Deo«mbbb80, 1880.] 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



431 



have been killed and shipped to market on previous years 

 as late as Marcli. In the wiutor and sprins; of 1877 two hunt- 

 ers, now living nciir Indian Luke, killed ijfty-two deer by 

 crust hnnlin.i,'-, leaving tiiiriy of them to n<[ in the woods. 

 Mr. Palmer is now 0(it on snow shoes walcliini: the yarding 

 grounds for violators o£ the law. 



Last week three men went into the groimds of Mr. Erastus 

 Corning, near Albany, N. Y.. with ferrets. They were not 

 looking after Mr. Brayton, .State Game Prelector, but were 

 more particularly seeking ralibit!?. When Mr. Bruyton ap- 

 peared they had an engagement elsewliero and could" not stop 

 to see Lim. In their hurry to get home they had not time to 

 gather up all the ferrets, and one is now awaiting an owner 

 in the hands of Mr. Bray ton. 



DITTJIAR POWDER REYBRBEBATIONS. 



Bbookfield, N. Y., Dec. 

 B^iiOr Forent and Stream : 



Many thanks for your articles on Dittmar powder. I was 

 about to get Bome. For dowuright fearlessness when in the 

 I'iglit FoBEST AKD Stbbam is aJiead. II. L. G. 



OswECio, N. y., Dec. 10. 

 Editor Fnrent and Stream : 



(iond for you on DittDjar powder. You have undoubtedly 

 saved the live^ of scores of aportsmeu. Please send me your 

 pamphlet upon the subject of their compound. F. E, H. 



Ottawa, Dec. 15. 



Mttor Fi-)'C:;t f'ti,' Sljrnm : 



While I am wi iling yiiu tliis note let me say that I was e.K- 

 tremely pleased 1.) read your able exposure of the Diltmai 

 powder, and I fancy most, sportsmen read you articles with 

 feelings similar to my own. Had the company gone on there 

 would have been plenty of "cripples" among the f^iiortsmcn 

 as well as the birds. II. 11. S. 



Spknoeu, Mass., Dec. 11. 

 EdiUir F(fresl ond Stremn : 



Much interested in your Di I tniar powder articles. Many 

 thanks for your faiiliful and thorough exposure. You liave 

 made many new fripnds hereabout and strenglliened old ones. 

 A paper at once so failbful and so fearless deserves a large 

 increase of circulation, and I am confident will liave it. 

 Please send uic cop3^ of the articles ; will distribute to our 

 club should you send several. A. S. W. 



PtTrsmrtOH, Dec. 14. 



Edii„r Forr.':t and Shrmn : 



Icon-raHilale von o;, il,n Dinmar powdnr arlirlcs. the 

 good \<y,\ have Oiini' lUe Fi.oHfime]) of llii- ccunlry is imr-aloii. 

 lable.No words in reply will or can answer t'ne exposure. AH 

 sportsmen who value life or limb will lei tlio <an-aed stuff 

 alone. I have had much esperience with ii, and had resolved 

 on this action before your exposure, oiv account of the unac- 

 countables I had with it, and your article confirms my wis- 

 dom. I. R. Staytos, Sec. Peuu. State Field Trials Asso. 



Marshalltows, Iowx, Dec. 13. 



Fdi'tor Forrest imd Strfnm : 



To say that Jam ]. leased witii your journal will convey but 

 a very faint idea of my ngard for its valuable articles and its 

 purity, frcfdom and fea.rles.^ness. No, you don't need to 

 shake up Ditlmar; he shakes himself up enough in his own 

 Statemeiils. 1 have io thank you for your esposme of " this 

 tamed ilown sl\dT," as I was jnst about to send for some, btit 

 liave changed rny mind. 1 had heard of manyaccidents with 

 it, but supposed'it was the result of carelessness in loading : 

 but am convinced to the contrary by Dittmar's own state- 

 ments. R. H. W. 



^\■^SBsoR Looks, Conn., Dec. S3. 



Editor Forest nnd f^lreav, : 



The cold weather has iuit a quietus on shooting. We sup- 

 pose the atlenlion will be turned to flsliing through the ice in 

 the Conni'cl icut. River. We are Informed that bass are freely 

 taken bv spears through the ice. About Christmas there will 

 besome shooting by law-abiding sportsmen, as game cannot 

 be taken lawfully' after January 1. IVc wish to say one 

 word iu regard to "the Dittmar powder case. First, we thank 

 you with all oin- strength for your exposure .- for, although we 

 are amateurs, we still have handled matiy gnus and Ijurned 

 some powder, and we might have tried Dittmar in the future 

 had you not exposed it so well. We know there are "Three 

 True Blues " who will ever thank you. Lowek Bunk. 



New B00HEU.E, I^. Y,, Dec. 15. 

 Editor Foreat and Stream : 



I have read all that has been written in your paper about 

 the Dittmar powiler From the beginning I distrusted its 

 practical utility for the rifle or shot-gun. After about four 

 years' hesitation I bought one poiuid to satisfy myself about 

 it. This seemed, on trial, to give no vi-locity to the bullet 

 Ireprcsenled this to the dealer from wliom 1 purch.rsed it, 

 who said the fault was in the loading. My dollar was gone, 

 and I had the stuff on band. I considered myself sold, and 

 closed the canister for good. 



It was not only a cheat to sell this powder in the way it 

 was done, but a crime deserving the highest punishment. I 

 am glad you made war on it, and I only wonder you did not 

 do i? before. 



Your article of exposure was so complete as led me to say; 

 "The jig is up. Good-by, humbug Dittmar powder, for- 

 ever " The sale of it was truly a "sawdust" affair. Your 

 petard blew it " sky high." Thank God ! When 1 get time 

 I will tie my canister to a twenty-pound stone, row far out 

 into the Sound and sink it so deep that the lobsters cannot 

 find it. M. 



Editor Foreist and Stream : 



FoEBBT akd Strtsam descrvcs well of .sportsmeo for its 

 exliaustivo report of the Dittmnr powder. 3Iany times I 

 have been on the jioint of using it, lait always the silent 

 monitor bid me let it alona and be contented willi fjlaek pow- 

 der. But there came u time when I ceased lo uesiru 10 use 

 it. Two of my acquaintances had the one .1 r 



a shotgun, bxirst at the breech using it. Th 



liae came near losing his shootuig eye. Tho - 



caped with a bad shaking up and temporary ilL-rMigement. 

 Neither of the men have made a .stuiomcn! of the matter in 

 print. Why, I do not know, unless it lie because they had 

 reely recommended it to others as every way safe, and so 



were ashamed to do so. I think, judging by these two in- 

 stances, that a very small per cent, of such accidents have 

 been reported. Now that the ninnufaciurers have issued 

 their pamphlet, would it tiol be a good point to "cany the 

 war into Africa," and i-erjuest, through your colunms, tlic 

 names of parties who have suffered in eouseiiueuco of using 

 the powder? TKAa'i»KB. 



Teekino Geousk. — I have been a good deal interested, not 

 to say amused, at the ideas and experiences of different 

 writers about the treeing of grouse, because it happened that 

 my first grouse shooting was^'over a treeing dog. He was as 

 go'od as i have ever seen, and I have seen a few good ones — 

 not man v, for the haidesl dog to find these days is a good 

 pheasant dog, as we call him in Pennsylvania. Hounds, set- 

 ters, pointers and cockers may bo found h)' any who will 

 seek— and pay : but a pheasant dog comes I13' nature. He 

 is rarely to be had, and there is no sure way of training him 

 to it. "Old Frank," the last good one we had here, may 

 serve to muslrat<; what .such a dog can d-j. Fonr of us made 

 acampon jMarsli Creek, wltero i.iiieafants (grouse 1 were plenty, 

 with a fair show of wooijrncl<, and our team consisted of a 

 well-trained pointer and Frank. We haci all the success we 

 wished ; in fact, were obliged tolet up and setid twenty grouse 

 home to save them. But the point I wish to make is litis : Out 

 of forty-two ruffed grouse that we shot, ten were killed over 

 the pointer or taken by snap shots, and thirty-two were fairly 

 treed, mai-ked and barked at steadily by Frank until some 

 of the party could get in for a shot. A few left after they 

 were fairly treed, being sc.Trcd out of tree by the hunters; 

 but they usually sat still tis sialucs until shot oft'. How a 

 dog finds the right tree, goes to it and gives tongue steadily 

 when the bird has flown out of his range of sight for fifty 

 rods is one of those things no fellow will ever find out. But 

 he does it. Nessmttk. 



jriciiiaAN— /'jV-«7i(7?«/, ikUn Ctimiti/, Dec. 1.5. — December 

 f'l was a ijoor day fur liCiiis. 1 ^vas out after ruffed grouse. 

 j\Iy (log found ;i" P'lir d.ii. 1 got one old One and three cubs. 

 To-dtiy I was II :i i - , ,:'i 'ad a lew miles and when near 

 homemydi . ' la ahead mid came back to meet 



me. Soon ;.l - l ; . ^ . lije house he had a fit and laj' on 

 his sides and .(Oivrred. I gave him some oil. Soon he got 

 up and went and la}^ down in the snow. I went to him, 

 when he .cot up again and walked part way to the house and 

 bad another fit, from -n-hieh he never reco'vercd. I saw no- 

 thing unusual about him tlu-ough the day. To-night I have 

 found two places wheje he rolled and tumbled aliout a good 

 deal bef'iK be rnne to meet me I am at a loss to know 

 what 1 I I 1 " n- 1 took him up andlaiil 



him I 1 pist touch him he would 



.spriii d not move off the bed, 



and >> iivl I 11 , lu'l lie He has been my con- 



stant toai[)ani n\ for ion: .> eai'- di d two months, either "in the 

 boat, 01 on the c<#rs or m the house, or wherever I went. It 

 looks tooli^h to mouin foi a dog jrt I can't help it, as he has 

 been m) onlj companion loi nearly two years. Kow I am 

 alone and slnll nevtt heat his joj oils b uk again. Y. 



P. S- — j\lr. Chas. Bishop and partner killed an old bear and 

 three cubs a few days befork I killed mine. 



A ViLLAiiJors TiiAcrim—SamfinaJt, Tenn., Deceml/er 21. 

 The weather for the past week has been like spring, and as a 

 consequence the tptail shooting has been im usually good. I 

 was otit two davR and bagged thirty dhree quail, one hare 

 and a solitary duck that I'tlu-shed in" the creek. My shoot- 

 ing was done over a young pointer untrained until this sea- 

 son. Witli an older (log the bag would have been much 

 heavier : as it was I lost several birds that were killed but 

 not retrieved- Given a thick cover, a wing-tipped December 

 (piail. and you have a problem whose solution is rather dilfi- 

 cidl for a '"young-'ui!." The river is reported swarming 

 with ducks and geese. As I write this a norther is blowing 

 and the snow is falling thickly; if this weather holds for a 

 few dtiys there will be plenty of sport for the large bores and 

 heavy metals. I wish to mention here the villainous habit 

 practiced by the passengers and officers of the boats on our 

 river of banging awa.",- at the geese and ducks from the decks 

 of the steamers, killing many and fri.ghtening more, which 

 has the effect of making the fowl so vrild as to deprive true 

 sportsmen of much .good sport. As the boats never stop to 

 get the game killedrit is wantonly wasted. Such reckless 

 destruction of valuable game cannot be too warmly de- 

 nounced. Will. 



New Jeeskt Game — New Bedford, N. <7., Dec. 13. — Editor 

 Foreift and Stremn : I am sure that you would confer a bene- 

 fit upon the public if you would take notice editorially of the 

 necessity for a revision of our game laws. From all parts of 

 the State the reports show that .game and .same birds are fast 

 disappearing, and there is no doubt that, if the law does not 

 interfere, a year or two more will leave us without any game. 

 New .Tersey'has in past years been noted as furnishing plen- 

 tj' of game, a source of revenue as well as amusement. If 

 this is to continue, the game laws must be made more strin- 

 gent. I find thill those licst informed on this subject gene- 

 rally agree that the time has come when a close peiiod should 

 b(! estahiishrd for at least two or threi^ years, dming which 

 lime it .shoidd be made unlawful, uniler heavy penalty, to 

 kill or trap any wooileock, qnail. rabbit or pheasant at any 

 time of the year. Such a measure seems absolutely neces- 

 sary, and especially for this section of the Stale, from which 

 the quail have almost entirely disappeared, although it was 

 formerly a sportsman's ptu-adise. J. H. B. 



Pboteotion for Wild Pigeojtb.— S*. Wlie, St. Maurice Co., 

 Qwbec, Dee. 1,3. In one of the late issues of your paper I 

 notice a correspondent inrpiires the whereabouts of the wild 

 pigeon. Unless an effectual stop is put to slaughtering the 

 birds on their breeding grounds they will soon become a 

 thing of the past. 



They are becoming exceedingly rare in this part of the 

 country, where they were once as numerous almost as the 

 leaves of the forest. I have seen but four specimens of llic 

 i'ird I Ills season, and with many of your readers mourn their 

 rapiid extermination. It seems to me that something ought to 

 tie done toward their preservation, either by the enactment of 

 wholesome laws hi the different States where they resort to 

 breed, or by the purchase of the woods where tJiey breed. 

 As they are a migratory bird, all sportsmen throughout the 

 States and the Dominion are interested in their preservation. 

 Let us join hands north and south, east and west, and see 

 what can be done. .Tean. 



A Veteka?? Speaks. — It would seem that your remarks in 

 relation to the handling of guns by sportsmen we not called 

 for. It's an old saying that " Experience is a hard school 



and fools will learn iu no other." Let them have a little of 

 the " Experience" and if they live throu,gh it they will find 

 the way to the breech and probably stay there. 



For the community at large, a few remarks from you in 

 regard to the manner in which wonld-lie sportsmen aini boy,? 

 carry their guns through the streets and roads niiidit prove "to- 

 be of great service. In my section of Uie country tlie rule 

 appears to be to carry the gtm over the slioulflf-;-. "and about 

 level, so that in case of accidental discharge something would 

 be sure to bo hit. 



T think one is more sure of coming out unharmed on a 

 road infested with highwaymen than one infested with 

 young sportsmen. The first, though he aims to do so, 

 probably won't hit you, the last is pretty sure to. 



As Old .Si.iisoninEE. 



Guss, Nnw AXD OLT)—Pntnnm, Conn.— I usually limit 

 through hammocks with light rifle strung at my back and a 

 shot gun in band. I have often met mv fellow sportsmen 

 with their P50 or ftOO rifle and shot gim of from ftlCO to 

 &-2S0 value that wouldscarcely notieemyrifle of $20 and .shot 

 gun of .$1.5. but wheiiwe shot"lo kill my gun had claims they 

 were obliged to respect. My hunting'aiid fisnini: pleasures 

 1 must laj'' aside, for I am now three-score aivi eyea l;.!! mo, 

 and my hand trembles. Over forty years .tj:o I shot i Ik- par- 

 tridge on the wing with a flint-lock" King's arm, wlien you 

 would have to hold about four feet ahead to allow for 'the 

 flash-bang. However, I recollect at one time of killingthroe 

 out of four shots and without a dog. Had I then the con- 

 venient gun we now have I could liave killed a great abiiu- 

 danee, for game was plenty in the woods fortv veaifj ago. 



G. "F. Willis. 



Late Skjvs— Tolland Co., Con,!-., Deo. 24.— We all read 

 that the Wilson snipe is a migratory bird : still this is not 

 strictly true. The ground is frozen .solid, and all water, ax- 

 cept running brooks, likewise ; on such brooks they are now 

 here. I have shot theiii this week, as iLave others. 1 have 

 learned from II ic farniers that they remain all winter. I 

 would not have believed it had I not seen and shot them my- 

 self. Partridge and quail scarce, and too cold to shont any- 

 way. . Maes. 



We killed on Saturday, December I8111. an English snips 

 ■^Oallinago uvhoui) on "\\'nway;inna ^'oimtaii:. 1\. .7. It was 

 living along a spring brook a:;d was in good condition. An- 

 other was seen by an acquaintance on Monday, the 20lh 

 inst., near the Rutherford',? oroamery in the Vernoti Valley. 



RnoDE IsLAKD—JVeteport, Dee. 18.— Four Wilson snipe 

 were shot ou our island Dec. IS. Is this late or early ? 



X. Y. Z. 



Itlicuio.v.v Dees Shootisg— .fffl-s-i Sae/innw, Dee. 23. — Last 

 Aveek Gary i<lemiug and one other gentleman from East 

 Saginaw went out "sis mih>s f'--i". S-'odiiaw City hunting. 

 They killed fifteen parlri;;/ 1 :. irar. Bruin was 



brought to bag with a IG-l.icr . , i ,viih fine shot. 



Mr. Richter, a taxidermi-i, ^ i i,: ;-i,ginaw, has tct. up 

 2-50 deer heads since the hunting season opened, and up to 

 the 15th of December, and has plenty of work ou hand 

 waiting. 



There has been more deer killed in Norlhern jMichigan 

 this fall than ever before. About two years more at this 

 r.ate and the hunters will have to seek other localities liesidcs 

 the North Woods to hunt. Hiintek. 



' SnoT ASD GL,i.ss '^MA.%— Bridge-port; Gonn.~\ am using 

 soft shot, and think they have a tendency to stick to a glass 

 ball and not glance as the chilled shot do. Suppose a ball bo 

 hit on the side by a chilled shot, the shot is so bard it cannot 

 get hold of the ball. On the other hanrl, if a soft shot hits a 

 ball on the side it will baiter just enough to cling to it and be 

 more liable to break the ball than a chilled .sliot. In bird 

 shooting I think soft shot superior to chilled tor the reason 

 they must cUngcloser to a bone and be more apt to brsak it than 

 chilled shot. But in every case they must make a larger 

 wound than chilled. 0. 31. A. 



New Yore:, RayVs Cnrwrs, December 20.— Not a wild 

 goose has been seen here in Seneca the past fall to mv knowl- 

 edge, and I have made numerous inquiries in regard to them. 

 They passed here last sprbig, and, though stopping more 

 frequently than usual, none were brought to iiag'to my 

 knowledge. All kinds of .stame is very scarce here ; quail are. 

 indeed scarce, also partridge, .sriuirrels, rabbits. All kinds of 

 game have become almost extinct ; there have been at least 

 six hunters to one bird the past season here. L. E. W. 



Illinois — DueUiy, Edgar Counti/, Di 

 here than before for years. One iV 



three weeks and another fivi 

 myself, mosth' fouml in corn! 

 deuly and caused n : r 

 busked. This is am 11 : 

 is the dog with bottoui un., ,- 

 Prairie chickens and quail pli 

 made then- appe-arance yet. 



22 — Deer plenlier 



killed nine in last 



1 have firouglit down four 



M-i. Winter sci in very sud- 



Mii ■ of corn to be left not 



1 liase foxes- All wo hick 



I 'less to keep to the track. 



ty. Ducks of no kind have 



G. J. B, 



Its EDticATiSG IxFr.TTE\'OB.— Please send .specimen copies 

 of your paper to the names given below. If I can secure 

 a.good circulalion for your paper in the county I think it 

 will be the means of educating our sportsmen u"p to a higher 

 standard of sporting excellence. I know it has done tliis for 

 me, and I have been an ardent sportsman all my life. 



C. S. W. 



NoETO CxnouSA—Dig/i Point, Dee. 2.5.— For the benefit 

 of those wishing the information I wotdd say there is too 

 much snow in this State for shooting. J. N. D. 



SHOOTING MATCHES, 



■Wasuisc.tox Gl-x CiLun-— Inaugural mateh on the new olab 

 grounds at Eidgewood Park, Chi-istmaB Day ; 2 traps ; 5 btras 

 each ; 25 yds. ; ties at 30 yds). : 



rust Match. 



nu^ti Carrlelr , 1 i i 1 ]_■ 



JolinCott-er i 1 1 i i_- 



R.M. Jiopps 1 t I i_T 



W. L. Wilde i^ t 111 0—* 



Dr. Sletcalt ..jy 1 1: 1-i 



J.H. Kreuscher ,....0 J 1— 1 n 1 



• Diviaert nrst prize, t BlTiaed secona pils». 

 Second Match. 



Wm. DeXy.so 1 1 i 1 i_ 



.Tolm Cotter ,,,, j ] ] o ]_•- 



Pr- Metealf 1 i 1 ]_• 



J.DIeckUig \ 1 t» l-i 2 



