REUBEN WOOD. 19 



in America, Mr. Mallock won first with iO5ft., and Mr. 

 Wood took second prize with io2ft. gin. His many 

 trophies in the tournaments in Central Park, New York 

 City, are familiar to readers of Forest and Stream. 



He died at his home in Syracuse on Feb. 16, 1884, m 

 his sixty-second year. Mr. R. B. Marston, editor of the 

 English Fishing Gazette, said of him: "I know many an 

 angler in this country will feel sad at hearing genial, jolly, 

 lovable 'Uncle Reub' has gone to his long rest. During 

 his stay in this country he never failed to make friends of 

 all who came in contact with him. I shall never forget 

 the enthusiasm and almost boy-like glee with which he 

 enjoyed a fishing trip with me to the Kennet, at Hunger- 

 ford. He would stand for hours on the old bridge watch- 

 ing the trout and marveling at their cuteness. The sys- 

 tem of dry fly-fishing pleased and astonished him greatly, 

 and he told me he meant to try it on some wary old Amer- 

 ican trout he was acquainted with. Then he would show 

 us some of his long casting with a split-cane rod. If we 

 in this country, who only knew him so short a time, feel 

 his loss so keenly, what must those home friends of his 

 feel his family and that wide circle of acquaintances who 

 were proud to call him friend?'* 



His death was very sudden he fell dead while enter- 

 ing his dining room. In addition to his love of the rod 

 he was for many years an active member of the Syracuse 

 Citizens' Corps, and later of the Sumner Corps, two well- 

 known military organizations. He was also a member 

 of the Baptist Church, and his name was a synonym for 

 all that was honest and manly. The last time I met him 

 he referred to our first fishing experience by saying, 

 "Fred, are you catching many turtles now?" And the 

 answer was, "No, Reub, it keeps me busy watching wood 

 ducks light upon the trees." 



