Paul Smith's Hotel on St. Regis Lake, Adirondacks

Famous Paul Smith's place.

Scarcely know it now.

Chateaugay Lake from Merrill House, Merrill, N.Y.

Sept., 1906
Merrill, NY

Hello, guess that you will think that I have forgotten you. Have been having a lovely time, will be home Sunday and work Monday. If I get more, will write. A.G.B.

Adirondack Titles from Teach Services, Inc.

Threshing Grain by Flail--How the Flail Was Made--Spearing Salmon At Night

In the preceding chapter Mr. Merrill told of the excitement caused in the Chateaugay Lake settlement by the announcement that a railroad was to be built from Rouses Point to Ogdensburg, passing through Chateaugay Four Corners and Malone.

Chapter 26.

Threshing was not so pleasant a job. Wes had planned for Darius to help thresh all day Saturday, the last Saturday he would be at home. The grain was all tied up into shocks. A shock contained about twenty sheaves. Laying the sheaves down with their heads together in two long rows, they set-to with the flail--the device for beating grain from the sheaves. The flail was a straight strong maple sapling, four feet long and one and one-half inches thick, with a leather loop through one end, to which was hung another maple stick two and one half feet long, this short part being the one that whacked the grain.

Grasping the four-foot handle, they would swing the other end high over their heads in a circular motion, then bring it down with great on the sheaves till the grain was all pounded out. The the straw was removed and another layer of sheaves thrown down, and the process repeated until enough grain accumulated to run through the fanning mill.

Threshing was a far more agreeable process to watch than to engage in, for inside of fifteen minutes the dust would form a thick coat of black all over the faces of the threshers and just at that time the sweat commenced to wash the dirt into eyes, mouth, nose and down the back of their necks.

When night came the boys looked more like mulattoes than white men. Abbie called them Indians and drove them out of the house with the broom, woman's best weapon of warfare.

Another task the boys enjoyed next to gathering the apples, was pulling the carrots and turnips. When a choice, young, smooth turnip was found they would clean the dirt off by rubbing it on their trousers leg, then peel it with their thumb nail, and oh, how sweet and juicy it tasted. Wes like the carrots best, but Darius preferred the turnips.

And in the spring what fun it was to go racing through the woods, hunting crinkle root and ground nuts, which they munched with great gusto. And the sarsaparilla roots were dug and dried for medicine. Grandfather always kept a good supply of them on hand, together with large bunches of snakeshead and spikenard (spignet) and bitter weed.

Whenever any of the children contracted a cold in the head, grandmother lost no time steeping a dose of bitterweed which they had to drink without any adulterations. The bitter thoughts of this bitter dose prevented the development of many a cold.

About October twentieth the potato digging was finished and the following Sunday found Darius setting out on foot for the Drown district school house. Two weeks later he got permission from the trustee to dismiss school on a Friday noon in order to make the promised trip to the Upper Lake.

Arriving home at two, he found grandfather with everything in readiness for the trip. This time the old flintlock was not forgotten.

As on their former trip, they secured Mr. Drew's boat and stopping at the customary places to set a few traps they were soon examining the places where they had planted the white lily root. Not a sign of growth did they find until they reached Fields Bay and there they found about half a dozen leaves about a foot high from the bottom. Grandfather examined them closely.

"Gosh a mighty, Dide, that's them alright. Square corners on the leaves or pads, back of the stem, no mistaking that mark."

Dide was delighted in finding this one proof that the lilies would grow here, if given the right propagation, but why did the other roots die? He could not answer that question, but the positive proof that one had lived was enough to cause them to make another trip next summer to New Hampshire for more roots.

Arriving at the bark camp they hastily carried in their provisions and blankets. Having an hour before dark, Darius rigged up his fish pole and proceeded to the mouth of the Weed brook and soon had enough fish for supper. Grandfather accompanied him, and while Darius was fishing he set up the dead-fall for mink.

Then grandfather, searching along the trunk of an old fallen pine which must have fallen about the time Columbus discovered Ammerica, he picked up one of the huge knots which was saturated with pitch, so it was well preserved, and carried it to the camp. The knot had once been a limb, but had broken off about two feet from the trunk of the tree when the old monarch crashed to the ground, some hundreds of years before. Little black blotches of pitch stood out all over the knob where it had been united in growth to the old trunk. Darius had watched his father select this knot from among the others lying along the tree trunk, and thinking he intended it to replenish the camp fire, said nothing until grandfather carried it to the boat and placed it carefully in the bow, throwing an old bag over it.

Unknown to Darius, grandfather had brought along an old fish spear which he had used in New Hampshire in Massebeesic pond, but as yet he had had no chance to try it in Chateaugay Lake. Thinking this would be a good time, he had wrapped it up in the blankets, forgetting it until Darius' mess of little trout reminded him of his intention to show Darius some real big fish as it was the time of year that the salmon were having their last run, the male fish running last.

So Darius was anxious to know what grandfather was going to do with the knot. Stepping down to the boat he asked:

"Going to take it home to kindling?"

"No, No! We'll leave it here when we get through with it. Let's hurry up and eat supper now and then we'll cross over to the bluff and see what we can find." Darius was puzzled but felt sure his father had some surprise in store for him, so said nothing more, but hastily cooked the trout, warmed up some potatoes in the pan, and with some of grandmother's bread and butter they enjoyed a hearty repast.

Then grandfather gathered a few handfuls of dry moss and rolled it tightly in white birch bark, about twenty inches across, carried them all to the boat, and bidding Darius shove off, they paddled across to what is now known as "Salmon Rock."

This rock is about two hundred yards from the shore of Bluff Point and sticks its head about two feet out of water, resting on the edge of a rocky ledge covering about one-half acre and this ledge is from eighteen inches to four feet under water, dropping precipitately to thirty and forty feet on all sides.

It was now quite dark and not a breath of wind was stirring. The moon was high in the south and the Northern Lights were streaming up from the North. They reflected from the little ripples in the water caused by the paddle and the boat moving through the water, sparkling like myriads of diamonds, running in tiny circles around them. Darius thought he had never seen such a fascinating picture.

"Say, Dide, just hang on to that rock until I get this torch going," and as he spoke grandfather commenced striking sparks from his flint and steel. Soon he had the moss burning. Fanning it with his breath until it blazed, he placed a flat stone with the blazing moss up on the end deck of the boat. Then taking the pine knot he dipped the smooth end in the water, holding it several minutes for the water to soak in. Then placing the other end in the blaze he soon had a very brilliant torch.

Taking the torch in his left hand he grasped the spear in his right, then reaching the torch far out and over his head, he peered down on the rocky bottom which was plainly visible.

Almost instantly the spear was shoved down and as quickly brought up again. Impaled on the spear was a four-pound salmon trout. Darius wanted to shout with sheer delight. He then took a look at the bottom. Grandfather handed the torch to Darius, bidding him hold it above his head so he could see the bottom plainly. And the sight that met his eyes thrilled him. A black surging mass with their broad tails swishing each other, with their yellow and red fins flashing in the torchlight. It was enough to make any sportsman thrill.

Darius then held the torch while grandfather speared as many as the little boat would hold, which took only about two hours. Then they returned to camp, dressed the fish and placed them in the cold spring back of the beach. There were sixty-four in all, weighing from four to eight pounds each. Darius could scarcely believe his eyes.

"Why, father!" said he, "what are we going to do wtih all those fish?"

"Mighty! Mighty! Dide. They'll go like hot cakes in Malone, what we have left by Monday. It is freezing hard tonight. They'll keep a week in this weather."

This satisfied Darius and soon they were sleeping soundly under a heavy load of home-made woolen blankets. With their feet to the pitch pine fire, they could stand zero weather without being uncomfortable.

Copyright 1930
By Charles E. Merrill

A wonderful mirage seen over Chateaugay Lake is described by Mr. Merrill in the next chapter. Other experiences of grandfather and Dide on a hunting and fishing trip are narrated by "The Old Guide."

Malone Evening Telegram

News of Proposed Railroad Thrills Little Settlement--Boom at The Four Corners

In the preceding chapter Mr. Merrill told of the clash between Darius and the rowdies who tried to break up the school "exhibition". He told of the sale of denuded land at extremely low prices and of Darius' plan to acquire some of the land around Upper Chateaugay Lake.

Chapter 25

On these Sunday walks Darius always stopped to chat with Old Fred. Now as they turned into his yard they observed the old man working on his scow, which he had turned bottom side up. It was a leaky old craft. He had made it himself out of some rough pine plank he had procured from the mill. He had caulked it with tar and was pouring hot pine pitch along the joints, when Darius hailed him.

"Hello, Mr. Shutts!"

"How are ye, Fred," said grandfather.

"Why, tolerable, tolerable. Ain't complaining. How are you both?"

"Oh, 'bout as common. Dide's got so big now, 'fraid I can't handle him any more. I'll have to lick Wes now when I get mad at Dide," he added, winking at Fred.

"Well, Paul, I think," glancing at Dide, "that would be the safest one for ye to buckle up against. Well, Dide, are ye coming to trap with me this fall?"

"Not this fall, Mr. Shutts, but I shall certainly try to arrange to do so another year."

"Good. I'm sartin glad to hear that. I can see plain that ye'll be a good partner and I know ye'll enjoy it right smart."

"I'm sure I'll enjoy it," said Dide, "but about being a good partner you'll have to be the judge."

"Well, now remember you've promised me for next year, an' I call'ate I can depend on ye for my partner then."

"I must remind you, Mr. Shutts, that I only promised to try and go with you another year."

"Oh, well, that's just as good as sayin' you'll go, cause if a man like you tries, they mos' gen'ally succeeds. Leave it to Paul if they don't, hey Paul?"

"Mighty! Mighty! I find Dide's pretty much that way, Fred. But ye'll have to put a halter on him or he'll get lost, way he did up Little Trout."

"Oh well, Paul, you know the boy wan't really to blame for that. Reckon you or I or anybody else'd get lost in that storm as I recollect it." Darius shivered as he remembered that terrible experience.

On their way home grandfather suddenly inquired:

"Dide, when are we going to see if our white lilies are growing?"

"Well, I have been thinking about that for some time past. You know I've agreed to teach the West Bellmont school this winter and the trustee wants it to commence right after potato digging. Let's wait until latter part of October and I'll let school out some Friday at noon and we'll go up the same night and put in Saturday and Sunday in the bark camp. You know by that time fur will be prime, so we will take the traps along and this time the flint lock. I think it's about time I shot another deer. How does that suit you, father?"

"Why I can't see much objection to that Dide. I hope the lilies are coming, but if they're not, it means another trip to Massabeesic pond back in New Hampshire, for I sure mean to get 'em coming here sometime."

"And if you do have to go, I shall go with you," said Darius, "for I have never seen a white lily. I think they must be something extra to put to so much trouble to get them."

Darius could hardly wait for October, so anxious was he to make the trip to the upper lake again. As it had been several years since they had made their last trip, and perhaps there were some white lilies blossoming there and no one to enjoy their beauty.

They arrived home in time to help Wes with the chores. Wes had raised two more colts, the eldest just coming three and the other two years old. They were a beautiful brown color with a white star in the forehead of each, well matched, and Wes was jealously proud of them. So next summer grandfather could have one of the horses all the time to do his peddling with.

About the middle of September Mr. Weed was called to Plattsburgh to see his father (Roswell Weed) and he left Darius in charge of the mill.

As soon as he had gone, Darius called the men together, saying:

"Boys, what do you say if we all pitch in a little harder, while Mr. Weed is gone and clean up this stock a few days ahead of our regular time? That will please Mr. Weed and also give us all a chance to dig our potatoes before cold weather sets in."

The crew were nearly all nearby farmers and Dide was a general favorite with them. They responded with a whoop and three cheers, one for Dide, one for Mr. Weed and one for the crew.

And did they work? The whole job was just fun for them, and how they did pitch into it, riding the monster pine logs with pike poles to balance themselves, and steer the unruly ones to the slide where the big chain, handled by two of the crew, was slipped around the end of the log, the other end of the chain hitched to the big capstan. Then the tailer stepping on lever that loosed the big water wheel. With a creak and a groan the capstan wound up the chain, drawing the giant pine slowly but surely to the platform, where Dide and his helper with their cant hooks rolled it to its place on the carriage, where it was soon reduced to lumber.

Returning from Plattsburgh in about two weeks, Mr. Weed, arriving late at night, did not visit the mill till late next morning. Sometime before he reached the mill he noticed how quiet it was. No sound of saw or men's voices shouting orders around the mill.

"Well, gosh a 'mighty! Wonder what's broke down now? Mill don't seem to be running."

Muttering away to himself, he first went into the mill. Everything was spick and span there. Floors all swept, machinery polished and oiled, nothing out of order that he could see. He next went up to the bank looking all over the mill pond and then it suddenly dawned upon him there wsa not a log to be seen anywhere. Then looking down back of the mill he saw the big piles of lumber neatly "stuck up" behind the mill.

"Well, I'll be gol dumbled. I guess I'd better keep right away after this if I want lumber cut. Guess Dide's got some pretty good stuff under his old hat, by gum."

But it was joyful news that Mr. Weed brought from Plattsburgh. A railroad was to be built from Rouses Point on Lake Champlain to Ogdensburg, on the St. Lawrence river. Work was to commence the following spring. The road would pass through Chateaugay four corners and Malone. Chateaugay, only six miles from them, to have a railroad! What excitement. Cheer after cheer went up from that little community. This had been a long-wished-for event, and now it was actually to happen.

"But," said Mr. Weed, in telling the news, "it will undoubtedly take four or five years and possibly longer before the road will be finished."

"My father," he added, "has sold the mill here to Erastus Mead to get more money to put into the railroad. But Mr. Mead will not take possession for two years, and he wants me to run it until then."

Farm values immediately took a jump and good times were promised. Chateaugay four-corners experienced quite a boom. Three-story brick stores were started that fall in anticipation of the railroad.

The road was to be called the "Ogdensburg and Lake Champlain," later abbreviated to the O. and L. C.

In the few remaining days before school started Darius helped Wes with the ploughing and with the butchering. Two pigs and a mutton were slaughtered and the "inward tried out" in a big brass kettle over the stove.

The lard and tallow equally mixed were used to mould into candles. This was considered the women folks' job, but Darius often held the moulds while Abbie or grandmother poured the hot tallow into the tin moulds. The mould was made of twelve hollow tin tubes one foot long and three-fourths of an inch in diameter, open at each end and fastened together by a little tin frame-work circling around each tube separately, holding them loosely so each one could be drawn out singly. A small round wick was made by twisting waste cotton together. This was ropped in the tubes, reaching their entire length, before the hot tallow was poured. After the tallow in the moulds got hard and cold, the tubes were lifted and the tallow candles dropped out, ready for use.

Then the apples had to be gathered, pared, quartered and strung on strings and hung on hooks suspended from the ceiling over the kitchen stove. Apple gathering was a very agreeable task, next to making maple sugar. I doubt if that boy lives who does not like an apple, regardless of its taste. It has only to come off an apple tree to be devoured. And it's a very small boy who cannot put at least a dozen mysteriously out of sight in about "three jerks of a lamb's tail," as Wes put it.

Although grandfather's apple trees were all seedlings there were two trees which bore excellent eating apples and these two were always gathered secretly by night by Wes and Dide and carried to the haymow to enjoy two or three times a week while they were threshing.

However, they always left a few on the trees for Eliza and Abbie. Abbie would shin up the tree almost as fast as could Wes, but Eliza was too dignified and scathingly rebuked Abbie, calling her a tom-boy. Darius enjoyed seeing Abbie go up the tree and Wes would pelt her with the culls. Not an inch would she come down till the last apple was off the tree.

Copyright 1930,
By Charles E. Merrill.

In the next chapter Mr. Merrill tells how the grain was threshed with a flail. He tells about his grandfather and Dide visiting the Upper Lake to see how the white lilies were growing, and describes their experiences spearing salmon by torchlight.

Malone Evening Telegram

Darius and His Friends Fight It Out With Rowdies at The School Exhibition

In the preceding chapter Mr. Merrill told of Darius' first experience in teaching school, and how he organized a singing school. He told of the trouble caused by a gang of bullies who caused a disturbance while rehearsals were being held for an "exhibition," planned for the close of the school term.

Chapter 24

It was several days after this before Mike or his three pals showed up at school again. Darius had heard of the little encounter, but paid no attention to it, as it had happened outside of his jurisdiction. He considered it was not for him to interfere and did not anticipate any further trouble.

As the weeks went by everything progressed smoothly enough. The gang from the hill quieted down and the school was beginning to think there would be no further trouble and at last the long looked for "last" day arrived.

It came on Friday and school was let out at noon so the children could prepare themselves for the exhibition, which would take place that night.

Darius helped Wes with the chores early, and then with his mother and Abbie, went directly to the school house and there they found six or eight of the larger girls just finishing decorating the school room with balsam and spruce boughs which Nate, Bill and a couple of other boys had cut and brought in for them.

Darius had written the program on the black board and another on a slate for his mother to announce to the pupils as their turns came. There were two dialogues, one with six characters in three parts, and one with two characters. Nate Thurber and Frank Percy, who were well adapted to put on a comic part, Frank being a most natural comedian, which proved to be the star act of the entertainment, causing much applause. Darius had gotten the singing class well trained.

By eight o'clock the little room was packed. Many had to stand as there were not enough seats for all. Darius noticed Mike and his pals near the door and noticed also that they had been drinking and were quite noisy, bragging to each other what wonderful things they could do.

Stepping up quickly onto the rostrum, he rapped the desk vigorously with his ruler. Instantly there was a hush and when all was quiet he announced the exhibition would now commence with a patriotic song by the singing school.

Recitations followed, but just as the singing ceased a commotion started near the door.

Glancing that way Darius saw Mike in the act of shoving Nate Thurber forcibly against big "Lige," one of his pals [Elijah Heading], shouting:

"Hit him, Lige, hit him!"

Mike was too drunk to do much himself, except to keep his tongue running, and make so much noise that the speaker who was just then reciting one of Emerson's poems, could not be heard. Quick as a flash Darius sprang to the rostrum and shouted "Silence!"

Instantly you could have heard a pin drop. Thinking there would be no more disturbance he motioned the speaker to proceed, and walking to a back seat not far from the door, sat down, where he could keep an eye on Mike. The four pals now got their heads together and Darius heard Lige whisper:

"You D--m fool, Mike, why don't ye start something? You're but a rotten coward. Got drunk so I'd have to do it all. Now's your time if you're going to do anything. Here now you punch Joe, and I'll start the row with Pat, there. Come, sail in, now or never."

Then jumping suddenly on top of the big seats, he seized Joe, cursing loudly. At the same time Mike pulled a bottle from his pocket and swinging it high above his head was about to let it go crashing into the crowd, when something happened.

With the swiftness of a panther and the force of a sledge hammer, Darius' clenched fist came in contact with Mike's chin and he sprawled against the door. The bottle went crashing to the floor. The next instant Lige got a left-hander on the cheek which sent him reeling. Then he opened the door and just then Bill Miles and Enoch Merrill assisted Dide in shoving them, all four, none too gently clear to the highway.

"Now," said Darius, "the quicker you make your tracks away from here the better it will be for you, as we have a constable and a justice and the necessary papers right here to put you people where you belong."

The whole fuss did not take over fifteen minutes and the entertainment continued smoothly to the end, closing at 1:30 A.M. with another patriotic song by the class.

All declared the exhibition a great success. And so ended Darius' first school term. The trustee appeared glad to engage him for the next winter. The pupils, too, all wanted Darius to teach again next winter.

With spring came the usual activity throughout the settlement, and at the mill the usual stock of logs were secured, the nearby forests just outside the farmers' settlements had all been lumbered off, and now the big land owners and lumber contractors were selling off these denuded tracts at any price they could get. Most of it was considered worthless, being hilly and rocky and otherwise unfit for farming. Fifty cents an acre was considered a good price, and at that there were few purchasers.

Darius did not care for these tracts. His heart was set on the Upper Lake, and he could wait until the time was ripe. He thought, very wisely, that the big lumber companies would put that on the market as soon as the big white pine was cut off. Then he hoped to be able to take advantage of the low land values which were sure to follow and he was right.

Cutting off the big pines did not decrease the value of this land for Darius, as his primary incentive was not for lumber but for a sporting and health resort. However it would be several years yet before this pine would be all cut, and in the meantime--well he could save what he could.

He realized now that it would be useless for him to go back to school. A higher education was not necessary for the life he had mapped out for himself, although he was a great reader, devouring all the books he could secure. He also kept posted on the affairs of the world, later subscribing for such periodicals as Harper's Magazine and the Atlantic Monthly, and a daily newspaper printed in Albany. But I am getting beyond my story.

As warm weather advanced into May, Darius just had to have his annual fishing trip with grandfather, once up Little Trout and once down the Chateaugay River. He had his usual good luck and then was satisfied to settle down to the routine of the summer before, only this summer he commenced laying aside small sums, just a dollar once a week perhaps. B bank had been started in Malone and how eagerly he looked forward to the day when he could deposit five whole dollars in that bank, all his own hard-earned money.

The thought encourage him, and he studied new ways of economy. The singing school was discontinued until the coming winter, for during the summer everybody had to work, including Darius.

Grandfather devoted his whole time now to making "salts" and pills and enlarging his nursery. He also started raising garden seeds to sell, sending to Malone for little envelopes on which he had printed, "Garden Seeds, raised by Paul Merrill, Chateaugay, N.Y."

During the winter grandfather would trap along the Chateaugay River. The trapping added quite an item to the little income, and materially helped them through the little periods of hard times.

For two or three years there was not much change in the little hamlet. Darius continued teaching in the different districts, always conducting a singing school along wiht the rest, and boarding "round" when too far to get home nights, running the sawmill summers and helping Wes nights and mornings with the chores.

Along about this time, in the late forties I think it was, Darius, still running the saw at the mill, began to have cravings for another plunge into the unknown depths of the forest. He wanted to explore beyond the lumbermen's axe marks, which at that time had not penetrated more than a mile from the lake shore. Every Sunday he and grandfather would take long walks up the "lake" road and when mounting Thurber Hill, which was one-half mile below the lake, they could stop for five or ten minutes feasting their eyes on the fascinating picture.

There was Lyon Mountain looming up fifteen miles distant, blue, green and purple, capped with a fleecy white cloud, with the sun tingeing its edges to all colors and hues, ever changing, as the sun rose higher and higher in the sky. And there at the foot of Lyon, in lighter green, "Birch" hill could be plainly seen like a giant footstool, with Lyon Mountain for the seat.

In silence, taking off their hats in reverence to the mighty works of nature, these two men, who could fully appreciate the grandeur of this scene, drank in its every detail.

Resuming their walk, they soon came to the lake.

There, close to the shore, stood the picturesque little cottage owned, together with eighty acres of rocky hill-side, by Fred Shutts. Mr. Shutts, better known as "Old Fred," was a trapper of some renown and could tell many stories of his exploits. He had shot one "painter" (panther) and several bears. Darius like to hear the old man tell his trapping stories, and envied him his good luck in being free to roam the forests and mountains. The old man felt a fatherly interest in Darius. He was such an interested and attentive listener to his stories, enjoying every word, as much as the old man enjoyed telling them. He had often invited Darius to go in partnership with him on a long trap line, and Darius was hoping the day would come that he could accept the invitation.

Copyright 1930
By Charles E. Merrill.

In the next chapter Mr. Merill tells of the excitement caused by the news brought by Bill Weed: that a railroad was soon to be built from Rouses Point to Ogdensburg, passing through Chateaugay and not far from the Lake settlement. He also tells how candles were made in the early days.

Chateaugay Chasm, Chateaugay, NY

Sept. 11, 1923, Chateaugay, NY

Am having a very fine time. Am on the go most of the time. Walked down these stairs 125 of them. Well worth seeing.

Chateaugay Chasm Scenery, by Albert B. Buell

This does not seem to be among the numbered stereoviews in this series; however, there are a few other "strays" taken by Buell down in the Chasm that are featured elsewhere on this blog.

Having walked on these ledges looking down far below into the river, I have a lot of respect for Albert lugging along his big camera--the stereoscope cameras were big and clumsy to carry--along with a big box of plates and whatever else he would require, such as a lunch.

No. 26 Profile Rock.