406 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



[Dec. 20, 1883. 



same from his massive brain without the aid of books or ex- 

 perience, 



"These ere bass," said he, ''spawn in deep water, way 

 down in the spring holes, 60 to TOO feet deop; Ihcv spawn 

 twine a year, early in the spring and again in September. 

 Yes. they was put in here. There ain't many as koftWB how- 

 to stock a pond with 'en>; they'll put 'em in at the dam and 

 then the fish will alius run to that end to get out; if they're 

 put in at t'other end they'll all run that way and stay in. 

 You'll alius find the best tishin' in the end where they was 

 put in: Ihcy alius run in pairs, ir you ketch one and throw 

 right out in the same spot you're putty sure to git his mate." 

 now long before the eggs hatch? "Oh, ten' days to two 

 weeks, depous on the season, if the season is back'ard like 

 it takes longer. Do I ever tish fur 'em? No, skas'ly ever; 1 

 gincrally git out, wilh the boys fur a day or so after bayin', 

 though." Yas, I hire my boat out if anybody wants 'er. " 



"A year or so ago, a kind v old chap who was runnin' some 

 fisbin' paper or oilier in York, he sed. hailed me one day as I 

 wasfishin' over by the stumps yonder, sed be couldn't "git a 

 boat and wanted rue to fatal him out. 1 hadn't any halt, 

 only a few wurns in a can, an" w'en he got in I seed he didn't 

 have any neither. Yv'ile I was wunderiu' wat lie was goin' 

 to do he tuk out some smallish hacks-like, putty well kivered 

 QVW with feathers an' put two or three on his line an' axed 

 me to keep along a matter of two or three Tods from shore, 

 an' then he began to sling out his hooks putty much as you 

 er.iok a long lash mule-gad. I jest laffed; I didn't say nuth- 

 iu' tho but kep' a pulliu' with tliat fool a standin' in the bow. 

 Well, we went roun' and roun' two or three times, but nary 

 thing did be git. 1 mite a told him how t'would be, fish 

 ain't fools, but 1 didn't let ou. Once he gin a start like and 

 hollered 1o me lo pull for deep water. 1 pulled 'er out a lectio 

 and looked over my shoulder, thinkin' mebbe 1 wus a gettiu' 

 too fur in shore, an' Mess my sou) if he wasn't jest a puilin' 

 with his pole dabbled up an'' the wheel on it a buzziu'. In 

 a minit or so it cum straight agin' au'he sed he'd got oil'; he 

 BOted as if he thought he had a bite, but he wus only fast to 

 il root or sumthin', that's my opinion: you see nobody that 

 knew anything would fish that wav. 



"I kinder hinted like that, mebbe I'd better go ashore an' 

 git some bait, but. he 'lowed he never fished 1 hat way. I 

 laffed to myself agin, an kep' on puilin*. Well, of course, 

 lie didn't git iiothin'. he couldn't that way. Jest afore we 

 went ashore I begun to pump him like, an" axed him if he'd 

 fished much this year. I reckon, by bis tell, he hadn't done 

 nothin'else all summer; he went on to tell as how he'd 

 fished in some of the big waters up DOrth where the President 

 was a fiKhin', au' how he'd tuk titty or up'ards a day. I 

 s'pose the critter thought he was a fo'olin' me, but he wasn't. 

 but 1 didn't let on. That was the beater of all the ways of 

 Uetchin fish 1 ever seed tiied." 



What, luck? Fifty days with studies like this. Fifty 

 days of freedom From thought, from care and from work, 

 fifty nights of rest and peace, driuking in the wine of the 

 mountain, and lulled to sleep by voices that are never stilled. 

 Twice the moon has fulled and waned, twice her slender 

 horn has hung low in the west; storms have gathered and 

 deluged our camp around, the lightning has scathed the 

 mountain side, but within the canvas all was comfort. 

 Morning has brought its hours of grand sport with the small- 

 mouth bass and the tamer pickerel; evening has come with 

 the welcome camp-fire and cheer, so has run the round of 

 days and nights that ever seemed the same as one. 



Wnatluck'/ The answer comes from tired faces lighted 

 with a new life, from health regained, from thought fresh- 

 ened, sylvan days, whose memories will come up again and 

 again to thrill the heart and gladden the soul, when the 

 Christmas tide is upon the earth, and the blaze of the yule 

 log flashes a response over whitened fields to the ghost of the 

 fire which died on the old camp ground on the mountain 

 with the summer days. Wawayanpa. 



THE RUINED HOMESTEAD. 



Sunt: are thy bowers in shapeless ruin all, 

 Ai fl the long grass o'erLops the mould'riug wall, 

 Aud, trembling, shrinking from the spoiler's baud. 

 Far, faraway thy children leave the hind. 



—Goldmniilt't "Deserted riV/myr." 



THERE are many spots, now waste and desolate in 1 he 

 county of Goochland, Virginia, which forcibly bring 

 to mind "The Deserted Village." Numerous places remote 

 from cultivated fields are concealed by dense forests of old 

 •field pines, "where still many a gardeu flower grows wild,' 1 

 which iu former days were smiling homesteads, whose occu- 

 pants were not unknown to fame, Thus, upon a barren hill 

 overlooking a broad and beauliful valley of the James, a 

 dense copse of underbrush and a bunch of neglected lilies 

 mark the spot where Edward Bates, a cabinet officer during 

 the administration of Mr. Lincoln, was born and reared. 



Tow T ard the end of a lovely day in the latter part of 

 November, a party of sportsmen, among whom was flic 

 vvritei, emerged from a dark body of pines, through which 

 they had for miles been turkey hunting, and came into the 

 "Three-chop rood," a noted highway" leading from Rich- 

 mond westward to the mountains. The spot is about forty- 

 five miles west of Richmond, and it appeared lonely in the 

 extreme. The country around is barren and unproductive, 

 and inhabited by a sparse population of whites aud negioes. 

 But in bygone days, before railroads were built, this road 

 was the great highway from the rich valley of Virginia to 

 the metropolis of the State, and in those limes, at this season 

 of the year, it was continually thronged wilh long wagon 

 trains and great droves of cattle, sheep aud hogs; and the 

 taverns located within a few miles of each other, not only 

 enabled their owners to do a flourishing business, but afforded 

 to the neighboring farmers a ready mart for all their produce 

 at remunerative prices, and at their doors. As a natural 

 consequence, in those days the population of this locality 

 was more affluent and more intelligent and refined than now. 



The huntsmen dismounted to rest a while on the decaying 

 truuk of a fallen tree and gazed around, No dwelling or 

 open field was visible. The point is on the highest elevation 

 iu the county, and westward through a clearing the faint 

 blue tops of the mountains were just visible. Dark bodies 

 of piues hound in the vision in every other direction. A 

 tangled mass of thorns and briars growing over a heap of 

 old 'rubbish, a few decaying oaks and aspens struggling amid 

 the rank growth of pines alone served to mark the spot 

 where a dwelling formerly stood. The place is still known 

 in the neighborhood as "Payne's Ordinary," and but few 

 even of the dwellers around are aware that it was the birth- 

 place of one of the most accomplished and attractive ladies 

 whose graces have adorned the mansion of the Presidents of 

 the United Slates. Here, iu colonial times, was born and 

 reared Dolly Payne, who, in the year 1794, became the wife 



of James Madison, and who, "for Ihe space of forty two 

 years, and until the close of his eventful life, was the 1'nith- 

 ful and tender companion of his bosom, the partner of his 

 joys aud sorrows, and the ornament as well as helpmeet Of 

 his household." Endowed by nature with a sweet temper 

 and graceful aud attractive person, she was gifted with an 



unvarying tact and good sense which titled her to play the 

 parr, that devolved upon le r in Ihe elevated fortunes of her 

 husband." 



As is well known Miss Payne hat! previously, at au early 

 age, been married lo Mr. Todd, of Philadelphia, who soon 

 after died. Her marriage with Mr. M.vlr-.a, o-ol: place in 

 Frederick at the residence of Mr. Sleptoo Washington, who 

 had previously married a sister of Dollv Pa\ ne, "who was 

 likewise born and laised at "Payne's Or'tisry.'" Rives iu his 

 life of Madison (from which work the above quotations are 

 made), publishes the letter of Mi. Madison lo Mr Monroe 

 then Minister to France, informing Mm of his marriage, in 



hich he says: "Present mv respects to Mrs. Monroe and to 

 Eliza, and tell them 1 shall be able on their return to present 

 them with a new acquaintance, who is prepared by my 

 representations lo receive them with all the' affections they 

 require, and who, I flatter myself, will be entitled to theirs." 



This amiable lady survived 'her husband dying at Wash 

 iugton July 12. 1819, at the age of elgbtV-tWO, A well- 

 written article on Mr. Madison in a recent issue of the 

 Washington 7 W erroneously stain. Qjat Mrs. Madison was a 

 -alive of North Caroline which is incorrect as has been 

 shown. The "Old North State" has had and still has too 

 many lovely anil accomplished daughters to create any desire 

 on her part to claim the amiable and gifted Dollv Payne. 



There are others who have won for themselves honor and 

 distiuctioi; whisc mcestry is tra-d buck to the former in- 

 habitants of "Payne's Ordinary," but whose sphere of action 

 has been far from its "glades 'forlorn." Among these have 

 been soldier and statesmen, living and dead; one of the 

 former was a distinguished general in the Confederate sendee; 

 aud of the latter, flattering 'mention may be made of the late 

 Col. M. M. Payne, au officer of the United States Army, 

 ously wounded at the battle of Resaca tie la Palma, and 

 for his courage aud gallantry in the war with Mexico pre- 



■nted with a sword by the Legislature of his native State. 



And so, when the lengthening shadows warned us to de 

 part, it was with regret that we turned away from the lonely 

 ' deserted, but hallowed spot, which had been the cradle 

 o much of genius, worth and loveliness, * M. 



DOWN IN 



[T was my fortune to h: 



'ARKANSAW." 



'e been west of the "Father of 

 thus called in Rasselns) during 

 of November. I was led there 

 I ducks, driven by the rigors of 

 tould seek that region for more 

 . Usually after the first cold 

 le and table bin's are found in 



Waters" (not tit 

 mora than half of the oion 

 by the hope that thousand 

 a'more northern climate, 



hospitable feeding groun 

 weather these delightful B 



large numbers in all ihe iiikes and ponds on the lower Mis- 

 sissippi and the streams which enter it, south of the parallel 



the ducks are comparatively gentle, and the .-.jn.il-.man can 

 easily approach withiu convenient range and gel in both 

 barrels of his gun. After they have been subjected to the 

 delights of the fit de joi'c for a few days they become watch 

 fill, and are less'eusy to kill. These peculiarities were known 

 to my friend Teceel and mvself, and as cold wealher in that 

 climate generally sets in about the 1st of November, we 

 made our arrangements to be at Little Rock on the 89th of 

 October, ready to give the ducks a cordial welcome ou their 

 first, arrival. "So we left home on the 22d of October, fully 

 prepared with guns and loaded shells. Our route look us 

 by wav of Chattanooga and Nashville, striking the railway 

 from .Memphis to Louisville at MoKenzie. Eighteen miles 

 northeast of that place live some of our kinspeople, and to 

 them we made it convenient lo pay a. brief visit. After 

 stopping a day or two we took the train for Memphis, and 

 thence went to Hernando, Miss., to see some friends resid- 

 ing near that place. We reached Hernando ou Friday 

 night, and were met at the station by our kinsman, Dr. W., 

 who soon had us within his hospitable walla, showing us all 

 the kindness which he and his "better half" could exhibit. 

 Under his roof we were "at home," and let no means pass 

 to convince them that we understood how to artist oTttl 

 knowledge of the fact. 



Next day it was raining slowly, and this, with the previous 

 .sprinklings, made the alluvial soil of that section somewhat 

 slippery." About noon, however, there was a cessation, and 

 the Doctor proposed that we should liy the birds. He is 

 not the owner of a dog. but his brother-in-law, Don D., who 

 lives quite near him, had two, which he fell sure he could 

 get. Arrangement having been made, we started for t In- 

 fields, about 3 o'clock, having been able to get but one of the 

 dogs— the other having had business in some other locality. 

 We found but few birds, until about an hour befoie sun- 

 down, when several line coveys were slatted. It was too 

 late, however, for much success, and we returned to the 

 house with seventeen iu our pockets. If we could have re- 

 mained there for three or four days we could have killed 

 quite a large number. It is a beautiful bird country, and 

 we were fold that Bob White was numerous. But ducks 

 were ahead of us. We could find Bob W. at home, and 

 waterfowl were the object of our aspirations. At an early 

 hour next morning we bade our friends adieu, aud got on 

 the train for Memphis. Here we spent a wet Sunday, and at 

 8 P. 31. left for Little Rock, at which place we arrived a| 

 midnight, stopping at the Capital Hotel, a genteel house, 

 kept on what is called the European plan. Next day my 

 brother came up from his plantation, but as he had the mis- 

 fortune to be on the Grand Jury for the term of the court 

 then in session, we could not get off from the city until the 

 following afternoon. We learned from him that the ex- 

 pected flight of clucks had not come— there having been no 

 frost— but that we would probably get a few. Well, during 

 our stay the ducks preferred a cooler climate. At all events, 

 they failed to make their usual visit. Still, we got more 

 than we could eat, and sent a few to some of our friends in 

 Little Book. What we got were mainly mallards, and they 

 were in excellent order. These we killed chiefly in the 

 small ponds within his plantation. 



That section is a poor country for Bob White, because of 

 the rank herbage in the field, making it laborious work for 

 both men and dogs. Besides all this, when a covey is started 

 in a cornfield, before the crop is gathered, the bird has every 

 advantage. We were told, however, that on Long Prairie 

 aud Grand Plain, about twenty-five miles off, we would find 

 pleutv of birds, and possibly a few prairie cbiclsen&and^orne 

 ducks, while in the timber bordering them the squirrels were 



Besides this vehicle there 



abundant. So a camp hunt was arranged. On Monday, the 

 filh of November, our calvacade started. We had a wagon 

 and a pair of mules, for our tent and other conveniences, Une 

 driver to act as cook. " 

 spring wagons with a pair 

 were CoL Lee Thompson, 

 and in the other Calvin Pen 

 of Arkansaw. The Toad l 

 was simply abominable, 1 



aceel and yi 

 ■Hon, George 



Me 



journey, and took our lu 

 Me vflC 



Iter to \ 



i dow 



ehicl 



eel i 



two 



me of which 

 respondent, 

 tkandRorv, 

 Bavou Meto 

 t, at midday W0 had made the 

 upon its banks, using its execra- 

 n the contents of the baskets. Hitch- 

 gain, we were soon in the rolling prairie The 

 bieh carried your correspondent left the road and 

 . a southeastern direction for the camping place, in 

 a grove of small blackjacks, near what is a small runniue 

 stream after a heavy fall of rain, and about nine miles from 

 Lonoke, the shire town of the county of that name. The 

 camp equipage went along wilh us. The other party kept 

 on the road to the town, with the view of making a purchase 

 of a few articles which had not been provided. 



After getting to the camping grounds, and giving full 

 directions to the servants, I took my Tolley 16-bOte hammer- 

 less and went to the bed of thc'occasional stream, which 

 was less than a hundred yards olT, aud in five minutes I had 

 five pigeons und two squirrels. Then with two very poor 

 dogs, Tececl, Thompson aud I went on the skirts" of the 

 timber to see if we could get a few quail to add to the com- 

 forts of the breakfast table. We started two BOVeys, which 

 sougftt the shelter of the timber, and with such" dogs, got 

 beyond our reach. Only six rewarded our efforts, and we 

 returned to camp. The other party had arrived, and on 

 their way had succeeded in gelling four pinnated grouse. 

 The sight of these birds scl Tcceel upside down— for he was 

 aimpst crazy to try his choke-bored Colt ou that game, hay- 

 ing never iii his life had that pleasure. After a comfortable 

 meal, the usual chat, and n few pipes on the part id' some of 

 Ihe sportsmen, we took ourselves to our pallets, made more 

 comfortable by some hay taken from a deserted stack not 

 far off 



The hunt id' Hie next day, not being up to our expecta- 

 tions, we determined at noon to "pull up stake-" and move 

 our quarters lo the Le Grue, a lagoon, called a creek, which 



Grand Pr 



Carlisle, a little town on ll 

 road. At this place we wt 

 tin- Sport we wauled. After 

 miles we were informed that 

 which separates the two prair 

 much as flie bridge was tuisaf 

 to retrace our steps aud go In 

 would increase the distance 

 seven miles. But there was i 

 took us long before we reaebe 

 a Lw grCJSe -:v ttC way and 

 neither of which was BUCC 

 light" we put up our tent on 

 'The next day we tried the \ 

 gol B few birds and pleutv of 

 or four mallards which came 

 lilac,-. The day following. 

 M. got three or fi 



ibout t\\ 



outh 



of 



Memphis efc Little Hock Rail 

 ! assure'! thai we could get all 

 having traveled east about two 

 we could not cross the bayou 

 lies which I have named, mas 

 I'e. and this information led us 

 ,.y the way of Carlisle, which 

 S to be traveled by more than 

 no help for it. and' night over 

 ed the promised laud. We saw 



I cot, two "bad chances," 

 By the "moon's pale 



T« 



-ssful. 



till waters of Le Grue. 

 es, but saw no grouse. We 

 invls. together with three 

 ie stream t ?) for a roosliug 

 vever, Rory. Calvin and 

 morning at 



breakfast we had coffee, bread, squirrel, Hub White, duck 

 and broiled grouse. The meal was a good one. and heartily 

 enjoyed. Calvin's horse had slipped the halter during ihe 

 night and sought his "master's crib" on the banks of the 

 Arkansas. This forced him to go in quest of the missing 

 animal, which he thought was in tie.- neighborhood, and 

 hence was not with us that dav. He returned, however, at, 

 night without any tidings of the truant, and reported that he 

 had information that there were numbers of grouse on the 

 prairie not far from where we had hunted it. Some of our 

 party had found a small pack of these birds, and succeeded 

 in bagging three or four of them, Teceel being one of the 

 fori unalcR. 



We decided that night lo pack up and wend our way 

 toward home. It was deemed prudent to divide our forces, 

 so that Calvin might continue his search for his horse by 

 the wav of Carlisle. Accordingly, Rory of Ark.. Lee T.', 

 George M. and myself got iu one "wagon and started south- 

 ward, intending to cross the bayou at the dilapidated bridge 

 which we had failed to hazard several days before, and meet 

 the others at the place which had been denominated Camp 

 Lawson, the locality of our firsl encampment. We had not, 

 gone very far i'rom'Le Grue before we saw several grouse fly 

 from near the roadside, and marking where they settled in 

 the grass, we approached. They were quite wild, but we 

 managed to get three of them, "one of which fell before a 

 charge of my lunnBifiriess loaded -with three drains of guu- 

 powdei and an ounce of No. (5 shot. Soon afterward we 

 discovered three others, and making pursuit . Rory. of Ark., 

 got in both barrels of his Tolley' 13-boro lull choke, and 

 downed two birds. These, with a few Bob Whites, con- 

 stituted the tpotitt Opiwa. Of tho days and just before night 

 we reached the blazing camp-fires, having met the other 

 party a few miles below, soon after we crossed the bayou. 



A 'sound sleep was disturbed early next morning by the 

 thick paltering of rain drops on Ihe tent, aud after we got. 

 up, the gloomy sky clearly betokened that no hunting could 

 be done, and that we would be wise ii we turned our faces 

 homeward, aud sought a more secure shelter from the im- 

 pending storm than canvaa could afford. And order* now 

 for packing up were promptly given. As BOOS as possible 

 after breakfast we were seated in the wagon, and courage- 

 ously met the pelting storm, which continuously poured 

 down during the whole of our ride of 1 weuty miles. When 

 we reached our homes, we. were thoroughly soaked, and 

 many of our shells were rallicr humid for immediate use. 

 indeed, some of mine were rendered useless, as quite a num- 

 ber of fizzling pops at ducks and birds most disgustingly at- 

 tested. 



Three days thereafter, Tcceel, who was in despair of the 

 arrival d the ducks, recollected that business at home de- 

 manded his attention, and he bade adieu to Arkansas. Al- 

 though mine was equally pressiug, and I had overstaid my 

 time, 1 concluded to forego the pleasures of listening at the 

 hum of wheels and spindles, the thumps of looms and the 

 roar of the waterfall for two days more, trusting that when 

 I met him 1 could regale him with large and truthful stories 

 of the number of mallards which I had tied to the saddle. 

 But, alas, these tales were never told. The train of Friday 

 night fouud me in the sleeper on the railroad, going lo Mem- 

 phis, minus two dollars for the privilege of the luxurious 

 ride, and a demand for a half cent per mile for all travel in 

 that coach beyond the point indicated. This I regarded as 

 au unusual extortion, and declined to contribute to what I 

 believed was the private purse of the conductor. 



Thredays thereafter, having completed a short visit to 



