Monday, May 21, 1888 I met Wilkinson at the train which reached Rhinebeck at half past five. We had supper in Utica and staid over night [?] Hotel and the next morning took the train for Boonville where [?] awaited us to take us to Philip Studers at White Lake [?] where we changed to a brick board and were driven in to Wood [?] where a boat met us and took us to the head of the [?] walked over the carry of a mile and a quarter our effects [?] over in a sled by a horse, to the lodge, a rambling log [?] on the shore of Bisby Lake. We had rooms in the new part [?] sitting room, very cheerful and comfortable apartments over [?] the lake. The house is excellently kept by Henry Studer and [?], the latter a most capable person. Several of the club members [?] there or came there with friends during our stay of ten or [so?] days among them Genl. Sherman of New Hartford, Mr. Maurice of [?], Mr. Proctor prospector of Baggs Hotel, Utica, Mr. K[?] of N. Y. one [?] Commission, Chas. Miller whom I used to meet 25 years [?], Mr. Bryant and some friends from Mass. Mr. Ransom [?} of N. Y. City and J. W. Hersted former speaker of the N. Y. [Assembly?] Mr. Boardman Editor of the Rail Road Gazette. Mr. Boardman [?] and Mr. Maurice have cottages near by. We each had a guide with a boat and we fished daily, twice spending a day on Lake Canachagala a little over a mile distant. Wilkinson, Boardman and I made a trip to Big Moose Lake about 25 miles distant taking two guides with their boats and picking up a third one (John Cummenford of Boonville) at Woods on the Fourth lake of the Fulton chain. The route was by lakes and carries varying from a mile to three miles. We staid at Lou Woods over night, a very comfortable place. He is the son of Wood who lived on Raquette Lake in 1851 when I was there and has a family, among them two daughters who attend, with his wife to the house. John Cummenford the guide we got there was an excellent man. Had been a soldier through the war and was active, intelligent and capable. He had the key of a new camp on Big Moose which was neatly built of logs hewn on the inside with a sleeping place above, fully furnished with cook stove and camp kit complete. We staid there from Saturday evening to Tuesday morning and meanwhile caught some fine trout. The Major caught one weighing 1 3/4 lbs and a 3 1/2 lb lake trout on a fly. I caught a 1 1/2 lb speckled trout and Boardman had about the same luck. The spring being so very backward we were a little too early but still we got all we wanted and enough to make it interesting. There was a snow bank in front of the cabin where they had thrown out chips etc. from the construction of the camp which covered it and we used it to keep our fish on as an ice house. There are two small steamboats on the Fulton Chain and a tram road is being built to Moose River I think. There are many camps on all the lakes and the region is much more frequented than when I visited it before. We got back to Bisby on Wednesday, fished on Canachagala Friday and came away Saturday after dinner. It began to rain just as we reached Woodhull and continued to rain all the way to White Lake Corners so that although we wore rubber coats we got thoroughly wet. Mr. Cole, Mr Thompson & Dr. [Hood?] [?] canoe out with us. The names of our guides besides Cummenford, were Wm. [Watron?] and Nelson Chandler. Genl. Husted wants a picture of his cottage and I am to go out there when the foliage changes about Oct. 1st and paint a picture for him for about $250 or $300. It is not an inspiring subject but he wants it. We dried ourselves at Studers, had supper and came on to Boonville in a covered carriage. The rain had ceased however. At Utica I took the West Shore train at midnight, got a berth in the sleeper and reached home about 5 oclock Sunday morning, while the Major went to Pokeepsie by the Central.
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