Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1906-08-01
WHEN LOST IN WOODS.
keen Your Eye On the sun and Fol-
low Flowing Streams.

keen Your Eye On the sun anu roI-
low Flowing streams.
.syhat should you do II lost in the
,,oodsqn Young foresters taking the civil
.eryice examinations for government SER
,,ics used TO find this question favorite.
later. most of them have had more than
ore occasion to put their answers to
practical test.
C,pe of the commonest experiences OF
reople who 20 to the woods is to stray
awav from the trails and familiar land
,,arks and lose their bearings. Every
vcar brings its quota Of stories OF lost men
and women, OF search parties organized,
=, DAYS spent in frnitIess quest and per-
hans of the finding of the lost ones in
xretched condition, ragged, starved,
sometin,es temporarily insane from the
fright and hardships. Such experiences
AZ these are usually due to panic. They
seldom happen to the man who is abla to
act with calmness and judgment.
SIMMER visitors to the woods are
reculiarly likely to be lost, but so may
people who are accustomed to living IN
Inc woods. No man in wild country is
altogether certain when he goes to the
woods that he will find his way back
without difficulty, no matter how many
times he has been over the same ground.
snow, q forest fire, even a wipdfall in
the forest, may have obiisorated his guide
marks and changed utterly the appearance
OF things.
Every man who gees into the woods
should make up his mind that in case he
is lost be will observe a few simple, COM
mon sense rules OF conduct. In the first
placc he should resoletely refuse to be
frightened. The immediate effect of the
discovery that one Is lost is usually COM
plc;e Generalization. The victim falls
into 6 panic Of fear and wants to extreate
himself immediately. He runs about in
different directions, hsllooing. until what
little sense ne had left Is completely gose.
Avoid that.
II you should miss your trail or be in
doubt as TO your whereabouts, the best
course Is first to sit down where you are
and think over matters. II IL not a serious
affair; b. assured of that. There are few
regions in this country where a man is not
Within a days walk OF some settlement,
and Il the season be summer, you have
nothing TO fear. Consider the matter
calmly, use your memory and your reason.
Make up your mind about the proper
direction TO follow, then take your course
and refuse to change IL without good and
sufficient cause. Don't hurry; take your
time, and when you feel exhausted sop
snd rest. Don't try TO travel at night. A
night spent out OF doors in the summer
doesn't hurt anybody. II you have so lost
the sense OF direction that you cannot
make up your mind shat course to take,
il is usually best to follow a stream. In
rough country there is almost always
flowing water. Streams always lead to
se,tlements. The way may be long and
the going tortnous, but stick to your
stream and II will bring you out.
Keep an eye on the sun, II IL is out, and
get yonr direction from it. Study the
contours Of the hills and mountains, the
appearance of the trees and of the stream.
Try 10 find something familiar. Don't
look for moss on the trees to determine
your direction, II is not safe guide.
Don't throw away food or clothing in
order to travel faster. You will probably
need both.
Keep your confidence. When every
thing else is gone, hold on to that. Get
ting lost in the woods is, after all, under
certain restrictions, a rare kind OF sport.
There is certainly excitement enough
about il to stir the most iaded, with
plenty Of opportunity fer the exercise of
eooiness and common-sense.