Aug 31, 2005 — The lives and traditions of the settlers in the central and southern Adirondacks are the subjects of a new book by William "Jay" O'Hern. The book, Adirondack Characters and Campfire Yarns, is a treasury of Adirondack history and folklore. It's a collection of familiar and seldom written-about people and customs, and includes dozens of vintage photos. O'Hern lives in rural Camden, on the Tug Hill Plateau, where he worked as an elementary school teacher for 35 years. His family has visited the Adirondacks since the 1940s, and he told Todd Moe that his favorite pastime is bushwhacking.