34 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



fee After fiye days I took my departure from Chazy for 

 Plattsburgh ma Dannemora.' The roads in this direction 

 are excellent, having been made by the State. Those who 

 aim to visit Chazy only, should by all means take this 

 route, coming from the East. There remained to me of 

 my contemplated tour, the best and most valued portion, 

 viz. : a new excursion over lakes Champlain and George. 

 At Plattsburg I viewed with chief interest the bay which 

 is forever memorable as the scene of Macdonough's splen- 

 did victory, where he humbled the pride of England, and 

 forever settled the supremacy of the lake. The thunders 

 of that hurricane of fire have been hushed for sixty years; 

 hut their echoes will go sounding through the ages of time. 

 I never so appreciated as I now do, the magnificence of 

 this Lake Champlain. The Great Lakes, as they are called, 

 are altogether too great to be comprehended or enjoyed; 

 hut this, of 130 miles extent, of variable, yet appreciable 

 width; great enough one would suppose for all practical 

 purposes, seems yet a happy compromise. Great enough 

 to be grand, and the boundary of States, it is yet small 

 enough to be wholly practicable to the view; and its double 

 range of Green and Adirondack Mountains, set it off to 

 the best possible advantage. Where in Europe, Asia or 

 Africa, is there a lake of even such a scale of expansive- 

 ness? If there is one, America is not to be surpassed in 

 lakes, for she has a Superior. And then the raptures of 

 Lake George! I cannot conceive, taking all things into 

 consideration, how any can surpass it. There, may be 

 higher mountains on lesser lakes. There are doubtless 

 more cultivated islands of equal dimensions. But where 

 shall we find on earth clustered together through 84 miles, 

 such transparent water, such hundreds of islands in their 

 native dress, such uninterrupted cradling of majestic hills, 

 resting on such rocky foundations? It would seem that 

 this lake at least, was intended for man to let alone. He 

 cannot meddle with without marring it; and, God be 

 praised, he cannot well meddle with it at all. Let. it ever 

 remain a holy Horicon. I never can forget the white, 

 waving handkerchiefs which everywhere cheered the Min- 

 nehaha as she passed along, indicative of happy cheerful- 

 ness, and good sociality, nor the ready, whole-souled re- 

 sponses which were made. My excursion for '75, which 

 commenced in the quiet and restricted limits of Spring 

 Cove Cottage, and its environs, expanded in the lakes and 

 mountains of Chateaugay and Chazy, culminated in Cham- 

 plain and George, and terminated in en joyment of the splen- 

 dors which Fort William Henry Hotel, and its divine sur- 

 roundings abundantly supplied. Amateur. 



Uiiea, August 4, 1875. 



, — ^«+. , 



For Forest and Stream. 

 ''DRUMMERS." 



THE snipe is a musical bird. If the weather be favor- 

 able the capers he indulges in are manifold, but not 

 generally at all satisfactory to the sportsman. It had turned 

 warm once more. The frogs were holding grand concerts, 

 and every other bird and animal that could sing at all was 

 "bound to do his level best. The ideal Spring was at last 

 with us. 



I kidnapped James again, and with the pointer Sam we 

 once more occupied the covered buggy; we put the top 

 down. The morning was bright and warm; during the 

 day somewhat hazy, threatening a storm in a day or two; 

 the roads were sticky and ungetoverable. Our first objec- 

 tive point a spring brook running through a marshy mea- 

 dow. We drove up to the fence, stopped and listened. 

 There was a "drummer" sure enough. We looked long 

 up in the air, every few moments hearing the clatter of his 

 wings as he made -his' rush. He was so high that it was 

 several minutes before we could make him out. A "drum- 

 mer" will generally follow around the same circle, how- 

 ever large it may be, thirty rods or half^ a mile in diameter. 

 The centre of this circle is generally the point whence he 

 started, and where he will alight if he ever makes up his 

 mind to do so, and there also will most likely be found 

 others. We tried it with this fellow, spent half an hour 

 watching him, and looking for his friends in vain; 

 gave it up; turned down to the right twenty rods or more; 

 up went one bird wild, "Kek! kek! kek!" two more started 

 nearer to us, which we dropped; two others kept on, rose 

 into the air, and commenced his circumvolutions. When 

 he made his rush it sounded very much like a flock of 

 ducks. We kept on, hearing another "Kek! kek! kek!" 

 at our left upon some high ground. We found there a 

 marshy pond ten rods across. As we neared it up went 

 three birds upon the farther side, and up into the air, they 

 went to circling, the three together; occasionally they 

 would come down as low as the tops of the forest trees. 

 Told James we might as well wait for them; so we sat 

 down. We could hear the first bird in the distance, the 

 second also, nearer, and the three came around every few 

 minutes. So it went on for half an hour; the three had 

 turned toward us, and were lowering rapidly. "Kek! kek! 

 kek!" They came over us not twenty feet high, their 

 wings at intervals touching the tips above their backs. I 

 picked my bird; James fired before me, dropping his almost 

 upon my head. The other two stopped their capers, and 

 went off like a couple of streaks of lightning with forty 

 feet zigzags. I fired, but when the gun went off the bird 

 was not covered within twenty feet. They went down 

 within thirty rods, lay to the dog, and we got them both. 

 No. 2 was lowering his flight, and shortly after pitched 

 down into a ciump of bushes, where I flushed and killed 

 him very quickly, and with great satisfaction. No. 1 was 

 still in mia-hcavens, and there we left him. Drove on a 

 mile further to the cheese factory marsh. There was a 

 drummer having a good time all by himself, and we could 

 hear another afar off. We started six near the road, and 

 trot them all; hunted through the marsh toward the rail- 

 road flushing one bird, who flew across the railroad and 

 straight into some open woods; following after we Hushed 

 him and three more among the trees. James got one, one 

 scattered, and where he went no one could tell. James 

 followed the two on our side; they were very wild; he got 

 one shot, but did not bring back the bird. As we crossed 

 the marsh on our return the drummer No. 1 finished his 

 maneiiverings and pitched down. I went for him ; he flushed 

 like a Christian, and I bagged him easily. Explored Uie 

 cheese factory ; had a good drink of pold water, which Was 

 very refreshing, and ate a large quantity of the fresh curd, 

 which was very nice, but did not strike me as a very digesti- 

 ble article of diet. We now had a hard drive of about 

 four miles, which brought us upon the other road, three 

 miles from home. Here was some good ground, the first 

 lying high with marshy spots, and half a mile further on a 

 muddy brook, with several acres of marsh. Upon the high. 



ground we did not find a bird. Just as we were finishing 

 looking it over a snipe came across from somewhere and 

 alighted some distance ahead of ns. He started again 

 wild, and flying low, we could not mark him at all. James 

 got into the buggy and drove down to the creek, while I 

 crossed the road to examine a wet place among some trees.- 

 Sam drew uncertainly, and three snipe rose at fifteen roc's, 

 going off in different directions, but none near me. As I 

 came out into the open meadow could hear three drummers 

 down toward the marsh. Whether these were the birds I 

 had started I could not say. Kept down into the marsh, 

 where I found James with an acquaintance of ours from 

 the village— a young fellow crazy over the bird-stuffing 

 question, a great hand for large numbers of a kind. The • 

 fall before he shot thirteen quail out of one bevy, and he 

 stuffed every one of them. Rail were now his specialty; 

 believe he would stuff an old setting hen if he hadn't any- 

 thing else on hand. Some of his birds were put up beau- 

 tifully, but most of them in "artistic attitudes," which 

 would frighten Mother Nature out of her wits if she ever 

 chanced to see them. He was after rail, of which he had 

 one, and snipe, of which he had just killed one, but neither 

 he nor his dog could find it. We knew he would hunt un- 

 til he found it if it took all Summer, so we assisted. . Sam 

 soon came to a point, and there was the dead bird forty feet 

 beyond where H. had marked him. Two flushed as we 

 went forward; 1 dropped one, the other went to drumming. 

 We hunted over the marsh, and before long the musicians 

 scattered; three came down, one taking a direct line for 

 James', who, as he set his wings to pitch, helped him along, 

 and down he came dead; the other two went down twenty 

 rods apart. I went for one, James for the other. I killed 

 one as I floundered through the mud, the report starting 

 my bird; he went up, and the one James was after with 

 him, and they went straightway to cutting up all sorts of 

 elaborate capers. James, like" a sensible man, sat down 

 upon an old log to await their pleasure. I crossed the creek, 

 where the other was circling about very high. Occasion- 

 ally he would make a dive down to within three hundred 

 feet. James' birds came down right for him one after the 

 other, as usual, and he killed them both handsomely. My 

 bird kept at his capers until I was desperate. As he was at 

 his lowest I fired at him with No. 6; he was far out of 

 range, but he immediately took a turn and pitched down 

 thirty rods off. I went after him; got him up and missed; 

 he did not fly over ten rods, and there I killed him. We 

 took our stuffing friend II. into the buggy and drove to- 

 ward home. Coming to a brook, upon the right hand side 

 of the road, Sam came to a point through the fence. H. 

 and I got out; we got over the fence; uprose three; II. 

 killed one, I killed one and missed the other. I went after 

 this one, got him and another when returning. II. left us 

 here for a short cut across the fields. A mile further on 

 Sam came to another point through the fence; this lime 

 upon the left. As we drove up two snipe rose, and flying 

 about ten rods, alighted upon a high bank near some rasp- 

 berry bushes. I could see them running upon the turf. I 

 walked up within a short distance, and as they started killed 

 them both. We had. in all twenty-six.. Of these about ten 

 were "drummers." James had killed the larger portion of 

 the musicians. I was two or three birds ahead in number, 

 but was very willing to acknowledge myself beaten. 



Amqurs. 



A TRIP TO 



For Forest and Stream. 

 VIRGINIA. 



ON the 10th of November, A. D. 1874, you might have 

 found a solitary pilgrim, a noted Professor of New 

 York City, on his way to "Ole Virginy" to try his luck at 

 the partridges. When I met him here at the depot I could 

 see by his determined look that, though a new hand 

 at the business, he was bound "to do or die." The follow- 

 ing morning at seven o'clock found us on the cars of the 

 Washington City, Virginia Midland and Great Southern 

 Railroad, (a long name for one corporation, but let me 

 here say lhat this road is one of a very few that look to the 

 comfort of, and try to make everything pleasant for sports- 

 men; Mr. Barbour, the popular President of the road, is- 

 sued an order, which is still in force, "that hunting dogs 

 in the care of persons who travel over the road are to be 

 passed free of charge;" this is surely an order that shows 

 how people may expect to be treated who travel over the 

 road, as well as the thoughtfulness of its managers,) on our 

 way to Fauquier county, Virginia. At eleven o'clock we 

 arrived at Warrenton, and after some little delay, caused 

 by our arrival being expected the previous day, we .found 

 a son of the sunny South willing to take us over the roads 

 and up and down the young mountains a distance of ten 

 miles. We got our dogs, guns, traps, etc., in the spring- 

 less wagon, using the Professor's trunk as a scat. ' It being 

 a trunk with an exceedingly round top, you can better 

 imagine our journey over a rough road than it can here be 

 teld. After* proceeding about six miles the dogs acted as if 

 something was wrong, and sure enough something was 

 wrong; for there was a, covey of. birds, and here were our 

 guns all strapped and apart in their cases. Well, our loss 

 was possibly their gain. About two o'clock we crossed 

 the liappahannock and entered Waterloo. Waterloo is 

 not a very large place, and there is much room for build- 

 ings and improvements. All the place consisted of was a 

 store and a dwelling house. Here we met Mort L — r, as 

 polite a Postmaster as ever locked a mail bag, and his part- 

 ner, Mr. R — y. After directing us to our habitation we 

 started for Mrs. W — s, and our driver, after taking many 

 wrong roads and cross cuts, finally brought us to our desti- 

 nation. Here we had a genuine Virginia dinner, which I 

 assure you was enjoyed. We had about two hours of hunt- 

 ing, and as the country was a new one, both to ourselves 

 and the dogs, we did not fare very well. The next day set 

 in good, and our prospects looking better; it was a line 

 day's sport. 



While here we met Uncle John S., who was born and 

 "riz" about there. Uncle John can tell you more stories, I 

 will venture to say, than any other one person, about Gen. 

 Polk and his headquarters. He also related his remarkable 

 exploits during the different visits of the Southern and 

 Northern armies. One in particular I remember was his 

 truly remarkable presence of mind and calmness when in 

 great danger. It occurred in this way: Uncle John was on 

 his way to Warrenton with a load of sheep-skins. While 

 passing down the road in a narrow ravine he heard, as he 

 expresses it, a noise as of thunder, and a moment later, on 

 looking up the road, he espied some of the Union cavalry 

 coming down the road at break neck speed. On they came, 

 hut something must be wrong, for behind him he heard an- 

 other noise as of many hoofs, and on looking back he saw 



Stuart's cavalry making for the Union forces. Before h e 

 could get by either party he found himself in an indiscrimi- 

 nate skirmish. The old darkey that was driving was scared 

 nigh unto death, and exclaimed, in the greatest possible 

 anguish, "'fore God, massa John, what shall I do?" and 

 Uncle John says he said, "Lay down thar as flat as yon 

 can," and he states, "I was beside a gate-post as calm as I 

 am now a-lookin' in that fire." 



After we had been there three or four days Uncle John 

 wanted us to take a turkey hunt with him, and, of course, 

 we accepted; but there was something the Professor and I 

 could not understand, for Uncle John took us through fields 

 that had no cover whatever, but the facts came out, as 

 pretty soon we saw the store at Waterloo loom up before 

 us, and at Uncle John's suggestion we took a rest while he 

 proceeded to get a quart flask filled, not with powder, but 

 the other kind of material that makes some persons half 

 shot. Well, we then went after the turkeys, but got none. 

 Another time' we broke in on Uncle John before daybreak, 

 and, after routing him up, we went to his blind to getthenl 

 turkeys, but luck was against us again. On our return we 

 found Uncle John reading the Bible to the hands on the 

 place. After he had gotten, through the Professor asked 

 him if it was a usual thing for him to do, and he replied 

 that he read some to them every morning, and that he told 

 them that "now thar's the law and d — n if you don't go 

 by it, its not my fault." 



After spending a pleasant fortnight we bade our friends 

 goo'd-by, with a promise, which will' in all probability be 

 fulfilled, to come again next October. We started on our 

 homeward journey refreshed in body and mind. And I 

 cannot close this without referring to the hospitality of the 

 Virginians. Go where you will, roam the world over, and 

 if you can, find a welcome that is more from the heart, one 

 that makes you think surely these are not strangers, they 

 are some of my old friends that memory has forgotten the. 

 looks and faces of, but the hearts are still the same. And 

 as to the eating, why its enough to make an epicure's mouth 

 water. , Jeff. 



-*►♦♦■ 



For Forest and Stream'. 

 FRIEND DAVIDSON AND HIS DOGS.- 

 GOOD SHOOTING. 



R. JOHN DAVIDSON resides about two miles from ' 

 the city, and has been long and favorably known 

 as an importer and breeder and trainer of dogs. He must 

 also be classed among the best field sportsmen in all the 

 Northwest. A few months since, on a cold morning, we 

 paid him a visit. At this time he had under his tuition 

 fifteen fine setters, ranging in ages from six months to two 

 years, and of colors sufficiently varied to suit the moht 

 whimsical taste. When we were snugly seated in. the 

 warm parlor of my Scotch friend, my first inquiry was 

 after the welfare of his interesting family; my second, for 

 that of his famous dog Jack, which he sold a few years 

 since to a gentleman on the North River. At once all the 

 smiles left his face, and in tones of regret, he said, 

 "Jack died last Autumn," at the same time pointing to a 

 small, but beautiful engraving of the favorite. The en- 

 graving had been finely colored, exhibiting the dog in that 

 grandest of dog attitudes, pointing a bird. After a mo- 

 ment's pause, he said, "I have a dog which gives promise 

 in every particular of equaling his renowmed predecessor 

 and as it is too cold to spend much time among the kennels, 

 if you will excuse me for a moment, I will untether Tom 

 and bring him to the parlor, and I can assure you he will 

 conduct himself with propriety." Tom was soon on the 

 carpet — noble, rollicking fellow he is — almost the counter- 

 part of the "model dog," abating the color. A counten- 

 ance indicating equal- intelligence, with milder temper. 

 There were occasions that I can well attest, rare to be 

 sure, in which Jack could not easily be called from his 

 particular line of beat, or if he was compelled to surrender, 

 he did it with ill grace, and with a seemingly dogged pur- 

 pose to return, as much as to say, if game fs the order of 

 the day, leave that business to me and I will find it. But 

 in every such case, where issue was joined between master 

 and dog, I never knew an instance in which the error was 

 not on the human side. 



To return to Tom. Mr. D., anxious that I should have 

 some ocular demonstration of the dog's excellences, after 

 muffling his head thoroughly as possible, ordered a quail 

 to be brought into the room and concealed behind some 

 books. The dog was no sooner released than he came to 

 a noint, showing himself in fine style. Soon afterwards 

 the bird was shown to the dog and taken from the room, 

 aud the conversation between myself and friend was re- 

 sumed. In the course of a very few minutes our attention 

 was arrested hy the dog on point near the centre of the 

 parlor, apparently as breathless and immovable as marble, 

 his nose raised toward the ceiling and his eyes fixed intently 

 on the little engraving on the wail, backing the standing 

 image. It was both an interesting and novel sight. To 

 be sure that there could be no mistake, I stood between 

 the dog and the picture, entirely concealing it from his 

 view, but this was no sooner done than he gained another 

 position, assuming the position of the dog backing his 

 friend when on point. Had the picture been a large one, 

 and hung in a more conspicuous light it would not have 

 struck me so forcibly. As it was, it furnished a novel exhi- 

 bition of canine intelligence. 



At the outset I spoke oi the merits of my friend J. D- 

 infield shooting. Educated as an accountant, and expert 

 with the pen, I was confident that he could give some in- 

 teresting statistics if so disposed. After much solicitation, 

 he gave me the amount of shooting done, commencing 

 July 4th 1871, and terminating January 12th 1873. "I 

 commene.ed shooting woodcock," he said, "in fields adja- 

 cent to my own home on the 4th of July, and went out 

 frequently till the 15th of August, bagging from eight to 

 thirty-six birds a day, or half day as it might be. About 

 this time, agreeable to promise, 1 meet some friends near 

 the State line, with the design of hunting pinnated grouse 

 in Indiana. My companion was Jack, a black and white 

 setter with tan cheeks. Being young, he had no experience 

 in this kind of game. An early hour next morning aitei 

 our arrival found us on shooting ground, where we had ex- 

 cellent sport till the extreme heat forced us to relinquish 

 our labors till late in the afternoon. We remained in the 

 locality several days with good shooting. Business mat- 

 ters at home required the return of several of the party; 1 

 returned also, only to meet another party going to adifc 

 ferent part of the State. On this trip the weather had ue- 

 ceme cool, and we enjoyed grouse shooting in its P^ teG " 

 lion The birds were now full grown and strong, i^^m 

 sixty to seventy birds a dny for our two guns was quite 



