The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1916-03-07
EXPERIENCE OF A
WOMAN CAMPER

Women, as a rule: are not enthusi-
astic campers; that is. not when 1t
means camping in the open for weeks
or months at a time without butter
milk. mail. newspapers or neighoors'
Bungalow homes or tent colonies are
usually situated within telegraph or
telephone communication with a base
of supplies. and open roads mako 'he
carrying of necessarics matter Oh
no difficulty, With real forest camp
ing. however, things are quite dr.
fercnt
Mrs. De Cost Smith, Of New FORK.
Is one woman who is willing to brave
privation for the pleasure or camp
ing in the open: with ner huspaha
she spends three or four months each
year, in late summer and fall, camp
ing in the mountain wilds o. ldaho.
Mr.. Smith goes to sketch and paint tne
Indian braves from the Blarkfeet res
ervation and the Shoshone Indians
who are their nearest camp neignpors'
his pictures later adding charm 10 sne
winter offerings of New York art cir
cles But Mrs. Smith goes just be-
cause she loves outdoor camping ana
the creatures of the woods who honor
her with their friendship.
Leaving New York, the campers
take their way westward passing
through the Yellowstone district, untn
they reach the ranch lands After
stocking up at Ashton with porta Die
foods. selected with the care of<ex-
perienced campers they start for the
interior After travelling mountain
roads for forty miles they arrive at
Trude. Government forestry post
or station, which Is a sleepy little sta
ton in summer. and nothing at all
in winter. From this point the camp
ers and their goods are transported
by wagon six miles deeper into the
woods, to be landed eventually at the
bank of Snake River where they have
literally to paddle their own canoe
two miles on to their camp.
Housekeeping in tents is fun. We
have a large sleeping and sitting
room tent and a cook tent These
are connected by canvas-roofed and
sido-curtained hallway. You will be
inclined to laugh when tell you that
nv refrigerator Is hole in the ground,
lined with burlap and covered with
wooden weighted cover. Things keep
In II quite az well as In ordinary re-
frigerators. We experimental with
small tub Of water last year, a luxury
we had not attempted before. and 1t
proved n great success. My stove is
st. Louis production. a wood stove
with q goodsized oven and water
back, quite a novelty in a camp
COOKIE.
"On my arrival. / at once make
Jar of yeast from a dry yeast cake,
and the water from the first two po-
tato boilings: then I am ready for
bread baking. Our mattresses and
pillows are filled with sweet grass.
that may be renewed at will and is
very soft and comfortable to rest on.
We usually plant a few radish and let
tuce seeds and are sometimes reward
ed with small crop II we tend 1t
carefully.
IT must tell you of the wood people,
who interest me immensely" contIn-
ued Mrs Smith. zone Of the first
things ! do when I arrive, after camp
il in order. IL to lay decoy trails Of
grain or meal from n little way into
the woods right down into the cook
tent then / lie In the hammock to
watch and wait. Before long (for
news seems to travel quickly in the
woods) along come the pine squirrels.
They are wild, little larger than our
park variety. and never get really
tame. There Is a large variety Of
mushroom, toadstooi or fungus, that
grows plentiful around camp and the
pine squirrels love to hop on to the
umbrella-like affairs and prospect
bit before coming too near One pig
fellow came every day down to the
edge Of the cook tent, and I would
pass him out a dish of rice with sugar
sirup on It, he would eat happily SO
long as no one appeared. One day /
set down the rice before putting on
the strip and, when I reached out
To add It, he nibbled at my finger
by way of Furnishing my apparent
neglect But he did not discontinue
his visits
Mrs. Smith dons for the woods q
waterproof serge coat and skirt with
flannel shirtwaist, a soft hat and
stout boots
With all of It's difficulties and pri-
vations, Mrs. Smith declares that her
camp experience Is the most delight
full period of the year. She spends
much of her time in winter investi-
eating new camp conveniences, try
ing condensed foods, and making
preparations for the summer; one
NAV be sure that her preparedness
includes the little Injuries that she
tucks away for the birds. squirrels,
and her other forest friends.