FOREST AND STREAM. 



283 



fm. M. Farrow, 6± inches; Henry Bull, Jr., 8 1-16 

 inches; E. H. Totten, llf inches; W. R. Landers, Ill- 

 inches. 



December 2d, 1874. — The second competition at 200 

 yaids, for the champion marksmans goM badge, took place 

 this day. The day was bright and clear but quite cool, 

 with a strong westerly wind. Mr. Wm. M. Farrow was the 

 winner, and announced Friday, December 8th, for the 

 next competition. The scores were as follows: 



Name. Total. 



W. M. Farrow 42 



II. Bull. Jr 49. 



K. H. P wel 40 



E. H. Totten 38 



Name. Totol. 



W. R. ganders 37 



H. W. Towel 37 



M. Ball 32 



Ira B. Brightman 31 



Maryland —The Maryland Rifle Club, composed of 

 about thirty members, has been incorporated with Gen. 

 James R. Herbert President, Dr. Wm. H. Keener, R. 

 SteuartLat robe, Douglas II. Thomas, and Wm. Davison 

 Corporators. The Patapsco rifle range, on the Baltimore 

 and Ohio Railroad, near the Relay station, has been put in 

 order for the Club, with targets at 200, GOO, 800, 900 and 

 1,000 yards range. A club house will be fitted up for the 

 accommodation of the members next spring, when it is ex- 

 pected that more interest will be manifested in rifle shoot- 

 ing. 



Tub Filed Sights. — We noticed in our last that the 

 Board of Directors of N. R. A. have decided to support the 

 decision of the Executive Committee iu the matter of the 

 protest of the 7th Regiment against the scores of the 

 team of the 48th (Oswego) Regiment, made in the "State" 

 " Gatling Gun " and "Army and Navy Journal " matches, 

 at the late fall meeting at Creedmoor, thus throwing out 

 the scores. The following is an abstract of the most im- 

 portant testimony on both sides. 



gergt. John Le Boutiller, 7th regiment, testified to hav- 

 ing examined the sights of some of the guns used by the 

 team of the 48th while they wery firing in the Army and 

 Navy Journal Match. '"They appeared to have been filled 

 or otherwise altered." 



Capt. Jos. O. Abrahams testified that, having his atten- 

 tion called to the mutter by Sergt. Le Boutiller, "he also ex- 

 amined one of the rifles and "saw that the rear sight had 

 been filed down so that the bar could be lowered consider- 

 ably lower than ours. I should judge about 1-3 of an 

 inch." 



Capt. Chas. F. Robbins, 7th regiment, testified to having 

 repented the alteration to Capt. Story, who sent for ope of 

 the rifles of the 4bth team. "One was brought which was 

 examined by himself, myself, and several others. Capt. 

 Story said he was satisfied, and the rifle was taken back." 

 Subsequently went with several others to the ramp of the 

 48th and examined a rifle that had been altered. "Should 

 Bay that more than half the shoulder had bceu cut away. 

 I did not measure it, but that n mv impression, Bv meas- 

 urement that would be 3-10 of an inch, I should say": Made 

 a memorandum on the written protest drawn up of the 

 gun examined. It was 'A 49.' " 



Capt. J. G. Story corroborated the testimony of Capt. 

 Robbins, and stated that one piece he examined, "A 49," 

 "was altered fully 1-8 to 3 10 of an inch. I saw two pieces 

 that 1 considered altered; one at my tent and one at the 

 48th. 



Adjutant Murphy, of the 12th, and Captain Loomis, of 

 the 22d, testified substantially the same. 



Col. Geo. W. Wingate, G. I. R. P., measured with a pair 

 of callipers the gun carried by Mr. White, of the 48th 

 team, and which he threw out in the Inter-State match. 

 "Found the shoulder of the sight of that gun cut away as 

 far as I remember, 1 8 of an inch." "Col. Houghton did 

 not deny that the sights were filed. Understood him ,o 

 admit it." 



Foe the defence Sergt. J. S. Batton, Co. A, 48th, identi- 

 fied a gun shown him as the one he used in the contested 

 matches. "Have not filed or altered it. That is the same 

 , bight that I used, as well as the same gun." "1 claim that 

 filing the shoulder was not altering the sight." The guns 

 sent to Remington's were not sent to have the elevations 

 changed; they were sent, because most of the euns had 

 natural tendencies to draw to the right. The guns sent 

 aw\v were never altered iu the shoulder at all." 



Capt. Curtis, 48th, identified a gun and sight as the 

 same he used: "I never filed that sight, the point or the 

 rear, or any part o^ it; never touched a file on it;" "should 

 think that altering the shoulder would be an infringement 

 of the rules.'' Told Capt. Loomis "that several guns were 

 sent to llion to be resighted; but didn't say that any of 

 .those were shot in the match." 



Sergt. -Major Geo. White, 48th, identified a gun and si eta t 

 shown as the one he used. "A 49." "Would not swear 

 positively that 1 used that sight in the matches, because it 

 has been in Col. Houghton's possession for a month and a 

 half." I never filed the rear or the sight of the gun or 

 altered it at all; I have no doubt that the gun is in the 

 same condition as when I used it in the matches." "Mr. 

 Hepburn examined the sights and advised Col. Houghton 

 to keep them in his possession until there was an examina- 

 tion, and he kept them; and when he shot for the Nevada 

 Badge he had to borrow sights." 



Btrgt L. L. Barnes, A, 48th, testified to the same effect. 



L. L. Hepburn examined the twelve guns, and testified 

 that "None of these have been lowered in that part to any 

 appreciable degree. I know they have not." "Should 

 think inserting the bar and . filing away the shoulder, so as 

 to shoot over the straight bar with the same elevation, as he 

 shot through the match, an alteration according to the 

 rules." "There were some guns sent to llion to have the 

 sights adjusted to different ranges, from one to five hun- 

 dred yards. The Superintendenifof the Military Depart- 

 ment said that they were the 48 lb Regiment. That is all 1 

 know. I don't remember altering the shoulder on any of 

 these guns, except to get it down to 400 yards." 



Col. Houghton's evidence was to the effect, that he had 

 never altered his rifle in any way, and had returned the 

 Rights sent to llion to the guns from which he had taken 

 them. Other evidence both direct and in rebuttal was of- 

 fered, and after it was all in and duly considered in private, 

 the Board passed unanimously the following resolution: 



Resolved, That the filing of the shoulders of the rear 

 sight of the State rifle as alleged to have been done by the 

 O3wego team, if done was a violation of the rules of of the 

 -i' • lv. A. 



Resolved, That it is the sense of the Board of Directors 

 that one or more sights which had been altered contrary 

 so the rules of the National Rifle Association were used by 



the team of the 48th Regiment, N. G. S. N. Y., at Creed- 

 moor during the fall meeting of this Association of 1876; 

 therefore 



Resolved, That the decision of the Executive Committee 

 be confirmed. 



The whole question turned upon a poin* of veracity, 

 whether the sights now presented were rh^SIt used in the 

 matches. The Board evidently thought they had been 

 changed. 



Rest versus Off hand.— Thanksgiving was nigh at 

 hand, and turkies were in demand, so Ira Lumberchild 



at ten cents a shot. It struck me that I'd like to invest, 

 so furbishing up a little old-fashioned Sharp & Harkins 

 leather covered cavalry carbine, I wrapped myself up in 

 the robes, and plodded my way over ibe hills, through 

 mud up to the hub, and after a tedious ride arrived at 

 the little white tavern, where the "shoot" was going on. 



A dozen men were on hand, each with his enormous 

 rifle-telescopic sights, and all sorts of contrivances for ele- 

 vating and sighting. As I jumped from my wagon with 

 my little breech-loader in hand, an acquaintance rose 

 from a board, one end of which rested on a barrel, and 

 from which he had just pulled the trigger, with his gun 

 blocked fore and aft as in a vice, and remarked:— 



"What are you going to do with that pop gun?" 



"I thought I might see a chipmunk on the way," I 

 answered, "and thought I'd be ready for him." 



"Chips, the devil," taking the weapon and sighting 

 through, or rather over its sight, "you couldn't "hit a 

 chicken at thirty yards." 



"Why, I thought perhaps I might hit a turkey." 



"Put a turkey, a big one, upon the fence there, Ira, and 

 give the man a chance." 



I compromised with Ira, that the turkey should be placed 

 on a knoll, some distance off, I to shoot oil-hand. A little 

 five-pound bird was tied to a stake, and squatted on the 

 ground in apparent safety, while my friend occupied hiui- 

 t-elf wiping and loading, and getting "in the turkey" at 

 the hundred rod range, and firing once with no disturbance 

 to the boys, who "took off and put on" the bird. I had 

 tired rapidly five or six shots; the first sighted for 200 

 yards, over, and a source of much amusement to the 

 veteran, who laughed at the idea of getting a turkey in 

 thirty years with that thing. Pretty soon, though, the 

 turkey jumped; my ball had goneunder him close enough 

 to scare. The next shot and away he went, with the string 

 cut. I was "on him" now at 150 yards, and firing again 

 got that turkey. Another was put up, and the fourth shot 

 brought him too. It was getting .close work for the pro- 

 prietor, and he begun to weaken.'* It was a new feature 

 at a turkey shoot, and apparently not a profitable one. 

 However, I took home three turkies, at a very small 

 number of shots compared with my friend's work with his 

 telescope, and you may tell Mr. Holberton that I've changed 

 my mind about selling that carbine. Piseco. 



. -♦»<&. — 



<§mnt §;w mul (Bun. 



GAME MOW IN SEASON. 



Moose, Alces malchis. Pinnated grouse or prairie chicken, 



Caribou, Taiundus rangifer. Cvpwpntu cf/ndo. 



Elk or wapiti, Vermis canadensis. Eufitd grouse or pheasant, Bonasa 

 Red or Virginia ck-er, t .ii/giniauus. vndjdlus. 



Squirrels, red, blaek and gray. Quail or partridge, Ortyx Virginia- 



H'artJB, brown and gray. hits. 



Wild turkey, Muuigris galiopa- Woodcock, Philohela ?ninor. 

 vo 



"Bay-birds" generally,ir.cluding various epecics of plover, sand-pipers, 

 sn,ipe, curle\vg.,oyBter-catche.rs,£urf-birds, pbalaropes, avoccts, eLc, com- 

 ing under the group Limicoke or Shore Birds. 



Currituck Property for Sale.— We have in this office 

 the title deeds for about two hundred acres of land, com- 

 prising some of the finest shooting points on Currituck 

 Sound, a half interest of which will be sold very low. 

 This is an excellent opportunity for any gentleman who 

 may desire to form a club for the purpose of enjoying 

 the best w r ild fowl shooting to be found in the United 

 States. 



The Fox Gun.— We have in our office a fine specimen 

 of this new gun, which we will be happy to show all who 

 are interested in inspecting fine workmanship and novelties 

 in the gun line. 



—The correspondent who infers, from reading our Sina- 

 puxent letter of two weeks ago, that sink-box shooting is 

 practiced in the waters of the Bay, will perceive by ex- 

 amining the context, that our reference to sink-boxes 

 applied to goose shooting in its general practice, and not 

 to that or any other specified locality. Sink-boxes are not 

 allowed in Sinapuxent Bay and contiguous waters, and 

 the dwellers in that region are jealous of their reputation 

 as game protecting and law-abiding citizens. 



—Our correspondent "Triangle" has let a little light 

 upon a subject referred to in his letter of October 12th, 

 which mystified ourselves and many readers. "El Cazador" 

 tried to make the writer's meaning plain, but without satis 

 factory results. The subject referred to dressing and 

 carrying deer carcasses, and "Triangle" wrote "anus," 

 which the printers changed to "arms." The explanation 

 makes the case clear. 



—Some parts of Virginia swarm with deer. A corres- 

 pondent of the Richmond Whig gives an interesting ac- 

 count of a deer hunt in Dinwiddie county, in which a 

 number of gentlemen participated. The hunt lasted four 

 days, and the party were in camp most of the time. 

 Among the gentlemen engaged in the hunt were Mr. 

 Warner Lewis, of Brunswick, Capt. R. G. Pegram and 

 Mr. John M. Wayne, of Petersburg, and. Messrs. Colin 

 Neblett, Thomas Epes and John Bragg, of Lunenburg, 

 and a number from Nottoway and Dinwiddie counties. 

 Fifty deer were started and twelve killed . Mr. Thomas 

 Epes killed Hire© deer from the same stand with a single 

 barrel guru 



Keeping Loaded Shells— Editor Forest and Stream. — 

 You referred lately in your paper to loaded shells keeping 

 good for long periods of time. Last week Mr. Sidney 

 Keith found and fired some paper pin fire shells that had 

 been loaded by his father, who has been dead for over thir- 

 teen years. There was no perceptible difference in penetra- 

 tion and pattern from shells lately loaded.— C. W. McM. 



[We have frequently used shells that have been loaded for 

 two years or more, but the instance mentioned by our 

 correspondent is remarkable. . Powder when kept dry will 

 undoubtedly retain its properties for a long time. — Ed.] 



— Calculations have been published showing that over 

 twenty-three millions of animals and birds Avere wounded 

 without being captured, by the licensed sportsmen and 

 poachers of the British Islands during the year ending 

 March 31st, 1876. 



— Large numbers of wild ducks have made their ap- 

 pearance in the marshes at the head of Lake Monroe, St. 

 John river, Florida. 



Maine— Machias, December 2 —Close season for grouse 

 commenced yesterday. But little lumbering going on and 

 the woods are alive with hunters. Although deer are 

 abundant, but few have been killed in Ihby vicinity as yet. 

 A 1) oz. woodcock killed here November 17th was pre- 

 served in oil in a portrait of the setter "Guy," known in 

 Portland as " the $1,000 doJlar dog." Season for deer 

 closes January 1st. Roamer. 



Massachusetts— Boston, Bee. 2d. — Our coast shooting 

 is wound up for the season. The ponds are frozen, so 

 nothing is left now but a few partridges . I have been to 

 the vicinity of New Bedford this last week, and fully agree 

 with Concha that the best shooting in the State for quail 

 and woodcock is near there. &. K., JR. 



Salem, Bccember 4th — Actual sport in the field the past 

 week has been but little. There area good many whistlers 

 and old squaws in our harbor, with oilier kinds of water 

 birds, but ihey are not much molested. Other work kf eps 

 me away, but for that I'd "haze 'em.'' There was a turkey 

 shoot last week in Beverly. I can get at no score, but am 

 told there was some good rifle shooting down there by 

 Salem parties. A friend, who is reliable, fays that at the 

 Light Station, in the upper end of Plum Island, he saw 

 three (lij barrels of white owls that were shot about there 

 lately. The station is kept, Ly Bob Floyd, of Newbury- 

 port, who is the best shore gunner in that locality. 

 Arthur Russell, of Ipswich, got two geese last, week in the 

 "Hundreds"; they have not been very plenty, mostly keep- 

 ing right along. Herring fishermen say, 'that outside of 

 Plum Island and Ipswich Bay, the old Mpiuws are in big 

 Hocks and tame. 1 here whs a pigeon shoot by Salem 

 amateurs, -who never shot from the trap before, at Rial 

 side, Beverly, on the 30th. The scores were not first class, 

 but the contestants, if game, were willing. Teal. 



Name. Toui.j Name. Total. 



Awire.vve 3N 7 



E, Haniiniton ]\ Parker •_> 



Q. Harrington 5<Safforci i 



Chtx-i. Jones 7 jSnii.h 5 



Geo. Jones ■■! South v\ick 1 



GanhitT 5| 



Np:w York — Keesevillc, Nov. 30th. — Nothing especially 

 new from the Atlirondacks. The season thus far has been 

 very mild. No snow to speak of yet. Slaughtering deer, 

 a (a mode, not indulged in. 



Ithaca, Nov. 28th. — We are having some good grouse 

 shooting now, having had a few light falls of "snow. 

 Twenty-seven were bagged by one man last Friday and 

 Saturday. Quail are aiso found quite plenty within four 

 miles, though they teem to be continually moving, seldom 

 being found twice in the same place. Two snow geese 

 [Anther hyperboreus) were shot here on the lake a short time 

 ago. Tney were young, and seemed much fatigued from 

 flight, as they made no effort to escape. Ducks have not 

 stopped with us enough to make very good shooting, 

 although there has been a good flight, but very high. 



NlMROD. 



Pennsylvania— Slippery Rock, Butler County, Bee. 2d. — 

 Have had three days of delightful hunting "" this week. 

 Will tell you all about it next week. ' M. II. B. 



Virginia. — The Camp Armistead Deer-Hunting Com- 

 pany, of Albemarle, Va., assembled at their grounds ready 

 for their annual hunt, October 27lh. The party consisted 

 of twenty hunters, forty-two dogs, eighteen horses, and 

 eight servants.. It was organized by the election of that 

 veteran hunter and former President, as President of the 

 hunt, P. S. Coles, Esq ; The party hunted five days, and 

 succeedc-d in killing thirteen deer, also a large quantity of 

 small game, such as turkeys, pheasants, partriuges, squir- 

 rels, etc. 



South Carolina— Port Royal, Nov. 27t7i.—We are having 

 a fair norther, asd what may fairly be termed elegant 

 winter weather— cool and bracing — and not at all of the 

 shivery, shaky sort. About dusk every day I hear black 

 ducks quacking, and marsh hens calling in the salt marshes 

 close at hand. Shall accept their invitation before long. 

 The Sea Island orange crop is a success this season, and°i 

 shall be likely to have "a few more left" on the trees for 

 friends and visitors all winter long. Next month comes 

 mallard and widgeon shooting among and near the Com- 

 bahee rice fields. Should I be able to indulge in a little of 

 this sport, I will tabulate results for your especial benefit. 

 Partridges are as abundant as usual on my premises. 



As I came over to the mainland just now to mail this, 

 with the oyster beds along the creeks just uncovering, I 

 passed a dozen or more sickle-bills, some twenty black 

 breast plover, and two or three hundred sanderlings. The 

 latter double up close to my boat, affording a magnificent 

 shot (for quantity), but I had no gun with me. A fine 

 chance here for incipient Nimrods, as the game is com. 

 paratively tame. t Rusticus, 



Ohio— Jefferson, Nov. 28t7i.—We have small game, con- 

 sisting of squirrels and quails, but the latter we are not 

 allowed to shoot this year as they were growing scarce 

 and our Legislature passed a law ou them, but next fall we 

 expect to have a plenty, 

 there are some woodcock 



Partridge are quite plenty, and 



k. Rabbits — the common erev 



grey- 



are reported very plenty. There are some white rabbits 

 but they are seldom shot. We have good sport with the 

 red fox every winter. We may not have as high bred 

 hounds as some, but we have several good dogs which we 

 follow with good success. Wild turkeys have been very 

 plenty here this winter, and quits a number of good on m 



