Out east of the lake a few miles and probably the same distance west and north of the town of Tipton, we find waters from the Kaweah joining forces with that of the Tule river, making one stream from this point on to the lake. For many miles this was a swampy country covered in places with gigantic oaks and willow trees. Occasionally back waters from the lake up in these swamps formed something of a bayou. Herds of Elk At one time herds of elk made their homes in these sections, hence we have the name Elk Bayou. All to the south was an open country or great plains and it was along this borderland so to speak that the writer together with other little boys of the day used to meet and plan their hunting and fishing excursions. Soon the east frontage of the lake had been pretty well looked over by this set of boys. A sprinkling of homesteaders comprised the population on the plains near the lake, and as can be imagined it was a lonesome looking country,--frontier enough to satisfy most anyone's liking for that sort of thing. Fringe of Trees In our earliest recollections, the water of the lake stood at not far from the now Kings county line. An interesting fact is also that for miles above that yet the ground was covered thick with mussel shells, and wire grass, a sort of swamp grass, grew everywhere. So we presume the lake to have been much larger at some earlier time. A dense growth of tall trees always fringed the lake and was in places a half mile or more in width. A person venturing too far into these thickets of tules had to be a good navigator to find his way out. Hunters cut lanes through to open water to their duck blinds and boats. The shore line shifted and changed continually according to weather and season. A strong wind would bring the water out a surprising long ways. Some times the tules were in water a foot or so deep and at other times were high and dry. In the fall of the year occasionally fires swept through the dry tules and the burning of a few thousand acres on a dark night was a sight to behold. Wild Hogs Parties came to the lake to hunt wild hogs, tame ones gone wild perhaps, but considered a perfectly legitimate business. The hogs were vicious animals and no one hunter took chances alone. We can't say just how good the meat was, but a piece of fat wild shoat to flavor the beans always sounded good. Geese Flocks In fall and winter geese in unbelievable numbers made their home in the lake. They flew out in the early foggy mornings with much honking and close to the ground to their feeding places along the foot-hills or on the plains. On their return during the day, when the fog had cleared, they were in perfect formation and a mile high. The noise these big birds made when they came down out of the air and into the water, if once heard, could never be forgotten. Pioneers Fully as interesting no doubt as the wilds of the lake were the hardy old stock of people that lived in those regions. All were of one class, true pioneers in spirit. Inconveniences didn't mean much to folks equipped with such fortitude and resourcefulness. Had they had these qualifications they wouldn't have been there in the first place. At their homes their hospitality was genuine. Many may still remember the familiar old phrases of "take out and put up," meaning take the harness off the horses and stay all night. Along the rough and dusty roads the miles per hour was figured at six (instead of the now sixty) and to old and young it was considered a