248 



FOREST AND STREAM 



tier places, on to ghepard's farm, who, by the way, 

 has a very fair game preserve by his close watching and 

 n R| . rli oat who bappenB on bis premises "git 

 tip and g . i-on on bis farm is perpetnal to rill 



I i' ' ' i a good squirrel hunter; he carries 



tv 1 1 hi ■ ■ ma id rifle, and makes gord bags. 



Of course, . . glorious when be droppt d in on 



^hepard's sqi aa cut them down right and left. It 



was a warm Si ptember day. Sbepard was plowing in an 

 idj [nine I Sang one ol those -putfy, flesby sort qf men, 



ibnl i r ois, and the horses acting badly from 



ii.i i'. i a d by liie flies and bard plowing, be was half mad 



ith. When Clarkson's guns went bang! bang ! right 



in hi:- favorite spot, among the very posted trees, to him it 



was simply an outrage. lie bad some misgivings, indeed, as 



t.oi man. it was who would take such a liberty. 

 To make matters worse, it was up hill to the woods and over 

 plowed ground, and when Sbepard landed over the feuca 

 within Bfly yards Of Ularkson, be was red hot. "Get out of 



jelled at the top of hia voice, as he rapidly ad- 

 vanctd on the trespasser. Claikson, in years gone by, was a 

 steamboat pilot of very steady nerve, and scared entirely too 

 fQ] Ikparcl. He wants every trespasser to scare quick 

 and bad. One loud yell followed another from Sbepard, 

 whllfi-CiarlcBon cats down a squirrel or two during the ad- 

 vance of toe lordly proprietor. When within good hearing 

 di: tance for a low tone of voice, Claikson adds insult to in- 

 jury by remarking to dnepajd : "Look here, old man ! if you 



squirrel bunt witbmel want you to keep quiet." 



That carried the day. D. 



1UW: Vmum, l'a., April 21, 1870. 



A Gtjn-Shv StropjBB— E&ttor Forest and Stream: Two 

 il gun lirms here, who are enterprising, philanthropi- 

 cal a ml reckless, have established glass ball hot-houses where 

 ■ ig idea can be taught how to shoot and gunshy -sters 

 become thoroughly broken by experienced bands. Oue of 

 them is in the fourth story of J. Bown & Sons' armory on 

 Woods street- Two Bbgardus traps, a pair of 1.0 gauge Park- 

 ers and the Dittroar powder are used at lh:s place. Its ad- 

 ;, - ire its central location and its being within doors, 

 which mal lOSsibleto indulge in glass ball shooting dur- 



ti r] lid also at night by the aid of gas 



,ii Dtbei place referred to is in the Exposition 



grounds. It is und< r the direction and control of Messrs. J. 

 Palnu-r O'Neill & Co., of Fifth avenue. They have here 

 every facility for glass ball shooting, having no restrictions 

 as to the kind of powder, make or size of gun, or trap used, 

 although, we understand, they make a specialty of " Mole's 

 devolving Trap," which can be made to throw the balls in 

 any way and in a way that " no fellow can find out," or at a 

 -. as desired. They will shortly introduce the new 

 explosive ball," and it is also their intention to establish a 

 500-yard nile range at some point near the city at an early 

 Sate, The example of these firms might be followed by gun 

 firms elsewhere to their advantage, as well as to the satisfac- 

 tion and convemetce of their patrons and to the salvation of 

 many a gun-shy sportsman; for that there are such is evi- 

 denced in the case of Mr. Adonis Snodgrass, who came in 

 from theJE«St End recently to shoot "a while away." He was 

 , in a blonde mustache, a red neck-tie and his 

 best clothes, He remarked as he got out of his Ulster that 

 " be did not expect to break more than half " as he "had a 

 cold. : ' As lie said nothing about "not having brought bis 

 music," however, 1 still had hopes of him. The man who 

 runs the pulverizing factory asked him if he preferred a 

 heavy or Hunt-triggered gun. He replied in a somewhat con- 

 fused manner lha"t he did, and taking the gun that was offered 

 him, stepped up to the score and said "Pull !" The "gallery 

 god" suggested that he had belter load the gun before he 

 broke the fir.-t boll, as it looked better, and therewith handed 

 him a couple of shells, for which Mr. Snodgrass tried to find 

 an opening in the gun by pulling back one of the hammers. 

 Tin- nailery man kindly initiated Him into the mystery of in 

 selling cartridges into the animal, and again he stepped up 

 to the score. He had never shot in public before, aud by this 

 time was becoming a little doubtful as to how tfr.ise public 

 guns were going to work. However, he grasped the gun 

 linuiv aud cautiously, pulled up the right hammer, shut his 

 soul windows, faltered "Pull!" pullnd'llio left trigger end- 

 owing to a peculiarity of the sun, it didn't go off. The duck 

 that runs the gunshop again stepped to the fore (N. B.— 

 Plug'anzed, but classic), and impressed upon Mr. Snodgrass' 

 imdet st .meliiier the importance of either pulling both triggers 

 or tuning both hammers up. He accordingly pulled up both 

 hammers and pulled both triggers by way of experiment, not 

 tlii iking that Mr. Augustus Simpkins, bis bosom friend, in 

 another red neck-tie and a gingham suit, who was engaged to 

 bis sister, was in the line of fire. But Mr. Simpkins, who 

 from the start had been very watchful, bad anticipated the 

 occurrence and bad started off to the liast End just before 

 lie- . mi went off south, making it a running cross shot for 

 Mr. Snodgrass, wlio failed to score, as far as Mr. Simpkins 

 proper was concerned ; but, owing to the prevailing cut of 

 pantaloons, that portion of Mr. Simpkins' which were too far 

 in the rear to get out of the road were bit. The gun being a 

 choke-bore, the. pattern and penetration were all that Could be 

 desired. Mr, Simpkins carried himself around all afternoon 

 in a aline, while Mr. Snodurass, who is in the dry goods trade, 

 went Ha-t for ginuham. The match between Mr. Augustus 

 Simpkins and Mr^Adonis Snodgrass' sister has recently been 

 broken off. AnniMAN. 



nmuTsh, Pa., March 31, 1870. 



BfiBPOn-LoADEE Looks.— To come to the point, I wish to 

 call the attention of your readers to the extremely modest ad- 

 vertisement that appears week alter week and year after year 

 in your advertising columns. I refer to that of Clark & 

 Bneider, of Baltimore, and 1 wish to speak of one or two 

 features of their breech-loading shot-guns which their adver- 

 tisement does not disclose. Those who have seen their more 

 recent catalogues will notice that they have greatly improved 

 what was already, in my opinion, the best bieech-loading sys- 

 tem. It is difficult to Convey a clear idea of this system without 

 reference to the drawings of their catalogue, but it will be suf- 

 flcienl to say that the upper lug (which extends from between 

 the barrels into a mortise in the standing breech), is made to 

 BO interlock with the top ijripas to Becureahove the charge the 

 game strength and solidity that the "hooks" impart to tbe 

 muzzle loader in addition to the very strong grip at the ex- 

 treme end of the barrels beneath the charge. In short, these 

 are t wi -/ indepi ndent grips or bolts, each at the farthest possi- 

 ble poipt from the pivotal connection of the barrels, one of 

 them above 'he line of discharge and the other below it ; and 

 these two grips so interlock with their respective lugs, that 

 the hantlu are held solidly against the face of the breech 

 Without the possibilty ol their springing forward under the 



shook of heavy charges. Moreover, all the wearing surfaces 

 are provided with means of easy adjustment) ao the Bneider 

 gun is not only one of tbe simplest and strongest, but the 

 mi isl durable of nil breech-loaders. 1 have never met. Messrs, 

 U, & S-, and my only acquaintance with them has been in a 

 wry pleasant C/trrespondence attending the purchase of one pf 

 their guus in 1876, through an advertisement iu Forest asu 

 Stream, and more recently in regard to an extra pair of bar- 

 rels for the same gun. 1 not only wish to call attention to 

 their admirable gun, but also to acknowledge in your columns 

 the very accommodating spirit with which they carried out 

 the (perhaps rather vexatious) details in the order of a 

 Hartford, Ct-, AprillO, 1870. Notional Customer. 



Yeotta.— -New Peakes Roads, Va., April 25. — Editor F, rest 

 and Stream: Your issue of the 17th inst. contains an article 

 from " Bird Shot," in which be is made to call the Yegua 

 bottom the Zeguo. My advice to O. C. O. in that article was 

 to spell it with an " u," and now I beg you will spell it with 

 a Y instead of a Z. The name is Yegua, and is the Mexican 

 lor marl. I am also in that article made to write of a hen's 

 "squeaking "—rats and mice squeak, and hens are said down 

 here to "squawk." Bird Shot. 



Asa. — HUlsbcro.—Bc kind enough to tell me plainly what a 

 choke-bore is, and what is the effect of choking? Ans — 

 Greener describes a choke-bore gun as having the narrowest 

 part of the bore at the muzzle, a " modified" choke being 

 constricted up to 5,000chs of an inch— a " full-choke " as 

 much as 30,000ths. He says • "The effect of the contraction 

 at themuzzie is to drive the outside shots into the centre— 

 that is, shots placed in the cartridge at the top edge, will, 

 after firing, be found in the centre, and equally distributed 

 over the "target. " Greener ascribes the superior shooting of 

 chilled shot to it3 leaving the barrel with less injury to its 

 spherical form, owing to Its hardness, consequently meeting 

 with less resistance from the air than the ordinary soft shot, a 

 great portion of a charge of which is considerably damaged 

 and knocked out, of shape during its passage through the 

 barrel. 



Long Guks vs. SBonr.—Canandaigua, iV. T., Aprils.— 

 One of your correspondents wishes to get the ideas of your 

 readers on this subject. I greatly prefer heavy guns with 

 long barrels for inland duck shooting. The best, gun I've 

 used is the following : single-barrel muzzle-loader ; barrel, 7 

 gauge, 8 lbs., 15 in.; stock, 4A in.; drop to aim without 

 bending the neck ; weight, Of lbs. to balance ; total 17£ ; 

 charge, 12 drs. Hazard's 5 ducking, 3 oz. No. 1, have shot 4 

 oz. with cushion. Most of my shooting has been between 40 

 and 80 yds. I killed dead two mallards at 55 yds., one with 

 2 shot through it, the other with 10, none through. I shot 

 this gun against a lighter one, same gauge, I think lbs, 30 

 in., distance 80 yds. The first put in 10 pellets, second 2. 

 A long barrel of any weight I think must be loaded with 

 coarser powder than the shorter barrel. No. 2 ducking 

 powder (Hazard's) from a 28 in. barrel shoots strong, while 

 No. 5 has proved useless. K. H. Dixon. 



and hope yon will pardon my prolixity. But apart from be- 

 ing an enthusiastic lover of rod and gun, and having a fellow 

 feeling for every brother sportsman, i would like to sea our 

 Northern and Southern people really united in feeling, and 

 m sure that a closer intimacy would break; down 

 the foolish prejudices on both sides. No better pla 

 this rhout, in a small way, presents itself than through the 

 medium of field sports, where many of such feelings can be 

 dissipated in the close intimacy which they engender, acd 

 much of the coolness which now' exists could be warmed into 

 fast friendship around the genial glow of a common camp- 

 fire. We are too poor to go to your country, but will meet 

 any of you who seek our hospitable shores on such an errand 

 more than half way. J. M. h. 



PROPER LOADS. 



For Forest and Stream and Rod and Gun 

 THE SPORTING PARADISE OF VIR- 

 GINIA. 



Stattnton, April 11, 1879. 



THE best brook trout fishing to be had in Virginia or in 

 "West Virginia is all that territory which lies between 

 the Balto. & O. K. R. and the Ches, & O. R. R., bounded on 

 the east by the Shenandoah Valley and west by the Cheat 

 Mountain'. In this quadrilateral are the headwaters of the 

 South Fork of the Potomac, of the North Fork of the James 

 and of the Kanawha ; and as you get deeper into the Alle- 

 ghanies, to tbe very fountain-heads of these streams, there 

 you find the fish most abuntlaot and of the finest size. By 

 counties, we would designate the best as Augusta, Bath and 

 Highlands, in Virginia ; Pocahontas, Pendleton, Braxton and 

 Randolph, in West Virginia. The most desirablejoute to any 

 one of these counties is through Staunton, on the C. & O. R. 

 R., and about the most pleasant trip a man could take iu the 

 summer. Hire a one or two-horse wagon, which can be got 

 for $2.50 per day, one or two servants, who can be had 

 cheap, and make the tour through these counties on foot, 

 camping every day on a fresh trout stream, and resting at 

 night in the purest atmosphere on the globe ; or, if one 

 would not desire to make such a long trip, there are two 

 streams within twenty-five miles of this place that, have plen- 

 ty of fish in them, from four to thirteen inches, with houses at 

 which small parties can be accommodated, but in a very plain 

 way. They are rough mountaineers, but hospitable, and 

 charge very moderately About four miles from the best of 

 these streams is a watering-place known as "Sirihling 

 Springs," owned by a half brother of mine, that has a very 

 remarkable combination of mineral waters upon it — alum, 

 sulphur and chalybeate. Here, a person desiring to be more 

 at ease, and to fish only when the spirit moved him, could 

 find comfortable quarters, good board, pleasant company, 

 without any fuss or fashion to annoy him, at very moderate 

 price (830 per month), and as pretty scenery as can be found 

 anywhere. Quail and ruffed grouse were both scarce last fall 

 with us, owiug to the bad weather at hatching-time ; but the 

 winter has been mild, and about the usual number of birds 

 are now seen. I can't say that we have the best of quail 

 shooting here, because Eastern Virginia and North Carolina 

 are the places on this continent for that ; but I will say this — 

 that I believe we have the best quail and pheasant" (ruffed 

 grouse) shooting combined anywhere in this country. A 

 friend and myself, two years ago, bagged, in one afternoon 

 and the following day, sixteen pheasants and twenty-seven 

 partridges, all but four of the pheasants being taken in one 

 day ; and where most of the pheasants are found there are 

 plenty of deer, while a two hours' ride will bring you into 

 the quail country. There are several gentlemen from Bridge 

 port, Codu., who have been coming here to hunt every year 

 since the war. They have excellent dogs in point of blood 

 and training, but they can't shoot wilh'our " hoys," nor will 

 their dogs find anything like as many birds aa our?, owing to 

 the fact that their dogs are brush broken and hunt too close, 

 It seems to strike the. Northern sportsman with surprise the 

 confidence a Southern sportsman reposes in his aog, Liy allow- 

 ing him to roam so far off, often out of sight. It is a bad 

 plan in some respects, but it is a great thing in cultivating the 

 staunchness of the animal, and helps the bag in a day's hunt. 

 I had no idea of going into such length when I commenced, 



Editoe Fobest and Stream i 



With your kind permission I would like to give a little ad- 

 vice to the legion of amateurs who are continually asking for 

 information about the kind and amount of ammunition to use. 



In the first place, select the kind of powder that you think 

 will suit you, and stick to it. "We have several well-known 

 makers that manufacture a first class article, either brand of 

 which will give perfect satisfaction after you become accus- 

 tomed to it. Bogard us himself coulel not successfully u-e a 

 mixed lot of cartridges, especially at cross shots. The. reason 

 of this is that one kind will burn slow and another quick, and 

 an aim that would prove deadly with one kind would be very 

 unreliable with the other. Therefore choose a good, clean, 

 strong, rather coarse grained powder, and when you have 

 made your choice use no other. It does not make so much 

 difference with shot, as nearly all of the makers turn out a 

 good article. The greatest trouble with new beginners is that 

 they are apt to use too many shot for their powder, thereby 

 losing penetration. Always bear in mind that, one pellet that 

 crashes clean tin ough the bird Will bring him to bag much 

 quicker than half a dozen that wind up in the feathers or 

 penetrate but slightly. My gun is a 7 -lb. 12-gauge, cylinder- 

 bore, and after a very exhaustive test I decided that three 

 drams of Hazard's No. 3 duck, with two of Ely's pink-edge 

 wads, and seven-eighths of an ounce of No. 8 shot, with thin 

 wad, was the most killing charge for all distances, for com- 

 mon field shooting. For thick cover shooting, when snap 

 shots are tbe rule, I use the same charge for the left-hand bar- 

 rel, but for the right, which I always use first for a quick 

 shot, I use the same amount of powder and only fivee'i ■.tubs 

 of an ounce of No. 10 shot, thus obtaining high Velocity 

 which ensures peuelration. I also gee a large area of spread 

 within a short distance, which secures many a bird t hat, I 

 knew that 1 should not bag with ordinary charges and f con- 

 sider that my success in snap-shooting is in a great measure 

 owing to the use of this deadly charge. Some may think that 

 No. 10's are too light. 1 have not found them so, and nearly 

 all Of my shooting is at ruffed grouse in the months of No- 

 vember and December, and I have uever killed so clean nor 

 so large a proportion of my shots as siuce I commenced using 

 this charge. 



I am well aware that there is a great difference in the 

 shooting of different guns, aud the charge that will give good 

 results with one gun will be far from satisfaciory wiih others. 

 Therefore test your gun thoroughly with different charges. 

 Commence with 2£ drams of powder ami jj ounce of shot, and 

 2-] drams of powder and § ouuee of shot, and 3 drams of 

 powder and 1 ounce of shot, vary these charges until you oh 

 lain results that, arc satisfactory ; try not less than ten ol each 

 kind, and carefully note tbe result. Always ubb a fixed rest 

 when firing at the target, as off-han d shooting is very uncer- 

 tain. When you have foimd the charge that * ill give the best 

 average results, be slow to change, and never do so until you 

 find after thorough test that you have something better. Do 

 not base your judgment upon your successor failure in I. ring- 

 ing the game to bag, as this is most unreliable unless you are 

 an experienced shot. Comparatively few can ever make first 

 class shots at all kinds of game. Very many by painstaking, 

 care and perseverance aud a careful attention to necessary de- 

 tails can achieve a very satisfactory success. It" these 

 rambling suggestions should prove of benefit to any of your 

 numerous readers I shall feel more than repaid for my labor. 



EXCELLENT PATTERNS. 



Patnksvillb, Ohio, April 12, LB.79. 

 Editob Fobest ANn Stream : 



Some time since I sent you the targets my gun made with 

 tbe. Dittmar Powder to show how well this powder shot. 

 Now I am prevailed upon to send you another account of its 

 stooting qualities to satisfy Mr, J. T Ward that he has not 



, best eun out. My eun is a W. & C. Scott Premier, 12- 

 gauge, 30 inch barrel. 7J lbs ami w>,s imported by Messrs 

 Schuyler, Hartley A Graham, 8a. LIS* edst &300. The left 



oil choke ; right, modified choke. At a public trial — 

 not a private one-three shots, 3$ drs. Orange Lightning 

 Powder No. 0, 1> oz. No. 8 shot, gave a pattern in a 30-inch 

 circle at 40 yards of 385, 392, 40(3, With the same load, using 

 No. 7 shot, the gun will average 285. b ive hundred dollars 

 would not tempt me to part with this gun, not on account of 

 iis shooting qualities, but because of its exquisite beauty iu 

 every way. It has been pronounced by good judges to be 

 one of the finest guns ever imported. Nanct. 



Columbus, Oa.. Aprillo.—Fdifor Forest and Stream: My 

 gun was made by R. Crove, of England ; the barrels are Of 

 fine Damascus, 13-bore, 80 in. long, double bob, top snap 

 rebounding locks and extension rib ; the stock has a pistol 

 grip, and the whole gun weighs BJ lbs., is handsomely I 

 i,hed, ami cost $80. It was furnished according to so, 

 cations by Messrs. Wm. Read & Sons, Boston. It is marked 

 on the. barrel " choke 13-13." When first received it did not 

 make ihe pattern desired, which was ibrec-tourths ct the shot 

 in a 30 inch circle at 40 yards. The Messrs, Read said they 

 would rebore it so that it would shoot as close as I wished it. 

 The following tests were maeie to see if the gun filled the re- 

 quirements and to know what charge was best suited The 

 Shotused weie marked Baltimore, American hiandaid Mer- 

 chants' Shot. Tower. By actual count an ounce ot No. 8 was 

 found to contain 438 pellets, and an ounce ol No. to con- 

 tain 240 pellets, 'the powder UAed - ' * Rauds 

 Orange Rifle, P. C The charges were struck each time so 

 CQeaBurement exact, 1 pi cured sheets of 

 white paper, 34 inches square, from the printing office, and 

 drew en each one, a circle having a diameter of 30 inches. I 

 mea.-ured oil 40 yatds; ana fired off-hand at the paper tacked 

 to a wall j used the same barrel each time : 



