The independent-reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1909-1955, 1913-10-09
KNOWLES CLAD IN SKINS, COMES OUT
OF THE MAINE FOREST
Boston Artist Has Completed his Two Months
of Life as Primitive Man

Joseph Knowles, the Boston artist,
came out of the woods at 4 o'clock,
Saturday afternoon. at a point IA
miles south of Megantic, Quebec, on
the railroad track of the Canadian
Pacific.
Clad in rudely dressed skins of
black bear and deer, carrying in a
pack on his back hi sprecious fire
machine and other of the forest made
tools he fashioned toad him in his
two mon tbs fight for existence in the
forests of Maine, Knowles stepped into
the Goth century a replica of what
the cave man must have looked like
when the world was young.
Thus ended test of hardihood and
endurance, of skill in conquering a
hostile environment, of woodcraft, that
rose superior to the mightiest of hand
icaps-a feat so novel, so startling,
that all over the world people have
been waiting for the issue.
On the fourth day of August
Knowles plunged into the forests near
Spencer Lake, in Somerset county,
Me- He was naked He had no wea-
pons, no tools or implements of any
kind no food. He promised to come
out of the woods on the fourth day of
October. fully clad, and in good health
and physical condition. He has kept
his promise in every detail.
Knowles is in good physical condi
ton, despite the fact that his final
week in the forest involved test of
endurance that was completely I'M
foreseen. and equally unnecessary. In
his dread that the game wardens of
Somerset county might seek him out
in his forest lair and bring his strug
giles to nought by arrestng him for
a breach of the game laws, he left his
domain near Spencer Lake and struck
out across the untracked wilderness,
20 miles. for the boundary mountains
of Canada, overlooking Lake Megantic.
With his rude pack on his back,
clad in the skins of the wild animals
his skill had won to his uses, in con-
stant danger of being the target of
some sportsman's rifle, he traverscd
20 miles of the widest and most in
hospitable country in the State of
Maine.
He has lost 80 pounds of weight in
the two months, dropping from 204
pounds to ia. His appearance clear
ly tells the tale of the hardships he
has undergone. From head to heel
he is scratched and bruised by briars
and undcrbrush in which he has lived
for GO days He is tanned like an In
dian, almost black
Over his tanned neck and arms was
black bear skin, cleverly fastened
with thongs of deerskin. His trousers
were of dcerskin. made Indian fash
were encascd in moccasins of buck
skin, scwed with sineW. He wore no
hat, no sleeves, no underwear.
On his back was a knapsack of WOW
en- lining bark. 1t was filled with tro-
pixies from the forest Slung over his
arm were his bows and arrows.
Shcathcd in buckskin, crude knise
of horn hung from his belt.
Nobody There TO Meet Him
Just as the sun after three-days'
absence poked its warm rays through
a rift of cloud shortly after 4 o'clock
Saturday, Knowles came forth from
the Canadian wilderness IA miles
south of Megantic, on the railroad
track of the C. p r., like n man who
had Travelled back to civilization from
land of hundreds of centuries ago.
No human being was there to greet
him, but a dozen miles away dozen
parties were securing the different
points along the Lake Megantic shores
in search of him. In those parties
were prominent men of Maine and of
Canada joining hands in the plans
to welcome him back to the world
and its people.
One little girl, Frienie Gerard Ct
Lake Mcgantic, 14-year-od child of
the woods, was the first privileged
person to greet him. She had wan
dered far out Of the town, down the
rack where the houses were left be-
hind and where gaudily colored au-
tumn trees swept with unbroken line