The Waterbury Democrat., 1931-09-02
In New York

Lake William, Nova Scotia | What the roundup or rodeo is to the cowboy, the "big meet" is to the guide in the Canadian wilder
 ness.
 At this season of the year, when the salmon no longer leap to the | fly and when it's too early for the
 moose to answer call, the men who lead fishermen and hunters into the "back country get to-
 gether for their own Olympic games.
 The riverways and the lakes be-
 come the arenas, and the rough
 riding canoe takes the place of a
 broncho. There's a splash of pad dles and the dexterous spinning of
 birchbark craft; there's tilting of oars as the knights tilted with lances on the field of honor; there's the sprinting of slender boats over ripping waters; there are barbecues and feats of marks menship. Men born to the canoe, who have spent most of their walk ing hours in canoes, who know canoes and trails and woodcraft better than anything else compete for no other reward than the local renown that comes with the dis
 play of super-skili.
 To-day a hot summer sun bakes the perfume from pine needles and fir branches, cool breeze spreads the fragrance for miles about and the countryfolk from the scattered settlements have been gathering since daybreak. This Is more than guides meet; it is a get-together of folk many of whom see each other but once @ year. Their farms are lone- ly clearings in vast forest of trees Their colonies are small, sometimes containing but a dozen families. Their incomes are small. They do not travel much. except by necessity. There is little social contact with colonies that lie 15, 20 or 30 miles down the road.
 The guides meet gives them an excuse to break away for a weeks holiday. This is the vacation time of the lockwood folks. Each com munity has its heroes. There is keen partisanship and much com munity pride. By breakfast time they are ar irving in rattling old autos, in shining new autos and clattering horse drawn buggles. They are pitching camp under the trees and getting wood for fires. They are unpacking supplies, for they have come to spend the week; to talk, sing, play and shout for their faor- yite guides.
 The meet lasts week. Each day there are new elimination contests. Then, as the week closes, come the finals and the big thrills. They pack up and go home-until an- other year.
 Under the stars and around great campfires they tell of chill dren who have come into the world; of fathers that have died and of marriages. The gossip crackles like the firewood by the second day. It passes from camp to camp. The guides tell quaint tales of the experiences with ten derfeet." They whisper certain tips to friends.
 The trout, they whisper, are par ticularly large in such-and-such a
 pool; deer. and moose have been sighted in numbers at another point; there are submerged rocks in @ certain lake and the water is too low for comfort on some far away stream.
 There is courting and reminlsc- ing and tall yarns of fabulous fig- ures of the past; there are shy
 iirtations among the youngersts and much boosting among lads who wait for the day when they can Ego guiding" There is some- thing that, combines circus day, camp meeting, county fair and Olympic games-and yet, always the background of silent, uncon- quered woods -. a peaceful lone- liness--
 It's a great tonic for e New Yorker.