The Jersey City news., 1902-08-14
Camping in the Adirondaoks
Not All It Is Crack
ed Up to Be.
JERSEY CITY MANS EXPERIENCE
Glad He Went He Says, But
Does Not Want to Repeat
the Experience People
Who Lea We Town
Today.

Camping in the Adirondacks is not al
ways what it is cracked up to be, and
many man who goes up there for plea
sure would cry out against Uncle Sam
with vengeance if forced to endure the
same hardshipsg in the service OF his
country. How the camping parties-and
their name is legion-go through a cou-
ple Of weeks in the Adirondacks and
come back alive would be a wonder in
itself. but when one takes into considera-
tion the fact that they usually come
back to tip the scales from ten to twelve
pounds more to their credit, it is simply
marvellous. Either there is something ex-
ceptionally invigorating in the air or 1t
all goes to show that despite the Won
derful progress of civilization, primitive
man was to be envied, for camp life III
the Adirondacks comes about as near a
primitive existence as anything modern
can.
sGood time?" remarked a prominent
Jersey City man who has just returned
from the Adirondacks, to some friends
at the club the other evening. Wen, l
should say so. 1t rained the whole time
we were up there. There We're ten OF us,
counting the guide. The first night we
were out there we pitched our tent some
where in the woods, never could Ind
the spot again, and lit our camp hres-
The guide cooked our supper, which, to
say the best, was eatable because we
we were hungry enough to eat
anything. even to dinner Of
herbs where love is. Then we
turned in for the night. We had just
three narrow boards, perhaps ten feet
long, which the guide placed lengthwlse,
spreading thin layer of pine needles,
more or less damp, over the whole. This
was our bed Each man had his own
blanket, but not more than half OF US
could take it to bed with him, because
there was no room. We all lay there, like
too many peas in pod, and in case one
of MS wanted to move or turn over ne
had to pass the word all along the line.
Room? Why there wasn't room to iaugh'
and nobody thought of snoring. Sleep
was out of the question, so the fellows
started in to tell funny stories. One OF
the boys didn't enjoy this a bit. he was
there to sleep, he said, and sleep he was
going to, even if it was in the open. 80
he picked up his blanket and stalked
out. Here we saw our chance. II we
could only laugh out few more the rest
of us might have room for forty winks
on three narrow boards. Well, in short
fine two more followed the first desert
er's example, and we began to breathe
more freely. Eventually one by one we
dropped asleep. | guess It must nave
been about two O'Clock when | was
wakened by some one reaching over me
for his coat. We had used our coats, by
the way, as pillows. There was noise
of breaking twigs a short distance from
camp and every fellow was provided
| with lantern. With visions OF vicious
panthers before me, / jumped up and
| Joined the midnight hunt. =
! drizzling rain had begun te
| fall. A short distance away VIZ
found one of the three deserters asseeI
] nnler a tree. but the other two were
missing and we were sure, although ti'
pui,le informed us over and over ssalI
there were no wild beasts in the Adiron
dacks. they had been devoured by Prov
ling panthers, Unable to find our miss
ing comrades we returned home =
mourn. but they turned up like Hood
..Lost Herr by daylight, and informe'
MS that it was they who made all tha
, noise in the woods, that they intended
j frighten us, but had become lost in tn
woods and had wandered round all night
/ They. were soaked to the skin and a
nlayed out. So were we. But q camp
| ing party mustn't mind a little thing iik
that. The guide cooked our breakfast 9
han and bacon with griddle cakes trle
IN the grease thereof, and slanderous ccl
fee. full Of grounds, which we took out 9
rusty tin plates and cups minus such e
fails as knives, forks or spoons. The
we all went off on deer trail.
tsf s1Fhatk was the luSl VI Ottl SaAiPiiis
4 we put up at a hotel after that Bu
| worse experience was vet to come. On
day when the sky gave dubious promls
Of clearing, three of us started out I
follow trail, leaving the guide behint
We took along camera and some car
ridges. just for target practice, leavin
word that we would be back at nooI
Following trail, however, did not prov
AZ easy as it sounded. We got along a
right till we came to fork where tn
trail split into four paths. The native
out there have way Of notching tn
trees on trail, which may be all yer
well for them: but to us it was all Greel
However, we decided to follow the motel
ed path as the one most likely to hrin
i Us back to civilization Well, i went u
Hill and down dale with drops Of ten
twelve feet every little while. 10 soone
would NE reach the top Of one mountain
!. deceived into believing the blue SIX
above was a lake md We We're at las
ii sight Of home. than there would b
another drop. another valley and anotlse
! mountain to climb. To lnake matter
worse. tlIcs usual tltizzle set II and ov
4