Feb. 15, 1883,] 



FOREST AND STREAM 



47 



>een in while he was gone and had eaten Up all his bait. 

 liime" was mad. He came to the house, got some more 

 bait and another trap, and went liaek, vowing to have that 

 ffljfa if it look all summer. He visited the traps in a few 

 days, and found a hedgehog in each; look them out and 

 idded them to the pile of bait. The next time he found a 

 •abbit in one, and a woodehuck in the other. He went, a few 

 Jj^fS after and found another "(|uill pig." We then began 

 to laugh at him; but "Lime" was bound to have the hear. 



July -I he rami.- in to celebrate: and to help pass the time, 

 visited the traps, and found nothing disturbed. So be went, 

 (isliiu.tr down the brook, and was gone about three hours. 



1 way to the house, when about half tl mile from Mie 



trap, he heard a noise. He said "he kmv.ved there was a 

 ■ in the trap, or two bears lighting near where the trap 

 was.' He threw off his paek and ran! "When he came in 

 ligln of the traps, he said he could see lit old fellow mow- 

 ing the alders with Hie trap, and roaring every time he 

 (ttock; but "Lime" could not get a shot at him. "But," 

 says he, "when the bear .smelt me. he started, and T after 

 hi'ui. and In' ran more than a mile before I got a shot at him; 

 then 1 got in one, and he turned, and 1 had to dance to keep 

 ml of I lie way; but I got in another shot, aud settled him." 



••Lime." Ibeii, bad a four-hundred pound bear live miles 

 from the house, and it was five o'clock in the afternoon. 

 lie took the hide oil and came to the house, and went, back 

 the next day for the meat. The skin wasnol of much value, 

 us the hair was thin, but it was n very large one. It, was a 

 greal deal of labor for a. little hair, but he bad the satisfac- 

 tion of beating the bears al last, He killed two, later in the 

 season, that were good. 



As 1 write, the thermometer says sixteen below zero. 

 Our snow still accumulates, and there is no let up lo the 

 cold. It has been a long, steady pull. The winter birds 

 have gone South, or somewhere else. We have not heard 

 .a owl since snow came; uo crossbills nor jays. One white- 

 throated sparrow got left, in some way, anil stays around 

 he bam and woodshed. I fixed a hole for him to get into 

 he barn, where I gave him corn meal. He has become 

 (iiite tame, and 1 hope to keep him till spring. 



Thecal got after a skunk under the kitchen. Result— 



he cat stays out of doors nights, and we had to abandon 



he kitchen. 1 afterwards "night-hunted" the animal with 



i jack, and shot the varmint, the only one I ever saw here. 



A. R. Fulleh. 



hfBAcH.AU Lake, Jim. 24, 1888. 



DUCKING ON JULINGTON CREEK. 

 j-jHFTEEN miles south of Jacksonville, .lulinaton Creek 

 I enters the St. Johns River from the east , Three mile; 

 from its mouth it forKs and the prongs extend several mile: 

 out in I lie direction of the sea. As it has not been aclver 

 tised as the. "paradise for sportsmen," the shooting is pretty 

 goood. 



G. was slaving with us for a fortnight after making a 

 tour of the States. G. is an Englishman, but not aggress- 

 ively so. B. suggested we go on a camp up Juliugfon. 

 We' embarked in the Ever-Blue, a thirty-tive-foot sloop 

 named to distinguished her from a rival craft the Ever-Green. 

 Whatever the Ever-Blue's qualities were on the wind, it was 

 generally conceded that she was lightning with her sheets 

 started; and she fully sustained her reputation that day. 

 We had no ballast, unless we so count Point, a setter, sup- 

 posed, at, that time, to be a terror lo wild turkeys. His 

 merit-shave not been extolled since. As ballast . " he was 

 equally not a success. The boat lay over so much, he was 

 unable to maintain a position on the weather side and event- 

 ually settled himself in the lee scuppers, close by the demi- 

 john whence nothing could move him. 



The wind blew a gale, and as we had points for only one 

 reef, it, was very nice work sailing. Finally we got a "slant" 

 I for the mouth "of the creek, and we fairly flew. ' It required 

 both B. and myself at the helm to hold her to it. 



At the month of the creek, which is over a mile wide, we 

 ran into a Book of scamp or raft ducks, and knocked down 

 acOiplc, B. dropping astern in the "dugout" to pick them 

 np, 



G, was in the bow tending jib and watching for shots, 

 and the boat fairly ran away with me. Twice she mi: 



slays bee 

 handle both sin 

 a nock of duck 

 At last wdth G. 

 her about and i 

 lost his birds, v 

 down his three 

 The) 



light by the head, and I could 

 »t a ud tiller quick enough. We ran through 

 s, and G. dropped three, but I couldn't stop, 

 's aid and a slight, lull of the. wind, we got 

 fan back, and having picked up B., who had 

 re ran on again lo wdiere G. had knocked 

 . and secured two of them. 

 ic to anchor and had a "cold snack." After 

 'ashing our lunch down with diluted water, we "up jib" 

 nd Start up the creek. 



At a point called the "Lily Pads." which is the beginning 

 of an immense stretch of floating water lettuce and water- 

 lilies, we hove too. Large flocks of ducks and coots were 

 11 vintv about or settling in the open spaces among the lettuce. 

 All of them were very'wild. 



One came along flying high, distil ut about sixty vards. 

 a. let, drive with his ten-bore choke, No. 3 shot." The 

 duck's head and wings dropped and he seemed to hang sus- 

 pended tor a second in mid-air, then down he came ."stone 

 Opad. 



After killing a few more we sailed on up the creek, being 

 anxious to get, to "fine Bluff Landing," our usual camping 

 spot, before dark. The banks of the creek were most 

 beautiful. I think our Southern autumn is finer than the 

 Koithern. The colors are not so strong. There is more 

 mi brown here, principally on account of the Spanish 

 moss, which falls from every limb aud branch. Still there 

 are plenty; of bright tints. 



We arrived at 'camp in good time aud soon had a roaring 

 "light wood" fire going, and hauling some coals out on the 

 windward side we prepared our supper. After supper we 

 lighted our pipe*, and fell to telling stories, that chief of de- 

 lights around a camp-lire, and before we turned iu we all 

 agreed to meet in California in the spring of '81 when G. 

 comes through there on his way home from India. 



Late that night as I lay on mv rug, watching the full 

 moon nearly overhead, I heard the" familiar sound of flyini 

 ducks, and a flock passed across the face of the moon, am 

 the whistle of their wings grew fainter and fainter, and the 

 hou-hon-ah of the owl grew more and more distant, and the 

 -camp fire flickered lower and lower— and I was asleep. 



AVe were up by break of day and took the dugout to t 

 the open spots of water among the water lettuce. On ot 

 way a. tlocK of gees,- passed high over our heads, the first 

 e, e had ever seen on the creek. 



nits plentiful, but very wild. B. 

 hich was the only other variety of 



e pas 



thee 



We found ducks and ( 

 t a blue-winged teal 



duck beside the scamp — save one scattering bullerball, which 

 last, nearly caused B. to capsize the dugout in the frantic 

 attempts he made to grauliis bird before 'it dived. The dug- 

 out was very cranky and leaked badly- Standing up iu it 

 ! almost an impossibility, and our only means of naviga- 

 tion was one poor worm-eaten paddle, which we took turns in 

 using. 



We had good sport with the ducks, hut took no notice of 

 the thousands Of cools, as they were entirely too easily 

 killed to furnish any sport. Finally we started .sailing down 

 the dill'ereul Bocks that floated near the mouth of thi- 

 ck, and we obtained some good shots. On our way home 

 we stopped to interview II., at the entrance of the; creek, 

 11. has built himself a very neat domicile, and named the 

 place "Orthodox Point," for reasons it Would be incon- 

 venient to explain. II, was absent, so hanging a pair of 

 ducks on the porch out, of the reach of Major," his setter, 

 we attached a note written with a rifle cartridge for want 

 of a pencil, and steered for home, where we arrived in time 

 for a roast duck dinner. 



We get. considerable shooting about here and collect some 

 line specimens of herons, and have obtained several speci- 

 mens of the purple gallinule. There are more ducks this 

 winter than I ever knew before. Pinteu. 



Mandarin, Fla., Jan. to, 1883. 



"A LONG PULL, AND A STRONG PULL." 

 XTE were at Ciiy Point, Va. It was the 23d of Decern- 



W 



ber, fog, fog, tagi Bo thick you could taste it- 

 Over everything ana everywhere, -.Vow look here. Brunt, 

 we must reach home for Christinas!" "Vou's beat tak de 

 Old Dominvun fur Richmond, boss," put in au old darkey 

 patriarch, "dat de surest." "When is she due here. Uncle?" 

 "Dunno, s.ah; she may be bout hour late, kep by dc fog, I 

 reckon." "1 say, Brunt, we will have to make a start 

 for Petersburg. " That's the only chance. If we make 

 the train from there, all right; if not, we. are stuck, 

 and that, my friend, is jusl about the size of it. Any 

 horses in town, Uncle?" "You see dat white gemman oil 

 de wharf'.' Disawav.darhe.de tall gemman in de big- 

 hat, he de ony man what keep a boss, I reckon he kin tak 

 you over." 



We proceed to interview the tall gentleman, iu the big hat. 

 "Can you take us over to Petersburg for the 3:25 train 

 north?" "Waal, I can't tote yon myself; and my boy, he's 

 gone to cut n Christmas tree, ef you'mind to wait for him, 

 I'll send yon over" (emphasizing the send). "When will he 

 be back?" "About two hours, J, reckon," (glancing at his 

 watch, a huge affair, with an immense fob strung to it, a 

 decoration which finely set off his slouohy attire and cow- 

 hide boots, with trousers tucked in their "tops). "Too lnte 

 for us. "You won't, go yourself. Ihen?" "That, I believe, 

 was the remark I made, stranger." 



The old uncle came to the rescue again : ' ' Vou's best take 

 a boat, boss, and row to Petersburg by de ribber, twelve 

 mile. Hyar, Buck. hyar. buck, cum an' 'range wid de 

 gemman to take 'em ((/Petersburg wid your boat." Buck 

 approached, aud a tine, sturdy fellow he looked, He could 

 row us to Petersburg. "Be yon all agoiu? Well. I mus' 

 have sum one to go 'long and row wid me." "All right, 

 shake her up and get the bout ready, we will have flood tide 

 most of the way if you arc lively."' "How much you goin' 

 to pay, boss?'' queried Buck, "'twill be worth four dollars." 

 "I'll give you five if you gel us there by 2:30." "We'll do 

 it, sar, if we can't pull thar in two hours, nobody roun' hyar 



n't." 



We leave our baggage to follow us by express, and having 



cured a bottle of whisky, (he best thing iu the world to 

 bring the work out of a darkey, we tumble in and iitc off, in 

 as dense a fog as ever covered the bosom of the James. Our 

 boys were a team of finely developed lads, with broad backs, 

 superb shoulders, and a lone reach, which (old wonderfully, 

 as they swung together. 'Hie old tub fairly mafic the water 

 boil as she gathered headway under the powerful stroke of 

 the young athletes. The weather was (dose and muggy, 

 and I noticed that Brunt perched himself iu the bow when 

 started in an off-hand sort of way. at least 1 thought so, 

 l»ut as usual there was method in the madness of the long- 

 headed old fellow. As he settled down he smiled, a deep, 

 meaning smile, and when the fog lifted, and the suu glanced 

 down, lending mi additional warmth lo the already com- 

 fortably warm atmosphere, the smile broadened into ii grin, 

 as the steam which arose in clouds from our perspiring 

 oarsmen was wafted directly into our faces. Talk of Araby 

 the blest! 



"Will you smile, boys?" said Theo. "Yes, sah," said 

 Buck, our stroke. "Hold on Buck," yelled Charlie in the 

 bow, "I dry too, dry as a bone!" "Shet your mouf, nigger, 

 gemman cams fust," retorted Buck as he passed it to 

 Charlie. "Here's a handkerchief to dry your face, boy," 

 said Theo, "keep it, keep it to remember me b\ ." During 

 this pause we took the opportunity to light our" cigars, and 

 found when under way again that they neutralized lo a, 

 great extent our discomfort, but how we did smoke! 



Leaving the James, we pull into the Appomattox; and 

 here the siu-roundiugs were ol great beauty and interest. 

 We were among the scenes of the Peninsula Campaign, and 

 our boys, w r hose tongues were now loosened, and who were, 

 by the way, bright intelligent fellows, pointed out as we 

 passed along-, points of historical interest, among them the 

 rotting spiles of bridges, which still show their beads above 

 the muddy stream. The Government has, at considerable 

 expense, deepened the channel, and the neat white posts, at, 

 from two to three hundred yards apart, bearing the depth 

 in distinct black figures on their faces, looked at us in a 

 stolid indiffereut way as we glided past. The "tangle foot" 

 was working at last on Buck, and his fiendish whoops would 

 now aud again break the stillness, and his cachinnatious, such 

 asa negro only can produce, came screaming out of the woods, 

 flung back by the echoes. This^ stimulated Charlie, and 

 the din was tremendous for a time, as with shouts and 

 laughter they bent to their work, starting the herons, who 

 flapped up as we approached, and labored off with their 

 long legs dangling. Gradually the laughter ceased and the 

 whoops were few. Then Charlie addressed Buck: "Say, 

 nigger, is yeu hat tight on yeu bed, for to all appearance, 

 Mr. Ashford, yeu hed is very much swell!" "Gemmeia," 

 says Buck, "yeu mus' excuse' Mr. Williams; he's git tin' a 

 little off; in fact he ain't doin' no talkin', de black bottle 

 am a spcakin' now I" "Shet up! Mr. Ashford," came the 

 response, "yeu are not responsible for yeur ackshuns nur 

 yeur words." Workup! work up! man;'dese gemiuen hev 

 to cotch dat train, don' yeu forgit if." 



At last we seethe spires and chimneys of Petersburg 

 around a bend in the river, and with a long and strong pull 

 we sweep up to the wharf aud clamber out, just two hours 



and Seventeen minutes from City Point, remarkable time, 

 considering the fact that fully half the distance was made 

 against a strong eurreut. which, owing to the swollen state 

 of the river from recent rains, made the task a heavy one. 

 We made our train. And now I must beg "Kingfisher's" 

 pardon, bill spring water would not have done it. With- 

 out that black boil, le the darkies could not have kept up 

 the pace required, of them. 



Thai was a memorable trip, and one among many of I he 

 little experiences which fall to the wanderers by forest .•Hid 

 slream, and especially to those who find themselves among 

 the ungci a way fn unable places in the sunny South. Dick. 



SUMMER SHOOTING. 



THE recent editorial of Fouest ajsd Stueam on the 

 "Proposed Maine Summer Shooting" move* me, as a 

 professional man, to ask a few questions, sud to suggest 

 another side which possibly the editor overlooks. 



It. is not difficult to see the force of the argument of those 

 who oppose all summer shooting. If we are to have game 

 the young must be protected, and the open season must not; 

 be too long, All that is plain enough. But is it. not. possible 

 to have some shooting in the vacation season of the year 

 without sacrificing the game or killing the goose that lays 

 the golden egg? 



Now, Mr. Editor, of all men in our land it is the brain 

 workers who ueed the glorious recreations of the^ woods and 

 fields, with rifle, gun and dog. I am a clergyman and Tor 

 many years I have been urging my clerical brethren to take 

 to the woods with gun and dog, ' Many of them are now 

 victims of the strange fascination of the trigger, and if you 

 keep your eyes open you will sec the beautiful setter about 

 many a parsonage. The clergyman must close his vacation 

 by Ihe middle of September at. the latest, and then comes 

 tlie head-mill round of brain work and responsibility for 

 eleven solid months. His only opportunity is the summer 

 shooting. 



Another class of equal importance to our civilization is 

 that, of college professors and school teachers. Of these 

 there are tens of thousands in the institutions of the bind. 

 These all resume work about the middle of September also. 

 The best fishing is iii the early summer, and the best shoot- 

 ing is in the fall, but the vacation season unfortunately 

 come just between these, and there is no enconragcmeiit for 

 these 'professional men to give themselves to a recreation 

 which. like sleep, "knits up the ravel'd sleeve of care, is 

 balm of hurt minds and chief nourisher in life's feast..'' 



Beside the teachers and the clergy there are thousands of 

 other brain workers. The lawyers, the theatrical profession, 

 architects and artists of all kinds, and the physicians at least 

 of the wealthy classes, all of these find their slackest season 

 in the summer. Editois can get oil in Kovember as well as 

 August, and the same, possibly, can lie said of a large pro- 

 portion of the wealthy gentlemen who compose the game 

 clubs, aud who aie constantly denouncing the use of a gun 

 before October. 



Now, is there nothing owed to the above classes? Arc no 

 concessions to be made in their behalf? 



Many of the States permit grouse shooting in September 

 and woodcock shooting in August, and there seem to he as 

 many of these birds in those States as in others. 



What lover ol' the chase cares to go to the North Woods 

 if there is no chance on the deer? 



But if you permit any shooting at all the pot-hunters will 

 take advantage and destroy the half-grown game. Yes, un- 

 doubtedly some of that will be done;" but a considerable ex- 

 perience' has convinced me that, as a rule men keep to the 

 bird they go for and respect the law. 



Something will be sacrificed undoubtedly by summer 

 shooting, but can we estimate the gain that will result from 

 sending the brain workers off into the woods for four or six 

 weeks every year? 



near theother side, says the proverb. CbERicr-. 



THE BIG-GUN DUCKERS. 



Editor Fuirst ami B/rotii,: 



1 have gunned in the neighborhood of Havre de Grace. 

 Md., for nearly twenty years, and think 1 know some of the 

 doings of the big gunners. Duriug all that time it has been 

 the same as at the present, almost an impossible matter to 

 put a stop to these big-gun shooters. For the last four or 

 five years police have been appointed wilh a salary attached, 

 and for the duties performed the salary was considered 

 sufficient. The policeman iu the fall of* the year will be 

 saen sailing around Ihe flats looking among the box beat 

 men, and now and then he does catch one of them on the 

 flats a few moments ahead of tlie time prescribed by law. 

 The coming of cold weather puts a very differeu! aspect on 

 the picture. You will then find the police sitting around 

 some good warm stove in Havre de Grace. He don't hear 

 any big guns in the night, nor at any time for that matter. 

 He is perfectly conversant wilh their doings and knows 

 every one of "the big-gun men, and he rnav he related to 

 some, of them, 



Look down to the wharfs of Havre de Grave. Sec the 

 craft anchored off the wharves and in the stream. Some 

 contain the box-boats of tlie licensed gunners. What are 

 those small skiffs wo see on some of the craft? Why those 

 arc big-gun skiffs. But where is their lengthy destructive 

 tube? Why, bless your innocent heart, that's along the 

 shore somewhere, hid iu the bushes waiting to be called for. 



There is one thing that seems very strange to me, that is, 

 why the- landowners all the way front Spesutia Narrows to 

 the'Gunpowder River do not make complaint. They have 

 plenty of chances, as the big-gunmen are prowling around 

 on the lookout for bods of ducks. When they see a good 

 "lay" for a telling shot, they come lo anchor with their 

 small sloop, go below, eat supper, and things fixed. 



On yonder cove is a large rank of redheads and canvas- 

 backs; they have been there for three or four da.vs. Mr. 

 Big G un sees them, and he knows by their actions that they 

 will stay over night, or until he gets' one shot, at them. The 

 sunsets; the shades of darkness fall; nothing is seen but 

 the dim light, in the sloop's cabin. Soon there is a shuffle 

 on the. deck and a splash is heard; that's the skiff put over- 

 board. Then a low voice says: "Oh, Bill ! where 's the gun 

 at?" "Go along the marsh about fifty yards, and about 

 fifty feet sou'east of the little gum tree you will see it." 



Now your correspondent does not say that, all the big- 

 guns are bidden to view j some, but not, so many, are in the 

 bouses of Ihe black men in the vicinity of the shores, and 

 it, was once said when I was at Bush 'River that a big-gun 

 was owned by a club man, and shot in the coves of the very 

 grounds that he rented to a club. 



