464 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



[Jandabt is, 1881. 



It is an old story and a sad one. Wo liave seen the same 

 tiling take place in so numy localities that we feel that the 

 prospect for this State is verf discouragin<;. Prompt action 

 is all that Clin save New Jersey, which, it must be said, has 

 vmtil recently Inrni.sLed belter shooting than any other place 

 so near Neyf York, from a terrible dearth of gallinaeeous 

 game. 



We hope that tlie sportsmen of ftie iSiiddle States will give 

 this matter their scrioxis consideration. Let them think the 

 matter over carefully and weigh it well. We believe that a 

 law prohibiting shooting for one or liettcr two years would 

 be followed by the best residts. What do our readers think 

 about it? 



THE N. R. A. CRISIS. 



rpHE Secretary's report to the life members of the Na- 

 -L tional Ritle Association has its sting in the tail of it, 

 where the retiring officer hits the keynote of the general 

 feeling touching the okl Board. It has been packed with 

 officers of the Kalional Guard, and yet a freak of a nai-row- 

 miuded Commander-in-Chief decides practically that there 

 shall be no more bull-practice l)y the National Guard. The 

 amateur marksmen— those who shoot for the loye of it, and 

 who enjoy the keen excitement of a sharp competition, have 

 bec?i gradually frozen o\it of the Association. The Secretary 

 hi iiiself has been about the only representative of this class, 

 but he has had great odds to tight against, and it is but little 

 wnncler that lie gives up his thankless task in despair. 



Creedmoor is the house that is big enough for a day but 

 too big for a year. It is a tine place for a prize meeting, 

 but for the ordinary every day and weekly practice of hun- 

 dreds of marksmen who would gladly patronize it, there are 

 scores of objections to be urged against it. It might after 

 all be a sort of god-send to the Association that the military 

 incubus may be ca.st off. 



The practice of the regiments sliould bo kept up, and it is 

 a matter for which the officers in charge will he held to an 

 acccouulability by tlie public if they neglect it. But apart 

 from this, and in no wise dependent upon it, is the body of 

 shooters who sljoot for tlic love ofit. They can be self-sus- 

 laining, and tlie N. II. A. can better afford to dismiss from 

 its attention everything connected with soldier work, and 

 build up a great army of gentlemen shooters, cater to their 

 demands, discover and meet their wishes, and keep ever in 

 mind the "fostering of rifle practice," which is its published 

 object in existrng. 



The annual meeting of the Association on Tuesday even- 

 ing last, of whicJi a very brief notice only is given in our 

 rifle columns, was an important one, and in our next issue 

 fidler details, with comments upon them, will be given. It 

 was virtual y a period of renaissance for the Association, and 

 it will depend on very carcfvd nursing for some time to come 

 whether the infant can be brought hack to life or no. 



Dog Mus, Bbwabe. — An individual signing himself J. C. 

 Fowler, P. C Fowler or F. A. Chester and dating his letters 

 from iloodus, Conn., has by means of an advertisement in 

 our coluiiins iii'ide himself well known to a number of our 

 readers. He iia» sold and traded an alleged setter dog called 

 Turk, said to be b}^ Elcho out of Nell, to a number of peo- 

 ple, none of whom have as 3-ei received the animal. Any 

 information in regard to this many-named individual and his 

 present whereabouts will be gladly received at this office. 

 The polynomial pei son having stated to all his correspon- 

 dents that he was about to start at once for the South, it is 

 conjectured that he may be now in Canada. We are of 

 course soi-ry for the losses sustained by the individuals who 

 have had dealings with this person, but they could scarcely 

 e.vpcct anything better. If they were buying a horse, a 

 hou.sc or a yacht would they pay for it by mail or express 

 without seeing it or knowing with -whom they were deaUng? 

 "We think not. People must buy their dogs as they would 

 buy anything else, and if, as we have more than once said 

 before, they do not exercise ordinary business care they must 



expect to be victimized. 



, — .« — . 



Tkout at Ten Dollabs per Poiisd,— To bring ten dollars 

 a pound trout should be very flue, plunrp and finely flavored, 

 and yet some that recently cost Mr. Ellsworth D. Hayes that 

 sum are not especially extolled for their table qualities. It 

 happened in this way : Jlr. Hayes loves trout and has been 

 in the habit of fishing for them in Lake Placid, Essex Comity, 

 N. Y.| at all times in season and out, so deaiiy he loves them. 

 Lake Placid is in the Adriondacks, in a locality which is not 

 usually haunted by game protectors and notwithstanding that 

 Mr. Hayes must have known of the new "protectors," as 

 their appointment was jiublinhcd in the Forest akd SiEB.usr, 

 yet such is his ardent appreciation of the delicate flavor of 

 Sal/no foiUmaU'x ihat he thought he would risk it. Game 

 protector John I.ilierty also hkes trout, but only in season, 

 and lieariiig that Lake Placid wasplacidly yielding up its trout 

 out of season, wandered that way and found a box contain- 

 ing ten hike and three brook trout, and then sought the owner 

 and invited him to an interview with his friend who was a 

 Justice of the Peace, The Justice also loves trout, and as he 

 was called upon to place an estimate on the worth of these, 

 he flxod it at $175, which Mr. Hayes added to the assets of 

 the State of I^ew York and departed to spend New Tear's 

 Day hi the bosom of his family instead of the house kindly 

 offered by the justice in case he declined to contribute the sum 

 named to the State. We do not know whether Mr. Hayes 



had the flsh for his New Year'.s dinner or not, but hope that 

 he liked the peculiar green back flavor, if he did, 



-^ .«»^. 



Wk Had a Pleasant Call last week from Ned Buntliue, 

 whose sketches have so often graced IIicFoeest and Steeaji, 

 as in years past those of Porter's Spirit. ^ Our friend rightly 

 claims to be one of the oldest of our sporting wiiters. In fact 

 Ned Bimtline was an expert shot, a crafty woodsman, and an 

 enthusiastic angler so long ago, that man's memory runnetli not 

 to the contrary. Advancing years appear to have brought little 

 diminution of the ardor with which he pursues bis favorite 

 sport, and in the mountain streams near his "Eagle's 

 Nest" no one Imows so well as he the pools where Im-k the 

 monarchsof the brook and the ripples where the leap of the 

 trout flashes brightest. 



The Blooming GeovbPaek Association have been singu- 

 larly unfortunate m the loss of their large and well appoint- 

 ed club-house in Pike County, Pa. Tlie building was to- 

 tally destroyed by Are Wednesday morning, January 5, the 

 loss being between $8,000 and f 10,000. The members of 

 the association have shown much enterprise and pluck in 

 their recent conduct of the affairs of the society, and wiU not 

 be daunted, we presume, by this calamity. 



Not Ovn Agent, — Wo are informed that certain gentlemen 

 in Buffalo, New York, have been victimized by an individual 

 who has been collecting subscriptions to Forest andStkeam, 

 and has failed to send the money to us. 



Some of our readers appear to think that Mr. John Brews- 

 ter is an agent for Foke'st axi> Stream. We wish it dis- 

 tinctly understood that he has no credentials from this paper 

 and has never sent a subscriber or a single dollar of money 

 to tliis office. 



Is Anothek Coi.rMN will be found a letter from Mr, M. 

 P. McKoou. Wc may explain to our correspondent that we 

 should not have taken the trouble of inaldng a " public re- 

 fusal" to publish his letter, had he been contented with the 

 private one, and had he not lirst suggested making the mat- 

 ter public. That suggestion inlmitted no other course than 

 the one reluctantly adopted. It gives us much pleasme to 

 print the present letter, because we think that it is decidedly 

 more creditable to Mr. McKoon than was the communica- 

 tion to which it refers. 



The PioTiRK OF Glad8tose which appeared in our issue 

 of December 33 wfis produced from a pencil sketch (which, 

 by the way, wn.s the ooly one in the country) by the well 

 known artist Mr. J. M- Tracy, of St. Louis. Gladstone had 

 his sitting diuiug the AHucennes trials in Noveuilicr, and 

 never was he in better shape to be Iraubferred to |_iaper. Im- 

 mediately upon Gladstone being awarded first at Hobiu's 

 Island we telegraphed Mr. Tracy and secured the only cor- 

 rect picture of the dog ever made. 



A Happy Consummation, — Mr, Alexander Moseley, the 

 veteran retired editor of the Richmond Whit/, congratulates 

 the guild of anglers on the happy arrangement whereby the 

 Forest and Stream has the best flsh editor in the United 

 States, and whereby also that editor is where he can do the 

 most good. 



It is Reportbd that the recent storms have opened a 

 new iulet into Shinnecock Bay. This, if true, is very good 

 news, for although it is probably too late to save the flsh it 

 will no doubt have a beneficial eilect on the spring shooting. 



mrismnn Woumt 



GULL I8LA1TD 



THE ONLY VBEITABLK ACCOUNT TO BE PUBLISHED OF THE 



TEIALS AND TUl BT I.ATIONS OF THE JEBSBT 



BOVS IK SOUIUKHN WATBK8. 



" And Jonah went with them." 



THE 4 P. M, train, Pennsylvania Railroad, found the sec- 

 ond installment of the Gull Island Club en route for 

 their possessions. The party consisted of F. M. Thomson, 

 of 301 Broadway ; F. Harrison and R. Hinich, of Newark ; 

 Ezra Wright, from Utica, N, Y, — all sportsmen good and 

 true — and your correspondent, each taking with him a trunk 

 that caused serious and emphatic language by the baggage- 

 men, and for which large extra freight was demanded, AH 

 this ammunition it was expected would result in a car-load 

 at least of game. We had a rapid trip to Baltimore, where 

 we were immediately transferred to the Bay Line of steam- 

 ers to Norfolk. The steamer Carolina is a fine, large boat, 

 with a table that is not to be excelled in any hotel in the 

 land. Every delicacy of the season in ample e(uantities and 

 put on in good style.' Capt. Whittle is a thorougli sailor and 

 a courteous gentleman. In Clerk Wardrop we foimd a gen- 

 tleman attentive to his duties and pleasant in his attentions. 



We arrived at Norfolk during the forenoon, landing on the 

 Portsmouth side, where we were met by that prince of por- 

 ters, "George," of the Purcell House, to which place we 

 had been recommended by the party preceding us. George 

 is a jolly and very intelligent specimen of the Southern por- 

 ter, knows his business and does it well. In Mr, R. T. 

 James, proprietor of the Purcell House, we found a gentle- 

 man that knows how to keep a hotel, good table, good ac- 

 comniodalions and attendance. We cheerfully recommend 

 those jom-ueying that way to give him a call. 



We expected 1o take the steamer Cygnet on3Iond.iy morn- 

 ing for Van Slack's Landing, there to strike the steamer Be- 

 nito for Koanoke Island, wliere we were to take a sail-boat 



for our island. But here we were told that the Bonito had 

 stopped running and that there would be no conveyance we 

 could get from Van Slack's further south. It wojid not do 

 to be tied up there. What should we do? Here we made 

 the acquaintance of W. A. Graves and A. W. Chapman, two 

 congenial fellow-sportsmen of the place, who suggested char- 

 tering a tug to take us to Roanoke Island. Mr.' Graves im- 

 mediately started in pursuit of a captain known to him, and 

 the bargain was made for jMonday morning. In the mean- 

 time that dismal rainy day in Norfolk that, would have been 

 so long and tedious but for the exertions of our new friends. 

 They seemingly could not do enough for us. And we again 

 were called upon to appreciate the large-heartedness of" the 

 Southern nature. We had a right good time, and we shall 

 ever hold in affectionate remembrance the names of W. A. 

 Graves. A. W. Chapman. George Walker, G. Owren and oth- 

 ers of Norfolk city. 



8:30 A. M. .saw us bag and baggage on the tug Garden City, 

 en route for southern quarters. We steamed out bv the Navy 

 Yard and thi-ough the canal to Currituck Sound, shooting 

 now and then a dipper duck or gull by the way. Six o'clock 

 V. VL, and the wind blowing strong iind cold from the north- 

 west, found lis on the west' side of Koanoke Island, instead 

 of the east, where we ou.jlit k. Iinv.-. ii,.,-.,,. We lay here at 

 anchor all night, when !li' ;: ::i i- :i .inied us that owing to 

 adverse wind and low V Ml I ; ir impossible for 'the 



tug to go further. He wi n jvi.i:. ; i ■■ fish-house and, hav- 

 ing had a palaver with somebody and fixed things, came 

 back and the tug was soon alongside of the dock. Here we 

 found that a native, for a consideration, would lake us in 

 his canoe around the north point of the island to Manteo. So 

 we embarked, and about 2 p. >l reached that interesting lo- 

 cality, a village of some twenty scattered houses. We pro- 

 ceeded to the residence of Mr. "George Bliven, having a letter 

 of recommendation to him. We found him all we had been 

 led to believe. Mr. B. is Register of the county, and al- 

 though the section is largely opposed to him politically such 

 confidence have the citizens in his character as a man and 

 public officer that he has been clec'.tcd and re-elected for a 

 number of terms to the responsible office. 



By him and his kind wife we were well cared for. In the 

 morning we engaged of one John Thomas Daniels a schooner 

 to take us farther on. Here, previous to starting, friend 

 Wright purchased imd put on board eight or ten empty 

 barrels. Would have taken more could they have been ob- 

 tained. These were to hold the vast numbers of geese, 

 brant, swan and ducks that wc were to find on and around 

 our island. 



Well, off we got at last, and had proceeded about six 

 miles, or nearly to Hog Island Point, they said, when it was 

 discovered that the wind was dead aliend, water verv rough, 

 and that it would be dangerous to cross I^imlico Sound under 

 the circmnsiances. Sd Ijack we wciii to dock at 10:30 and 

 we all went sniping, thei-e ijeii'g good ^;romid close at hand. 

 Got quite a number, autl your correspondent got a duck, 

 nearly over his head in a ditch, ruining a new watch tliat he 

 had purchased just before leaving home. Another night at 

 friend Bliven's. 



An hour nfter sunrise the next morning found us again at 

 the schooner and off. At 1 o'clock we anchored off Chici- 

 moconiico, a cluster of low bouses on the banks, and ten 

 miles from the club-house. Here Cnptain Daniels informed 

 us that he must have a pilot to take ua farther. Sent his 

 man ashore and negotiated. Result — no water for .schooner; 

 must cban'f" 'o !".m7 "I' tie-liier draft, etc. Kngaged through 

 said Dai': :, '' ' ■' i: iind his canoe— another job. 

 About til! i, _ 'MM useii (,o such thing.s, and we 



made tin/ IhmimI.t iMji-kiy m.'l in silence. 



At 2:30 p. M. Thursday, the 9th, we arrived at the club- 

 house. 



Five days from Jersey City, lacking one hour and a half. 



We were welcomed in true club style by the boys there — 

 Hall, Payne and Nash coming out to meet us in their skiffs, 

 while the flag was flung to the breeze at the gable, and M. 



H frantically swung the dish cloth from the storm wia- 



dow, Captaiu Johnson rung the bell and made the opening 

 speech as we struck the sands : " Great head of the church! 

 where have you been aU this time 'I " 



We found everything lovely, .-V substantial club house 17 

 by 2T feet ; commodious kitchen and dining-room together 

 and gun-room on first floor. Stairs to second story, where 

 the fifteen cots were systematically arranged, with each man's 

 chest or trunk at its foot. We gazed around, and the si.xty 

 or seventy brant hanging to the beams made us glad wc had 

 come. 



Ah, club life is jolly, with such caterers as Al. H , and 



such fun-loving and fun-proviiking companions as Tom Hall 

 and Nash. No blue hours when they are around. 



But disappointments will intrude. We soon discovered 

 that the birds were not so numerous or getatable as we had 

 been led to hope. 



On Gull Island Shoals (our island), where but a few days 

 before were millions of brant and geese, now but a few 

 stragglers were to be seen. 



We were told by Mr. Mann, the mail man, whose route 

 was along the banks twice a week, that ten miles or more 

 above, and near the inlet, the birds were rafting in large 

 quantities. It was accounted for on this theory: Brant like 

 a brackish water only to feed in, and the high 'tide through 

 the inlet and the long northern winds had so raised on the 

 bars at Gull Island and so salted the water that the fowl had 

 left for above I he inlet and fresher feeding grounds. It was 

 the first lime in forty years, tlio natives said, that Gull 

 Island Shoals were so free of fowl. You see Jonah was still 

 with us. 



After staying a few few days at the club-house with but 

 mediocre luck your correspondent, with Xash, Thomson, 

 Wright and Johnson, proceeded to Chicimocomico and the 

 residence of Captain Benjamin Pugh. IIai|, Pa\ueaud Ileii- 

 tage having left a few days before intending lo stop a day or 

 two at Nj-e's, where wc learn they had a had a firat-rate time 

 with the'canvas-ljackfi, Harrison and Hiunich left us after a 

 day's sniping al Ctiicimocomico. Captain Ben Pugh is the 

 gontlenian who built our club-house for us, mid has'^it-liargeof 

 our possessions in Caroliua. 3tr. Piigh is the most promi- 

 nent citizen on the banks. Keeps the only store in the 

 neighborhood, and has a very eii\i:ible rey.ulation as a fear- 

 less and judicious coast-man, hiiving saved the lives of seven 

 persons al Ihe imminent peril of Ida own. He also rendered 

 efficient service dming the hist war as General Burnside's 

 trusted guide. 



Here our stay was pleasant indeed, but the confounded 

 northwest wind kept us confined more than we wished. But 

 with the services of Edward Payne, assistant postmaster of 

 the place, William and Daly O'Neil as boatmen and helpers, 

 we had some good shooting. We found the bars and shoals 

 above the inlet Uterally alive with brant and geese. iliUionB 



