The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1900-11-07
INTO SEPTEMBER WOODS.
The Joys Of Camping Out in
Northern Forests.
From uarner.s MeekIv.

From Harper's Weekly.
Every healthy man wants 70 get into the
woods If he can for Il few days in each
year. Most of us cannot leave business FOR
SO long 1t time, and II we could, the gueS-
ton OF expense is too important to be dis
regarded. The average worher. therefore.
has in mind Z month away and a good part
of $l,vl as the two principal requisites IN
getting Il NOSE up i'll Maine. or Il deer III
the AG!ronGachs, cr Il caribou in Canada.
Certainly it does cost some money To
travel about, and 1t does use up a large
number cf days If you insist on getting
just what you set out for and arc de-
termtned 90 stay away until you get
1t. Bat. after all. the man who
are the woods. and says 70 himself
Incidentally that he VIII get his moose or
deer on caribou II one or the 9lner comes
along-that man comes horne when he says
he VIII. sIsnds what he determines ne Will
spend, and has what he went attGE-i
glorious rest. For the woods themselves.
and mysterious and fascinating al nisht,tut
beautiful always in sunshine or IL rdin-
the woods and the little bir1s and insects
and all the other living creatures that, TO-.
gcther with thu wind. make :he peIpetuil
concert of tho forsst-a!! that Is "aat is
delightful and new and sestiui. ana ewes
the dOietul city man Il reason for living
another year while he doubles up over MS
desk for the best hours OF the best days
Of his life.
And it is really surprising how cheapiy 4
trip after game in the forests can De mace,
and how short q tint one IS away rom me
shop after all. Two weeks Will DO for AiaIna
or the .AdironGaCks, II the man lives IN OF
within u couple Of hundred miles of New
YOrk-say anywhere. from WashsiSluI on
north. Three weeks. If he can get them, are
better, and all that is necessary; aiG three
weeks are enough TO put the soul or n de,
cent chap straight again for another year, IL
he has any love Tor the woods and can APP
preciate q leaf, or the rustic OF the night
wind, OF the darl: forest :hat is doing us
work IL the world Just as well-perhags Il
good deal batter-than hs is doing his.
Suppose sou have rniy twr WeekS-HeW
much Will it cost ana how can you l5e
your time to the best advantage? Roughly
speaking. 1t will cost So. from the time you
leave home until you get back. including
your entire outfit. Almost every one taxes
too much with him and naturally pays 100
much for IT,
For example, for two weeks In the north
of Maine woOis-and there Is no better couD-
try In the easternmOst third Of the bh!ted
States than the north of alatne FOR game
two guns-a 1870 rife for moose, costing
about SIS. and q 500 rife. at same price or
less. FOR ceer and anything else. Take two
guns, because one may give out. eiid see
that both are full or at least half maya
zines. on no account carry more than hve
shells for each day-for two weeks say.
barn doors and tree stunps you VII! not usa
Aiulos, 10 clothes are necessary. There
should be a pair of high horsehide boots az
about s.. Two flannel shirts at g or -
apiese. dark In color. preferably gray. as
the blue shirt stains when wet ana tAs
gray matches the woods quite as Well; Il
loose fel: hat OF brown with generous oEin,
three changes of Undertaking; thick blue
laborer5' socks, a sweater a. ABOUT ~ gray
or brown In color, and a light rubber coat.
There should also be d pair OF bedroom
slippers or old tennis Shoes-uothinS IN lHs
whole outfit is more necessary or e greatsr
comfort. There should be either a Sleeping
bag and q blanket or u pair Of light couole
blankets without the nag The latter Is
really better, because, unless one Is LluiIe
accustomed to it, the bag Is an uncomigrta,
hie thing TO sleep IN. You feel cranped al
through the night, and that Is quite enough
to keep enc who is not used TO the pitchy
darkness and constant noses OF the Wooia
awake all night. \ towel. The Simplest toi-
let articles, a good. short. thick hunting
knife. a fathom or two If stout cord rope.
make up all that Is really necessary. On
no account take more. ana 10 not He .ilFd-u
to carry less.
AS to medicine ard the ike. there are a
few necessary things. The medicine haG
ough: to have It In q little surgeon p'as-
ter. q couple of rolls of bandages, quil!ins
pills, cholera mixture. caloniel and 4 few
seidlltz powders-not much OF any or
these. Add to this a little sweet Chocolate
aud a can or two OF marna!aae-t"o Talua-
be and fully appreciated deiicaciss III the
woods. and the only delicacies it is worth
while TO carry along.
that closes at the top with a iacing str.ils.
This IS practically: wa:er-t.shj. ana IS Y.
most convenient tilthS 10 s"li!s oN.f tHS
back. stow away IN q canoe or pack on a
horses back. Add to this matches in Il
wa:er-tight tin box. a compass and Il cheap
watch. This is all that is required, and
thsy are the result OF experience gathered
from many Il day in the woods.
ST. bein., once outfittted. You Leave New
York By the night train and arrive IN Bos-
ton in the morning.: o: leave any other place
so as to arrive in Boston early in tile DAY.
That afternoon You are in Bangor and
ready to start the second day after leaving
f,-.-z g. cha. praHlG That SnEard niEnt
You are in the camp. In Maine the camp
is a log hut. In the Adir0ntacks II Is q log
lean-t0. In Canada it is 81 iean-tc which
your guides make for You on the spot. or
It Is a bunch OF henlock houSiis and Coos
sparkling sky for the roof.
Naturally the most important detail Is
gage any guide who is not
to you by a good friend of yours, one whom
your friend has tramped and hunted with.
for the guide must be a good one or the
hunt is done before It's begun. In Maine
these men can be easily found. They are
fine fellows. hard-headei sons Of the good
State Of Maine. You pay them, or their d.
rector. $50 per day. and $50 per day. more
70 feed you and themselves. That Is, II you
and your one friend go together you have
two guides. and you each pay 81 a day for
everything after YOU ouc: get into the
woods. Canoes are provided by the guides.
and are included In the payment
In Canada the guides are Indians. or half
breeds-not SO good men as those in Maine.
Be more careful, therefore,. in selecting
them. ard If you take whisky, use II spar
ingly yourself, and keep it from the guides.
except that, after q hard. wet day, one good
drink is as good for the guide and as thank
fully received by him as by You yourself;
The Maine guides drink coffee: those OF
Canada drink tea, and all of them have
pipe tobacco.
You DO not always stay within a days
tramp of the camp. and this illustrates ths
value OF having one guide for each man;
for while one hunter IS making his daily
trips another goes off for two or three or
four days with his blankets or sleeping bag
and travels all the time up IT down some
stream, or of through the woods. Perhaps.
after all. the best part Of the outing is tho
Ions; days padding downstream. always
on the watch for a chance shot. always
drawing IN the mountain air.
That Is the whole story OF outfit and
guides and living from the time you leave
home until you return. except that If the
trip Is TO be in Canada it is much easier
and simpler TO take little or nothing from
home and purchase your outfit from ono
Of the stores OF the Hudson Bay Company.
Those men know better what you need for
your trip than you do yourself.
Once in the woods under the camp roof,
with the big fire burning just outside the
enjoy what the great Lord OF the forests
has set there for man TO love and live with.
by day you Set off with John or William,
or whatever the guides name Is, and tramp
and crawl and lie down. and get something
or not, as the case may be. 1t does not
really matter. FOR. after all. the joy OF
trudging inward with the rife on your
shoulder, and the sun or rain falling softly
upon you hour after hour, is what you and
are there for, and the killing of a hig-eyed
deer or a fat-nosei moose Is but the incl
dent that caps the day. The day Itself goes
down in your calendar In big red letters as
one of those that shall stay there TO be
dreamed Of later on In the office, or onthe
- III ~, ~, tha c,tIst of ~ NJ thu r,ar.