The independent-reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1909-1955, 1921-09-22


Ir3pper; YET with all his love for the
woods and the game-trail the Call
Of the Wild" never Iured him, as IL
has many, from the necessary duties
OF life. He was always busy man.
As young man, for seventeen sum
; mers lie helped to run the old ferry
boat across the river just below the
present Bingham Concord bridge. He
carly became the best known snow
Shoe maker in the Kennebec valley.
and the winter months were largely
occupied with this work, interrupted
by occasional hunting trips for the
purpose Of bringing in moose hides.
which in those days We're considered
the only valuable material for snow
shoe filling His knowledge OF boats
and water naturally made him a yalu
able man in the early-day methods Of
driving the spring lumber down the
river. and for At seasons he was
boatinan in connection with that work
The first years were before there was
any organization of the lumber in
terests, for it is only in recent years
that the efficient management Of the
kennebee Log Driving Co has 50 sim
pified the work that half dozen men
easily do the work of fifty under the
old system.
Uncle Nathan was possessed Of a
most tenacious memory, and his re-
membranee of early-day experiences
and the 6reside stories Of the early
settlers in the valley were always Of
absorbing interest, and had they been
collected, would now add a most Yalu-
able chapter to local history.
In relating stories OF his own ex-
periences, and they were many and
varied, he would frequently remark
in his modest way, II hope You won't
think ! am Boosting. for never CON
slider story boastful so long as its
true
He was familiar with all sorts of
firearms from the ancient fint-lock to
the modern repeating rifle. and during
the last of his hunting he only used
Nrifle of small calibre, saying #
man knew how to shoot small bull
LET It is as good as a large one.
lie easily recalled the first percus-
sion cap gun brought to this county
by John Forsythe. the same gun fig
uring later in the accidental shooting
of Capt. Pierce by John Moore in the
Spencer region, which was one of the
old tragedies of the northern woods
A man recently related this little
incident of interest as showing the
sagacity of the cunning hunter:
More than fifty years ago he was
staying at Parl.n Pond during an un-
usually severe winter when the snow
was fully seven feet deep through the
northern woods One day Uncle Nath-
an arrived on snowshoes having been
out several daFs in search of big
game From that point he directed
his course nv tho north side of Co
burn Mountain. which stands high
above the surrounding country Gu the
west size OF the lake. and Which at
that time was a great moose country.
When well up the mountain he dis
covered n lone moose who was living
in a well-trodden yard evidently wait
ing for the melting of the snow to
enable him TO move on. The good
sense of the hunter told him the ami
NAL would be of no value if shot so
far away in the deep snow, so he con-
cluded to drive him to a more con-
Venient location. and slowly but sure
~ he drove the big fellow on, plunging
and wallowing through the great body
, of snow until near the Spencer lum-
Der road no great distance from the
house. Had the moose once set foot
in the road, where the snow was much
frmer. he would have easily babe
adieu to his pursuer, but just before
the road was reached the fatal shot
Z 10 uFhn tolls the
story was one of those who helped to-
BRING in the big game.
When the men of pent-up town life
began to feel the call of the Maine
woods and lakes, Uncle Nathan was
much sought after as a guide. and he
may we'll be called the pioneer guide
OF the state.
He knew the best game country,
was an excellent cook. and his amiable
qualities and capabilities in camp life
fitted him for the place. When neces-
sity called he could make as good a
birch canoe as the ancient Indian.
which always pleased the sportsmen.
Among those whom il was his good
fortune to guide as the late John Bur
roughs, and in one of his volumes
that great Nature lover makes many
mentions of his gentle" conductor
through the Maine woods.
While staying few days at Pleas
ant Pond he writes this of the man
whom he says everyone called Uncle
| Nathan:
THE birch-tree had given him a
large part of his tuition, and, kneeling
in his canoe and making il shoot
noiselessly over the water with that