mm 



TREAM. 



251 



said that one grain out of ninety or a hundred is only a trifling 

 divergency, and with common scales such differences would 

 be much "less apparent, or scarcely noticeable; still it must 

 be observed that this difference whb between charges supposed 

 to have i ly the same handling, and when there 



was purposely a difference in manipulation (the powder be- 

 ing gently poured in without shaking) there was a marked 

 change in the result, more especially with powders of low den- 

 sity, the variation being sometimes six or seven grains instead 

 of one. 



"The difference in the weight of the powder does not depend 

 merely upon the size of the grain,' as is commonly supposed, 

 but mainly upon its density. On sifting, however, the large 

 grains from the small, in some grauulated Sehultze, I found 

 the large were decidedly the heavier ; but the mixture of the 

 two was heavier than either taken alone, as the fine dust would 

 lie between the large grains, and consequently add to the 

 weight. Of I he black powders I weighed ten samples, and 

 the heaviest and lightest were of the same sized grain — No. 2, 

 for so I class the heaviest of the lot, Curtis & Harvey's 

 ' medium basket grain,' which has no number, but is of just 

 the same size as the Karnes Company's ' Medium No. 2,' the 

 lightest of the lot — the latter a sample of powder made some 

 half dozen years ago. The ten samples comprised two of 

 each size, from No. 2 to 6, by various makers, and the re- 

 sults of the weighings of the same bulk of each, well shaken 

 down, are here given in grains. The shaking down was de- 

 cidedly greater than would be given in ordinary loading; but 

 with less shaking the divergency would have been even 

 greater, from the light powder lying so much more loosely 

 than the heavy. 



No. 2—02 gr. and 101 gr. | No. 5— 9SJ4 gr, and 9"x gr. 



No. 3-0 1 % gr. and 99 gr. No. 6— 97}s gr. and »S gr. 



No. 4—03 gr. and 91 gr. 



" b'or comparison, I may mention that 3 1 drams avoirdu- 

 pois are equal to 95J grains. 



" When there is so much divergency in different samples of 

 our old friend the black powder, 'which is ordinarily looked 

 upon as a model of regularity, we may naturally expect a 

 much greater difference in its modern rival, which has under 

 gone so many modifications in a few years. When imported 

 from Germany it was a ' fluffy' kind of powder of an orange- 

 brown tint, and so light that about 25 grains sufficed to fill my 

 3k dram bottle ; but it will shake down to almost any ex- 

 tent, and I gave it up at about 33 grains with the conviction 

 that it would take much more. Of English manufacture there 

 was a very similar powder as regards appearance, except that 

 its color was a dull yellow. Then there was a cubical or saw- 

 dust-looking powder ; and of this, issued about 1872, I find 

 the bottle will hold 42 grains. The powder sent by Mr. 

 Groves is somewhat similar in appearance, but more irregular 

 in shape and less heavy, 38 grains going into the bottle when 

 •well shaken down, but 3f grains serving to fill it without 

 shaking. How many more varieties there have been I cannot 

 undertake to say. 



" With the granulation of the powder, however, one former 

 objectionable feature is removed, as the samples I have ex- 

 amined now shake down only to a comparatively small extent 

 — less, in fact, than some samples of black powder. But the 

 granulated powder is, as a rule, considerably heavier than the 

 old or sawdust powder, and the bulk used should be dimin- 

 ished accordingly. One sample, issued in 1877 or ihe pre- 

 vious year, and about which complaints were very rife, is 

 heavier than any other sample I have met with — the 34; 

 dram bottle containing 52£ grains; and as this was also 

 stronger, weight for weight, than its predecessors, accidents 

 will be readily accounted for if persons loaded with the same 

 bulk as before, as they would be using a much larger quantity 

 than was intended. Another sample, issued in 1877, was de- 

 cidedly lighter, the bottle only containing 4!)i grains. This 

 was followed by the powder made for The Field trial of last 

 spring, which was the same, 1 believe, as that issued at the 

 commencement of last shooting season. It was lighter in 

 color, and 1 think a trifle heavier in weight, than that of the 

 previous year ; but they are so near together that 1 hesitate to 

 say whether the difference in result is due to the powder or to 

 slight differences of manipulation in filling the measure. 

 With the last issue, however, there is again an increase in 

 weignt as well as strength, though not to the same extent as 

 that complained of a year or two since, the weight here being 

 5 1 grains. 



"It will very likely have been overlooked by many persons 

 that the wording on the label of this last issue of Sehultze is 

 different from that of the previous year. The label of 1877 

 stales that ' by measure, 3i drams are equal to 3 drams 

 of black; by weight, 43 grains of Sehultze are equal to 84 

 grains of black.' The new issue says : ' Charge as compared 

 with black powder, equal measure, or half weight, 42 grains 

 of Sehultze being equal to £4 grains of Mack ; by measure, 3 

 drams in both cases. " To my mind, however, the density 

 has now been overdone, and the present powder exceeds half 

 the weight of average black powder ; indeed, it is rather more 

 than ball the weight of the heaviest black powder I have 

 weighed, as described above, ami considerably exceeds the 

 samples of low density. It appears also to be in excess by the 

 dram measures ; for W. L. showed last week that a 3J 

 dram measure contained 47 grains by weight of the new 

 issue, and such is in accordance with the results I have ob- 

 tained, as the half of 3J drams by weight is 44i grains, 

 the measure contained 2.j grains more than it should have 

 done if the label were correct, I think it is a great pity that 

 the Sehultze Company should have made this last increase in 

 Ihe density of their powder. The issue of the previous season 

 not only gave satisfaction, but was more near to half the 

 weight of black powder than the present, and, in fact, was 

 over the average rather than under. The increase in density 

 seems to be always accompanied by increase in velocity — a 

 quality to be avoided as much as possible. 



" It is much to be regretted that there have been so many 

 changes, as they have a tendency to disgust old customers, 

 and new ones hold aloof owing lo the complaints which arise. 

 It seems to me incumbent on the Sehultze Company, in 

 their own interest as well as for the public advantage, to have 

 such measures manufactured for the use of their customers, 

 and it would be well to have them stamped with their trade 

 mark as a guarantee. The use of grains instead of drams 

 docs not appear, however, to be very popular, as it is not easy 

 fur persons unaccustomed to them to tell what are the relative 

 proportions for 3, 31- or 3£ drams, etc.; and, as some of the 

 old 'grain' measures are shown to be dangerously erroneous, 

 1 venture to suggest a 'new departure.' We have adopted a 

 very useful powder of foreign origin, and our legislature has 

 legalized a foreign weight, which is in use in the country 

 where the explosive was invented, and might with advantage 

 be adapted here for the estimation of Sehultze powder. The 

 weight in question is the ' gramme," which is but little heavier 

 than our half-dram, and might be used for the wood powder 



in like manner as the dram is used fot black powder. As I 

 have shown above, both kinds of powder vary in weight in 

 different samples, therefore the statement that the one is half 

 the weight of the other can, in any case, only be taken as ap- 

 proximative ; but supposing it to be perfectly true that 42 

 grains of Nebulize aie equal to 84 grains of black, it would be 

 very simple lo state that ' 3 grammes of Sehultze are equal in 

 strength to 3.1 drams of black powder.' Of course the 

 measure would be divided into quarters and eighths, like the 

 black powder measure; and an increase or decrease of a 

 quarter or an eighth in the one would, for all practical pur- 

 poses, be equivalent lo a similar increase or decrease in the 

 oilier." 



It strikes ns that there is a large amount of " food for re- 

 flection " in the foregoing article. It appears that our own 

 sportsmen are not singular in their difficultiesas regards the use 

 of wood powder, and we may add, of black powderas well; for 

 they have the same trouble in England] when aeither definite 

 nor uniform results have been reached. Besides the sugges- 

 tions as to weights and measures given by our English con- 

 temporary, and the results of experimental tests made, the 

 history of the origin and development of the wood powder 

 (Sehultze) is most interesting and instructive. While we 

 would encourage study and experiments hero at liome, we 

 may nevertheless hope Unit our brethren across the sea will 

 soon solve the problem to their own benefit and satisfaction, 

 and infereutially to ours j thus sparing us perplexity and dis- 

 tress. 



HBTEHorHEirY. — "When so careful and punctilious a writer 

 as Mr. Richard Grant White some years ago committed a cer- 

 tain blunder in a magazine article, he corrected his error and 

 silenced his critics by ascribing bis mistake to what he was 

 pleased to term " hcterophemy," namely, thinking one thing 

 and inadvertently speakiug or writing exactly the opposite. 

 The experience is by no means an uncommon one, since every 

 one is human. We have made similar mistakes ourselves, 

 which could not otherwise be satisfactorily explained. 

 Indeed, without Mr, White's theory to fall back upon, we 

 should be desperately at a loss to explain how last week we 

 came to ascribe to another firm the beautiful clock and man- 

 tel ornaments which Messrs. Tatliam Bros, present to the New 

 York State Sportsmen's Association as a prize for competition 

 in the approaching tournament. Only the week before had 

 we written in well-merited praise of this prize, speakiug of it 

 as imported by Taylor & Bro., of 07G Broadway, this city, 

 and presented by Messrs. Tatham <& Bros. We trust that the 

 previous notice, together with the present reference thereto, 

 may be sufficient to correct the misleading note which accom- 

 panied the cut in our last issue. May the fortunate sportsman 

 who bears off the Messrs. Tatham & Brothers' prize near its 

 tickings until his children's children shall rise up to sing the 

 song of Iheir " Grandfather's Clock." 



Wisconsin Sporiing Gkocnds.— The Wisconsin Central 

 Railroad, which runs from Milwaukee to Ashland, on Lake 

 Superior, traverses, with its 351 miles of track, that stretch of 

 country whose rare attractions for the angler, the gunner 

 and the man who seeks simply recreation, irrespective of bag 

 and creel, have already been set forth at some length in the 

 "Vacation Rambles" of the editor of this journal. Begin- 

 ning at Elkhart Lake, which is G2 miles from Milwaukee, 

 where (here are fish and ducks enough to make him tarry, the 

 tourist may set down nearly every station as an initial point 

 for hunting, fishing and boating. Menasha, Neenah and 

 Green Bay have each good hotel accommodations, boats and 

 plenty of sport bass fishing. At Gills' Landing the rough 

 and ready devotee will find his hands full, and thence to Ash- 

 land the forests abound in large and small game and mag- 

 nificent finny prey, while the scenery of the cold trout streams 

 is picturesque in the extreme. With comfortable accommo- 

 dations at hand, one may yet plunge into the wilds of nature 

 and be at ouce completely removed from all the accustomed 

 surroundings of civilization. Phillips, Bnltemut Lake, 

 Penokee, Silver Creek hold out each their substantial attrac- 

 tions, and the traveler will do well to pitch his tent at any- 

 one of these points. Ashland, the terminus of the route, on 

 Lake Superior, has attained a national celebrity for its big 

 railroad dock, Chequamegon Hotel and idigenous fish stories. 

 Sail boats, steam yachts, guides, game and fish, and all other 

 appurteuauces of a summer resort will be found here in em- 

 barrassing abundance. In drawing the plan of the summer's 

 campaign, our readers and their sisters and their cousins and 

 their aunts should send to D. M. Boynton, Gen'l Agt., 01 

 Clark street, Chicago, 111., for a circular of the Wisconsin 

 Central Kailroad ; or to James Barker, General Passenger 

 Agent, Wisconsin Central R. R., Milwaukee, Wis. 



Cabybb in England.— Dr. Carver gave an exhibition of 

 his marksmanship before the Prince of Wales at Sandingham. 

 Eug, , April 15. The programme called for thirty-two diffei - 

 ent feats with rifle and shot-gun, including all the more diffi- 

 cult shots made in his various exhibitions in this country 

 The. horse " Winnemucca " also played a part, target and glass 

 ball shooting while riding at full speed being among the 

 Doctor's tasks. One novel feature of the day's sport was the 

 lasso throwing, which was designed as an illustration Of the 

 practice of the Western Plains. We venture to say that such 

 an exhibition would prove fully as novel and entertaining lo 

 thousands ot our own Western settlers as it was to the mem- 

 bers of the Royal Family. This rifle practice of Dr. Carver is 

 one of the legitimate fruits of American frontier life j but it 

 smacks as much of the wonderful to us as would the feats of a 

 South American savage with blow-gun and poison arrow. 



Monuments and Glass Balls.— Just how is it possible to 

 erect from the fragments of shattered glass a monument which 

 shall be pcrennium <m>e, more enduring than brass, is one of 

 these things which can be explained only by the peculiar civ 

 lization which numbers among its important inventions that 

 of the glass ball. We referred last year to the efforts of the 

 Monmouth, New Jersey, sportsmen to raise funds for a mon- 

 ument commemorative of the Battle of Monmouth by the 

 novel means of a glass ball tournament. In another column 

 our readers may learn that a repetition of the successful ■ ffbl t 

 will be held next Decoration Day, and we join with our cor- 

 respondent in bespeaking for the day a full attendance of par- 

 ticipants and spectators. It is peculiarly appropriate that 

 generous rivalry in ihe peaceful use of deadly weapons should 

 serve to commemorate their sterner employment in time of 

 warfare. The gallant Monmouth sportsman who shoots the 

 glass ball on the spot may nerve his arm and steady his aim 

 with a touch of the patriotism that animated his forefathers 

 when they squinted along their sights at the Red-coats. 



String Has Comb. — When we see the buds swelling, the 

 sun shining, the robins hopping about, and the frog-spittle 

 gathering on the surface of the ponds, then we clap our hands 

 and cry : " Behold, spring'scum!" 



GAME PROTECTION. 



Exportation of Game.— Laws prohibiting the exportation 

 of game are gradually being adopted asan effective measure by 

 the States interested in the preservation of their game. There 

 is a great satisfaction in sending home the tangible evidences 

 of one's prowess, and every sportsman, as he brings a fine 

 deer to the ground, or adds another trout to his creel, takes 

 pleasure in the thought of its reception among friends at 

 home. But while depriving the gentleman sportsman of this 

 gratification the non-exportation of game strikes at the very 

 root of the pot-hunting difficulty ; and the pot-huuting of 

 poachers is the most serious scourge the localities driven to 

 adopt these laws have to contend against. Marketmen in the 

 States which import game will naturally regard these mea- 

 sures with but little favor ; but aside from this mercenary 

 view, which after all is a secondary one, interested parties 

 ought to welcome all statutes confining game privileges ; be- 

 cause such laws, by their very stringency, afford the only 

 remedy for the abuse of former freedom. 



Canada. — The annual meeting of the London District Fish, 

 Game and Insectivorous Bird Protective Society, was held 

 last week in that city. The annual report shows that no 

 flagrant breaches have come to the notice of the Society's offi- 

 cers. A new local game law was passed in the beginning of 

 the year which altered the close seasons for woodcock, from 

 1st January to 1st August, instead of from 1st January to 1st 

 July; partridge from 1st February to 1st October, instead of 

 from 1st January to 1st September ; waterfowl, from 1st Jan- 

 uary to 1st September, instead of from 1st January to loth 

 August. The Association has devoted especial attention to 

 the diffusion of information regarding the game laws. The 

 passage is urged of an amendment to the present bill pro- 

 hibiting the exportation of game from the Province. The 

 following officers were elected for the ensuing year: Presi- 

 dent, Dr. Niven; 1st Vice-President, Dr. Woodruff; 2d 

 Vice-President, W. C. L. Gill ; Secretary and Treasurer,' Mr. 

 D. Skirving; Executive Committee, Messrs. T. H. Small- 

 man, Henry Bruce, John S. McBeth, A. Mcliae, W. Hudson 

 A. Smith, W. R. Elliott. 



Cayuga Lake— Itlvaca, iV. Y., April 23.— Editor Forest 

 and Stream : A fisherman at this, the upper end of Cayuga 

 Lake, reports that recently, at the lower end, a seine parly 

 scooped upward of fifty bushels of Oswego bass, a very small 

 number of black bass among them. You will remember that 

 the " Gama Law " lays open, at or near the lower end of the 

 lake, a certain four miles up and down to indiscriminate fish- 

 ing. It was upon that "happy hunting ground" that this 

 slaughter took place. jj. 



X Thk New York Game Bill.— Au Sable Forks, April 17. 

 — Editor Forest and Stream: There are many things in the 

 bill reported by the Committee on Game Laws in the New 

 York Assembly to be commended by sportsmen, but it con- 

 tains some things that should be changed. Last year the 

 Legislature passed a law prohibiting the hounding of deer, 

 the new bill repeals that clause and allows deer to be run by 

 dogs; the new bill also extends the time allowed for killing 

 deer to include Ihe month of August, and allows them to be 

 run in that month by dogs. It is the opinion of many spurts- 

 men that in this latitude late fawns are dependent upon their 

 mother's milk as late as the 1st of August, and consequently 

 does should not be killed at that time. It seems clear that 

 hounding deer should not be allowed in August, the fawns are 

 too young to keep away from the dogs, ami the weather is 

 altogether too hot for the deer to have a fair chance. Under 

 the present laws our deer are being rapidly exterminated, and 

 it seems as though this proposed radical change against the 

 deer would almost discourage him from trying to live. The 

 time for taking brook trout is extended to include the month 

 of March. Brook trout can only be taken in March in this 

 climate by cutting holes through the ice and dragging them 

 out on a hand-line. I have never known the in caught in this 

 way except for market. Even on Long Island March is not a 

 suitable month for trout fishing. The season for kdling lake 

 trout is extended to include the whole year except the months 

 of October, November and December. This is equally bad. 

 Were it not for the title of this act, which reads " An act for 

 the preservation of deer, birds, fish and other game," one 

 would suppose that our Legislature looked upon deer and 

 trout as the average California!! hoodlum regards the China- 

 man. The moral sense of our Legislature deems it necessary 

 to tine a man twenty-five dollars for '-shooting, hunting 

 trapping or caging" on Sunday, but does not deem it neces- 

 sary to fine him at all for " angling, spearing or trolling " on 

 Sunday. This seems to be a discrimination in favor of the 

 rod against the gun, and it would appear more equitable to 

 compromise the matter and fine him twelve dollars and fifty 

 cents for either hunting or fishing. Geokob Chasoon. 



