

FOREST AND STREAM. 



ly in connection with it. It has taken this terrible 

 scourge — diptheria — two years to reacli here from the Lower 

 Peninsula. It is about lour years since its invasion of 



the Eastern States, so it has traveled but slowly. Is it not 

 nga that though the government derive; millions of 

 dollars of revenue from luxuries which forneut disease and 

 subsequent death, they never think of appropriating a few 

 l:i sands toward the investigation and prevention of this or 

 Similar ravaging diseases ?* 

 Commerce und manufacturing, money and minting-, are each 

 the United States, but. the lives and happiness of 

 ' izensare not worth a bare thousand dollars. The gov- 

 ernment has been censured for recognizing property in men. 

 ■Do we not see that in so doing it cares more for them than as 

 •citizens ? Now, government spends almost unlimited money 

 ia investigating the causes, prevention and treatment of dis- 

 eases In cattle, though it leaves its exposed to diseases in 

 filreir most obscure and unmanageable forms. Would tin 



t£a count: 

 their lost I 



:• Jus letter i; 



now clad in mourning throughout 

 stieep and oxen tb an have 

 ■ one | it preservedto them? But enough ; 

 ready too long. 



May TO. 186L 



P. S. — Yesterday the ice broke up and drifted out of the 

 bay, as if to leave room for a boat, but the latter failing to out 

 in an appearance, the ice is returning to-day. The Vfinl i is 

 slowly retiring, and for the first time in "over rive months 

 leaving her footprints in sand and mud. What a relief it is to 

 see the bare ground once more, as it shows itself in spots, 

 dissipating aur ft ars that the world has been snowed under, 

 •tind lost forever. We once more greet cur mother earth, end 

 realize the affectionate attachment she retains for us. She 

 clings to our very feet, and they to her j nay, she even en- 

 velops us to our knees, and thus holds us to her bosom with a 

 motherly fondness, which we would willingly dispense with. 



To-day we have had the first cars on the railroad from the 

 in tains. They will not run regularly, however, for a 

 week or more. It is anticipated here that the shipments of 

 ore will lie confined to the months of July and August ou 

 account of the scarcity of vessels. There is also a mail- bout 

 to run between here and Portage during the summer, n ninji 

 tug having been engaged for the purpose. Another bi 8 

 ply between he're and the Chokolay, four miles down tbi 

 Several new buildings are in course of erection, but times are 

 dull, and money has become very tight, there being nothing 

 but Western bills in circulation now. 



May 22, 1861. 



P. P. A'.— Night before last, just after midnight, 1 was 

 aed by the firing of a gun, at the same time my ears 

 •were saluted with the most infernal din ever concocted by 

 mortals. The yelling and screaching was so terrific I bustled 

 on my clothes and rushed from the house. Boat ! Boat ! 

 Boat 1 B-o-o-o-o-a-t ! ! ! B-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-a-t ! ! ! ! 

 B— O—O— O—O— O—O— O—O— O—O— O— A— T ! ! I ! 1 ! ! 

 in all keys and voices; treble, soprano, alto, contralto, 

 countra-bass, double bass, tenor, and shrill falsetto, were 

 to be heard From as manv varieties of throats. I assure you 

 I was relieved to find it' was only the long expected boat. 

 the noise and trampling of feet I thought Gabriel must 

 have put in an unexpected appearance. But it was only a 

 and her red and green and white rights were seen 

 twinkling down the bay. By daylight she had made her 

 way through the ice. and tied to the wharf, allowing the 

 distracted "community to retire to their homes and finish 

 the slumbers which had been so summarily disturbed. After 

 discharging enormous quantities of freight, the Planet pro- 

 ceeded up the lake; but this morning found her back again, 

 being unable to get through ihe ice. She is now discharg- 

 ing her upper lake load for the next line boat to take, as 

 she returns this afternoon. I have packed in}' traps, and 

 propose to make my appearance among the " world's " 

 -people once more, and with renewed health, my winter's 

 sojourn proving far more beneficial than I had dared 

 hope. Take it all in all, the winter has been a pleasant one. 

 and I bid farewell to the Upper Peninsula and its inhabit- 

 ants with regret. " Quorum pars magna fuV Ahem. 



Arches. 



For Forest and Stream and Mod and Gun. 

 LASSOING A GRIZZLY. 



THERE were four of us, well mounted on horses that sav- 

 vied a rope as welFas any vaquero that evei 

 a saddle or threw a riata. We left, the ranch house about an 

 hour before day, and riding through the Arroyo Hondo, 

 leached the big mesa, at the foot of Rattlesnake Hill, when 

 the morning star was brightest. 



Two nights before a big grizzly had killed a cow in a little 

 canon opening into the arroyo at the foot of the mesa, and 

 the day before we had dragged what was left of the carcass 

 about half a mile out into the mesa with our riatas. A riata is 

 a plaited rope made generally of four, sometimes of six, 

 .strands of raw -hide, with a hard rawhide head, or loop, at 

 one end for the rope to play through when used to catch 

 anything. These ropes become very pliable with use, are 

 kept carefully greased with tallow, and out of the wet and 

 reach of rats and coyotes. Ours were the best kind ; six 

 strands and sixty feet long ; when the noose is fast on an 

 animal, or anything to be dragged, the other end of the rope 

 is retained in the hand, and a turn is taken in the horn of the 

 saddle. 



We had left Chapo, an Indian vaquero, hid in a cotton- 

 wood, to watch the place from which we had dragged our 



* I insert tills as showing the reeling of the people at. the time. Then 

 diptheria waB a fearful disease, whose nama alone people feared to ut- 

 ter, except under their breath, homing physicians of high and low de- 

 gree, foreign and native, the educated and the charlatan alike ; the very 

 mi dlptheria was a aynonym of ihe death which so frequently snper- 

 jrened, for there was no literature upon t.ub Bubject; all alike were In 

 ■profound ignorance of either its pathology or treatment. But govern- 

 ment could publish, at an expense of thousands of dollars, elaborate 

 -worts on the diseases of caltle, which, like all government publications 

 •were, then as now, huddled into the cellars and outhouses of M. C.'s to 



for ineae honorable gentlemen are too lazy to 

 to the in la rubbish, by the more act of addressing to those who would 

 appreciate, or their pockets be replenished ihrou;U the purveyors of 

 hops by their sale as waste paper. 



bait, He reported thai early in the night, the big grizzly had 

 i ihe mountain and followed the drag, and that he 

 had heard another cross the arroyo some distance below him 

 Within half au hour. We waited for daylight, smoking eigar- 

 rilos, eating t.umnks. and telling whoppers of bear stories in 

 i -pers, wilh man} ncarajo saiga ..■,■ thrown in 



as wadding for want of aguadien i Pelipe, Juan 



de Dios Valiente and I, sometimes called El Stiero, and old 

 Chapo, who took a horse and riata we brought him. All had 

 riatas, knives and pistols, and Chapo had an old English 

 musket half full of powder and bullets, When the "first 

 Streaks of light colored the gray uf the morning, and the quail 

 commenced calling, we tightened our cinches, and deploying 

 along the mesa at intervals of about forty paces, advanced 

 abreast, riatas in hand, towards the carcass. We were be- 

 tween our bait and the mountains, and hoped to drive the 

 bear into attempting to cross a wide open, free from bushes, 

 on the other side of which was thick monte. We rode first 

 at a walk, then sobre. pam, a pace between a walk and a trot, 

 peculiar toSpanish horses. As we reached the short sage brush, 

 we put our horses on the lope ; then on the run. Daylight 

 came quick over the mountains. I had just passed the bait 

 when I saw the bear straight before us, going at a shambling 

 lope, and apparently not much in a hurry. Felipe yelled at 

 him; he stopped and reared up,my horse sheered off totheleft; 

 [passed him, and in a breathing we were all four around 

 him, circling, turning and twisting; every horse, on the keen 

 jump, all of us ready to take the, first chance to get a rope on 

 a hind leg (hind legs ilic best hold). He looked awful ugly, 

 and was too full pf light to run, but stood doubled up, orrear- 

 ed up, making short lunges at our horses as we dashed in to 

 try and start him. Nobody wanted a foreleg hold, and it 

 wasn't very easy to get, for he tiling his arms about iikc a 

 boxer, and it look the spurs to get a horse to run dose by 

 him. Pretty soon he got so he'd chase the horses twenty or 

 thirty vards at a, stretch ; lie was clean crazy with anger, and 

 at last as I dashed my old buckskin bv him, star! 

 race in good earnest. We fairly burnt the wind ; the mesa 

 t bare, but he held his own— almost was gaining, 

 when the boys reached him. Felipe made the first throw, 

 went for a forefoot, lint was hot aud excited, caught bead and 

 leg together in the loop, which pulled tight across the neck, 

 chest aud under a foreshoulder. No horse could 

 hold such a hold, and Felipe dropped the riata. Valieute 

 tried for a hind leg, und missed it. Juan de Dios caught both 

 hind feet and slopped him. As hedoiibied back and grabbed 

 for the riaia, I dropped my rope on a forefoot, aud stretched 

 it with all the fence my horse could put on the riata. Lord ! 

 how I would like to have seen old Chapo and his musket for 

 a minute. I knewthat with bear's head and one forelej Erei 

 he'd soon get niy tightly stretched rope in his mouth. Then 

 good-by riata. 

 There was some tall twisting and struggling. 

 Juan held on as coolly as if it were only a bullock lassoed 

 for the butcher- Felipe, reaching down from his saddle, pick- 

 ed up his riata, but the way it held could help but, little. I 

 was thinking of slacking my riata, and taking chances for both 

 forefeet. Loosened it would slip from the forefoot I had, 

 and with both in my rope I thought Juan and I might hold 

 him, when all at once his loose foot struck Felipe's rope, 

 dragged it up to his mouth, and, like a flash, it was in two 

 pieces ! 



Just then Valiente got the loose leg. His rope caught near 

 the shoulder; under the strain and it slipped gradually down to 

 the ancle and held. He was a thoroughbred grizzly, but we 

 had him. Lord I didn't he hate us, and show it. He looked 

 murdering crazy, and tried very earnestly to get his mouth 

 on the riatas with which we stretched his'forelegs as far apart 

 as wo could get them. 



Juan kept both hind legs stretched straight out Eromthc 

 moment his rope tightened. About this time Chapo rode up, 

 riata in hand, with the old musket, tied on behind Ids saddle, 

 and told us he had had a sharp race after another hear, bet 

 i single handed. We warned OOr bear 

 , and with the help of Oh as 



ikwards across the mesa ; but, he was 

 d made so much trouble thut we held 

 lined to kill him. Chapo was detailed 

 for this purpose. Untying his old Queen F.ess, ami carefully 

 shaking in a panful of fresh priming, he left his hi 

 ing, with the riata taut on the horn of the saddle, and walked 

 around toward the head of the bear. Chapo is a little pot-bel- 

 lied, bandy-legged fellow (he doesn't rend English) and was 

 awfully anxious to massacre a bear. In the midst of ashower 

 of cautions not to shoot a horse or cut a riata, he held Ihe old 

 cannon about a yard from the bear's head (I declare I felt 

 sorry for the bear), and pulled it off. 



There was a puff of white smoke from the pan. After wait- 

 ing, it seemed tome a full minute, Chapo moved to reprime. 

 The butt of the gun had scarcely left his shoulder, when 

 there was a roar like a caisson explosion ; the gun [lew up in 

 the air, and Chapo, doubled up in a triangle, rolled under my 

 i. Kola shot (and Valiente swore there were two 

 handfuls of pistol bullets in the gun) had touched the bear. 

 We had braced ourselves for a possible struggle, and it came. 

 Frothing and foaming at the mouth, grinding his teeth, and 

 howling with rage, there was something awfully like a raving 

 human maniac about that bear. Our blood was up. We were 

 all excited, and we remarked in most emphatic, Castillian, that 

 we wuuld take that bear to the mission if it took all (Jay. Af- 

 ter about an hour's hot work, with the help of a hide which 

 Ohapo got from a near-by ja.nl, we got him to a clump of oak 

 near the arroyo, and spread-eagled him out between some of 

 the largest trees. He was, apparently,. stronger aud fiercer 

 than ever, whilst, both ourselves and horses were beginning to 

 tire. Fastening the riatas securely by winding around the trees 

 and tying, we Bent Chapo to the bouse for an ox-cart, chains 

 and some aguadiente. Juan and I rode down to the water to 

 drink. I had stooped for my first mouthful, when Felipe- 

 called loudly for us to come— " Pronto ! Pronto ! '' Thinking 

 a rope had failed, we went on the keen run. We hail left the 

 bear on his back, legs extended, head free, and there he lay 

 as we left him. but stoue dead— dead of rage, not an uncom- 

 mon occurrence with lassoed bears, but, in this case, some- 

 what disappointing. El Cazadoe. 



was afraid to tackle hit 

 for a bull and bear ti 

 started to drag him 

 so heavy and savage, 

 a pow T -wow, and deb 



For Forest and Stream and Hod and Gun. 

 TROUT FISHING IN MAINE. 



I OFTEN see an inquiry in your valuable paper from some 

 sportsman, asking where good trout fishing can be had, 

 easy of access, and propose giving you the benefit of a trip I 

 took in the fall of 1874, and from which I derived more 

 pleasure than any previous search all d beauties, 



although I had previously visited the Middle Dam, llichard- 



son Lakes, Moose River, from s the Canada 



line, aud several times to the Pleasant Ridge Ponds— my ex- 

 perience, as you see, having all been in M tine. 



In the early part of September of 18W my frieud B (an 



ardent lover of "chucking the bug ") and wife, and self and 

 wife, left the nub in the morning train, ticketed for Mount 

 Einco and return, but not quite sure where we should stop. a0 

 our ''objective point" might be changed if sufficient induce- 

 ment should offer. 



We thought seriously of making a short stop' at Monson. 

 Maine, when we started, but our hopes were almost dashed 

 when we were approaching Portland, and had just lighted our 

 pipes in the smoking car, to be informed by a gentleman who 

 was enjoying the same luxury, who was visiting Maine for 

 the same purpose as ourselves, that 1st, there were no trout 

 in Monson, aud 2d, that they were not good for anything if 

 there were ; and 3d, that they could net be taken with a fly, 

 all of which tended to make us think our original informant 

 (who fishes entirely with a gun) must have been mistaken. 



After parting with our friend (on short acquaintance) we 

 concluded to "stick" to our original plan of campaign, no 

 matter what stories we might, hear. Our conclusion was sadly 

 shaken many times before we reached our destination, and -we 

 came to the wise conclusion that the waters of Maine had a 

 varied reputation, even with the residents and lovers of sport 

 with a 10-ounce rod. 



We spent the first night out at the "Exchange," in Bangor, 

 and after a good night's rest, breakfast, etc., proceeded to~the 

 depot of the Bangor and Piscataquis B.Iu, and were shown to 

 near attached to a baggage train, which gave- promise of a 

 long and tedious ride. 

 In answer to our inquiry of the conductor about the time 

 i to make the Irip, he informed us that; " When he 

 Went, he went," and we fully agreed with hint' before our 

 arrival at the end of the road. 



At that time the employes of the road (so we wes informed) 

 sold peanuts along the line, and would stop any time to sell a 

 pint, and it seemed to us that the story was true -. Stat they do 

 much better now, as a strictly passenger train runs frver the 

 road in the sporting season. 



We arrived at Monson in time for dinner, after a pleasant 

 ride of fifteen miles in the stage from Guilford, and devoted 

 the first hours of the afternoon in getting our rooms at the 

 hotel in order, so that our ladies "could" be com f ..liable in 

 our absence, and make us comfortable when we returned. 

 About four v. w. the male portion of our party started out 

 to deliver our letters of introduction to a gentleman who 

 could "tell us all about it," and were sadly taken aback when 

 he informed us he had not caught a fish for twenty vears ; but 

 before we had quite recovered from the shock, he" informed 

 us that he would introduce us to the postmaster, wio Wu3 the 

 "boss" fisherman of the place. 



On our way to the post-office he informed oe t'.it "Ed." 

 could catch them anywhere, and if he couldn't assist us we 

 might as well move on. 



We found Mr. Haynes a very pleasant gentleman, and 

 kindly disposed to render us any assistance we might re- 

 quire, but cheeked our enthusiasm by informing us that trout 

 could not be taken with a fly in the waters of that vicinity, 

 as it had been tried oyer and over again without, success, 

 except in the case of one little fellow about four inches long, 

 and he was thought to be too small to know any better. 

 We, however, decided to give them a chance to, refuse 

 us at once, aud proceeding to the hotel, strung our rods, 

 and at just five p. jff. were in a boat on the lower part of 

 Hebron Pond, just opposite the hotel, say ten rods away. 

 My friend insisted upon taking the paddle, and mv string 

 of flies were soon in the water, without much the'.ught of 

 striking a fish in the lower end used as a mill pond, "as we 

 v.. ", re told there were none there, and my companion was 

 using bis paddle freely, forcing the boat rapidly through the 

 water, when a fine fish rose at m\ fly which I tailed lo strike, 

 and before I could cast again the boat was upon him, and I 

 tble to raise him again. 

 This gave promise of adding something to the little fellow 

 before mentioned, and our spirits were raised several degrees 

 in a few moments after. Again starting for the pond proper, 

 I struck a fish, and after a few minutes sharp play landed a 

 ■tipping the beam " at \\ pounds. During the hand- 

 ling of this fish, we shot into the pond proper, and the wind 

 being off shore, we put our boat broadside to, and both com- 

 In a moment another greedy fellow 

 contest of about ten "minutes my 

 > 1} pounds, and we were 

 it had commenced raining, 



menced i 



had my fly, and a 



second fish was in 



and at j 1 ' - 



ing demonstrated I 



seven o'clock we s 

 baked pi 



with enough for supper, hav- 



t would rise to a fly, and about 



kg si meal of fried trout, 



a I e of what was to coaae. 



We made up our minds not to work too hard, and to take 

 things just as easy as possible, so the next morning we did 

 not get 00 lo the pond until about nine o'clock, am 



inquiries of. tbepostna. ter, tbougl 

 where the trout were, and were QOtdisappoi 

 horn tooted at twelve M. for dinner, we i 

 running from 1;; pounds to 2 pounds 'Ji ounces, almost tilling 

 my landing net. And we settled one thing very satisfactorily, 

 viz., that they would only take a very largi 

 fly, as B. insisted upon using such as he" had a 

 Richardson Lakes, and for a large portion of the forcuo&a 

 would not accept any from my bonk, but he soon came to it, 

 and made good use of them the balance of the time, 



The people of the town were rather astonished, the post- 

 master with the rest, and he went out in flic afti 

 did our ladies, to see how it was done, and had a chance to be 

 satisfied, as we added nine to our Cat id aize. 



We spent, three weeks at this place fish 

 weather would allow, except Sundays, and our ami 111 

 for any day was twelve. Some days da pond 



where they were small, runningfro'ma quarter to a pound aud 

 quarter, we would catch at least a hundred. 



Every day we had many r things to remember, aud which 

 would doubtless prove interesting, but I will only relate one 



■ experience, and then begin where I 

 giving you the information indicated. ' 



We bad become quiteintimate with "Ed , 

 one. of the. jolliest fellows we ever met. and one morning lie 

 started for Monson Pond to show us where tie 

 found. Ihe fish not being in the rlghl 



through the W0i ,. . l«,a 



small pond rarely visited, and where he verj 

 a flj had ever been cast. We had been at w> q I 



hout a Sign, when I saw a break I 

 aud proceeded to put my flics "wlm 



1 lie at least, as I thought ; but . 



