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Show f "Camping Oui" on Canal f (Special Correspondence.) Thoso In quest of n vacation that offeid sonu'"-lng "different" would do Vri.il to try a trip on a canalbont. Such a vacation calls for neither fussy frocks nor frills. Its Incxpenslvcncss commends It to tho economical. It Is a boon to tho nerve-worn, and brimful brim-ful of possibilities for the most delightful de-lightful ot times. Talk about tho beauties ot the Hudson Hud-son I From no other point of view can they ho seen to such excellent advantage ad-vantage ns from the deck of n cnnal-boat. cnnal-boat. Just lazily Moating over the boson, bos-on, of the majostic river, ono seems scarcely to move. Yet In tho days that follow on the canal tho beginning of tho Journey, by comparison, wns made ct ims nxAma nir ohldsui ukz TO DCCUPJXX by rapid stages Indeed. Going through the lecks Is n novel sensation to the novice. To bo lifted high nnd higher on tho rising water, then to slide through nn opened gate to a higher level. These locks aro frequent along tho way, Somo at Intervals In-tervals of three or four miles many only n mllo apart. It Is n novelty also to see tho horses taken on and off the boats. A hrldgo from tho ttablo cabin Is thrown from tho boat to tho 'tore nnd another from tho top of tho dock down Into tho stablo quarters. Ono leads a hcrso up tho Inclined trldgo. whllo to keep him steady another an-other holdB tho animal by tho tall until un-til ho nccomplish03 tho short Journey from boat to shore, or vlco versa. Thus, ono at a time, aro they managed. man-aged. Most boats stop at somo of tho way-sldo way-sldo cities to unload freight. Sometimes Some-times for a few hours, onco In n whllo a half day, nnd occasionally over night. This gives oportunlty to go ashoro nnd see tho sights and to tako In whatever In tho lino of amusement Is going on In tho place bo It a farmer's farm-er's picnic, common throughout that section of tho state, circus, outdoor opera, n tour of tho stores, or only a tiolley ride. Or, when tho boat's quarters seem too narrow and nno longs to stretch his legs. It Is n very easy matter to get off at a lock, walk along tho tow path and catch up with tho boat nt the next lock, or, to test one's dexterity, swing down to tho cabin's top from ono of tho many overhead over-head bridges ns tho boat passes under, un-der, without an Instant's pauso or do-lay. do-lay. Housekeeping on n cannlboat very ably Illustrates tho economy of space. In such a tiny place ns tho boat's cab-In cab-In tin re must of necessity bo a placo for everything, nnd It mitft bo kept In Its placo nt that. Tho "cook room" Is largo enough for n stovo with room bcsldo It for tho cook. Around tho itcvo, and nbovo, tho wall Is covered with zinc or tin, nnd nil cooking utensils uten-sils hang In this space. Tho cook room may bo shut off from tho other part by two sliding doors. A drop leaf tnblo occupies ono corner of tho cabin, largo enough to accommodato six persons. Thero aro a sowing machine, ma-chine, a few chairs, somo stools, which may bo pushed under tho tablo out ot tho way, and n "bureau closet," Bonks aro built In on cither side, with deep drawers beneath. Drawers of capacious slzo, that slldo back under tho cabin's sldo, give nmplo closet room. A captain usually operates two boats, ono coupled behind tho other. On the first ho lives with his family, and tho cabin ot the second one Is the cno that visitors or boarders may occupy. Tho flor Is covered with oilcloth, oil-cloth, with a few bright rugs laid around. Somo pictures adorn tho walls, and white muslin curtains hang tt the eight little windows. Sometimes Some-times a little oil stovo stands In tht room for 'i'1 on corl days. A ntf I housekeeper can mako ot her boat homo n model ot homcllko comfort oiitl conven.enco. Surroae jou embarked fcr Syracuse. It will be about eight or ten days from tho evening jou left Cocntlcs slip, Khst river, New York, until your destination des-tination Is reached. If the boat Is to carry salt back to New York, as most of them do frcm that place, you will havo threo or four dns to spend there beforo she Is loaded and ready to start back. That gives ample time to visit the saltyards, the pottery, tho university univer-sity or whatever places fancy sug-suggests. sug-suggests. Thero are many charming places within ensy distnnco by trolley that are well worth setlng. Then, the boats loaded, tho "down trip" to Now Ycrk Is begun. Cannllng Is similar In experience, In n way, to camrlng out, but tho vista Is constantly changing. It Is really an oittct-door life that Induces sound sleep nnd gives ono n Itcalty appetite. You will como back with an added ler.so ot life an J voto yttir vacation tho best you havo ever pcnt. You will bo cut nothing for duties. Tho oldest you havo, provldug they'll stand rough usage, will bi Mio best outfit; and few at that, for rvnembor the quarters nro somowlM'. moro crnmrcd than you aro necustutned to. Tho woman who falls to tako along a sunlonnet makes n mistake. I, will provo tho finest kind cf headg-Mr. So-io rcoplo have an Idea the boatmen, boat-men, or "canalers," as they aro nfton called, nro a class to bo avoided. Such an Idea Is absurd. Tho life Is n rough ono, with Its'hard sides, nnd calls for few of tho finer conventionalities, but It serves to bring out the best thore Is In many of tho men and wenun who havo mado tho canal their homi They thomselves will toll you they'ui "Jtift like shoio folks. Somo n 'cro'i all right, nnd then, again, some's no bettcr'u they ought to be," which It likely true enough. One fine old lady, who has spent forty jcars of her llfo In "boatln" " has reared twelvo sons nnd daughters nnd sent thorn out Into tho wcild. In tho winter, when tho boats tlo up, the children chil-dren can go to school, nnd somo of this family havo gone through college. col-lege. It keeps n woman pretty busy loklng after n Hock of growing children chil-dren In such close quarters. When It rains, they must play down nmldshlp, or In tho cabin, but In fair weather they Hko to bo on deck, whero they require constnnt watching to kesp them from going overboard. IU IK THE MOHAWK VALLEY NmYL'0 |