April 1, 1880.] 



FOREST ANT) STREAM. 



167 



— An English scientific journal relate:-, that While tlu 

 Sailors of H. M. S. Faraday, aided by tho now system of 

 electric illumination, were, ono night lowering a cable, 

 they noticed an immense number of fishes of all sizes 

 and shapes, gathering around the spot. By promptly 

 throwing out nets they were enabled to make" an extraor- 

 dinary haul. The electric light may doubtless be em- 

 ployed to advantage by fishing boats. 



— ♦ — 



JAMES WOOD JLlLKiiF, 



BY BAliNET PHILLH'S. 



[A paper road before the American Fish Cultural AssooiattbnJ 



THE sad duty devolves on me of announcing to you 

 tho death of Professor James \V. Milner, whot at 

 Wsukegon, 111,, on the last day of December, 1379, passed 

 away train this world, 



Many of you here must remember what interest Pro- 

 fessor Milner took in our proceedings, Thoroughly 

 grounded in all the scientific data, perfectly at hen- in 

 the practical details of Ssh culture, there were no uties- 

 tions of an iethyological or other character wi could 

 put to him, that he d?d not resi.ond to at ...ico. i: a ^re- 

 gularly terse and clear manner* He had the 'power of 

 stripping the husk off of matter, and presentingyou the 

 perfect grain. This society owes a great deal of its pros- 

 perity to the labors of this'man. Many of lis plans, and 

 especially the widening of its scope— the effort to make 

 it more than local, to extend its influence, v, cc .■'„ .-".'. 

 gested by Froftsscr Milner. If evii- ;m v cue h-. i ins 

 whole soul in the work, it was that man, whom death 

 has now taken away from among us, Hiequick, ner- 

 vous manner, bis intensity, the power he possessed to 

 make any question lucid," his easy method of explana- 

 tion, we can hear no more. His place will be one in this 

 Aaspciation, not easily tilled. Fully trusted by the' Smith- 

 sonian Institution, he took charge, of some" of its most 

 important missions, and there are here some present who 

 can testify to the thoroughly conscientious manner in 

 which his task was fulfilled. The' e are, in this world 

 many ways of doingone's duty. It was Mr. Milner's ambi- 

 tion to leave no stone Unturned that might be an obstacle 

 in the way of scienUUe progress. You have often heard 

 that saying, that "if war lias its heroes, so has science its 

 martyrs." Tho repetition of this has perhaps become 

 trite, but itis none the less true. It was as much overwork 

 as anything else ; an excess of zeal which, early in Mil- 

 ner s lite, as latent his career, shortened in such an un- 

 timely way his days. Brm til of hia work, I ban seen 

 raysel how careless, how utterly h,.reV,. n?m „ Mr. Milner 

 was of his person in the prosecution of his labors it 

 was my good fortune to have been with Mr. Milner as his 

 guest on more than one occasion when be was engaged 

 in his professional duties. I remember when on a cold 

 night on Chesapeake Bay, when his men were out on the 

 water catching the shad eggs, thai a sudden storm arose 

 There was no danger re the numerous boats' crew's, lint 

 the chances were that if his presence was wanting that 

 some millions less of eggs would be the result Indif- 

 ferent to the ram, 1 have seen him hurry from out his 

 bervh atwas in the noatinghatchiug-housei and but half 

 fdftd, spring into the neatest boat, ai midnight, and spend 

 all that night until dawn, going from boat to boat en- 

 couraging the men in their exertions. The United States 

 wanted to have the rivers teeming with fish, and there 

 was enthusiasm enough in Mr. Milner to think himself 

 Sine instrument for thus furnishing food to millions and 

 're was perfectly willing to lay down his life for what 

 Other men would have been languidly indifferent about. 

 I have myself frequently remonstrated with Mr. Milner 

 as ro what I deemed to be an unnecessary exposure, and 

 had warned him of possible fatal results, but bis reply 

 was, I remember his words distinctly. "I do not think I 

 fulfill my duty thoroughly, conscientiously, in any other 

 way." This somewhat "explains the character ' of the 

 man. The last time I saw Inm was some two years a-re. 

 at Gloucester, where he was busy arranging apparatus 

 tor hatching the cod. The novelty of this fluty excited 

 Ins enthusiasm, and quite possibly the cold he had taken 

 some time before was augmented bv the ehiil damnness 

 of a New England fall. 



I can but briefly describe this useful life. Mr. Mil tier 

 was born in Kingston, Ont., January 11th, 1841, and 

 came to Chicago when he was five years old. As a boy 

 •re. was a hard student, aud developed early in life a taste 

 for natural history. He was but a lad when he traveled 

 through Minnesota making collections. A I the breaking 

 out, ol the war he volunteered in an artillery company 

 and served with distinction to almost its close, having 

 been in... ■ . . . nmtcuouij courage and gallautrv. After 

 an honorable discharge, he obtained a position in the 

 Chicago post ollice. Still retaining his love lor natural 

 history, he thoroughly tilled his position, but, combining 

 with it the study of his favorite topics, this double work 

 became too much for him. and his health broke down. 



Retiring from his postal duties, he made explorations 

 in the peat beds, ana exhumed the skeleton of a moose 

 which he supposed belonged to an extinct species. Hav- 

 ing written- to the Smithsonian Institution in regard 

 it — describing the remains of this creature— the singular 

 terseness and scientific instinct displayed in his tetlerBat- 

 tractedt.be attention of the Smithsonian institution This 

 led to Mr. Milner'.-, services being engaged by the Smith- 

 sonian. He wasJirst employed by ProT'c^s, ,, J;,..-.' 



to gather together the statistic* 'of me iiOi of tile Great 



Lakes. Shortly afterward he joined the United States Fish 

 Comnusson, hi Washington, and was in their employ up to 

 the day of his death. " Successive publications of the 

 Fish Commission fully attest Mr. Milner's work and ser- 

 vices. In addition to this, he was in close communica- 

 tion all the time with the present distinguished Secretary 

 of the Smithsonian in collecting genial statistics, and 

 arranged the literary material lor fish propagation in the 

 reports, of which he was most .rep-dally editor. Milner's 

 work was wide aud extended. At different tunes he 

 planned various fish-hatching campaigns in North Caro- 

 lina, Virginia., on the Potomac, on the Susquehanna, at, 

 Havre do Grace and at Holyoko. He had under hia 

 charge the cod hatching at Gloucester in 1373. The Sec- 

 retary of the Smithsonian writes in his honor : "He was 



Very methodical in everything, and as keeper of that 

 portion of the archives uiuler his cb urge was a notable 



example of industry, care and precision." 



There is some information more than touching, which 

 I have received, descriptive of Milner's last days, lie 

 was so enthusiastic in his work, thai he m at beyond his 

 strength. He believed that with such a mission as was 

 his, that he was invulnerable to the attacks of malaria ox 



overwork, under which so many of bis friends had BUO- 



eitnibed. 



When advised by Professor Baird, in the summer of 

 1-H7S, to seek his home and take a needful rest, he still 

 lingered at Washington, perfecting his plans for the 

 steamer FiakHawXs, which he never was to Bee afloat— 

 which vessel was the great triumph of American fish 

 culture, and was only called into commission last month. 

 Coming at last home.* to his wife, he refused to be thought 

 even ilk h, g month he was again at his post at (iloti- 

 cester, entirely forgetful of himself, absorbed as he was 

 in his work. "When his task there was concluded he be- 

 came so ill that be was forced to take to his bed. As 

 soon as he could travel, he hurried on to Washington. 

 Though confined to his room, still, with untiring energy, 

 he conducted the business of the shipment an.l planting 

 of the California salmon into Michigan waters, by means 

 of the telegraph. His cough continuing, his physician 

 ordered him at once to Aiken, S. C, But finding lie 

 could do no work there, but slightly improved in health, 

 he went to Western Florida. Mrs. Mutter having met him 

 in New Orleans, she informs me that any idea of rest 

 was even then the furthest from his moid. Florida might 

 do him good, but that was secondary to the fact that he 

 might conduct some work in Florida— there were collec- 

 tions to be made there. Mr. Milner remained in Florida 

 until May, but was no better. It was with a terrible 

 struggle that be then gave up the hope of future useful- 

 ness! " I can, id imagine any more dread conflict than 

 licit which is sometimes waged between a man's active 

 brain and his perishing body. It was in May that this de- 

 voted man went home to die. Life was gradually ebbing 

 but still the mental powers had lost nothing "of then- 

 force. He could not bear to think that his work might 

 stop with him forever. 



A bare chance of life was possible. It might be found 

 in Colorado. Thither he went, last September ; still he 

 refused mental rest, for life was to him as worth nothing 

 save enhanced by work. He rallied for a while, but then 

 became more physicially feeble. The vitality in the 

 man was iminense. If he was too weak to write letters, 

 he dictated them. When, in October, the doctors told 

 him that his time was short, then his resignation was su- 

 preme. Even then he remembered many of his friends, 

 members of this Association present here to-day. and 

 wanted to send them bis last word anil greeting. He 

 said — these are his very words : "1 am dying without a 

 feeling of ill-will toward any man"; and" could— (writes 

 tome, Mrs. Milner)— "could you have seen bis loving kind- 

 ness toward all who came under his notice, you could 

 better understand the noble qualities, the untold goodness 

 of this man." 



Let us then, respect the memory r of James Wood Mil- 

 ner, who was not only of singular service to this world, 

 but who was honest, sincere and endowed with many 

 wonderful gifts. It is to the disinterested efforts of such 

 a sterling man as was Professor Milner thai we are be- 

 holden for the present position we enjoy, and though he 

 be lost to us, 1 am hopeful that the memory of one of our 

 leading officers will always be reverenced by the 

 American Fish Cultural Association. 



HM B*nn*L 



BREAKING DOGS WITH COLD LEAD. 



Whitehall, Va., Feb. 23d, 



Editor Forest and Stream:— 



Through the kindness of your correspondent, " Ring- 

 wood.'' I have occasionally the pleasure of perusing your 

 paper. In your issue of the 12th hist. I notice a letter 

 signed "W. F. Steel," deprecating the use of "cold 

 lend " in breaking wild dogs, and, in short, declaring it 

 to be perfectly useless. I decidedly disagree with him. 

 My experience of dog-breaking extends over a period of 

 twenty years, and .hiring that time, it may easily be 

 supposed, I have had some pretty wild ones, and I 

 cannot call to mind but one instance in which a dose, or 

 dosea of shot, followed by a sound "hiding," have not 

 been effectual. That instance, by the bv. was very effec- 

 tual in its way, for the shot killed the dog, and perhaps, 

 like the doctor's patient, he died cured, f do not mean 

 to say that the shot gun should be part, of the regular 

 recognized tools of the dog-breaker— on the contrary, it 

 should only be resorted to as a forlorn hope. At" the 

 same time, I repeat 1 have never known it to fail, if ap- 

 plied at the proper time, to effect at least a radical hn- 

 provemeut. No doubt there are serious objections to it. 

 Some might say it is cruel— though scarcely more so 

 than a series of 'unmerciful whippings— then one is apt 

 to injure and sometimes kill the dog: but after every 

 other mode has been tried in vain, I would have no hesi- 

 tation in using it, the more so as a dog which you can- 

 not control is" worthless. At this moment I have a liv- 

 ing monument to the good purpose to which a shot gun 

 m dog-breaking can be put. Shortly before Christinas, 

 79, f came into possession of a setter dog which had 

 been broken, though be had been hunted a little 

 : . i mer owner, who declared him quite unmanug- 

 able. Jle was a very fast dog, had a good nose, would 

 stand steady enough to birds for say five minutes, but 

 the moment the covey was flushed he was " all over cre- 

 ation," as his owner phrased it. I have seen him chase a 



1| .- half a mile, and as for rabbits, he was the best 



rabbit-dog in the country. Now all this was uol 

 he was not punished tor it. Uii no '. he was whipped 

 over and over again mini 1 was sorry for the poor beast, 

 ! ted the advisability ot giving him a dose of shot, 

 but my friend was a young sportsman who shrunk from 

 doing this, but said tie woidd hand over Porter to rue 

 and 1 could do as I pleased with him. 1 would not have 

 troubled about the beast, but partly for my friend's sake, 

 and partly because the dog was good looking, well bred, 

 extremely fast and had a good nose, I thought I would 



try him. Letmesay herehe was two and one-hal f 

 My first step was to get acquainted with him. Mj 

 in a general way, make him obedient- not an easy task 

 —but he was not sulkv,"and came "in to band pretty Well. 

 Then I took him out hunting without any gun. but with 

 a steady dog of my own. Well, it was the same old 

 thing, 'lie flushed every covey of birds be found. Then 

 he would not "back stand, 1 ' and disgusted my setter, 

 " Alb," by taking his point and flushing bis birds. Then, 

 worse than all, though quite obedient at home, return- 

 ing when called (he was always very attentive to the 

 i i i. nid ever "down charging." He paid not the 

 ighteat att ation to WhiBtling, calling, or even stronger 

 language. I regret to say, I beat him urmieroii I] 

 soon us' 1 could catch him, and tried again. Presently 

 Alb found a rabbit in a bush. T "called Porter, 

 who came with perfect obedience, there being no birds 

 on the wing. He made a. faint attempt to " back stand," 

 rushed past Alb to put up the birds aud was exceed- 

 ingly disappointed— there weren't any, and, in fact, 

 fook'ed very foolish, Just (lieu Mrs. Babbit, who did 

 not understand this fooling, bolted, and so did Porter, 

 notwithstanding he had ijust jreeeived a tremendous 

 beating for that same thing, and that I did my Utmost 

 to restrain him, even to throwing stones at him. This 

 satisfied me there was no resort left but the shot gun. 

 Two or three days after the occasion just referred to 

 J took him out again, this time by himself— I, ariiwl 

 with my choke-bore. We soon found birds. LVsliout- 

 ing to him and running as fast as 1 could, I got within 

 about sixty yards, when the birds were flushed. Off 

 t porter' as usual. I shouted to him as loud as I 

 „_.u, and then let him have if. There never was such 

 an astonished dog since dogs Were, The shot stung 

 pretty smartly, and before he had fairly recovered frorn 

 prise I had bun by a hind leg. I knew it was 

 - never, and I threshed him until mv arm ached. 

 rse he could not hunt any more that day, Next 

 friend happened to come, and we went out for 

 a short time, taking the dogs. Porter hunted hist rate, 

 but flushed the lirst covey he found, which was also 

 the first we found. Fortunately 1 was not far off, and 

 " ha, ! you Porter, hie hack sir." stopped him in time. 

 He came back looking very frightened, aud 1 petted 

 and made much of him. From that moment lie was, 

 iqiiered dog. Of course he was no little trouble 

 afterward. aud"I was more than once on the point of 

 giving him another dose, but happily refrained. Now 

 he is the fastest, steadiest dog I have owned for many 

 a day. This is only one instance of many wherein 

 " cold lead " has done good service. 



Sapiens qui Assidctjs. 



Cl.ASSincATION OF THE CobLIE AT THE NEW I'ORK. 



Show —Jersey City. A'. J., March 13>/ ( .— I wish to call 

 the abolition of the" Westminster Kennel Club to tin 



justice done tO 

 tng the dog an 

 Annual Bench 

 to class then 

 taken in t he 

 ber have bee 



if that bit 

 Hereti 



— y. Th 



ie since the U 

 .ported espec 

 1 do not sec 



d bite I 

 i Show 

 separai 

 Oh 



of the list, of thedorn. 

 stands the shepherd's 

 immemorial to the Ca 

 seem to be instinctive 

 age are. not excelled I 

 the above reasons the 

 similar t 

 club to i 

 they are 

 bitches i 

 the duty 

 courag 



Oth( 



ike two 

 exhibite 



iolli( 



-sportii 



ela 



D f th 



ul p 



»ke 



eders of the Scotch collie in classify 

 ed together at the Fourth 

 re it, iias been customary 

 has been a great, interest 

 bench show, andanurn- 

 y to exhibit at this com.-. 

 "y the kennel club should 

 aficationof non-sporting 

 m the collie. Appletons' 

 , :, I ows: "At the bead 

 les of temperate Europe 

 g been trained from time 

 lis ; its peculiar faculties 

 gacitv. fidelity and ceur. 

 siesof dog." 1 think for 

 ild at least have a chancy 

 gs, and f ask the kennel 



„ id of only the one. for if 



eparatelv 1 know of at least five 

 that will be entered. I think it is 

 •1 club to do all in its power to en- 

 the breeding of such valuable dogs. 

 Jench Show and see flic great num- 

 1, are exhibited ;. in fact, they are, 

 !, other I cet ds. By opening a class 

 torn the dogs the kennel club will 

 lovers of the Scotch collie and also 

 ujuerof entries and liner specimens of 

 this breed 'than has been heretofore exhibited in this 

 country. J - L - 



As regards classification, the points of the male ami 

 female collie are so much the same that no injustice is 

 done the bitches as far as the judging is concerned. The 

 question, therefore, is only one of prizes, and iu making 

 up the premium list i ho committee were governed to a 

 ..real, extent by the entries in various classes in previous 

 years. However, we observe that a special club medal 

 has been offered for the best collie, bitch, providing a 

 bitch does not win first prize, which makes five prizes 

 hi all for this breed. 



Entries for the Derby— A'ew York, Marched— Bv 

 kind enough to publish in your paper the following- 

 entries for the field Trial Derby : Lad (Lincoln-Daisy 

 Deaui, white and orange setter d.Qgi Dashing Pirn el- 

 and black setter bitch: Dbm 

 Prince), blue Helton Better 

 u O'Shanlt r-La Prince), bh o 

 - 'Lincoln- Daisy Deuiu, 

 ' .o,i'( Wind- 



Look ft tire Beghah] 

 ber of collie dogs th; 

 taking the leadovel : 



for bitches separate I 

 conter a favor on a 

 insure a large 



(Dash 



il,-Ph 



auto m), whib 



Queer 



(Tan 



O'Shanter-L 



hi mh 



Blue 



Princess (T; 



ICltoi 

 white 



1 Seltt 



and o 



r bitch; Lut 

 an go setter d 



VniN 



ora), black and wi- 



(Dash 

 enlcri 



ll. -N\ 

 d by 



rna), blue B 



the yiooi,.. 



Princ 



- Alb,. 



it (P.russcl 



tickec 

 diana 



setlei 



H,hs,l 



bite st 



dog-ente 

 id.; Lady 1 

 Iter bit eb- 



New 

 and nv 



lastle, 



P.a.: Dick 



and v 



bite s 



jtter dog- 



setlei 



dog- 



mtered 1 

 f 



—An internation 



at Haarlem 



in Hi 



June 







