he intends 10 pay
his respects 10 the President, To him the
Atlantic Ocean offers no more difficulty
than ChesunCoOk lake.
he spoke to me about Woodcraft. Any
one can become a fair hunter" he said
but only few can excel. \ person
must begin in childhood in order to edu-
cate ;hc eye. car. and nose. Men can
scent deer and follow a scent the same
as other animals. If their noses are
healthy and in good condition Every
Indian learns this as 4 part Of his educa-
ton. and every first-CldSS guide and Whit
hunter does the same While il is well 10
know country. II Is not necessary. The
-. Il
time you can tell direction by the star
and the moon: in the daytime by ,hc sun
the trees, and bushes. The south side OF
| every tree is different from the north side
so different that city man can learn
to tell between the TWO in fifteen min
utes
1T is equally easy to learn the little
points which tell YOU when YOU are ap-
preaching stream. a lake, or a marsh.
| Each Of these makes It's mark upon all
growing things around il It takes more
| time 20 learn the habits OF animals. but
the work is interesting ana pleasant.
Everything in the woods has Its own fooj
and is own favorite places. No two an
| finals are ever altogether alike in this
respect. All animals leave their tracks
| Just the same as The man does and with
a little practice any one can tell an ami
NAL from his tracks. just as YOU tell one
! handwriting from another. ! often laugh
when people express wonder At my point
| ing out the tell-tale marks in The forests.
! They never seem 10 think that it is not
I ldli as amazing as their telllDE the
names OF fifty writers by the handwr!t-
ingS upon the envelopes.
We Indians used 20 believe that all
animals had souls and talked and felt the
same as men. We have changed that be
lief. and taken up the white mans. but il
was much nearer the truth. In hunting
an animal. YOU must look a; II the SANE
as il you were hunting Il man In the
mating season. you know that the buck
are behaving just a. foolishly as young
men do with young women. \ deer with
her fawn Is Just as nervous and thought
iuI Tor the LITTLE one as mother with
her child. Like the latter. 100. she is just
IS ready 70 fight to protect the little one.
| There are some things in which animals
are very different from US. They arr
very much afraid Of fire and, on the 9th
light
wild animals have their favorite thor
ouEhfares, just as men have fdvorita
streets They change their likes from
season 20 season just as men change
theirs. but they never forget one when
they are using another. II you drive a
deer or caribou in the Maine woods
from his runway, he usually takes the
one. which is next TO him. Sometimes. es-
or is chased by wolves. he wiz 80 to 4
distant runway. All the guides know
this, and all the wild animals know II
Just as well When We do have woIves,
you will find them along the runways."
No prospective hunter need fear that
The game supply OF Maine will soon Civ
out. The system Of legal projection
which mas been bulk up around the moose
deer, and caribou promises to in ease the
number OF these animals more "a idly
than the hunter can Kill them of. For
merry the open season ran from October
% New Years three long months To
day the caribou cannot BE- killed at all
me deer season runs from October l to
December Is, and the moose season from
october Is TO December !. on the OthC.-
hand. the State encourages the dcstrur-
ton OF foxes. wolves, wildcats. lynx, y
panthers and bears 1t may be questioned
II poor Bruin deserves this treatment In
spite of all the stories which depict that
good ndtured animal in the act OF de-
rOuring chubby boys there is not a case
on record of his having done any greater
damage IN fifty years than killing a few
pigs when he was hungry, and a few dogs
when ile vas chased and attacked 81
| them. The other animals did annoy tn.
deer family, and destroyed many of thei-