40 i 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



[Dbokmbbk i!S,l88i5-" 



^ ffj(mht(a^ ^tanion. 



A VISION or THE PAST. 



TN the rileiice of my roon 

 -*• I flit fliulnmi^c uf otliLi 

 There'HuoUylilurium!. m 

 No atai'-epark u 



8,t this flolmm noon of night, 



filcaiu L.r tu-.j tn diHKipatc tlic gloo 

 V liiti liai'liucby to ilJumt-t. 



Ab down Tiiuu's tliialy corridois I tm-ji uiy wistful eye, 



I'oud rotroapect briugB up the uoenes of the days so loug gone by. 



I Buera to sue befcira uic, Jikii old jiurtmitH ou the wall, 



Sportsmeu yvhu^e loiiiis und fcalui-es I uaii at ouoe recall. 



Ab niumory'B njiifric wiiiul 1 ifiixo, the men of otht-r days, 



Like appnntinuh of thf piiBt, come trooping to my gaze. 



t behold iu thif;, njy \ imuii, each old familiar scene, 



Where we bad fnini]ied the mtadon-B or trod the woodland gl'een ; 



Where we'd tjcali^d tin- breezy upland, or )>lmiged in boxky dell 



Iu Bummer's ht at or when the leavtB of ruKset autumn fell. 



Iu heinlo.^k wild<:nu-H.s where roved the wild deer herds of Maine. 



Where antlered stag or tawny doe helduumolcatedieigu ; 



Where tlie drum-heat of partridge or woodeock'n atartled cry 



Were heard in piny (hiekets domi where the brook nnept Ijy. 



And where lone Adu-ondatliB their Bhadows wide extend, 



And the bine moimtain Hun.iruth v.ith the honzou blend ; 



Where sparkliuj; stream sud eryBtiil lake, Uke gems, the valea hUay, 



There, well equipped with rod and gun, wo loved to take our way. 



Alid -wheve the sylvan prairies of IlUnoiB onteprcad 



Their measureless Bcecn pastores, whore thick tlia grouae BockB 



fed; 

 Whei-e myriads of vnXi pigeons and coveys of browu qllftil 

 Pilled gi'ove and plain: where oft we'd keep the trail 

 Fast by thy ^hoI■efi. old Oi:e;m, by rocky reef and bar, 

 In nhelly cove, or wheri' I he sand-.tpit Htretehed out white and fai-. 

 There, hidden in our boat, w'd lie in ambush for thedight 

 Of hoveriug brant or honliiuy ^iinnc from ilay-da-nii untd night 

 And oft where reedy marnhcj tbcu- leiiguc-ivide meadows spread, 

 Aud plover-call and curlew-cry were resonaul o'erhead, 

 There, oft amid those wary ilooks, to dcaJi out death we came. 

 And home retam'd with aumptnoufl wealth of migratory game. 



And when the winter days had come, and sports of field were o'er, 

 And, guu aud rod and dog dismissed, wo sought our homes once 



more, 

 Wolov'd by tireside bla/.e to ait and there enjoy again, 

 In genial talk, the uoblo sports ol wfiod and iiood aud pkin, 

 Calo Loring, of oldUoHton, piiuce of fowkd>j rare. 

 Can I lorget yom' royal sports, yoru- slcill beyoud compare ! 

 Forget our " Aeoni," " Cypress," iu these recoi-diug rhymes. 

 Then wont to fill the sanctum of the Spirit of tfic Times r 

 Tall Sou of Yoiik 1 0, Porter, who might forget thy famoV 

 What memories now brighten at mention of thy name ! 

 So eloquent iu speech, so cultur'd iu thy mind. 

 A giant in thy iorni, aa womtui toft and kind ! 

 Andotbcrt, ti.n>, were there!, renowned with gnu aud pen— 

 Sibley aud I'lctou, Seotl aud Trilkes, (dl princes among men ; 

 Anthon aud Clarke aud Foster, luid, chiefest name of all, 

 Frank Forrestei- ! What scenes those names recall ! 

 Poor Herbert ! ^Vho so briUiaul, 

 Whether in KniUing n 

 Ah, who BO eurue-r ii 

 Orwhei-e ihe tv.M.1, ai 



eatile as thotl, 

 nith a clouded brow V 

 Id, amid the hnxU of air, 



iU gli-amed in llie ininny glare. 



These porti'i'-iM .if I'Jr.d I'a-er, tLL-„e pielureJ uf the past, 

 Glow ever in my memory ; to lade Ihey »iU be lust. 

 But, alas ! the dust and shadows of the giave have closed fore'er 

 Ou many of those we cherish'd in the long-departed year. 

 fihella- Islaml, L. I. Isaao MeLELi.A!f. 



'•THE SPIRIT" CROWD. 



UY OOr.. TITOMAiJ PJOTON. 



THIRTY-FIVE yeai-.s iigo T lie Spirit of the TiiiM, the met- 

 ropolitan weekly, fur many ^ears previously prosper- 

 ous under the peculiar iiditorial muuageineut of Williiiui T. 

 Porter, bait attninetl the in-ight of its popularity, celebrity 

 and inlhienre tbnmgli ils receignitiem as the "gcutlenjiui's 

 newspaiier" ^if llm pcrinri, v.itU a corpa uf eontribiilors com- 

 prising lumieroint wjit(;rs of local distinetiou in every portion 

 of the country, whose productltms, goucrully comjioscd dur- 

 ing moments of cumpidsory leisure iiud e.xpre.ssl)' desijfaed 

 for instruction ui enu-riMinnieuI. of a distinctive chiss nf ap- 

 preciative readers, (ir,si siiv, the li^ht of day iu tbis diversilied 

 sheet. The Porter Ijrollmrs were intsn of decided ability and 

 of rure literary atlainmijnl.s, jreuial, social companions aud of 

 extended worblly t.xiierienci!, and hence it was not sur- 

 prising thai wlicii William, l!ie '■ Till! Hon of York " a.s he 

 ■was 1-e,,, , ,. • : ■ ■■ ,e I- 'i-mt of Ids remarkable 



SlatUT. /;. columns, aided by the 



advice hi'- more lugldy cuittu'ed 



brotbeiH. II p.-.i- .i,.M .. ..Ill, H,eee,li!jle rapidity into the houses 

 of turfmen, >'peirlh!ijcn, planters aud country gentlemen, 

 ■while lieiug arkuDwledt'td iu this metropolis as a standard 

 for refined amu^fmeul:^. 



Ilmn.'=t be rcineuiborcdihat m those days, wlum the pas- 

 sing generation were liiiclured with a decided pretliicclion to- 

 ward patrieiaiiism and a prejud=-- -■ ■■ ■ -^ ' '- ^- 



iclusi 



e fav 



„,^ , nd those of habitual leisiu'e 



ivcii. "e I '■-'' I Ml ily ripe scholars, but onthusias- 



,it. a.lnii , _■ I I,, , , ,, i 1 1 iiored in admiration of the pas- 

 tiniei, ami Ui .ei oii.:;; Iil ii: in esteem by the gentry upon Eng- 

 lish soil. The sportsmen of forty years since were almost 

 entirely dependent upon English publications, and those of a 

 very Jagll price, for cmTcnl literaimc and consejiuently (me 



of the Iwiding fetitiireu of yVe: - ;. '. inlii;:' ; .e. - miil 



been a judicious reproduclimi , i n 



Sporting Mai/azine and aiiml . I ,1 et 



which fli'od the ambition of our i,u-ue \,,i!ei-, v.u -. . ,e lapHc 

 Of little time, Innl the satislaclion of |,erceivin- tlieir eonlri- 

 bntionslo The Spiril tnmsferred to tlic (jlil \Vorl(i with lau- 

 datory comuumts upon the unexpected uprising of a sporting 

 literature in an American wilderness. SucJi was the case 

 pui'ticularly In Hie instance of Tom Thorpe's "Tom Owen, 



the Bee Hunter," ami the "Big Bear of the Arkansaw," two 

 sketches, descriptive of life itii the Southwest, for which he 

 had vainly sought a medium of publication at the South, 

 where he" was I hen dwelling a, comparatively obBcnre pdiron 

 Upon advice of a friend the'mamrsrriiits were trimsinitleil to 

 Porter, whose appreciation of talent and humor and keen seyise 

 in detection of eluuacter, at once suggested prouiinejd. pnli- 

 lication of the articles, whicli were, through his indorsement, 

 reprinted extensively in jiopular junrnaiR, aud finally adopted 

 iu England as lyijei of liithcrlo"\nd:nown American charac- 

 teristics. Throng!, Ibis f'lrtunalc chance in making a lirst 

 appearama- in 77e .S'/.////, anel a suijsequcul conlriljulion to 

 the Ainerirai, Turf heffi^t.r. likewise edited bv William, Col. 

 Thorpe acipurcd a prolilafile rc|>nlalion, emiuring uj) to the 

 time of his death, inasnmcli us lie was among the very few 

 sportiug writers wielding iL money making pen. Thc"7''(r/ 

 AVi^As^cr, moreover, was the main" can?e of liringing into ex- 

 istence as a sporting author Frank Forrestei-, as thci-ein lb i-- 

 bert made bi.s i/.,-fiHl in his controv(rsy with t'ypress, ,Jr. 



,g quail, r 

 quentiv enlarged ii 



umdier (if papers u|)on Am 



U'd in a serie; 



ibelli.obeil. 



aud ff 

 Porter, person: 

 most devoted 

 anuuallv in mi 

 Lon.j: Ipl-ml - 



johi'i.nM 



friemf 



for lit. 



IgllK 



illy, w 



.skeleton ol' bis 



of art: 



iii'l tie 



le p 



A. 



cles 



nled 



■liici 

 _lntion 

 in the 

 Field ; 



rii|de of 111 



rod. spending lus va. 



■• into the trout reni 



of Snllivan County 



"ial' abilities thnn"ten( 

 among wl 



atid precocious actress IMiaa Clara Fisher, it was announced 

 to be iuteuded as "a chronicle of Field Sports, the Turf aud 

 the Stage," but, upon its falling beneath charge of AYilliam 

 T. Porter, the literary department was assumed by Dr. Por- 



ter, who at one time was co-editor with N. P. Will 

 weekly, 77/e C'irsuir, intended as a ri*al 

 Among the compositrirs in The Spiiit ollicc v 

 ley, who was indelite.l lo W"' 



the 



printing bouse 



mcnt r'i:'-:ir,i ! 

 from I! 

 editoria. . e 



; \ JlcEln 

 :-:ilV. the du. 

 :Ve 



■ lie.' 



id i 



y/u- 



S/l/ 



ditors at Ihc riee - , :j:,i. . 

 to be so brilliant as to draw forth an injimclion 

 the same again." Some legal dillicuUies liavii 

 tonchiug ownership of 'J'hr Hpirit, the paper w 

 ley's suggestion, issued tea- a couple of 

 .l'e)/.v/',"a^ title axlopted by the '^white-i 



Alhhm. 

 :e Greu- 

 of the 

 -■mploy- 



■■'.- lirst 

 verted 



llci 



nd 



busn 



iced Ihrori^l 

 . wh(_)sepule 

 " ■(the 



the public 

 Papers," 



.bieh lit 





marked Henry Inman, the artist; Brough, the vocalist; 

 Oenio 0. Scolt and Lyman Derby, aspirants to leadership of 

 fashion in the fabrication of male garments; Wilkins Keu- 

 iif, yearly a visitor to our 



luau, aud several other Wid- 



d.tailed orally upon their 



■ale i.niee, signilicantly dc- 



•r a \'\<\\ dinner of captured 



lb his pro- 



to apparently frivolous pastii 

 ■ealK capable writer, .lei. i.l. ni I 



-isines. friends as lo cans., of 

 . t.e.vii. Like William P. llawe.«, 



1 I .■cs,-,, .Jr." have been c.jmpiled 

 in ester wilh intent of Bccuriug a 

 jilow, William C Biurett, whose 

 uen of biteyeafs entirely (jbliler- 

 lable di.shom'sly, was n praclicini; 

 and at the Sanie time one of the 



iendlv 



dall, of the New Orleans 1 

 city during the summer mouths 

 tlenum and representative sjxirt! 

 toniaua, whose adventures, (hd 

 return, either in The Sp!riCx-\m 

 noted "The Sanctum," or lAer a lisli ilinue 

 game, served up to order by Ne.l Win. lust, hen 

 icssiomd supervision, and in a (piaint suliterranean parlor, 

 that miostenialions apiirtm.mt ..i the ShaUespieare, into 

 which none save the elect .d his pati'.ms wei.- potferc^d to 

 penetrate, rurnisUed the liasis f.,r e.cnuless amusin- and in- 

 structive auecdolid narratives. ^vhi|)ped iiUo sliapie b\ friend- 

 ly pcn.s, the identitv of Ihe chiet a.-t'.rsin wbi.di. aUli.-juuli 

 well known to membera of Thr Spirit (u.tcrie, bc-ing di.scrclly 

 concealed from the general public wlw, devoted to business 

 carea, could not be brought into appreciation of a professional 



man's devotion i 



Consequently wIk 

 measure upon po[Milar f 

 tion, thought proper to 



he cautiously assume.! 



devices to b ■' e . 



his tcm|iorar\^; ■ 



whose btcrnl.v . i-: :.- 

 and edited bv f'.-imk 

 iriilino piiiancc Inr hi' 

 fairfamcasalawurbi 

 ated by an act of unpan 

 alloriu-y of high .sbandui. 

 most inveterate and skiliful tishermcn o 

 adept with rod and jien, upon whose fi 

 whose ■(varm solicitation Frank Forrester was induced 

 lo uudertake, aud finally to (;oraplete his •■Fish and Pishuig," 

 in which work, however, he was maierially aided liy 

 "Dinks," a thoroughbred sportsnum— Cajilain Spencer Peed, 

 of the Royal Canadian Rifles. A tlurad, and versalile wril(a-, 

 Barrett persistently preserved his incognito through a per|jc- 

 tual change in tlic uli.ases appended to his ciaitributi.ins and 

 variation of bii m - , ' !'■ so eitcctually as precludes po.ssi- 

 bility of posiii- r '.min their authorship. Diiriiii;^ 



the earlier da; I i le, |.,..ii(-e at tlie bar, finding ill., be 

 hopeless lo n-sist temptation tor uidulgeuce in his favorite 

 diversion, he woidd console clamorous clients through a.ssm- 

 aJice of being called out of town lo argue a uiolion lud'orc tie; 

 Chancellor, so .strong was the then prevailing sentiment 

 among Vmsimvs.:- men ((gainst their legal a.lviscrs going Ibrth 

 for "a day's slaiotiiig." Auother chandesline coidribiit(U- to 

 The f<ji/ril was Ihe'Kev. Dr. Bethime. who. ho-.vcver, mus- 

 tered courage adequate to public avowal <d' himself as editor 

 of American edition of " Walt(jn's Angler," nuieh in demand 

 with local bibliomaniacs huuliug after the vohmie, on ac- 

 count of the reverend annotator's reputation, wilh animpulse 

 similar lo that actuating ucipuisiliou of a black letter Julia 

 Beruycr. 



It will b(. perceived that in those earlier days a sporting 

 lawyer or a piBeaOaial divine stood in danger of excommuni- 

 cation uere Ids pr.:)clivilius lo be honestly confessed, and 

 hence came it that the invilvng fields of .sporting literature 

 remained with us nntilled save by snrreptilions or disgtused 

 laborers, until .Mr. Haw(?-( audllerbert set a commendable ex- 

 (uuplc to ambitions aspirants through volimtarily unma.sking 

 their faces to an admiring public. Henry Wilfiam Herbert 

 dilTered from all his sporting c(«itemp(in(rie3 in Ihe eiave 

 parlicular of being condemned to involuntarily literary -^ei\ '[- 

 lude whereby to earn Ids daily bread, and for many yeai>, in- 

 ■as rather a eom])ulsory relaxation, 

 nrcmitted pn;ssure upon an over- 

 sake of mere am((semcut It wa^ 

 L'U of America that Herbert chanced 

 mited means, otherwise he wotdd 

 ito composition of those volumes 

 .st-m(5rlem fame, for, during his life- 



dulgcnce in liekl sporl 

 necessary to relieve an 

 taxed brain than for the 

 forlimate for the sportsi 

 to be a man of very 

 never liave been forced 

 upon ■\vhich rest his y 



■.diim( 

 of tlic 



attain celeb 

 ling bis sp(vrtiug contributions to 

 IS mere ephemeral pi-oduclh.ns to 

 diflic(dtics. Upon the "Roman 

 well, laighuid's Great Protector," 

 e for a (iurable reputation, wldle 

 Oid World" he bestowed more 

 I upon olhM'3 of his productions, ex- 

 .ak upon "The Horse," which en 

 at "The Cedars" for more than a 

 ijiilation having been commenced at 

 It Hall, once a prondnciit lawyer and 

 President of the .loekey Clid) at the time of the escitingniatch 

 between Boston and Fashion. Herbert van a very superior 

 horseman and quile a cavalry officer, having commanded a 

 company of yeomanry bel'ore leaving England, and was the 

 first gentleman to appear upon the turf as an amateur rider, 

 being beaten, however, on account of the superiority of the 

 lior.se of his antagonist, the well-known Lovel Purdy, upon 

 the Uniou Course. 



When 77ie Spirit ■was commenced by a gentleman named 

 Fisher, 'who prided himself upon being brother to the famous 



he toiled asaiduoirsly 

 and hislori(*ul author, regarr 

 magazines aud newspapers i 

 alleviate passing tiuaneial 

 Traitor- and " Oliver Crom 

 he )ilaced his firmest i 

 upon "The Capta' 

 labor and research tlia 

 ccpling his elaborale i 

 gaged his leisure hoiu- 

 series (.f years, ils cm 

 iggcstiou of .1. Prcsi 



ctcbincsexecule.l lo 

 ■acted nmcli altenliorr 

 ■lit with the (jpeninii^ 

 mance, tlie aulborship being 

 Adams Locke, Herb(jrl, ' 



bad a 

 77'e , 



tiuist, and other writers of disi 

 pu liatiou, more or less indign 

 the amusement of the imposil 

 have been a triuis(a-ipl' 

 maucc by an .ibscu 

 Ctorrectlj' spcakii 

 a Sporting periodic, 



inueh as it aimed a 

 icaii Tmf, p. the | 

 ipjently a vast maj 



IS elcemed 

 .jt "to do 

 occurred 

 I, at, Grcc- 

 iks as The Jfmn 

 ted philosopher " 

 conjunction wi til 

 'nsmen. The suc- 

 as materially e.n- 

 s hoax upon Por- 

 d somewhat of a 

 aviiig anoomiced 

 I to sncccc.l "The Pickwick 

 sition wasiiiilially (lesiiii)cd to 

 ve us a lcltcr-pic.-:s ;ie.jompani- 

 Scymoiir, wle.se " Sketches" 

 1 England, some one supplie 

 ■haplers of " ilo/.'^" new ro • 

 fariou.sly ascribed to Richard 

 Gaylord" Clark, Clay the carica- 



essforhimself 

 .f Porter's t 



faith 'er. 

 ^. Diekci 



iclic 



WlH: 



whose leltcra of re- 

 bided amazingly to 

 t was discovered lO 

 Englksh sporting ro- 



■egtuded i 



cille^ 



ibs.det 

 lawyer's clerk. 

 ig T/ui Spirit could iievi 

 id, although well supplie 

 le and field aporla of our country, inas- 

 1 being the reciguiztsd orgsm of the Amer- 

 iireindice of sec.Jiulary interests. Conse- 

 if ils contribulor.s, re.sident Out of 



nthusi 



,st.'i. portrayi- 



ng or quiet hninor- 

 n.l Western lite and 

 .1 almost pcr.-.onallvnnkuowutO '•The 

 S/ii/'il crowd," as Ihohabitua,! visitors lo the oflice were fa- 

 miliarly desigiuited, imless taking advantage of a wisual visit 

 to this city to pay their respects to the "Tall Scm of Y'ork," 

 who ever received them with a prodigal hMpitality, niinous 

 to his fiuancial prospect.s. The horse ■was the idol of "William's 

 adndration and no man ever .everted more indefuligablo zeal 

 in the eulistment of artistic udeui to commemorate the fea- 

 tures of his eriuine fav. .rites, '/'h- ,'<pifit was published 

 wholly by sub.scri|itions of teu dollars annually — assuredly a 

 very bigh price— and in jiart compensation the publisher pre- 

 sented to his patrons large sleel engravings, suitable for par- 

 lor ornamentation, thus familiiui-/,inglhc'(leiii-/.ensor tlie rural 



districts with works of art indie 

 fore the invention of Daguerre ; 

 of photography, .all porlraila w 

 ' ile an animal painter was m( 



id the 



■cfincd taste. 



i!li 



lie- 



■alio 



Ac 

 upon 

 Lima 

 day, 



77.. 



nalive-ljorn g(miu 

 1, probably" Ihe 

 (Ud Troves', an a 

 European celcbr 

 ■e were drawn de 



ril was ( 

 and. thr. 

 leading 



otise.iueiilly f.. 

 portrait pain 



i;.l t.-. nly 



of Henry 



of his 



titly 



paint ing.s, 



;• seal 



:\ conti 

 t at pre 



the carli. 

 i3^inia clai 

 fhat of tl 

 Eclipse a 

 Fasliion, 

 ,.,,fil„.,-;, 

 and fa. I 

 Islanil, I 

 confttsio, 

 turf, eve 



e Korth fn 

 Id llcnrv. 



,subs( 



supjpl}' elaborale 



for engravings upou sleel 



Ijuled liberally toward advanceDienl of 



■nt jiasscd miiterially out of use. 



V, York city may have been regarded 



ii irest at the Korth, for, singular lo 



' . .ling charaierized our races from 



1 1 11 1 sport upon this continent, Yir- 



(aimn of the South and New Y^ork 



tlie days of the exciting mideli between 



111 to tiic more recent contests between 



1 Feytona, 



.lid South. 



Diirin.. 



Ihe spring 



.vClnb. lb 



■n liel.l 



ipon Long 



■pint was 

 whercu,„e, 



I s.-eee . 



r edifving 



•s .jf the 



.,f df' 



paths 



pl'^'l '■■I' ' le- ,-'' ■■! ' '..a, \Vlili(jm U. 



i: ! ' in, with a Ruper- 

 etiy claimed .as 



. iliii.iri" 'iV 111 i,Iampt.,)n,uf South 

 Carolina, the peiltci type of Southern chivalry; Long, of 

 Washington, and Dick Ten Brocck, of Kentuck3', famous to 

 the present hour through his traus-AHantic experiCTicc. To 

 meet these iiujn of note our city produced such sporting wor- 

 thies iis Alderman Charies Henry Hall, a patrician, who.se 

 town residence had been converted into the famous Nibfo's 

 Walter Livingston, owner of Trustee, a diplomatist 

 school, familiarly laiown as " the last of the while 

 William Gibbons, owner of Pasliiou, an enterpris- 

 ing St. amsliip owner and indeed foiinder of Comutodorc Vau- 

 derbilt's immense fortune; and flic Stevens bnnhers, subse- 

 quently identitled iu the proutotiou of yachting and (lev(!lop- 

 inciit of engineering enterprises — a cougregation of wealth, 

 probity an(i intelligence the Uke of which, il may be well 

 observed, we may never chance lo sea again. 



owners stood , > . 

 Johnston, of \' 

 lusmianco of e i 

 being "the !Na 



Gardci 



if Ihe 



Kiiilor Fi treat and Btrm 

 Yours of Nov, ■30 is b 

 with your request for ai 

 but I'fear it will not be 

 many weeks laid up by 

 gia in my head, whicli ; 

 >pt for sb( 



me I should be glad to comply 

 ■le for your Christmas ttumber, 

 ny power, as I have been for 

 tack of rheimiutism and neura.!- 

 ils me from (he use of my pen, 

 When I was attacked I was prepar- 



ng an article for FoiiEs-r .vnu S'xue.^m, the end of ■which I 

 cannot anticipate. This disease is the angler's special enemy, 

 as I have good reason b;. know. 



I think my c.jusin. Isaac ilcLellan, aud I are among the old- 

 est writers on sporting .subjccis. I began more than fifty years 

 ago, in the Sprtrtin;/ Mugn-Jni:^ published in Baltimore by J. 

 S" Slunner, and have written for most of ils succosaors. 



As soon as I am able lo travel (if ever) I expect to go lo 

 my usual haunt iu South Florida, from which you will bear 

 from me. 



When my friend Hallock left your paper 1 expected to lose 

 my iDteresl iu it, but such baa not been the case. I see no 

 falling off, but ralher the reverse. 



Very truly yours, B. C. Clarke. 



Marietta, (iu., 1880. 



