With ten quality books and hundreds of short stories under his belt, it was inevitable that someone would publish a collection of Edmund Ware Smith stories. The collection came in 1991 under the title “To Fish and Hunt in Maine“, edited by Thomas A. Kinney and published by Yankee Books of Camden, Maine.
The book contains a short introduction, “In Search of Edmund Ware Smith”, written by Kinney to help describe Smith to the unfamiliar reader, and give even a seasoned Smith fan a clearer insight into the man and his work. It gives a lot of background information about Smith that the casual reader may not know. The introduction is followed by twenty reprinted Smith stories separated into three parts, with an introductory story and a closer for good measure. All of the stories were previously published in Smith’s books or popular magazines. Kinney seems to have selected particular stories in an attempt to present to the reader the “best of the best”, and help advance their popularity to a wider audience.
The collection is a good one, and does the reader a favor in that it offers a great selection of Smith stories for someone who may not be quite ready to buy all of Smith’s books. I would argue, though, that most readers who finish this book will want to start their own collection of Edmund Ware Smith books.
Here’s a description of the stories included in “To Fish and Hunt in Maine”:
An Ode to Spring Fever – This short passage from “A Treasury of the Maine Woods”, celebrates the coming of spring and the anticipation by folks who have been cooped up all winter.
PART ONE
The Saga of Third Chain Cabin – This story was also printed in “A Treasury of the Maine Woods”. It’s one of my favorite Smith stories. It tells of a hunting camp that was legendary to its members in its time. The story is told toward the end of the camp’s life, and in the declining years of its hunters. Smith and his father-in-law are making a final visit to the cabin on Third Chain Lake. The cabin was built in 1926, and like most traditional Maine deer camps, it was hunted in each fall for twenty years. Over the years, though, hunting partners had dropped out one by one. Smith cleans up in the cabin while Pop Dennison hunts. He thinks back to the times they had in the hunting camp over the years, and unique experiences shared by each hunter. The story is filled with nostalgia. In the end, the reader is filled with the image of the old cabin sinking back into the ground. It couldn’t have been written any better.
A Rifle Named “Sleigh Bells” – This is another incredible Smith story, found in “For Maine Only”, about deer hunting with his father-in-law at the cabin on Third Chain Lake. The story finds an old Edmund Ware Smith returning to his cabin on Mattagamon Lake one final time, taking an inventory prior to selling it. When he picks his old .32 Winchester Special rifle off the wall, a flood of old hunting memories rush back, and he remembers the first deer hunt at Third Chain Cabin. Smith was 26 at the time, and was crushed when he didn’t receive an invitation to hunt with Pop Dennison and his old crew. But Pop had a surprise in store. A mid-week telegram from Pop beckoned Smith to hurry up to the cabin and join the group. Several memorable days of hunting followed, and Ed shot his first big buck. The story ends with a surprise as Ed, standing silently in the cabin at Mattagamon, comes to the realization of a secret the late Pop Dennison had kept from him for over a quarter of a century.
Jake’s Rangers Hunt the Whitetail – Jake’s Rangers was a group of outdoorsmen, of which Ed Smith was a part, living in the coastal Maine town of Damariscotta. This story, previously found in “For Maine Only”, describes the group on their annual whitetail deer hunt. It draws many parallels found in other traditional deer hunting groups across the nation, and is an interesting story to read.
The Jinx and Uncle George – Uncle George Whitehouse was one of the more colorful members of Jake’s Rangers, and was resident caretaker of their deer hunting camp. Previously found in the book “Upriver and Down”, this story is a funny one!
“Old Come-And-Get-It” – It’s funny how seemingly minor pieces of hunting, fishing or camping gear can take on such significance after years of use and memories. This is the story of Smith’s oldest possession, a steel frying pan, that had seen many a campfire over the years. You’ll thoroughly enjoy reading as Smith recalls numerous adventures with “Old Come-And-Get-It”.
The Magic Woodsman – Smith describes Pop Thornton, the well-respected woodsman and caretaker of his father-in-law Henry Dennison’s camp on Dobsis Lake. Thornton was a huge influence on Smith in his early adult years. This story is found in “A Treasury of the Maine Woods”.
Death of a Haunted Tent – This is a funny story about a tent that has sure seen some interesting times. The story can be found in “Upriver and Down”.
Jake’s Rangers vs. Spring Fever – You follow the Rangers on another of their adventures, this time preparing for a big trip to the backwoods. The Jake’s Rangers tales are always quite humorous. This one’s found in “For Maine Only”.
PART TWO
Appointment With Death – This is a pretty incredible and sobering story. Web Martin, woodsman and guide, accidentally shot a man while hunting in the woods. He’s sitting in his cabin, contemplating things, when he sees a face peering through his cabin window in the dark night. It’s a woman, and Web invites her in. The story ends with an unbelievable turn, captivating the reader throughout.
Weather Prophet – From “Tall Tales and Short”, this story takes place by a frozen lake in the dead of winter, with a crazy doctor on a suicide mission. It’s another good one.
The Tenderfoot Who Wasn’t – This is a fictional story about two businessmen from Boston who travel up to Maine for a guided fishing trip. The story dissects the incredible difference in personality between these two men, and speaks of the goodness and potential that a man can have despite his lack of experience in the outdoors.
Last Trip Together – This is a heart-wrenching story of a seventeen year old boy working on the camp with his father. The father passes away in his sleep one night and the boy spends the next day in a canoe, paddling his father’s body twenty-eight miles downriver to the nearest settlement. The story was written in the first person, with young Web Rivers thinking aloud and talking to his father throughout the canoe trip. It ends with a harsh realization of his father’s passing as he reaches town.
Some Have to Get Hurt – An alcoholic father is on a fishing trip with his young son. The boy, aware of his father’s problem, does what he can to help, but for some people, only real tragedy can cause such a lifestyle change.
The Last Hermit of the Maine Woods – This story tells of a man who lived alone in his remote lakeshore cabin in same neck of the woods as Smith and his wife lived for several years. Fred Harrison lived quite the life, and was the picture of self-sufficiency. Things ended sadly for old Fred.
PART THREE
Old Lady in Waiting – The remote Maine woods was a tough place for an old woman half a century ago, but the fictional character Sarah Bourne was a tough woman. She and her husband Zack lived as caretakers of Mr. Reuben Usher’s cabin in the forests of Mopang. While Sarah was typically a supporting cast member in the drama that was the “One-Eyed Poacher” stories, this story focuses solely on her. The story was not published in any of Smith’s other books.
The Warden, the Rum, and the Preacher – This is one of the great “One-Eyed Poacher” stories found in the book “The One-Eyed Poacher of Privilege”. Uncle Jeff Coongate and Zack Bourne rescue a game warden who was drowning in the lake. But with illegal moose meat hanging in the back of Zack’s cabin, can they really afford to bring him in to safety? Jeff and Zack concoct a plan, but another unforseen event makes things even more complicated. A surprising twist may just save the poachers once again.
The Long Night – Jeff Coongate’s old hound dog Zibe is brutally shot by the Hackett brothers, and the One-Eyed Poacher vows revenge. With a tip from the Indian Tom Compus Mentis, Jeff knows where to look for the Hacketts, where they are pursuing an illegal moose that they can sell for $1 per pound. Jeff runs into a brand new game warden in the district, saves his life, and makes off with some moose meat to boot! Only uncle Jeff could avenge the death of his beloved dog with such style.
The Diary of Death – (summary by Greg Tuttle) This story opens up with Mr. Usher in his home in Boston eagerly reading the camp diary. Things start out fine. Sarah keeps the diary because of Zack’s obvious disdain for anything that doesn’t involve an axe or rifle. The entries start out fine with observations of nature, etc. Then Sarah writes she has to go to Bangor to visit a sister, who is very sick. Well, things go downhill fast. It seems that Jeff Coongate had taken over writing in the diary. Mr. Usher thought that Zack was tending to it and he can’t believe what he reads. The entries are shocking so he finds it necessary to pay Zack a visit. And the only one who thinks it funny is Jeff Coongate.
ENVOY
Ghosts of Old Campfires – In this piece, Smith ponders the significance of a campfire in the woods. It’s a good way to end the book.
Overall, “To Fish and Hunt in Maine” is a great way for a new reader of Edmund Ware Smith to get a feel for the wide range of his outdoor writings. Smith had a versatile writing style, and his stories ranged widely in subject and manner. I would recommend any new reader pick up a copy of this book as the beginning to a collection of Edmund Ware Smith books.
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