FOREST AND STREAM. 



Bosngll have experienced. Why, yon know nothing comparatively uboot 



ilBfl up here if yotl waul td Cfttol) fieh. And instead o( sit- 



tint: m the broiling gnu Mr hours without a nibble— bnl ptenly of bites 



from mosi) 1.1 re from three to four hundred ponnda 



]>i:t day, a ;'>. ,:,:! me mermiry ranging from four above 



zero dowH to i '■•! I e past week parties have r,om: 10 the Wabash 



audtbe Blongl ir the railroad bridge, and cutting holes in 



the ice, have, , pnlli i teat base, Un-mouths ana 



other Oab—eora lieamo at of live hundred pound-! per day. The.? 



go, generally, iu Eleigbs, and on mv way uptown this morning 1 met 



a lorau and several aingla ijleigb3.aod one wagon Btaulng out, 



" ' seela, and some barrels to put their flab in . 



■•(low Will ine above do (or a JlsA statement; it is a fnct, bowevor. 

 They generally pat the ice Bear a cluster of Inga or brash near shore, 



■■ ■ perhaps, the water last rrojsu and the fish assembled. 11 



REPLY. 



VfOKfiUBRo, .Tun. lytb, 1877. 



Dbae I got your Bsh letter this morning, and read 



it, id convention assembled, in BosweU'a office. The uni- 

 versal expression was that of disgust at the details, and 

 surprise that a gentleman of v on par is should make llicm 

 without uuy expression of disapprobation. Robinson de- 

 clared there would be alront as much Fun in hauling up 

 tictsil eats, while it would be decidedly more respectable 

 and humane. You have- doubtless heard Of pot-hunters— 

 those awkward shots who sneak about iu I he brush til] 

 they find a covey of birds huddled together for protection 

 from bad weather, and men blaze away with an infernal 

 old "spill out," murder the poor things by wholesale, and 

 have the hardness of cheek and want of shame to boast of 

 it afterwards. We all regard the pot hunter as a specimen 

 of deceuey and prosperity as compared lo a man who will 

 jerk a grab hook iuto an unfortunate game lish, thai, is 

 dowu with the frosts and unable to protect itself. We do 

 not believe a genuine fisherman would be caught at such 

 work. Indiana has wisely passed laws punishing as 

 criminals those who capture tisli with a seine. And sein- 

 ing is charitable and fair alongside of grabbing frozen fish 

 through holes in the ice. In the former case the fish arc 

 1 lo be iu good health and in the full possession of 

 ail their faculties. They have, at the worst, the chance of 

 jumping over, or running over or around the blasted im 

 pliment of destruction, butiu the case you rteito the thiugs 

 are down sick— torpid with the intense cold— utterly helpless 

 — not even being blessed with the power of motion, ami the 

 only thing lo alleviate in the least the cruelly of the trans- 

 action is the fact that their vision will not enable them lo 

 see their destroyers, and that their torpor perhaps deadens 

 the pangs of the murderous grab. If the. law of the Si ale 

 fines teu dollars for seining it should fine fifty dollars for 

 this infamous grabbing. I have no patience witn such 

 fishing or such fishermen as you describe, B. H. P. 



THOUGHTS FOR PRACTICAL MEN. 



MODERN AND OLD TIME SPORTSMEN— OLD ABUSES WIRED OUT 



— l'ROSMCTS FOB SAME IN TOE FUTURK— ARTIFICIAL 

 PROPAGATION OF GAME— STATE AKD NATIONAL AVIA- 

 RIES AND BREEDING PARKS — SUGGESTIONS TO OUR STATE 

 GAME ASSOCIATIONS. 



Dansyille, N. V., Feb. 3. 

 Editor Fobest and Stream :— 



WHAT a good thing that the time has at last come 

 when the Votaries of Rod anil dun ate looked up 

 to and respected, where fifty or even twenty-five yeais ago 

 they were looked down upon by the so called respectable 

 peopie, and classed among the low and vulgar. Thirty 

 years ago, Henry W. Herbert (Frank Forester) stood out 

 alone as champion of American field sports, and nobly did 

 he do bis work. With a combination of tact, energy, per- 

 severance and patience, lie succeeded in bringing the 

 beauties of the ennobling pursuits of forest and stream be- 

 fore the people in such a thorough, convincing way, that a 

 change came over the public mind regarding tin's subject, 

 aud to-day nearly every Four Corners has its Sportsman's 

 club workkg iu dillereut ways to protect God's cieatures 

 front utter" annihilation. 



To-day you will fiud among those who love the cabin iu 

 the wilderness, the camp lire, the trusty gun and pliautrod, 

 representatives of all professions, trades and occupations. 

 There is, I confidently believe, implanted in the heart of 

 every man by a wise Creator, a love for some certain 

 branch of this wide field, which when followed tends to 

 brighten and prolong life; and at this moment all overthis 

 broad land you will fiud ministers, statesmen, lawyers and 

 poets, only waiting with lively anticipation for the time 

 when, throwing aside every care and responsibility, they 

 can hie away to favorite streams or woodland and take 

 their fill of pure air, sweet, rest, and exhilarating sport. 



The misanthropes and frowners down ol legitimate 

 sport are fast dying out; and, tliauks lo the healthy (one 

 aud unceasing efforts of such journals as Forest' and 

 Stream, the people now see Ural horse racing and prize 

 fighting are not necessarily concomitants of it. Time 

 was also when the dram buttle was as much a part of the 

 gentleman spoilsman's outfit as his wad-cutter. This is 

 happily changing with rapid strides, and I am glad to see 

 your journal denounces it, and publishes articles proving 

 conclusively that in the field ihe dram drinker lacks Lbe en- 

 durance and stay of him who confines his potations lo I lie 

 brook or spring. 



In a word, all the abuses at one time attendant upon and 

 going hand iu hand with the spoilsman of the last genera- 

 tion, are rapidly passing aw/ay. Some few lingering rem- 

 nants of a corrupt and gross sportsmanship still remains, 

 anflyet 1 am confident that another decade will fiud them 

 all swept away, aud a pure healthy love for field sports ex- 

 iling, What a glorious thing it will be when, all abuses 

 done away with, the healthy, happy pursuits of field, for- 

 i[ all-earn, can be followed for their OWh sakes, and 

 the joy they give! 

 Contrary to the belief indulged by some, that in a few 

 I all the game and fish will be swept from the land, 

 and out fields and forests bet wilderness in 



which is heard no cheerful cry of " Bob While," no muf- 

 fled drumming of ruffed grouse, or flip flap of rising wood- 

 cock, our streams and rivers but a waste of waters unten- 

 anted by a solitary fin, I coutideiilly believe that ten 

 years from now will see game and fish much more plenti- 

 ful. The increase of sportsmen and sportsmen's clubs, in- 

 stead of tending to decrease the quantity of fin aud 

 feather in our land will have, and already has had, a con- 

 trary effect. Hardly a member of these associations but 

 has some farmer friend (and a great many farmers are 

 themselves members) who, through his influence can be 

 made to protect what he once destroyed, or at least Counted 

 as naught. This is exemplified by What these gentlemen 

 are doing all over the laud this unprecedented hard winter 

 for the preservation of these helpless creatures. Many a 

 farmer is watching with interest his little Hock of quail us 

 J they run to aud fro among the poultry picking up their 

 share which he lias kindly thrown them, and saying to him- 

 self. " T don't begrudge the little they cat, for it preserves 

 I heir lives, anil its only from their increase that Cousin 

 Charlie, when he visits me next fall can hope for any 

 sport. Let them eat; and although the partridges (grouse) 

 are budding my young orchard considerably, I shall find no 

 fault, for the snow aud ice has so covered up their natural 

 lootl that 1 suppose the poor thiugs can get nothing toeat." 

 1 lell you oar hope lies iu the farmer, and if Forest AND 

 Stream laid on the table of every country house in the 

 laud, supplautiug (he trash which the hoys bring home, 

 lbe revolution which is surely coming would be but the 

 work of months instead of years. 



The artificial propagation of game should be made a 

 point. Mr. Green has proven to the world practically that 

 the science of pisciculture has beeu of incalculable benefit 

 to ihis land, making waters once barren lo be fruitful, and 

 those already fruitful to double their fruilfulness. Why 

 should not this be the ease in regard to game? Why should 

 we not have national and State aviaries, where non-migra- 

 tory birds might be raised and distributed, furnishing quail 

 and ruffed grouse at nominal figures lo sportsmens' clubs. 



It is with feelings of dismay that we look forward to 

 next fall's shooting after this killing winter. None but the 

 wealthiest of us cau hope to fill our game bags, ami that 

 only by hundreds and thousands of miles of travel. Our 

 brethren at the south are all right; their birds never gel. 

 imprisoned under three, feet of snow. I am writing iu be- 

 half of the north and northern sportsmen, and at this pre- 

 sent moment sadly do they need sympathy. We hear on 

 every side of bevies frozen iu, of little stark attenuated 

 bodies lying in and by the joadside, starved to death; of 

 grouse trying to peck through I he icy coating of the buds; 

 aud falling down through the lack of food. All these things 

 forbode disaster lo Shooting next November; and to deprive 

 us of our shooting is to take away what we live the other 

 eleven months for. The accident which has happened this 

 winter has happened other winters, and is very liable to 

 happen again. No legislation can prevent it, and our ex- 

 perience in years past has been that a fierce snowy winter 

 has invariably caused fearful diminution in feathered game. 

 A disease constantly occurring will, at last, suggest a rem- 

 edy, aud the only remedy suggesting itself for this is 

 the organization and maintainunce of a State breeding 

 house. The expense would not be great, and the good 

 done would be beyond estimate, Supposing sueli an in- 

 stitution existed at present in New Vork State, with say 

 five thousand pairs of quail and a thousand of pairs of 

 ruffed grouse for distribution over our fields ami through 

 our forests? Sportsmens' clubs, instead of discussing the 

 subject of what shall we shoot ihe coming season, would 

 he making appropriations and otherwise preparing to send 

 in their orders to the Slate Aviary for ten, twenty, or fifty 

 pairs of birds, and with a sigh for those who met an un- 

 timely fate this winter, turn out the fresh, healthy quail, 

 which increasing aud multiplying would fill our rural dis- 

 tricts with their plaintive calls next summer, and fill the 

 stubbles with bevies in the coming fall. 



Hardly a week passes without some one enquiring in 

 your paper where live quail can be found for propagation, 

 and the answer is invariably some point in the Carolinasor 

 one of the Gulf States, and the price very high. Add lo 

 this the cost of transportation, aud the limited supply, and 

 it becomes evident that the importation of southern quail 

 from private dealers will never become a great success. 



If the State Association would take the matter in hand, 

 and from their surplus wealth make appropriations sulli- 

 cienl to lease suitable grounds and buildings and procure a 

 stock of birds, there is uo doubt but that every Associa- 

 tion in the Slate would enter iu with them heart, hand and 

 purse, paying cei tain dues for its support, and in a very short 

 time our Stale Aviary would become a national blessing 

 aud a paying instilution. All trouble regarding the effect 

 of hard winters on game would be at an end. Bob White 

 would whistle on every hill side, and 1he ruffed grouse 

 drum and plume himself ou every log. Instead of leaving 

 home a thousand miles behind lo work our dogs success- 

 fully and count well on game, a day from business would 

 insm e a good day's sport. This is no fancy sketch ; a calm 

 consideration of the above will show to every ihiuking 

 man, thai a movement in the direction spoken of in this 

 article is necessary. I believe it will be done, and that 

 game will increase in much greater ratio that Sportsmen, 

 nothwilhslauding the fears entertained by some that the 

 great additions to the fraternity during the last few years 

 will effectually root out all the recognized game from the 

 country. H. W. O, L. 



— The numerous parties asking for live quail will rind a 

 lot advertised for sale iu our columns to-day. 



PHOJi OUR OWN COUB15BPONDENT. 



London, -fan. U'M, 1877. 



IT has sometimes occurred lo me lust in writing these 

 letters I have given too much prominence lo accidents 

 in Ihe hunting field, without drawing reasonable compul- 

 sion between casualities arising from this andulhi I BllU 

 Probably an ordinary Loudon fog is accountable for as 

 many ini.-haps iu the way of bodily injurie-i as Ihe enlire 

 hunting season. Unfortunately, however, in the one ease 

 Ihe injured person is likely to be some one of note, and 

 there are not wanting persons who fiom ieiug bitterly op- 

 posed lo hunting, lake every Opportunity to parade such 

 accidents as terrible examples lo young men with a taste 

 for following bounds. And if should be borne in mind 

 that those who hunt are numbered by Ihe thousand, Slid 

 after all the the casualties are no greater in proportion to 

 those engaged than rould be compiled from Ihe results of 

 railway or steamship travel. Indeed, if the stc ■ 

 which is made in Iron, a journal which should be cornel, 

 is tiue, in the year 18?o there were no less Ihtin 76-5 railway 

 employees killed iu Gnat Britain aud 3,018 injured. You 

 cannot beat that in America, throwing the Ashtabula hor- 

 ror in. 



It is most remarkable to a stranger Ihe strong posilion 

 which fox hunting holds in this country. The fanner suf- 

 fers his hen roost lo be robbed in si.encc, or looks with 

 equanimity upon broken fences or trampled fields, all for 

 Ihe love of sport, or from a consciousness that he cannot 

 help himself. It is true, however, that there is generally 

 a hunt fuud for the repairing of these damages, but in 

 many instances it must be quite inadequate. A man who 

 would shoot a fox is a vulpicide, and to poison a hound 

 merits banging, Occasionally) however, a rough customer 

 is met with who runs wire through bis hedges; ami of 

 all the things to work mischief, this is the worst. Neither 

 horse or rider can often see it and a sure fall is the result. 

 If you receive t he Sporting and Dramatic News you will see in 

 a late issue of that capital publication a very spirited aud 

 speaking sketch entitled "Ware Wire," which tellB the 

 whole story. 'Wire fencing has a most melancholy interest 

 forme. Some years since while ranching iu California I 

 had occasion to fence in quite a large tract of land. 

 Economy being an object, I hit upon a wire fence of live 

 strands wilh solid posts and a single board on top. Lum- 

 ber in sufficient quantity would have cost almost a King's 

 ransom, and lack of water made a live hedge an impossi- 

 bility. For a few weeks my fence looked well, but iu au 

 unlucky moment a enciadu or band of mules strayed Hint 

 way and with heads resting on the lop boaid gazed pensive- 

 ly at the barley just showing above ground. Then one old 

 dun colored fellow turned and kicked at the fence until he 

 knocked the board off, and ihe whole band pressed and 

 stumbled against the wite until it was level. Iu vain I 

 drove them out and repaired the fence; bands of muXangs 

 joined the mules and my wires were soon trailing in every 

 direction over the plains. My crops wei e utterly destroyed 

 and the only satisfaction I bad from my fence was ill pro- 

 viding luxurious pasturage for several hundred worthless 

 brutes and in providing every ran eh wo in an within twenty 

 miles wilh galvanized wire clothes lines. 



A lionajide match has at last been made between O'Leary 

 and Weston, and lbe articles are sigreil. The match, 

 which is for £500 a side is lo come oil in some coveied * 

 buildiug within five miles of Charing Cross, from April 2d 

 to 7th, the winner to be lie who walks Ihe greatest distance 

 in 143f consecutive hours. Agucultural Hall is named as 

 a likely place for the malch, and it is to be hoped that both 

 men will come to Ihe scratch fit and well, when a most ex- 

 citing race will be the result. Weston has had his way 

 about tile music, and bauds are lo play from 5 a. in. until 

 midnight under the direction of each man duriug alternate 

 hours, except while either is sleeping, w hen uo music is 10 

 be allowed. No such match will have been walked since 

 Capt. Barclay Allardiee' s great 1,000 miles in 1,000 hour's 

 performance in June and July, 1800. It having been 

 stated that the stakes iu this match are the largest ever 

 contended for, the Wield gives the following instances when 

 they have been exceeded: — . 



"In Ihe autumn of 1800 Jlr. Fletcher, of Ballingshoe, 

 undertook to run 00 miles in 14 hours, lime was backed 

 by Capt. Barclay Allardiee, who just lost Ihe stakes, 

 amounting to 123,250. lul). eembei of tliesame year Ihe 

 Captain undertook to cover 00 miles In 9t± hours, for a 

 stake of £1,020, ami had to pay forleit to Air. Fletcher, as 

 be went wrong during his tniiuing. Slakes amounting to 

 £1,020 were again contended for by Oupt. Allardiee in Ihe 

 spring of 1801, and he would have achieved the feat easily 

 had not the umpire left the ground after he bad run 67 

 miles out of Ihe 90 iu 13 hours, when lie iuariveUeiitly 

 look some bad brandy, and it was thought, lie would be un- 

 able to proceed. On Nov. 10, 1801, Capt. Allardiee was at 

 last successful, and run 00 miles in 20b. 22tuin. 4sec, over 

 a measured mile on the York aud Hull road. Mr. Fletcher 

 again backed lime, and the stakes were the largest ever 

 contended for in a genuine pedestrian contest in this or any 

 other country, their amount reaching the unprecedented 

 sum of .£10,500. At Brighton i aces iu 1807 Capt, Allardiee 

 won his great match with Abraham Wood, of Lancashire, 

 the staktis being IM.OiJO. Last of this quintette we come lo his 

 well known 1,000 milcsin l.OOOliours, lor a stake of .£3,100. 

 In April, 185S, Uapt. Lumley, of the Sd Life Guards, gave 

 the lion. T. H G. Fcriuoy one mile start in a len mile walk, 

 but found himself overweighted. The actual slakes were 

 £ 1, 000,. 1 llOUgll ainioiiiicetl as £300 only. Oddly enmi 

 Weston's present backer, Sir John Astley— then Col. A.SI 

 of the Grenadier Guards — was umpirt ■ 



ma, of Camden Town [vrho finished L*ot 



