

TOJWWST A1\D SI MAM 



" Well, good-day." 



'Good-day, Gap." 



And be shouldered his shovel and limped away in the di- 

 rection from which he had come. 



This individual was a fair and genuine specimen of his 

 class, save that his tongue was better oiled than usual. 

 Otherwise the picture will do for the whole breed. 



About two miles below the spot where this interview was 

 held, we came to the mouth of the little stream which the 

 voluble tramp had told us was one of the branches of the 

 Missouri River. We scarcely needed his information to 

 finable us to r«cogni/uil. The fact Was apparent on its 

 face. The golden tinge of the iucoming waters, impregnated 

 with the ochre-like soil of the Yellowstone valley, told at 

 once that the rapidly-running " slmte " was a branch of the 

 famed "Muddy Wa"ter." We could not see the mainstream, 

 owing to the lay of the land; but about a quarter of a mile 

 distant we perceived the long line of cottonwoods we knew 

 shaded its banks. '1 be " shute " ran down a decline with 

 the. impetuosity of a rapid. It was about live rods in width, 

 by as many feet in depth. The banks were covered with a 

 sedge of willow shoots, and Belveqed with great numbers 

 of drifting logs, which had come thus far and been washed 

 to the shore, and anchored in the soft mud. 



I had never "seen" the Missouri, and for fear I might 

 never have another opportunity, I determined to pull up the 

 " shute " into the main stream, and thence float down to the 

 Mississippi, sol hat! might truthfully say I had been on the 

 Missouri. 1 ordered Cay wood to turn the bow of the boat 

 into the " shute," and bent myself to the oars. It was the 

 hardest pull I ever had. I pulled all the breath out of my 

 body. I spent fully au hour in trying to row up that stream 

 against the swift current, and haven't succeeded in gettingup. 



At kit, when my strength was nearly exhausted, and I was 

 considering the wisdom of backing out from the undertak- 

 ing, the bow of the stiff shot clear of the "shute," and 

 caught iu the current of the main stream, swinging around, 

 and floated down toward the Mississippi, giving us as it did 

 so a flue view of the union of the two rivers, and especially 

 of the mouth of the Missouri. The scene was a grand one, 

 and long to be remembered. The salient points of attrac- 

 tion, the broad, sea-like surface of the stream, the willow- 

 covered islands a short distance above u.s, the long line of 

 cottonwoods fringing either shore, the leveling rays of the 

 setting sun, glancing from the rippling current and giving it 

 a golden tinge, ail combined to form a picture worthy of re- 

 membrance. Truly, it is a noble stream, as grand in "volume 

 here as the parent river, and far grander ia the associations 

 surrounding it. That turbid, yellow tide is the life-blood, 

 as it were, of the wonderland of the American continent; of 

 a region containing grander scenery than any other spot on 

 earth ; a region of romance, of daring adventures and hair- 

 brcatb escapes; where hardy men of cast iron mold and in- 

 trepid courage wandered alone for weeks and months, trap- 

 ping the mink and the beaver, hunting the bear, the buffalo, 

 the wapiti or the antelope, or engaging in hand to hand en- 

 counters with the Blackfeet, Crows, or Oacotahs. A wild 

 life was theirs, a life of toil and hardship and danger, but a 

 life, nevertheless, which necessarily developed a class of 

 men who alone could make this region historic, and who, 

 from the time when the shadow of the pale-face first dark- 

 ened the waters of the beautiful river, down to the latest 

 tragedy of the Black Hills, have given to the chronicles of 

 our laud nearly all the romance they possess. But for the 

 Booues, the Kentons and the Wetzels, the Caraons, Robi- 

 deans, Bents and St. Trains, dry enough reading, I ween, 

 would be the pages of American history. 



Wc soon reached the Mississippi, and, turning down it, 

 began looking for a camping-place, which we found at last, 

 just at dark, ou an island about five miles from St. Louis. 

 There we prepared our simple shake-down, and boiled our 

 coffee. Coffee and slapjacks constitute a meal which no man 

 need turn up his nose at after pulling twenty -five miles ; but 

 although 1 had often before contented myself with the like 

 scanty fare, I fell like grumbling now. I knew of course, 

 as every schoolboy does, that the word Missouri is an Indian 

 term, signifying '"' Muddy Water"; but it is not until we 

 use. that water to cook with that we begin to realize the ter- 

 rible appropriateness of the aboriginal nomenclature. When 

 wo gnze upon the sediment left in the bottom of our cups, 

 all the romance and poetry of the mighty tributary drift 

 away and sink into the mudj and we think only of the old 

 saying, that "Every man has to cat a pick of dirt," and 

 wonder how long it will take with such shovelfuls at a time! 



There is not another Such a body of mud and water on 

 the face of the globe as the Mississippi below the dtbouelture 

 of the Missouri. When subjected to a careful chemical 

 analysis, it is found to consist of U\ o parts of mud to one 

 put of water. Old raftsmen tell us that it is so thick that 

 lumber raits have to be floated edge downwards, so they 

 will slide more easily ; but 1 do not lemember seeing any 

 rafts arranged in that way. 1 have boiled bean soup in it. 

 The beaus were white, but the soup! Ah, me! what a 

 hideous hue of blackish-brown that soup did assume! Upon 

 the inside of the pail above the soup a scum accumulates 

 rapidly. It soon gets to be a quarter of an inch iu thickness. 

 It may be nourishing, but— let us call it, rightly named 

 " The lire-blood of the Black Hills." 



The next morning we arrived at St. Louis. We did not 

 stop long. The only object seen worth3 T of especial mention 

 was the big bridge. The structure consists— between the 

 abutments — of one grand iron-framed arch, under which the 

 largest river boats can pass by having a hinge in their smoke- 

 stacks. It bends fifty-eight feet a'bove high-water mark. 

 The approach, on the St. Louis side, extends across several 

 blocks, and on the eastern side runs out nearly a quarter of 

 a mile from the abutment. The railroad runs through the 

 centre of the structure, while on the extreme top is a wagon- 

 road, foot-paths and horse-car track. A toll of five cents is 

 levied on all foot travelers. Guv Bivbes, 



Pai-i, Bovtox ix Oocu at Last.— In spite of water 

 spouts, angry currents, surging and turbid water, and a whole 

 box of quinine swallowed by mistake, the indefatigable Boy- 

 ton and his trusty rubber suit made a final harbor at New 

 Orleans a little after six r. m., April 27, thereby bringing to a 

 close his long voyage of 2,342 miles down the Alleghany, 

 Ohio and Mississippi Rivers. His last run was from Baton 

 Rouge, which place he left at eight in the morning, April 20, 

 cheered on by the usual gathering of enthusiastic citizens. 

 When nearing the end of his journey, he was presented with 

 a flag by fair ladies who had come out ou a Steainei 

 him. A signal rocket, announced his arrival at Canal street, 

 New Orleans, and it was not long before the venturesome 

 hero of the Merrhuau Life Suit had turned in for a doze of 

 twenty-four hours, his weight being sortie twenty pounds less 

 than when he first started out on this toilsome journey. 



DUCK SHOOTING IN THE SUISUN 

 MARSHES. 



Sam Francisco, Cal , Uarch S 3 , 1870. 



EDITOE FOREST AND STREAM ! 



Our Mend Child's had Bent the Major up to have a day's shooting with 

 uf, and we were at a loss as regards accommodation— i. e., in the way 

 of clucks. Lou and T had tried theni lor two flays previous, with but 

 little luck, the hot, sultry weather being decidedly adverse to flue 

 s(iort. But the Major Is here, and says he must take twenty-Hi e brace 

 back to his frienclB In 'Frisco. -'Well, Major," we say, "we propose 

 to go up Stiiann Bay prospecting to-morrow, and if you want to go you 

 inuat take desparate cliances." The Major, with bis genial, jolly 

 humor, stlc&B to the boys, and on Saturday, at 10 A. h., wttb decoys 

 and boats, we embark on the Flirt, and take the tide up stream. 

 During the night the weather Had changed, and a stiff westerly wind 

 took ui up to the mouth of Suisnn Creek in a short hour. We put the 

 belmhard down, and rammed her into the tules and mud, made rasf, 

 and were within two hundred yarda-oi abeautitnt celery pond. Ducks 

 were seen flying in every direction, and a terrible string leading into 

 the pond. Lou was orazy, but silent ; the Major was excited beyond 

 control, and business was b^gun in earnest. Two dozen stools were 

 taken out of the forecastle, our pond boat was loaded with onr traps, 

 and we three pulled through the trail Into the pond. It took bat a few 

 seconds to get into position, and by one o'clock we were ja? M i: lag 

 into them. Mark Bast, mark North-east, mark North ! JaBt look at 

 them ! Did yon ever see anything like it, Major ? A little more cere- 

 ful ; those sprigs are a little wary, and don't shoot until they get over 

 the decoys. That's business— oae with each barrel ; but Blip :n another 

 cartridge and give it to that crippled one. Mark now low ; these are 

 cane, and let them go by and watch me call them back. Buzz ! they go 

 by to the upper end. Oh, what a shame! They were just going to 

 swing back to the stools when Will gave them two barrels, and a clean 

 miss. I'll tell you what, shooting cans ia no boy'd play. Watch Bharp, 

 Major! another flock of cans. Oh, Lord! how they go by! They 

 swing. Now, Major, the big one on the lead. Never mind, jotfll gel 

 yonr hand in eoon ; but I got that braes clean, didn't I ? Tep, Bhe's a 

 12, these large bores are played out. Yea, a modlfled choke. Major, 

 that was a beautiful shot, but always pick the butt Bprlg (we caU the 

 large, handsome, mala platall the ball sprig out Here, and I can think 

 of noct.lng more expressive), and leave the hena for next year. How 

 are yoar cartridges holding out? "Well, I don't know where they 

 have gone to, bat I have fired just seventy-tlve times. Don't you 

 know, but. I am getting perplexed at missing those devilish cans. But 

 what's the difference, It's all sport," Don't move! Now we will let 

 these cans light, and I will show you something tunny. They fly up 

 and down the pond a half dozen tlraeB, and I still call. Now two ily 

 down into the decoys with a fearful fuss, and now the rest, I have four 

 cartridges in my left, hand, aud before the Major la aware, 1 slap bang, 

 bang into them, and than in one lnstan\ another bang-bang, and mill 

 the crazy fools sit there, and I give them the third pair, and ihey think 

 it is lime to "git," but leave six behind. " Major, this la not my way of 

 shooting, but I just wanted to illustrate to you the way the foolish 

 birdB will stick to the decoys, and only give a small jump at the gun's 

 report. Tf you are Batlsusu, Major, we will take up and go aboard the 

 boat, a'ld feed. Welt, one more shit, and then well leave." 



Ills now four o'clock, and wlshlug to give the bli ds a chance to feed, 

 we gather up der.oya and dead birds, and proceed to the Flirt. Of 

 coarse, the Major is enthusiastic, and saya heaps, and feels large, for 

 wo have ninety-seven birds, and most of them cans— the first cans of 

 the season, and their cranes plumb full of wild celery root. What ntce, 

 fat, plump birds, and what a glorious sight ; but, for the morrow 1 Our 

 birds are drawn, and hung to the rigging. Dinner disposed of, 

 gons cleaned, and dreams of ducks and everlasting popping on the 

 morrow is In order. We are up bright and early, a quick breakfast, 

 and by daylight we are In position. We were rather disappointed, for 

 the cans failed to come up, and we contented ourselves -with thirty 

 sprig and widgeon, and quit at ten o'clock ; got under weigh, and en- 

 joyed a lovely sail down the hay, and made town— Just too late for 

 church, but just in time for dinner of canva . -back, roasted seventeen 

 minutes. TmcK-Baooa. 



S0i & uU m 



THE USE OF SALT IN FISH CULTURE. 



rp HE almost total loss, by unexplained epidemics, of nearly 

 J_ the half million of whitefish in the State HatchiDg 

 House at Madison, Wisconsin, was recently noted in these 

 columns. The Milwaukee Sentinel's report of this calamity 

 explains that the course of treatment which resulted in this 

 wholesale destruction "consisted in sprinkling over the young 

 fish common prairie muck dirt, which at once became black 

 mud, followed by an application of salt from the hand directly 

 into the troughs containing the young fish, and repeated two 

 or three times each week;" and adds " that such treatment 

 would produce such a result, and might easily have been 

 foreseen by non-experts in fish culture. This insane treat- 

 ment, was not known to the commissioners till the evil had 

 beeu done, they relying entirely on the acknowledged skill 

 of Supt. Welsher." 



This is a very fair instance of salt which has lost its savor ; 

 of a newspaper man attempting to write about something of 

 which he is totally ignorant, and writing also in just auch a 

 way as not only to display his own lack of knowledge, but to 

 do great injustice thereby to other men. Not only is there 

 nothing " insane" about the reported use of salt, but, on the 

 contrary, such use is both recommended and adopted by 

 practical fish culturists. Mr. Livingston Stone, in his excel- 

 lent book, "Domesticated Trout," suggests, as the result of 

 experiments made by himself in 1872, the application of sail 

 as a cure for fungus and parasites. Microscopical investiga- 

 tion of the adult fish affected with parasites show that 

 between the roots of the fungus and the body of the fish were 

 hundreds of minute creatures about 1-80 of an inch in length 

 and 1 200 of an inch in diameter, provided at one end with a 

 mouth and at the other with about twenty claw-like append, 

 ages for fastening on to the victim. These creatures appear 

 to be incessantly in motion and continually feeding. Mr, 

 Stone, after repeated experiments, discovered that salt would 

 destroy the parasites, cause the fungus to peel off, and efl ectu 

 ally cure the diseased fish when not weakened past all recov- 

 ery, The solution employed was one tablespooiful of salt to 



oue pint of water. The parasite which preys upon the bSnlt 

 fry is smaller than that of the adult fish, being about 1-iiO of 

 an inch in diameter. They cause no fungoid growth ; the 

 fish may outwardly appear clean and healthy, and the fish 

 culturist may bo at a loss to account for the mortality. Hun- 

 dreds of experiments made by Mr. Stone have demonstrated 

 that the use of salt is also here effectual — the treatment des- 

 troying the parasite and not, injuring the fry. Mr. Stone adds 

 that the salt bath seems to improve the young fish in other 

 ways, and that large quantities can be used to advantage in 

 the nurseries of the young fry, not only for the purpose of 

 immersion, but to furnish an essential element ia which the 

 water has become deficient. 



Since the publication of Mr. Stone's book, other flshcul- 

 turists, following his suggestion, have employed the saline 

 treatment with marked good results. In the Madison Hatch- - 

 ery last year, Supericntendent H. W. Welsher writes us that 

 the trout fry, when from fifteen to twenty days old, were at- 

 tacked with a disease of the sac, a small white spot appearing 

 and gradually spreading over the whole sac, and death soon 

 following. At the suggestion of Mr. N. F. JDousman, an ex- 

 tensive fish breeder, of Waterville, Wis., the remedy pre- 

 sented by Mr. Stone was adopted, and the result was most 

 satisfactory. The spiinkling of earth over the water, recom- 

 mended by Mr. Stone, has also been found an efficient aid iu 

 securing healthf ulness for the young fish, and it was not aa au 

 experiment then that Supt. Welsher employed the earth (not 

 prairie muck) as a disinfectant. It has proved beneficial iu 

 numerous cases heretofore. The troughs in the Madison 

 Hatchery aTo sixteen feet long, with from two to five mches 

 of water running freely through them. The earth was sifted 

 over the troughs twice a week, and a handful of salt theu 

 sprinkled into each trough. Tasting of the water would then 

 not have revealed the presence of the salt. Instead of there 

 being too much salt, we think it barely possible that if any 

 error was committed the application may not have been in 

 sufficient quantities. We arc content, however, to believe 

 that Mr. Welsher know what he was about. Our own previ 

 ous knowledge of hia eminent success in his former treatment 

 ltd us to discredit the hastily published report of the sup- 

 posed trouble in the present instance, and to withhold the 

 matter until communicating with that gentleman. That the 

 desired effect did not follow simply indicates that the Iruc 

 nature of the epidemic was not determined ; and through the 

 ill-advised zeal of the newspapers, Mr. Welsher's ability as a 

 fishcultnrist has been reflected upon in a way which appears 

 to us wholly uncalled for and unjust. 



Fish culture is at best still, in a very large measure, in its 

 experimental stage. Our most experienced breeders of fish 

 have much to learn ; not from what has been done in the 

 past, but what is to be done in the future. 8uccess can 

 only be hoped for after repeated failures. Just how the 

 work is beset with difficulties wc will let Mr. Seth Green 

 (whom we are accustomed to speak of as a " veteran ") say in 

 a published letter regarding the Madison fish : 



I have received some letters from Mr. Welsher ; he 6ays his 

 brook trout are dying. I have advised him ail I could, but 

 the fact is that raising fish is like raising wheat— some years 

 the crop fails, and will continue to fail, year after year, and 

 sometimes it will be years before the cause is found out. It 

 is the same thing with fish raising, only a good deal worse. 

 There are so many reasons why they die that it is hard to find 

 the cause, and 1 know parties that have been in the business 

 ten years and have not found out yet that brook trout is the 

 hardest fish to raise we have. New insects make their ap- 

 pearance in some waters the same as insects make their ap- 

 pearauce in fields of grain and in fruit trees. Waters are sub- 

 ject to all the above causes and twenty limes more. I was 

 live years in finding a small worm that made a web and killed 

 my trout, and then I did not find it until I put young white- 

 fish in the water and the web held them, and that is the way 

 1 foucd the worm that spun the web. The web was uot 

 strong enough to hold the trout, but when ihey ran into it 

 they would twist around and get it around their gills and kill 

 them. I cite this as one cause of my fish dying, but there 

 are a hundred reasons, and it is hard to find them, but they 

 can and will be found. 



y — - 



Kbnttokt— Ml. Sterling, April 25.— Last week Mr, Win. 

 Griffith, State Fish Commissioner, shipped to this point 8,000 

 Mackinaw trout and 4,000 speckled trout. Thty were re- 

 ceived by Col. H. C. Howard and planted in Ihe creeks empty- 

 ing into "Red River, which is tributary to Kentucky Kiver. 

 I ,i!. 11. saw but one dead minnow in the whole transporting 

 and planting. Mr. Griffith has the sincere thanks of many 

 lovers of the red, and if we can keep the fish-trap and seine 

 out, wo can have sport not excelled anyplace. Already the 

 Cumberland is teeming with salmon of from one foot to 

 eighteeu inches in length. We have formed a fishing club in 

 this towu, of five members. Pres. , J. W. Harrah ; Sec'y, 

 Wm, Van Antwerp- W r . Van A, 



Kansas Commissioner.— ; Ihe name and address of (he 

 State Fish Commissioner of Kansas is D. B. Long, Ellsworth, 



Wisconsin— Madison, April 18.— One hundred thousand 

 Michigan whitefish fry came from Milwaukee to day to stock 

 the State Fish Hatchery at Nine Springs, near this city 



Eovbb. 



a month ago the Stale placed 10,000 California 

 salmon in Sugar River, Wisconsin. 



Hallook's Enir.TOGBifnr of Sporting: Books.— The Fifth, 

 Edition of IlalloeU's Sportsman's Gazetteer, jnst published, will 

 contain a list of over 800 sporting books, relating to practical ang- 

 ling, shooting, Beh culture, dog breeding and diseases, use of the 

 rifle, natural history, yachting, canoeing, eto, Such a list v, ill bo 

 nvaluable to the sportsman in search of extended information, 



