The sun., 1901-09-01
CHARMS or THE FOREST.
Pleasures of Camp life 10 the T~ndcrfoot
Ia the Adirondacks.

II half the Joy 81 the hunter in Rough
Camp lies In the s-n-e Of dwelling near
to natures heart, th. Adirondack tender
foo,'s whole pleasure ia such n situation
lies in thu novelty 81 his surroundings.
The approach to the camp IL a foretaste
Of its peculiar charms. A narrow and
tortuous river. now nearly chuked with
hypad-. now flowing swiftly b-t wcen
hanks hidden in dense ald.rs worms its
way from civilization deeper and de-per
into ,h. wilderness, with momentarily
changing scenery. and wonderful pan
oranic background Of distant purple noun
tainS
II the approach be at evening, the long
light Adirondack boat, a. It thrusts it's
sharp nu-e into each new reach Of th.
str-am. frightens some creature of the
wilderness from its accustomed oCcur'a-
ton; Wild ducks ri-e on spinning wings.
muskrais. caught ia mid-trcani. dive out
OF sight. porcupinc- balance and i.s'i-r
on half vatcroggrd sticks k"rons feat
on maie-,ically. showing against the sky
In the form Of the letter T. the stupid marsh
hen stands at gaze until almost within
reach ~ the car; enormous turtles slip
with a sous from their loRs, or a fright
ened fish, stunning the pursuit OF some
invisible subaqucou- enemy, PUSHES shore
ward for half a dozen yards Just upon tho
surface of the water.
The camp and all Of It's appointments
are Curiously dwarfed 10y the surround
ing wilderness, and tho creations of mans
hands seem oddly impertincnt amid tho
giant trees and the almost impenetrable
tangle Of the unbrokcn forest Tho tender
foot accustomed to the smooth and easily
penctrablo groves Of populous regions,
finds the r-al wilderness AT first strange
and a It'll. melancholy. HIS walks are
circumsCrilsd To the small area within
sight oi his own campfire, not only by
f-a-un Of ia" labor Involved In eNplora-
ton where fallen trt--s sand deep soft
soil into which tho feet sink often half
way Ia the knees make progress almost
imlp,ssibl. but also nv the knowledge
that 10 gct out Of -arshot OF the camp II
to risk vain aid night-long search for
home.
wears uff IA. charm Of the forest begins
10 assert itself The moonlight, falling
through IN. trr,top-. half reveals the un-
guessed depths Of the forest. Here tho
straight and rigid shaft OF great pune
il silvered for thirty feet Of iis height.
There the hristling sheen of a low ever
gr-en sparkles Ike frost in the moon
hgh,
The blazing campfire hight. in curious
fashion the neither side Of high branches,
revealing unsusIsCted aspects of the trees.
Around that little isle OF light. with its
group uf nIddy faces and its hOtnely ap-
pointmcn,-, the wilderness CLOSES mex
orably. 80 that the whole camp IL swallowed
up Ia great Loneliness Perhaps civih1a-
tion on one side l. scarcely two hOur- away,
but the unacc1I-, omcd camper has the
sansa Of complrta isolation from the every
day world 1h. very stiffness Of the place
II eloquent OF its wildne-S.
The birds and beasts Of suburban groves,
long accustomed - the sight OF men. are
wary, but not Absolutely invisible Here,
indeed the squirrel. privileged scOld OF
the forest, Chatters all day long, but ths
other denyens Of the WILDERNESS ara silent
and mot!nnless ~ long as human heing
IL ia sight The snort Of the frightened
deer is heard Irrhnp- the hideuus and
unaarthlv call of giant owls, or the grew
some cry OF tho loon, tut otherwise tho
wilderness bctrays no audible sign OF Its
population,
real woodsman corresponding silence.
and the CONSCIENTIOUS guide r,eents moth
ing ~ much as ,h. foolish shouts and calls
Of those who arr unacCustone! to the
woods The guides. indeed. hAbtually
convor~.. IN und"rtones, 30 that the whole
camp soon takes its KEY from III" silent
aud keenly ot~ervant men, All genuine
lovers of the wilderness have an instructive
inspect for it, characteristic and inpr--
si,s silence and "a -ctIIpulpu~ regapl for
tho pruprie,ies uf camp life. Those who
picni, Ia the city parks might well take a
lesson from the fregucuters oi the wilds.
Here. where few come "a Critic.So, u 10
the law of the camp e. Cpnsun" With fire
whatever debris might jar with tlto natural
surrounding tn" csmphr- - 10" clean
and cleansing ersvcngcr. Waste paper,
broken packing boN.-. the very bones
from tho table ar,' each dav thrown upon
th" iir,. 50 that III" c''an and SWEET ~tlder-
ness shall suffer ~ little a. Isps-ihl~ from
the ruiling contact of civilized man The
r,--ult ~ The nic, regard for ~" d'-"nci.s
of ih. wilis il that all traN~ ~ IA" rsSont
pr'-,ncc ~ man rAI,idlv DISAPPEAR after
N" camp H. brpArn up lhv nios~-si.- /
uu,l<i trunks of fallen tr-- rnuu rrcloih~
hens. I'VE. the uucsInsum'sd ur"Wopd ris I
uton ih. ground. the litti" trail from tie T
wator~ld. tu ib. camp t--rsu'-s lo-s and
IT. own asAlu