February, 1892.] 



AND OOLOGIST. 



!^0 



Was awakeaed by a tapping, 

 As if some one, gently rapping 



At his cabin door. 

 Somewhat sleepy, out of temper 

 Did the angler bid him enter. 

 Xo response except a rapping, 



Tapping at the cabin door. 

 Not until the irate angle 

 Had with emphasis and anger 



Flung awide the cabin door, 



Beheld a Woodpecker — nothing more. 



Hon. Xathan Matthews, Jr., mayor of Bos- 

 ton, was unavoidably absent and failed to 

 respond. 



Hon. George W. Wiggin, president of the 

 Massacliusetts Fish and Game Protective 

 Association, was tlien introduced and received 

 witli clieers. He said liis remarks would be 

 brief. He was young in office and thi^y could 

 not expect much from him. It was difficult 

 to tell whether he was at a meeting of the 

 Megantic Club or the Massachusetts Fish and 

 Game Association, as he saw so many gentle- 

 men belonging to both oi'ganizations. The 

 object of both associations was the same, the 

 protection of game. He desired the coopera- 

 tion of the Megantic Club members in the 

 great work of protecting fish and game in 

 Massacliusetts. If the preserves of the Megan- 

 tic Club were as extensive as their hospitality 

 they ought to own the earth ami have a 

 mortgage on the aii-. 



The Megantic Club Quartette then favored 

 the audience with a song. 



President Woodruff then presented some 

 interesting statistics in regard to game killed 

 in the club's pi'eserve in the season recently 

 closed. There were seven moose against two 

 the previous year, eight caribou and 8(5 deer. 

 The record of ducks and grouse liad not been 

 kept. Over 18,000 trout had been caught 

 during last season, besides many not registered. 

 There had been as high as 55 pounds of bass 

 taken in one day. 



The next speaker was Col. E. B. Hodge, of 

 the New Hampshire Fish and Game Commis- 

 sion. He was introduced as the first white 

 mxu to launch a canoe on Lake Megantic. 

 Colonel Hodge stated that he was one of two 

 to launch the first skiff on those waters. He 

 thought the magnificent decorations before 

 liim well worth a long journey to see. He told 

 of the almost incredible number of trout taken 

 from the waters of the Megantic preserve years 

 ago. They were caught and piled up by the 

 cord and left to rot. He never expected to see 

 so many trout again in those waters, but hoped 

 to see them increased. He referred to the 



benefit derived from spending a montli in the 

 woods; it gave restored life and gave a person 

 fresh energy to work for the next eleven 

 months. If you want rest go to Megantic 

 Lake. 



If thou art sad and hard beset, 

 With sorrow that thou would forget; 

 If thou would keep thy heart from fainting 

 And thy soul from sleep. 

 Go to the Megantic woods and hills. 

 For there no tears dim the sweet look which nature 

 wears. 



Mr. John B. Whorisky then favored the club 

 with choice vocal selections. 



President Woodruff said that at the time 

 when the Megantic Club was first talked of, 

 some of the projectors said it would be impos- 

 sible to get sportsmen to go to that region. 

 Sportsmen would not go beyond Rangeley, for 

 there was a man there whom all the sportsmen 

 loved if they once knew him and that person 

 was Capt. Fred C. Barker. It was his pleasure 

 to introduce him. 



Captain Barker was received with cheers. 

 He said if he had expected to receive such a 

 reception he thought he might have remained 

 in the woods. He then gave an interesting 

 account of a trip he made with John Danforth 

 through the Megantic region. He congratu- 

 lated the club on acquiring the Seven Ponds 

 district, an acquisition he thought the club 

 would never regret. 



Hon. Frank B. Currier was the next speaker. 

 His remarks showed him to be an enthusiastic 

 devotee to ''the gentle art." He found per- 

 fect happiness only when angling. The fisher- 

 man was a patient listener and never expresses 

 a doubt of any story he hears. Sometimes the 

 fisherman's face seems to say, when listening 

 to a narrative, "I am something of a liar 

 myself." In anticipation of the pleasures of 

 coming seasons he would meet one of the pro- 

 prietors of the Brunswick, who was a member 

 of the Megantic Club and an enthusiastic 

 angler, and the accounts of fish they had 

 caught and would catch were startling. He 

 referred to the work of the fish commissioners 

 and particularly to the stocking of the Merri- 

 mack with salmon. Salmon had been hooked 

 with the fly there last year. The difficulty in 

 stocking the Merrimack River with salmon was 

 the low water at certain seasons. It was said 

 you could tell when a salmon passed up the 

 fishway by the dust it kicked up (laughter). 

 But the salmon ascended the river, though it 

 was reported that Commissioner Riddle grabbed 

 the salmon, and with it under his arm rushed 



