The independent-reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1909-1955, 1924-06-26

dog done Oh where, oh where Is
he? With his tail cut short and his
hair cut long. oh where, oh where has
he gomez" SO on our canoe trip this
last summer when we were far from
our spring beds, we were all singing,
ooh where oh where does the little
stream flow? Oh where, oh were
does 1t go? With it's beds full Of
rocks, and the water so low, oh where,
oh where shall we go?" This is how
It happened. that Marlldge, Boyles and
myself LANDED in the stream so full of
rocks and rapids and all other things
that are detrimental to padding, The
only thing we lacked was little wat
er Boyles and myself had decided
that we had slept long enough on
soft mattresses and spring beds and
needed Il change to humpy ground,
roots and rocks to give little variety
to our hours of sleep as we'll as
spending few hours each day with
the paddle, fish pole and frying pan.
We had planned on driving to the
Five Finger Lake from Macaza on the
Laurentian Branch of the c. p. r.
The distance from the railroad being
about twenty-five miles, but the price
required by driver was prohibitiye so
we changed our route. The trip from
Five Finger Lake would have been
magnificent, padding through series
of lakes and streams down to the Mat
tawin River. We did not like the
idea of giving up that part of the trip
as it offered so many lakes for our
exploration.
II was not always convenient for
Morlidge to get in on all of our dis
cussions so Boyles and | laid out the
trip, and made the necessary plans.
Once in while Morlidge would ask,
where are we going Sow?" but as
our maps were not always at hand
he never really knew just where we
were going and anyone asking him
where he intended to take his canoe
trip generally received a reply Of
up north somewhere. but | do not
know where" He has decided since,
however that the next time he intends
to know where he is going.
One evening we had a conference
of three and decided What to wear"
What to eat" and what not to take
We had already purchased a Laurel
canoe As pounds. ID feet of canvas
covered over some kind Of wood that
was not mahogany.
We made up a list of what each
was to buy and as usual Boyles had
the largest list We had everything
on paper that we wanted to take,
from Red Cross supplies TO pistols
tot of 70 n ~
tools. fishing tackle, tent and fly dope,
After our canoe was delivered we
put on an oak Reel about | inch by
rs inch and also two narrow strips
of oak down each side of the keel
and about inches from it, This
was done with the idea of protecting
the canoe, and it did serve its purpose
without a doubt We knew we would
be travelling in shallow water and
decided to make our canoe safe it pos
sfble. We next applied an addition
al coat of paint as the one coat of
paint on the canoe was evidently ap-
piled by some process of induction or
the use of phantom brush.
Before the starting day we wrapped
the canoe with little straw and bur-
zap so as 10 MAKE IL dS Sdle dS pOS-
sible for shipping. Boyles and |
carried it TO Montreal West where we
shipped 1t by express to Annuncia-
ton, p. @,
Morpdge had taken his pack to the
station in the morning and checked
1t there, and did not remember the
check again until he was on his way
to the train. so he had to go back
as fast as possible for it. AT the
station the gateman evidently didn't
like my looks and did not want me
to take my pack into the car but
managed to get past him with it.,
while Boyles had a hard time with
his pack as he had to check it, the
truck on which it was being carried
broke down but he finally dragged it