146 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



1825 a hunter near the borders of Clearfield county caught 

 a large, full-grown panther in a trap, some ten or twelve 

 miles from any settlement, by the hind legs. It occurred 

 to him that it would be good fun for the boys to take the 

 animal to town alive. Accordingly he set to work by first 

 securing its fore feet together with a hickory withe. He 

 drew an old sack over its head and fore parts, fastening it 

 securely around the body, leaving the strap attached to its 

 legs. Thus arranged, and being a very strong man, he 

 managed to get the whole thing across the back of his old 

 hors.; (long accustomel to carrying similar wild loads), the 

 panther remaining perfectly quiet during the whole per- 

 formance and throughout the trip to the settlement. Such 

 was the daring and courage of those old time-honored, iron- 

 hearted men, with no accoutrements save their long flint- 

 lock rifle, powder-horn and bullets, with some greased 

 patches in a small receptacle of the stock, buckhorn-handled 

 hunting knife, tomahawk, and pouch to hold their bullets, 

 flmt and steel. Thus equipped (not forgetting the never- 

 failing pipe and tobacco) these men would roam the wil- 

 derness lor days and weeks alone, camping where night, 

 overtook them, striking fire, and forming their shelter and 

 bed of hemlock brush, and roasting on a stick before their 

 lire whatever game might have fallen to their unerring 

 aim. Speaking of maiksmanship, it was no uncommon 

 occurrence fo«- hunters of that day to "wing" a deer at 

 full speed at 100 yards distance, and at similar distances 

 take off the head of a duck, pheasant, or squirrel, off-hand 

 with the clumsy flint-lock pieces. 



To illustrate the nerve and quickness of eye possessed by 

 nearly all the woodsmen of that period 1 will relate an an- 

 ecdote: About the year 1823 or '4 a hunter by the name 

 of Earles (by-the-bye an old man of- war's man, of 1812 

 originally, but turned hunter) was sauntering leisurely one 

 fine summer afternoon down the banks of Moshannon 

 creek, a tribuiary of the west branch of the Susquehanna, 

 the locality being many miles from an inhabitant, he start- 

 ed up a pheasant, which alighted on the branch of a large 

 hemlock, just in advance of him; thinking, as he told the 

 ■writer the story, that it would make him a good supper, he 

 stopped, and was adjusting his aim to behead the bird, 

 when a slight noise a little above it caused him to glance 

 upward, where, stretched along a large branch of the tree, 

 an immense panther met his gaze, apparently in the act of 

 leaping down upon him almost directly beneath. Without 

 hesitation or change of position he merely raised his cocked 

 gun to a line with the eyes of the fiery beast, and pulled 

 trigger, the animal literally, as he said, jumped against his 

 bullet, which penetrated the brain between the eyes, and 

 it alighted dead under his feet, covering him with dirt and 

 leaves in its fiual struggles. I could relate many singular 

 incidents connected with panthers that in those old days 

 so numerously infested that wild, mountainous region 

 which, tnough now changed in some portions by the hand of 

 improvement, will, in a great degree, ever remain a rest 

 for many wild animals and game of all kinds from the na- 

 ture uf its surroundings and formation. A very singular 

 though melancholy occurrence took place in or about the 

 \earl822 or '23: Two hunters were out for deer on the 

 Alleghany Mountains, near the crossing of the so-called 

 Bald Eagle Valley road to the town or settlement of Phil- 

 ipsourg, when their attention was suddenly rivetted upon 

 tiie pioceedmgs of a very large panther scratching away 

 leaves and dirt from the side of a big pine log. Quickly 

 concealing themselves they watched him closely. In a 

 short tune they obseived the animal drag a large object on 

 to the top of the log, which to their astonishment they then 

 saw was the body of a woman, and which it attempted to 

 convey up a large hemlock tree growing beside the log, but 

 •which, alter some effort, it apparently could not accom- 

 plish. Cautiously approaching, the men shot the animal 

 and recovered the body, wh.ch proved to be that of a res- 

 ident of the valiey who had been missing some days— lost 

 &< was conjectured, while picking berries on the moun- 

 tains. 



i imber wolves were abundant, especially in Clearfield 

 county. An old resident surveyor and woodsman of that 

 day named Turner was very successful in destroying many 

 a Lupus by fixing in their haunts a heavy log at the loot of 

 a sharp acclivity or hill, with another equally as heavy 

 rolled on skids up the ascent, and held there by a trigger 

 ariangement, bailed with a piece of meat lastened firmly 

 to it. .two or three of the animals would peihaps find it 

 together, and in tugging and quarreling lor the morsel, 

 start the upper log wnicn, rolling down on them, frequent- 

 ly fiaiteueu them all between it and the fixed one below. 



W ild turkeys in those early times were also very plenty, 

 and many a time and oft have 1 had a fine day's sport 

 tracking them, after a favorable fall of snow, frequently 

 bagging many a fat one. The chase usually was very ex- 

 citiug, as they will run, when loilowed, for miles without 

 taking wing, and continue running after one or more of 

 the fioek are killed, pi ef erring that species of locomotion 

 apparently io flying, whicn is a last resort. They seemed 

 to get enuimously fat on beech nuts, acorns, and other 

 Wild lood, grain helds being a rarity in those wilds. It 

 was no uncommon occurrence for "gobblers" to be kil.ed 

 that weighed 50 pounds undressed, and so fat that in fall- 

 ing, if shot from a tree, the/ would burst open tne fat on 

 the' breast. Such birds could frequently be purchased for 

 a dollar each. A very common mode of trapping turkies 

 in the fall and winter was to build a square pen of fence 

 rails six or eight ttet high from the ground, covering the 

 tops also wim rails, then merely digging a trench three or 

 four feet wide underneath one or the bottom rails suffl- 

 cieuuy deep to allow a tuikey to get through into the pen, 

 and scattering a lot of Coin about inside the iuclosure, 

 with a trail ot the same leading some distance away Irom 

 it. 'lhe buds, following Hie trail, would pass through the 

 trench into the pen, and when once inside never thought 

 of gtUingout tnrough the same opening, but constantly 

 endeavoied to find a means of escape above them, and 

 thus whole flocks were entrapped, as they all will generally 

 follow their leader into captivity if not alarmed. 



The pheasant (ruffed grouse) were always very abundant 

 throughout the region mentioned, and probably are so 

 Still In the writer's younger days he hunted with a good 

 spauiei or cocker, trained to find them, and bark sharply, 

 ■whiLh caused the birds io "tree" immediateiy on the near- 

 est hemlock, the whole flock frequently occupying the same 

 tree At such a time the dog kept up his bailing and run- 

 ning around it would so lake up lhe attention ot the birds 

 as io enable the gunner to b.gin with those sitting on the 

 lower blanches, and proceed higher as those below were 

 killed, until oitentimes the whole covey were bagged. 

 This mode, though not very sportsmanlike, was about the 

 only way one could secure them, as in the thick hemlock 



woods, where generally found, it was rarely that any 

 chance on the wing presented itself ; though when such 

 opportunity offered it was always much more acceptable 

 to the true sportsman. Many who followed this species of 

 game often preferred doing so on a well trained pony, off 

 whose back, thus raised above a good deal of undergrowth, 

 the gunner could see to shoot more satisfactorily and more- 

 over get over the ground with less fatigue. One of the 

 most finished sportsmen of that day and locality, and 

 well worthy all distinction as such in every respect, was 

 the now long-deceased H. Philips, Esq., the owner of a 

 very extensive body of coal and timber lands on the Clear- 

 field and Moshannon creeks, or rather rivers, both large 

 tributaries of the west branch of the Susquehanna. Being 

 a native of England and in easy circumstances, very gen- 

 tlemanly and hospitable, his home at Philipsburg was the 

 center at which many of the sportsmen of Philadelphia 

 and other places gathered for the enjoyment in their sea- 

 son, not only of the gun, but also of the more gentle art 

 piscatorial, in which also Mr. Philips was an adept; and as 

 the mountain streams around afforded the most tempting 

 opportunities for taking those speckled beauties, the trout, 

 with which they teemed in those days, his home was usual- 

 ly the scene of much varied sport to his many friends. 

 The late Dr. Wm. P. Dewees of Philadelphia, John Nor- 

 ris, Esq., of Center county, with many other notables, 

 were constant summer visitants on those occasions, and 

 very successful anglers, handling the rod and fly with the 

 true zest of confirmed disciples of old Izaak. Mr. Philips 

 possessed a fine selection of thoroughbred English setters 

 and pointers, always at the command of his sporting 

 friends, and at the various seasons of duck, snipe, wood- 

 cock, quail and grouse shooting, in all of which the local- 

 tty then abounded, the sport was excellent and the hospi- 

 iaiity superb. In 1816 when Mr. Philips, then a young 

 man, came over to the United States to take charge of the 

 estate I have mentioned, he promised his father that he 

 would send home some bear hams and skins killed by his 

 own hand. In the autumn of that year, in company with 

 an old hunter named Crbwell, he went forth to good bear 

 ground to fulfill his engagement, taking with him four dogs 

 accustomed to that species of game — a species that is al- 

 ways quite willing and ready to give you or your dog the 

 hug fraternal, and that of the most pressing kind. Well, 

 the dogs found a couple of bears of splendid dimensions, 

 and soon came up with them. As the understanding was 

 that Mr. Philips was to do all the shooting, he began by 

 firing an ounce ball out of a heavy rifle several times into 

 both bears, while the dogs were fighting them; but not 

 until two of the smaller dogs were hugged hors du combat, 

 and when one of the animals was about finishing a third 

 favorite dog, Mr. Philips snatched Crowell's rifle and shot 

 the bear through the head at close quarters, killing it in- 

 stantly. At this moment (his own gun being empty) he 

 found that the second and largest bear, though badly 

 wounded, was hugging his own highly-prized dog to death, 

 whereupon clubbing his heavy rifle, he after several blows, 

 broke it to pieces over the head and nose of the bear, and 

 thus succeeded in saving his dog and at hist finishing 

 Bruin, though at the expense of an $150 rifle, two dogs, 

 and some pretty severe hurts on his own person from the 

 claws of the bear. He made good, however, his engage- 

 ment to procure personally the hams and skius for his 

 father. 



1 will now conclude, as in all probability I may have 

 wearied both yourself, Mr. Editor, and your many readers 

 by these perhaps uninteresting and rambling remiuiscences 

 of "long ago;" if not, 1 may yet venture to iuflict a little 

 more occasionly of the same sort upon the forbearance and 

 good nature of the more modern lovers of field sports who 

 read the Fouest and Stream. K. Plumbk. 



Orange City, Iowa. 



S isf t §nltn\t. 



AMERICAN FISH CULTURE. 



CONVENTION OF THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION AT PHILA- 

 DELPHIA LAST WEEK— ADDRESSES AND DISCUSSIONS. 



THE American Fish Culturists' Association assembled 

 in convention on Friday of last week, in Judges 

 Hall at the Centennial Grounds, Philadelphia. At noon 

 the convention was called to order by the Hon. Robert B. 

 Roosevelt, of New York City. Among those present were 

 the following: A. A. Anderson, Bloomsbury, N. J. ; Prof. 

 Spencer F. Baird, Washington, D. C. ; T C. Banks, of 

 Rod and Gun; E. G. Blackford, New York City. J. D. 

 Brewer, Muncey, Pa.; Dr. M. C. Edmunds, Weston, Vt. ; 

 T. B. Ferguson, Annapolis, Md. ; Seth Green, Rochester, 

 N. Y. ; Prof. T. Lyman, of Cambridge, Mass. ; A. Bell 

 JMalcomson, Jr., New York City; Fred Mather, Honeoye 

 Falls, N. Y.; James W. Milner, Washington, D. C; 

 B. Phillips, Brooklyn, N. Y.;*H. J. Reeder, Easton, Pa.; 

 Dr. E. Sterling, Cleveland, Ohio; Col. James Worrall, 

 Harrisburgh, Pa. Many of these were officially conduct- 

 ing fish culture for the general or State governments, and 

 all were practical and to some extent scientific men. In 

 addition to those named there were several visitors of 

 foreign birth, of whom the Japanese Commissioner, Sekiz- 

 awa Akekio was prominent, and an interested audience. 



Mr. Roosevelt, in opening the meeting, described the 

 efforts made by writers during the past fifteen years to call 

 attention to the necessity for the protection of the fish in 

 our rivers, these including the writings of the speaker, and 

 of Remy, Green and Ains worth. Reviewing the gradual 

 depopulation of the rivers, the final awakening of our 

 people to this fact, the discovery by Seth Green of the 

 principle of dry impregnation, the stocking of our waters 

 by means of improved facilities for the entrance of sal- 

 mon and shad— the speaker said that in the river Corrib, 

 Ireland, in 1853, after the erection of a fish pass, the yield 

 of salmon was increased from 1,600 to 20,000. In America 

 an advance had been made in the mechanical appliances of 

 fish culture and in the variety of species to which these 

 had been applied, resulting not only in adding to our waters 

 yearly millions of certain varieties, but in improving these 



varieties. The speaker concluded with an allusion to the 

 probable results of one hundred years of fish culture his 

 belief being that in much less than that time the waters of 

 America would teem with abunuant food for the poor and 

 hungry, of which all may come and take. 



Mr. Bernard Phillips, Secretary of the Group Jury on 

 •'Fish and Fish Products, Apparatus of Fishing," being 

 called upon, gave an interesting detailed account of the ex- 

 hibits which had come within the purview of the judges 

 Addresses followed by Mr. Jas. W. Milner, explanatory of 

 the Smithsonian Institute display in the Government Build- 

 ing of specimens in plaster of fishes, photographs in natural 

 history, etc.; Prof. T. Lyman, upon the habits of salmon 

 and shad, and the proper arrangement of fish-ways in rivers 

 so as to promote the passage of these fish; Mr. H. J. Reeder 

 upon the most effective arrangement of fish-ways for the 

 ascent of shad. The last mentioned speaker held that the 

 great timidity of the shad was the cause of the greatest 

 difficulty in the way of its passing through the fish way 

 and substantiated this from investigations in connection 

 with the dam on the Susquehanna at Columbia. 



Colonel James Worrall suggested several theories for the 

 comparative non-appearance of the shad in certain years 

 and claimed that in this specialty Pennsylvania had taken 

 the foremost rank, having appropriated liberally for the 

 carrying out of the improvements in the Susquehanna. 



At the opening of the session on Friday afternoon the 

 Secretary read a letter from George Shepard Page, express- 

 ing his regret at being absent, and from W. C. Coup, ten- 

 dering to the Association the free use of a room in his new 

 aquarium building, at Broadway and .34ih ~.sire< %4k;w 

 York, as a place for their meetings, arid in whTcTTto de- "" 

 posit a library, together with all the collateral advantages 

 coming from the presence of living fishes and their food in 

 the tanks. A motion having been made to accept, with 

 high appreciation, this offer, the President suggested the 

 need of a Horary, and asked the members to contribute 

 books. Fred Mather also gave a brief history of the aqua- 

 rium, and the desire of its founders to make it of educa- 

 tional importance. To the aquarium proper Mr. Coup has 

 added a room for scientific use, which shall be free to all 

 students and scientific societies. He has added fish culture 

 (under Mr. Mather's charge), providing a reservoir and five 

 trougns, in which California and land locked salmon, lake 

 and brook trout, and, perhaps, whitetish, will be hatched. 

 A vote of thanks was given to George Sbepard Page for 

 his constant aid and generosity toward the association. 



Mr. Edmunds . having asked Seth Green to talk about 

 black bass, Mr. Green said that there were two kinds— the 

 "marsh" black bass, living in still water with a mud bot- 

 tom; and "river" black bass, inhabiting running water, 

 hiding among the pond lilies, and feeding on water insects, 

 frogs, ciawfish, minnows, etc. The latter was known also 

 as the "Oswegj" and "lake" bass, and was much the live- 

 lier, sharper fish of the two. The distinction between 

 these two varieties was not recognized by all. There had 

 been much discussion as to the advisability of putting black 

 bass into shad rivers, and it was still a mooted question. 

 The young black bas3 lived about the rocks — sometimes 

 even in still water — because there he found crawfish. The 

 voung shad, on the contrary, took to the middle of the 

 stream, where he drifted down for three or four days be- 

 fore he could hold his own against the current. This 

 would give the bass a great advantage over the shad. Mr. 

 Green aiso said that he had received many favorable re- 

 ports from wateis stocked in New York State, but had 

 heard more particularly of success with the salmon trout. 



filled with a floating : 

 that the fishes could not easily see the bait. The commis- 

 sioners had planted last spring nearly 1,000,000 young 

 brook trout, and were hearing good reports from them. 

 They had been careful to put them in small waters, where 

 there was food enough. 



Fred Mather differed, he said, from Mr. Green as to the 

 advisability of stocking streams with black bass. They 

 remained where they were put the year round, and ate 

 more young fish and less heilgramites than Mr. Green gave 

 them credit for. He thought the little shad would find 

 them exceedingly dangerous neighbors. He considered 

 that those fish which go in schools— the shad, salmon, 

 whitefish, and the like— and that feed on the minute Crus- 

 tacea, were the most valuable to cultivate, and that the 

 bass' gamey qualities were its chief recommendation. 



Mr. Reeder did not agree with this. It was true, he 

 said, that the bass were predatory, but so also were the sal- 

 mon and shad— what constitutes their food when out at 

 sea in the fall and winter is not known; they may prey on 

 the salt-water fishes as much as the bass on small fresh- 

 water species, except that they do not do so when a : cenu- 

 ing to their spawning beds in the spring. He considerea 

 no fish more valuable for cultivation as a fool-fish than me 

 black bass, because they were so prolific, guarding ineir 

 eggs and caring for their voung until the brood got oiu 

 enough to care for themselves and disappeared one by one. 

 True, they were predatoiy and carnivorous, so were all or 

 our valued fishes, but they would never interfere with tne 

 value of shad streams as such, as shown by t"e.Connec u- 

 cut, Potomac, and James rivers, where shad and bass were 

 both abunuant. , ... t hp 



Continuing the discussion, Seth Green remarked that ne 

 had all his hie had to do with fish in a business way w 

 otherwise, and ever since lb38 had been examining taie 

 fully into their food. He had opened thousands oi ah 

 bass for his customers, and had lound one young n&n 

 500 other things in their stomachs. „, loa tinn 



Mr. Edmunds remarked that he had raised the 3 U ^ 

 of the probable benefit to be derived from stocking si iw 

 with black bass to decide whether this fish or taeu 

 were the better for the puroose. The temperature or u 

 water had so increased in the streams of Vermon \,\ 

 State) that there were now no trout in all the upper i 

 taries of the Connecticut, which were once g^oa l 

 streams. There was a notion that trout could not nv 

 water warmer than 08°, but he had kept them alive up 

 70°_longer than salmon endured it. . ^ 



Mr. lieeder did not believe that bass throve m ye y 

 water, and thought the failure to stock Racquet lane u 

 to the low temperature. . j,, rt0 rf him- 



Dr. Kingsbury, of Philadelphia, who m^"^^. 

 self as a stranger, but one long interested in the suyj ; 



