22 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



[Feb. 8, 1888. 



agement of rifle shooting must betaken with that fact plainly 



in view. 



This condition of affairs does not mean, however, that 

 there is to be a dying out of rifle practice here. Just aa a 

 single regiment of oil? National Guard in the late war fur- 

 nished officers for an army, so the handful of marksmen who 

 practice intelligently and persistently before the butts keep 

 alive a knowledge of the art. and when occasion requires it 

 they form a nucleus about which there soon clusters an ef- 

 ficient corps of riflemen. The American works under im- 

 pulse, and it is idle tq expect a large body of men to undergo 

 the drudgery of ball practice when there is no incentive in 

 view-. We have no organization with a richly-endowed 

 prize-list which would encourage, if nothing more, at least 

 a certain amouill of pot-hunting marksmanship, neither can 

 we secure the use Of the ranges by vigorous orders to our 

 National Guard. The members would not permit their labor 

 of love io be fumed into a toil under a task master. Quick 

 tu catch and improve upon an idea, with no prejudices 

 lioi ii of established practice, the American marksman should 

 till the post of an expert observer. 



Wimbledon itself is an excellent place for study, and had 

 more note been taken of w-hat was going on there, the fiasco 

 of our International Military Match Of 1832 would not ha 

 taken place. We certainly should have known something 

 ot the sort of rifles tlfe Englishmen were using for the style 

 of work in which they challenged our competition. That 

 the British .pursue this plan of observation and adoption is 

 manifest by their ready acceptance of the sensible American 

 device of a wind gauge for military rifles. 



there is no reason, then, why America may not and 

 should not bold her own with the other nations in the mat- 

 ter of rifle making and shooting. She should hold her place" 

 at the front of the line, but this can only be done by an in- 

 telligent noting of what is going on the w-orlil over, and it 

 may be carried on without those great gatherings of marks- 

 men engaging in a whirl of competitions, and then rushing 

 away to renew the struggle a year later. A score of ranges 

 here and there over the States, by an interchange of con- 

 tinuous records, can do fully as much for the real advance 

 of marksmanship as any central gathering, and then the 

 need of a National Rifle Association will come in as a regu- 

 lating body, to make rules, secure uniform eonditions of 

 practice, and point the way to the best endeavor in the line 

 of new work. 



FRWNDS OF THE PARK. 



A MO-SfG the public men who have come out in vigorous 

 J ~*- defense of the Yellowstone National Park against the 

 audacious schemes of the prospective monopolists is Mr. 

 John Schuyler Crosby, Governor of Montana, whose letter 

 to Senator Vest was published in our issue of Jan. 11. In 

 bis message transmitted to the Territorial Legislature of 

 Montana, Jan, 3S, Gov. Crosby recommends that the Legis- 

 lature take measures under the Federal Government to con- 

 vert the Park into "an asylum for the great game of the 

 Northwest." This, as we have all along contended, is the 

 otic and only sensible course to pursue, so far as the game 

 i n M led, and it is exceedingly gratifying to find in the 

 present (jiv ;„„ such a public-spirited appreciation of the 

 true interests of Montana and of the nation. 



ni ; ■ and House of Representatives of the State of 

 Illinois have transmitted to General P. H. Sheridan, an offi- 

 cial copy of iluii- join: resolutions, thanking him for his 

 report on the Eellc-WStone Park to the War Department, in 

 which report he called attention to the danger of leasing the 

 Park to a private corporation. The resolutions further 

 declare against, allowing the Park to pass into control of the. 

 Improvement Company, to lie used as a cattle ranch and 

 for the extortion of money from visitors. The resolutions 

 also thank Senator Vest, of Missouri, for bis bill, now m 

 Congress. 



The issue- involved fa this Yellowstone Park matter have 

 been clearly deiined. and arc now well understood. On 

 one side is corporate greed; on the other are the present 

 and future interests of the. people. No man at Washington 

 who has a vote in cast; on Senator Vest's hill can escape put- 

 ring himself upon record. Public interest has been aroused. 

 The people w^ill carefully watch the course pursued by their 

 representatives in Congress. 



Ttte American Eagle, — A bill has been introduced into 

 the Connecticut Legislature providing a fine of $8S with ad- 

 ded imprisonment for the killing or snaring of "the bird 

 known as and called the American eagle." This is good 

 so far as it goes ; but another law ought to be passed to im- 

 prison for life the 'perpetrators of the horrible caricature of 

 the bird o' freedom, which is stamped on the light weight 

 coinage ol the land. The average citizen of these United 

 States never saw an eagle — unless captive or stuffed — and 

 would not know one in the woods from a turkey buzzard 



The Adihondaok Forests.— The bill to prohibit in 

 tutus i ■: ■■!■ of public lands in the Adironctaeis want to 



l he Governor last Monday : and it will without doubt receive 

 his signature and become a law. This is one step in the right 

 direction; it will put a slop to Ike extreme folly which has 

 inthepasl characterized tint State's course in relation to 

 the momentous subject of maintaining a normal water sup- 

 ply for the Hudson River Valley. The present. movement 

 is all loo lardj , but ive hope that it is only the beginning of 



a wise future policy 



Jordan and Glleert— The names of Jordan and Gilbert 

 are very familiar to those who have paid attention to the pro- 

 gress of ichthyology within the past ten years. In fact those 

 who do not keep up with the labors of Dr. Gill, Goode and 

 Bean, Jordan and Gilbert, are apt to be left behind in the mod- 

 ern classification of fishes. These men have partly unraveled 

 the tangled skein left by the early workers in American 

 fishes, and having better facilities than their predecessors, 

 and the advantage of their labors, have been able to go over 

 their work with more material at hand from the great 

 stores of the National Museum, and confirm, correct and re- 

 vise their work. The early workers like Holbrook. De Kay, 

 Girartl. and those who laid the foundation of American 

 ichthyology, labored under the disadvantage of having only 

 a limited collection of local fishes to work with, and the 

 only wonder is that their work was as good as it is. These 

 remarks have been called up by the receipt of the January 

 number of the Imlhuu Student, a journal published by the 

 students of the Indiana State University at Bloomington, 

 which contains a list of all the scientific papers of Prof. 

 David S. Jordan, arranged in the order of their publication. 

 This list comprises sixty-seven papers, principally on ichthy- 

 ology, and Prof. Gilbert is an associate writer of most of 

 them. The papers have appeared in various monthly, 

 weekly and other periodicals, many of them in Forest and 

 Stream, and the list will be of value to those who wish to 

 look up what these writers have said on any subject. 



The London Fisheries Exhibition. — Those who in- 

 tend exhibiting at London are reminded that goods will be 

 received up to the loth of this month. The Albatross will 

 take over the American collection, which will be a large one, 

 without duplicate of anything, except canned goods, etc. 

 The exhibition opens in May and time will be required to 

 set up the goods and prepare for the opening da}'. Among 

 other things a life-sized group of colored men, in wax, will 

 show how oysters are opened, preserved and canned. 

 Models of white men will illustrate how salmon are gaffed, 

 and how the eggs are stripped from them. Everything 

 connected with the fisheries, from the clothing and imple- 

 ments of the men, their boats, houses, etc., to the methods 

 of drying, salting, and curing fish with smoke, will be 

 shown. The exhibit will be in charge of Prof. G. Brown 

 Goode, who will be assisted by Mr. R. E. Earll, in charge 

 of the fishcultural department. Mr. Earll is prepared to 

 make the best -show of flsheulturc that has ever been seen 

 and is well informed on all subjects connected with his 

 department. The party may sail early in March in orde 

 toprepaie the exhibit in time. 



A Hale Fisiicultfrist. — In our fishcultural columns will 

 be found an article on carp culture, by Mr. Edward Stabler, 

 Whose "Reminiscences of an Octogenarian" we published 

 in our issue of January 4. Mr. Slabler is now in 

 his eighty-ninth year, and is still in active business life. He 

 has been president of the Mutual Fire Insurance Com- 

 pany, of .Montgomery Co., Md.,'for the past thirty five 

 years. He is also the oldest postmaster in the United Stales, 

 his commission dating back to 1830, under President Jack- 

 son's administration, and he still discharges the duties of the 

 office at Sandy Spring, this being the fifty-third consecutive 

 year that he has held the office under the many changes of 

 political supremacy. Mr. Stabler has taken to carpculture 

 and with success, and we hope that he may live many years 

 to enjoy his fish and his well-earned rest from the more severe 

 labors of life. 



Carver and Bogardus.— As may be learned by refer- 

 ence to our trap columns, Carver and Bogardus have agreed 

 to shoot a match at Louisville, Ky., Feb. 22. While the ex- 

 ploits of professional shooters have in the main ceased to 

 excite much public attention, this match will be regiu-ded 

 ith interest. There are no other professional shots in the 

 world to-day concerning whose relative merits such a dif- 

 ference of opinion exists. The results of this match, and 

 of the others which presumably will follow, will not ne- 

 cessarily be accepted as determining which of the two is 

 the better wing-shot, for the public understand very well 

 that both Carver and Bogardus shoot to make money, and 

 that they are smart enough to manage a hippodrome pigeon 

 match in a way to do themselves the most good 



A Prophylactic Against Hydrophobia. — Mention has 

 from time to time been made in this journal of the work of 

 the French mirropiivsiologist, M. Pasteur, who has been 

 conducting a, series of researches into the nature of the 

 microscopic organism of hydrophobia. Procuring a quan- 

 tity of the saliva of a victim of hydrophobia, M. Pasteur 

 sneceededin cultivating the germ of the disease through 

 numerous generations, dually obtaining a product which, 

 having teen introduced fcy inoculation, prnved efficient to 

 prevent the int reduction ot the germ of true hydrophobia into 

 the system. He has thus, if is reported, demonstrated the 

 possibility of vaccination for the prevention of hydrophobia. 



SUPERVISORS, — An impression appears to prevail in cer- 

 tain parts of this State that the county supcrvisois have 

 power to extend in their counties the open seasons Oil 

 game and fish. No such authority is granted them by the 

 law. They may only extend the close season 



An Edifying Spectacle— That of a number of profes- 

 sional men in Massachusetts, who dare not venture into the 

 State of Maine for fear of being arrested and clapped into 

 jail because they have violated the moose and deer law of 

 that State. 



FOREST AND STREAM FABLES. 

 XII.— the puppies who didn't KNOW FT WAS T.OA i u-.i i 

 \ N old Hound whose Home was hard by a Ledge where 

 -£*- many Skunks lived, had often cautioned her Puppies 

 against playing with the Old or the Young ones for fear of 

 most unpleasant conseomences. For a time the Puppies 

 heeded her and kept aloof from Hie Skunks, but at last were 

 tempted to disobey, and presently came Home half blind, 

 howling with pain, and smelling so outrageously thai d 

 with a Nose could endure their Neighborhood. 



"My Children," said their Mother, "if you cannot til 



can feel and smell what your Disobedience has brought upon 

 you." 



"Ah, Mother," whimpered one, between his howls, e , , 

 such a little Skunk, that wo did not think it was Loaded " 



"Naughty Children,'' cried she, "you should always treat 

 all Skunks as if you knew they were Loaded." Whereupon 

 she whipped them all soundly. 



MORAL. 



Puppies should not fool with Loaded Playthings, 



WINTER TALKS ON SUMMER PASTIMES. 



XII.— THE ADIRONDACK STATE PARK. 

 Majestic woods of ev'ry vigorous green. 

 Stage above stage, high waving o'er the hilts. 

 Or to the far horizon wide diffused 

 A boundless deep immensity of shade. — Thom.-i.in 



ITisnow more than thirtv vears since I wrote niy firs) 

 article in favor of dedicating the entire A.dil ■;.■ 

 region to public use as a State Park. Since then I have 

 availed myself of frequent opportunities to press the subject 

 upon public attention, but, until recently, without finding 

 any general response. I may have been moved primarily bj 

 mv appreciation of its importance as a fish and gan 

 serve and as a summer resort where all the people could find 

 repose and healthful recreation. But the subject expanded 

 under reflection and discussion, until it became easily de- 

 monstrable that what was suggesied U as not simply desir- 

 able as a preserve for sport and recreation but as 'vital to 

 the material and commercial interests of the State as web. 

 The argument in brief was this: Forests ,i, 

 natural reservoirs, holding for gradual distribution the rain 

 falls of the year, and therein not only preventing sudden 

 and destructive freshets, but, furnishing steady supplies lot 

 adjacent streams during the summer months, _N.< forest 

 on the continent performs this office more profitably than 

 that which crowns our northern border. Its water's, held 

 back artificially until needed, feed the Erie Canal. With- 

 out this supply this great commercial artery would be prac- 

 tically useless" during a portion of the season, and the 

 gradual filtration of what is absorbed by the hundreds of 

 square miles of spongy soil embraced within the Ion -n 

 limits gives to the Hudson River the supply required Eoi 

 purposes of navigation just, when most needed. Independ- 

 ently, therefore, of mere recreative or sanitary consider:! 

 tion", the preservation of this vast foreSl region \\ ould he the 

 highest wisdom, because indispensable to the p rm: aeul 

 commercial supremacy of the. State. 



Since Ibis subject was first agitated on this line of its 

 material importance, many tens of thousands til e 

 been st lipped of their best timber, and large tracts have 

 passed from the control of the Slate into the hands of imli 

 viduals. Full}- one-third of tin: territory has been tints 



transferred within ihe period named, and whate\ ,, : 



fieeiit results may be hereafter secured by State guardian 

 ship and supervision will be curtailed tothi 

 it is not yet too late for the Legislature to render effective 

 service: "and 1 am glad to know that that body has at last 

 indicated its appreciation of a matter which has been SO 

 long treated with stupid indifference and criminal neffl 



Statesmen and statisticians can only look at this dhJGCl 

 in its material aspects, and these are of suflicisnt import 

 anee to challenge their best thought and most immediate 

 attention. But it is of interest to all who find pleasure in 

 seasonable out-door life as well, and all such will rejoice as 

 heartily in whatever may be done to preserve this ir'asl Eo 



est froiu ultimate denudation as those win/ ma 



action the uninterrupted efficiency of the Erie Canal and the 

 Hudson River us the great arteries of our inland Commerce. 



The present probability is that before this article finds its 

 way into print, the needed statutory provision will have, 

 been made to secure the dedication, forever, of ihe vast 

 forest as a State Park. And no single act of the preufi] 

 Legislature will be longer or more gi atefully rem 

 Its value as a game preserve and as a summer resort tot thi 

 whole people will grow into fuller appreciation with every 

 passing year, and future generations will rise up U call 

 those blessed" who had the thoughtful sagacity Io thus eon- 

 tribute to the sanitary, recreative and material' needs of the 

 State 



I find in this tardily consummated measure ft gratifying 

 illustration of the potency of public sentiment and 

 tary influence of the public press. It is not ma 

 since (be proposition 1o preserve this immense field of tore-,:, 

 mountains, valleys, rivers and lakes was scouted as an 



absurdity which only icsUielie visionaries would si 



none but' reckless maraudersupon ihe public trcflsnrj 

 This idea has gradually given u:i.\ before the ovi 

 arguments in favor of the project, until nOvv il i- qi 

 accepted with enthusiasm, but the stolid stupidity Ol 

 is the subject of universal regret and denunciation. 



The final outcome of this long-mooted subject should i a 

 courage you in your persistent and patriotic war upon the 



conscienceless speculators who are scekim |ti i , 



session of Yellowstone Park for their own benefit and tg 

 the imminent peril of the integrity of the Park itself. If what 



ek is conceded, a great wrong will be r]t to 



the people, and a policy inaugurated which nil] result in 

 the practical destruction of that vast province, if not in its 

 hamate alienation from the custody and supervision of the 

 Grovcrnment altogether. But 1 am hopeful thai, no such 

 calamity is to fall upon the generations of the I'm ill 

 present generation of public men may not be more virtuous 

 than those of the generation which preceded them, but in 

 some things they are wiser, and in nothing wore i 

 ously than in the growing idea that statesmanship embraci s 



