82 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



1720 by her great-grandfather, and still running, and run- 

 ning well. Its upper portion was of English make, the 

 round copper face surrounded by carvings and bas-reliefs 

 in brass, with queer masks and heraldric dolphins. In a 

 circle was a legend of the maker, ''Dan. Keaden, in Noble 

 street, near Cheapside, London." The works were in- 

 closed in an oak frame with European adornments, but the 

 weights and pendulum in a box that suggested. a history; 

 made unmistakably of English black oak, the "front was 

 covered with Japanese art. Raised in the thick gold relief 

 peculiar to Miako were birds, a high mountain, willow 

 trees, and natives of Japan in costume — unmistakable 

 Miako work on English wood, and at that date England 

 had no commerce with Japan. Miss C. could give me no 

 data except that* her great-grandfather's father, Mr. Eliacum 

 Swayne, brought it over to his bride. 



Nantucket is full of relics of olden times, and reduced 

 as are many of the best families to make shift for a living, 

 these relics — valuable to one who, like an illiterate ac- 

 quaintance of mine, "likes them antique things; they're 

 so modern, you know" — are parted with reluctantly from 

 necessity. A Mrs. McCleaves has, it is said, a stunning 

 collection, on which she lectures to strangers at fifteen 

 cents a head for the benefit of the poor of the island. Mrs. 

 McO., though, wouldn't let us in, as she was too busy mak- 

 ing pies to attend to us before her regular hour — 2 P. M. — 

 although we had to leave in the boat. So I can't give her 

 a puff. Well, that's about all of Nantucket that I saw, and 

 now I'll get back to Wood's Hole, gladly, as I always do, 

 not stopping to bore you with that oft-told tale of "how I 

 went bluefishing," except to say that for that business Nan- 

 tucket is a quite sure place. 



The Bluelight had done nothing during our absence, 

 but in little boats and on the sea beach the collectors had 

 been busy, and I saw in the aquariums quite a number of 

 new fishes, among others little pompanos, mackerel, pipe 

 fish, etc. Some people think pompanos are peculiar to 

 Florida — thay should take a peep into our aquariums. The 

 pounds, too,- had contributed freely, and we have added to 

 our collection of casts and pictures largely. A magnificent 

 bill fish, a horse mackerel nearly nine feet long, weighing 

 550 pounds, a new shark, and lots of varieties not so rare, 

 sturgeons of immense size, and sucker fish, and what not, 

 have been drawn, painted, photographed, cast in plaster, 

 dissected, measured, weighed, skinned, and described, and 

 their fao similes in plaster will enrich our National Museum 

 and the Centennial. The sucker fish bothered Mr. Palmer, 

 who makes the casts. If there is anything that the file- 

 toothed, oval apparatus which he has on the back of his 

 head isn't well adapted for, it is letting go. Its best hold is 

 hold on, and holding on by this contrivance, like a boy's 

 toy with which he lifts stones by means of- atmospheric 

 pressure on a wet leather disk, the sucker clings to larger 

 fish and gets free rides. Palmer got a "good contact" with 

 his soft plaster, but it didn't let go worth a cent. 



A party have made an expedition to the northern shore 

 and made fine collections in the neighborhood of Sand- 

 wich, in Cape Cod Bay, and now that the weather is get- 

 ting fine again the Bluelight is making up for lost time. 

 I hope in my next to give you a full resume of our Sum- 

 mer's work, etc. Yours, Piseco. 



i 



For Forest and Stream. 

 FISHING ON THE ZUMBRO. 



MANY, if not all, of your readers being sportsmen, 

 are more or less interested in that paradise of game 

 and fish — Minnesota. As the Ziimbro has its locus in quo 

 in that State, it will not be wholly uninteresting to have a 

 detailed account of the fish which abound in its waters, 

 and the fortunes and mishaps of a small party of Wal- 

 tonians bent upon securing a fair share of the finny spoil. 

 A cursory glance at the map of Minnesota shows that 

 the Zumbro rises in Rice County, and flowing southeast 

 through Goodhue and Wabasha Counties, its volume con- 

 tinually increased by the waters of trauslucent trout streams, 

 debouches into the "Father of Waters," three miles below 

 the town of Wabasha, and seven from the foot of Lake 

 Pepin. Having now understanding^ designated the seat 

 of our piscatorial operations, we must invite the reader to 

 .accompany us from Lake City, a pretty little watering 

 place midway on the western shore of Lake Pepin and 

 twenty miles from the Zumbro. ©n the morning of 

 August 5, due preparations having been made, three hail 

 fellows, well met, could have been seen busily engaged in 

 transferring numerous camping utensils to a well con- 

 structed sailboat, having in tow a duck punt, to serve 

 as a tender and facilitate fishing: operations. At 8 o'clock 

 A. if. we got under weigh, a stiff breeze blowing from the 

 southwest, which increased as we proceeded, until white 

 caps lent s'pice to the excitement, and reached Read's Land- 

 ing at the foot of the lake about 12 M. After a short rest 

 and a light lunch we floated down the Mississippi, the cur- 

 rent being very strong, to our destination, our passage being 

 enlivened by frequent sand bars, upon which we religously 

 struck rnd profanely quit, one man's time being wholly 

 engrossed in endeavoring to keep our craft in the channel 

 by preserving a keen lookout ahead. Admonished by 

 black and ominous looking clouds and an occasional peal 

 of thunder, we lost no time in selecting a suitable camping 

 ground, and running up our canvas; nor were we any too 

 soon, for hardly was the tent pitched and the luggage safely 

 housed when down came the rain with northwestern im- 

 petuosity. Our camp was situated on a triangular sand 

 island bounded on the east and west by the Mississippi 

 and on the south by the Zumbro. Its surface rose 

 gradually from the water's edge, and in places was covered 

 with a dense growth of willows, in which the Spring floods 

 had deposited drift wood in large quantities, the very thing 

 for firewood. The rain having held up, we were all im- 

 patient for the fray. Our first essay was still baiting with 

 live minnows, in the main stream, but for divers reasons 

 this kind of bait had no charms for the fish. Then spoons 

 of different makes were produced, and our sail-boat being 

 cleared for action, with a rod over each corner of the stern 

 and a man at the oars, we started on a voyage up the 



river. 



Our party consisted of Mr. N., a resident of Memphis, 

 Tenn., his red Irish setter, Harry, and E. and D., the one 

 a banker and the other a contractor, of Lake City, Minn. 



Having proceeded up stream some half a mile or so, a 

 tempting slough invited us to explore its depths . Hardly 

 had the boat passed over the bar, when a stout pull at the 

 end of one hundred feet of line showed that the game was 

 awake and hungry. In a moment or two a black bass of 

 large size sprang into the air in his frantic endeavors to 

 disgorge the nauseus bait, a gananoque spoon. N. being 



an old hand at the business, and handling a fine rod with a 

 Meek & Milan reel and one of Abbey & Imbrie's best 

 braided silk and hair lines, feared not the issue of the strug- 

 gle which was about to follow. Hastily reeling in a few 

 yards of line, he directed the oarsman to land him on a 

 smooth sand bar, and in a twinkle the battle grew warm. 

 The bass proved particularly active and showed enormous 

 strength. His runs were fierce and long, now leaping 

 from the water, now seeking the bottom, sometimes head- 

 ing for shore and again rushing river wards. The ganan- 

 oque refused to budge, however, and in about fifteen or 

 twenty minutes the bass, twenty inches in length, and a 

 prince in beauty and symmetry, lay gasping in the bottom 

 of the boat. " Scarcely had we gone a hundred yards 

 further on when a whoop from E. informed us that some- 

 thing a few sizes smaller than a shark had taken a despe- 

 rate fancy to his spinner. A few minute's hard tugging, 

 some skill on the part of E , and a fine pickerel was scrap- 

 ing acquaintance with the dusky beauty already in limbo. 

 Our success continued as we ascended the slough to its 

 source, till seven more bass had fallen victims to an inordin- 

 ate love for spoon victuals. The keen edge having been 

 worn off our excitement, on org" return we had more leisure 

 to admire the scenery and the stream we were fishing. Its 

 waters, fed by numerous springs, were clear as crystal. In 

 the bends its surface was dotted over with lily pads, the 

 emerald of their leaves being relieved by the lilies them- 

 selves, which waved their graceful heads in snowy purity 

 everywhere. Its banks were fringed with tall grasses, 

 ferns of endless variety and stunted irees of soft maple and 

 willow. It must be a famous habi'at for the wild fowl in 

 the Spring and Fall. The who 1 -- surroundings were highly 

 suggestive of the noble fcimo >.vc were catching. In every 

 deep pool, shaded by tin; lj.u1s v large bass could be seen 

 breaking water. The daylight was fast waning when we 

 reached camp, and in a jiffy we were all busily engaged in 

 preparing our supper. 



To the uninitiated and the onlooker perhaps no more ro- 

 mantic phase of camp life could possibly present itself 

 than that of the preparations of an evening. The well re- 

 plenished fire throwing its genial light and tinging with 

 its mellow glow the surrounding woods and waters; in the 

 foreground a busy sportsman with frying pan . in hand ; 

 another struggling under a heavy load of drift wood; a 

 third just discernable in the dim light, at the water edge 

 busily engaged in cleaning fish, and Harry on his beam 

 ends in the tent door philosophically contemplating pro- 

 ceedings, and evidently satisfied that ere long any vacuum 

 in his interior would be stopped with savory morsels. 

 With keen appetites we discussed the supper, consisting of 

 black bass, breakfast bacon, fried eggs, bread, butter, cof- 

 fee, &c, &c, each one stowing away his full share of 

 eatables, and N., especially, doing justice to his reputable 

 ability to dispose of a square meal. E. and N. devoted 

 the whole of the next day to exploring the surrounding 

 waters, and returning toward evening happening to detect 

 a shadowy figure wading in the headwaters of^a hitherto 

 unexplored slough, upon nearer approach found it to be 

 D. The string of bass and pickerel which he then and 

 there produced as the result of his afternoon's fishing was 

 a sight for sore eyes. 



In accordance with our plans the next day was to be our 

 last in camp, and therefore we determined to catch as 

 many fish as possible and exhibit them on our return as a 

 portion of the trophies of the trip. The first streak of 

 dawn then, found us upon the ground disguised and wading 

 out to the site of D.'s operations of the evening before. 

 We succeeded after two hour's fishing in capturing seven- 

 teen pickerel and bass, the smallest of which weighed not less 

 than four pounds. Satiated with sport, and loaded down 

 with fish we wended our way back to camp, cooked our 

 breakfast, struck tent at half past ten, and started for 

 home. There being no wind, we were obliged to row up 

 stream to Read's Landing, at -the foot of Lake Pepin, 

 which we reached at 5 P. M., after several hour's hard pul- 

 ling at the oars, diversified by numerous impromptu halts 

 on the sand bars. From thence we hoped to sail home, 

 but not a zephyr was there to gladden our hearts! The 

 lake was as smooth as glass. We were all anxious to get 

 home, and there was no choice but to pull for it, and pull 

 for it we did! To make a long story short, about 9 P. M. 

 the lights in Lake City began to twinkle on the water and at 

 eleven we arrived safely, feeling considerably exhausted 

 after our row of twenty odd miles. 



In conclusion we can fully endorse the high enconiums 

 that have been bestowed upon the climate of Minnesota. 

 The air is highly oxygenated, and, of course, par- 

 ticularly beneficial to invalids. Sparkling springs of the 

 most delightful coolness everywhere abound. The days 

 are bright and clear, and though somewhat warm at noon, 

 the nights are all delightfully cool and bracing, necessi- 

 tating the use of a blanket. The accommodations for 

 travelers and tourists at Lake City are superior. All kinds 

 of amusement can be freely indulged in, fishing, shooting, 

 yachting, dancing, &c. The citizens, many of whom are 

 ardent disciples of the rod and gun, are kind and hospit- 

 able, and ever ready and willing to assist in furthering the 

 pleasure and happiness of strangers awd sportsmen. The 

 Lyon House is the principal hotel and is owned by a well- 

 known merchant of that name in New York. . It is de- 

 lightfully situated close to the lake shore, is fitted up with 

 all modern conveniences and is presided over by as genial 

 and accommodating a landlord as can be found anywhere. 

 Next season the proprietor contemplates making many im- 

 provements and rendering his house as attractive as any in 

 the northwest. A fine yacht, pleasure boats and a bath house 

 on the lake shore will be amongst some of the new features. 



R. C. N. 

 . «»»»» 



SNIPE UPON 



For Forest and Stream. 

 THE ICE. 



THE Spring came in rather mixed, as usual. We had 

 a week or more of warm weather, which brought 

 many a bird from his Winter .quarters. The change to 

 cold left him in a sad plight — without overcoat or muffler, 

 or sense enough to return whence he came. I had heard 

 of snipe here and there. A carpenter who was working 

 upon a cheese factory three miles out of the village came 

 into the store where loafers most do congregate: Here- 

 cognized my face as soon as he saw it, once familiar, when 

 Hernicrania had hold of him, driving ' him almost crazy 

 and half blind. I routed the enemy with quinine and 

 strychnine, thereby acquiring the everlasting gratitude of 

 the worker in wood. I had been absent two years — now 

 returned on slaughterous deeds intent, not to cure but to 

 kill. "Why, Doctor, how are you? Why don't you come 



clown and attend to those snipe? We have seen them flv- 

 ing about all day long, close by where we are at work; thev 

 have been there four or five days. " ' ^ 



I knew that he knew a snipe when he saw it— a fragment 

 of knowledge quite rare among non-sportsmen. But he 

 as I remembered of old, was somewhat of a sportsman him- 

 self, for always on one day in the year, in the Winter he 

 would drop work and go hunting rabbits with a spade and 

 piekaxe. The next day there came a heavy snow storm- 

 snow eight inches, and froze hard that night; the second 

 day was bitter cold — did not thaw at all. That evening I 

 called upon James S., and made arrangements to go Wnti 

 him upon the morrow; for it must turn warmer. That 

 night was cold, and the next morning when I went down to 

 see if James was ready, the weather had not improved a 

 cent's worth. "Why," said he, "this will drive every snipe 

 out of the country, or freeze them to death." I replied 

 "It will surely be warmer by noon. Having made up my 

 mind to go I do not like to give it up." "All right " said 

 he; "if you say go, go it is." At eleven o'clock we got 

 into a covered buggy, hauled the pointer, Sam, in hv the 

 neck, and were off. Three miles over a road, rough as"only 

 clay frozen after a thaw in the Spring could be— one hour 

 and more it took us. There was a large marsh and a 

 brook — and a cheese factory. The brook ran near to and 

 parallel with the road for half a mile, and was lost in the 

 marsh at a point, say thirty rods from the cheese factory. 

 We stopped where the brook, first approached the road. As 

 we took off our overcoats and shivered, instead of growing 

 warmer it grew colder. The idea of looking for snipe-! 

 Either they or we were fools! — this to be soon proved with 

 little chance in our favor. As we came to the brook we 

 found the snow over the ankle, the brook frozen, except 

 a few inches in the centre. We followed down almost 

 to the marsh, starting a killdeer. "There," said James, "is 

 the kind of snipe and the only one you will see this day. 

 A farmer came across the brook with his horses. We en- 

 cpiired if he had seen any snipe about. "Yes." said he, 

 "plenty of them; but they are very wild to-day." This 

 mystified us. "Just over there towards the cheese factory 

 you will find them." A few rods further and we reached 

 the marsh, and what was more, up went a snipe twenty 

 rods off, and they kept getting up — one, two, half a dozen 

 at a time — until about forty had started, and never a chance 

 had we at them. T\\qj flew up by the cheese factory, and 

 pitched down close to the road. James went up there and 

 I went out in the marsh. Soon I heard the reports of his 

 gun, and the snipe began to come back. We hammered 

 away at them, having all our shots up in the air, as they 

 came over in twos and threes. Some alighted upon the 

 ice and ran for the grass, but would not lie. The shooting- 

 was all overhead, and very bad work I made of it. Not 

 over an hour and there were no more birds left. We found 

 we had twenty-three English snipe and two yellow shanks. 

 Where the rest had gone we knew not, and certainly they 

 had not stopped anywhere near us. There -seemed to be 

 two places, not very large, one above the road the other 

 below, which they fancied, and we routed them out of 

 there completely. They were not extra fat, but in good 

 condition — not poor by any means. Altqdis, 



Albany, N. Y., Sep ember, 1875. 



teff ^nltn\t. 



^ Running Streams for Trout Culture. — A. J. Hines, 

 of Patchogue, L. I., informs the Germantown Telegraph 

 that he has sold a one- third interest in his "Pallus Brook 

 Farm" to A. S. Collins, former partner of Seth Green, 

 who proposes to remove to that vicinity, to raise trout for 

 market, as soon as he can make the necessary arrange- 

 ments. This information is of value to trout culturisls, 

 because it shows them that an old expert like Mr. Collins 

 believes there is money in the business. It helps to an- 

 swer the oft-repeated question "whether trout culture will 

 pay." So far as that gentleman is concerned, Mr. Hinds 

 advances the opinion, endorsed, he says, by Mr. Collins, 

 that ponds are entirely unnecessary in raising trout for 

 * market. This new firm of trout producers will, therefore, 

 not prepare or use any ponds for their purposes, except a 

 small one of about one acre for fly-fishing. Mr. Hinds 

 says in his letter: — 



"I often have letters of inquiry about how many nsli 

 can be kept in a pond of such and such a size. The quan- 

 tity is governed by the amount of water running in an il 

 through a pond and not by the size. Indeed, no more trout 

 can be raised in a pond, and that not of as good a quality, 

 by ponding up the water, as can be raised in a canal or 

 canals. We then get rid of all danger of freshets, as 

 dams breaking, and the water keeps cool in Summer ana 

 does not freeze in Winter, but maintains an even tempera- 

 ture the year round. I used to get in 1836 two shillings 

 per pound, or eight cents apiece alive, for trout. Tuey 

 have constantly advanced in price ever since, and now we 

 have no trouble to sell all we can raise for one dollar m 

 pound, as Long Island trout bring two shillings per pouna 

 more than any others. * 



Mr. Collins, estimates that I have on my place w . ate ^,r 

 the right quality and of a sufficient quantity to raise IVW 

 000 pounds of trout a year, and says as we obtain toou i 

 gi eat variety from the Great South Bay for less than ow 

 cent per pound, we can raise trout for twenty cents p 

 pound at a handsome profit." , 



. We believe that Mr. Hinds is correct in his views regard- 

 ing ponds, and fell assured that he will win many adher- 

 ents to these somewhat advanced views. An intelhg' eI1 

 treatise might be written in favor thereof. 

 . -*♦♦- 



Fish at the Chicago Exposition.— Among the inter- 

 esting features in the Chicago Exposition is a ^P 1 *^ 

 live fish in aquaria, including brook trout, grayling. . s 

 eral varieties of bass % etc., also salmon one and two ye 

 old, as well as those hatched last Winter. The mode 

 artificial propagation by hatching the ova in liatcl jj ee a u 

 boxes is shown, and also the plans that have 

 adopted to enable the migratory fish to ascend rivers^ _ 

 high dams by means of fishways. A model of Brae p^ 

 fishway over a dam thirty feet high at Holyoke,_ Mass. , _ 

 one of Brewer's chute and fishway over a dam m bene 

 tady county, N. Y. } are made in the Exposition. 



