64 



FOREST AND STREAM 



get decent water by Trading in that distance.. The exerc- 

 i run ike wild fowl polluted il near the shores. Jamaica 

 ginger did no! help it. We had n large Supply o( 



iud always used il wlii , ise slough, water 



for drinking. I can bear testimony- to its usefulness, e 

 liiud no sickness during our whole trip. Another pleasant 

 day's ride over the prairies In ought us to our last camp upon 

 the Maple River. Immediately opposite our camp we fouud 

 anew beaver dam, and had a tine opportunity to examine 

 the work of these animals. They had been working there 

 that d.y. The cuttings were all new, the dam was eighteen 

 or twenty inches high at the breast, and set buck tin 



i i ■ i or a long day's drive and good shooting 



through the day. as usual, we arrived about dark at Wheat- 

 land upon the N. P. road. This is the farm of Mr. Back, 

 our guide, lie has several hundred acres uudei cultivation, 

 Supper was prepared for the party in the house. After thir- 

 teen days' angling it. seemed very convenient to sit once more 

 at a well-spread table. Packed tent and the other traps in 

 morning, for tha last time, and sent them to Fargo. Wheat- 

 is a thriity little town within sight of the. Cuss and 

 j Farms, two of the largest in the Territory. Back is 

 ■! to build a hotel next season. I; will be a good post. 

 for .'porlsnn-n to stop at. Wheatland is about twenty-seven 

 miles west ot Pat en, and lies upon the edge of the Red River 

 Valley, with a view for miles In every direction. We left 

 after breakfast, with our teams, for the (Jass and Cheney 

 Farm-. They lie side by side along the railroad, and are, as 

 I before remarked, two of the largest farms in the country. 

 The Cass had under cultivation this year in wdteat 3,850 

 acres. It raised from 75,000 to 80,000 bushels of wheat— 

 about 32 bushels to the acre — besides 5,500 bushels of oats 

 and 0.50(1 bushels ot baric v for fall. They intend to sow 

 6,000 acres in 1879. The Cheney Farm produced in 1878 

 about 43.000 bushels of wheat, 3,000 of barley, and 0,000 of 

 oats. They sowed 2,240 acres, and have broken 3 '.'bill or 

 1870, 



The afternoon train landed us in Fargo. The whole trip 

 was most pleasant and enjoyable. We got no large game. 

 We shot all the. gro.use arid ducks we wished for, ami could 

 have killed more by hunting them up. But there was no 

 use of hunting, even in a land of plenty. Dacotah oilers 

 Hue sport for the hunter, it is easy of access, easy to travel 

 over, and game is abundant, large and small. A trip to the 

 territory tor hunting, information, pleasure, orall combined, 

 is one of the most satisfactory journeys one can take. When 

 you consider that within the present decade the ground we 

 traveled over was inhabited only by the red man, the trans- 

 formation seems wonderful. As we passed over the plains 

 a.l evidence that the buffalo once lived there, by bis 

 bleached bones lying scattered over the ground. But man, 

 the lormer Occupant, had left no trace. 



Traveling over this rich and fertile country in the latter 

 part of August, one sees the powerful and ingenious reaping 

 machine, controlled by a pah of horses and driver, with its 

 Strong arms doing the work of twenty men- reaping, lend- 

 ing and throwing off a ripened sheaf at every turn of its driv- 

 ing wheel. A lulle later comes the steam thesher, calling 

 with its shrill whistle its attendants to aid. The smoke of 

 its funning can be seen wherever the landhas been cultured. 

 Its work done, it IS JUt aside, the. gangs of plowmen take 

 the fields with two or three horses lo each plow, in gangs of 

 twenty-five qr thirty, raising a 1 cloud of dust as they plod 

 day afiei day along their miles of furrows, and the blackened 

 ain, to lie. through the frosts and cold of 

 winter tilt the seed time comes again, when the seeder with 

 its long lingers lays the seed under the surface. The summer 

 sun comes upon it, and in a few days rich and green lines 

 show themselves. In time there are waving fields, aud, after 

 a few weeks mote, ripened grain. The Statements made by 

 Jay Cooke & do., concerning the line of the Northern Pa- 

 cific Railroad when Ihey were "shoving the bonds" of the 

 company, we used Lo consider fabulous. In my opinion, 

 i. Inn- of the picture they painted was overdrawn or 



too highly e I The Bed River Valley is one of the 



i and richest valleys which the sun shines upon. It is 

 the besl possible location for a man in moderate circum 



. I :i in" : ■, fri in . a o $1,000 or a little more to 



start wilh. the Giaudin farm shows what, has been, what is 



i i ii Be i ni can lie done in that country. In September, 



-, hen Jay Cooke & Co. suspended, the banking house 

 of Grandin Bros , Tidioule, Pa., had $83jOOO on deposit 

 with them. The tirst dividend from the Cooke estate was 

 declared in iv.ithera Pacific bonds. The creditor could take 



bose t wait the final winding up. The Grandins 



heir whole dividend in bonds, changed theni into 

 look land for the stocks, and in 1870 

 raised their first crop [rom the land. Their farm is situated 

 .ive miles below Fargo upon the Red River in Traill 

 County. In 1878 there v/ere cultivated 4, BOO acres, aud raised: 

 Wheat, 70,0(10 bushels: oats, 13,250 bushels; barley, 5,750 

 bushels ; potatoes, 2,000 bushels ; turnips, 3,000 bushels ; 

 hay, 1,200 tons. They use 55 plows, 60 harrows, 2-1 feeders, 

 28 self-binders, 6 steam threshers 40 wagons, 10S hm 

 mules. The buildings are: four granenes, with a 

 of 125,000 bushels ; three large barns, three dwelling houses 

 for superintendent and foremen j two boarding houses, one 

 lodging house, one steam mill for grinding feed, office, black- 

 smith shop, harness shop, machinery hall, 00x02 feet; 

 stores, wagon sheds, two wind-mills for raising water from 

 the lied Ever, pipe lines for conducting it over the farm, 

 1 , * . i lU over the premises; one steamboat 1'20 

 horse power .- three large barges and one elevator at. Fargo. 

 They employ While plowing 75 men: during harvesting 

 about 250 men. The wonderful and perfected machine iu 

 use dispenses with man labor, and the horse and mill 

 way to the steam engine. This farm and the Cass and 

 Cheney farms are all under the superintendence of Oliver 

 Dalrymple. He is the commander-in-chief and manages his 

 less generally and iu detail with all the care aud 

 economy which should be utilized in managing a greai 

 like this". The amount of laud in the Graudiu farm is 30,000 

 acres. About twenty-live miles north of the wheat farm, in 

 the spring of 1878, they Started a cattle farm consisting 

 of 37,700 acres. They have, it stocked with .175 head of fine 



I led cattle, which they brought from Kentucky and 



Missouri, and sheep from Canada. ' They put up for use this 

 winter 750 tour- of hay. Stock-raising is a new enterprise in 

 that locality. Of course, in the winter, the cattle have to be 

 well stabbfed and cared for, and the barns are built in a 

 spot well protected by timber ami ravine. If during the 

 eason any ot your readers visit Dacotah, I will say 

 , mi will lie satiated if you will stay long enough, 

 and return so built up in health, so improved inap| 



ii., i left at home will not know you, and the 



ivill look at ye it and complain of hard 



Prujsgutt Isle. 



For Porwt and Stream and Mod and Qun. 

 THE CAPTIVE OWL. 

 A Wauv from TbtKITT Chitku Yaiid. 

 "Savettiat (rom yonder ivy-mantled lower, 

 Tiie moping owl does to tin; moon complain, 

 OtBtUiU as, Wandering ocar her seen 

 Molest Her ancient, solitary reign." 



Qray's EU\pj. 

 " Now tne hermit, owlet peeps 



From the barn or twisted brake, 

 And tin- Mil" ni.:i slowly creeps 

 Caning on the stiver lake." 



Cunninijham's Pastoral. 



IN the old castles of England and Ireland, whose very turrets 

 are covered with ivy, the accumulation of ages, the owl 

 holds his hermitage pre-eminent, fearless of legendary spirits 

 which have for centuries made the schoolboy's heart to quake, 

 especially those situated within the confines of church-yards 

 or burying places. No doubt but that the poet was seized 

 with inspiration when, in the churchyard where the ivy 

 twined around the crumbling tombs as the moon peered above 

 tbo neighboring hills, nought else heardlie save theowl's com- 

 plaint disturbing the breathless quietude of the soft, dewy, sil- 

 very evening. 



Ii this country where as yet everything is new, the owl 

 seems content with such accommodations; as may be found in 

 the trunks of decayed trees, in out-of-the-way places, under 

 t he eaves of old barns, and in the crevices of rocks. Many 

 have I seen fluttering in the fast waning sunlight, and many 

 nights have I listened with attentive ear to the long, quiver- 

 ing hoot of at least a half dozen in chorus. Just as the shades 

 ot twilight begin to obscure the surrounding woods, and as 

 the heedless entreaties of the whip-poor-will have died away, 

 ■D for him, and, it there be a swamp near 

 by, there will he most assuredly be. 



As the owl is a noet urnal feeder I have long wished to satis- 

 fy my curiosity in witnessing the open attack of this bird 

 upon its prey ; and only too eagerly did I embrace an oppor- 

 tunity which offered a short lime since to become the posses- 

 sor of a live specimen. It was captured, or, as Tom says, "I 

 ketcbed him beyond there iu Thi'inity church yeard," and 

 i " ig ht to me by the above-named worthy, as a present 

 of what he called a '' braud faced burd." 



Upon examination it proved to be the Acadian owl (Stria; oea- 

 dia, Nutt), and evidently a yonng bird, having indulged exces- 

 sively in "one of its peculiar habits, i. e.,oi coming into the very 

 midst of civilization. After the lapse of three or four days 

 be became quits lame and reconciled to his confinement, but 

 refused every kind of provender except mice. Having ample 

 scope (a large ball-room) iu which to exercise his wings, his 



Eeculiar faculties for catching his victim struck me with no 

 ttle amazement. With a slow, descending Bight he would 

 leave his perch, pounce upon his victim, seize it in one claw, 

 fly to his perch again, and at once begin to tear away the 

 back of the neck, killing his prey instantly. So noiseless 

 were ins wings while in motion that a tiger or a cat could not 

 possibly have spirting upon their prey more stealthily. 



Twice 1 heard him hoot, both times just as the dawn began 

 to break ; his note corresponds exactly with that described by 

 the inimitable Audubon. It consists of two notes, one louder 

 than the other, from which he is known in the Eastern States 

 as the "saw-whet.'' When approached within nearer than a 

 respectful distance he becomes very much excited, and would 

 set up a series of kuockings not unlike that of the yellow- 

 billed cuckoo. 



lam inclined to the belief that, the digestion of this bird is 

 very weak, for the reason that after picking off all the fleshy 

 part of a mouse he would swallow the entire remains, but 

 only to spew (?) them up again in the form of a large black 

 lump. At the sight of a gas jet or the flare of a lamp he 

 swooned through fright, and twice 1 picked him up for dead, 

 but he revived shortly again. When the mice were dead, I 

 almost, always laid them on the top of the half window,;or in 

 the crotch of his perch, which he would leave upou my enter- 

 ing I he room, lor no oilier reason than to give me an oppor- 

 tunity to leave him a mouse. 



The little prisoner possessed such an amount of reason that 

 when he thought he had given me sufficient time to leave the 

 mouse iu the usual place, he would fly back to the perch, 

 look in the crotch, then turn bis little round eyes down to the 

 window top, and if no mouse was to be seen, I was the next 

 thing to be stared at, never fading to receive my full share 

 of scowls. But, alas! our fond attachment was soon severed. 

 For two months had we two enjoyed the most intimate friend- 

 ship — 



" We knew each ottierwell." 



Mice became so scarce that five and fen cents per head failed 

 to supply the market demand. For three days did he fast, 

 though I tempted his appetite with nearly everything which I 

 thougln would entice him to eat. But everything proved 

 l he would die, as he began to pine, aud 

 thinking he might, forage up som | his own hook had 



he his freedom, 1 let him go, alter showing him to a friend. 



Never so sorry was 1 to part with anything as 1 was with 

 my little " braud-faced burd." On moonlight nights the 

 owl is in his glory, and in the aggregate I think the farmer 

 owes him a Utile; and should he unintentionally carry his 

 moonlight frolics into the ''wee snnv hours " of I 

 ing, sunlight overtakes him, and you find him sitting bewild- 

 ,i nip of a snake fence, do not shoot him. "Ere the 

 melancholy days come he will watOh the corn stacj 

 buckwheat heap, and woe betide the shrew or field mouse that 

 attempts the removal of one grain or one triangular seed. 

 Hakky Fknwood, 



DUCK SHOOTING IN CALIFORNIA. 



San Francisco, Cat., Jan, Is, 1373. 

 Emtob Forest and Stream : 

 It lias been my good tortuuc, at various times hi myisltootlng career, 



to meet with many 1-' ) • '•■■'■■ I 1 genial sportsmen and ezoel- 



lent shooting, and my recollections ot such ate brlgM .-. 

 memory ; an -am, tfhgn duck shooting In 



marshes, my rot places, and were connected 



with BBBOCtftUons of a more than ngnally pleasiug character. 

 During the month of December last 1 received a very kind invlta- 

 lay's shooting from a friend who resides iu Benlola, about 

 thirty miles from this cjiy. Willie 13 raj I B, and all are 



,.ii,, 1, .1 1 na oeen my good luck to come in 



, j fe passionately fond of shooting, excellent shots, 



1: of: the country fliej reside in where game is to 

 be found, Their specialty, however, is duck shooting, and within a 



veryehort distance of Benlola ia to be bad each shooting at all the 

 variety of birds lonnd In California inland waters, as t believe no 

 other portion of the State affords. Such was the locality in which 1 

 was invited to spend my holiday, and I eagerly accepted the invita- 

 tion. I (spent, a couple of nights at my home loading shells for my No. 

 15, 7 lb. i 07,. gun, my favorite for every kind of shooting, although no 

 doubt many of your readers fond of dnck shooting will smile at the 

 idea ot attempting to alioot ducks with a T lb. 2 oz. 12 gun. I loaded 

 abont 200 shells ; charges used, 1 oz. No. 6 chilled shot, a portion with 

 No, 5 do,, s>£ drachms FG Hazard's sea-shooting brand of powder. 

 The 3 p. jr. train lor Martinez, a little town lying opposite Benicla, and 

 separated from it by the Straits of Carquinez, found me on board, and 

 taking a seat in the smoking car, with a good cigar and a copy of the 

 Fokkst and STREAM received that morning, I managed to spend very 

 pleasantly the cenple of hours required to make the trip. Arriving at 

 Martlne/,, an express wagon conveyed my traps on board the ferry- 

 boat Carijuincz ; and a run— by the way a very slow one— ot half an 

 honr, found me at the Benicla wharf, and myikind friends awaiting my 

 arrival with a covered wagon, in which I was conveyed to the Solano 

 Hotel, kept and managed by Fred, one of the brothers. After a very 

 excellent dinner, which I enjoyed right well after my ride, for the air 

 was very chilly and appetizing, I retired to the sitting-room of the 

 hoteb where a bright coal lire waa burning cheerfully, and around it 

 the brothers and myself discussed the proapeota for the morrow. 

 Everything pointed favorably for a successful day ; the bulk of the 

 ducka were in the sloughs and creeks, driven there by the very cold 

 weather— cold for California I can certainly state ; and then to looking 

 up my companion's guna, loading aheils, getting gum boots thoroughly 

 tried, etc. It wna agreed that Willie Bhould scull me on the creeka 

 next day, and Louis, who would go with ub in the wagon to where the 

 ducking boat was located, would go alter snipe, which were quite 

 numerous in the locality, taking his chances also at the ducks which 

 would occasionally come over him, started; from the creek by our 

 shooting. All being iu readiness for an early departure next morning 

 we retired at 10:30 r. 51., and at S A. St., Bharp, 1 was awakened by the 

 rattling aud blzzing of an alarm elocK lu the adjoining room, and pres- 

 ently Willie tapped at my door, to find me up and partially dressed. 

 My inquiries aa to state of the weather were satisfactory, it being 

 clear, very cold, with heavy frost, and, aa Willie Btated with much 

 elation, " just the day for Bculllng !'" 



Fifteen minutes later found me on my way down stairs, " armed and 

 equipped aB the law (eportaman's law) directs," to and a bright lira 

 blazing In the grate, and a grateful odor coming from the direction of 

 lite kitchen announced the cooking of an early breakfast. Louis soon 

 made his appearance, also prepared for his day's tramp among the 

 snipe, and in five minutes more four of us, Including a friend, and a 

 right jolly fellow, too, who waa to pilot ua in the wagon to our point of 

 debarkation, were seated around a table, supplied with such an array 

 of good things to tempt a shooter as to Bnrprlse me, considering tho 

 earllnesa of the hour and the time taken to prepare the food in— 

 thanks to Charley, however, the efficient steward of the hotel, who is 

 always on hand when wanted. It does not take long for dock shooters 

 to dispatch a meal when tho proBpect of good shooting ia ahead and 

 the necessity exists to be on hand aa early as possible in your duck 

 gronnd, and 5:45 A. M. found us " all aboard," and Jeff, a flrst-cluea re- 

 triever used by Lonla, snugly stowed away under the back seat of the 

 wagon, and away we go ! 



We were soon at the boat, but only half warmed, and arranging gmiB, 

 cartridges and luncheon in their places, we (Willie and I) step In 

 ehove off, and commence the sport of the day. Louis moves Mt in an 

 oppoalto direction toward the snipe gronnd, and, before we proceed a 

 linudred yards or get a shot, we hear a double report, and make 

 pretty sure that, bar accident, a couple of snipe have taken their last 

 flight. As we progresses Bmall bunch of teal jump out of range, out 

 alight, again about a hundred yards away ; and, as we make onr ih-Bt 

 abrupt turn in the croak, up springs two more teal, and attempt to 

 join their companions ahead, but I drop them both with a [puck bang 1 

 bang ! before they have gone twenty yards. At reports of my gun 

 up.Bprlng, on every side of us, large bunches Of teal, quite a number of 

 mallards and pin-talla, and Beveral flocks of widgeon, all, however, out 

 of shot, and after flying around for a few minutes settle again — some 

 ahead of us in the creek, and others in the by placeB. At almost every 

 turn in the creek np would get a couple or flock of teal or pair of mal- 

 lard or pin-tails, and the shooting becomes quite lively; and as 1 am ' 

 quite at home at this kind of shooting, 1 begin to make a respectable 

 bag of the different varieties of ducka named. When we had sculled 

 about two miles we counted up about forty birdB, and, aa our feet had 

 become quite benumbed, we went ashore near a shallow pond to 

 stretch our legs and warm np. A snipe, much to my surprise, got up 

 close to my feet, and after flying around a short distance dropped 

 Within thirty yards. Although having but. No. 6 or ii shot, Willie and 

 myself started after the bird, thinking there might be more of its kind ; 

 and although the ground waa frozen hard, the Bnipe jumped up all 

 around us, and aa they laid well we bagged about twenty with onr 

 large stmt in half an hour. 



We then returned to the boat thoroughly warmed up, and proceeded 

 with the Bcnlling, adding duck alter duck to our score. The day 

 passed away only too rapidly, and about* r. 11. we observed the pin- 

 tail ducks were leading into a pond in the direction we were going. 

 So, landing, we took each a stand in a bunch of title, and wound up 

 the day by killing about twenty pintails and four or five mallards. We 

 then took to our boat, aud, by a bright and early moon, pulled to our 

 place of departure, where Louis and Good met ub and assisted to get 

 the ducks and traps to the wagon Our total bag was 10s ducks, all 

 klndB, the largest proportion being teal, all in excellent condition, and 

 twenty WUson's snipe; not jacksnlpe, as many of our American 

 sportsmen persist, in catting Scrtopax wilsom'i, as to my knowledge no 

 such bird aa the jaoksutpe Is to be found on the American continent, 

 We are soon at tne wagon with ducks, guna, etc., and theu in our- 

 selves, anxious to be home, with the prospect of a good warm dinner 

 awaiting us ; and a rapid ride of three-fourths of an hour found ub at 

 the hole], with Fred and our mutual friends, U. iu particular, stand- 

 iM- ii. the door to welcome the hunters oacfc, with such inquiries as, 

 ', st luck, boys; left any to breed for next season, etc." We 

 llnd the big lire sttl! burning, and are glad to be seated around it for a 

 few minutes to bring the warmth back to our hands and feci. The 

 toilets are soon made, and we And ourselves, as in the morning, four 

 in number, around the dinner table, discussing tho events and shots 

 of the day, and myself hoping to have just such anothei before the 

 aesson closed. 



1 can sincerely state that this day's duck shooting was the most de- 

 lightful in all its surroundings I have ever experienced— -plenty of 

 birds, pleasant companionship, and, barring the intense cold lu the 

 morning, Hie weather was all that could be wished for. It was truly a 

 "red letter'' day in my career aa a sportsman. After spending an 



1 aing with my companions, I retired to eq] 

 night's rest, and next morning I took the T:30 train for this city 

 arriving hew at 9 o'clock, in plenty of time for bnsmess, feeling thor- 

 oughly refreshed in mind and body, and hoping (or a repetition of my 

 day'a sport at no distant time. Anolo CAiironuiAN. 



— H. P. Hubbard, of New Haven, Conn., has published a 

 second list of leading newspapers. Mr. Hubbard's system o 

 conducting his advertising agency gives great satisfaction to 

 both advertisers and publishers. 



