826 



AND STREAM. 



INov. as, itss. 



Aa a son. of tenor ;ircomi>;miirn-ul to the report came the 

 bsirk of Iho little cooker, and a grOu$e rose and flew o\it of 

 that lively. T slipped in ■$, cartridge in lime lo salute the 

 nest, one as UelOseup. Then- a cart ridge stuck going into 

 tlie-gun, and Fred cut a stick and punched ii out. Again 

 we cast, off Frank, and — 



Pnrlriil^-t to riK'Ut of as, 



Varlnupo to left of us. 



PartHdgP behind us 



Rose tty the hundreil; 



Oowa to the ground tbere fell 



.Aiauy an empty shell, 



While from gnn iiiin'd not well, 



L 'in! "el B ihnmlered. 



That is clumsy, 1 know, but its chief merit is its naked, 

 blistering truth— all but "rose by the hundred' 1 — for the 

 truth is, they only rose by ones and twos. But when a per- 

 son essays poesy, or parody, and uses language-more or less 

 Hyperbolical, we are accustomed to excuse it under the name 

 of "poetic Keense." • 



But bold on," says an old veteran in the back seat, "how 

 many of these birds did you get?" "Only three." "Now 

 tell l he truth, how many 'of them did you shoot sitting?" 

 "We pretty much always, that is, occasionally, shoot 'em 



flying when ." "There, that will do. I'll bet, a dollar 



and fifteen cents, you killed them all on the ground or in 

 trees." "Well, it we did, we gave them to the" siek." "No 

 difference, you should have banged away at: them, and 

 trusted in Providence to provide for the sick." Bonaparte 

 is credited with the, profane saying, that, "Providence is 

 with the side having the heaviest artillery." and the great. 

 Puritan Captain is said to have advised his 'men to "trust in 

 Providence and keep your powder dry." While 1 "go back 

 on" Napoleon most, emphatically, I indorse the gist of "jrood 

 old Oliver's" remarks. It. is, useless to trust in Providence if 

 we wilfully neglect to do our part. Now my part would be 

 to get a new gun, and it the artillery were a little heavier 

 than my present ordnance all the better. Though the fire 

 arm I am using "excels all others -for close hard shooting," 1 

 ftm not happy. A man can't do good shooting with a gun 

 between the breech and barrel of which a common envelope 

 can be inserted. Don't think I am lying about the envelope 

 either, for I have just picked up (he'oue in which 1 iutend 

 to send this communication, and slipping it in without open- 

 ing the breech, 1 have driven the plunger through it. The 

 skeptic will find it, in the waste basket of Forest and 

 STREAM and get some practice in hunting at, the same time. 

 But to return to my story. 



On our way home we' flushed a woodcock, and marked 

 him down in a strip of alders, which we worked carefully 

 and repeatedly, with a good dog, but failed to find our game. 

 Then we took our way slowly home. An* that day's shoot 

 ing did me good. It drew my mind away from the scenes 

 upon which it was too liable to dwell morbidly, to those that 

 were enacted years ago on the same ground'! passed over 

 that day—' for after all old things are'the best." It half be- 

 guiled me of my cares;" but I cannot say "it soothed rue 

 into smiles," bibulous, or otherwise. And" so ends a very 

 minute, and strictly truthful account of my Bret hunt this 

 ycai. if you don't believe rue "ask John" or rather Fred. 

 L. I. Flower. 



LONGEVITY OF SPORTSMEN. 



SOME references have been lately made in the public press 

 to the above subject, and to Air. Horatio Ross having 

 shot his stag on several birthdays alter completing his BOtit 

 year. It, has been a custom of mine, perhaps through early 

 education in very different branches of knowledge, to note 

 the effects of genuine field sports upon their follow, rs. Ac- 

 cepting the undeniable fact that genuine sportsmen are, in 

 all my experience, peculiarly humane to inferior animals (it 

 is your ignorant citizen, and, above all, your citizeuess. who 

 drives a horse to death), nothing has appeared to me more 

 certain, during observation extending now to exactly half a 

 century, being since I first entered on business in 1833, than 

 that this humanity, by some reflex influence, operates bene- 

 ficially upon themselves. It mar be thai they come to acquire 

 some peculiar Knowledge of hygienic laws as applied to man- 

 kind, who until recently were supposed to be superior to 

 thein. Hence our black plagues, our jail fevers, and our 

 still existing epidemics. tA batsoever is the cause, the longe- 

 vity of sportsmen — i mean those who have come within my 

 own scope — shooters and anglers, is most remarkable. It is 

 not alone that they live, licit that they preserve their faculties 

 until nearly the closing scene. Not wiih them the veteran 

 lags superfluous on the stage. 



The most indefatigable angler i ever knew, and also the 

 most expert, wa»the famous Oapt. Murray, who successfully 

 wielded his rod on the river Eachaig until his nintieth year. 

 The fiWift-running Streams of the north are supposed", not 

 without reason, to clarify the air over their banks, and so 

 tend to the great longevity of Scottish anglers. Jn my own 

 experience comes an angler who. to an extent, certainly not 

 to be praised, seems to have afforded a living proof of what, 

 Sir James Paget, has lately advanced— -that our sporting pro- 

 clivities are the hereditary results of the habits and means 

 of subsistence of our i emote ancestors. This 1 have long- 

 promulgated in my more lasting works on shooting and 

 kindred sports. The friend to whom I refer had inherited 

 to a remarkable degree, ;o.d therefore carried his love of 

 field sports to what may be termed a culpable extreme. As 

 Edie Ochiltree, in "The Antiquary," would not give up 

 his sauntering life among the bonuie Scotch hills and dales 

 lor permanent com fort, so my friend sacrificed the great 

 commercial success within his easy grasp for the love of the 

 chase in every form. So his physical powers became appar- 

 ently incapable of fatigue or injury. At seventy years of 

 age'he had an accident, attended by such extraordinary 

 bodily injuries that if I were to describe them medical men 

 would denounce me for untruth. At. seventy-three years be 

 was himself again, and he followed the foxhounds as before, 

 on loot, until nigll 100 years of age, (lying not. long ago at 

 exactly the age of 100 years and i WO months. This was not 

 a man living in a pure, bracing district. He lived iu Glas- 

 gow, a city not, looked upon as peculiarly salubrious, and 

 bis recursions were around the neighborhood, never extend- 

 ing less than twenty miles a day, except on Sundays, if 1 

 were |,o record his couvivialism 1 should bring down a 

 swarm of hornets on my head. It was as extreme as his 

 primitive love of the chase. His case is pure muscle and 

 physical power versus modern intellcctualism. I pretend 10 

 DO decision; I only record. 



Mr. Horatio Ross's case is an exceptional one. Among 

 my numerous friends I may select one, a "merchant prince." 

 the senior and active partner of one of the greatest British 



firms, whose operations ramify into every portion of the 

 globe. I can vouch for the fact that one of their recent 

 operations was on such it scale as must, through precedent, 

 affect most bcncTieally the food supply of Great Britain from 

 our own colonies, amounting to, in one transaction alone, a 

 very appreciable percentage of the imports of wheat from 

 the tinted States for a whole vear. This revered friend, a 

 man of muscular development,, slight in form and graceful 

 in motion, conducting a vast business, finds his recuperation 

 in shooting. Wearing on to his 00th year, for a number of 

 seasons past he has made it a practice, shooting over dogs 

 in the old othodox manner and without, any assistance, to 

 kill as marry brace of grouse to his own gun on each sue- 

 ceeding 12l,b of August, as he litis numbered years of life. I 

 pretend to no deductions, or at, least to promulgate them. 

 Such facts may be worthy of consideration by more learned 

 men than, yours most respectfully—./. D. Dm/gall, in Lou- 

 Son Timet. 



THE OLD SETTLERS. 



A PAMPHLET has been published by Mr. H. C. Sedg- 

 wick, of Dansville, N. Y., giving some very enter- 

 taining reminiscences of the early days of that town. We. 

 are tokl that one of the early settlers, Air. AlcCoy, and his 

 neighbors purchased meat from the Indians at a stipulated 

 price, tlie rate of exchange being fixed by Mrs. McCoy, 

 which was— two pumpkins, six turnips, or' two quarts of 

 corn meal, for a hind quarter of venison. This was satisfac- 

 tory, and, as Air. AlcCurdv savs, was a legal tender through 

 out the valley. True, it must cost more time and trouble to 

 kill a deer at some times than at others, but it also cost more 

 to grow pumpkins and turnips some years than it did others, 

 which balanced it, exactly; if sometimes a smaller denomi- 

 nation of currency was required, who does not perceive that 

 a pumpkin could' be cut into parts, or a turnip sliced into 

 small pieces for every purpose of change. Rattlesnakes were 

 so plenty that we killed from four to six daily. These 

 snakes and whip-poor-wills flourish in the same" soil and 

 timber .alike, and. Air. AI. thinks that they will not be found 

 on soils unfriendly to wheat; his brother" having purchased 

 a farm iu Burns sold it for the above reason. 



The valley about Dansville had been a favorite abode of 

 the Indians. They were entirely friendly, coming here to 

 hunt, and taking great numbers of deer which at, that period 

 were abundant here. 



Dansvillc's first watch and clock repairer, Robert Teas- 

 dale, was a great fox huutcr. The citizens of ten heard the 

 inspiring bugle blast, of his famous hound Music while 

 running deer or foxes on lus <<Rvn account all over tin- length 

 and breadth of the " Mounting," making the forest ring with 

 echoes loud and clear, mellow as a French horn, agaiu lower 

 like a flute, finally dying away in the. distance to noth- 

 ing. A queer whim of' this dog was that he would never 

 moss a certain bound on the north, even though the game 

 was only a few rods over the line. 



Forty years ago, says Mr. Sedgwick, Alill Creek was a 

 huge, clear ami rapid stream, averaging a depth of 2+ to 3 

 feet, abounding in speckled trout, Often have! seen Air. 

 Opp standing on the bridge near his (now Readshaw's) mill 

 catching his basket full of the beauties in a short time; an- 

 other good trout hole was at the dam of the lower Bradley 

 paper mill. Speaking of Opp's mill reminds me that it was 

 a convenient place for us barefooted cowboys late in the fall, 

 on our route to and from the pastures near the. Pinnacle, to 

 drop in and warm our aching toes and lingers by the ollicc 

 lire in the mill while we listened to the amazing stories of the 

 frequenters there. 



All good citizens will agree with me that, there was much 

 more real hearty enjoyment in the old-fashioned winters than 

 we experience "in these modern ones, and I don't wish any- 

 body to dispute it. Winter, old style winter, was regular 

 and reliable in its visits, and once set in. a long run of sleigh- 

 ing could be relied upon, and sleigh makers wore happy faces 

 because they had no "old stock" to carry over; till the 

 sleighs, cutters and pungs came out and with musical jing- 

 ling bells coursed merrily o'er the snow. Thiee months win- 

 ter was satisfactory to till, and everybody had a sleigh ride. 

 even the old maids as well as the younger ones. Hunters 

 passed through on their way lo the hunting grounds in Alle- 

 gany and Pennsylvania, and loads of venison were to be 

 seen on our Streets, and townspeople bauquettcd on venison, 

 bear steak, pussy hare and partridges. Deer were abundant 

 throughout Western New York, and were yearly to be seen 

 in the suburbs of Dansville. I give four instances of my own 

 observing: first, of seeing one cutting across Esq. Hammond's 

 farm; of another one dashing up the north side of the ceme- 

 tery, clearing a high rail fence half way up the declivity 

 with ease, not checking his gait in the least; another one 

 crossed the road at the south line of the cemetery, about ten 

 reds from us "cow driver boys," as much surprised as we 

 were, then dashed off into the woods; also when a hoy stay- 

 ing with grandma at the farmhouse a little this side of the 

 Pinnacle, a large buck walked into the yard and looked leis- 

 urely in the window, as if wishing for a better acquaint- 

 ance. There was a deojr runway this side the Pinnacle lead- 

 ing to a "lick" iu the neighborhood. To wind up the deer 

 topic, right, here on Alain street one day, as Hiram Rutin was 

 standing in Esq. Day's back _\ard. a deer pursued by hounds 

 came running up to him for protection, Rutin caught and 

 held him while the pursuing liunters cruelly killed the poor 

 creature. 



Solomon Fenstcrmaeher arrived here from Allentowu, 

 Pa., iu ISOo, and he, together with his brother Isaac, built 

 a large share, of the earliest frame dwellings in Dansville, oe- 

 sides being employed by Col. Rochester to erect buildings in 

 the embryo city of Rochester. He also built, for himself and 

 tenants the only three-story building in the county at that 

 date, which was nicknamed" "Solomon's Temple," and on ac- 

 count of its spacious dimensions was considered a "wonder" 

 in those days. ''Uncle Solly," as we called him, was a 

 genial man, enjoying a joke with a pleasant, laugh that, was a 

 luxury to hear, and was no inconsiderable spoitsmau among 

 the other "crack shets" of the day with his old Kentucky 

 rifle. Many is the time 1 have seen him returning home 

 from the hunt loaded down with partridges, wild pigeons, 

 rabbits, etc., which were abundant is all this region, and he- 

 sides did »ot require one to tramp any great distance to linci 

 them. Sitting hy his. comfortable log tire on winter even- 

 bigs, I delighted to hear him relate stories of early times and 

 carlv settlers, one of which I remember well enough to re- 

 produce here. 



A large pack of wolves were iu the habit of sweeping 

 around the southeast arm of Mount Teasdale on to what is 

 now the Conrad AVeleh farm, where t-ierc was a distillery 

 near th« present farmhouse, "Uncle Solly" and Jake 

 Baumberger, desirous of a little brush with the wolves, 



armed themselves and went, there one night, to lie in wait, for 

 the "varmints." Late in the night thev heard them comins 

 as usual making a. great trampling "racket. BftUraberger 

 could exactly imitate a wolf howl, which he put into practice 

 and was immediately answered by the prowlers, who rate 

 look it for one of their own species. This he repeated at 

 three intervals, the wolves constantly coming nearer; how- 

 ever on the fourth howl by Jake they became" suspicions and 

 suddenly retreated over "the bill, not venturing inro that 

 locality again, for their suspicious once aroused.' thev were 

 too shrewd to be drawn into a death trap. And let me 01 re 

 remark that the wolf is just as cunning as the fox or a little 

 more so. The object, was accomplished in scaring the wolves 

 nw-ay from the neighborhood, which was in the direct route 

 to where some domestic stock were rail-penned in a little 

 further down toward the village. It is in keeping will, I bis 

 narration to mention that a worthy old settle,- once told me 

 that in the very earliest days ol the settlement an Indian 

 was killed by wolves near what is the Alountaiu Dew Brew- 

 ery. 



"All dwellers in Dansville thirty-five to fifty years ago si in 

 remember "Hover Bob," as R. G. Day was' called. ATheu 

 "pigeon time" came he Would successful v snare them when 

 all others failed entirely, or got but a trifling few. He was 

 bothered by hawks at times who came round to prey upon 

 the pigeons', and once when one of them swooped down and 

 took his "stool pigeon ' he captured him; then, tying to the 

 pest, a hollow elderwood tube, filled with powder, and attach 

 ing to it a miming fuse, he let. him soar away a gait.;, shortly 

 enjoying the sweet revenge of seeing Mr. Hawk explode in 

 the air. His fiddle was as dear to him as tin only sou would 

 be: he could play only one tune— ami that to perfect ion, from 

 years' practice. He was addicted to the custotnan liquor 

 habits of those early days, but I take pleasure in saying that 

 he reformed, and when I saw him a few years since he was 

 not "Bob Day" nor "Hover Bob" anymore, but a well- 

 dressed gentlemau. 



CANVAS-BACK AND "BOB WHITE." 



THE ducking season on our waters commenced Nov. '-', 

 and our sportsmen have had a week of unalloyed 

 pleasure and sport, not oply on the many small tributaries 

 of the Chesapeake Bay, hut on the "Flats'" of the Susque- 

 hanna, this being the principal "sporting irrouod" of our 

 principal clubs. 



1 could not forego the sport of our first day's shooting, 

 and together with VV. E. Buckbee, E M. Mitchell, F. M. 

 PBnny, W. H. Linthicum, E. L. Coutson and W. N. Num- 

 sen, all members of the Baltimore Ducking Club, tool; the 

 cars ou the evening of the 1st inst., and were then first on 

 the "Flats." There were eight or ten steam yachts ol clubs 

 from New A'ork, Philadelphia and other ei'ties, and about 

 thirty sporting yachts from "My Maryland." The day 

 opened with a fierce northwest wind, and proved anything 

 but an agreeable one for shooting, yet there were from 3,50(5 

 to 4,000 ducksseeured. This is the lowest number killed on 

 these flats, first day's shooting, in a number of years, and 

 yet it was considered good for the weather all had to contend 

 with. 



The largest number was Secured by the Baltimore Duck- 

 ing Club, which counted -at the close "of the day's sport UtO 

 canvas-backs, redheads and bay blackheads, witha number 

 of baldpates, all of which were in most excellent condition. 

 The condition of the ducks arises from the fact thai onr 

 laws prescribe a month's respite alter thev first come to us 

 from their Northern retreat. All in all, the. yacht Helen, 

 of the Baltimore Ducking Club, had a very lively and happy 

 day of it, notwithstanding the seven- blow from tile north- 

 west she, httd to encounter. 



The guns used by tho sportsmen were 10- bore Scott, IIol- 

 lis, and other English as well as American makers. Our 

 club used the W W. Greener 10 and 8 bore hainmcrlcss new 

 patent locks, which we found in every way superior in 1 he- 

 hands of our best, shots. This days' 'shooting was the first 

 time the 8-bore Greener hammcrless gun was ever used by 

 us, or any one else on these flats. This gun was imported by 

 W. II. Linthicum. of the Baltimore Ducking Club, espe 

 dally for "royal blood" shooting on The Susquehanna It is 

 full choke, aud weighs to) pounds, carrying a charge of 7 

 drams powder, and'3 oz. No. 4 shot, arid when wielded in 

 the hands of Air. Frank ±U. Denny, known as out of the best 

 overhead shots iu the United States, it is no wonder that the 

 club to which lie give? credit, e.-ime o;f victorious &| 



competitors. The members composing thisclnh are all first- 

 class shots, and so recognized, even by the most envious of 

 our competitors. 



Canvas-backs ("royal bloods'/, since Ihe cold wtrtti 

 struck this region, have made their appearance ill almost 

 (.seemingly) endless numbers, and the prospect is a good one 

 for the shooting season. There are no "big-gunner,-" abroad 

 on our waters now, and the wlldfowd are not mercilessly 

 slaughtered by merciless men by this means. Since the laws 

 were invoked' to capture and punish them, and which was 

 done by the legitimate sportsmen, the wildfowl havebeeu less 

 shy. and good shooting is had on all of the shores along the 

 bay. Night, shooting with these swivels heretofore has 

 done more to destroy and drive away the wildfowl than any- 

 thing cir-e, and it will not be permitted b Maryland waters 

 again, as a sharp lookout is kept after those who wish to 

 break the laws, and if they make their appearance, it will 

 be with a considerable price for their detection, capture and 

 punishment. 



Come and see us aud have a g«od day's shooting in Janu- 

 ary or February, and I will let you try my W W Greener 

 patent, self-elector hammerless gun. anil if you do nut bring 

 down every "royal blood" . coming within fitly yards, We 

 will have to class you in "C." I have used it for one year, 

 and with such success, yetnotonly in its mechanical working, 

 but in its shooting, that, even the trial of it by the editor of 

 Hie Foukst .vsd"Stkkam would no doubt be more Ibau a 

 successful showing in his favor. Come along, then, and we 

 will cause you to be amply repaid for your trip. The law 

 prescribes the days for shooting, and hence we expect lo 

 have good shooting all the season through, a- the days of 

 respite given tbe\vildlowl will keep tiicm undisturbed on 

 their feeding grounds. Alore anon. Rovai. Bu«nt 



-Baltimore, Mtl., Nov. 17. 



P. S.— I send you this clipping from the Baltimore Siltl 

 It was written by' a man who has been there; 



Chill November, aud the partridge shooting season i i 

 its zenith I Eager sportsmen, with dog aud gut 

 every outgoing train, and huge bunches of tha plumb little 

 perdrix hang in front of every provision store. November is 

 the month for shooting, aud Virginia or North Carolina are 

 the hunting grounds that rank above all others, .lust at 

 this time it may be safely estimated that five thousand sports- 



