The sun., 1919-10-26

u"eheTS TeSoTl to-pOtths ZIG sauo'ci
in your nightie, with a twenty-five and
a silencer. And 1 know a chap who
from window of Brooklyn hotel, ir
one summer, raked in a bunch OF
twenty-one feline ears 1t would have
been twenty-five, but the Caruso of the
providers had lost one Of his in a fight
The backyard l am talking about IL
one of the most amazing Fairgrounds In
the entire world, and It is the birthrigh'
Of every New Yorker, even II he lives ir
a fiat and has never seen such thing
as a title-deed The Catskill State Park
That's the name of the property which
some OF you own, and perhaps you've
never visited your far reaching forest
domain.
Here are found great variety Of the
best sporting fish to be found anywhere,
and here are killed annually large num-
bers of bear, plenty of deer, as well as
thousands of partridge. Also the Can
ada lynx. and wildcat are as plentiful
in some Of the wilder ravines as are the
night disturbers in Brooklyn have men,
toned. from whom my friend took his
ear trophies.
Five Hours OF.
The deer season in the Catskills be-
gins on the first Of November. and this
season deer are unusually plentiful.
More have been seen during this last
spring and summer than Tor many
years. In August, when I was fishing
the Beaverkill River in the western Cats
kills was told by a cottager that she
had frequently seen from her kitchen
window numbers OF deer. Last May a
big buck and his doe paraded directly
across the field in front of her cottage
as she stood looking at them from a
distance of not over hundred yards.
When you give 1t a little thought II
does seem rather amazing that at the
very backdoor of our vast city large
game in abundance can be found. Five
hours by rail or by auto and the sports
man is in a region where IL he knows
his business he is fairly certain to get
a shot at a big buck or at black bear
The best of the big game region of
the Catskills Is in the central and high
t st mountains. On the slopes of Slide,
Cornell, Loan, Peekamoose and the other
big mountains you cannot tramp a mile
without finding plenty of deer and bear
signs. This portion Of the Catskills is
conveniently accessible, yet a few years
ago a companion and I in ten days
stay met with but one party of hunt
ers, and at the house where we stayed
there were no hunters but ourselves.
Big Indian Starting Point.
Big Indian station, on the Ulster and
Delaware Railroad, is an excellent rail-
road springpoard for diving into the
widest portion OF the Catskill PARK
There is a fair road from Big Indian
I'D over Slide and through to the village
of Claryvilie, on the watershed Of the
Delaware And above Claryville a good
road leads to the head of the East
Branch of the Neversink. Here, neaI
the head of the heavily timbersd valley
Is an excellent little sporting hosiery
that is run by the Erts brothers. And
here state lands, with heavy forests, car
be found which extend in all directions
Deer have been shot within a quarter Of
a mile of the little hotel
Even the upper end of the Big Indian
valley Is a fine deer and bear country
with forests of magnificent timber which
extend mile after mile until the Della
ware River ~ reached. For hunting tn,
ca stern slopes OF Slide and for entry
into the big mountain ranges toward th'
northwest the hamlet OF Oliverea, a fe"
miles from Big Indian station, Is an ex
cellent centre.
There are several houses IN Oliveres
where good accommodations can be had
The Charles Andrews house Is particu
larry we'll situated. the forests near tht
house. and many doer had been shot by
sportsmen who have stayed here
ClaryviIIe Excellent.
Around Claryville, too, is an excellent
deer country. and there are several hotelt
and boarding houses where first rate ~
commodations can be had. Claryville II
a considerable village. and the big noun
tains-Slide, Peekamoose and Table
with the others-are but dozen miles
or so up the valley of the Neversink, anc
for the first seven miles the road Is al
excellent one Bushs boarding house a
Claryville is a pleasant place, and there
Is a first-class country hotel. Clary
VILE is about twenty miles from Bis
Indian station.
Sportsmen should remember that much
OF the Catskill region has a high altt
tude and that In autumn II is colo
country, The upper end OF the valley o.
the East Branch OF the Neversink has ar
altitude of 1900 to $500 feet. A Gov
eminent bench mark is In the foundation
of the Brts house-2,265 feet Heav,
clothing should be carried and the stout
est OF hunting shoes. The trails leading
over Slide and the other mountains ar
wet in places and wet with springs thai
are Icy cold even in midsummer.
Hardenburg's Hard Luck.
Talk about the slopes Of Slide as I
hunting ground would not seem com
plete without recalling old Dominic
Hardenburg's rotten luck with his ia
nous bear pen. You Will hear the stor!
frequently. although the tragic occur
renee took place many years ago. TIL
dominic met with his misfortune whei
Barnum was still managing his owl
show. And II was told throughout tn
Catskills that Barnum offered priz
OF $40, 900 for a living black bear whicl
had a white nose and paws tipped will
white.
Catskin bear hunters got very busy
and the dominic, man OF great origi
nality and amazing energy. constructed
a novel bear pen. 1t was really fou
pens in one. with four entrances facin,
in four directions. The dominic haC
great hopes, and indeed he did capture {
big bear but it had the usual tan col
ored snout and paws ornamented with
that color. The trap was set again, al
four bait sticks baited with sheep heads
The dominic was fellow OF man.
enterprises, and much enthusiasm a