River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1904-05-12

distant hills and a river winding
through it, glimmering in the sunhght'
a long, wooded ledge breaking INTO
naked, grassy slopes on one SIDE OF the
valley and on the other a deep forest
rolling to the far horizon; between them
big patches of yellow grain and Wnlte
buckwheat and green pasture land ana
green meadow and the straight ROAD
with white houses on either side of it,
glorious in double fringe OF golden roo
and purple aster and yellow John's-Wort
and the deep blue of the Jacobs ladder.
Looks a good deal like the promised
land" said Uncle Eb.
Though not showing much enthu-
siasm for the tasks about the farm, the
Youthful Irving was not indolent when
if came to books, liking both study and
reading, standing high in his classes,
fond of oratorical flights and OF trying
his mettle in the debating tournaments
that used to exercise young gentlemen OF
an argumentative turn OF mind. Wheh
he shook the local dust from his feet and
set out for 'the pageant of the big town,
he proved himself anything but an 1dler,
worked away with the energy and enou-
rance inherited from those hardy an
cestors that Travelled from Vermont TO
the New York wilderness, there to carve
out a home and competence for tnelr
families; and worked with the hope may
han inherited from his mothers May
flower ancestry. Of the story of the sue
cesses and failures experienced by the
creator of Eben Holden, newspaper
readers are more or less familiar, so we
shall merely refer to the fact that the
wav was not all flowery, that fame and
financial returns did not come at mo-
ment's call.
Mr.. Bachelor is fairly early riser,
and his habit is to write until four
o'clock in the afternoon--a long period
for intellectual labor. For recreation he
wisely chooses vigorous outdoor exer-
rise. and his vacations are spent prefer
ably in the woods, in tramping and fish,
ing and hunting, in camp-life and whole
some outdoor living. In the portion OF
tho Adirondacks from which am writ
ine this sketch, he is familiar figure.
Guide and residents have much to tell me
IF the author that visits this delightful
snot. l have recently employed as win
ter guide and snowshoe instructor Ben
son. a youth that last summer led Mr..
Racheller to the best haunts for trout,
directed his course through the pleas
ATTEST woodland trails, and have been
much interested to find that the patron,
after a month of that close companion
ship necessarily existing between woods
guide and guided, continues hero.
Benson says he and Mr.. Bachelor had
their pitchers" taken about rs times
last summer when they were in the
woods; that they got so used to folks
stopping them and asking to let them get
a snap, they didn't think anything of
it at all. Mr.. Bachelor, so his guide
tells me, is big and lusty and can en-
dure good deal; will carry pack him.
self, not expect a guide to do the whole
thing, as do SO many city fellows. He
can hunt and fish, too; but is not like
some---does not want to fish till there
amt a trout left in the stream" He
goes tramping along, seems to enjoy
Just walking and being in the woods.
and when night comes is not tired and
cross. l gather he is more of a natural
ist than sportsman, and that he is