Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1906-09-26
feet long failed to touch bottom.


There is no such sport as catching
mountain trout. The lakes are well
filled with them, from small ones to
those weighing as much as ten
pounds, and there is no fish so
delicious as trout from the cold water
in the primitive natural lakes of the
mountains. We succeeded in catching
all we wanted to eat and had tie
usual enjoyable outing of camping
parties.
The last night in camp we had an
experience which was decidedly in
teresting, TO say the least, and which
none of us care to have repeated again.
Just as we were eating supper. it
having already become dark, there
was a knock at the door of the cabin.
and upon opening it very peculiar
looking individual asked if he could
stay there over night. Of course we
told him he could. He was a short,
thick set man, wore good but old
clothes, was unshaven and unkempt
in appearance, and showed much
fatigue. Suspicioning him, we all
began to ask him questions, and while
he was eating put him through the
''sweat box" operation very thorough
ly. Strangely, each of us formed the
same opinion of him. He said that
he had come up from the valley,
having with him companion part of
the way. That he was simply walk
ing over the country to see it, having
moved into the valley but year ago,
and that he thought he would run
across place to stop all right. He
had nothing to eat with him, nor a
,natch. a gun or even a knife, and
mountaineers never think of going out
alone without all these things. He
would contradict himself as TO his
home and family, and in fact bore
every resemblance either Of an escaped
criminal OF a person seeking to com.
NIT crime.
We made up our minds that he was
either an escaped criminal or knew of
our coming into the mountains and
possibly had confederates near by who
would steal our horses while he kept
watch Of US, and might even try to
hold US up We had six horses, about
$500. 90 in money, several watches,
guns and other valuables with us, and
accordingly we decided to keep watch
over him during the night. We
rounded up our horses and tied them
by the cabin door, and while he slept
on the cabin floor we took turns in
keeping watch, gun in hand, over him
and the horses. All went well until
about two in the morning, when we
heard noise outside, and just at that
time he got up and asked if he might
build fire, it was so cold he could
not sleep. Then we found that he
even had no matches, for he asked us
for one to light the fire with. Think
ing that perhaps this might be signal
for confederates outside we watched
both outside and in, and thus the long
night was passed. without sleep and
in constant fear of attack. In tie
morning early we saw our friend safe
ly down the trail mile or so and
thanked our lucky stars that we were
still on earth, with all our possessions.
The next morning we packed up and
started out Oh the long ride home,
and to recite our experiences would be
practically repetition of the adven-
lures we had encountered in coming
up the mountain, save that the
weather was pleasant and we did not
lose our trail. The descent of the
mountain was even more difficult and
fatiguing than the ascent, and we
were very willing to sleep when night
came. The last night out we slept
beside straw stack at SWANS, and in
the night it rained very hard, the
patter of the rain in our faces waken-
ing us. From there to Grand
Junction we rode in the wagon, ar
irving about noon, and the afternoon
was spent in getting cleaned up and
making preparations for the home
ward trip.
That night we boarded the train
for Denver, arriving there the next
day, and the night we spent in Denver,
starting the next morning for home,
arriving in safety and in good health,
after trip that was full of pleasure,
of delightful as well as thrilling ex-
periences and adventures, during
which we learned much of the state
of Colorado and enjoyed to the fullest
extent needed rest from the cares of
busy life.
The Original.
Foley & Co., Chicago, originated
Honey and Tar as throat and lung