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About The North Platte semi-weekly tribune. (North Platte, Neb.) 1895-1922 | View Entire Issue (May 6, 1910)
83 CAnNO mian; IF A "Strawberry Man By MARY W. MOUNT (yr rtioroa copyright VALDOli FAWCETT GABOI V- 3 BHBB3B 7 5f BEACH v ., ,. O FORM o( American summer vacation life has shown greater ox pnnslon and develop ment during rocont years . than camping. Tho appeal of this meth od of getting back to naturo ccemB to bo well nigh universal. It as surcdly has no geo graphical limits and it Is npt restricted to any class of society. In deed, ctrango ns It may Beom.'mnny wealthy folk who havo long been accus tomed to tho acmo of luxury In their dally ltto are now moat enthusiastic about "roughing" it" for ah Interval overy year. Perhaps tho secret of ttio conversion of theco lovers of their own com fort to tho cnmplng fad Is found In tho fact that overy attrlhuto of luxurious life is now round In only slightly modified form In tho unconventional life of tho realm of woods and waters. There could be no greater mistake on tho part of tho uninitiated than to supposo that "camping out" in this twentieth century neces sarily jincans tho rather primitive ex istence wo havo alwayB been wont to BSBOdnta with the nomadic expedi tions of hunters and fishermen. That form of life in the open is Btlll in voguo among n steadily growing num ber of devotees and they ore, ono and nil, ready to doclaro that It Is the only form of camping worth whllo. All the came theso sportsmen-campers who dwell for tho most part In temporary habitations of canvas, brush or bark, arc hopelessly In the minority these days In comparison with the' new-fangled campers who dwell In what are known as "perma nent camps." Theso permanent camps nro In many Instanced sot down In surround ings Just as rustic and rugged n could bo found for the tomporary shel ters, but they aro designed for longer continuous occupancy, It Is tho per manent enmp which has been respon sible for enrolling In tho category of campers hundreds and thoueandB of women who do not like bugs and sirioky fires and other Incon veniences of traditional camp HTo In Its moro olo montury form, And becauso tho women havo gone In for camp llfo In considerable numbers and have, of course, taken tho chlldron to tho camp environment It has como about that tho avorago permanent camp, unlike tho makeshift ffniifl, is occupied for weeks or moro likely months at a time and, whero circumstances per mit, continuously from Juno to October. Tho very term pormanont camp Implies some thing much moro costly and protentloua than tho tont or tepee of tho old-tlmo camper, but whllo this la usually the caso, it Is not necessarily so. There aro canvaB abodos which ranlt as perma nent camps, but they usually take tho form of "tent houses" rather than tho hnaMly pitched tent of tho nomad. A tent house, it may bo ex plained, hap the canvas roof and walls Btrotcbed Ion an Incxponslvo wooden framework which gives stability that Is welcomo when high winds pre vail, LlkOwlso does tho tent houso havo a floor lu the form of a wooden platform sufllclently ele vated from tho ground to dodgo dnmpnesa and most llkoly It hno facilities for leading through tho canvas roof a stovepipe which constitutes the tangible evldcnco of cooking equipment of a sup posedly moro dependable character than the, open campflre. t the less expensive" grades of the permanent camp, too, are bdrk houses that enn be constructed quickly and at a vory low cost yet will remain weather1 tight, for montha with no attention'. . Ascending the scalo of expenditures, wo como to the cabins, tho shlnglo houses and tho stone lodges that have becomo bo popular as ruetlo homoB whero the "camp" Ib' designed bb a family abode for' months' af a time. And from theso carapB, which may'Cdst' only .a few hundred dol lars apiece or at most a few thousand, wo ad vance to thoee marvels of tho modern camping world tho log cnbinn of our multimillionaires, wherein may ba found nll.th'o luxuriqa. from tiled baths to electric, lights. These present-day ve hicles of tho rich for "roughing It" in approved fashion nro really ciUltled to rank as marvels of Yunkco achievement. Some of them, such as the "camps" of Afrod Vanilorbllt and J, Plcrpont Morgan, are burled deep in the heart of tho Adi rondack wilderness miles from tho nearest rail road station or crossroads utoro, and yet houso parties of from 20 to 30 guests are entertained at theso retreats with all tho perfection of detail as to menus and service that could reasonably be expected In a Newport villa. For a temporary camp, a slngle-polctont with fly is the most popular. It has many adynn- L00 cnn moro frco from mo Bqultoes. Many campers- try to get Into tho Bhado of tho trees and como timea make a mis take In doing so. On tho building and conduct of your lire depends your comfort In camp. Never use a camp stove If It can bo avoided. In much of coastwise Alaska, where tho fuel . Is often largely com posed of crooked porous alders, you may ncod a Yukon camp stove. In &oy tfunrepa m camp tages, chief of which nro lightness and tho fnct that It Is easily sot up. It should have n Hoar cloth of good can- vas, to bo tied In nt tho corners. - Tho bed of browse or straw can bo' made under this floor cloth, eo that tho wholo tent J ' ft Jt' .i Mi W1 4 f pretty much all of tho United States you will not require ono. You do not need a lot of fancy camp dishes, but require nt leaBt ono frylngpan, better two, n sheet-Iron coffco pot, riveted, and some sort of cooking oven a Dutch oven of cast Iron, If your trans portation admits it. Above all. you should remombcr that your campflro Ib not your cooking fire and that you do not ccok on the flamc3 but on the coals You bako with hot ashes rather than with coals, because much camp cooking Ib burned whon hur ried, Of courso In, Bnowshoolng and is n bed, The pole should bo Jointed and thnt Is camping In the winter time you may find It better tho ono concession to civilization, because you Mo suspend your boiling kettles over the flame by might havo to camp whero you could not get tho means' of long sticks thrust Into the ground or right polo and because you cannot well carry a full-length tont polo In a bag. And nil your outfit should bo carried In n bag or bundle, without a olnglo box or hard packnga bigger than your fry lngpan and kettle. The Indians would not hnvo dragged their toopco poles around with thorn had they been able to get fresh ones nt overy enmp. Tent pins you con get In metal; but whllo they nro compact they aro too heavy for carriage bo these you must cut ufrosh, . , In slzo your peaked top tent need bo only about Boven feot square to accommodate two or tlneo persons The Hy will make a storeroom, If necessary. Those canvases will make Into pncltB to hold looso articles, In enso your canvas pack bags got overcrowded, Of course you can -camp without nny tent at nil, If you Hko. Tho wrltor and a friend onco spent a night In tho Yel lowstone park In wlntor, whon tho thermomoter wiib 20 degroos below zero and wo had no tent, only a strip of light canvas. We dug a hole In six foet of Bnow and kept a fire going all night. That sort of thing In cold work, though a tent would not havo helped ub much. Tho trappor, who sometimes covers a hundred miles on his lino of traps, has lean-tos or log hovels with open frbnts, po that lid can keep a llro going in case ho haa not a cabin or tent with a stove. Even a good log llro doeB not offer completo comfort in caBo of rain. Itnlny weathor In far worse than cold wfcathor and anow In camp and ngalnBt rain you must havo some sort of a roof. Dark und boughs sound well, but aro hard to get Into practical rooting shape. Your bod ought to bo good, for if you do not 8leep comfortably you cannot enjoy yourself or do your work. A good bough bed Is difficult and Blow to make, although most writers prato about It learnedly. Again, hny or Btraw may bo Impos sible tO' secure. What tbonT An air mattress? Cortalnly not for nny old-tlmor. A good pair of real wool blankets, weighing In tho neighborhood of 11 or 12 poundB, a henvy cotton comforter nnd a long strip of wldo chiivob to rpll It all up In tight and snug and dry, and you havo a cow puncher's bed, tho best outdoor bed over yet In vented, and good for any woathor, Obscrvo, especially, that this canvas, which folds In over your folded bedclothes, ltoopa out tho dust and the rain. Your bed Bhould be clean' and it must bo dry. Roll It tight and compact and tio It snugly when you move camp. Your camp site should never in lly tlmo bo too noar tho water, dot up on the bluff whero tho wind will strike you and you will be much snow nt tho other end. Such a stick is called by tho Canadian Indians chlp-lok-quorgnn. In othor places ltls known as a "crow." After your camp Is done you mimt be careful to throw this stick down and not leave It staudlng, else you will havo bad luck. In the eastern section of tho country tho Adi rondack, and to n lesser extent the Catsklll moun tains constitute, the supremo paradise of the camp ers, although there Is much camping along the St. Lawrence river, In the take district of Now Hamp shire and In the Blue Ridge mountains. In the middle atntes tho fhores of the Great Lakes afford ono far-flung camp ground and one of the most popular camping meccas In tho entire world la embraced In tho beautiful lake regions of Mich! gan. Mlnnesotn and Wisconsin, where tho smaller sheets of water seem to enable a closer acquaint nnco with nature In her most alluring form. Colo rado1 has becomo a great camp ground for summer tourists of late years and on the pacific coast there Is no end of camping. AH sorts of settings nro available for the west coast camperB woodland, seashore und mountains, not forgetting that plctur esquo "tontclty" which rises every summer on the allurlng CordTtado beach, near San Diego, Cal. (Copyright, 1903 by Associated LJtarary Preaa.) ARMyS NEW TELESCOPE. After years of?atlent experimenting Dana Dud ley of Wakefield, Mass., has Just had the satisfac tion of having his x"van angle" telescope adopted by the war department of the United States. Tho invention Is simple ln Its construction, yot. It Is Raid, may revolutionize modern warfare, 'it con sists of reflecting lenW bo arranged at angles In a tubo that persons of objects above or bolow and on all sides may bo vlpwcd from a place of conceal mont. Tho dovlco 83 constructed for uso In war faro Ib arranged so thflt oven on disappearing guns or. guns used in uencllea and fired from any paint invisible from tlio exterior tho cperntor may nacer tain the location of thi? enemy, target or other ob Jectlvo point without exposing himself. Phlladel phla Record. IN A FIX. . "That1 'clerk of mine la going to ask mo for my daughter. Ho nlu't earning enough to marry on. "Well?" "Udt if I bring up that objection he'll Btrlko me for a salary raise," Loulsvlllo Courier-Journui. Tho train that had brought bur to ; Amlto, In tho heart of Louisiana, drow away from tho small wooden station. With Its disappearance thero fell upon Mllllcent Hayllss a feeling of unutter able loneliness nnd remoteness from everything that had made up her llfo. She had left a city swept by gusts of enow. Sho found herself looking down the widest nvenuo she had ever be held, an nvenue bordered by Bqunt frame shops of an ugliness now to her In architecture, nnd shaded by tower ing water oaka. Even aa she. gazed, the spoil of vivid skies, of warm nlrs; the pungent odor,, of young foltnge and a fragrance of violets and sweet ollvo wrought upon her senses, Mellow In tonations of voices In laggard speech struck unfamlllarly upon her car. Tho level unlovcllness of Amite's commer cial thoroughfare became less harsh In Its envelopment of sweet sounds and odors; Its pcrspcctlvo of embow ering green. No Insistent cab driver thrust his hand nnd shouted Into Mllltcont'e faco. Sho looked about forlornly. A musical voice suggested that per haps sho wao a stranger and needed guidance. In another momont sho was walking along tho unoven brick side walk beside her new acquaintance. "This Ib the hotel," nnnounced tho latter, pausing beforo a two-story dwelling that had lacked paint for many a year. "I'm afraid it may bo full of Btrawberry men. but I'm Bure Mrs. Blossom will make room for you." The strawberry men havo taken everything," oxplnined tho landlady But one's goln' to-morrow and I'll clear his room for you this minute. He can crowd In with some of the others. You could sit In the parlor till dinner wo have dinner at noon while I make your room ready." Could one get to the Cynress Grove plantation to-day?" asked 'the girl vveii-i-i seomB to me I wouldn t risk It to-day. It's 'most 12 now, and the roads Is terrible. Besides the strawberry men havo taken all tho teams They ain't one to be had in the town. But you could speak for ono to take you out to-morrow. It's a good 20 miles from hero." In tho room to which Mllllcent Bay- lias was ushered long- usage had worn upholstery and Carpets Into a mono tone of dingy brown. The girl leaned back In her deep chair and wondered whether, after all, aho could Und In this dreary Bpot distraction from sor row. What was thero here to make her forget that ceaseless cry of her heart? Why had Allan Strong abandoned her? Her mind retraced the passion of her llfo when this man had been all but n declared lover; when sho had known that ho loved her and ah, the pang of It! He had known that she loved him. There had been no words of confession, but she had never doubted that one day pIo would wear for him the golden let ters of wifehood. Her heart throbbed painfully us memory held up with cruel distinctness the vision of tier wooing and then without sign of warning her abandonment. Allan Strong, with love in his eyea. In his voice, In tho pressure of his hnnd, had gone utterly out of her life. At first she thought tho death of his grandfather, whoso heir he was, had detained hlra. Days went by nnd won der grew to wounded pride thnt sought lo dull its pain by constant change or sceno. Allan Strong had given up social life that winter. This. Mllllcent reasoned, wbb natural. But he had re mained In the city, and never oncp at tempted to boo her. She tried to hate him; she tried to forget him. Seeking forgotfulneas. It occurrod to her to visit a southern plantation that had been bequeathed to her, and personally send to thuir owners gifts left In her charge for them, Nbw she regretted ner impulse. Sho regretted It tho more ns men strolled Into tho room where Bho Bat and two or throo at tempted to engage her In conversa tion. These, Mllllcent realized, were tho strawborry men, whom sho find sup posed to bp growers of berries. Thoy were, she discovered, buyers of berry crops, who came In March from Chi oago. St. Louis and thereabout to pur haso and Bhlp wholo acres of berries to various houses. Her pulses beat quickly at tho sound ! R. remembered stop, but, she could scarcely believe tho evidence of hi" eyes whon Allan Strong entered th room. Immediately Mrs. Blossom called him to the hall. A wave of relief swept over Mllll cent BuyllsB. With self-possession came the determination to treat him with frigid politeness unless sho frhould find an opportunity to Ignore him as completely as bo had ignored her. Allan Strong at once became tho Bubjoct or gossip that bewltdorod her. "Too bad." remarked one, "that old man Strong never loft a cent to his grandson. Everybody thought he wns his heir. The boy had to como right down to brass tneka." "Wonder why ho was cut oft?" "Old man married- his housekeeper during his last Illness, and left her everything." "The boy bad grit, anywny. He's forged up to strawberry buyer ror 'Ms houso At that rato ho'll be lu tho lrm some day." Tumultuous emotions possessed Mil icent, PerhapR Allan had not volun tarily abandoned her. He was not tho, man to come to her a beggar. Mrs Blossom addressed her: "Mr Strong says or courso you can', havo tils room. Ho's got his luggage! out. Won't you go up and take oft your hat? I got to servo dinner right, away." She hurried Into tho dining room. The Btrawberry men trooped after her; MHUpent stood looking up Into Allan Strmig's eyes and Insisting that on no account would she dtiAWo him of his room. She must go to Cypress Grovo plantation that afternoon. Her old lover seemed to experlenco dim cutty In gaining composure. "What brought you hero7" ho de manded Impulslvoly. Recollection of tho bequests she was, to distribute came to Milllcent's aid. "I came on business," sho faltered. "On business! You," be cried. "1 beg pardon. Miss Bayllss," ho added humbly, "but If the business Is anything wlioro my experience might prove of holp t hope you will allow, me to assist you." She answered him somewhat coldly. "Thank you. At present I have orriy to go to Cypress Grove." To Mrs. Blossom sho repeated this. That lady appealed to- tho table te know whothor every conveyance la town had not been taken by strawber ry men. With an admiring glanco- at MII1IT cent, ono of tho young mon- cleared bis voice. His Intention wns evident. Allan cut In quickly: "Porhaps, aa an old acquaintance, Miss Bayllss wilt tuoke use of my trap. If Is the only one that will not bo actively engaged In tho berry flolds this arternoon." "Thank you. Mr. Strong. You aro, very good," she Bald calmly. Indignation flushed her faco as she pinned on her hat In tho room that, had been Allan's. His had been a hasty exit, A small scrap or a Now York paper clung to the bureau scarf. It was n bit or homo In a strange land. She reversed It and saw a nrlnt or her own faco. A flood of tender ness Bwopt over her. When Mllllcent set out on her long ride to Cypress Grove sho had de cided to lot Allan Strong know that rich young women had hearts to (be stow even upon poor strawborry men. one irusieci that rato would find a way; to help her In the acknowledgment. Sho was very kind to Allan; so kind that most of the way lay still beforo them when ho began to toll hor of his grandfather. i. a heggar, could not ask Mllllcent Hayllss to share my llfo aa I had hoped to do," ho uttered passionately: "But 1 am v making a living, at last, and Mllllcent. now thnt you, too, are thrust Into tho business world, I shall not work for bettor fortuno beforo asking you to bo my wire. 1 can'glvo you n very poor home, It la true, but it will bo sheltor and caro ror you and not a lire subjected to such compan ionship as you have Just loft." Mllllcent laid her frco hand upon his clasping flngera. "I am glad! Glad!" Bho cried, when Allan lifted his faco from hera. "Promise me that neither wealth nor povorty shall over separate us?" Allan remembered this urgency wlth Joy nnd dismay when Mrs. Blossom bsked him next morning; "Is tho." young lady goln' to soli hor plantation,'. Mr. Strong, or will oho get a tenant for It? Oh, hero's a. telegram for you," Bhe nddod. What should ho do? Mllllcent hnd, promised to marry him at onco ho a poor strawberry man and she an heir esn! Ho spread open tho telegram. "Grandfather's truo will found. Con gratulations," his lawyers had writ Interesting Foreign Criticism.. "Tho practice or coming to. tho tha ntcr lato Is now obsorved ln America to a greater extent than it ever wn In Europe," sayB tire Berliner Tnge blatt, "especially la those clrclea. whero tho theater Is only an. excuse for tho display of costly costumes nn? Jewels, which becomo more conspicu ous when tho wearer comes late-. The abuso has Increased1 to such an extent tho first acta aro usually lest." The' writer than telta that the city coun cil of Cleveland has passed aa or dinance compelling the "managers o theaters, to pay fi 00 fine for every per son aljowoa to enter, tbo auditorium' after a &4rf6rmanco h vJds that this laudable resolution on tno part or tho city fathers of Clove land will bear good results, but won ders whether an American director will give offense to his public, oven whon supported by tho law. Uses of Inland Waters Inlnnd waters may be put to many uses; sometimes they aro utilized aa sewage outlota for great cities, some times they nro converted Into com mercial highways, or. they may be come restricted, because, of the re clamation of fertllo bottom, lands, All these may be good nnd necessary de velopments, says ScJenco, or any one of them may be obviously best undor the clrcumsianceKj but. In promoting nny uuch sobemej, duo regard should always bo paid to tho Importance and pron Iso of natural waters, as a perpnt petual souri'o or reap nnd healthful food for tho pooplo of tho country. Sorao people aro so stingy that they would rather took for a noodle In a huystack than buy ono.