The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1907-05-12
GETTING READY FOR CAMPERS.
The Busy Season OF the Adirondack Native
Has Already Begun.

The Adirondack natives have regun al
ready TO live upon the summer visitor.
Every camp that maintains a garden fur
nlshes employment ~ a few natives rather
early in May. for the garden must he pre-
pared aud planted six or eight weeks before
the camp lug season begins. Adiron'iacti
eoil grows excellent sire " berries. hut only
the June and carly July campers find il
worth while 10 have a strawberry bed.
(ucumbers alec prosper in the sandy soil
that covers 30 much of the region, aud all
Of the common vegetables flourish.
The native 9nrds ner is usually a farmer,
who also looks to gathering and housing
Joe for The camp ard getting in the summer
supply Of tirewood. This last Is an impot-
tant matter, for coal is expensive in the
Adirondacks and wood lie burned hoth for
heating and cooking.
Guides are already looking out for per-
msnent employment, K they hsve not been
engaged from last year, and Adirondack
boys and gil Is are planning TO get something
out OF the pleasure seekers with money
to spend. The native girls prefer work at
the hotels to employment in private CAMPS,
and once the season has begun it Is hard to
get hold of a competent COOK. Even tho
green girl OF is or 10 expects at least 800 or
SIS a month, and the boy Of Is working
about a camp demands n dollar a day.
4 few guides and boys find employment
| through May and Tune with the trout fishers,
but there Ia no longer a great army OF fisher
men coming tN the A~diTondRoss for trout,
and most OF the camp guides do not loo';
for regular employment until July. Then
comes the harvest OF NE other natives.
the rough laundry VI many camps and sell
butter, eggs. chickens and some small
vegetables. Young lads who can get no
regular enga cement catch trout n sell
them to the camps AT the highest market
rate. The hoy who DOW n trout hole 10
as secret about the matter as il he had
found a buried treasure.
There 10 q fine assurance about the Adiron-
dack boy In dealing with the permanent
who hal. fnherited the local tradition as to
the wealth Of all summer visitors will
borrow boat and line OF the summer camper.
catch a pickerel within sight OF the camp.
and sell it at the very highest market price
to the lender Of boat and line. Such a boy
has the making Of a smart guide and he
steadily raises his price season by season
until he can demand union wages OF q full
grown man
While yet there are no permanent campers
in the region he Adirondack mechanics
are busy repairing the ravages OF the winter:
There are sagging roofs TO be lifted and
strengthened, wharves n slip TO be re-
paired where the heavy ice OF lake or river
has carried away the timbers, tent platforms
to be patched up and slab cabins TO be made
tight. Before the end OF May all the local
boat builders will be busy building and re-
pairing the light craft characteristic Of
the Adirondacks. The navy Of the noun
tains makes no mean showing even in
onnage, for every camp has from five to
twenty boats. The white pine boats made
by the Adirondack boat builders should be
soraped and shellacked at least onoe in
three years II they are TO have a long life,
and i'll used boats require more frequent
overhauling. Thus cared for a boat that
Originally cost from $50 to $40 will last
twenty years or longer. All these repairs
keep the boat builders busy, though a
handy guide can do such work, and in
some camps the rule L. TO have all the boats
~overhauled by the guides after the camp
is closed In September or October.