The sun., 1919-05-04
and Long Island the Freebooter of the Fresh Waters the PHr
Old Adirondack Guides
Recalled by Sportsman
Fred Hess Now in Northern Maine-Tales of Murray
Plumbley, Shelton and Sturges-Wolf and Bobcat
Taes-Miltary Road of 1912.
BY TANIARACK.

The recent observations from the store
Of Adirondack Renaissance possessed by
Brother Aids. real mossgrown Adlron-
dacker who evidently beats me consider
ably in point of years and consequently
In the list of earlier woods characters
classed as contemporaries, carried to the
ear OF the veteran North Woods camper
an echo of the soughing OF the winds
through the tops Of the uncut timber
and recalled to his nostrils the fragrance
Of moist forest mould.
OF the woodsmen long Identified with
the older phase of Adirondack sports
manship-in itself a mighty unstable
conception-whose names are found on
the roster held to view by the brother,
few now are more than history. Fred
Hess however. with characteristic per-
severance still hangs on to an earthly
existence down in the northern end OF
Maine. Fred roved there to hunt moose
and falling under the spell of the place
nfterward gathered UP his Adirondack
cnattels. including the erklike buck
board. and returning to Maine has since
located respectively at Big Machias
Lake. Ashland and Portage.
First along the Maine people poked
fun at Fred. Prompted by loyalty to
his former. surroundings he sought to
change the established Technology OF
the logging camps so as to have an axe
handle known as a "helve." And he
undertook to ascend the Aroostook and
the brawling Mooseleuk with oars in
stead of with wonted setting pole. But
barring Bill Atkins alone Fred on a
long trail could back the heftiest load Of
any OF 'em. Other oddities he failed to
live down. Yet he made good.
Fred Hess's Fur Ventures.
The last time saw Fred Hess was
when Germany was about to lift the
mantle which long had cloaked her
Mongol ethnology and to start in ravish-
Ing the other peoples of the earth. Fred
and his partner, kindred soul after a
seasons trapping with headquarters at
Myles Arbo's old cabin at Fourth Mus
quacook Lake. were breaking camp,
bound with two twenty foot White
| canoes-one outraged with F'red's can
tankerous kicker-for the James's Bay
country of Canada. The following win
Ter was poor one for fur and the VEN
ture did not pan out well.
/ AS was to be expected. in quitting the
Musquacooks Fred did not bother with
the formality of tidying camp. This
| duty I assumed, with the outcome that
In the frenzy brought to the task my
supply OF tea was consigned to the fire
with the accumulated rubbish.
Others had Jared worse. however, for
| the two fire wardens stationed at the
outlet OF First Musquacook Lake hap
penins along in time to hear my lamen-
| tations informed me in the sententious
phrases OF their respective patois and
! "Bluenose" brogue that a bear the pre-
ceding night filched from the spring
| the eight pounds of butter meant to
carry the watchers through the summer
The incident set the guide and myself
to worrying over our stock of butter
| cached in like way on the shore OF
Mooseleuk Lake. between twenty and
thirty miles across country but we
found 1t unmolested upon our return.
Adirondack Murray Recalled.
l was not fortunate enough to know
Adirondack Murray" but l have read
everything written by the delightful
fraud. The guides must have 'kidded'
him numerically during his first pill
grimages TO those parts and l suppose
the stuff just naturally had to ooze from
his pores. He'd have rough sailing II
Rod and Gun nowadays with "Natur,
Factor" on the lookout
remember an occurrence which
bridges the experiences Of Adirondack
Murray with mine. The old camper anC
his favorite guido, John Plumbley, {
considerable number OF years befor,
had travelled to eastward OF RaQuett,
Lake-probably in about Indian o.