Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1909-05-04
New Games at Shagg Pond.

New Camps at Shagg Pond.
There is a prospect that the Soutf
Paris colony at Shagg Pond is to be con
siderably increased this year, and prepa
ration Of plans. and arrangements To-
building and furnishing camps, are pro
vidipg pleasant diversion for q number
of people just now.
only half a mile long-lies In the eastern
edge of Woodstock. The distance from
South Paris, when you 60 to hire team
is about sixteen miles, though If yor
were drawing mileage from the public
treasury, you would probably call fol
eighteen miles. The route is through
the town of Sumner, and the pond II
something more than a mile from tb'
Redding post Office in that town.
Lying beside the highway, but In the
edge Of large tract of wooded hills
and surrounded by magnificent hills ant
mountains, Shagg Pond, despite its rug
ged cOgnomen, has since man came into
the region presented attractions as
location for summer camp; but nobody
seemed to notice much about it, though
people visited there occasionally to fisl
and camp for night or two. The frs
to locate there were A. NJ. Andrews ant
three others, Of South Woodstock, who
in 1905 built camp, small but com
modious for its size, not on the pond bu
beside the highway just below 1t, and or
the bank of the outlet. Mr.. Andrews
later bought out the other owners, and
is now sole proprietor. This is "CamI
Gindy."
In the summer of 1905 camp of two
stories, large enough to accommodate
quite a good sized party, was built or
the north shore near the foot of the
pond, by j. F. Moody, Jr., of Auburn,
and Ira NJ. Bearce of Hebron. This was
the first camp built on the shore OF the
pond, and it gets considerable use In the
course of the season.
During the same season, Arthur E
Forbes of South Paris visited the pond,
and picking out the most desirable loca.
ton, at the middle of a stretch of gently
sloping sand beach on the south shore,
possessed himself of piece of land. In
the summer of 1907 he built there a
small camp, which bears on its front the
name "Shaggrock." As the name is
probably unique, 80 is perhaps the plan
of the camp. 1t consists essentially OF
two small rooms and a veranda; but by
the use of tent and other contraptions,
occupants may make use of either one,
two, three or four rooms or substitut es
therefor, according to the weather, the
size of the party, and other considera-
tions.
"Along about this time" as the al
manac weather forecast says, people be-
gan to sit up and take notice, and in the
fall of 1906 and the following summer,
several other lots on the shore Of the
pond were purchased, though there was
no more building until the summer of
1905. On a wooded point on the north
shore, known as "Spruce Point" by rea-
son of the growth upon it, U. G. Wheel
or of Everett, Mass, last summer built
Camp Everett" a commodious cottage,
and with his family spent number of
weeks there.
On the south shore, next west of
Shaggrock and fronting on the sand
beach, A. L. Holmes of South Paris, and
his son, William K. Holmes of New
Britain, Conn, built last summer a
camp which will comfortably entertain a
party of eight, and the families spent
their vacation there.
Parties who will build this summer
are Albert D. Park, A. w. Walker,
Harry A. Morton, and Alton C. Wheeler.
A piazza will also be added to the camp
of U. G.. Wheeler. The first three NAM
ed are on the south shore. The Parks
like real camping, and plan only to build
a kitchen and use tent as living quar-
ters. The Walker camp will be large
enough for good party, and those who
know the family will not have to hunt
very hard to discover the genesis of the
name it will bear, which is "Mertalteva. y"
Mr.. Morton's location is on a small hill
which rises quite sharply near the out
let. The camp will accommodate six
people comfortably, and 1t will be known
as ''Kamp Killooleet." This latter word,
by the way, is the Indian name of the
white throated sparrow, perhaps more
commonly known as. the Peabody bird.
Mr.. Wheeler's camp will be on the north
shore, on knoll at the waters edge in a
handsome grove of white birches. 1t
will be sufficiently large for party OF
six.
TN. Twitchell, who has been guide
in that region for some years, also plans
to build on lot which he owns on the
north shore.
The plans are all completed for the
South Paris camps named, the lumber is
ordered and is being sawed at the Red.
ding mill, the carpenters engaged, and
in the course of a week or two the eagles
who nest on the cliff of Bald Mountain
overlooking the pond, will begin to hear
the sound of the saw and the hammer.
There will also be quite fleet of
boats in the pond this summer, some OF
them canoes but more of them of the
type known as sharp-nosed punts-a
rather plebeian style Of craft, but safe
and exceedingly useful. When they
are all out at once their navigators will
have to look out for the rules of the
road, or there may not be room for them
to execute their maneuvers.