50 THE IDYL OF THE SPLIT-BAMBOO 



joints were made in three longitudinal sections. 

 About 1860, E. A. Green of Newark, N. J., made 

 up for the trade a few rods in four longitudinal sec- 

 tions, followed in 1863 or 1864 by an acquaintance, 

 a Mr. Murphy, also of Newark. Thaddeus Norris 

 used one of these Phillipi, Green, or Murphy rods. 

 The first rods in six bamboo sections were put on 

 the American market by H. L. Leonard of Bangor, 

 Me., about 1870, though Mr. Murphy claimed to 

 have made one some time previously. 



William Mitchell says the first split-bamboo he 

 ever saw or heard of was made by William Blacker, 

 of 54, Dean Street, Soho, London, to order for Mr. 

 James Stevens, the well-known sportsman of Ho- 

 boken, N. J., and that in 1852 it was given to him 

 for repairs and alterations. Blacker was the author 

 of Fly Making and Angling, London, 1855, and he 

 says on page 82 : " The rent and glued-up bamboo- 

 cane rods, which I turn out to the greatest perfection 

 [and thus we see where all the modern makers ob- 

 tained their literary cue], are very valuable, as they 

 are very light and powerful, and throw the line with 

 great facility." 



Thomas Aldred, of London, claimed to be the 

 inventor of the three-section or -strip glued-up bam- 

 boo rod, at some date prior to the Crystal Palace 



Alexander, appearing in vol. II of Sport with Gun and Rod, published by 

 The Century Co., in 1883, though their original source is The American f 

 Angler. Mr. Mitchell himself first made a split-cane rod, in four longi- 

 tudinal sections of Chinese bamboo, " which is much harder and more 

 homogeneous," in June, 1869. 



