The sun., 1907-08-04
SIGHTS In The MARSHES
MISSED ny THE AVERAGE MAN
IN THE ADERONDACkS. ,x,us
The Carpet of Moss o Marvellous Mosuis OF
Many CoiOrs Deer nc tho water side
silence and Loneliness OF the klepkhs
OF tho Forest bird Lifo On the woods.


silence and Lcaelincss OF the Depths
OF tho Forest --nird Life On the woods.
OsoooD LAKE, N. Y. Aug. 3.--Most per-
sons that navigate the lakes and penetrate
the forests of the Adrondacks avoid tho
marshes. In doing thus they miss much
that lis beautiful. curious and interesting.
On one side Of Osgood Lake. as 1t narrows
to it's outlet the Osgood River. a tributary
Of the st. Lawrence. extend many aores OF
marsh. Across the river from the marsh
rises pneclad point. warm. brown with
the undisturbed pine needles that have
fallen for innumerable seasons. making q
deep rich soil. The view down the river
is stopped by a weltcr OF purple. forestclad
mountains. Everywhere the marsh IN edged
by the shining waters Of lake and river.
The adventurous explorer pushes tho
nose Of his light boat into the marsh at q
point where a convenient tree aids debarks-
ton and finds himself treading upon q
thick. soft carpet of spongy coarse moss.
The surface is elastic. but the moss 10 water
soaked. and TO stand five minutes In q
single spot is to sink several inches into tho
yielding soil
The carpet OF moss is marvellous mosaic
OF many colors- pale green. dark green.
yellow. sorrel bright red. Wherever the
eyes rest these colors in every variety Of
shade and tint are spread upon tho level
surface Of the marsh. Here and there are
soots where the NOES rises a little above
the general surface and upon such spots
small evergreens commonly grow. while
the pigeonberry wanders with delicate
green lacelike sprays in and out among the
little tree trunks.
The vegetation OF the marsh is greatly
varied, for although the moss Ia every
where it Is only a sort Of surface upon
which and through which grow many
higher plants. Atthis season the spectabis
orchid shows its green fruit and another
orchid is blooming in exquisite rich purple.
The wild oxais is here, and low laurel
shows abundant small dark pink blossoms.
Pitcher plants show their rich mahogany
colored blossoms at the tops OF their long
plant stems and their odd water holding
leaves, like the veiped ears Of some AMI
NAL. half buried in the noes. The plant
called Labrador tea seizes any unoccupied
area. and where the forest thiokens giant
ferns clothe the ground.
As the marsh deepens into woodland the
character Of the vegetation changes. Tho
moss disappears or changes In character.
The ground is still spongy and interlaoed
. WIN hDBCuTe HtJlc
and deciduous trees of many kinds struggle
for existence in the shade.
They grow upon the fallen and decayed
I trunks Of their predecessors and few sound
ard shapey trees reach large size; In
! every direction the trunks living and dead,
are crossed and interlaced at many angles.
Feeble slender maple shoots straight
and tall as If racing with the evergreens
for light and air Here and there the noun
tain ash shivers in it's own lacy shade.
u. x~ls
grown from the ground to the top. and
many OF the evergreens are decorated
with pendulous moss as with grayish
, green smoke.
though the stupid marsh hen occasionally
shows herself and waits until the explorer
is within a boats length before taking
wing. Across the river and outlined in
majestic Y against the warm blue of the
sky floats the great blue heron. Hawks
soar low over the neighboring uplands in
search OF prey.
Where the marsh begins to be forest one
hears the amazingly loud and rapid rat-tat-
| tat Of "A great woodpecker In dead tree top.
! The white throated sparrow gives his lost
soul orv from the edge Of the forest, and the
exduisitely rich and sad call Of the hermit
thrush floats over the tops OF the wilderness
like the voice OF it's own unvisited depths.
No beast shows itself upon the mareh by
daylight save perhaps a sleek muskrat.
which goes souse into the lake or the near
est inlet at the sight OF man. Great turtles
occasionally sun themselves on the logs
soon as one enters the fringe OF msrshy
forest invisible squirrels begin 70 scvi0.
with the rapid chatter WHICH Aou-.d- We
the winding OF Tccs eIoe
Porcupines frequent the marshy wood
land and the edge OF the lake. but are shy
like the other creatures. The Adirondack
native kills the porcupine at every oppoT-
tunity. because Of the fact that dogs In
% I..A- f.ft ff. IN In vDtt
the spiny brothers. and come out OF the
ensuing fight punctured in hundreds OF
places. Hounding has been illegal for some
years. but the traditional hatred OF the
hedgehog persists.
All over the marsh and all through the
forest on it's edce are the marks OF the deer.
Their little raths. punctuated in the early
morning with tinv hoofprints, traverse tho
! moss in every direction. fou may trace
them bv the darker so;Tel OF the moss In
the track Of the deer.
These fascinating little paths lead down
tothe lake alono its edge and back into the
forest. Here they may often be traced
by the fact that where they pass the az
| posed roots OF the trees are barred OF moss.
No deer is visible in broad daylight. but
while as yet the hunting season has not
begun, the patient waiter on the edge OF the
marsh after sunset is apt to be rewarded
for his pains bv a glimpse OF shy, swift
! forms emerging from the forest and travors-
in1 the little runwavs to the lake'or river.
| there to drink or to feed upon lily PADS.
The does even venture out with their
fawns before the hunters have made the
deer timid Meanwhile the maze OF paths
and other siens show that the deer must
be thick in the forest. though their haunts
are within earshot Of the railway trains.
To the eve that is Indifferent TO the charm
Of curious vegetation and the loneliness
Of the wilderness the marsh and its forest
edge are apt to be depressing, Travel
within the forest is extremely laborious
because the tangle OF fallen trees IN ell
sta ges Of decay is hard to penetrate.
So long as the ground is fiat and marshy
the growth Of timber Is not 80 dense as TO
present great difficulties to the explorer,
but as the land rises the timber thickens.
and one comes to the forest surrounding
the fastnesses in which the deer take refuge
by day SO difficult OF approach are these
depths that most hunters prefer to take tho
deer at feed after sunset.
The silence and loneliness Of the deep
forest are always matters OF surprise to the
inexperienced visitor. for here even tho