348 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



[Not. JO. 188H. 



overlook the spot, whereon 1 patterned iny breech-loader; 

 look at the No, 8 pellets, air they not beautifully spread? 

 GrUCSS 'twould puzzle Bob White to get through there wilh- 

 Out sustaining serious injury, but, if 1 remember rightly 

 .some of them did gel away not long since, but, the brush was 

 thick, you know, and the sun shone daringly in my eyes, or 

 something of that, kind— but 1 am digressing. 



Let us look the old door over again carefully, something 

 mav have escaped our observation, Nothing. I guess; hold 

 on; a Utile chip knocked from the edge of Unit knothole 

 recalls the time -when seven years since 1 tired three shots at 

 it from a revolver, and for some time surely thought 1 had 

 missed the door, but upon a closer scrutiny', found thoy had 

 none tluough the magic circle, and entered a stick of stove 

 v'hI. piled against the door. There they were, a copper 

 would cover the three. That, is all. The old door is a leaflet 

 ol the history of my life, to which I often turn with never 

 failing iulerest and' emotion. Upon its battered surface is a 

 record or some Of my deeds, sonic I trust are recorded above 

 others, upon the hearts of humanity. Would not our deeds 

 be belter IF they nil could be seen as plainly as those marks 

 upon the old barn door? B. W. 8. 



Msarms, Mich.. Nov. S3. 



THE OLD SETTLERS AGAIN. 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



I inclose you the story of one of the early pioneers of 1816, 



- io the first settlement on the "Westorn Reserve," 



which is in the northeastern portion of the State of Ohio, 

 bordering on the south shore of Lake Erie. The writer tells 

 his story well, and 1 send ii lo Foive&t and Stkeam, know- 

 ing that it i- worth recording. Dr. E. StEBKLISB, 



Cl,MV>n..\M>. onto. 



"The variety was the common grftywolf (Owiiis oeeidtm 



,|, ,i Tech gray on the back, a, yellowish gray or dirty 

 whiir biiow, a bushy fail fifteen to twenty inches long, and 

 such a wicked expression of countenance, no wonder that 

 the incessant toiling of poverty to prevent starvation has 

 created the pro'erb, 'to keep' the. wolf from the door.' 

 These undesirable varmints were Dumerous in the forests of 

 '■,, , ,rii; days, and yet the sheep and lambs were com- 

 paratively 'safe to what,' they are BOW, The mason was not 

 that limy were less disposed to feed on mutton, but their 

 assaults were usually confined to the hours of darkness, and 

 knowing the exposure of the flocks in the night season, it 

 wa.- as regular a part of (lie evening chores to see that the 

 sheep -wore all by count safely yarded as to milk the cows. 

 Hut the worthless dogs of the present day may visit a back 

 pasture or any other, if the farmer should 'chance to be 

 absent, at all hours of the day and make terrible slaughter 

 among the innocents. 



"Li" the autumn of 1886 we left our field of labor in Mon- 

 roeville, Huron county. 0., for a visit, to the old hearthstone, 

 and reaching .fefferson found that the united head of the 

 family bail Started wiib their own conveyance — railroads 

 were little kno vn then — for a visit to the vicinity of Auburn, 

 NT. Y- Purchasing a eqll we followed on anil enjoyed the 



vfeitwith i lii-ui. When we returned, being somewhat weary 



of the saddle, we took passage on a steamboat up the lake To 

 Ashlnbula, and llius reached the farm some lime before lite 

 rest of the company father left a thick of some forty line 



sTieep. Tidings wa« brought by a neighbor soon after onr 

 arrival that the dogs had been among them and such n scene! 

 Scattered over the field wen- the dead oi dying; only one, 

 probably the first lulled, had any marks of violeneeon the 

 body. "The others were just bitten in the neck and Ihc life 

 blOOd sucked out With the assistance of a brother we com 

 menced dressing llieui. Brpl finishing '.he work I'm those that 

 were still breathing, and eiv the sun went down one half of 

 the cherished Bock were hanging in the barn. What a sight 

 to greet the owner w In u he returned the next day ' This 

 was a grealcr loss than he had suffered in all the former 

 years, by wolves, of which we started to write, and lo which 

 let us return. 



"We cannot speak from personal knowdedge of wolves 

 ever attacking man, tkouak he have read of such conduct, 

 on their part even in Ohio, and severe hunger no doubt 

 might induce such action. Soon after the founding of our 

 settlement two of the brothers, Michael and Daniel, united 

 in building a saw mill, perhaps the first in that section. It 

 was located on Mills Creek, near the west line of Jefferson, 

 but in the township of Austiuburg. All around was no- 

 broken forest, distant about half a mile, from the homes of 

 the owners. The demand of customers and supply of water 

 at certain seasons, required that the mill should clatter day 

 and night, but neither could induce them to hoist the gale 

 on the first day of the week. From personal experience 

 we speak, that; two persons were competent to this labor, 

 though it sometimes required hard lifting. One came on 

 duty VZ noon and kept things buzzing until 12 midnight, 

 and' was I hen relieved by the other. This on Saturday noon 

 allowed one to depart for twenlv-four hours. The time to 

 which we refer was in the early winter, wdieu the ground 

 was covered with a light snow. Uncle Michael was doing 

 the service which closed the weary week at the mill.- During 

 the long hours of darkness which at that season of the year 

 lie between sunset and sacred time, he was aware thai there 

 was unusual disturbance mound the mill-yard and even on 

 the log-way. When tiie time, came, therefore, lo leave the 

 mill for a half mile walk home through the woods, be pre- 

 pared, in addition to his lantern, which in those days were 

 made of perforated tin and illumined with a tallow caudle, 

 a hand torch. Torches were a wonderful invention to 

 lead a company of evening worshipers to the place of ser- 

 vice, the attendants at husking bees or boys wdio went 

 'cooning. They were composed of shaggy bark from the 

 hickory trees, a'nd the material for them was always kept in 

 stock for time of need. With one duly lighted he sallied 

 forth to find himself at once pursued by a pack of hungry 

 wolves. The lire of their eyes was distinctly visible as they 

 came near to him. and the snarling and snapping of their 

 teeth like an orchestra to quicken his steps. They con- 

 tinued their pursuit until he had entirely left the woods, but, 

 the glare of the fiery torch was an effectual preventive 

 against his feeling as well as hearing their teeth. A visit by 

 the light of day showed that (lie surface of the entire mill- 

 yard had been' pawed up by them while he was still at work. 



"Many a time in those boyhood days have we stood 

 trembling while the other members of the'family were filling 

 the pails to overflowing with the rich milk treasured up by 

 Pink, the first family cow that we remember, and her asso- 

 ciates, as the day had passed quietly in the fields of sweet 

 grass and clover' But why tremble? fn I lie not far distant 

 woods, north and south, the wolves were joining in their 

 evening chorus preparatory to their night marauding, and 

 as their howl echoed responsively, the fact was an abiding 



one that when the milking was done Ihe cows were to be. 

 driven to the pasture. When relieved of their burden of 

 sweet milk they could be whipped up without damage, 

 which we were always taught, should not be done before 

 milking. Beaching the end of the race, down came the 

 bars with a will, the drove hustled in, bars put up again, 

 and the whip was applied to the road as though it, might 

 hasten the returning steps before the wolves should put in 

 their appearance, demanding a supper from the boys' legs. 

 "A hunter by the. name oT Read, as famous in the wolf 

 capture as was Uncle Squires in taking the deer; in his 

 forest rambles one day discovered the hiding place of a litter 

 of young ones, which he easily securer! and making his 

 way" to a farm house obtained his' supper and a small basket 

 in which to carry the pups, and returning to the woods near 

 the place of capture prepared for his night work to secure 

 the mother also. lie had not waited long before the cries of 

 the young ones in response to pinched ears brought her 

 Within the reach of his rifle, and added another bounty to 

 many won before. Speaking of honntv. as earlv as 1799 the 

 Territorial Legislature passed a law' oll'ering a boiinl >. of 

 $1,35 for each wolf scalp killed in the State. The S'. ate 

 Legislature in 1831 raised the bounty to $8, and also author- 

 ized the commissioners of any county to pay $3 more, making 

 $6. In Ashtabula county still another increase was secured 

 by personal donations— as each taxpayer came to settle with 

 the county treasurer he was solicited to add to the bounty 

 money such an amount as he was willing to .give, and wc arc 

 creditably informed that at one time it reached the liberal 

 sum of $100 for each scalp. This policy had the desired 

 effect and soon rid the county of these night marauders as an 

 abiding place, and it was only as tramps that they were 

 beard from, Had our wise legislators thus early been as 

 anxious lo preserve our young men from the slaughter of the 

 intoxicating cup as the sheep and lambs from the wolves how 

 different w r ould have been the history of our noble State to- 

 day. 



"Having paid our respects to some of the more showy and 

 important game, let us not overlook the lowly, Amom 

 a variety of these we will first introduce the porcupine, some- 

 time erroneously called the hedgehog. High authority as- 

 serts that 'there is no proper hedgehog in America." They 

 possess a remarkable provision of nature for their protection 

 in the spines or quills with which the body is armed. The 

 animal is very clumsy, but, an excellent, though slow climber, 

 and in the late winter and early spring was often found in 

 the tops of the forest elm and basswood trees, obtaining its 

 food from the bark and buds of the tender twigs. It was not 

 necessary to look up in hunting them as the ground under 

 the tree would show their industry by the large, number of 

 twigs they had dropped. 



' -Their method of defense was to keep their quills erect and 

 a free use of their tail, which moves so quick that some have 

 erroneously supposed they could shoot their quills, which 

 they cannot do, but woe be to the foe, man or beast, that 

 COines in contact with these points. They are loosely al- 

 tached to the skin, barbed at the point, which is as sharp as 

 a cambric needle, so thai Ihey easily penetrate, retain Iheii 

 hold and tend continually to become more deeply inserted. 

 Man\ an hour have we spent in pulling them out of Ihe 

 dog's tuoulli. and once took one from the top of Ihe head 

 winch had worked up from the lips. Porcupines were often 

 met, Willi when We made nightly visits lo Ihe fields of grow- 

 ing cum. with dogs, gun-, and torches, and if a dog was fotl- 

 ish enough to attempt to tBBle of ofle it spoiler) all the spoil 

 fOr thai rime, and if not immediately removed, for many days 

 to come. It is recorded that 'dogs, wolves, Ihe lynx, and 

 Ihe cougar have been known to die from the inflammation 

 produced b\ its quills.' 



"There was one dog in the township thai knew how to 

 manipulate them so as to take their life without coming in 

 contact with their weapons of defense. It was brought 

 from the East by Rev. Joy Handy, and afterward became 

 the properly of Mr. L'riell. 'who owned a farm north -of the 

 court house. Soon after taking up ids abode there, his mas- 

 ter found porcupines lying dead in the cornfield, which 

 awakened quite a curiosity to solve the mystery, lie rather 

 concluded that it was the work of the dog, and yet had 

 never found any quills in his mouth. One day he heard a 

 low bark from the dog in the growing com and hastened to 

 ascertain the cause. Approaching with care he did not at- 

 tract the attention of the dog or his plaything, which he 

 discovered to be a porcupine. For some minutes the dog 

 continued his motions around his bristly pet, occasionally 

 giving a low bark, until the animal had become famiiiar 

 with his presence and began to lower his points of defense, 

 when the' dog with a quick bound placed his nose under Ms 

 prey, grappled it by the throat, and soon placed him h.m <ln 

 combat, after which he walked silently away. But the mys- 

 tery was solved and the value of the dog greatly iuereased 

 in the estimation of his owner. The flesh of the porcupine 

 is said to be palatable. We do not add our indorsement 

 from experience, but can testify that their quills are highly 

 prizeri by the Indians, who use Ihem to ornament their 

 moccasins, belts, bags, baskets, etc., as others can testify 

 who have seen thciu offering their handiwork for sale at 

 Ihe summer watering places, or even in the city of Cleve- 

 land." 



TOOTING FOR DEER. 



A PARTY of deer hunters w r eui forth from Central Lake 

 the other day. They .were in earnest. "Meant meat," 

 in fact, and as one of then- number had two or three of the 

 anllered monarchs "yarded out," thej fully expected that 

 there would be blood" on the knife before night. The van 

 was led by Mike, who carried a tin horn. His mission was 

 to take up the trail, when found, and toot at intervals, it 

 order to terrify the deer, and make it run in the direction of 

 one or more of the confederates, who were supposed to 1: 

 posted at convenient strategic points. They took their sti 

 lions accordingly, and the man with the "tooting we'pon" (as 

 Pathfinder would have called it), trailed the woods. In time, 

 he found a track. He tooted, and followed on. The trail 

 led him by man)' a devious way, through some of the worst 

 country (for a lazy man) that "has ever been manufactured, 

 yet manfully he trailed, and still he tooted on. Much did 

 this footing gladden the hearts of the lonely ones who waited 

 with ready" rifles and more or less of patience at the runways, 

 and more did it probably surprise the tootee, which, how- 

 ever, all unknowing of the frightful designs of the tooting 

 man, strayed on and marie no sign. The track of the tootee 

 inthe snow was us the track of an average deer— its turns 

 and windings were not unlike those which the hunter had 

 been accustomed to flee on like occasions, and it carelessly 

 jumped over logs and the like, sometimes eight or ten feet 

 at a bOUfld. Thus stood matters, when at length the tenter. 



coming near a ridge, held his Spencer at a ready and 

 tooted. Then he ascended the ridge and tooted" some 

 mure, when lo, upon the opposite ridge a shape ap 

 peareri. It was the tootee. The hunter paused aghast. For 

 one moment words failed— he caught his breath — dropped 

 horn and rifle, and solemnly ejaculated: "It's a shfii , 

 Deerless and shecpless camp the hunters home, and mightily 

 they supped, but in the silent watches ,,l lie- niglil there 

 came a ram of elephantine size, which sal on MiOhael'H 

 slomach tooting horns; and straight Ihc shades of all the 

 deer his hand had slain, aud all the grisly muttons he haj 

 chewed, came trampling o'er his chest, and tooted too. 



.1. P. BqUTBOR 

 Ki.k RAl'ins, Jtieli. 



MINNESOTA DUCK SHOOTING. 



T^HE duck season has closed here, uol by reason of the 

 la.w, but because there are no ducks, as the bill, 

 have nil coated over with ice. Spring opened so kite here 

 licit not one-tenth the usual number of dinks put in their 

 appearance. The kikes in which wild rice is to lie found 

 all yielded an abundant crop, aud we hoped foi Oi ' 

 ingthisfall. We hoped in vain. There were a few dD file 

 rice lakes but none elsewhere. 



On the first day of October a parly of four, com] 

 Jacob Fisher. J. I). Jones, W. L\ Mack and yoUJ humble 

 servant, engaged a teamster and started for a rice lake eight 

 miles east of Long Prairie where ducks were reported 

 plenty. We bad one boat in the wagon, and on the road 

 picked up several ruffed grouse. When we reached ihe 

 lake we found that four men had preceded us and had all 

 the ducks driven off the lake, Inn w re pvins il to the blue 

 mud-hens. We were all unacquainted" with the kike and 

 we pushed off about 4 o'clock, Mr Jones and im -« If, who 

 have shot together for the past sevnn fears, Comprising Out' 



boat Cl'ew. Soon aftCT gettlfig seelete'd in Ihe bill rit ennai 

 the eastern shore the birds began to omic. but W( WeWi Uol 

 in their track and only an occasional flock oi -a single bird 

 came near us. The first tight shots were clear misses and 

 wc began to think we had" lost our skill. Prcsen 

 wood ducks were seen approaching from the north and while 

 culling the air about forty yards iVomsour boat were dropped 

 in tine form. We had been" shooting behind our e ie 



The booming of the guns at Ihe other end of She lake told 

 us that, our friends were not idle, and Ihe thought thai Ihey 

 might show up the largest bag at the camp in He 

 made ns exert ourselves more, hut in spite of our efforts we 

 could not bring down more than one bud for every four 

 shots. Our boat was cranky and caused us to miss 

 many shots, and once Mr. Jones came near falling into the 

 wafer— gun. cartridge box aud all. We shot as long as wc 

 could see and returned to camp with only I welvc ducks, 

 leaving about that number in the tall rice, being Unable tO 

 find them. The other boat returned with six. making a 

 grand total of eighteen birds for two hours' shooting With 

 four guns. 



The next morning we were in mn places some time before 



ii was light enough to shoot, but at ihe first shot most of the 

 w-ary mallards got up and left Ihc lake. W« ICianmi I n 

 9 o'clock and returned with iweni\ ducks, tntr partners 

 coming iu with two. 



Tiie' parties who had preceded HB WC 'links ,1,, 

 home without a bird except the inuilb i I 

 hud tired something like 200 shots This was poor shooting, 

 but we had a good lime nevertheless, ami returned to oui 

 various duties' feeling betler for having • xpenried nuraiu 

 munition" and slept in a lent. The sportsmen who would 

 smile at our scanty hag must, remember that nearly all our 

 chance.-, were at birds beyond fifty yards, and he who can 

 .stop a wood duck at sixty yards going At the highest sped 

 must be a good shot. A. W -, 



Losa Pkaiiuk. Minn. Nov, 80, 



ST. LOUIS SiFTINGS. 



! forte 



leyond 

 1 1 and 

 •omuls 



ijf the interior of Missouri, thirl 

 Rolla. there still remains a wildei 

 romantic in many respects as the 

 of the Indian in the far West. 



A party of St. Louis hunters embarked on a fourteen days' 

 hunt through this wilderness ou the 18th. They delegated 

 Mr. J, P. Schulte, of the Excelsior Gun Ohio lo visit Rolla 

 and make arrangements for having their stores transported 

 in wagons from ""Rolla to the edge of the wilderness, . 

 performed his duty in a highly creditable manner the advance 

 agent of the party returned and reported he had hired live 

 wagons and several teams for the journey. This informa- 

 tion was so satisfactory to the party that they decided to 

 a&?V.ts ite greater portion rf ticu time to repairing ilmt 



tents and placing Iheir guns in order for effective work. The 

 parly are Messrs. J. P. Schulte, Fred Pohlmau, C. Kohl, r, 



H A. Thias, Louis Lucker, Theodore Kick. II. II 3 Ite, 



Henry Bittuer of Waterloo, and Mr. Pestole of Rolla. 



Last winter the members of the St. Louis GrunOluh divided 

 themseves into two teams and shol a match at quails in open 

 field for a supper. They will probably repeal tiie sport this 

 winter. 



November 10 dipt. Pies. W. R. Cottrill, Maj, Buchanan 

 and Mr. Roe called their dogs, shouldered their guns and 

 .started to the Union depot in high spirits. They Were also 

 "large game hunters," starting una week's hunt to the St 

 Francis River in Arkansas. Deer and bear are reported quite 

 plentiful in that section, and, being good marksmen, they 

 are likely to meet with great success before ihey return lo 

 this city They took enough ammunition with them to last 

 a week, but unless the shooting is exceptionally good they 

 will return before expiration of that time. 



A large party who desire to confine their attention Ul 

 hunting Small game left on the 10th for the grounds of Ihe 

 Dardcnne Gun Ciui. Duck hunting, which has been good 

 at the grounds of Ihc Dardcnne and' Cuvier Gun dubs, be 

 nearly two weeks, is still sufficiently tempting to entice 

 many St. Louis sportsmen from their family firesides at d 

 places of business. Sportsmen will not disturb quail to any 

 great extent until a cold wave drives the ducks further 



Charley Boyd and Messrs. Gillespie, Mulcahey and Alex- 

 ander spent a day in fishing and hunting at Horseshoe Like. 

 They caught eleven fish and bagged twelve quail and six 

 ducks. 



Hunters in great numbers are returning to the cily from 

 excursions into the interior on account OX the growing 

 scarcity of ducks, which, they said had been du 

 ward by .the cold wave. Quail they reported us i 

 plentiful. 



Mr. Thomas Annan aud party have returned horn a ullecn 

 .lays' 'muting and fishing excursion to ( 'urrent River. They 



