Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1916-02-18

Ems LODHCs
On the morning appointed for the
excursion into the mountains, Judge
Markman's visitors, hardwood and
Marktree, had risen early for the
start. and while breakfasting, their
horses. bridled and saddled, were led
before the door together with two
other horses laden with camp pro-
visions. Two trusty men stood by
them who were to accompany the
partners into the woods to-. care for
the horses and to make camps; Bap-
tiste RamouX. a typical Canadian
woodsman, athletic and blithe, and
Uncle Ezra Barker, a type of the
pioneer backwoodsman, skilled in
woodcraft and in the lore of the an
cient wood; veteran along in the
sixties, tall and sinewy. He it was
who could tell where in the hidden
glades the ginseng grew, and the
green. messy ridges where the tall
spruce~gum trees stood, beieweled
with Jumps of amber hue, so tooth
some to the mountaineer. He could
point out the rare birds-eye maple,
that most beautiful of grain woods,
and the bareback, best for helve
and snath timber" and the large.
straight grain spruce, that, as he
said, would split slick n clean for
single" He knew where in the
woody deeps the wood-thrush hid its
nest, the haunts remote where the
deer had their lodges, the winter
dens of the slumbering bear, in hol-
low logs, and caverns formed by up
turned roots of monstrous, life
spent, overblown trees, and where
in the prineyal wilds an Indian trail
once ran.
| All in readiness the cayalcade sci
forth for Tumbling Falls. Hunter
| John, whom they had engaged the
week before for a guide, was there
waiting for them, and when he
, heard them coming he gave lusts
shout of welcome that the wood:
; Joined in repeating. The party hac
reached a most charming retreat ii
The mountains, a thickly-wooded
I primeval glade, luxuriant with ten
! der heritage, through which rushed
the mountain brook from over the
high granite rock whereon Hunter
John stood in gleeful welcome. The
horses were unladen and tethereC
and began munching the fresh
green heritage. The campers soor
regaled themselves on broiled trou
their guide had caught before theil
arrival, and which together witt
potatoes roasted over Goals, he
served on plates he had fashioned OF
white~birch bark, passing to each {
knife and fork he had whitfield out
of pieces of white maple and pol
ished down. They sat by a table he
| had. formed of wide strip of clear
hemlock bark placed across tive
logs, sitting on hemlocK Dough,
! placed across the logs on either side
of the bark table. Refreshed from
their hearty repast and restful ling.
ering on their bough-cushioned seats
Uncle Ezra Barker and Baptiste SCI
to work to construct bower lodge
in the midst Of a thick growth o.
of small balsams on a messy knoll
= while the partners roved about thu
woods with Hunter John, who point
ed out to them the fine timber tracts
and the watersheds or divides be
! tween the different brook valleys
and led them to high points from
which the forest, rich in the new
: June verdure, could be seen as b.
birds-eve view.
: Here springs the power that
f turn out yer timber. said he; "
$ ken hear it away down below roar
a ing in the falls; and all the othe
u little rills .addin' their strength alon
=, down is what gives ye Tumblir
o Falls, and li@make the wheels G
t. round. If yeff only hitch it to 'en
'e And there's the timber too, jest 6
u God planted it, tall. big, straight
'Sl "a = AZ