m 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



[i>KOBMBHK 80, 1880. 



ANENT THE POT-HUNTER. 



Bkookltn, N. Y., Nov. 28. 

 Sditor Forest and Stream ; 



BEING a reader and lover of your I v./iliiii inner I fre- 

 quently come across articles wr: : ylod "true 



sportsmen," who take it upon themsti' i m ;md sneer 



at certain individuals whom they term "pot uaniers." 



Now, Mr. Editor, I wish to say right here tUat it would be 

 well for these ' ' gentlemen sportsmen " to cast an inward 

 glance at Ihejnselves and sit in judgment upon their own 

 practices l^pf:1n- condemninji' and abusing others. Perhaps 

 two-thirds cl the visitors to" the more secluded and remote 

 lakes of Xaine are so-called ''gentlemen sportsmen "—if 

 membership in a gini clul) and a high sense of personal im- 

 portance and superiority go to make up that mikuown quan- 

 tity — and yet it is a notorious fact that there is more game 

 killed out "of season on these lakes than there is during the 

 lawful months. 



Now, sir, who is responsiljle for this base work ? It is not 

 the " pot-hunter," for he never visits these lakes during the 

 hot months. It is the '-gentleman sportsman," who, fresh 

 from the town and intent upon secm'ing trophies of his skill, 

 blazes away at all sorts of fur and feathers, without regard 

 for law or license. Numbers of deer, and even moose, are 

 '•jacked" and shot dming July and August in the interior of 

 Maine, and the verj' persons who are guilty of doing so re- 

 turn to lo\vu and "relieve their consciences by abusing the 

 "pot-hunter." 



It occurs to me if the class of sportsmen (?) to whom I re- 

 fer -would take pains to practice a little of what they preach, 

 and devote the time spent in condemning the '-pot-hunter" 

 to earnest endeavors to keep themselves within the limits of 

 the game la-ns — in fact, to do more real personal work and 

 less talk — there would not be such a marked decrease of game 

 generally, and especially in the very sections visited mainly 

 by members of gun clubs. Top Lkvije. 



8TBIPED BASS. 

 ,, (_LaJ>rax linealus.') 



■pOIS'D on some brOwn and -weedy rook 



That trembles to the sm-ges' shock, 

 With -ffeightj- rod and leugthen'd line 

 The angler'B eye sm-veys the brine. 

 And gees ,it Last the sudden swoop, 

 The downvrard plmige, the up-svard leai), 

 Tben casta afar his gleaming baiU 

 And breathless for the struggle waits. 



The quick-ey'd bass beholds the snare, 



So tempting and so seeming f ah-, 



And with a flashing leap scoures 



The fake, deceptive, barbed lures : 



Then, pricked with hook and mad -svith pain, 



Darts off all bleeding to the main, 



TiU cbeek'd by the revolving reel, 



And anguished by the erael steel. 



It stops, it pauses, tiu-ns once more 



Tow'rd his tormentor at the shore. 



Again, again, the sti-ifes begin, 



Kxhanstod is each flapping fin ; 



AVearied and spent, and bleeding stUl, 



He yieldeth to the angler's skill, 



And, panting, dying, brave no more, 



Is drawn impassive to the shore. 



Stretch'd on the rugged rock it Ues 



A beauteous and glittering prize ; 



Its silvery scales, its striped side. 



Most lovely, though -with hfe-blood dyed ; 



Bo lovely that no painter's tint 



Its lines on canvas may imprint. 



I.sAAC MoLelljj;. 



WiSTKK Tb.\.velkg is Colokado.— The train discharges 

 its freight into a dozen coaches, which set off for the moun- 

 tain pass that lies between Norton and Leadville ; they rattle 

 ofl through the whirling snows toward the range of moun- 

 tains, which is already thick with storms. Our own way 

 lies across the South Park toward a lower part of the Arkan- 

 sas Valley; for ten miles the four horses hurry the light open 

 -wan-on over the snow-covered plain, through the blinding 

 sntjw that flies before the blasts rushing down from the 

 mountain ravines. Then we find our way upon the regular 

 freighting road that leads in a devious com-se through the 

 mountain gorges to Leadville. It is a way for which little 

 has been done except by the wheels of the endless trains of 

 wagons ; but nature meaut this land for roads ; the scant 

 foliage and slight rain-fall leave each of the ravines a natural 

 road and the frost has now bound mud and stones together. 

 Every mile of this trail is occupied by a long caravan of the 

 freighting teams that carry in provisions and take out bullion. 

 The^ordinary train consists of many teams, each composed of 

 two wagons, the hinder one being without a tongue, and the 

 two coupled together as closely as two railway cars. Some- 

 times there are three wagons in the string. Eight or ten 

 mules and a single driver supply the motive power. With 

 this " outfit" one dexterous driver will drag about ten thou- 

 sand pounds of freight at the rate of twenty-five miles a day. 

 gome of these trains are individual ventiu-es, but commonly 

 a dozen teams are mider one wagon-master, who fixes the 

 marches and determines the places where the train shall halt 

 to pass the tides of wagons that set the other waj'. These 

 caravans give us the most picturesque aspects of this moun- 

 tain life ;"the drivers are a strange selection from the vigor- 

 ous froiitieruien. The labor is extremely arduous and the 

 life of the rudest, but the profits are very large ; many of 

 these teams earning from thirty to fifty dollars per day net 

 for a half vc.ar at a time. The men live and generally sleep 

 with tiu'ir animals, even in this fierce cold. They are silent, 

 indefatigable fellows, brutal in every outward aspect yet 

 withal singularly patient with theu-difflculties and helpful of 

 each other, unless the other is a "greaser." A com-teous 

 word or two will alwavs get their aid in passing through the 

 perplexing blockade, where trains going in opposite direc- 

 tions meet on a narrow defile. Their life is one of trials. 

 We are rarely out of sight of dead horses or mules which 

 liave broken'their leas or died of overwork, and every preci- 

 nice along the road shows the wreck of wagons that have 

 slipped over the edge into the gorge below. In two hundred 

 piiles' travel with them I did not hear a brutal -word from one 



man to another, and I was indebted to them for many con- 

 siderate acts. They are a marvelously profane lot, but their 

 swearing has a curiously impersonal character. In his diffi- 

 culties with the teams a man will lift up his voice and ad- 

 dross the Infinite in diabolic homily that would befit Milton's 

 Satan, and then, suljsidiiig like a geyser, remain silent for the 

 rest of the day. At night, when they gather around the fire, 

 in the low-walled, turf-covered ranches, they are perfectly 

 mute ; they sit on the benches as still as mummies, until they 

 slip down upon the floor and snore untU morning. They 

 seem wrapped up in their own thoughts, or in the place 

 where their thoughts ought to be. They often camp alone 

 by the roadside ; indeed, mauj' of them seem to prefer the 

 absolute isolation that they find in bivouacking in the scrub 

 woods ten miles from neighbors. One night I sought direc- 

 tions from one of these solitary men. He was a huge, griz- 

 zle-bearded fellow, whom I surprised cooking his supper 

 by a little fire in a niche in the rocks near his team. His 

 ugly -yisage stood out in the blaze of his bacon, which lie 

 w;as toa-sting on a slick. He gave me sufiicient answers 

 without looking up to see who it was shouting at him out of 

 the darkness.— Ja»W(iry Atlantic. 



Bedfoed — O/iio, No'c. T.5. — I send you enclosed a short arti- 

 cle on the catfish. It has lieen a long time since I wrote any- 

 thing for the Forest .vsd SiKEA^r, and I have written tins 

 pai-tly to pass away the dreary hours of my illness. I read 

 your paper with great interest^ sick as I am^ for it is decided- 

 ly the best sporting Journal ever published in our country, 

 besides being a good family paper, and it has steadily im- 

 proved in yom- hands. I sincerely wish it success. You have 

 done good service to the sporting fraternity by your exposure 

 of the dangerous chai-acter of th-at villainous compound, the 

 Dittmar powder. Please excuse pencil and unsized paper; 1 

 have to write lying on a lomige, and pen and ink are very in- 

 convenient. I often feel like writing out some of my sport- 

 ing experiences, which have been somewhat extensive and in- 

 teresting. I have every number of your paper preserved 

 from the time it was first sent to me by the Parker Bros., if 

 I am not mistaken. T. G-abuok. 



Wb requested our ofllce-boy to note down, in alphabetical 

 enumeration, the* occupations and professions of the writers 

 of letters to Fobest and S-rnuAM which came to us in one 

 week. After a close sorutinj' of the envelopes the boy handed 

 us the following curiously compiled, but scarcely complete, 

 catalogue : 



Artfully anghug artists. 



Buccaneering boatmen. 



Campaigning canoeists. 



Doughty deer-dogging doctors. 



Errant EngUshmen. 



Priendly farmers, fatahstio fishei-men. 



Gentlemen gunnei-s. 



Harmless hermits. 



Incon-uptible import inspeotors. 



Jovial jokers. 



Knaves and knights. 



Laconic legal lu min aries. 



Mutinous mariners, manly marketmen. 



No nonsensical newspaper novelists. 



Ophidian oologists, ornamental ornithologists. 



(Preposterons jiatent powder pamphleteers properly prohibited.) 



Quite a quota of queer questioners quieted. 



Beaming romancers racily recomiting redaldn ranoontres. 



Sundry subscribers speedily settling, snbsequeutly sending nen- 

 sible suggestions. 



Trouting tonrista, talkative toxopholites. 



Urbane 'untsmen. 



Veracious and verbose veteran voyageurs. 



Wretched wardens weai-ily watching whales. 



XXX-traordinaiy xploit«rs. 



Yellow yachtsmen, young yagers. 



Zealous zoologists. 



_,».^, 



The wMJ/i wlu> thinks tliat lie can afford to pay thefwrmefs 

 loy more for quail than the hoy is paid hy the haggage-viasters 

 is inutul to send his address to this office. 



Can some of the older readers of the Pobest and Steeam 

 tell us where and when the expression "true sportsman" 

 was first employed? 



Don't physic, for it weakens and destroys, but u 

 that builds up, up ! 



s Hoij Bitters; 



KANGE AND GALLERY. 



OoK EiFLE Phizes. — The admirable galleiy practice, winch we re- 

 poi-t in our columns from week to week from our Boston corres- 

 pondent, has roused many inquiries from readers in other sections, 

 and led to a general adoption of this moat excellent indoor winter 

 amusement. The scoring as recorded is httle short of perfect, 

 , as the result of such careful drilll during the cold weather, 

 the Wakiut Hill Bango is enabled to show a finer shooting average 

 than any other shooting groimd in the country. 



To stimulate practice, and as a lioUday giftto our Boston friends, 

 the Forest ASd Streaji has prepared two elaborately carved mcer- 



:haum pipes, valued at -550 each, to be given as prizes for pre- 



sion in off-hand shooting. One of the prizes will be placed as a 

 leading prize at the Mammoth, and the other at tlie MagnoUa 

 Gallery. We have drawn the conditions with the utmost sim- 

 plicity, and. should any disputed points arise, will try to decide 

 them according to common sense and the N. It. A. rules. We vnil 

 keep our readers posted from week to week "with the scores made, 



id at the close hope to see a good gathering of highest possible 



ores at the tie shooting. 



Conditions — Pipe to be shot for in gallery with gallery rifles : to 

 be awarded to marksman making best aggregate of five scores ; 

 each score to consist of ten shots, off-hand, at reduced Creedmoor 

 targets. Ties to be shot off ; best three out of five scores. Com- 

 petition open to all comers from Januai-y 1 to April 30, iuolasive. 



Boston, Mass., Sec. 25.— The riflemen of Wahiut Hfll gave 

 Santa Claus a grand ovation of noiso and smoke to-day, and all 

 day long the winter shed was filled «ith devotees of the sport, 

 while out from the shooting posts poured an inceaHr.nt f uiiUade. 

 All the trains brought additions, and during the afternoon the 

 paviHon was even overcrowded. The day proved a gray one, the 

 leaden clouds produced a good light, and the wind, which cams 

 steady and unbroken in its velocily from the northeast, indicating 

 2 o'clock, was easily hauJlcd. At ilio ynij-yarda ring target, it will 

 be remembered, tli» bullecyo 1:^ wnly tM') inches. 



The holiday match did not fill largely, o-.viug to the attractions 

 in the novelty matches. Captain Jacksou took first place with 32 

 out of the possible 35, and Mr. Tyler with bis mhitiuy rule waa 

 second for 31. The latter gentleman making the most entries, as 

 per conditions, took first money. The novtlty matcbes \vill cloao 

 one week from Saturday next. EoUowing an; the boat scores out 

 of the 150 enti-ica made : 



CreeOinoor 3liitGli. 



E. F. Itlcliarason .,..6 S 4- B 5 6 r. 5 5 R— 4a 



O.M.,Jewell ....,.,..4 4 B 5 5 « j .1 6 4-4« 



J. tj. Beunett 6 4 4 B -i •, s A l 5—15 



J. B. Fellows ..4 4 4 4 o r, 5 Ti r. 4—45 



A. B. Arclier ^....i 4 4 4 5 6 5 f, 4 4-43 



H.Max 5 5 4 4 4 -1 4 f) 4 4-43 



A.Max 4 44*344 4 5 5-.i:i 



E. .Jolinaon ...♦.4 4 4 4 4 4 B .I s 4-43 



E. wmtrJer 4 435*46 4 4 b—vj 



J. Borden 4 444S4 444 3—41 



C. Beil)ert ^...4 8 4 544446 4—10 



E. J. Cram ..,., .......5 440S4446 6—10 



J. E. lIoRolibie , 4 88544354 4-39 



King Target (OfT-hand). 



E. F. Elcliardson 11 10 IS 9 1! 8 J(l S 10 13-101 



O. jr..rrweU ...,,Iii 11 4 Jl 12 10 10 10 -S 10-98 



■^^ . CUiirlrs 12 9 9 11 10 8 6 9 10 10—94 



.1. M. Oliver 11 U 8 8 -? 11 « 11 10 J— SS 



E.J.Kabbetli t 10 9 9 12 S 4 10 11 7- 8T 



RE Francis. i...lO 9 11 8 10 T 9 T 9 4—84 



Amateur Matoli. 



E.J. Cram 5 5fi544iir;4 5— it 



E.J.Emery , 4 644 4 6664 8-4.1 



T. CmtIS ...4 6 6 4 5 4 5 6 4 0-41 



The HoUclay Matcli. 



-W. H. Jactaon .,,.^..S 64464 S-S3 



H. Tyler (mil.) 5 6 B 5 4 4 4— 31 



G.Frost 4 4 5 4 S 4 4—29 



T.Cross ,,4 4 4 3 5 B S—iS 



F. 0. Jones.-, ,. 4 B 4 4 4 3 4-28 



The. :Mas.sacliuHPtts Taroret <Hest.) 



F. J. Halili!Tli 12 ]i n 11 I'i IS IS 11 n 11—116 



E.F. Ci"»'!>. 1-' 1-' '-■■: 1(1 12 I'i 1-3 12 12 10— HI 



W.Chjrli'i ii ;.; \<! l-i II 12 12 10 11 1-2-113 



G. Warn II 1-.' 11 12 11 11 9 12 11 11 12—112 



H.Alax ID 1'J 1-J 11 U 11 11 12 11 10—111 



E. J..nna,-i? 11 10 1-2 10 11 10 11 13 11 11— loi) 



H.TyIei-.: .12 10 1) 11 10 10 11 9 11 12— lO'J 



J. B. F''>lo-^s It 12 11 11 9 12 11 10 11) 10— 10T 



E. «. I'.i' I 10 -■ HI II 11 12 13 11 10 9-104 



S. Foj- I'l 9 10 5 9 19 10—91 



"Cr-iianfl.) 



O. J[. . 13 12 11 11 11 10—110 



E. P. J;i , i . , ■ V' 11 12 13 9 12 10-109 



F. J. EiiiiijetLi i: 10 ^•^ lo ii ii lo 11 io n-ioi 



H.Tyler S 11 8 9 11 6 XI 12 11 9- 90 



E.L. Dodge 11 13 10 B 12 T 8 9 U 8—94 



N. W. Aruokl 4 T 10 B 11 2 2 10 12 10—76 



S.Fogg C 8 6 2 11 9 .1 10—01 



King Target (Rest.) 



F. J. EabUetU 12 12 10 10 IB 12 II 10 11 10-110 



.1. Nichols 11 11 10 12 10 11 32 12 IS 9— no 



E.F.Brooks 10 9 12 10 9 10 !> 38 10 9-100 



J. B. Fellows 3 12 7 12 10 11 11 10 10 10—96 



G. Warren 9 11 9 9 10 T 11 7 12 7—92 



E.L.Dodge 5 13 9 8 11 8 S S 11—86 



E. P. Buzzell C 8 9 6 T B 7 9— GO 



Maheiioth BiKLE GrAiAJLHY.— Boston, Dec. 24, 1880.- The tliu-d 

 week iu the auy-rifle match at the Mammoth Gallery has shown 

 the best shooting this season, and the gallery ha.'i lieen well filled 

 both day and evening. Mr. S. W. Arnold, of the iliiBsacbusetta 

 Eifle Association, was successful iu getting a clean score of eigbt 

 consecutive buUseyes and receiving $lij- in gold for Iho same. 

 He made eleVen consecutive bnllseyes— a clean score of eigbt, and, 

 starting a new scoru with throe more buUseyes, mibscd on bis 

 twelfth shot. Last Jlay new targets was put m the gallei-j-, and 

 this is the iu-st clean score that has been made. All the crack 

 shots of this section have essayed this feat, and none of tliem has 

 succeeded in aocomphsbiug it. To Mr. Ai-nold is awarded all 

 praise for his skill and accuracy, and the management wish to an- 

 nounce that they are ready to pay -jlo in gold to any one making a 

 clean score of eight consecutive IjiiKm ■ : '; i .. t.nielition ia 

 still very strong, and several aspirants ii- ,.lawvei7 



closely in Jlr. Ai-nold's steps, who is lit II:: , ... .::; out of a 



possible 200; Mr. V. A. PoUnrd is second wiin ic>:i; thu-d on the 

 hstis Ml-. J. :Menill, of the MasBiichuactts Kifle Association, with 

 192; fomth on the lii,t is Jfr. J. 11. Brown, of the Empire Fviflo 

 Clubof Now York, will-. i'"i:!. ^■---' ; :.il, -,' ■■:-!, Mr. E. 



F. Eichai-dson, of the :, :rtb with 

 191, and sixth is JLr. b. ' . i:iriejU- 

 sociatiou, with 189. ThiB i:, liic uc^i iii;'„u<i; iu;u lics; ever tia:en 

 place on the new targets. On January 1, 1S81, will commence a 

 new rifle match with sis cash prizes as follows : .-57, •-rfi, iu, 51, ^'2, 

 SI. Also an extra ijrize of ^15 in gold to any one malung a clean 

 score of eight consecutive buUseyes. Tbe conditions of the match 

 are : Any .22 cal. rifle, three pounds pull : position, off-hand ; 

 rounds, 8; possible 40 ; five scores to wui or possible 200. There 

 arc oidy five more days remaining iu tlie month fur the any-riflo 

 match, which closes on Friday ovcning, December 31. The fol- 

 lowing are tbe leading oonnietitora to date ; 50 yards ; rounds, 8 ; 

 possible 40 ; five scores to "win or posaiblo 200 : 



>;. \V. Arnold _: 88 88 S3 39 40—193 



t. A. Poilard. -, HS BS :1S M .",o-i<i2 



J.llemll 3^; :- . , --::.j 



J. K. Brown _ lis , ::._! 



E. F. Richardson ;;^ ji 



S. Can Win: rv ;;7 , i -'j 



Frauir H"'l-- :;T ,, ,-.'i 



H. A. I-:-. :;7 - - , , 



F. J. 1, , :;■ :'k,' h^ 



Geo. y. .;;ii ,- ■- , : , -;i 



Milton V,. : .■:... ;i,; :.: .,: -:7 :-; :'<i 



C.E.Eart,lfirt^ - :;;:; .:r, s; 37 37-isa 



j\. 6>. Suibte ::i; ;.; ;ii; 3U 8T— 181 



Geo. D. Eason ....;:; ;ii-. :.o 31: 36—180 



D.L.Neal .-.:-. 3:; :-.r, 30 37— IW 



H. E. Armstroni^' :;f, - :■ ■ -': irg 



(x''r.ju>'ny/.y^y/^\///.y.v.\'.y^y^iv.'.'.'.'.v.'-VJ.^ :'■: 



B.H.Dalpy 3.', .. 



Geo. Estes ,,, 34 71 



H. B. Furunco „a4 7! .2 



Pistol Pi-actice. — The pistol match, wbi-b '•!■- :..o^.,. ol 



December, has been vei7 popular dnrin,^ :'St, and, 



if the competition is us hvely for the ret; il «ill ho 



hafd lor any one to name tho winners, iii. ^.^.j-.. ,,i,^.,i remains 



