310 



FOREST 3 ANDISTREAM. 



water-proof. I had a pair made this fall, weighing three and 

 onu-hulf pound3 ; have waded for hours through mud and 

 water, and have ' yet to report damp feet. They can be de- 

 Iivered at the express office in Montreal for about four dol- 

 lars and a half. The price depends somewhat on the length 

 of limb of the party ordering. Jban. 



As Improving Ovs.— Montreal Nov. 9.— The enclosed 

 extract from the letter of one of my chance correspondents is 

 too rich to be hidden from the light of day: " The gun 1 had 

 from you two years ago proves all right as far as shooting 

 qualities go. It is not as good for grouse on the wing as 

 wben sitting still, but it is improving in that respect." 



K. H. K. 



Babbit Eaes.— During the four years past in which a 

 bouutv of two cents per pair of rabbits' cars has been offered 

 by the government of Idaho, the receipts of ears up to date 

 have been 19,968 pairs. Wanted, some smart Yankee to de- 

 vise a use for rabbit ears. Apply to Idaho County Commis- 

 sioners. 



■>■ . 



THE D1TTMAR POWDER. 



Wilkksbaehb, Pa , Nov. 5, 1878. 

 Editor Forest and Stream and Rod and Got : 



Inclosed please had a letter from Mr. Tomblee, which 

 gives particulars of ihe Dittmar accident at Catasauqua. The 

 gun referred to as Mr. Fuller's is the one I supposed belonged 

 . Eberhart, 1 have no interest in any powder, but am 

 anxious that sportsmen should not be led by those in whose 

 o3 they put confidence to use an unsafe article. The 

 question is not which is safe, but which is the safer. Every- 

 body knows that without great care black powder is not safe, 

 that it is a very dangerous compound. What Dittmar powder is 

 I do notknow, nor would 1 say that it cannot be as safe as black 

 powder, but that fire drachms of it should explode with suf- 

 ficient force to shatter well made guns, as in this case, ought 

 to be sufficient to make ordinary mortals hesitate before using 

 it, and I tuink deter you from pronouncing it perfectly safe. 

 If Mr. Dittmar wants an authenticated case of an accident 

 with bis powder, I think this will fill the bill. 



Tours truly, B. F. Dorbanoe. 



B. F. Doreanoe, Esq.: Oatasauq.t;a, Nov. 5, 1878. 



Dear Sir— Your letter has been received by Mr. Eberhart, 

 and he asked me to answer. So, in regard to the Dittmar 

 powder, i would make the following reply : We have nothing 

 but Dixson's measures. We had a gauge at five drachms and 

 stroked it off with a pencil, then put on two pink-edge wads, 

 tamped if about as hard as black powder, and then put in l| 

 oz. No. 8 shot, and on the top of that a common pasteboard 

 wad Gun No. t was a Parker, weight 8J lbs., owned by 

 Mr. Schaffner, of Bethlehem. It was broken off clear at the 

 locks. My gun was a Scott & Son, and weighed 9 lbs. ; it was 

 bo badly bent in the body that it could not be made as it was, 

 nor as sale, BO I traded it for a Daly and had to give $45 to 

 boot. Mr. Fuller's gun was also a Scott & Son, and weighed 

 lo lbs ; it was not so badly wrecked as the others, but is also 

 damaged. This is about the extent of our experience. 1 

 would write more, but owing to my weakness I am hardly 

 able to write this much. I was in bed with fever for two 

 weeks, and this morning is the second time I am out. 



Yours truly, D. A. Tomblbb, Jb. 

 .. ■ ». . 



A TRIP TO SUSSEX COUNTY. 



Jebsbt City, Nov. s, 1978. 

 Editor Forest and Stbbam ; 



Thursday, tne gist ult„ the 3:15 train on the Delaware, Lackawaca 



and Western Railroad found your correspondent with Dr. C , of 



Jersey City (i good shot anil No. 1 companion), en route for the game 

 Bectlon Of New Jersey. We were on a tonr ol investigation, hoping to 

 combine pleasnre and information in regard to the beat sections in the 

 northern part of the State lor grouse, quail, woodcock, etc., for your 

 vuluaulu paper. 



Our objective point at ilrat was BridgevUle, In Warren County, di- 

 rectly across this Slate. We had been properly credentialed through 

 the courtesy of Mr. Hullwlll, the gentlemanly paeaenger agent of the 

 road, and we found everything pleasant on the way. Mr. Hefferman 

 proved all thai could be asked for In a flrst-claas conductor, giving us 

 valuable information. The same can be Bald of Messrs. Bruee and 

 Fountain on the other branches. 



' We soon found on entering the smoking car (moat all sportsmen 

 Smoke) thai we wer<: not the only lovers of the rod and gun desiring to 

 be among the first in the field on the opening ot the season, as the gnus 

 In several comers, and mysterious looking packs In the racta, amply 

 proved. Upon visiting the baggage car to locate our canine, we found 

 Beverat hue specimens of the Better, with here and there a pointer, 

 already In the baggage-master* charge. Aa we aped along, stopping 

 only at Intermediate stations in Hudson and li^sex counties, our com- 

 pany was very materially increased. The sporting fraternity were on 

 ttteinuve. Newark and Morrlstown furnished large delegations, and 

 the smoking car soon resembled an arsenal, and the baggage tho 

 kennel club show in Mew York on a small scale. We had no less than 

 thirteen dogs in the baggage master's charge before we left Morria- 

 towu. DTpon inquiry we found the objective points of the different dis- 

 ciples of the ti igger to be widely scattered. Some got off at Stanhope, 

 en route for Lake iioparoong, for grouse, quail and hare. Among these 



was our friend, Ur 1. , of the Jersey City Heights Gun Club. v\ e 



have since learned that he had good luck with Ben f ngraham, the shot 

 of that reglrm. Some oound forBudd's Lake got oif at the same station. 

 Others left at Madison, bound for Pine Brook and its celebrated spring 

 jSBOlt for snipe. A few continued with us toward Hacketown and the 



Big Pieoi 

 and otns 



game region. Others stopped at Andover 

 Jelaware, Lackawana and Weateru road 

 ic section of northern New Jersey, and is 

 the direct route to Pike and Monroe coumieB in Pennsylvania, so re- 

 . ■: i heir wild scenery and game tcrrlterles. 



ting wit" the conductor and others on the road we concluded 



to v.u'v our route, una lusiead of continuing on to Warren County and 



Us rugged" country for grouse, to take a run for quail up Into old Sussex, 



ao famous for its grand in ma and rich old tiomestcads. So we were 



introduced to Conductor Brace, and, switching off at Waterloo, look 



the lnun toward Newton, We got off at the Junction and met with a 



COTdbil reception at Farmer Couse's thai night, who, with a neighbor, 



J,.e Snyder, left their work and hunted with na the nest two days, 



Showing m every attention, We found quail quite plenty, a few 



grouse ami woodcock; and as for hares (rabbits, BO-csUed), we could 



a back-load we think, without exaggeration, cither day. 



But wo had ha't an invitation from anotber prominent farmer and 



famous politician of that seetlon, Hon. Zachariah Price, some six oi 



oeyond, Alao lromMr.Henry Osbornand hii brotherNed, 



b aih, ex- iut anal revenue collector, eto. Either, we were 



ni never forgive na did we fail «o give them a call. At 



both these placea we fonnd everything aa pleasant aa we could wish. 



Guuie in quantity suffl«leat, wifb good company at the kou* tad. la the 



fluid. The toys and Incidents o J onr stay here I need notd 

 How these whole-sonled iarmera gave us greeting, took their tesma 

 from their work and drove na around, showing ua the beat placea for 

 game, and were as much pleased as we at onr good shots and success- 

 ful bags, This feeling among the farmers of Snssev County, we ascer- 

 tained, was almost univeraa!, very few objecting to gentlemen snooting 

 over their grounds, especially if p:rmlssion has been first asked. 

 Surely what is worth having is worth asking for, and a polite request 

 Is rarely otherwise than politely answered. It ia these half-grown 

 boys and pot tranters from the cities, that leave the fences down and 

 kill the yonng turkeys and chickens, that exclto the farmers' ire. 

 Human nature ia human nature the world over. And the ladles of the 

 households, the farmera' wives and their rosy daughters, how pleasant 

 they made our stay. Those splendid hot biscuit, for supper, and the 

 light buckwheat cakes and honey, with such coffee and cream for 

 breakfast, "never, never shall we forget." 



Of Hie many happy incidents of our trip— how the Doctor made that 

 snap-shot in the awamp at " the biggest partridge he ever shot at," 

 which upon being retrieved proved to have feathered horns and eyes 

 of fir greater magnitude than the ordinary Bonam mnbMm; how the 

 same Doctor wiped the eye of your correspondent at that grouse 

 gomg down the mountain side at the rate of sevonty miles an hour at 

 sixty yards ; or the double shots of my hnmble self at quail, or the 

 Doctor's 8-oz. woodcock, and others or no leas Interest I need not en- 

 large upon, Bofllce it to say we had a grand time, but election day ap- 

 proached, and we had promised to exercise the right of freemen la be- 

 half of our friends, and homeward we bent our way, arriving at 

 Hoboken on the 9:lt) train, Nov. 4, well pleased with onr trip, and 

 flnnly resolved to accept the invitations so cordially extended, and 

 some time, not far in the future, go again. Jacobs iafp. 



THE ABUNDANT GAME OF COLORADO. 



HOT S0l,rnnR SrntKOi, Col., Oct. 35,1878. 

 Editor forest akd SThKAH : 

 Early m September we htd some Indian trouble here, and I went on 

 acont of S5J miles, which resulted in a treaty of peace and assurances 

 01 neighborly friendship. Then came on onr haying, and on October 1 

 I set out for a little contract of Government surveying— partly on the 

 Yampah ltiver and tho balance hero. Have finished the former and 

 just got back. My work was a township about thirty miles below the 

 head of the river, where the stream ia about seventy-live feet wide and 

 two feet deep in the current, but there are many deep pools, eddies, 

 etc., which make it a choice fishing locality in the latter part of the 

 on. The country near the river is an open park about four miles 

 wide and twelve or fifteen long ; but my work extended eastward frum 

 the park, from two to three miles, into very sugged mountains— the 

 west slope of the Gore range. The first elevations are covered with 

 scrubby oak timber and a dense growth of raspberry, aarvla berry, 

 cherry, red hawthorn and other brush, mostly fruit-bearing. The crop 

 had been immense, and great quantities yet remained on the bushes, 

 dried to the consistency of raisins. Here were abundant signs of betr 

 —their wallows and shady resting places ; their feeding gronnds and 

 fresh tracks. Also great numbers of deer, which seemed to occupy the 

 country much as cattle do a populous pasture. Further back, the 

 mountains rise higher ; the slopes and summits are covered with pine, 

 spruce and fir timber ; the intervals occupied by aspen groves and 

 little open parks, each with its rivulet of clear, cold water. Here elk 

 were as plentiful as the deeT on tho outer hills, bus I observed that 

 although immediately contiguous, they did not seem to range or graze 

 over the Bame ground. With the constant noise of a surveying party, 

 and the lond " Stuck," " Stuck," of the chainmen, it was not expected 

 that we would Bee either deer or elk ; but one day, coming suddeoly 

 over a sharp ridge, I came upon a hunch of elk grouped in the shade 

 of a bunch of spruces in a little aspen park, not more than forty steps 

 distant. 1 called to the chainmen to.come and see them. Five or six 

 soon moved off through the brush, bnt one monstrous stag with im- 

 mense horns stood and looked at ub until I had set my compass and 

 again started toward him, Deer were seen stveral times, but not so 



I had a colored cook, and on the second day of the work I suggested 

 that he catch some tish. He said he never flahed any, and didn't think 

 he could ; to which I replied that he had better try, and If he failed, 

 then he might say that he couldn't. I had observed that in measuring 

 acrosB the river throwing the chain into the water attraoted the trout. 

 So I gave " Wash" a line and hook, and went to work. In the evening 

 I found him jubtlaut over his success, with a dozen or twenty large 

 trout and grayling (I), but with only a remnant of line remaining ol his 

 tackle. The next morning 1 equipped him again, and gave him some 

 Instructions about handling his fish ao as to save line and hooks. In the 

 evening he had thirty or forty, including a grayling twenty-two Inches 

 loDg, and said that he hud thrown a number back into the water. But, 

 he mourned the loss of the big one in *• that there hole" which he 

 couldn't get, but which did finally take the greateT part of hl» lino. 

 Wash was a •' 'way up" fisherman, and had a eupply ahead for two or 

 three days. Then we moved, and it was four days before the camp 

 came back again to good fishing ground. Wash agiin caught a large 

 string— tills tune all trout of !ai ge size. The next day he oouldn't get 

 one, though he reported plenty in sight going down stream. 



On October 15 there came a severe, driving snow storm, lasting over 

 the 16th. Simultaneously the deer moved south, making great roads 

 along the foothills. Pintail grouse collected In the park by hundreds 

 —some of the men said by thousands. From daylight until af ler sun 

 rise in the morning their chattering and cooing was aa striking a* that 

 of prairie chickens in the craln-fielda ol the Mississippi Valley. There 

 are also some sage hens, and, well np on the mountains, A few blue 

 grouse. In the township ere three salt springs, which are great resotia 

 for deer and elk. Deeply worn trails lead to toem from all directions, 

 and the ground In the vicinity IE tramped like cattle yards. Much of 

 the soil is rich, and productive in nutritious grasses and edible roots. 

 Of the latter toe yampa, sage and artichoke are the most lmpoitont ; 

 both in the economy of the Indian and subsistence of bear and other 

 wild animals. 



On the way back we found in the eastern edge of Egerla Park a party 

 of Middle Park hunters loading two four-horse teams with veB!io». 

 One man of them tilled twenty-three deer in two and a half , days. On 

 tne western slope of the Gore range was another camp of boaters, one 

 of whom mated that he thought five hundred deer had crossed tie read 

 within a space of a mUe and t naif, in the last three days, rjolag south. 

 He had Sued three that day. Another hunter estimated the number 

 that had passed still higher. Another tilled tie deer as he traveled 

 along the road. Game is all In superb c anditloa. 



Sir W. Gordon CummlLgs, of England, left here for home about 

 a week ago. In three weeka' hunt Bo got about thirty -Ave c.k, r»o 

 buffalo, two bears, a catamount or two, and an indefinite number of 

 deer, ant elope and smaller game. He took with him eight or ten heads 

 and some elegant pairs of horns. He left his camp outfit and several 

 horaes here, and expects to return next season with some friends lo 

 renew his hunt, Much to his disappointment he did not get a single 

 " big-horn" or mountain Sheep. 



1 inclose you a doiBal of a grayling. It is from a Bah sixteen inches 



long caught In the i'ampan about ten days ago, and taken from a lot 



that passed here to-day en route for market, oince comparing It with 



I the dorsal yon send me I conclude that oars la not a grayling at all— 



probably a dac i Flewe tell us. it wionnri only, so tarsal kaolin 



the Yampah and White rivers and their tributaries. Some rate it eqna 

 to the front— I do not. It is not bony— the fleah la sweet, but less firm 

 than that of the trout. Among thoae caught this fall were some that 

 had a muddy taste— otherB had not. I found no small ones, ten to 

 fourteen inches long, that tasted of mud, I have never Been grayling 

 In or from any other region of country. My authority for the name wss 

 a gentleman who claimed to be very famillar.with the fiah in Northern 

 Michigan. w. N. Bruits. 



The dorsal you send is that ot the Coregonus wiUiamtoni or 

 mountain herring. — Ed. F. & S. 



SONORA PIGEON AND ARIZONA QUAIL. 



CAiir TnojtAS, A. T., Oct. 9, 1818. 

 Ebitob Forest aku Stream 



An article in Forkst and Stream for Sept. 19, called "Dove Shouting 

 Extraordinary," attracted my attention the other day, and I wondered 

 how the author would express himself if he could have a day's shoot- 

 ing any where on the road between Fort Tutna and the Maricopa li-seit. 

 Tne common dove, and a beautiful species {Melopiian. leumptera)— 

 commonly oalled Sonora pigeon— abound In countless numbers. I 

 marched to Tama with troops In July, and returned in August, and can- 

 not tell you how I wished for a shotgun. Marching In the early morning 

 we were scarcely ever out of quail, and I counted fifty-eight in the 

 road In front 61 n station at one time. I did not attempt to count tho 

 doves. At Salt Wells I borrowed an old shotgun from the station- 

 keeper, who Very reluctantly gave me a little ammunition, and at three 

 shots killed thirty doves, sod then ceased firing, as I had all 1 needed. 

 I was shooting for meat, and don't consider that kind of killing sport ; 

 but relate it to show how abundant they are. Ttiey fly beautifully, and 

 scattered as they are, all through the mesqulto brush, one could have 

 excellent sport walking them up. 



The species 61 quail moat, abundant here— G-amhel's partridge {Lr/phor- 

 tyx gambelli)— does not usually lie well to the dog, bnt if tired into as 

 they rise, whether within range or not, it improves them in this 

 respect. I had a bevy scattered on the meaa the other evening, and it 

 alone paid me for what little trouble I had bringing my dog out. When 

 ordered nere I asked advice of Beveral friends about bringing my dog, 

 and the information one gave me was alarming. He said it would cost, 

 me Beventy-uve dollars, and perhaps a great deal more. Mr. liallock 

 advised me to bring him by all meanB, which I was anxioua to do. 

 I kept an accouut of all expense which he occasioned from Baltimore, 

 Md , to San Frnnclaco, and the back to Lithrop, Cal„ and it amounted 

 to eighteen dollars and fifty ennts. The baggage-masters over the 

 whole route were obliging, and rook excellent care of him. From 

 Laihrop into this Territory he 008t me nothing, being on a train with 

 troopa, otherwise the expense would have been about six dollars. 

 I should not bother you with all this, but I could find out bo little about 

 the probable cost when I tried, that I hope my experience will be ot 

 use to some one eLe. Gso. H. Mokan, M. D. 



Our railroad friends will thank Dr. Moran for his 

 acknowledgment, while sportsmen will be grateful for this 

 information. — Ed. F. & S. 



—Bee Bogardus' advertisement. 



PIGEON MATCHES. 



BOG-ABOUS' NBW RULES— Single Birds: 



Bale 1.— All mat chea or sweepstakes shall be shot from five ground 

 traps, five yards apart, 85 yards rise and lOti yards boundary, measured 

 from tne centre trap, with the use ot one barrel "nly. the choice or trap 

 to be decided by tne referee by drawing gnn-wada cr throwing dice. 



Eulea.— Pulling of Trapa.— The trap-puller shall stand from four to 

 six leet behind the shooter. The tiapB shall ba numered 1, ti, 3, 4 and 

 5. The referee shall have five gnn-wada in his poeket, having numbers 

 opon them corresponding to the numbers on rhe traps. When the 

 shooter is at the score ready to shoot, the referee shall draw a wad 

 from his pocket or throw a dice, and allow the number to the trap- 

 paller. The trap-pnller will V~~ ■ 

 must oaU "Pull." in all cas 

 Shooter. If the trap should n. . 

 word, he can take tne bird r,r not at hin oitlon; i.utlf he snots, the 

 bird or birds shall be scored, whether killed or not, as the case may be. 



Eule 8.— Judges and Referee.— Two Judges aed a refereo snail be ap- 

 pointed beiore the shooting conimencch, and iha referee's decMon 

 shall be final. He may allow a contestant another bird Id 

 latter snail have been beiked or Interfered with, It he thinks the part 

 entitled to it. 



Rule*.— Birds and DeclSlsn— Ha bird shall fly toward parties within 

 the bounds, In such a manner that to shout ai it would endanger any 

 person, another bird sball be allowed ; and, If a bud is shut ai within 

 the bounds by auv piT.-on besides tho puny at the score, the referee 

 shall decide how it snail be Bcored, or whether anotber bird shall be 

 adowed. 



Rule 5.— Position at the Score.— After the shooter has taken his Btand 

 at the score, he shall not level his gun or raise the butt above his elbow 

 until he calls puli. Should he infringe on this rale, the bird or birds 

 shall be scored as lost, wheiher killed or not. 



Rule 6 — Rlae and Call ol Birds —All birds must be on the wing 

 when shot at. If a bird is shot on the ground before It takss wing, it, 

 shall be scored a lo.->; bird ; but II shot on the ground after it has taken 

 wing, it shall be counted no bird. If the bird does not rlae immedl- 

 aieiy alter the trap is pulled, the shooter shall nave the option oi call- 

 ing " Mo bird ;" and If lie shoots at it on Its afterward rising. It wid be 

 considered "a lost bird." 



Role T.— Gathering Birds.— It shall be optional with the party shoot- 

 ing to gather his own birds or sppoint a person i o do so for him. In 

 all casts the bird must be gathered by haud, without any forcible 

 means, wllhln three minutes Irom tne time It alights, or be ccored aa 

 )Obt All " birds " auat thow shot-marks if challenged. A bird onco 

 ont of bomndB shall be Bcored as lost. 



Hale I — Misfires.— Shoald a gun miss Ore or fail to discharge from 

 any causa, It shall score as a lost bird, nnleaa the referee finds, upon 

 examination, that the gun was pruperly loaded and the misfire un- 

 avoldaols, in which case he shall a!lo» another biid. 



H«l«».— Slae of Qom.— Ti e thoottr shall not be allowed to use a gun 

 ot JSafeT caiibra than that known as No. 10, 



Rnie 10.— Charge of She t.— There shall be no restriction as lo size ol 

 saot c**i or charge o ' po »dtr, hut tne charge of shot shall be not to ex- 

 iat)d the regular Dixon Measure, Ho. 1,10B or Ho. 1,101, IJtf oz„ by 

 measure. 



Bale 1 1.— Penalty for Overloading .— Any person challenging the load 

 of a shooter, after "the shunting has conameueed, must deposit with the 

 referee tha suai of 15, which is to become the jropeny of thepei- 

 •ori challenged If hl« loads are found to be correct. If, however, ihey 

 are found to be Incorrect, ha fhali forfeit all his rights in ihat match. 



Rale It Ties.— At a shooting match, all ties sha.l oe shot off on tha 



same fronBds ImmediatelT after the match, if they tan h 

 nature suceei. In case ihey cannot be concluded by sunset, they shall 

 leomc.nded OM the following day, unless otherwise directed by tho 

 J Aire 9- referee. Tn.s, however, shall mot prevent the ties from 

 dividing the i rises, lfthey may all agree to uo.-o. Humid one refuse 

 to divide, then it must he shot off. Any one of the ties being ah >n f . 

 tatrty minutsa Attar the lime agreed npon to elioot them oil snail forfeit 

 his right to contest for the prize. 



Rale 13.— Bribing and Penalty.— Any competitor or other person 

 bribing, or atiempims to bribe, the trippei or puller, cr attempting to 

 obi aie an unfair advantage In anj maoiiar wh taaevor, to be disqualified 

 nrn snooting or Bharim; in the results of the match. 



Role is.— To Prevent Accidents.— Tho shooter, if he use a breech- 

 loder Bhall not pttt the cartridge In his gun until railed to 

 If he use a inuzzie-loader, he shall leaven uncapped until called. 



Kule 16.— Time at Score.— Each participant in a shooting match ehal 

 hold himself In readiness, and curne to tne score prepai 

 wnen his name is called by the scorer. If he be longer than five 

 minutes, it shall be discretionary with the referee whether to allow him 

 to ibeot or not in tbe matea, 



