402 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



a pack of hounds, Catahoola Lake is the place, so I am 

 told. I have not yet had an opportunity of visiting the 

 locality—for ducks and geese-— there they congregate in 

 vast numbers, the feeding grounds being of the very best. 

 Quail are abundant, and with a dog one need never come 

 home without a good bag. 



No better country can be found for the sportsman, but 

 It will not be long, if there are not some game laws passed 

 and enforced. All kind of game is taken out of season, 

 and the only reason it is so plentiful, is because there are 

 so few that hunt them. Deer is the only kind of game as 

 yet being injured by the lack of protective law. It is as- 

 tonishing how ignorant the people are of the great variety 

 of food they have at their very doors, ot which they do not 

 avail themselves. One instance will suffice to show this : 

 Starting one morning just after daybreak for a fish on Clear 

 creek, having been out there but once before, I missed the 

 y ad — (one can easily get lost in the "piney" woods roads, 

 they run in all directions)— I soon discovered this, but as 

 the road was leading in the right direction I concluded to 

 keep on. Alter a long drive I came to a creek I supposed 

 was Clear creek, but lower down than where I had been 

 before. I was soon at my favorite spot and during the 

 morning took twenty -four fine bass and three or four jack. 

 On my way home I met a countryman and asked if it was 

 Clear creek I had been on. He said "No, it was a branch 

 called Beaver." He then said, "You been fishing?" I 

 answered yes! "You didn't catch any though?" Oh yes, 

 I said, showing him my catch. He said "Well deu tell, I 

 have been born and raised on that ere creek and I never 

 knowed there was eny fish in it." And strange as it may 

 appear there are hosts of them who are as uninformed as 

 this man, and those who do know better do not appear to 

 take advantage of it; they would rather eat pork and corn 

 bread, and when that gives out, go witheut and complain 

 of hard times. , The people of this country have yet to learn 

 how to utilize what there is around them and make things 

 yield to their benefits . But I have already occupied too 

 much of your time and space and will reserve for a future 

 letter the trip of myself and party to Trout creek and Sul- 

 phur Springs, Plume del Rosa. 



1827 the Gravity railroad was constructed. The cars were 

 sent down by their own gravity, and were drawn back by 

 mules. In 1844 the present Switch Back was adopted, and 

 (Mr. Bergh, N. B.,) the poor mules were emancipated. The 

 contemplated ride on the Switch Back seems at first rather 

 appalling, but after being told that Brick Pomeroy and 

 other lesser luminaries have circled around in safety, you 

 conclude to try It. You enjoy it exceedingly, particularly 

 after the ascent is accomplished, and you are standing 

 firmly on the summit of Mt. Pisgah. There is the mottled 

 valley far down below; there is the Lehigh river, writhing 

 about in its tortuous bed ; there are the Blue Mountains, 

 with their scalloped ridges; there is the "Water Gap," 

 yawning in the distance; and over all is the smoke and 

 dust of an immense industry, which in less than a hundred 

 years of time has been wrested from the very heart of the 

 mountains, and now furnishes heat, light, and employ- 

 ment, to hundreds of thousands of human beings. A. C. 



THE LEHIGH 



For Forest and Stream. 

 VALLEY. 



A TRIP FOR QUAIL 



For Forest and Stream. 

 IN MARYLAND. 



I had frequently heard the Lehigh Valley called "The 

 Switzerland of America"; but confess to having regarded 

 this complimentary baptism as the result of that outflow of 

 enthusiasm whi«h inspires the susceptible railway com- 

 panion to declare that every romantic looking stream ten 

 yards broad, that goes throbbing over a bed of stones, re- 

 minds him of "the rapids above Niagara Falls." Thanks 

 to the enterprising railroad managers of our Centennial 

 era, for a better appreciation of this beautiful and inter- 

 esting portion of the country. As soon as the conductor of 

 the excursion train called out "fall off" at Jonesburgh (or 

 some such place), I was conscious of having passed into a 

 different, if not a wilder region than that of New York 

 State, but should never have known of the goodly store 

 of romantic views packed in among the Lehigh Mountains, 

 had I not concluded to "fall off" myself at Mauch Chunk. 

 My opinion now is, that lacking the good sense to "fall off," 

 I should have been much obliged if somebody had pushed 

 me off. The scenery of Mauch Chunk is truly enchant- 

 ing. It is not quite equal to Switzerland in natural craggi- 

 ness, still its glistening piles of black diamonds, its 

 begrimed mountain slopes and coal-pockets, give it a 

 rough and sombre look, which amply compensate for that 

 deficiency. Viewed by moonlight, there is something 

 wild and spectral in its fascination. The group of high 

 mountains among which the white village nestles "down 

 so deep," look as black as ink by night. Standing out in the 

 open street, you have the sensation of being in a deep pit 

 of the "inferno" pattern, and have a fear of un jointing 

 your neck straining after a glimpse of the far off sky. 

 Perhaps you will wonder what on earth is the matter with 

 the heavens! They look as though they had been par- 

 titioned off by some mighty spirit of evil, who had suc- 

 ceeded in obtaining all that desirable portion which lies 

 contiguous to "our world." It takes some time to fully 

 realize that you are only among mountains of carbon; that 

 Mauch Chunk, or Machk Tschunk, translated from the 

 Indian dialect, means Bear Mountain, and that it is this 

 game mountain with its high, round top, that assists so 

 largely in cutting off your proper allowance of celestial 

 m©onshine. Your first morning views of Mauch Chunk 

 will most likely be taken from Prospect and Flag-staff 

 rocks, to which you have scrambled by the well known 

 "Donkey Path." Flagstaff rock is one of the highest 

 points thereabouts, and takes its name from the lightning 

 stricken tree, from which waved our atars and stripes 

 during the late war. Afterward, when the Prussian flag 

 essayed to wave therefrom, the old hemlock staff was 

 felled to the earth. Moore's Wild Ravine, and Lent's cele- 

 brated Trout Ponds, beckon you onward, but the first is a 

 rough clothes-destroying place, and the other is seven 

 miles away; and you look at the smutty brow of Mount 

 Pisgah, and her famous Switch Back, and feel that she 

 cannot be slighted. The business history of Mauch 

 Chunk is hardly less interesting than its romantic scenery. 

 In 1791, Phillip Gintir, the brave hunter and pioneer, dis- 

 covered some hard lumps of coal near Summit Hill, which 

 : the Philadelphia savans pronounced "good only for 

 putting out fire." In due course of time it was declared 

 combustible, and then came the long hard struggle to intro- 

 duce it into the market by pitiful little wagon loads, 

 drawn nine miles flown, the rough, mountain f?ides. In 



Areeent trip on the Maryland peninsula, though not 

 compensating in the way of game on account of con- 

 tingencies that all hunters experience, may have yielded a 

 point or so to interest sportsmen. The peninsula is won- 

 fully well snpplied with railroads, most of them of recent 

 construction — so well supplied that a drive of no more than 

 ten or fifteen miles is required to reach any part of Dela- 

 ware or the eastern shore of Maryland. The Delaware 

 Railroad divides that State and terminates at Delmar on 

 the border, where it is joined by the Eastern Shore Road 

 which continues on to Crisfield, Maryland's extremity. 

 Four roads branch from the Delaware Road running 

 through Maryland to points on the Chesapeake, and four 

 on the east running through both Delaware and Maryland. 

 For availibility they unquestionably open the best territory 

 in the country for quail, English snipe, woodcock, and 

 wild fowl, and it is without question more resorted to than 

 any district in this country. It is the main out-look for 

 Baltimore, Philadelphia, and a good many New York 

 sportsmen. I have no means of estimating this kind of 

 travel, but as a sample, a friend reports from his own count, 

 seventy -four dogs on one train of the Delaware Railroad 

 three weeks after the quail season had opened. Regular and 

 reasonable dog fares are charged on this road — seventy-five 

 cents a head to Delmar, or about half a cent a mile— with 

 the privilage of taking the dogs in the smoking car. Our 

 party started Dec. 13th, or about a week after the severe 

 cold snap and snow storm, and stopped first at Princess 

 Anne, Md. The weather was pleasant, but the snow and 

 frost had left the level, light soil in a four inch mushy con- 

 dition, and the quails having taken to the woods and 

 swamps during the cold snap, still stuck to them, remain- 

 ing in the dense cover, and only feeding on its edge. Be- 

 fore the storm they were located in the fields chiefly, and 

 the covey shot could be had, with a fair average of open 

 shooting in the first break. Some veracious hunters (non- 

 residents) reported from twenty to forty covies a day as 

 the raise from day to day, during a hunt of two weeks; and 

 from the "signs" I saw, I should not question their state- 

 ment. We (two) shot about two dozen birds in a day and 

 a half, not wasting much shot, and not get#Pg more than 

 one fair snap shot out of a half dozen rises. The dense 

 second growth pine undergrowth and greenbriars effectu- 

 ally protect birds that take to it. But the clearings out- 

 acre the woodland, and I should judge before rough 

 weather drives the birds to timber, that a fair shot could 

 readily bag two scores a day any where in this locality. 

 Rider, at Princess Anne, keeps a middling good hotel, but 

 his charges are too airy for the country. His tariff, as far 

 as I could cipher it, was $3 per day for board, and $5 per 

 day for a team, and $1 to $2 additional for driver. This 

 is the highest rate in my gunning experience for country 

 quarters. If he wish to encourage gunning patronage, it 

 would be politic for him to conform to usual rates, which 

 rarely exceed $2 per day. Most any farmer in this 

 locality, I was told, would board respectable gunning 

 parties for $5 a week, or $1 a day, for less time. This is 

 better than in a town, for you can locate right in good 

 hunting ground. There are fine meadows hereabout for 

 English snipe, and they and woodcock are said to be very 

 plentiful in their season. 



On Saturday we took the back track without a point 

 decided upon for locating at, but resting between New 

 Market on the Dorchester & Delaware Railroad, where it 

 is said you can get comfort (at Bramble's house) and gOod 

 shooting combined, and the Virginia peninsula. At Salis- 

 bury, the junction of the Wicomico & Pocomoke Rail- 

 road, Ike Mill's car was hitched to the train. It had come 

 from Ocean City, where he and a friend had been ducking. 

 I had heard much of Mr. Mill's prowess with the gun, and 

 did not hesitate to intrude upon him, and met with a kindly 

 reception. Being a keen sportsman and as Superintendent 

 of the Delaware Railroad, commanding special facilities 

 for moving from point to point, he is probably the best 

 posted man on hunting on the peninsula. He stated that 

 quail had been and were still unusually plentiful, and that 

 you could scarcely go amiss for them in either State. He 

 said if we would stop at Seaford he would show us as good 

 quail shooting as we would wish for. We so arranged for 

 a few days before our return, having decided to look at the 

 ducking qualities of Chincoteague Island and the quail 

 ground in Accomac and Northampton counties, Va. So 

 we bade Ike Mills good bye with the expectation of a 

 pleasant hunt with him. (Everybody knows "Ike" Mills 

 | about there, so Jie puts, it, but "Mr," Mills is a stranger.) 



We went over the Pocomoke Road to Berlin, where we 

 heard something of Mr. Hallock's late shoot thereabout. 

 This is the second time I have chanced upon his route 

 (and he has the knack of getting upon good ones.) The 

 other was in the Neosho Valley, Kansas — a district running 

 on that meridian south — which I do not think is excelled, 

 if equalled by any in the country for game. At Berlin we 

 took the Worcester Railroad, which since spring was ex- 

 tended to Franklin on the shore of Chincoteague Sound, 

 where a small steamer plies to and from the island in con- 

 nection with trains. Owing to extreme low water the 

 little steamer was seven hours making her seven mile trip, 

 and did not reach Joe English's until after 1 o'clock Sun- 

 day morning. He has built a new house and it is a decid- 

 edly comfortable place for hunters in winter, both in table 

 and rooms, and it has a tempting summer look too. His 

 rate is $2 a day, and gunners with outfit charge from $2.50 

 to $3 a day. We had trouble enough to get on the island, 

 and our next anxiety was to get off* It grew very cold on 

 Sunday and threatened a "freeze up," which means im- 

 prisonment upon the island until the "thaw out." 



On Monday a couple of plucky and enduring young men 

 got us to^the main-land in a yawl boat by cutting through ice 

 and going some fourteen miles roundabout. Other parties 

 decided to take chances with the steamboat, but as the 

 "freeze up" was accomplished the next night I judge they 

 may be enjoying themselves upon the island yet. A party 

 of two New Yorkers that had just arrived at Franklin, 

 were patiently waiting there for the steamer to take them 

 to the Island. Judging from their commissary they were 

 out for a campaign. They had three trunks, 200jpounds of 

 shot, ten gallons of whiskey, and other stores in proportion. 

 We next went to Tom Pettit's at Horntown, Accomac 

 county, whom we found to realize the standard of what 

 a good landloid ought to be, well posted, and his 

 guests interests and pleasure at heart rather than his own. 

 We liked the appearance of the grounds we passed through 

 to reach his place better than any we had been on. There 

 were good thick stubbles and cornfields and brushy fence 

 rows and much of the timber was the original growth, 

 not matted with undergrowth, and practicable to shoot 

 in. Birds were said to be plentiful. One farmer 

 told us he had three large flocks in one small stub- 

 ble, besides several other flocks, and invited us over. 

 Some of the New Jersey dog trainers are located there with 

 their kennels. One of them told us a dozen birds a day 

 was a big bag for that locality. This was "business," for if 

 true they had better stay in Jersey, in any part of which 

 they could do that well or better. On Monday evening the 

 rain changedto snow, which fell some four inches deep, thus 

 effectually putting an end to any hope we may have had of 

 field shooting, for a week at least, so on the verge of suc- 

 cess, we had nothing to do but to debit our trip to profit 

 and loss and disappointment, and take the next morning 

 train for Philadelphia. But I feel satisfied that there ia 

 good field shooting to be had in the vicinity of Horntown, 

 and from what disinterested residents told me it is better 

 farther down the peninsula, about Bellhaven, and the late 

 Henry A. Wise's locality. Tom Pettit's place is seven 

 miles from Stockton, from which a stage runs. He has 

 plain comfortable quarters, ducking outfits, boats, teams, 

 oyster beds, &c, and voluntarily and heartily does every 

 thing to further his guests pleasure and comfort. His 

 terms are $1 50 per day. I have struck upon so many 

 cheerless, unhomelike hotels, when on hunting trips that I 

 always like to hear of good places and to let others know 

 of them. Railroad fares are not exorbitant as they are 

 further south, but range about the same as they do north. 

 Not traveling directly I cannot give through rates, but 

 the fare from Philadelphia to Princess Anne, 144 miles, is 

 $4 30, and from Stocton to Philadelphia, $5, or averaging 

 three cent * a mile. 



The quail shooting in the northern parts of these states 

 where the land is nearly all redeemed and under fine culti 

 vation, is good enough to satisfy any sportsman at the 

 opening of the season. 



Before the Maryland & Delaware Railroad opened up its 

 district to the sportsman, when shooting there, I was 

 struck with the large proportion of old quail bagged. The 

 explanation given by old residents was that covies were not 

 much thinned by hunters, that they were large and often 

 two or more together, and in the spring instead of quietly 

 pairing and rearing broods, the cocks were perpetually at 

 war, and the hens would scatter their eggs along the 

 hedges and fences, where they were gathered in quantities 

 by the negroes. The increase consequently was nominal. 

 The fact shows Natures law to guard against excessive in- 

 crease, and also that the judicious thinning of a covey to 

 two or three pairs, or to the point where they will mate 

 and brood will insure an increased instead of a decreased 



stock of these birds. B . 

 -»♦-»_ 



For Forest and Stream, 



FIRST QUAIL. 



MY 



THE vivid remembrance of my first quail shot on the 

 wing, dwells as firmly in my mind as though my 

 achievement had occurred but yesterday. It was a pleas- 

 ant day in early December, though snow fell in large white 

 flakes, covering the earth with its pure mantle. I was 

 quite well advanced in my teens, devetedly fond of field 

 and athletic sports, in which I considered myself, and per- 

 haps with some foundation, a proficient for my age. On 

 the morning in question, I was delighted to hear the cheery 

 whistle of a quail, resounding, shrill and blithely from the 

 coppice bordering the home farm. I ran to the house, 

 seized my gun, ohot pouch, and powder flask, and 



