11 



FOREST AND STREAM 



A WEEKLY JOURNAL, 



Devoted to Field and Aquatic Sports, Pfacticai. Natural History, 

 Fi.-" "^rwruRE, the Protection of Game, Preservation or Forests, 

 aitd the Inculcation in Men and Women of a health? interest 

 in Out-door Recreation and Study : 



PUBLISHED BY 



^anst md ^trmnf gubttehmg <£atttp*tfg, 



17 CHATHAM STREET, (CITY HALL SQUARE) NEW YORK, 



TPost Office Box 2832.1 



127 SOUTH THIRD STREET, PHILADELPHIA. 



_ . -4 



Terms, Five Dollars a V «ar, strictly In Advance, 



* 



A discount of twenty pet- cent, a! lowed for five copies and upwards. 

 — <ii» — 



Advertising Ha tea. 

 In regular advertising columns, nonpareil type, 12 lines to the inch, 25 

 Cents per line. Advertisements on outside page, 40 cents per line. Reading 

 notices, 50 cents per line. Advertisements in duuble column 25 per cent, 

 extra. Where advertisements are inserted over 1 month, a discount of 

 10 per cent, will be made; over three months, 20 per cent; over six 

 jnonths, 30 per cent. 



NEW YORK, THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 1875. 



To Correspondents. 



o 



All communications whatever, whether relating to business or literary 

 correspondence, must be addressed to The Forest and Stream Pub- 

 lishing Company. Personal or private letters of course excepted. 



All communications intended for publication must be accompanied with 

 real name, as a guaranty of good faith. Names will not be published if 

 objection be made. No anonymous contributions will be regarded. 



Articles relating to any topic within the scope of this paper are solicited. 



We cannot promise to return rejected manuscripts. 



Secretaries of Clubs and Associations are urged to favor us with brief 

 notes of their movements and transactions, as it is the aim of this paper 

 to become a medium of useful and reliable information between gentle- 

 men sportsmen from one end of the country to the other ; and they will 

 find our columns a desirable medium for advertising announcements. 



The Publishers of Forest and Stream aim to merit and secure the 

 patronage and countenance of that portion of the community whose re- 

 fined intelligence enables them to properly appreciate and enjoy all that 

 g beautiful in Nature. It will pander to no depraved tastes, nor pervert 

 the legitimate sports of land and water to those base uses which always 

 tend to make them unpopular with the virtuous and good. No advertise- 

 ment or business notice of an immoral character will be received on any 

 terms ; and nothing will be admitted to any department of the paper that 

 may not be read with propriety in the home circle. 



We cannot be responsible for the dereliction of the mail service, if 

 money remitted to us is lost. 



Advertisements should be sent in by Saturday of each week, if possible. 



CHARLES II ALLOCK, Editor. 

 ' WILLIAM C. HARRIS, Business Manager. 



CALENDAR OF EVENTS FOR THE COM- 

 ING WEEK. 



« 



Thursday, September 9th.— Racing at Lexington, Ky., Prospect 

 Park. Trotting; at Syracuse, N. Y., Dubuque, la., Sycamore, PL, Gar- 

 diner, Me., Milwaukee, Wis., Northampton, Mass. Dog Show at 

 Manchester. N. H. Regatta at Watkins, Seneca Lake, N. Y. Shooting 

 for Forest and Stream Badge at Conlin's, 930 Broadway. Base ball- 

 Philadelphia vs. Boston, at Philadelphia; Alaska vs. Chatham, at Mel- 

 rose, N. Y. 



Friday, September 10th.— Racing at Lexington, Ky., Prospect Park. 

 Trotting at Syracuse, N. Y., Dubuque, Iowa; Sycamore, III. ; Gardiner, 

 Me-, Northampton, Mass. Dog Show at Manchester, N. H. Regatta of 

 Palisade Boat Club, Yonkers, N. Y. Base ball— Tournament at Elmira, 

 N. Y.; Athletic vs. Mutual, at Philadelphia; Doerr vs. Active, of 

 Reading, at Philadelphia. 



Saturday, September 11th.— Racing at Lexington, Ky.; Prospect 

 Park. Trotting at Macomb. 111.; Deerfoot Park, N. Y. Base ball- 

 Athletic vs. Mutual, at Philadelphia; Riverton vs. Germantown, at Ger- 

 mantown; Hobokenvs. Chatham, at Hoboken; Stai vs. Wilkesbarre, at 

 lrvingtan, N. J. 



Monday, September 13th.— Trotting at Deerfoot Park, L. I. Cricket- 

 International Tournament commences at Philadelphia, Philadelphia vs. 

 Canada, at Philadelp hia; Canadian Tdam vs. St. Georges Club, at Ho- 

 boken. Base ball— Star vs. Chelsea, at Irvington. 



Tuesday, September 14th.— Trotting— Stallion race at Mystic Park, 

 Boston; Kingston, N. Y.; Pittsburgh, Pa.; Cleveland, Ohio; Dixon, 

 HI.; Fort Wayne, Ind.; Nashua, la. Regatta of Genesee Yacht Club, 

 Charlotte, N. Y. Cricket— Philadelphia vs. Canada, at Philadelphia. 

 Baseball— Doerr vs. Shibe, at Philadelphia. 



Wednesday, September 15th.— Trotting as above. Regatta of Genesae 

 Yacht Club, Charlotte, N. Y. Cricket— British ©fflcers vs. Canada, at 

 Pbiladplphia. __^__ - 



'MARSH TACKIES.' 



FOREST AND STREAM AT THE CENTEN- 



NIAL. 



WE gave an imperfect outline two weeks ago of our 

 arrangem ents to have the sports of the Land and 

 Water fully represented and illustrated at the Philadelphia 

 Centennial Exhibition next year, inviting contributions from 

 anv source whatever that might add interest to the exhibi- 

 tion. It gives us great pleasure now to state that we have 

 "been invited by Prof. Baird, of the Smithsonian Institution 

 and United States Fishery Commission to incorporate our 

 display of sportsmen's goods and implements into the 

 grand exposition which he is preparing under the auspices 

 or sanction of the United States Government. It has been 

 a desire of his to combine the aesthetics of the angle and 

 chase with those of physical elements that have a more 

 practical relation to the world's economy, and we have no 

 doubt that under the plan proposed, the collection will 

 prove one of the most interesting features of the Centen- 

 nial Exhibition. We shall do our level best to further and 

 promote the efforts of Prof. Baird, and to secure such a 

 success that no American sportsman need be ashamed of it. 

 Next week we shall probably be able to delineate the Pro- 

 fessor's plans in detail. 



. — — .«.»» — 



IJgiPA valuable sketch of Nantucket, with some notes 

 of the operations ox the United States Fishery Commission 

 at Wood's Hole, by "Piseco/' will appear next week. 



A CORRESPONDENT of the Richmond Dispatch gives 

 an interesting description of the swamp ponies, or 

 "marsh tackies," as they are called, that are found in cer- 

 tain localities along the coast of North Carolina, and which 

 correspond very nearly in their characteristics to their con- 

 geners of the Florida peninsula. One of these localities, 

 described by the writer, is Shackleford Island, about twelve 

 miles from Beaufort. It is twenty-five miles long by from 

 a quarter to three miles wide. The growth is ~of stunted 

 live oak, cedar, pine, and a variety of shrubbery. The 

 marshes are extensive, and well supplied with marsh grass, 

 upon which the ponies live. They have no shelter save the 

 stunted growth and the sand hills of the island. Nature 

 provides them with ample clothing for their hard lives, and 

 their hair sometimes grows to the length of six or eight 

 inches. They, however, improve rapidly when once broken 

 and taught how to eat civilized food— a process in which 

 they sometimes die, so hard is it to change their habits. 

 They will not eat anything but marsh grass until they are 

 induced to eat from starvation. They graze often in water 

 that covers their food, and they bite it from the bottom 

 with their heads immersed. They get water to drink by 

 pawing the sand near the sea, and drinking the water that 

 rises in the hollows they make with their feet. The water 

 thus brought to the surface is fresh. 



These ponies have inhabited the island from time imme- 

 morial, and are supposed to be descendants from the stock 

 which the Spaniards brought to Florida. They are not 

 handsomely formed like the Shetland ponies. They are a 

 little larger than the Shetlands, and are hardy to a degree 

 above the horses that are raised in a civil way. They are 

 not symmetrical. Their heads are generally over large, 

 necks small but ungraceful ; their hindquarters what are 

 styled "cat hams," and their step cow-like though very 

 firm. Their faces are their comeliest part. Their eyes are 

 gentle, and their features show kindness and docility. They 

 become very affectionate, and have seldom any bad habits. 

 Their worst caper is to endeavor to scrape off their load, 

 whether it be live or not, against a house, or a fence, or a 

 tree. Their colors are not much varied — generally bay or 

 sorrel, though sometimes we have black and gray. 



The owners of these ponies are the inhabitants of the 

 island or of the maiuland near the sea. They generally 

 follow the sailor's or fisherman's life. They have stated 

 periods for penning the ponies, when "the little devils" are 

 caught, branded, altered and sold. They sell for from $20 

 to $50 each at three years old. The owners will only sell 

 a few mares, those being kept for breeding. The pen, as it 

 is called, is made by forming two lines of pine trees, cut 

 and laid in lines approaching one another until a sort of 

 throat or opening to a pen is formed. Through this open- 

 ing the animals are driven by a strong force of men, and 

 the opening is closed behind them. The very stout and 

 skillful men employed for the occasion enter the pen, and 

 seizing the little colts, lock their arms around their necks, 

 and soon have them thrown to be branded. There is no 

 lassooing, the little fellows being so small that it is not 

 deemed necessary. 



In Harper's Magazine for 1869, vol. II, there will be 

 found an interesting description by Chas. Hallock, the edi- 

 tor of this paper, of the ponies that inhabit Sable Island, 

 off the coast of Nova Scotia, and whose traits are in some 

 respects similar to those of the Southern stock. The arti- 

 cle is illustrated. 



•'GLOAN" ON THE D1TTMAR POWDER. 



I an utterly disgusted with black powder and all 

 its details of dirt and smoke, and therefore am anxious and 

 willing to herald some new substitute for it. For two 

 years 1 have been shooting the English Schultze powder, 

 and am delighted with it. Its lessened recoil, freedom 

 from smoke, absolute cleanliness and safety are enough to 

 make any one delighted with it. But my stock of it is 

 well nigh gone, and there is no more of it to be had in the 

 country. A dangerous imitation of it is sold in Canada, 

 against which sportsmen should be warned. 



I was in hope that the Dittmar powder would prove a de- 

 sirable equivalent, but so far I am afraid of it. The com- 

 pany publish assurances that "if their printed directions 

 are followed," the powder is as safe as black powder, if 

 proper precautions are observed, and cite the undeniable 

 fact that black powder is dangerous if not properly used. 

 But it seems to me that the statement is put fallaciously, 

 and instead of dispelling increases my doubts. I fear that 

 the danger in black powder is not the danger in Dittmar, 

 because I fear that the Dittmar has chlorate of potash or 

 some similar chlorate as a basis, and if so, no man can say 

 when it is safe. 



Mr. Dittmar some weeks ago promised, through the 

 papers, to publish a chemical analysis of his powder. He 

 has not done so as yet. He has pledged himself most 

 solemnly, in answer to one correspondent, that there is no 

 nitro-glycerine in it, and I am quite ready to believe that; 

 but he should- have gone a step further, and said that there 

 is nothing of a rending, annihilative character in it. 



Gunpowder and explosive agents of which the chlorates 

 are the base have been known to chemistry for many, 

 many years. Sugar, starch, vegetable tissue and other like 

 bodies enter int;> their composition. But they have never 

 been adopted because they are always uncontrolable. They 

 are like gun cotton and nitro-glycerine. No care in manu- 

 facture or uniformity of preparation will insure uniformity 

 of results. They are not of the slowly accumulative pro- 

 pelling nature required for guns. They are instantaneous, 

 rending, shattering and demolishing. They ignite instan- 

 taneously and en masse, not grain by grain as black powder 

 does. The suddeness of the discharge, the great volume 

 and elasticity of their gases, particularly when rammed 

 down and confined in a small space, strain the gun, if they 

 do not burst it. Even when they are so far controlled that 

 the strain is not at once perceptible, yet clearly a season's 



shooting under such strain must make the best ban l 

 worthless. 



I have watched carefully the reports in the sporti 

 papers. Several accidents have been stated, the cause f 

 which seemed to me to be directly traceable to the pre 

 sure of these chemical ingredients. Many comtnendator 

 letters have been published by men who evidently had na 



is rather too quick for my gun.' 



To me this indicates the danger I have suggested and 

 confirms my belief of the materials employed. In th 

 printed instructions there is this suspicious statement- 

 "Care must be taken not to press it into too small a space, a& ft 

 is more elastic than the black. 1 '' And again: "DorrV US(; 

 more than one-third of the amount in weight that you 

 would of black powder, or it will strain the gun." 



Many guns have been reported strained and some worse 

 Now we all know that whatever danger there may be in 

 the use of black powder, it is not of this kind. It may he 

 that Mr. Dittmar has discovered a process whereby he 

 thinks he can control this sort of explosive, but if he has 

 he ought in candor to tell the sporting community what its 

 character is, and just where the point of danger is hi 

 handling it. Give us the reasons for the caution, and it 

 will be instinctively observed. If you are told you are 

 driving a runaway horse, you understand the necessity of 

 watching him. 



The Shultze powder is made of grains of wood steeped 

 in alkalies and acids, and finally saturated with a sol ul ion 

 of saltpetre. It is safe under all circumstances. Mr Ditt- 

 mar proposed at one time to make the Schultze, hiving 

 been, as he claims, foreman of Capt. Schultze. I trust he 

 will not abandon the idea. He may be satisfied that if he 

 makes it well, there will be for it an immediate and profit- 

 able demand by gentlemen who know all about it. When 

 once used, it will never be discarded. And he may be 

 satisfied, also, that half of his time will not be then taken 

 up, as it is now, in writing pledges of safety, in answer to 

 suggestions of danger. — [Gloan in Turf, Field and Farm. 



Mr. Dittmar has replied to the above letter, asserting 

 positively that his new powder is a great improvement on, 

 and in every way superior to, the Schultze. He gives in- 

 structions for its use, which are identical with those pre- 

 viously published in these columns. With regard to the 

 composition of the powder, he declares most positively 

 that no substance such as chlorate of potash or nitro gly- 

 cerine enters into its composition, nor will he use any 

 picric acid combination, or any kind of fulminate. This 

 can be ascertained by analysis. It contains all the ingre- 

 dients of Schultze powder, with the addition of starchy 

 and he argues that his powder is absolutely safer than that 

 preparation. He says that he proposed at one time to 

 manufacture the Schultze powder, and had a perfect right 

 to do so; but the parties connected with him did not want 

 an inferior article made, even if it is more profitable, and 

 are entirely satisfied that his new product will, in time, be 

 universally adopted. If there is any danger in using his 

 powder not inherent in the black, he desires to know it, 

 and will be most grateful to any gentleman who will con- 

 vince him of the fact. 



■ — ^ * » ■ — - — 



Shot Pistols.— The editor of the Manchester Mirror and 

 Farmer, who is an ardent sportsman, and well acquainted 

 with the use of firearms, is urging the manufacture of a 

 breech loading shot pistol for use against tramps, burglars, 

 and depredators of all kinds. He very truthfully states 

 that not one man in twenty can by daylight, when perfectly 

 calm, hit a foot circle a hundred feet off with a common 

 revolver once in three trials, and the men who can tumble 

 out of bed half asleep and shoot a dodging burglar in the 

 dark are as scarce as any kind of men we ever heard of. 

 What is needed is a pistol that will carry a heavy charge 

 and scatter at a distance of twenty feet over the size of a 

 cart- wheel, like an old arquebuse— a breech loading, single 

 barrel, of about navy size. Loaded with buckshot it would 

 prove most serviceable. 



Swimming Extraordinary.— A few months since when 

 Capt. Boyton armed with an india rubber life saving 

 suit, accomplished the feat of swimming across the Ene- 

 lish channel, the world rahg with acclamations, but it h as 

 been left for a hardy Englishman, one Capt. Webb, to out 

 do, not only Capt. Boyton, but Leander himself, clad only 

 in the garb presented to him without cost by Nature, an 

 without any life saving apparatus whatever. Capt. Web 

 has succeeded on the second attempt, in swimming 

 from Dover to Calais. The first effort was made on the 

 12th of August, when after being seven hours in the water, 

 owing to the high sea running he was obliged to give it up. 

 The second attempt was made on the 25th when, after 

 swimming for twenty-one hours and forty minutes, 

 landed safely on the pier at Calais, in perfect health, wi 



somewhat naturally fatigued. Capt. W ebb, who is in tlj 



•ly claim the title 

 of champion swimmer of the world. It seems incredi . 



British merchant service, may now safely claim the 

 of champion swimmer of the world. It seems inert 

 that man should possess powers of endurance sufflciea and 

 sustain him in the water for over twenty-one hours, a 



was 



while the case is not paralled with one wherein a ma ^ .^ 

 forced to sustain himself without assistance at hand, 

 none the less creditable to his perserverence and rem 

 able abilities as a swimmer. 



**+*. 



—The Quebec Chronicle mentions the arrival in that ci^ 

 of two gentlemen who have traversed the entire dis ■ 

 from Boston by ocean, gulf and river, by the way o . 

 Maritime Provinces and the St. Lawrence in an open ' 

 A schooner has been chartered by them to go -tot ne 

 rador coast, for the purpose of a shooting and fishl ° g flora 

 dition, combined with a scientific investigation of t& e 

 and fauna of that desolate coast. 



