FOREST AND STREAM 
43 
each killed ci^hthirda on the first round, got nothing. 
On the third dny there were 40 entries for the principal 
match, the rules being the same, eight, single birds at 21 
yards rise The first money, §122, was taken by W. F. 
Swearingen; the second, §102, by H. Smith; the third, 
$83, by W. Barker; the fourth, ’$02, by L. Schmidt; the 
fifth, $42, El Dor wart. 
On the fourth day there was an exhibition match of 
Capb Bogardus, and a sweepstakes with 40 entries, in which 
the. fir*t money was taken by »L C. Smith,the second money 
by C. Bchuck; third by Geo. Welle; fourth by Jas. .Gosh- 
orn; and fifth by L. Frouk. 
San Francisco, February 14th, 1876. 
Editor Forest and Stream:— 
Mosers. Eyre and Robinson shot a match .at Bird’s Point. Alameda 
yestevday. Tor $100; conditions Meins 16 single birds at Si yards; and 8 
pairs at 18yards. The result was ns follows:—Mi. Eyre—single birds, 
11111111 1111111 1—1G- Double birds—10 10 11 10 10 11 H 
11-12. Mr. Robinson—Single birds—1 111111101111G0 1—13- 
Donblc birds- It 11 11 11 10 10 00 11—12. 
Subsequently Messrs. Kennedy and Robineou etaoL a fdinilar match at 
10 single and 5 pairs of birds which whs won by Mr. Kennedy _ A match 
has been arranged fur $250 a side, between Mr. Robinson and Mr 
Orr. L. 
AbntGHANX, February ISih, 18714. 
Editor Forest and Stream 
An excltmg pigeon match wm Phot at Friendship Park on the 18th 
insfc., in which thure were thirty three, entries. Tim conditions were 10 
birds each, 21 yards rise. Messrs. Diem and Klanitz tied on 10 birds 
for first prize and divided. Mes£}'$, Bloor and O. B. and T, B. Lovett 
divided second money. Mr. Marshall took third and Mr. Born fourth. 
Oapt,. Bogardes was present and gave an exhibition Shod!;. D. 
[We regret that the crowded condition of our columns 
prevents us from publishing the full report sent by our 
Correspondent.—E d]. 
Allegheny. February 17th, 1870. 
Editor Forest and Stream .— 
A pigeon match, tookph;cn on the lOLh Inst. between A. H. Bngardus 
and G. B. LuvuLt, at Friendship Park, Pittsburgh. One hundred single 
birds. The weather was cold with strong wind and spitting snow. 
Bogardus billed ninety-one, and E. B. Lav alt killed eighty-six. A. D. 
“FINE” GUNS vs, ‘•CHOKE-BORES.” 
Halifax, N. S., Feb. 2d, 1870, 
Editor Forest and Stick a™ 
In looking over-several of the la’uH issues Of your excellent paper 
—the Field of America—1 gathered from the numerous communications 
upon “choke-boring” that the subject has excited the same interest and 
aitenuon in America, as it has done in England, and 1 
therefore send you Hr account of the results of somo ex¬ 
periments I have laLely carried put, t hinking it may prove of interest 
to many of yonr readers. 
The gun with which I experimented was a Bl gauge, modified choke, 
by ihe celebrated makers J. & \\\ Tolley, of Birmingham. England* and 
had been lately sent out by them to a friend or mine. The gnu against 
which I pitted it was also made by Messrs Tolley, having been built for 
me some eighteen mouths ago. by them. It is not, however, a choke- 
bore, but a fine, Ki-gaugc of the very best quullty, and the most power¬ 
ful weapon of Us gauge and comparative weight it has ever been my lot 
to posses?, duijng long and varied experience of guns and gunnery. 1 
may mention, to show ii b power, Lhat, although but 5 lot*. 5 oz. in 
weight, I have, wiLh a charge of 3 drachma Onrlh & Harley, and a full 
ounce of No. 5 shot, frequently killed English hares uud rabbits, tena¬ 
cious of life as they are, when fully sixty yards away. I had, iherefore, 
in this gun, an excellent standard by which to test the new system of 
boring. The charge was tbe tame for both guns; the shot, No. 6 En¬ 
glish; the distance. 40 yards; the target for pattern, a 30-inch cir.de, and 
those for pattern some pads of 36 theots I had made myself from some 
Pettit paper I bad brought but with me. from England. I will not go into 
the details of the trial from a fear of trespassing too much upon your- 
space, but thalL confine iuyself to stating the results al. which I arrived, 
and the conclusions l hive deduced from them, t found that the choke - 
bore sin-pasted the fine gun in pattern and penetration, so as to render 
it superior; luir. not markedly superior to the latter in range. T found 
also tlnit the charge of ihe choke bore w ts thrown with remarkable 
evenness upon the targeL—in fact, some of the pattern a made were spec* 
imon patterns. Bunches of shot were conspicuous by their abscence, 
and yet there was scarcely h spot on the target Whovo tt humming-bird 
coaid have escaped imstruck. This regularity of pattern is of coarse an 
unmixed gain. Arter a careful consideration of this trial. I have come to 
the following conclusions, viz: 
First—Thar the choke-bore is superior to the flue gun in pattern and- 
penetration, and therefore, til range, bul nut to any very great detgee. 
Second Thai, it is not worth while for any sportsman possessing a 
fine fenn of known power to have it choko-borcd, or to supercede it by a 
choke-bore. 
Third—That an extreme choke Is not to be recommended for general 
game shooting, bat might be Useful for special work at long ranges. 
Founh—That large shot can be used in the second barrel of a choke- 
bore with advantage. 
Fifth—That a well-made modified choke, say of 170 to a 180 pattern No. 6 
ehOt» English, and 33 to 35 sheets penetration with 8 pellets, possesses 
thu advantages, without the disadvantages, of both systems of boring, 
I may add, in order to prove that, in giving yorj my views upon the 
above subject,I am not speaking entirely “without book,” that, during 
a sporting experience Of twenty-two yt-ara, I have owned or need guns 
by almost eveiy “crack” English maker, and have tried scores of wea¬ 
pons, and fired hundreds of shots at tlie target, the shooting power of 
guns having always been u matter of great interest to me. 
Forest Aisle. 
THE ENGLISH GUN TRIAL. 
London, Eng., Feb., 1876. 
Editor Forest and Stream:— 
The editorial to Mr. Pape's letter on the English gun trial in a recent 
issue of your paper requires a few remaiks and some explanation, to en¬ 
able your readers to arrive at a correct conclusion. Had Mr. Pape’s 
letter appeared in an English sporting paper, I would not have troubled 
to reply, as his extraordinary conduct at the late Gnu Trial Is well 
known, and generally condemned by our English sportsmen. However, 
as he has thought proper to publish his letter in the American sporting 
papers, I think it nothing but just that the American sportsmen shonld 
know a few facta connected with the late Field Trial, (in which Mr. 
Pape played such a conspicuous part), and your readers will ihen be able 
to judge for themselves. 
The first we heard of Mr. Pape on the choke-bore question was, that 
such close and strong shooting could not be done, and that it was a gal¬ 
lery dodge. When this was exploded by the Editor of the Field coming 
to try the guns in the open, and having proved that such was not the 
case, Mr. Pape then comes forward, and claiming the system as Ilia own, 
declaring at the same time that he had made better shooting years ago. 
Mr. Pape’s charge against tbe soldiers who helped to count the targets 
is both cruel nnd unjust, for bo well knows that the soldiers were there 
only part of the time during the trial , and then merely assisted in the 
work, by counting the shots on the targets outside of the centre pads, 
and the count was finally checked by others of the Field stall. _ The 
penetration of all the guns was decided by Mr. Cox, of the Field Com¬ 
mittee. All this was done in the presence of the competitors. As to 
the Wear and Tear Trial, Mr. Pape is again misroprasenting the fact. 
He Well knows that the winning gun wa* uot entered in thu Wear and 
Tear Trial; this was announced in the Field at the time—it was a fresh 
gnu iu the unfinished state. Mr. Baker’s gnn was the only one used in 
holh trials, and thisgun was fourth in tbe tri&l for the cup, and we beat 
this by 37 points in the wear and tear trials the conditions, however, 
in this trial were totally different to those In the trial for the cup. This 
wear and tear trial extended over twelvcdays in wet and windy weather. 
By comparing the performance or Mr. Bakers gun in both trials it can 
be seen that there was an apparent fulling off of about 70 points; this 
was owing to the altered conditions. Now, as to Mr. Pape's gun being 
disqualified as being dangerous to life, the plain facts of the case are 
these: The parties who watched the targets discovered a hole the atee 
of a wad throngh tbe target, immediately after Mr. Pape’s gun had been 
fired. Upon investigation it was found that a round hole had been 
punched through the iron target the size of a 12-guuge wad, and about 
twelve shots lodged in Ihe bottom of the hole embedded in the wood 
backing; some hollow wads were picked up Lhat had evidently been 
loaded with shot;. Each competitor haviug found bis own wads the com¬ 
mit) ee called a meeting of the competitors, and these addressed Mr. 
Pape as follows, explaining that a number of wads had been found that 
had been loaded with shot, and there ruqnustd that Mr. Pape would al¬ 
low his gnu to bo shot over again by the com mi Lino. He promised to do 
so Ihe next day. but failed to show up. lie being suspected of having 
used the wads, they gave him the opportunity to clear up the matter, if 
lie could, but he failed to do eo. No oth.r competitor wm. asked by the 
committee to allow their gnus to be shot over again but Mr. Pape. Any 
one who cares to look over the Field reports and correspondence upon 
theahbjactf will find what we stale to be correct. Mr. Pape is road of 
Charging people with fraud. He proves himself in this verv letter, in 
reply to “Fair Play,” that he is himself guilty of unfairness, if uot ac¬ 
tual fraud, by entering his own guns in the name ol Davidson, comriny 
to the published conditions of the Field Trial. We have now done with 
Mr. Pape entirely, and we decline to accept any challenge coming from 
him. He evidently caimoL bear defeat. W. W. Greener. 
[Thi€ correspondence is now ended, ns far as we are 
concerned. Our columns are open lo gentlemen who may 
desire to discuss any subjects relating to guns or shooting, 
but they can no longer be the medium for manufacturers 3 
bickerings and recriminations.] 
SOME NOTES. 
Duluth, Minn., February, 1876. 
Editor Forest and Stream:— 
1 have seen nothing of lute regarding the cartridge question, and sup- 
pnse it lms been settled in favor of the cartridge and against the gun. 
On my animal shooting and fishing trip to the western part of this State 
last fall, I took lliroe hundred U. M. C. Co.’s cheap brown paper cart¬ 
ridges, all of which were used by myself aud un a sociate. I used about 
two hundred, uot one of which missed fire. In n»y companion’s gun 
several of I her. missed, but were afterward exploded !u my own gun 
upon first trial. The guns were from same maker, but we hud noticed 
that there was a difference in the chambers. Tbe theory of the Super¬ 
intendent of (ho U, M. C. Co., claiming that the trouble regarding the 
non-explosion of cartridges arises from ihe different sizes of chambers, 
is conclut-ivfc to my mind. We found the same results in using Ely’s 
blue cartridges. To my nuud, the coming cartridge is yet to be invent¬ 
ed, unless Sinrtevanl’s patent, with moveable anvil, fills the bill. In 
theory, it seems to he the one I have been longing for, and trying to in¬ 
vent, but which, owing to my lack of inventive and mechanical genius. 
I have been unable to do. I urn talking about paper shells, for I have 
been converted to them against my inclination. 
I think I have found a method of dairying shells much superior to any 
belt or vest I have yet seen or read uf. Having occasion to Bt.urt sud¬ 
denly, for a few hour’s shooting, I had no time to don my shooting rig, 
so went in store clothes, haviug time only to snatch my gun and maga¬ 
zine, (or suchel), which 1 always keep in readiness for a sudden call. 
When we reached our grounds and started for the dogs, who were at 
point, T was puzzled as to the distribution of my cartridges, aud hastily 
put them around in iny different pockets. I found the change pocket 
in my Cf.at answered thu purpose better than anything I had struck, and 
I at once had my shooting coat made with such pockets—wx on each 
side—two stories, with three pockets Tu each story. The packets are 
just as di.ep as a paper shell before crimping—the breadtn just sufficient 
to place three shells side by side, easily. IF your shells are not crimped, 
the last one in will not fall flat, and yon never HI tin : a*- -Int charge 
loose in your pocket. If they are crimped, as they ought id v*y& to be, thu 
lust one of the three will, of course, l)o flat, but that will do no harm. 
Any maker of good shooting coats is at perfect liberty to avail himself 
of the hint. I will send my size upon application. 
One more note and I am done. I have found the Western part of Min¬ 
nesota the finest sporting grounds I ever hunted over. I have tramped 
in Northern Illinois, Southern Wisconsin, through Iowa, and Eastern 
Nebraska, but am much better pleased with Western Minnesota than the 
other localities. Game may not bejdentifal enough for matkot shoot¬ 
ing, bur, for Hue sport it fills the bill for me. While chicken shooting, we 
always find more or less ducks in the numerous poods and sloughs, to 
gfve a pleasant variety In a day's shooting. Black-bass are abundant in 
most of the hundreds of beautiful lakes, and the charming scenery is 
not the least tiijoyable feature connected with sporting in said loculily. 
The last season I had the pleasure of meeting some of your New York 
and New Jersey sports on these grounds who had neyer before shot in 
tho West, hud they were wonderfully phased, as well they might be. 
Come and see for yourself. Chick. 
SHOOTING AT CURRITUCK. 
New York, Feb., 1870, 
Editor Forest and Stream:— 
• Well, Lon, everything in the boat? Both guns, lunch, and bottles of 
-water?” 
“1 reckon so,” “Well, call Mary. Here she is,” and off we go, drift¬ 
ing out into the bay, hardly a breatn or wind, and warm as a June day, 
although it was the 2Dth of November. 
Lou looks dubious. His face says plainly, “not much show for birds 
to day. Weather too warm, aud when there is no wind, clucks are lazy 
and do not fly.” Lou starts a white ash breeze, and the little boat skims 
along toward a small island far out In tho sound. Ducks, geese, and 
swan lay in great numbers half a mile outside of the island, perfectly 
motionless—too sluggish even to eat. Occasioually a solitary duck 
starts off on a little skirmish, darts around the island, and then off to 
the north; and for those Btray and misguided birds we conclude to pnt 
out decoys (after a learned discussion about the weather) on the north¬ 
west point. Lou thinka that if the wind blows at all and don’t blow a 
flttle from the west, or a little south, or perhaps north of west, it will 
certainly blow easterly, Or south, or north of east. Hence the selection 
of tbe northwest point of the island, and any one can see at once the 
wisdom of our choice. While Lon was putting out the decoys, Mary 
aud I were busy fixing up a olind. As soon as I had nicely tharched up 
a nice front, Mary would come dashing through it, taking the bulk of it 
with her, and tearing down the balance. So I tied my Mary to a stake, 
get tbe rubber blauket spread aud the guns out. (a Scott breech loader, 
and a Moore and Harris muzzle-loader, both No. 10). Lon has stowed 
away the boat and we crawl in the blind with a good Btock of patience, 
when cornea a “sh-e-e a-h” and “lie down, Mary,” from Lon. I look 
through the blind and seo a canvas back coming nicely for the decoys, 
little thinking what ie in store for him. He settles over the decoys aud 
up 1 jump with the Scott, and away goes the bird Lou sings out, “hold 
well ahead of him.” He was now going like chain lightning; lingers 
tighten on the trigger and down comes bird, feet up, stone dead, Mary 
Jumps through blind, bird $uon in baud, with scarcely a feather ruffed, 
and certainly a good 3^ pound duck. 
I can be quite particular about that poor miserable duck, as that shot 
was to.last me for four long mortal hours. What few birds flew see med 
to know the fate or tbe canvas-back, aud gave us a wide berth. We 
tried everything “for luck” but all to no purpose, aud finally, in sheer 
despair, all fell asleep, Lon, myself, and the dog, sandwiched In the 
blind, the sun pouring down on us, and no gentle zephyrs to cool one 
cheeks; no houks of geese; no hark of the swan, or whistle of the doclc 
to disturb our rest. How long I slept I know not, but I was awakened 
with a cold shiver going through me. The sun still shone, but the at¬ 
mosphere had certainly grown colder by ten or fifteen degrees. I looked 
over the blind and saw to my delight a large black cloud hank, com¬ 
pletely covering tbe northern horizon. A little breeze had already start¬ 
ed up, and a commotion seemed to exist In the rafts of ducks, geese, etc» 
out in tbe Bound. I woke up my companion who, on scanning ihe hor¬ 
izon, excliimud, “In lets than twenty minutes you will see the loveliest 
flight of birds you ever witnessed.” 
The indications of a young hurricane seemed cerlain; got rubber coats 
and hats ready, took in most of ihe decoys, and awaited the event. -In 
less than twenty minutes it did come! Eveiy thing fairly jumped—spray 
fly mg, rain beating in our faces, the water a seething, boMUXtifia*** 
dneks, geese, etc., on all sides, I lie immense flocks broken no, flying, and 
drifting by in small bunches, decays going to the leeward at a fearful 
rate. And now the slaughter commenced, I put my gun on a pair of 
canvas-backiS that donoled splendidly; killed both and cut another out 
with second barrel; then the right and left barrel of-the muzzle-loader 
at five geese, two knocked out with first nud one with second, Mary go¬ 
ing crazy-too many birds down at a time! R.gbt and left at a mallard 
not thiriy yards off—did not touch a feather. “Old man, you are getting 
excited,” says Lou; got a small battle of “Mimmi’’ ready to shoot clown 
my throat, which settled things. Ruin coming down in torrents—no 
uiaUer, blood boiling—bangl bang! Incessantly for three-quarters of un 
hour, until the breech-loader was so hot that It was not safe to shoot. 
Cooled it off by using the muzzle-loader. Birds still coming, wind and 
rain Increasing, aud it becomiug a serious matter about our uiaklug land 
before datk, same four miles distant. On counting game we had 49 ducka 
aud 5 geese; 27 of Ihe ducks were canvas-bucks, il were red heads, and 
balance mallard, wfdt-eon, and black ducks. For the time that the shoot¬ 
ing was done it was the beat T ever had in my ten years’ experience at 
Currituck. One of our purty, who laid upon a small bit of sedge grass, 
bagged sixty-two at the same time. 
A great deal has been said and written about the shooting at Currituck 
hut my experience has been that so much depends on the depth or tho 
water and sLute of the wind, that it is simply a stroke of luck about- 
hitLjng the righi time to go. In the ten years that I have visited ther*, 
only two have brought what I call good shooting, although I have been 
satisfied, an the climate is delightful and the surroundings pleasant. 
The water does not rise and fall with the tide, hut is subject entirely to 
the wind. Water is brackish, and great quantities of wild celery gras* 
abounds, which is the attraction for the ducks. 
C. H. IL, Grand Hotel. 
$ew $nblifHtiana. 
BOOKS RECEIVED. 
The American Kennel and Sportino Field. By Ar¬ 
nold Bingos. 
Wu have received tho advanced sheets of Mr. Arnold Bdrgrs’neiv 
spuntng book, published by <1. B. Ford* Co., of thl< oily. From a 
brief examination of the work, we are convinced that it is admirably 
adapted for the requirements of the geld, sportsmen of ibis country. 
His suggestions ss to breeding, raising, and breaking dogs Tor field pur¬ 
poses, if strictly followed by shooters who raise mid break their own 
dogs, will be of great service to them. In England, we believe, seitcra 
and pointers are rarely used to retrieve the game shot to Ihem. fu this 
country, however, the value of such dogs are justly considered much 
greater, when broken to this accomplishment-and in Mr. Burges’ 
book will be found the same rules for thus breaking them, as we were 
taught by a German gentleman named Cobcr, who resided in Philadel¬ 
phia fifty years ago, and it is a good onu. And then, leo, we lind. in 
this work a long list of pedigrees of some of the most prominent dotrs 
imported and bred in this country, which will be found of considerable 
value to future breeders. 
We entirely agree with our friend Col, Skinner, the pnoier.t- Field Ed¬ 
itor of the Turf, f ield ami Farm, when he says he has often thought 
lhat too much stress wtis laid on color by importers and others. The 
Col.’a head is level upon litis subject, mid from ltis very large experience 
in the matter of field sports, his opinions are eulitled to considvrati n; 
ror when we commenced shooting aud selecting dugs for the purpose, 
somo flftv years ago, the Col. was looked upon ns good authority in all 
matters pertaining to fur, flu and feather: and Mr. Burges, too, we are 
glad to And, ib frt e from prejudice against any particular strain or color 
of dogs. 
Taking the work altogether, we consider it well worthy of considera¬ 
tion from all field sportsmen. The book itself is handsomely gotten np, 
and, as an addition to the sportsman's library, reflects g eat ere lit upon 
the publishers. Thoillustratiens comprlso portraits of celebrated dogs 
from the kennels of Mr. Chas. H. Raymond, Mr. N. Saltus, Mr. Luther 
Adams, snd Dr. Strachan. 
Don, tiir Pointer. —The animal in question was mimed 
Don, and was, in his master’s opinion, the “prince o£ 
pointers." His scent was extraordinarily keen. Forex- 
ample, one day, when out shooting, he suddenly came to a 
point, and stood like a rock. His master went up lo him;' 
hut no game rose, and still the animal continued to point. 
His master walked on in the indicated direction, uuLil he 
was Btopped by a stone wall, and on looking over U he saw 
a hare closely crouched to the ground. The keen scent of 
the dog had detected her in spile of the inlervening wall. 
As often happens, birds got wild towards the end of live 
season, and used to rise well out of shot. Now Don knew 
the range of tbe game as well as his master, and invented 
a singularly ingenious mode of literally circumventing the 
birds. His peculiarly keen scent enabled him to detect 
them at a considerable distance, so lhat they would not be 
afraid of him. Instead of going directly toward them, 
Dou used to circle round them, gradually contracting bis 
lines until he came within range. He would then look 
back at his master, as if to say, “It’s all right, we have 
them now;" and so they had. 
Struck by a Sword fish. —The brig P. M. Tinker, 
which, lately put into Norfolk for repairs, was found upon 
examination to have the sword of a sword-fisli broken off 
in her bends, about fifteen feet abaft the fore foot. The 
fish, in striking the vessel, must have come with great 
force, as the sword penetrated the copper sheeting, a four 
iucii birch plank, and through the timbers about six inches; 
in all about ten inches. It occurred on the morning of the 
23d of December, when the brig was eighteen da} s out 
frem Rio, and in the neighborhood of Cape St. Roqtie. 
— A York county marksman is engaged in shooting crows, 
and thinks it a good cause. Tho other day he fired into a 
flock, and with two loads killed sixteen. 
