I^REST AND 



LEAVES FROM A DIARY OF WESTERN 

 TRAVEL. 



| 



OME five weeks ago a hunting parly was made up in our 

 Wotflce, and through the intermedium or the Fokest and 

 Stbeam, the services of Mr. John Omohondro were obtained. 

 "We take great pleasure in reproducing the itinary of this 

 party — true hunters, every one of them. We beg to call 

 attention to the terse, clear manner in which information is 



mparted. This is the way to tell a story. Fine writing is 

 all good enough in its way, but mostly it is voxpreteria nihil? 

 Rawlins, W. T., August 18. 



July 27, U:;;0a. h., we started from here, but" did not 

 travel further than about eight miles when we camped near 

 a little creek. After dinner we took our guns, but without 

 any success, except that I killed a couple of young sage- 

 liens. Elevation, 7,2(10 feet. 



28l7i. — Left camp at 7:30; came at noon upon a plateau 

 where I he aneroid showed 6,200 feet. We made about 

 eighteen miles, and got in camp at 3 o'clock, near Muddy 

 Creek. Wo had a lovely place in a little poplar grove at the 

 head of a spring. Near the camp the fish were scarce, and 



1 caught only twelve little trout. Elevation, 8,100 feet. 

 29#i, — Without moving camp we took our horses and rode 



some miles to another brook, where 1 1 1 c fishing was so good 

 that I filled my basket in a few hours. Frank and Jack tried 

 to shoot antelope ; fired several shots butdid not kill any, 

 The trout in this water are long and slim, large head, boclv 

 silvery, with bluish-black spots; belly is nearly red j very 

 little game in them. There is another fish here which takes 

 the fly like a trout, The form and color is like a salt water 

 minnow ; ventral and anal (ins red, dorsal fin and tail yel- 

 lowish, scales small and silvery; has a good flavor, but is 

 full of bones; a kind of chub. "During the eclipse I caught 

 my largest trout that day, and when the darkness was over 

 we turned home to our camp, where we heard bad news. 

 Jack was cooking dinner, and during the eclipse, which both 

 of them were watching, the tent and some of our blankets 

 f.nd quilts caught lire, which, after some, efforts, they ex- 

 tinguished. This accident was a good experience for us— 

 not to make the fire too close to the tent again. 



80$.— Left camp at 10 o'clock. After we had been rid- 

 ing about eight miles we saw at a distance two men on 

 horsback, who took us first for Indians, but whenthey found 

 out the mistake came up to us. Coming from Colorado, 

 they were going north. Six miles more we stopped, being a 

 little tired of the hot sun; thermometer showed Ho deg., and 

 the night before we had ice. We found here a splendid 

 clear and cold brook, and expected good fishing, but no fis'a 

 was caught, not even a minnow or chub. 1 think the water 

 contained too much lime and alkaLi. In the evening five of 

 our horses ran away about two miles, and it took all the skill 

 of the guides to bring them back again. Elevation, 7,200 

 feet. 



31st.— Soon after breakfast we all went out to kill some 

 game for our dinner. Jack and Tip killed an antelope each, 

 while Frank and myself^ only wounded oue each ; I broke 

 the hind leg of one, but my old Jimmy, being slow, could 

 not catch him, and gave the chase up. After dinner we tried 

 it again. Jack and I came in camp at ti o'clock, let our 

 horses loose, and 1 took the cartridge out of my rifle. 

 When we were putting our saddles aside we saw lour lanje 

 buck elks coming down a canyon. We took our rifles (ml 

 ran all speed to cut them off in a little cut-out in the moun- 

 tain. Jack was over 100 yards ahead of me, when I could 

 not run any more. 1 rested a minute, and then I saw Jack 

 making signs to me to come up to him. I tried all my 

 strength, and when on the top of the hill I saw three elks to 

 the left and the big buck about 100 yards ahead of them 

 near the creek, 200 yards from me. I put my Sharps to the 

 shoulder and pulled, but no shot responded— I forgot to 

 load. Still the buck gave mo time to do this, and then 1 

 fired, with what success I could not tell. He ran after a 

 sudden jump over the hill and got out of sight Meanwhile 

 Jack fired several shots at the others, broke one down, 

 which ran off again. When I climbed up to the top of the 

 hill I saw Jack raising his gun at my big buck that had 

 fallen down in the high grass, and tried to gel upagain; but 

 ho was so sick that he could only walk, and after a bullet 

 broke one of his fore feet he sank down close to the creek, 

 where a bullet through his head killed him. When he was 

 lying there he looked at us angrily and showed fight. My bul- 

 let had penetrated the abdomen about three inches before 

 his right hind leg, and very likely went through the bowels 

 into the lungs. He was a very large buck, and Jack esti- 

 mated his weight up to 800 or 900 pounds. His antlers are 

 enormous, large and fine, although in velvet. The guides 

 said that they seldom saw sucli large horns in velvet. I felt 

 proud, but at the same time a kind of sadness came over mc 

 for having killed such a large animal and not. being able to 

 make use of all the meat. Wconly took the loins, tongue and 

 antlers. When we came to camp Tip, brought a black-tailed 

 buck home. 



August 1. — We moved south about eight miles to the main 

 branch of the Savory Creek. Here I found good fronting 

 of small size ; could catch more than we could eat. Frank 

 and .luck went, out shooting, and Frank succeeded in killing 

 a fine antelope buck, whose horns he brought in camp as a 

 trophy. 



2d.— Tip and I took horses and rode up the creek 

 about three nules, where I caught some good-sized trout, 

 but not many; while Tip, during bis fishing, caught by 

 chance a young .wild goose. Our camp was very well fur- 

 nished with meat and fish, and for dinner our 'bill of fare 

 showed elk, deer, antelope, trout, flapjacks and coffee. 



3d. — To-day, like the last few days, the thertnomc- 

 ter showed between 80 and 90, while in the morning at 5 

 o'clock we found ice in our cups. It was too hot to go 

 shooting or fishing, so we stayed in camp and put our things 

 to rights. In the morning we had a good wash and in the 

 afternoon we mended our clothes and smoked the pipe of 

 peace. After this hard work we look a nice, cooling and 

 refreshing balh in the Savory. Jack and Tip had looked out 

 for the next day's camp. Elevation, 7,700 feet. 



4$h— At rive we got up, took breakfast at 5:8Q, and 

 started at seven, and then moved about eight or ten miles 

 south to the head of Savoiy Greek. The stream is small 

 here, and so^ are fish, which everywhere in this water take 

 the fly readily, so that I could catch a mess at any time. 

 While I was fishing, wading the stream and casting the fly 

 into a Shadowy popl, overhung by willow bushes, suddenly 

 1 saw a big old antelope buck standing within five yards be- 

 fore me without any fear, knowing very well that I could not 

 kill him with my split bamboo Tod, then walked slowly 

 away. Nothing of importance occurred this day. 



STREAAf. 



£ 



5th. — Game was here in great abundance, but as we 

 had meat enough in camp Jack and I took our horses and 

 went out sight-seeing; but, unluckily, I forgot to take my 

 aneroid with mc. We climbedjip very high mountains, and 

 had magnificent views. The highest point we ascendod was 

 about 10,000 feet. When we came in camp wc heard that 

 Frank bad k'lled an antelope. 



6th.— The day was hot again, and we did not do 

 I caught some trout near the 



much hunting or flsi 

 camp, and then Fran! 

 we cooked with such 

 With the fat Han-jacks 

 7t/t.— We moved 



and I T 

 a fin 



UP 



ed go. 



, Of which 

 :st-ratc 



nt J 



i'.le 



which tired us out, as well as the horses. We bad = __ 

 rough but more picturesque country; had to pass many high 

 and steep mountains; sometimes il was not without danger 

 to go down the steep canyons and slide down the rocks. "At 

 about 4 o'clock we arrived at the junction of the two 

 branches of Battle Creek in a lovely valley, which is sur- 

 rounded on three sides, forming a triangle, "by high moun- 

 tains. Wc put our camp up near the junction of the two 

 branches, both of them splendid streams, large enough for 

 fly casting. We had scarcely put our feet on the ground 

 when I made my rod ready to catch. Almost with every 

 cast one or two fine trout were lauded. 1 never had a better 

 trout fishing. Not to say that fish were of large size, but 

 they were so abundant and so gamey that I could not stop 

 fishing, although I had to put them all back, as we could 

 not eat them all. Out of one pool, where the branches came 

 together, I caught thirty-two trout, from six to eighteen 

 ounces, without moving from my stand. The lish were de- 

 licious, and wc hadthcni cooked in three different styles. 

 [Concluded next week.] ScnMAUB. 



EASTERN LONG ISLAND. 



PERHAPS to the experienced traveler the journey across 

 Long Island is not the pleasautcst be might find' among 

 the various railways leading out of New York, although the 

 quiet beauty of the scenery beyond Eiverhead would delight 

 the eye. of an artist : but to the man who loves to tramp, with 

 ready gun and watchful dog, when the fields are brown in the 

 auturuu, and the leaves fall gently through the still, warm 

 haze of Indian summer, all the latter part of the ride is at- 

 tractive. He recalls the prairies as he glides across the level 

 green plains of Hempstead, with its toy town of Garden City- 

 then great fields of buckwheat, white patches in the universal 

 verdancy, remind him of how fond the quails are of buck- 

 wheat stubble, and he forms an unuttered hope that the reap- 

 ers will not glean too closely. At Farmingdale begins a 

 close heather of blackberry bushes, etc., and after a few" miles 

 of this the road penetrates the boundary of that sterile and 

 fine scrub-oak region, which covers the whole interior of the 

 island, and is not escaped this side of Yaphank station. The 

 surface here is as level as a floor, and the trees, as a rule, are 

 so scattered that you may look for miles ahead, while I here is 

 no such shadow as exists in a forest. Sometimes only a 

 little thin grass covers the ground, which is carpeted by pine 

 needles. But where oaks grow the ground is likely to be 

 concealed under a continuous chapparal of tangled vines, 

 briers, saplings and weeds, knee-deep, which makes grouse 

 shooting (or partridge shooting as it is termed here) fatiguing 

 and somewhat dangerous spurt, since the feet are not free to 

 take the quick steps and sudden turns often demanded when 

 a grouse is flushed. The range of pretty hills to the north- 

 ward of the line of the road, known as the " Spine," used to 

 be, and still is, a famous place for ruffed grouse. 



It was in this dry, open country, where the berries and 

 small acorns which it loved so well were to be round in 

 abundance, that a century ago the pinnated grouse resorted in 

 plentiful flocks, rearing their young all over this central part 

 of the Island. It was known to the pioneers aa the 

 " heath hen," and they pursued it so recklessly that, as long 

 ago as 1840, Giraud could find no trace of its presence, ami 

 put it down in his " Birds of Long Island " as extinct, if in 

 [reduced once more and protected, no doubt the prairie 

 chicken would thrive well, and increase fast on their ances- 

 tral uplands. At Yaphank the eye is attracted by a stream 

 which the train shoots over, and which flows tin i ! tl 

 yon of vegetation, as it were, the trees and bushes rowing 

 so directly from the water's edge that no bank can be seen at 

 all. "Trout inhabit that stream '' is the mental 

 wc rush by. There is no doubt they do, for w. 

 some of the best trout ponds on the south side a 

 waters. For some miles now the region becoi 

 wooded and swampy, black, isolated tarns gleaming ami ^ 

 the trees, out of which, perhaps, a startled bittern will rise on 

 heavy wings and flap away in silence. 



Eiverhead passerl, you come to the shores of Peconic Bay, 

 and the region for fall duck shooting. Spring duck shooting 

 does not amount to much here, but in the fall and early 

 winter prime sport may be had. In each of the little half- 

 fanning half-fishing villages along the shore of the bay, there 

 are some one or two gentlemen who shoot more or less and 

 who own creditable dogs ; but the metropolis of the gunning, 

 as of all other interests in this region, is Greenport, the ter- 

 minus of the LoDg Island Railroad. 



It was my good fortune to mske the acquaintance thereof 

 several gentlemen, fond of the gun and skillful in i: 

 kindly posted me as to the prospects for goon gunning in their 

 vicinity during the coming autumn and the best localities to 

 be chosen by any one wishing to make good bags in sports- 

 man-like fashion. Mr. Burt Clark, who may be spoken of 

 (without prejudice to his comrades) as probably the most 

 thorough sportsman in the place, says that he has not for many 

 years known woodcock so plenty as they were in tins region 

 last summer. Just before the Fourth of July one man ' ' dug 

 up " six. in a clump on Shelter Island, and Mr. Clark thought 

 that even now, if one was to search especially for them, he 

 could fiud forty in a single day's tramping. There is no good 

 fall woodcock shooting in Suffolk County, and if summer 

 shooting Here abolished the effect would be to stop the spent 

 altogether ; still, a two weeks' later opening of the lawful 

 season would probably be an improvement. Some parts of 

 the south side of Peconic Bay afford good woodcock ground— 

 the Outskirts ol East Hamp'ton, for example- and Montauk 

 Point is represented as the " boss " spot of all, as well as for 

 all sorts of snipe and plover. 



Gn enport's " Btrong bold " is quail shooting. Besides Mr. 

 Burt Clark and his brother John, there may be mentioned 

 several others who are good shots : * among tlieni 

 Mr. Clark, Sr., father of the two gentlemen alluded tu 

 above, John Geehring, Captain Austin Benuett, of the yachl 

 Arrow, W. W. Reeve, Ferdi mud Heizemanu. Elliott Wiggins 

 and H. W. Hulsey. At Mattituek Ed. Belts sh fo 



market, getting, it is said, two hundred quails last Fall; end 

 at Bailing Hollow, Wm. Youngs has the reputation of being 

 the best shot. The farmers are disposed to moke no objec- 

 tions to persons lawfully shooting on their lands if they are 



know that 



} fed by its 



thickly 



well behaved and careful not to do mischief to fences or 

 wound any of the valuable live stock, of which a large amount 

 is owned in the county. 



Greenport sportsmen need not go far, but usually tramp 

 eastward, the country there being more adapted to tlio birds, 

 and at the same time easier to shoot over. Strangers coming 

 here would do well to follow their example. In Oshamomock 

 — the neighboring township northwestwardly — the outskirts 

 of Dismal Swamp, and Brown's Meadows are good localities ; 

 also Qui en street, Silver Lake, Long Pond, Alberson';-, Paul 

 ! and C mkiin's lands, and the neighborhood of Ihe 

 crossings. In East Marion, in the opposite direction, D. G. 

 i, Boxet Pond, East Marion Lake, Kirch Pnnd and 

 Jerome's farm are favorite grounds. Shelter Island and 

 Gardiner's Island, Montauk and outskirts of Sag Harbor also 

 afford good shooting for quail, which are already piping loud 

 and clear from the stone walls. 



For grouse shooting the sportsman must go to the southern 

 peninsula, or else some dozen or eighty miles west of Green- 

 pori. ,Tust around here there are not enough grouse to make 

 good sport, Southeastward from Eiverhead," however, they 

 are sniil ti i lie in plenty. Of course, there are some good dogs 

 in J.liia vicinity. Burt Clark kindly took me over to see his 

 pups, the mother of which is his Irish setter bitch Linda, 

 and the father, Schoonmaker'fi bine belton setter, Ben. They 

 are exceedingly promising puppies. I mention, en passant, 

 Mr. Clark's valuable outfit, of apparatus for ducking and snip- 

 ing bat I cries, boats, decoys and stools of artistic make and 

 endless quantity, and the "various other accoutrements of an 

 enthusiastic sportsman. Other dogs which ought to be named 

 are Captain Bennett's liver-colored setter, Mink, Hcizenuui's 

 liver-colored pointer, Ned, and Aleck Wiggins' orange and 

 white pure Irish setter, Dan, which I did not see, but which 

 was represented to ine aa being an exceedingly fine dog. 



Having thus given the information likely' to be of interest 

 and value to sportsmen who are seeking a good place for 

 game during the coming autumn, concerning the claims of 

 i he eastern end of Long Island to notice, oniy one thing re- 

 mains to be noticed— lodging facilities. This is a matter of 

 too much importance to be ignored. The most ardent and 

 strong legged sportsman gets tired and hungry ; where he can 

 best overcome both these sad concomitants of a day's shoot- 

 ing it is important for him to know. All these vikages have 

 good taverns. It is hard to choose between them, I should 

 say: "Avoid the 'summer' hotels." The best place, un- 

 doubtedly, here in Greenport (which is likely to be the visit- 

 ing sportsman's headquarters), is the Wyandouk House. I 

 speak from a varied experience. Though Charley Wright 

 may not have the time to carry the gun a great deal, both he 

 and the amiable " Mrs. Charlie " know how to take care of 

 those who do shoot. As for getting here, two trains daily on 

 the Long Island Railroad arrive at, convenient hours, or you 

 may lake .steamboats from New York tri-wcekly, and from 

 New London daily. The same remark applies to Sag 

 Harbor, where I should recommend the Nassau House. 



Joitn Caknifkx. 



FROM THE SEAT OF WAR. 



WE arrived in Ceutralia, Mo., 3 e. m., August 14, and 

 found ourselves in the midst of an immense grazing 

 country; almost level prairie as far as eye could reach, broken 

 only by hedges and small groves. When we got off the cars 

 at Centralia we saw some half dozen wagon loads of hunters 

 just starting out to get first shooting after the expiration of 

 close season for chickens. Each wagon contained from four 

 to ten men, and half as many dogs. During an hour or so 

 spent in C, we saw a number of parties in wagons, on foot 

 and horseback, with their guns, dogs and, in most instances', 

 camping outfit, pass through the town on their way to larger 

 prairies fait her north. We were informed by our sporting 

 li'ieuds that recently all the best ground bad been fenced in 

 and posted, the owners combined In prohibiting all shooting ; 

 wo therefore decided to start as quickly as possible and get, aa 

 far north as we could away from railroad and towus before 

 sundown. We procured tt two-horse team and spring wagon 

 wi h driver at the low figure of 43 per day, laid in provisions 

 necessary in case we bad to camp, put. the dogs in Ihe wagon 

 and started across the seemingly" endless prairie. After driv- 

 ing about ten milts we accidentally came across the owner of 

 a large tract of " posted " land, and, after much pot u ion 

 we succeeded in getting him to " take care ol " us. We found 

 him to be a good-hearted fellow, who fed us like fighting 

 cocks. If his house had ouly been as large as his heart I 

 could imagine no pleasanlcr place to stay, but alas I his house 

 was small ami contained but two rooms. To lodge threa men 

 in sui'h a house, with himself, wife and five children, was 

 crowding a little more than is always pleasant. We located 

 two coveys ot chickens alter sundown, giving our dogs a lit- 

 tle run. We were at them next morning as soon as we could 

 see to ShoOt, Tin: grass was high ami wet, and the birds lay 

 pretty well for the dogs, but at the first flight Went into tail 



corn, where it was useless to lollow them. After bagging 

 nine we put for the only piece of uniuclosed prairie, contain- 

 ing about 1,000 acres. When we got, there we saw parties 

 coming on the prairie in every direction. We found the first 

 CJ1TCJ and Killed three birds fit then seemed us if a whole 

 regiment of infantry had broken loose; the prairie was covered 

 with men and dogs ranging in eveiy direction. Four coveys 

 were put up, and in half an hour not a chicken was left on 

 the prairie, all having either been killed or scared off. I 

 counted fifty-two men within sight, and fully twenty-five 

 dogs. This prairie being -the only place where they were 

 ■ I lo hunt, and all the game having disappeared, there 

 waft an informal mass meeting held to condemn the recent 

 action of land owners, examine guns and dogs, and to gener- 

 ally growl, the thermometer by this time being up in the 

 After watering and sponging off our dogs my party 

 drove oft EOT pastures new, Wc came to a nice looking prai- 

 rie inclosed with close board fence, with sharp spikes and 

 spiked wires between the boards, and so fixed on lop that a 

 man could not get over without great danger to clothes and 

 person. The gales were padlocked, so we could not get our 

 wagon in, and without it we could do nothing, as we had to 

 ■ i lor the dogs, who required constant Sponging to 

 keep them from giving out, While cogitating, two country- 

 'I an l we interviewed them, and found thaUive 

 brothers owned each about 1.000 acres of this prairie all 

 fenced in this way, and that they could not lie induced to let 

 any one ahoot on their land. We thought, however, that the 

 privilege was worth trying for, as 5,000 acres, having as many 

 chickens upon it as this was said to have, wotdd give us ail 

 we wanted, 80 we started to find the owner, determined to 

 We had not proceeded far when we met a young 

 man on hoi sebxek with a single barrel gun ; we Stopped to 

 inquire the way from him. As stum as his eyes lit on our 

 : k as a ihuudei cloud, and in reply to my 

 inquiry if he knew whose land was in a certain inclosure he 

 simply said " Yes." I asked him to kindly inform mc. He 



