52 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



which you so kindly recommended to students in your issue 

 of July 4, that gentleman was enabled to make; and if he will 

 write you the results you may, by comparing with the charac- 

 teristics delineated by the Idaho Aznlanche, be enabled to give 

 an anxious world an accurate scientific desaription of the 

 piratical skunk. C. 



Indianapolis, Ind., Aug. 15, 1878. 



COST OF POWDER. 



Editob Forest and Stream: 



As a regular reader of the Forest and Stream for several 

 years, I have noticed advertisements calling the attention of 

 the public to "great reduction in prices" of shotguns, rifles, 

 sportsmen's clothing, fishing tackle, and, in fact, of nearly 

 every article used by the sportsman except gunpowder. The 

 consumption of this indispensable article to sportsmen is in- 

 creasing every year. The cost of the material used in its 

 manufacture is much less than it was five years ago, as is 

 also the cost of labor. In view of these facts is it not time 

 for manufacturers to furnish the sporting public with a good 

 article of powder at a reasonable rate ? The common ' ' ft &. 

 rifle powder," sold at §6.15 per keg of 251bs„ won't do for 

 gentlemen who possess fine guns and abhor filth, as fifteen or 

 twenty shots with it so foul a gun as to make it unpleasant to 

 handle, as well as to interfere with its shooting qualities until 

 cleaned. The next grade of powder sold by American manu- 

 facturers costs $3.80 per quarter keg, and is much better ; but 

 if it could be profitably sold at this figure five years ago, it is 

 certainly too high now. Since the introduction of the glass 

 ball as a substitute for pigeons, thousands of persons who 

 seldom used a shotgun have joined shooting clubs to indulge 

 in this harmless sport, while many are deterred from partici- 



Sation in it by the cost of ammunition. The price of shot 

 as declined within, the last few years about 30 per cent. 

 Now, if powder manufacturers will follow suit they will call 

 down upon their heads a blessing from many an enthusiastic 

 but impecunious sportsman. If the manufacturers can sell 

 profitably at such a reduction and won't, will some of them ex- 

 plain why not ? Widgeon. 

 Illinois, Avg. 14, 1878. 



In regard to this we may say that from an investigation of 

 the business of powder making, we think it is shown that the 

 profits to the manufacturers are not excessive, considering 

 the risks attending the business. The price of crude mate- 

 rials is not so much less than five years ago. Sulphur is 

 little if any cheaper if of good quality. Wood, for coal, a 

 small item, very little cheaper, and for fine sporting powder 

 no cheaper. Saltpetre is perhaps fifteen per cent, cheaper at 

 this moment than five years since. But there are several 

 larger items of cost that overbalance all these when consider- 

 ing the value or selling price of powder, particularly the fine 

 grades. Among these may be mentioned the interest on the 

 investment in tracts of land, many times necessarily large, on 

 which to erect magazines ; the cost of the buildings ; and 

 nearly always the manufacturer has to buy and pay for these, 

 and -with, the stock of powder, which is kept in each, aver- 

 aging more than a year's sales, it wijll be seen the investment 

 is no light one. The cost of transportation of powder is a 

 very heavy charge, particularly as much of the finer grades of 

 powder go to places where there is little demand for coarser 

 qualities, and double first-class rates have to be paid as freight, 

 while the lower grades of powder can be distributed in car- 

 load lots. The cost of manufacturing the higher grades of 

 powder is great, as much more labor and time is needed in its 

 production. A powder mill, which will make 8,000 pounds 

 of common blasting powder, will produce probably less than 

 3,000 pounds of the flue grades per day. The sales of the 

 finer grades are very much less in bulk and value than is gen- 

 erally supposed, and with the system of agents to sell, 

 magazines to hold and mills to manufacture, even at the 

 present prices the business of selling the fine grades of powder 

 would be a losing one— very decidedly so— were it not for the 

 help derived from the sale of the lower grades. The numer- 

 ous explosions of powder works, an occurrence which no 

 amount of caution can do away with, must alBo be borne in 

 mind. 



OVERCHARGES. 



Our correspondent, ." Canvas Back," writes us a practical 

 lesson in regard to the habit of putting too much powder in 

 guns. The fact of the powder being thrown out unconsumed 

 is well known. As the letter is plain and to the point, we 

 commend it to the attention of our readers : 



Cleveland, July 20, 1878. 

 Editob Fobest akd Stream : 



I want to ask a question or two about the use of powder, and. 

 at the same time, give my own experience to ita use. I nave often 

 noticed at duak, when shooting ducks on tho marshes, a long 

 stream of fire come from every guu fired within sight. I have 

 also many times had my clothes burned whon shooting against the 

 wind. From thiB I feared I was using too much powdor in my 

 9Xlb. 10 gauge gun— was shooting more than it would burn inside 

 of the barrels. My charge was i)4 drs. No. 3 "Sea Shooting" 

 powder and 1% oz. No. 3 shot. Oauvas-back and other open 

 water ducks was the game I was after. All my oomradeB were 

 using from % to 5 drs. of powder. A gentleman who was with 

 me and myself proposed to experiment. So one day we loaded a 

 few metal shells with i% dra. No. 3 grain Oriental Sea Shooting 

 Powder, putting four or five pink-edge wads on top, with no shot. 

 We fired at a newspaper, twenty or twenty-five feet away, and 

 found it perfectly filled with small holes, like pin holes, each trial 

 having the same effect. We then put a heavy sheet of paste- 

 board about three inches from a newspaper, and spread on the 

 ground directly under the two another paper, so as to catch any- 

 thing that might fall between them, and after each discharge 

 found what I should say was from Jf to i 4 dr. nnburned powder. 

 Some of the party present did not think the powder thus collect- 

 ed wonld explode, but on being touched with a lighted match, it 

 burned the same as any powder. We then tried 4 drs. and found 

 that nearly all of it burned, only four or five grains penetrating 



the paper and escaping unburned, as far as we conld see, With 4 

 dra. No. 2 grain of same powder, all apparently burnad, as we conld 

 Bhoot none through the paper. After this I mads my charges i drs. 

 No. 3 grain powder, and did flrat-rate execution. A few days later 

 we made a machine to test the pattern and penetration of shot, 

 and found that 4 drs. powdor gave better pattern than either 1)4 

 or 5 drs. ; and the best penetration we could get was with 4 drs., 

 and the trial that showed the greatest penetration was made with 

 4 drs. Of course, the penetration was not exactly alike with the 

 Bame charges, but the average with 4 drs. was better than with 

 any other, and No. 2 grain gave better penetration than No. 3 

 grain. No. 6 shot was used and 10 gauge guns. We found that 

 3% dre. No. 2 grain powder and 1 1-8 oz. shot gave the best satis- 

 faction with an 8>£lb8. 12 gauge gnu. From these experiments I 

 became convinced that a large majority of our sportsmen were 

 using too much powder and (here I expect opposition) too coarse 

 grain. I do not believe any 10 gauge gun not over 32in. long in 

 barrels will burn inside the barrels over 4 drs. No. 3 grain powder, 

 and I believe No, 2 grain will do the beBt service. Will not some 

 one who has experimented or given the matter thought enlighten 

 the readers of the Forest and Stream on the subject of size of 

 grain and quantity of powder to use ? Oahvas-Baok. 



THE ROAN MOUNTAINS. 



White sulphur springs, Col., July, 1878. 



ITr. Editor: The name Roan was probably given to these mountains 

 because of their color; the name Book becanseof their form. They 

 are of volcanic origin, and composed largely of gray and brown erup- 

 tive rocks which give peculiar tints. They are of the ww or table 

 form, nearly flat-topped, Isolated, individual and not in any continuous 

 range. Some are of great extent, but preserving tue same uniform out- 

 line, suggesting a book opened in the middle and laid flat, the leaves 

 receding evenly from the opposite sides, but with this departure from 

 the simile that in the center instead of a depression there la a dome— 

 a miniature rounded peak, set upon the wide and otherwise straight, 

 horizontal mountain top. Then it suggests the book opened as before, 

 and turned face downward. A number of these mountains reach 

 above timber line, and carry more or less snow throughout the year. 



This volcanic rock makes excellent soil, rich as mould; hence, all 

 around and among them is luxuriant pasture. Higher up are wide 

 belts of pine and spruce timber. Lower down, groves and lines of 

 aspens, with intervals of meadow, each with Its springs and crystal 

 streams, covered with bunch grass that brushed our horses' Banks. Of 

 conrse, deer will be there. They cannot And a better home. Lower 

 down, toward the large streams, the slopes are timbered with pinyon, 

 a nut-bearing pine, and cedar. The pastures are rich grasses, white 

 sage and scrub oak. 8now does not lie In winter, and here the deer 

 and elk congregate In countless herds during that portion of the year. 



We failed to And any bears. They had gone to some other range. 

 Tho streams were generally too high and roily for trout, as Bnow banks 

 were yet plentiful on all the higher lands, and melting fast, but In Thn 

 ponaB Creek, Bgeria Park, we found some good fly Ashing. We caught, 

 in part of an afternoon, all we could use and a quantity to bring home 

 Prom valley to valley, all over that region, are deep, wide and old 

 buffalo trails, and in the valleys themselves are dotted everywhere with 

 their wallows. Mouldering skulls alone mark where the last of them 

 died. 



There is no lovelier country to the world than these mountains and 

 valleys In the Bummer time, with fresh foliage, verdant meadows, 

 myriads of flowers of every color ond the brightest hues, crystal 

 streams, cool, bracing air and the eternal mountains, with their never- 

 fading crowna of white always In view. It is never hot. Ton may 

 nave front every night, yet wild fruits ripen, and the most delicate 

 plants flourish everywhere. Jnat now we are luxuriating upon wild 

 strawberries. W. K. B. 



THE LATE SHOT TRIAL. 



Philadelphia, July 27, 1S7S. 

 Editor Forest akd Stream : 



1 noticed In your Issue of the tlth Inst, an account of a trial of the 

 relative merits of soft vs. chilled shot while took place at Oermantown 

 June 29. Now, giving the participant all dne credit for their efforts to 

 sett,e disputed points it seems to me to have been entirely out of place 

 in a trial of shot to have mentioned in the report tho average, etc., 

 of several afferent brands of powder and, as mention Is particularly 

 made of the brand having made the beBt avetage and where It was pro- 

 cured aud also the make of gun nsed, it would lead some people to sup- 

 pose that the trial was not merely to decide as to the respective merits 

 of soft and chilled shot, but was gotten up to advertise a certain brand 

 of gun and powder. Now, in matters or this kind It Is troth that is 

 wanted, and if powder entered into this trial of shot would it not have 

 been proper to have used powder of a uniform quality throughout and 

 not have classed the highest grade of one make with the inferior grades 

 of Borne other makes. From my knowledge of powder as a sportsman 

 and from what I can learn from different agents and dealers in this 

 city I.anin & Rand Orange Lightning, to which is given the credit of 

 making tho best average, la a high grado of powder, considered by its 

 makers par excel ence aud Is the same In quality and price as Hazard's 

 Electric, Pigon Wilts and Lawrence's Alliance, American Telegraph, 

 Dupont and Oriental Diamond Grain and Curtis * Earvey's No. 0, while 

 the Hazard, Dupont and Oriental powder used are of a Becond grade 

 and about 25 per cent, lower In price than the Orange Lightning, etc. 

 So that It may be readily seen that an injustice has been clone to those 

 makers who were not placed npon an eq ial footing in this respect. I 

 consider the mention of this matter a duty and hope our friends in Ger- 

 mantown on another occasion give all a fair trial. Shortv. 



[PEOM OTJB OWN CORRESPONDENT.] 



INTERNATIONAL PIGEON MATCH. 



ENGLAND AND AMERICA AT THE TRAPS. 

 Having seen most, lr not all, of the crack allots of England during my 

 late visit to Europe i have made un my mind that they shoot wonder- 

 fully well. The pigeons are faster and smaller ; the guns used, as a 

 rule, are much lighter ttiau ours ; the powder in my opinion, is a trine 

 srrouger, aud they use less of It than we do. ion cornea the other 

 side of the question. The English hold tnelr gun to within three 

 inches of the shoulder all the time, and in a direct line with the traps. 

 Then raiee it a little, so as to cover the probate rise oi the turd w hen 

 sprung frum the trap. At tho word " Pull," the .hooter merely brings 

 the butt of the m bade the three Inches to his shoulder, having his 

 . .,■',. .-I, and the bird covure i nil Ihe time. According to 

 our rales the butt oi the gun meat be beta . WJ, t°swjhe 



least, is ceitainly more si onmanllke. In the match between Penned 

 and Bogardua, tne latter shot perhaps aa badly as i have ever seen nun, 

 kihiug only 70 out of 10D birds at so yarda rise, with the use of both 

 barrels. It la not irue that Ota nun was In their eyes ad the time, as 

 this oecurred only during the last twenty-live birds shot at, nor Is it a 

 fact that the wind was blowing direct from the traps. TflfWlnd dur- 

 ing the whole or the match was blowing almost across the lino or me. 

 Tuereia no i i ihe badly shot Wrrts conslder- 



aDly, but ] repeat Bouaioua shot worse than 1 ever BBW him. people 

 may Bay he shot good enough to win, which is very true, but »' 

 Penned was one bird ahead, and only live or six buds to shoot at. It 



was a very narrow squeak for Bogardus. 



Daring a conversation I had wlthyonng Sir. Dougali In regar* to mak- 

 ing some arrangements for an International Pigeon Match, he informed 



me t hat he had had a conversation with Captain Shelley at Monaco to 

 »bO ut ihg same effect. Captain Shelley said ; "I think *I can mat* op 

 a team, or get four or five, men to go to the .-nates »nd snout tne some 

 number of American gentlemen, provided the terms of the matches, 

 places, etc., sad ail preliminaries are arranged beforehand, and sub- 

 mitted to me and my friendC 



The followmtr was proposed by me to Mr. Dongall, In which he 

 agreed, but all of tho terms are subject to alteration : The English 

 team to nonsuit of four gentlemen, wn.ii nn exr« umn in raw of acci- 

 dent or ill health, who wid Bhoot the like number m American gentle- 

 men III Vhe following cities : New York, Philiidelpnta, Buffalo. Chicago. 

 St, Lonis, etc., for a sum of money, any $500 each man, and $100 forfeit 

 each man, or as may be agreed, at twenty-live birds each man, thirty 

 yards rise, from live traps five yards apart, 1 ... oz. allot struck the Eng- 

 lish to ahoot as they are accustomed to, tile Americans likewise Ttte 

 traos to be pulled au omatieally, ao that it shall he unnossiol- to favor 

 anybody, as : . V ohn tarns the crunk, nor in fact any- 



body has the Bllght.esl conception which trap will be sprung. Tne Eng- 

 lish will bring a [midline with them. The gnus to be restricted to 

 il-bore. 



The American gentlemen who propose shooting in the different cities 

 must arrange among themselves Bstoifho is to el t 'nthatwhen 



the Engl sli team come over there will be no disappointment. After 

 the matches all gentlemen who fancy taemsslve- able to 'ope with the 

 English team will have every opportunity of making a match with »ny 

 of the team. If the Forest akd struah will get the men and arrange 

 preliminaries, and correspond with young Mr Dougall, the match or 

 matches can be eaJlUJ brought about, aa I distinctly understood from 

 Mr. Dougad that Captain Shelley and ids friends will be pleased to en- 

 tertain the matier. 



All 1 can do is to Bet the ball rolling, aud T now leave tula matter lu 

 your hands. May the beet team win is the sincere wish of 



Tp* Rttreet, Billt/onti, Nottoaay Co., Fa., Aug, 20, 1876. 



PIGEON MATCHES. 



Canada— Xcntnal, Aug. 14.— Match for gold medal and title ot 



Champion Wine: -Shot of Quebec;" open to all in the Province of 

 Quebec ; 20 birds each, M yard, r.ae, SO yards boundary ; Grand Trunk 

 traps, St. Hubert Club rules : 



OGuy ii 01 II 11 11 01 11*11 11 10— IT 



Laflenr n n n n io n n oi 10 11—17 



Pepin.: io n n n n n n n n n— ia 



Dubac io n ii io 01 11 11 n n ow 



Chapleau io oi 10 10 w 



HLajeunosse 11 11 11 u n n n n 11 11-20 



Bayard u u n oi 11 11 11 n n ow 



Money n 11 n n oi jo 1 It 01 Ow 



N Lnjeunessc 11 01 II H Jl u H io 10 1w 



JMnllen io 01 11 11 11 01 11 ii oo ow 



Second match ; open to all the Dominion ; four prizes ; gold medal 

 to first, Bliver cop to second ; 6 birds, 21 yards rise. SO yards boundary 

 same trap and rules: '' 



Duhuc 1 11111111 1— io MuKenzle. ..1 11111111 ii— 9 



Blaokwood..l 1 1 l 1 1 l o w 



Laflenr, Hamilton, Bayard, Cornell, Poirler, Laleunesse Chapleau 

 Bonnevwe and Churttand withdrew. RoTAiTli. 



Maine— Topstiam, Aug. 16.— Riverside Club glass ball match : re- 

 volving trap ; 18 yardB rise : 



Knight. n l i o 1 001 1 1 111—9 



GGoud 00010101011011— T 



Keay 110010 100001111—8 



AGoud 0111111111)1010 0-8 



Hall 11110 10 111—8 



Slinson 1 00 Ii 00 II 000010— a 



Perry o l I o l l i o l l l o l i o_io 



Bonney 1 1 <H 1 1 1 D 1 1 1 1 i-u 



Baker hi inn linoi iui-1 



CGond 001110 Otiiloioi— fl 



Fisher l uiioiiiiiioit i— 12 



Lakey o oooiOOOOOlOilO— * 



York , ooooiioiooionii— a 



W. A. S. 



MABSACHTJSSETTe -Frcxh Fond, Avg. ID.— Lynn vs, Cambridge. Chal- 

 lenge match; three traps; Bogardus rules, IS yards rise, tiventy-hve 

 Paine bads : 



Lynn Gun Clnb. 



HL George 1 11111110 Oliooilllioiioi 1— ID 



H wnikT i i i i i l i l i o l l o i o o u i I I o i o (i l— ir 



E WWebster 1 11 U 1 1111 1 01 1 1110110011 l-ai 



John Merrill 1 1 1 1 n I o I I I 1 1 o 1 1 1 1 1 i i l i_to 



o L Baldwin l l 1 l l l l l o o o i o i i i o o l o o o o 1 1—15 



ECHollis 1 11110010011100101011110 1— 1G 



Total.... io; 



Cambridge Gnn Club. 

 H W Mortimer OllllOllollOflllOlOOOlllc l— u 



TH Lauder 1 1 1 1 11 1 I 1 I 1 1 1 1 I II 1 J 1 , 1—19 



A SHerrlman 1 1 1 o l 1 o 1 o o 1 1 1 1 n 1 l l i i i o— is 



W H llarriKou 1 110 1110 11110 11111111)10 1—21 



AUHebbard 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 l 1 1 o i i l o i i !_ ia 



CEutebrouk 1 OllOOllllOllOlUlOOllln i_it 



Total , lm 



Rhode Islanp— Newport, Aug, 10,— Match on Narraeansett Club 

 grounds, between E. W. Davis and J, Tnwnsend. Woo by Davis with 

 8l)t birds out of seven, alter a tie of sixteen each out of twenty, Sweep. 

 stakes won by DaviB with eight out of ten. 



The toa-tch wae a handicap for cup presented the oiub by Mr. Pierre 



JLorillard, of New York; ten birds each, three misses and retire: 



C Livingston 20 yds 1 1 1 1 1 i i i o i_j 



SH Robbing 28 l 1 1 1 1 1 u i i i_ 



ITownsend 27Vi 1 l 1 1 i I o 1 1 i_u 



JBRoche 29 1 1 1 1 I l l i o-H 



PBelmont 28« 1 1 I o 1 1 i l i_ g 



J U Heckscher 27 l l 1 1 l i l o o 1—6 



P Lorlllard, Jr 27X 1 1 1 I 1 1 1 1 0-8 



R Garrett 2S 1 1 1 1 l l o 1 0—7 



WHidden - 2TK 1 1 1 1 1 I 1 fl— 7 



PLorlllard 26H • ...' 1 1 1 1 1 1 w 



AJThornhlll 29 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 w 



R Peters 2S 1 1 1 1 1 1 i w 



HWtUlleck 2StJ 1 1 1 1 1 1 w 



SfStory 88 1 1 1 1 u 1 w 



EWDtvl) SO 1 I 1 1 i m 



MVanBnren 29 1 1 1 1 1 w 



JFPIersin V6X 1 1 1 1 I w 



JSFrlck ,29 1 1 1 w 



J G Beunett 27 1 1 w 



H Kidgelv 21 1 w 



TCVanBuren 30 w 



The tie on nine was won by Livingston with three straight. 



n (JOLllOUl, d\ 11 1 ' ' " ' ' > 1 " ' * * v 1 " " V 1 1 J JL L U IS 



Win Si'oaold 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 (I 1 I I 1 1 1 0—I6 



GF Foote 1 (I 1 1 1 I) t t 1 1 1 1 1 1 



W H Hnilth 1 1 1 1 I 1 1 ] 1 ,1 , 1 11 1 1 l-u 



R n Gillespie 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 0—12 



LB fJard.ug.. 11000 00000000101010000— 5 



ELStudwed 1 HOlOOlOOOOOOOOlOOOOOOflOO— 4 



Second competition for loading tools : 



GSFoote I oiojonioiiiii i_io 



H oothout, Jr 1 1 1 00 1 l 1 1 1 1 1 — 10 



WH Smith Ill 1 1) 11 1 01 0001 1— a 



LB Harding „.l lOuomiil 11 t 1- 7 



EF W Gillespie 10 1 1 1 1 1- 8 



A G Weed, 0"r 11 1 1 1 l 1 l 0— « 



EBSludwell il 1 1 11 11 .11, 1 j (I 1 0- B 



Wm Scofield ti 1 1 1 1 0— 4 



J H Smith 01000001010000— 1 



Tie on ten. 

 Foote 1110 0—3 Oothout 1 0— 1 



First competition for pocket implement case : 



Hendrle 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1—8 BconoW 101 1 1 0— t 



Oothoat, Jr..0 1 1 1 1 1 1 1— T Harding 1 1 1 11 1 0—4 



K Gillespie. .0 111O011 1— s Studwell . . 1 1 1 o-s 

 Weed, Jr. ...1 0110 10 001-6 E Gillespie. .0 1 n 1 0— 2 

 Smith t 001*11010—5 D»nlel onto IHIIM 



