S, 1888. J 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



287 



everything all tight; after breakfast hunter and I started to 

 i, : i found where one heaver had been hi and gol 



nw,!v !■■ i hi) I il them all up. as '■ . 



had'put an end to trapping, except iu 1 tinning water (forgot 



1 ;,..o beaver I r.-iiisye-terdavi. Set up two wild-eat 



and two mink traps. There is one luxury we can 



llftve here that some people would give a good deal [or. that 



ust a b as we want. Half- past three — 



Going fcorm; snow, I hope. This is not a bad 



yarn: An Indian called Joe Peter stole an otter out of one 

 Jim Salome's traps; Jim never said anything about it. Alter 

 some time old Peter died, leaving his son John quite a sum 

 11I money; also told him to pay all his debts: by and by Mr. Jim 

 Salome comes in John. "John. I want you to lend me eleven 

 Wiltons of porpoise Oil to till my casks, am going to St. Joltu to 

 b 11 1 come back 1 will pay you." John did so. Jim 

 corner ■.. ' , . ■ilinjr Ids oil. says, "John, YOtl pay all 



your father's debts?" "Oh, yes,' says John " Well, here 



1 oil, w id keep the oilier six Tor that 

 oiler your Old man Stole out of my trap about twenty years 

 John was knocked. Dined at six. fashionable hours, 

 It is snowing bard, if ii keeps on hurrah for a moose hunt, 

 if it is fifty dollars fine. Maltie beat iJiG fourgamesof cards; 

 al eleven o'clock thougkl the snow was rather wet. put my 

 head oul 01 my blanket, found ii raining cyiite hard, and 

 aboul hull Wi through; roused up Sieve.' made him put the 

 nibbcl Wankel on the outside, which soon kepi the water 



OU '; :in<l the Indian wanted to come over on my 



side, but I let them slay, as I hey would have let me get wet 

 through before the) would have gone out and fixed it up if 



1 : 1 Hi i! tbem, 



34tll.— Kained all night ; started to look tor moose at nme 

 o'clock; about oin inch Ol! Water on the ice. and so slippery 



1 olf bis moccasins and go it in his 



stocking ' S i. a moose yard, but lost him on account 



1 1 u I. ; mi i.n'.i.. Found Mnllie's knife that he lei'l 

 bdii id when* we were out before; started for camp: hurt my 



ankle the Sunday we look tin" long walk, il has been bother- 

 ing irn eve since; when we got to (he lake found the ice 

 \ci I ili'm, just a-' much as a bargain if it. held us, but we got 



boi'ic -ate'lv :-. I was completely done out ; 



strange, as we have not walked more than twelve miles at 

 - tin ■■ ighl to sleep as soon as 1 got a mug of 



tea. Five minutes pasl eight o'clock — Maltie heat me but 

 three games OUl ofhve; tiinfc (l is about lime to turn in; so 

 long. 



35t!l.— Stopped in camp; boys went to set up and tend 

 traps: Hi. as my ankle is quite lame to-day; bad 



thing'.'. ty miles from home; cold to-day. little 



snoW; lake ?afe again. Quarter to two o'clock— Maltie has 

 just coineinWitha splendid beaver wbich we caught in the 

 traps we sol up on Monday last: it is a beauty, the finest one 

 yet. 



Two (locks of wild geese went over the camp to-day; we 

 have now lour wild cat, fen mink, two heaver, and one other 

 trap set up; had dinner. Malticoff to see two wild-cat 

 nothing in them; a moose bird sprung one and left 

 bis leg behind Sis more Flocks of wild geese gone over to- 

 day, "skinned the bcavcnU i S thi Si - : in I ever saw; am 

 eorag to morrow, if I can walk, to look a 

 took OUT trap last week, and also have 1 

 past, eight o'clock — lust as i was wiiidin 

 saiil he bad "one of those thin", 

 of if.-" "Had him aboul a week paid tw 

 him. stop, went to man fjk&S (hem. you fix this.'' "Oh, 

 yea?" 'Came next day, watch done, be took little brush. 

 like your brush, tooth," gave him rub, how much?' 1 One 

 dollar and fifty cents.' "Went two days, took him back, 

 rub him up again, one dollar, went chopping, bad him in 

 pocket, chain trod ail, lifted big tree, took him out, found 

 gressel chain inside, all mixed up. chucked him so far as 1 

 could sec, never had one since, twenty -seven dollars and fifty 

 Cents, too much money for tndian." Beaver meat tastes 

 yen much iilce boiled mutton; hope we will get caribou be- 



i,,n : jr OUl 



86th — G irjd morning: oif forahunt, don't you wish me 

 good luck'. Struck fresh moose I rack about one mile from 

 camp, followed il up. getting ireshel all the time, how 1 

 wish for wind, there is hardly an air. and we make such a 

 noise; fresher still, when Indian said, -'There he goes," 

 heard him run off, hut, could not get a shot; am very sorry, 

 so near 1 he camp. Went down Which quod lava-ge uaeli. 

 setting up traps over to Ad-wamp-que gotche River, where 1 

 killed a parlridgc; started back, tired at a fox running but 

 missed him, he was going at the rate of a hundred miles an 

 hour; have now set up eighteen mink, two beaver, one otter, 

 and six wildcat traps, all we have. 



3?fh. — Commenced to rain about eleven o'clock; rained all 



night; no go 1 1; li.nl three inches of water on the 



lake, mending moccasins, telling yarns, smoking, and so 

 forth. Quarlet past one o'clock — Have just dined, had pork 

 aud beans, beaver tail for dessert, not bad for the time of 

 year, will Stop out until this day week, if our grub bangs 

 out. Six o'clock— Getting colder; will be able to have a 

 little run to-morrows the only trouble is, have read al! my 

 books, gel tired playing cards. Lake still frozen over, 

 don't think ii will break up till spring; ice water iu abund- 

 ance; lots of little mice around after our Hour. 



Sunday, Nov.. 29. — J suppose we ought to stay in camp, 

 but as we were in all day yesterday, intend going over to 

 Guaw-we-gctehc to look 'after r hat "heaver and trap; shot a 

 partridge going over; when we got there made a lire while 

 the boys wenl looking for the beaver: came back after two 

 hours' hunt, could not find any signs of him, must have got 

 into deep water and sunk. Got back to camp at half-past 

 three O'clock. Looks very much like snow, hut .expect it 

 will turn to rain as usual. 



b'Oth. — About four inches of snow on the trees this morning; 

 have paid ten Shillings to see a view not half so beautiful, 

 tall hemlock and pine trees fully sixty feet, high, loaded 

 down with snow, their green braucb.es showing through 

 them, it is a splendid sight; commenced to rain "j ust after 

 breakfast as we were getting ready to start for a hunt, so 

 gave it up: saw fresh offer trades yesterday, aud afresh hoot, 

 track, don't know who il belongs to, but expect a trap thief; 

 be bad better not steal any of mine, is 1 know him aud where 

 be belongs. Indiana are awd'ully lazy; Maltie's knee has 

 been oul through bis pants all last, week, and after yester- 

 day's walk ins drawers came through too! plenty of needles 

 anil thread in camp, but would not fix them until the bare 

 skin showed; remarkably lazy 1 call it, bttl if 1 slopped long 

 iu woods nili in usl like him: you are not. exactly lazy, 

 but a sort of born tired feeling, 'flalf-pasf twelve o'clock- 

 Spent very pleasant morning, beat Maltie sis games, without 

 bis getting one. in gen disgusted, went over to his -idc of i'ne 



lowc to lake to -1 ■ . 

 snow left, us it is getting colder; stopped raining; his report 



die beaver that 

 Lie hunt, ilalf- 

 y watch Maltie 

 is, what became 

 v-five dollars for 



is good, some chance yet fjora caribou hunt. Maltie making 

 moccasins: Steves uro worn through; pleasant walking on 

 ice With. one's hare iocs, but he is too tired to mend them. 

 Saw some robins lo-day. it is very strange, as they ought to 

 have been off in October, Indian' says, "good sign." Two 

 o'clock — IIave lunched; hailed SO hard just now I could 

 hardly see (o read; wind around north; snowy: don't, you 

 hope it will keep on. Seven o'clock— Had a jolly good din- 

 ner; kept, the Indians' mouths and ears open all the afternoon 

 reading dime novels, also drawing maps of the different 

 lakes, which I gave them; busj now baking bread; packing 

 an early start in the morning; intend going to 

 another camp about six miles off for two or three day. 



Dec. l.— ( ailed cook at five o'clock; got all ready to Start, 

 but found it so cold we could not, we might if it was life or 

 death, but the frosl is flying so von could not see to hum, 

 and the other camp would be Very cold, for iomight we 

 agreed to hold on for awhile: amused myself by drawing a 

 map of our lake, Indian says, "very good, go any part of the 

 hike by that ;" have gol him making "moccasins. Half-past 

 one o'clock — 1 really think it is very little, if any, above 

 zero to-day: water will freeze anywhere in camp, except on 

 the lire. Maltie was not very good friends with another In- 

 dian called Jim Muise; they met one day, Jim said. "Well, 

 Maltie, J OU buy a COW?*' 'Yes.'' "What you give for him?" 

 "Twenty-five dollars." "What, is his name'.'" "Nellie"— 

 That was Jim's wife's name — he left; they are very quick 

 with an answer, Am getting rather tired of staying iu 

 camp, but it can't last. Seven o'clock — ('older, but we have 

 a roaring lire on; have dined: table cleared all ready for a 



would hardly believe it, but I feci happier here than in the 

 settlements. ' Steve'-, hare foes caught it, to-day; he is actually 

 fixing his moccasins, first time 1 have seen him do anything 

 but enl (that is. that he need no! to) since we have been in 

 camp. 



Dec. 3. — Just as cold as ever, but I iutcud going out; sent 

 the Indian ou one line of traps. Sieve and 1 on another: got 

 back at one o'clock with one ear frozen pretty badly. Maltie 

 returned at four o'clock, brought a mink and weazel, saw a 

 cow and calf moose, walked up to within thirty or forty 

 yards, intending to scare (hem, bul the old cow charged and 

 treed him, kept him up there without his hat for about fifteen 

 minutes, when she and calf quietly walked off; am going 

 after (hem to-morrow if it gets a little warmer. Six o'clock. 

 Son s.t clear to-nighl ; good sign; This will have to be my 

 last hunt, as we are getting short of everything. 



Dee. ;:.—!( is a beautiful morning; Struck fresh (rack 

 abonl a mile from camp, followed il up three hours, but had 

 to give it up as it was very coldon (lie barrens, and my luck, 

 as usual, put both feet iu a hole up to my knees, had to make 

 a lire or I really thiuk they would have frozen. Struck 

 caribou tracks one day old, but left Them and traveled on: 

 ;sh moose tracks, and after following them 

 lies Maltie said, "Very near now;" il was 

 him track them, in a few minutes he gave m 

 stood the largest cow leversaw, dropped her 

 before I could get up the bull came out. in 

 forty yards" distant, he seemed as if 1. 



West, which naturally excites the envy 

 rod, there is another prominent, feature 1 

 cannot fail to be noticed and admired. 



da 



Woe to him who 

 man. But let hit 



up the golden rul 

 between daylight aud d: 

 created afriond moresh 



out than the Western s 

 will say the same. 



Xnbiuska ("itt. Nebrask. 



if the Eastern Nim- 

 tnis count ry which 

 1 this is the bounti- 

 generosity of flic settlers. Thev 

 inventionality and degrading superc.il i- 

 nabob, aud they are to be lauded for if. 

 s to discriminate between man and 

 pi equality" as his motto, follow 

 1 in i as sure as there is difference 



nil he find that Clod 1 

 arneal ortruerthi 



16 who have bee! 



OlIAULl-S A. i.'i 



PHILADELPHIA NOTES 



ON Friday last the season 1 

 Grace, at lie: mouth of th 



sportsmen participated than fo 



day, judging from the mt'iihe 

 to be loaded at the differ.; 

 by a prominent guusmith 

 retail trade here. that, he 1 

 October than for many s 

 made for duck shooting, 

 uoticed before. I have not beard of 

 •ing day's shooting at Havre de Grace. 



ting at: Havre de 

 no, began. More 



'or many years on this opening 

 iei ' ' shells that were ordered 

 shops iu (lie city. I was told 

 ho does the major part of the 

 , sold more decoy ducks this 

 sons, aud a great' stir is being 

 iiuch more than he has ever 

 suit of the open- 

 many of the shoot - 



struck th 

 about three n 

 splendid to set 

 (he sign; (hen 

 the first shot 

 plain sight 



:ld just as soon charge us and go off, while be was mak- 

 ing up'bis mind gave him two shots: there was a little bunch 

 Ofypung oaks between us. and both bullets struck them and 

 glanced Off, by that time he thought it was best to leave, 

 wbich be did in a hurry. Tool; up cow's track, she had by 

 that lime got up aud gone into a swamp, followed her up till 

 it was time to go to camp, as we had to get wood. Steve be- 

 ing with us. Moose when wounded often travel several 

 miles; intend starting after her the first thing in the morning. 



Dec. i. — Were Three miles from camp by sunrise; intend 

 going out another way; found cow's track, but though 

 badly wounded got. oil before I could shoot. Saw two 

 mote, but did not fire, as we were in a hurry , nothing but 

 one meal of beans left, and twenty miles 'to the nearest 

 house, Saw two bear tracks, bul dared not follow them. 

 Got to Joe Clark's at six o'clock, having traveled since seven 

 o'clock this morning; all hands pretty tired. Left next 

 morning, got. here at three o'clock. All well. 



P. S. — Those cold days the thermometer was live and 

 three degrees below zero. Wlljl.Lysr Sawjiv Gilpin. 



WESTERN NOTES. 

 EkiHor threst and stmim : 



This letter, although dated al Nebraska City, concerns 

 Wyoming and vicinity. 1 came here to devote my time to 

 pleasure 'with shotgun and rifle in The pursuit of the gamier 

 species of game, but I am now serving two ends; — 1 am 

 doing missionary work iu the form of making converts to 

 the game laws of fin:- State, which arc uot observed exactly 

 as they should be. I am now in the midst, of a country 

 Which I love with all the ardor possible for one who. like 

 ilf. has long dreamed of the beauties of the wild West 



ill spend a full week on the grounds and take in al, 

 least three of the shooting days. Friday. Monday and 

 Wednesday. After 1st of January until the close of the 

 season. .March 1, four days a week for shooting are allowed, 

 the shooting to be done between one hour before sunrise ami 

 one hour after sunset. Late in the season the fowl here be- 

 come very wild, and little if any damage is done by the 

 addition of the fourth day. Night-shooting having 'been 

 broken up last y :ur by the capture of the big-guns, ii is ex- 

 pected that the spoil will be more than ordinarily good 

 this year. I hear that many redheads have appeared on the 

 feeding grounds and I hat the canvas-hacks, which thus far 



otd), 



peake shoot 



plentiful, will soou arr 

 weather. At ihediffci 



ag has been going on si 



that 



hits on the Chesa- 

 i 25th of October. 



On the New Jersey coast B few brant are showing them- 

 selves, and duck shooting has been going on with but poor 

 Success dnce de- opening day in I >ctober, ow ing to scarcity 

 of fowl. 



On Thursday last the Delaware Railroad early morning 

 train, and also the one leaving Philadelphia the afternoon of 



1 he 31st, took' 

 were to begin a .a-, 1 ai 

 Slate lis soou as the law 

 in Delaware this year an 

 fn our own State, from tl 

 turkeys are numerous ant 

 Mirtli'nburg, Pa., a bear a 

 field on Thursday of last 

 the lucky hunter. It is 1 

 you much news from the 

 body is off on a trip 

 turn. 



nrf their dogs, who 



i the quail of the little 



Birds are very plentiful 



•f lo lear of good bags. 



11 kev section I learn '; 1 



rhavt '1 111 killed. Near 



subs were killed in a corn 



did not hear the name of 



lrly in the season to give 



.shooting grounds. Almost cvery- 



.1 I can get no report until they rc- 



Hosio . 



SOME GUNS I HAVE OWNED. 



"yVTHEN but a small boy I had a passion for firearms. 

 f T When about eight years old my father sold his farm 

 and bought that a of neighbor; in the house was an old 

 musket, one of the Queen Anne style, [ suppose. 1 used 

 often to look at and admire that old gun. and soon knew 

 how to adjust the flint, and did have, solid enjoyment snap 

 ping it to see The flint fly. One day another boy came to 

 see me. and we played soldier, hunter, butcher, imd every- 

 thing we could think off, snapping the gun at each- other 

 Until We were tired of. Finally my father concluded to 

 clean the old gun and shoot, some crows that were bother- 

 ing him; and he took a double charge of shot and powder 

 out of the old thing. The powder was dry, and all it 

 needed was a spark to make it as lively as any powder. 

 This taught me a lesson never to point gun "or pistol, 

 whether loaded or not, at. anything that I did not intend 

 to kill. This gun was too long in the barrel (0 suit me, 

 so I smuggled itlnto The hay-loft and cut about sixteen inches 

 off the muzzle with an old file. Then it was just the 

 thing. But enough of this, only that the gun would kill 

 rabbits after I got. big enough to handle it. 



In the year 1863. i think it. was, my father bought a new 

 rifle. It would run about 70 to (lie pound. To me that was 

 the finest and best shooting gun of the age. Squirrels were 

 plenty, aud my father a good rifle shoT; he would pick a 

 squirrel out of The highest tree, and would almost always 

 shoot I hem through the head. Sometimes he would let me 

 try my hand at a mark or woodpecker, and I did so well 



id its living treasures. ' that lie soon let me take the gun out by myself; and although 



I remember, a short time ago, a correspondent of your ' it was so heavy that I could not to save mv life hold it out 



I would, by holdii 



journal declared there was nothing musical 'in the howl "of a 

 pack of wolves on the boundless prairie on a dark night. I 

 differ with lurn very materially in that respect. There may 

 not he melody according to Mozart's or Beethoven's idea or 

 what constitutes melody, hut for myself I want nothing 

 belter — at least, for a while. Yesterday morning, while 

 walking leisurely along about five mUes' from my humble 

 little prairie home (unarmed), I met a large wolf, the only 

 one I have seen iu broaddaylighr since I have been here, 

 and when I .-at down to watch it the poor brute seemed to 

 fidly comprehend the helplessness of its transgressor, and I 

 was permitted to feast my eyes upon it for about ten full 

 minutes before it finally took its departure. On Monday 

 next I leave, with a companion, to secure as many wolves as 

 possible, and if successful in our undertaking will" stuff them 

 and express iheni to the "Sportmen's Association of Western 

 Pennsylvania.'' 



The cold weather is begining to make its appearance very 

 perceptibly, and in compliance with the dictates of nature, 

 are coming in in swarms, and the sec,^ are arriv- 

 ing in large numbers, but are still flying very high. Cranes 

 are likewise plentiful, and afford fine shooting. Prairie 

 chickens, however, I am sorry to say, are sadly depleted; 

 choke-bore double-barreled guns, thorough wing-shot-, and 

 perfectly broken hunting dogs are three fatal foes to the ex- 

 istenci ii prairie chickens. Something must be done and 



that soon to proteel this bird, charming as it is in more ways 

 ir "the place which knew tbem once will know 

 them no more forever." Deer, and in fact the whole list of 

 Western game are found on the Platte River a short distance 

 from ibis place, ami it is without doubt the sportsman's 

 paradise of the West. 

 Asjdo from the presence and abundance of game in the 



off hand, I would, by holding it over logs, through the 

 crotches of trees and over rail fences, bring in nice bunches 

 of squiriels. This rifle shooting was too slow for me, 1 

 wanted something that I could shoot on the wing with; ami 

 somehow I got hold of an old smooth-bore (yager:.; and 1 

 recollect the first hawk that undertook to fly over me dropped 

 as dead* as a door-nail at the crack of that gun. I can make 

 no prettier shot now with my breech-loader than that one 



That gun, with all its good qualities, had its day, aud 

 when I was about sixteen 1 bought my first double-barrel. 

 The bland on the rib was fine English" twist. Although it 

 only cost me $lu, it shot well and inany were the braces of 

 quail 1 brought to bag with it; in fact, l'gave it such a repu- 

 tation that, after using it five or six years. 1 sold it for $5 

 more than it, cost me when new. A friend had bought a 

 Parker breech-loader, and I must have one like it. It was 

 twist barrels. 8$ pounds weight, H-iucli drop, lull choke in 

 both barrels. 1 have killed' birds with it after others had 

 given them up as being Too far. Once, at a shooting match, 

 1 killed a pigeon after seven or eight men had shoT at and 

 never touched a feather of it. The match proper was over, 

 and there were a few birds left over, so the boys got in line 

 and (rapped these birds one at a time until they were all 

 gone. 1 did uot take my place in line, but stood back of a 

 free behind the score." This bird was a taller. After the 

 boys had all shot I threw my gun up and killed The bird 

 from where I stood You OUglll to have heard them yell. 

 Men said I killed birds the deadesT of any man they ever 

 saw ; it. was the gun, not me. 



While hunting prairie chickens ih Illinois once we were 

 quartering a flax stubble, four or five of us hunting iu a line, 

 just a» we came up to (he fence an old cock flushed wild 



