FOREST AND STREAM 



83 



ii Baltimore, who owned large traots 4 Qf J^nd in 

 tin- neighborhood, built this as a place to brine: his family 

 in summer. Tlie properf.y has elianired ; owners,' but. the 

 hou^e is still called "Dobbins' " by the mountaineers. In 

 winter ilie region is entirely deserted, but with the opening; 

 of the. fiskiug season in May a family by the name of EJtStr 

 miller moves in and accommodates visitors witli plain ami 

 Substantial country fare. This is the only place in the 

 Wilderness where shelter or supplies can lie obtained ex- 

 cept at ■•(.' lirrn miles up the river. Visitors 



who think whisky one of ihe efseniinls of life, ate 



adv-^ed to bring it. with Uiam.as not, a drop is to b' |:: I ■■ 

 the Black water 



I found Mr. Kil/.millei- kind and honorable, and not dis- 

 posed to.exorbitant charges, considering that every mouth- 

 ful of provision^, except I lie trout, has to be' broiurlil 

 twenty-six miles. As I paid my bills, this commendation 

 is nnbrilted, anbOUgM, and candid. He belongs t,o the 

 singular sect of Menouites who, for a wonder, appear to 

 he practical Christians. Often hearing his account of their 

 principles and seeing his endeavors to live up to them, 1 

 thought it a. pity their ntonbers are so few. Dobbins' 

 stands on the sumrnil of the mountain between the Dlack- 

 waierand the North Fork, and is said by the natives to 

 have an elevation of thirty-nine himdred feet above the 

 ocean, though it is more than doubtful if a barometric 

 measurement would show so great a height. There arc. 

 sixteen cataracts within hearing distance of ihe house, 

 and the effect in time of flood, when the whole sixteen 

 are mann.-- at once, IS said to he tremendous. 



The Blaekwatei is a stream BOme thirty or forty yards iu 

 width, clear of driftwood a a :. tvtdi. end the chance for 

 basting the fly on ii is Rrst-clasS. The fishing in the proper 

 M-isiii, jMny, June and September, is magniliceut. The 

 trout average rather small, and have not the activity of 

 those of more northern and colder streams; I was "dis- 

 posed in fact lo think them fat and lazy. The large ones, 

 however, Will give the wielder of a light fly rod enoi b. to 

 do. Our pari v voted t heir flavor unsurpassed. Their' flesh 

 is a rich reddish yellow, a regulai salmon color, probably 

 owing to the foci that their die! is iargelj composed of 

 crawfish, which abound in the stream. The effect of tin- 

 in the flesh of the game fishes thai devour them 



The si ream flows along after the usual manner of trout. 

 stream.- for many miles,' until it. suddenly tails pVet an 

 enormous ledge of rocks, sixty-three feet tit one leap, \o 

 visitor should fail lo see these falls, nor to explore the 

 tremendous gorge of the North Fork, which Stream tum- 

 bles down eight hundred feet in less than n mile. 



The (dial Falls are very difficult, of access, vet on the 

 rocks at their foot are cut cue names of two ladies, one of 

 whom is said io be now a belle at the coin I of St. .lames. 

 1 expressed my doubt as to ladies ever venturing down 

 such a precipice, but was assured that they nad done so, 

 not only in propria persona, bttt also each in a pair of pan- 

 taloons borrowed foi Ihe occasion. It would be hard to 

 imagine a place where those useful garments would better 

 befit the gentler sex. 



The pure mountain air, the glorious scenery, the fine 

 fishing, and ihe .-mire absence of the multitudinous bores 

 of civilization, render the region an angler's paradise, The 

 Adirondack- are BSifl to have become hackneyed, so that 

 it. is diliieuli lo find a respectable camping ground not 

 aire -hIv littered with fragments of lunches, torn newspapers 

 and hoopskirts, or lo bathe in (he lakes without stepping 

 on the fragments of somebody's brandy flask, hut here is a 

 count rv still almost in the condition it'was when the red 

 Hian. followed the deer through its spruce forests. Long 

 may it be before il is invaded by the devotees of fashion. 



1 am not a hum er, preferring the rod and line to the 

 breechloader, bill I could see Ihat Ihe larger game is 

 abundant. The tracks of deer were numerous, bear sign 

 was often visible, and We found the trail of a large panther 

 near out camp on ihe North Fork. The natives express 

 a couleiupi tor I his animal, as a cowardly sheep stealer, 

 though lliev "allowed" that a panther of the female per- 

 suasion, with a family dependcnl on her, might be willing lo 

 make ;i square meal oil' a trout fisherman it other game 

 was scarce. We, lew ever, camped anil slept in the w ilder- 

 ness in sai'.tv. undisturbed even by Ihe gentle howl of the 

 wolf, though our onh weapons were some specimens of 

 Yankee cutlery. The rattlesnake, troublcr of tint peace 

 around camp- on many a northern stream, is unknown 

 • without overpowering regrets, 

 ire .scarce, hut gnat- abound 

 tat ion to carry out their mis- 



v troublesome while lisbini;, 



p bv building a sufficient tire, 

 osed of half a cord of wood 

 up is pleasanter for it, while 

 bits which for that iii-in at 



here, ami his absence is b 

 Black (lies and mosiiuit 

 ami bile with a full deli 

 sion on earth. They an 

 but easily disposed of d 



not a smudge, but one ( 

 or so. Stan this ami tin 

 the gnats "ill leave i 

 least are not returning pi 



A considerable swindl 

 to the Hlackwaier, ihe p 

 tircly on the estimate I" 

 of Lheii pockets or their 

 ten dollars per bead licit 

 transportation, while, otl 

 price for the service is 



: lsolor.au extra h 



be made for I raiis.porla 

 guides have a trick of a 

 Bliiekwaier and fulfil" 

 "wilderness at the 



wiihoiil. the slightest info 

 base of supplies. I n 

 gentleman who had b 

 local guides i 

 can get iul'or 

 grounds. It 

 parties do, fi 



lc is practised at Oakland on visitors 

 nice charged them depending en- 

 timed by i lie guides aslo the depth 

 i- an?}ety to gel forward; as high as 

 Bg exacted from some parlies for 

 hers arc conveyed lor live. A fail 

 liom tour to live dollars per horse, 

 lorse tor the guide. Contracts should 

 uion lo Dobbins', as some of the 

 igreeing lo lake passengers to the 



.7 point oil Ihc'shorc oi that river, 



id pilo 



1 ti.r 



i- any 



ed out of the 

 this "ay. Al Ihehoiise 

 :l, and those Who wish to camp 

 Lion as to the region and the best Ashing 

 i useless expense lo lake guides, as some 

 Oakland, to remain With ihem during Iheir 

 entire stay, except, [or such as propose tu camp and have 

 not not yet learned how to take care ol Ihcmscl 

 Wilderness. Such babes-in-tbe-woods will do 

 guide and stick by him. To be losl in tin 

 Sorest would be no joke. 1 can recommend II 

 atOaklaud.asagood man to apply toforinfori 

 vevance to ihe siream. Transportation back 

 can be obtained of \\ . Kiiznulier at Dobbins 1 at any 

 lime, at a reasonable price. \ ours, I). S. (iitKKN. 



Se<;irJt<ty-i Ojjin- Tmm- Dep., Washington, I). O. 



—Victor Emmanuel is miming the wild boar in the 

 Alpine valley 



—What kind of sweetmeats were in the arkv Preserved 

 pairs. 



well lo take a 

 Black water 



union or eon 

 Onfclai 



For Fores! iin<i 

 GAME AND SPORTING IN TEXAS. 



NITMBEn TWO. 



WniLST stationed at Fort Belknap, Upper Brazos, 

 Texas, now Voting county, Major £,,, of the in- 

 fantry, an old sport and dead shot, dropped into my quar- 

 ters one line December morning, and said:— "Major, the 

 sun is shining, the day is calm, clear, and beautiful, and T 

 feel keen for a little sport. Order up your learn, and let 

 lis put a tent into the wagon, fake along our guns and some 

 irrnb, ami SO itaj ■■■ i I Oiglll and get. a string of game." 

 il I, "where shall we go?" 



"Well, out, to the creek about seven miles on the road to 

 Fort Washita, Where 1 think we can find some ducks, 

 "•cose, turkey, and deer. This is the liesi, season for acorns, 

 you Know, On which they all feed, ami they must, be 

 around now." 



ni ,;, Major, and besides, they must, be fat and good 

 now, and line eating. We. Will I ry ihe creek." 



Iu less than half an horn- we had [lacked, and were roll- 

 ing over the beautiful prairies and through the copses of 

 woodland so invariably fringing this extreme westerly edge 

 of the upper ' Cross Timbers." The very spirit, of old 



Nimn 



i m self: 



id to hover over us. and fill our hearts 

 ht, when we soon reached the creek. Four 

 ragoohs and our cook brought up the rear, and 

 e "Delaware guide, the "right, bower" of the 

 ys looking (or "signs," be they sneaking, prowl- 

 "or game, "had preceded us a lill.le, and was ai- 

 ling us on the ground. 



lp here," said 'Billy. "Good grass, good water, 

 plenty duck in the creek when me come; plenty 



ks. plenty deer trackon.de ground; may be so 



we get heap game; good," 



"All right, Billy," said I, for I well knew lie was never 

 wrong in signs and woodcraft. "Pitch the tent, Corporal, 

 and look out well for Indians, while the Major, myself, 

 and Billv go hunting." 

 "Yes, Major," replied the Corporal, touching his cap. 

 The ducks and geese were about. They were already 

 -eeit and heard living alioul by hundreds. Billy, With his 

 long rifle, was Iheflrai off. Be was after bigger game- 



hunt., ah 

 intr IndU 

 I'eady aw 



"VVe c 

 and me s 

 turkey Irt 



turkey and d 

 gun, next Bailie 

 me with my do 



The Major, with h 

 I out and pushed do 

 ible barrel to go up i 

 : Major told me he \ 



oin Billy's rifle remit. 



de 

 U the 



Boor 



is doii 



b.e 



: el shot 



for a hunt w 

 not unusual. 



camp, came my Iu 

 thoul this on "the 

 .lust then aninni 

 lg0 ver my head, 

 ,yno,e. Howl 



use dor 

 .ml lit 



elS of No. (I snot 

 von had been there! 

 u ilh the dead and w 

 tided and I lien eaihei 

 load up quickly, Done, 

 one, two. Once more, 

 hots, and all were dead, and I 

 will show. .Inst at. this moult 

 dry leaves, and the sound of 



and, 



\ I 

 tl 



lire, 



plUO 



civ. whilst. 



Would, .Messrs. 

 The pool see: 

 iindcd. First 

 the dead, is In 



fin 

 load; fin 



al'u 



G< 



i till 



lek, leaving 



few dislanl 



well, and a 



ic of deer. Bui 



ein an incident, 



uld be tame, if 



if mallard ducks 



a little pool «1- 



.\oi yet fully 



tting and rising, 



is. Pouicst AND 



tied covered 



make sun: of 



ue woodcraft; 



Load again; 



le, two. Six 



our incident 



ustling of the 



t ii some one 



lians, thought 



I surely. "A 



you may have 



>m joy to "a 



m. On look 



uld 1 see but 



1, and both barrels < . 



kingdom, a kingdom" for a t 



ii. How sudden had been 



scare." But 1 was nol alone 



ing around for war painted Indians, w 



the gallant Major (for he had been t 



coming in more than double quick time, hat Off and hair 



streaming, but gnn firmly clasped in hand, lo my rescue! 



Stopping short, and panting tor breath, lie cried out, 



"Hallo there, .Major, what are urn tiring at?" 



"Nothing; oulj ducks," 1 coolly replied, for my scare 

 lead now subsided. 



"dh: Oh!" said he, after another breath, "I thought the 

 camp had been attacked by Indians, the firing was so 



1 Only shooting ducks, Major, that is all; come here and I 

 wid show von.' We counted twelve large mallard ducks, 

 weighing nearly thirty pounds, as the spoils of the lirsl 

 two shots. 



till lives, 1 send this greeting, 

 and grow young again. After 

 ml resumed our evening's hunt, 

 and myself in camp, but Billy 

 bv moonlight until long after 

 creek among the tall elms aud 

 Atioui nine o'clock lie came in, 



To the old Major, if be 

 II,. wiUrecognize the scene 

 6 hearty laugh we parted, I 

 Darkness found the Major 



was heard pegging away 



dark half a mile down the 

 :otlonwoods for turkey. 



Me hang 

 tie White rag on 'em 

 of cloth; to-morrow 

 lay be so me shoot 

 idcrafi, Billy, and 1 



and we asked him what luck. "Oh, very g' 

 two deer and nine turkey." Where arc thev 

 'cm up high on big limb fill morning; 

 so wolves no cat 'em up; he "fraid 

 morning me go early and letch him; 



e turkey then." This is good wt 



record u lor new hunters. 



\- Billy reported no Indian signs about camp. We slept 

 profoundly thai "ighl. Before daylight the Major and 

 my sell went down the creek to Look tor scattering lur- 

 ,der the tree lops, but saw only 



„P 1 



I eel I v dl 

 thick lo 



pjgeous, 

 osts, is t 

 tops lo the ground. 



h 



eh in 



• Ma 



,, 





igbi do.W 



1 Willi 



No. 



« shot. He 





ie alw 





-ei 



N. 



. Usliot 



for tu 



key 



, and could 



n 



with 



Uies< 



111 



in \ 



vith any 



other 



sl/.e 



and 1 agree 





decidedl 



lot 



pri 



miseuoii 



jshQol 



1 1 :: 



One wounds 



t 







1 





l„o kills 



more. 



•si 



ing several 



Is 



morn 



ing. ; 



r.d 



wa 



mug on 



1, 1 w 



•in. 



6 camp and 





■d i„\ 



■un 



lo 



• a 



rille. A 



H.lll h 



,dt I 



l mile fiom 



- 





loble 



ft 



Os-\ 



old hue 



k, ha\ 



ing 



arge anilers, 



tu 



Milled 



nn i 



f 



an 



mothe. 



g old 



am 



chair." It 



t 



ruel, 



ml 1 



111 





it loin 



down, 



and 



returned lo 







ialetl 



w 



Hi 



HIV suet 



ess. At ten o'clock in 





ing 



ve ce 



se 



1 h 



utilities, 



except 



to 



kill a lot of 



d never witnessed be- 

 of ducks lighting di- 

 ight in the uiidsl of a 

 ig like, flocks of wild 



lien lo go leed _ 

 in open gro mil. or in creel- 

 i not by llocks Uou p thi'oug 



. the lo 

 h the in 



.... ol gains, on reaching the. Post, numbered 

 three d, er. thirteen turkeys, one gcroae, twenty-three ducks, 



fifteen or twenty grouse, two hares, and several gray squir- 

 rels, In all, about Ouu pounds of fat, delicious game in a 



few hours' hunt. Of this string 1 then thought nothing, 

 being usual, but now it looks large to me. 



BemnHs. — The same general fields for sport lie open to 

 the sportsman now, as then. Only local places may have 

 changed. All this northern pari of Terns, embracing both 



Ihe Cross Timbers as a centre, and flanked by K 



prairies on the east, and west, and abounding in game (in 

 their places ami season), now hold put their peculiar 

 charms, and invite the spoilsman to the tented field. 

 ',\ ben .-ens and other mas), are plenty, and have fallen, 

 then, friend sportsman, lake to Ihe open woods. You will 

 there find deer, ducks, geese, and turkeys abundant, quail 

 and rabbits plenty, antelope, grouse, and squirrels medium, 

 and bear occasionally, to say nothing of prairie wolves, 

 foxes, coons, possums, clc, not generally noticed. Octo- 

 ber, November, and December are ihe perfect months for 

 sport, ami January ami Febnuuy cot bad, but hating a 



.. da] a1 intervals, of rather cold weather— that is, a 

 few inches of snow and ice, with, cold, northerly winds — 

 thus constituting what is so well known in Texas as "a 

 norther." 



These remarks apply to northern Texas in winter, while. 

 along the Gulf, or southern coast, thise same winter 

 months have the rnild climale of New Vork in September. 

 Connected with Ihe railroad running south from Dcnnison, 

 near the north line of the Slate, are stages: which convey 

 persons at once to alrnosi anv pari of the Stale desired. 

 For central cities, in which to spend Ihe winter for health, 

 as well as for spoiling, San Antonio, stand- first, 

 tin, the capital of the State, second. The,,- places Cannot 

 well be excelled, everything considered. Prisons wiib 

 Weak lungs will find relief in central and western Texas, 

 if anywhere. I have witnessed the climale of Texas for 

 six years, and know of wdtat I speak. Bile will prove more 

 than the Italy or the Egypt, to I he United Suites. Happy 

 will they be who early go down to the "promised land," 

 and partake of its varied offerings. Old Scott. 



NEWFOUNDLAND SCENERY. 



I,m:i-.,,,: Grace, iogtwl 17th. 1874. 

 Editor PobbbJc .<n'h Stiu:a.m: 



Tbisle the audi lime of laailsctipc liennfy with a*; the time when the 

 furt-Ml is i.-lciitu-il wiili the lovely foliage of summer, when the Stinting 

 rivere find uiurmiiiaig brooks invite tie contemplation and the imeliect- 

 unl I'trjuynienl of alike die student of nuture and the care-worn tiiiui of 



Every Nfewloandlauder mint, feel rteliidned with the 

 or Grace, and the line brachifi air The rich groves and 



over the I 

 thing sim 

 after muc 

 l.ayinu a 

 bor. At 

 Harbor it 

 of the roc 

 in a'ppe 



ofn 



II..IIK, 







„.,:„ 



tit ia 



hen, and 







Bid : 



::!;,. 



mil or it. 



nee between 



die lam 



"slat 



oTri 



my Hat- 

 nation of 



united, point 



ed and 



iivei 



(fled 



iharacter 



e town of Tr 



nilv is - 



ime\ 



bat s 



wiRs-liku 



,■ neat, anfl 



there is 



a ,,!, 



isant 



iuterape- 



lb the bean 



tif nl poplar I 



US -. 



Trimly 



r, WOll laail- 



oekud, a 

 . T-he 



nil s 



re. 



'Here are 



- disiiu- 

 al for lis 

 uld have 

 -in. We 



fler'a Hill. ;i 



el slio„ 



Ihei 



h the 



Iowa ol 



Jacquer C 



iter called th 



s harbor Trlu - 











t>. 



Editor Fo 



The ami. 



AND 15TI1EA 



FROM THE FLORA L CITY. 



SLomroe, Mich., August 3191,11874. 



umviii, tit oi' the beginnuag o{ a n-w volume „r the Fohkst 



v under circnni-io: Favorable and promising, is ex- 



ratltyingto -.■■■ lere who are interested in the 



■ mv. dovoted to genllemaab 



reached in this country. The taste- ,,l' Ai.un.tni ,.'elillelll,-n arc iiatliral- 

 ly towards rational oui-rloor pleasures, and Mil- last lira or ihree ye.aifc 

 has demonstrated Man a journal devoted to lies department can and will 

 be supported. The career ol' tile FOBEfil anij Stream has continued 

 tht- r.ict; ii is popular, because ii urn only nil- a void in American jour- 

 nalism, tail because il gives a lone and dlchity to ilia; particular depart- 

 ment which it so efficiently covers lout remarks in a late nnnlber con 

 ceruing the paper are well timed, coiic.liidiiu.' wilh the words thai lis 

 ,,, un line a. n- must i>e written by gentlemen, it ii is expected thatgentle- 



upiili the 



age. Ti„ 

 Raisin, aj 

 lliiiish Mil 



iy a f'.-w 



ill little 

 old age 



c tar Ihe 

 he popu- 

 d duriug 

 nl ted c.v 



jlnal for BlVM itaisiu. I'he liisi named chili 

 .'nun, n f.,nr-o:,r..,l ra--e ai ihe i-eeenl noith- 

 1'lu. elnii- are alt provided will handsome 



--in,, iiiin- about tl 



