Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1914-09-15


they got in. but it seemed as if a hun
dred men crowded every inch of that
room. And every one began to fire
questions at me. How far had l walk
him that my trip across to Canada
covered about sixty-five miles, and
that l had done it in two days and
two nights.
thing to eat. However, when 1 col
lected my thoughts, 1 saw that 1 was
smoking a cigarette. l don't remem-
Der taking it or lighting it. Some one
just showed it into my hand
One of the party of friends who had
been on hand to greet me pushed
through the crowd to the bed, with
four big strapping men behind him.
Joe, these are the game wardens
of Maine, who have come up to well
come you and escort you back through
the state" he said.
l want to mention the names of
splendid friends to me on my home
ward trip. They We're F. j. Durgin,
chief warden of Somerset county; H.
o. Templeton, warden Of Franklin
county; James Wilcox and L. F. Com
ber, wardens of Somerset county.
They assured me that l would not be
molested on the downward trip and
that they considered it an honor to be
one of the party.
You ought to have something to
eat, Mr.. Knowles" one of them sug-
gested, whereupon a doctor in the
room, overhearing the remark, rushed
forward, holding up his hands in hor-
ror, and said. with a quiver in his
voice: This man can't eat heartily
after the diet he has been living on
for two months. He must be most
careful about what he eats"
"Wen, he can have a spoonful of
milk, can't he?" requested some one.
The doctor agreed to that. But as
soon as he had left the room another
voice shouted above the babel, Cen
tlemen, gentlemen" The talk subsid-
ed. Gentlemen, here is a man who
has been living in the woods for two
months, eating anything he could lay
his hands on. He has just reached US
after walking siXty-five miles through
the wilderness without eating thing
but a raw partridge since yesterday
morning. Wouldn't it be interesting
to see what he orders for his first
meal?"
Everybody thought it would.
l looked around for the doctor, but
he hadn't come back. Then l shouted
the first thing that came into my
head, Fried salt pork. potatoes and
team
Everybody laughed
l think l ordered that combination
because it was my first recollection of
food back in those days of poverty
years ago. When the order arrived
gaZed with misgiving at three legged
table, which, during the last half
hour, had tipped over no less than
half dozen times. l saw the tray con-
tanning the food placed on that table,
and l made a jump to steady it. Then
| looked at the food. With two bites
and one swallow l would have cleaned
everything up. But l was back in civ
iliZation and it was necessary TO be
polite, so l nibbled and went on an
swering questions
AS to my feelings among all those
people l was somewhat daZed. l an
swered them mechanically. my mind
travelling with race horse speed.
l wanted to see the papers and read
what people had been saying about
me. This l did later in the evening
after the room had been cleared. But
even then l had to barricade the door
with furniture.
At half past l the next morning l
left Magentic en- route for Boston by
way of the wilderness.
The ending of my two months ex-
pertinent in the woods of northern
Maine was only the beginning of an
experiment that will. l hope. lead up
to something of international import
ance and magnitude.
| have many plans, some more re-
mote than others, but sometime dur
ing my lifetime, hope to see them all
carried out. for ! believe that such
nlDnS nj will TO
on which the nation may
stand.
Simply because we are a civilized
people does not mean that the days of