220 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



SPORTING IN 



DAKOTAH. 



Fabgo, D. T., Oct. 22, 1875. 

 Kthtob Fordst aht> Stream:— 



Mounted on a spirited American horse with a trusty needle gun in 

 hand, it is exciting and eshiliaratmg sport chasing the buffalo over these 

 northern plains. Hunting the black bear from the numerous groves of 

 •timber skirting the streams in this vicinity, and^pccasionally an elk, a 

 black tailed deer or antelope, is also practicable, and frequently followed, 

 but all these require time, perseverance, and endurance, while few are 

 able to afford the cost necessary to equip a party for the successful pur- 

 suit of any of this game. The pursuit of game birds and water fowl, 

 however, affords sport invigorating, useful, and enjoyable, and the coun- 

 try in this vicinity abounds in both and in great variety; is vast in ex- 

 tent, pleasantly varied by woodland and prairie, fresh water lakes, and 

 clear sparkling brooks. 



Parties from St. Paul, Chicago, Detroit, Philadelphia, Boston, and To- 

 ledo, Ohio, have visited us this season for the purpose of shooting game 

 Mrds upon our beautiful prairies, finding game plenty and pleasant en- 

 tertainment at Headquarters Hotel, Messrs. Hubbard and Tyler being 

 deservedly popular with the dog and gun fraternity. Pinnated grouse 

 are quite numerous this season, but not as plentiful as last. The prai- 

 ries burned over unusually late, and many of their esgs were destroyed. 

 J. R. Creston, of London, England, reports the largest number as the 

 result of one day's shoot, having bagged forty-eight brace of grouse, 

 four brace of duck, and a fifteen-pound brant. Ruffed grouse are found 

 along the Red River, usually in the scrub oak and iron wood thickets, 

 We killed three by moonlight last week from tree tops ; they appeared 

 to be budding, but it is unusual for them to resort to the tree tops for food 

 at this season. There i* not sufficient heavy timber or of the right kind 

 for the wild turkey. I have never seen one in the Red River Valley, and 

 I am sure they do not abound here. Neither have I ever seen a single 

 specimen of the quail. The quail does not like to nest in the timber or 

 on the open prairie, but prefers hedge rows or a dilapidated Virginia rail 

 fence, overgrown with grape vine and bitter sweet; they are working 

 north rapidly, however, and are now found on the line of the St. Paul 

 and Northern Pacific Railroad in Minnesota, where a few years ago they 

 had never been seen. The snipe, woodcock, golden plover, curlew, and 

 gray or upland plover abound in great numbers . The curlew we consider 

 excellent eating, althongly-eldom shot, and hardly considered a game 

 bird. The canvas back duck is not as numerous with us as we have seen 

 it in ether localities, especially on Miaome Bay, but the mallard is, and 

 with others, I consider the mallard fully equal to the canvas back. 

 Blue and green winged teal, widgeons, red heads, etc., are arriving in 

 large floeks from the far northern lands of British America, and several 

 varieties of duck with which I am in nowise familiar; neither have I 

 ever seen them in any of the waters over which I have shot. I think 

 Gid Fayette, who used to have a name for every bird that flew over Miaome 

 Bay, would be at a loss to name some of my specimens. The Canada 

 goose, brant, several varieties of Mexican geese, swan, and pelican 

 abound in great numbers, the heaviest weight so far being a Canada 

 goose killed by Mr. M. Beatty, conductor on the Northern Pacific, that 

 weighed 28£ pounds. 



The best shooting season for all kinds of game is about the 1st of Oc- 

 tober. Grouse can be shot from the 15th of August. At this season 

 game of all kinds is wild, and if chickens are flushed they are apt to sail 

 away for miles befave taking cover, but for the keen sportsman there is 

 yet fine sport. TheiK>right October days are very enjoyable on these level 

 prairies, and the nights are not too cold for camping out. 



G. J. Kebney. 



NOTES FROM THE NORTHWEST. 



Brainerd, Minn., Oct. 29, 1875. 

 Editor Forest and Stream.:— 



The close season for deer expired on the 1st of the month, and at once 

 the many hunters in and around town, amateur and professional alike, 

 commenced operations with varying success. The neophyte, got up in 

 good style in garments of the right cut and color, with new breech load- 

 ing rifle full of cartridges, started out, head up and "blood in his eye," 

 only to return at nightfall -some of them were back at dinner time- 

 tired, dirty, muddy, and with long stories of how many deer he ran, how 

 his "foot slipped just as he was ready to shoot," how his gun missed 

 fire, and a thousand and one other excuses, while tee old and wary still- 

 hunter, who maybe has "grassed" two or three deer the same day, on? 

 the same ground, sits silently by, with a half smile on his face, "taking 

 it all in," and thinking of where he will go to-morrow. Through the 

 lovely days of the Indian Summer just past, the hunters were out every 

 day, but the woods were dry ani noisy, the deer kept hid, and the sports- 

 men were not very successful; but about a week ago a couple of inches 

 of dry, light snow fell, and by daylight in the morning hardly an able- 

 bodkd man nor a gun that would go off could be found in town, and for 

 the three or four days that the snow lasted everybody killed deer, some 

 of the best hunters three or four. Deer are very plenty all along the 

 Northern Paciflc Railroad, and at this writing in splendid order. C. 

 _ -*♦♦- 



THE MEGANT1C DISTRICT. 



October 22d, 1875. 

 Editor Forest and Stream:— 



Ruffed srouse (Canada or spruce partridges) and rabbits are very nu- 

 merous this Fall, and here is a fair sprinkling of ducks on the larger 

 rivers and lakes. TJndouotedly plenty of woodcock could be found if 

 they were looked for, as they are found in the older settled townships 

 west of here. There were a large number of deer killed here during the 

 deep snows last Spring, which makes them scarcer than formerly, though 

 they are to be found in considerable quantities in the wilderness along 

 the still waters of the Salmon River, and eastward towards and about the 

 Megan tic and Spider lakes. The more noble game— moose and caribou 

 —are al-o to be found throughout the same section. A friend of mine, 

 who is a crack shot, had three fair shots one forenoon at as many differ- 

 ent moose near Spider Lake, and missed them all. He found on exam- 

 ining his rifle that by accident or otherwise the sights had been moved, 

 which ciused him to shoot wild. Of fur-bearing animals, bear, fox, 

 mink, marten, and muskrat are quite plenty. Otter and fisher are also 

 plentiful m some localities, while a few beaver are still to be found about 

 the Sa'mon and Arnold rivers. Experienced sportsmen would have no 

 trouole in making goed bags of game anywhere in this district. Those 

 fond of deer hunting I would recommend to make their headquarters at 

 either Mallory's Hotel, Eaton Corners, and get "Sunbury" for guide, or 

 go to French's House, Scotston, and take Archie McDonald as guide. 

 The close season for deer does not begin until February 1st, but the 

 month of November is the best time to hunt them, as the rapids are not 

 frozen up, and they take to the water at once if chased by hounds. I 

 would caution parties visiting here against paying the guides exhorbitant 

 r>rices— one dollar a day and found is the regular price; and the same 

 sum per day is the charge for board at the hotels east of Sherbrooke. 

 Bring your dogs, but do not bring liquors with you from New York, 

 for you can procure them atone third the cost in Sherbrooke and save 

 alt trouble and expense with the Customs department. Stanstead. 



SUMMER W OODCOC K SHOOTINO. 

 Louisville, Ky., October 25th, 1875. 

 Editor Forest and Stream:— 



The writers of most communications on Summer woodcock shooting 

 appear to ignore a point which an experience of nearly forty years in 

 field sports has lea me to think the most important of any m its bearing 

 upon this interesting question. 



it is hardly to be doubted that, as stated by "Mac" on page 150 of your 

 current volume, in an average season, even in the most southerly parts 

 of our country, the young birds are fairly fledged by the 4th of July- 

 large enough to take care of themselves should the parent bird be slain, 

 and "worth a shot and a gridiron," though not to be compared in either 

 point of view with the plump, strong, white-fronted Autumn bird. I 



can attest that in Minnesota, in four years out of five, young woodcock 

 are well enough grown by the first week in July. But it seems equally 

 undeniable that migratory birds desert regions where they are persecuted 

 (even as adults!) on their breeding grounds. The North and South Mead- 

 ows, above and below Hartford, Conn., are a perfect natural paradise for 

 cocks, and about thirty-five years ago a fair bag could be made there, 

 though even then their numbers were rapidly decreasing. Summer 

 shooting has been the rule during most of these years, as before. What 

 report can our Connecticut brethren make to-day of that unsurpassed 

 cover? 



The custom of Summer shooting has prevailed in Illinois and Wiscon- 

 sin. Where now are the cock which, within my recollection, literally 

 swarmed along the marshy streams on the western shore of Lake Michi- 

 gan? Will some of your Chicago and Milwaukee correspondents tell us 

 if the birds are at all crowded in those bottoms? 



Near St. Paul, Minn., four years since, a bag of twenty-three couple of 

 woodcock was considered an extraordinary day's work for three guns, of 

 which the writer carried one. Some six years before forty birds before 

 breakfast to one muzzle loader was thought nothing very wonderful. 



Every Summer shooter knows that if he go to a cover where there are 

 say fifty cock, and bag them all, his sport there is at an end for the Sum- 

 mer. But go in the Autumn, after the southern migration has begun, 

 kill if you can every bird in a swamp, and in a day or two yeu may du- 

 plicate your bag on the same ground, the flight birds continually replac- 

 ing their predecessors until frost seals the mud. 



To prolong close time for woodcock, however, until October 20th, as is 

 done in some States, seems an absurd extension. In the New England 

 States this cuts off a large part of the migrating period, and in the north- 

 west would entirely abolish cock shooting. Is there any objection to 

 September 1st as the beginning of the season for woodcock, at least in 

 the northern tier or States? Keg. 



-«fr»^3> 



ANOTHER GUN WANTED. 



Brainerd, Minn., Oct. 29, 1875. 

 Editor Forest and Stream:— 



Why does not some one of the large gun factories, instead of catering 

 directly to the wishes of those who want a rifle solely for shooting at a 

 target at great distances, pay more attention to the wants of the hunter 

 and frontiersman, and get up a repeating gun, one that will shoot a long 

 caitridge of 46, or better still, 50; that will carry in the magazine eight 

 or nine cartridges, shoot accurately for 300 yards, and weigh, loaded, ten 

 to twelve pounds? The preference all through the Northwest and along 

 the frontier is for a repeating gun, and the improved Winchester "has 

 the call" so far, but the bullet is too small, and there is not powder 

 enough in the shell. A deer or any large animal has to be shot just in 

 the right place or they will not be secured, whereas if the gun carried a 

 46 or 50, with plenty of powder, the game would either be killed in its 

 tracks or be recovered without the long "stern chase" inevitable in most 

 all cases when shot with a small ball. A great many letters have been 

 received by the writer asking for information regarding the much adver- 

 tised Ward-Burton rifle, to which we were obliged to say that beyond 

 the information contained in the circular we knew nothing, and could 

 get no reply to letters addressed to Mr. Burton in New York.* If the 

 guns are what the circulars claim for them, then they certainly are the 

 coming gun, both for the hunter and target shot. We have lately re- 

 ceived a W, & C. Scott No. 10, 32 inch, pistol grip choke bore breech 

 loader, which "is all its name implies," aud we must here take the op- 

 portunity to "cast our pebble on the cairn" of testimony in favor of 

 choke bored guns, and we do so more confidently as the gun has been 

 tested, and well tested, too, in the field shooting at a paper target. The 

 gun put in 239 pellets of shot, No, 6 (243 only being in the charge,) at 30, 

 40, 50 and 60 yards and over, with four and five drachms of powder 

 and 1 to 1£ oz. shot. In the field the gun has killed stone dead, grouse 

 flying at 92 yards, and at 50 and 60 yards, if held right, it will kill every 

 time. At duck shooting it is perfection. When loaded with 1£ ounces 

 of shot and Ave drachms of powder the gun is so heavy and so much 

 weight in the breech that the recoil, even with this heavy charge, is not 

 at all unpleasant. It is stated that a choke bore shoots too close, does 

 not scatter enough. To this objection we say, load with one light wad 

 over the powder; let your bird get well underway, and it will be bagged, 

 provided always the gun is held on the bird when discharged. To those 

 who state that its close shooting powers tears the game, rendering it un- 

 fit for use, we can only say we have never yet seen one do it, unless the 

 bird was shot at when within a few yards of the muzzle. Keep cool 

 when the bird rises, let it get off a reasonable distance, and there will be 

 no fault found with a choke bore, One has to hold closer with a choke 

 bore than with one that throws shot all over, but this fact is going to 

 make bettei shots of poor ones; they will be obliged to be steady, care- 

 ful, and cool in the field or their game bags will not "bulge out" much 

 at the close of a day's shooting. T. P. C. 



[*We have before stated, on Mr. Burton's authority, that 

 as soon as his gun is ready for the market, due notice will 

 be given.— Ed.] 



'aHotwl Hzgtintes. 



BASE BALL— THE PROFESSIONAL ARENA. 



The season of 1875, as far as the professionals are con- 

 cerned, had ended, and the honors of the campaign, in 

 every respect, have been borne off by the Boston Club, 

 whose record is one unparalleled in the annals of profes- 

 sion al playing both as regards the skill displayed and the 

 honesty which have characterized their career. 



For the fourth season in succession the *' Reds " of Bos- 

 ton have won the championship pennant, and they will 

 have the right to fly it during the whole of the Centennial 

 season of 1876. The record of the Boston Red Stockings 

 for 1875, in won aud lost games— not including forfeited 

 games — is as follows : 



















eg 



. n 





s 













Bostok. 





o 



y 



• • 



a 



'q.> 



o 





P 



13 



si 



g 



a 

 o 













«H 



« 05 | « 





- 



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S CO 











~ 



r~ 



2i-sH 



53 



33 



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oj 













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SA 







-=. © 



O 









* 



a 



<lol7 



f-L: 



<q 



Plaits 



2l« 



EH 



Games 

 Games 

 Games 



won 

 lost, 

 pla) 





10 





 fO 



9 8 

 1 9, 



s; v 



9, 9, 



b 







7 





 6 



5 



1 

 5 



5i 51 1 

 ft o 



1 







1 



71 



8 



ed 



10 



12 



:0 



9 



5 



6 



i 



82 



The team which achieved such a noteworthy triumph in- 

 cluded White, c. ; Spalding, p. ; McVey, 1st b. ; Barnes, 2d 

 b. ; Schafer, 3d b. ; Geo. Wright, s. s.; Leonard, 1. f . ; 

 O'Rcurke, c. f. ; Manning, r. f. and change pitcher, as- 

 sisted bv Beals. Second on the list comes the Athletic 

 Club of" Philadelphia, with the best record* known in their 

 history. Their record of games won and lost, exclusive of 

 forfeited games, is as follows:— 



Athletic . 



I WrQ 



3gl 



a 



»|GDj2J 



W 8 J tC 



Games won ?• » 7l 71 7 fa 6! 5| 3| 21 2| 01 53 



Gameslost 3 10 1 3| 4| 8 1 20 



Games pl ayed.,- ■ ™ 81 71 71 71 91 51 71101 31 nl 78 



or they would have been nearer the goal than they were. 



Third in the race is the Hartford, though they actually 

 won more games than the Athletics, still they count third 

 on the list in the games, from which the pennant record is 

 made up. Their "full score is as follows :— 



Hartford. 



E 3f 



525 'O 



DQ 



n 



Games won 



Games lost... 

 Games pliyed. 



|1Q| 



to 



81 8| 

 2 II 

 12| 9! 



6| 5| 4i 4 

 4 5J 4 2 

 lino o! 6 



© £ 



3 



41 3; l 

 01 9 

 4' 3'10 



1| 0| 54 



<»i 0| 2r 



II 0i 85 



— The full championship record on the basis of which 

 table the pennant will be awarded is as follows : — 



Club. 



q 



Boston 



Athletic 



Hartford 



St. Louis 



Philadelphia. 



Chicago 



Mutual 







81 9 



..is! 



41.. I 

 ll 5! 

 si 41 

 lj 4 

 3 8! 



7j e; 



6| 8| 



lis 



5l 



SjlO 

 7| 6 1 

 61 8 

 5| 8 

 7| 2 

 ..i 3 

 8 .". 



S 



« 



48 

 32 

 98 

 26 

 20 

 18 

 13 



Games Lost ->.| 7ll9|^rl^8lsi jsej 3r| ! 85 " 



— Below will be found a full and complete table of the 

 " Chicago " games of the season : — 



Clubs. 





| 







93 





b'o! -1 1 



B 





13 



1 . 



■ 1 







m 



O. 





3 IS 1 03 



> 

 as 



c 



Hartfo 

 Boston 

 Chicag 



< 







m 



pi 





© 



£;3 



5 



1 



u 



V 

 X 



s 



Hartford 



Boston 



Chicago 



Athletic 



St. Louis 



Philadelphia... 



Mutual 



Red Stockings. 



Washington 



Centennial 



Atlantic 



New Haven 



Western 



.-I 0| 

 31. .i 



II 1! 



Total 51 1 



01 

 



0j 0! 



1 21 



LI 0| 

 If.. 



lj 



21 



ol 







0| 



oi 



o| 











1 ...1 





 



lj 01 3| 3 



1 1 



0| Oi 



Ol u 



6 4 



11 

 0| 

 01 





 ..I 



0|.. 



01 

 



ll 



o 



13 

 10 



7 

 6 



5 



5 



a 

 a 

 1 

 

 

 

 



52 



— The best averages of first-base hits made up from the 

 number of games played in — and not as they should be, 

 from the number of times at the bat — is as follows for 1875: 



Name and club. Games. 



Barnes, Boston 78 



Force, Athletic 77 



Pike, St. Louis 67 



Meyerle, Philadelphia 65 



Burdock, Hartford 74 



Hines, Chicago 66 



Holdsworth, Mutual 1 70 



Boyd, Atlantic 35 



Luff, New Haven 36 



Base Hits. 



Average 



140 



1,79 



122 



1.58 



102 



1.52 



92 



1.39 



102 



1.88 



91 



1.38 



91 



1.30 



42 



1.20 



43 



1.19 



The Centennial Nine.— The following are the names 

 of the players who have already signed to play in the clubs 

 named : — 



They were not as well managed as they might have been, 



Boston. 

 McGruley, c. 

 Borden, p 

 Murnan, 1st b . 

 Beals, 2d b. 

 Schafer, 3d b. 

 Geo. Wright, s. 8. 

 Leonard, 1. f. 

 O'Rourke, c. f . 

 Manning, r. f. 



St. Louis. 

 Clapp, c. 

 Bradley, p. 

 Dehlman, 1st b. 

 Batten. 2db. 

 Miller, 3d b. 

 Pearce. 8. s. 

 Cuthbert, 1. f. 

 Pike, c. f . 

 Mack, r. f . 



Chicago. 

 White, c. 

 Spaldiug, p. 

 McVey, 1st b. 

 Barnes, 2d b. 

 Anson, 3d b. 

 Peters, s. e. 

 Glenn, 1. f. 

 Jones, c. f . 

 Addy, r. f. 



Hartitobd. 

 Allison, c. 

 Bonel, p. 

 Mills, 1st b. 

 Burdock, 2d b. 

 Ferguson, 3d b. 

 Carey, s. s. 

 York, 1. f. 

 Remsen, c. f. 

 Cummings, r. f . 



Louis vrLLB. 

 Snyder, c. 

 Devlm, p. 

 Carbine. 1st b. 

 Gerhard t, 2d b. 

 Haug, 3d b. 

 Fulmer, s. e. 

 Ryan, 1. f. 

 Hastings, c. f. 

 Chapman, r. f, 



Cincinnati. 

 Pierson. c. 

 Fisher, p. 

 Gould, 1st b. 

 Sweazey, 2d b. 

 Boolh, 3db. 

 Fields, s. 8. 

 Snyder, 1. f . 

 Clark, c. f. 

 Kessler, r. f. 



BASE BALL NOTES. 



About 2,000 people witnessed an interesting contest at 

 Prospect Park on Nov. 6 between nine of the old Nassau 

 and Amity Clubs, the former including Barnes, Cassidy, 

 Brown, Daly, Doescher, Palmer, Connolly, Bunce, and 

 West. This nine beat the Amity side, with Roche to catch 

 Rule to pitch, by 11 to 3. 



— The Cincinnati Club closed play for the season on Nov. 

 1, when they defeated a picked nine by 13 to 7. 



— On Nov. 6th the Boston base ball nine played against 

 ten of the stockholders of the association, giving them the 

 advantage of five outs to an inning, and pitching and 

 throwing left-handed, and batting with one hand. Yet? 

 with these odds the Bostons were victorious by a score of 

 25 to 23 in a full game of nine innings. A dinner in the 

 evening closed the season of the, club. 



—On Nov. 3d, at Easton, Pa., the Actives played the old 

 Eastons. The latter played Devlin in place of Haug, whose 

 hands were disabled. The game was very finely contested, 

 darkness preventing the playing of a tenth inning. Score: 

 Easton, 7; Active, 7. 



—St. John, N. B., was the scene of an unparalleled game 

 for that section on Oct. 20th, as the score below i-hovvs, 

 the contestants being nines of the Atlantic and Muthn 

 Clubs ef St. John, the eleven inning score being as follows: 

 Muffin, 3; Atlantic, 2. 



The Billiard Tournament.— A billiard tournament 

 will open in Tammany Hall on Monday evening next, ia 

 which Messrs. Maurice Daly, Cyrille Dion, A. P. Rudolphe, 

 Joseph Dion, S. F. Slosson, William Sexton, and Aloert 

 Gamier will take part. Mr. Gamier has charge of the ar- 

 rangements. On the opening night Mr. Sexton, a pla} r er 

 comparatively a stranger, will make his first public appear- 

 ance. Mr. Slosson will be accompanied by a party of pro- 

 fessional and amateur players from St. Louis aud other 

 Western cities. Maurice Daly, the present champion, ana 

 Cyrille Dion, will play a match game of 600 points 



a side and the championship, at the close of the tour- 

 nament, on the g3d inst. 



