Year: 1874

Of course there were no fish left in the
streams. At the sound of the first piano
brought into that region the fish came to
the surface, recognized the notes of MY
Old Kentucky Home" and Immediately
turned on their backs and died.


The only fish in the Adirondacks were
six small goldfish kept in an aquarium
in one of the hotels. Visitors paying ten
dollars each were permitted to catch them
with a small scoop-net, on condition that
they would instantly pnt them back again.
This sport was very popular among young
brokers and glOve-sellers, who after hav-
ing had their turn at the scoop net would
sit down and write long letters concerning
the splendid fishing afforded by the Adj
rOndacks.


A stuffed deer carefully preserved under
glass-case constituted all the game to be
found in the northern part of the state.
No; l am wrong. l had forgotten the
chickens which were kindly turned out
into the woods every Saturday by enter
prising hotel-keepers and hunted with
dogs and rifles by select parties of guests.
| The chief amusement seemed to consist
/ in hunting for memorials of Murray, the
successful Cataline who destroyed the
Adirondacks in order to crafty his ambi-
/ ton in book-making. Every tenth tree
bore the name of Murray" deeply cut in
to the bark, and was always the center of
a group of people who, with wet eyes,
would say to one another: - Here that
good man rested to eat his lunch. Per-
haps one of that pile of bottles was
his private beer-bottle. Perhaps at the
| foot of this very tree he killed the grizzlies
and elephants mentioned in his book"
/ I afterwards found out that Murray was
not responsible for all the trees mutilated
in his name. Hundreds of Boston people
were so full of admiration for that great
veterinary preacher that they would get
up in the night and 90 out and cut his
name on the first tree that came handy.


This is brief and scrupulously truth
full account of the Adirondack region as
it was three years since. | have exagger-
ated nothing, and set down nothing in
malice. l suppose things are even worse
now.


The natural progress of events would
have made the Adirondacks a prey to fire.
quent visitors, but not to the extent that |
have described For the infamous desc
Grafton of the forest Murray is solely re-
spOnsible.


OF course he had right to go there and
fish and otherwise enjoy himself. But why
did he write book and call upon every
one else to do likewise?


Does he write book setting forth the
delights of his pastOrate and begging ev
erybody to come and dispossess him of it?


Naturally he does not. But he has no
hesitation in running the AdirOndacks by
similar course of criminal folly.


Never mind, There is another world,
Mr.. Murray. Perhaps the sportsman
whose paradise you have spoiled will have
some ''show" there. Perhaps when they
say to St Peter, who was himself a fisher
man, IF it please your honor, we should
like to put this book, marked Exhibit A
in evidence against the defendent,n - when
the good saint accordingly examines your
Adirondack revelations and learns their
fatal consequences perhaps, | say, you
will find him willing to let you in. And
perhaps YOU will not However this may
be, it is quite certain that the Adirondacks
are ruined Northern Maine is in a fair
way to be equally crowded; but as for the
Rocky Mountains, the moment those bless
ed savages cease to scalp summer tourists
the last possible bit of wilderness will
vanish Into whatever region we 90 we
find that the trail of the tourist is over it
all There is no such thing country
solitude this side of the plains of Tar
tary.


As for me. | am going to spend my
summer vacation in the backyard of Il
house in Madison square hereafter.-Ne1c
York Graphic.