April 8, 1880.] 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



195 



been using a breech-loader, as I generally do, my bags 

 would have been, I think, at least a third more. TUt 

 dogs used Were very imperfectly broken, and only one 

 dog used during the nineteen days in mid-winter. Should 

 any one of your city sportsmen want any information in 

 regard to t lie r.ountry I have been shouting over they may 

 address R. Si Kirkland, Raleigh, N, C. Quail. " 



Quaint Old WiHOHE^TBft. — Winchester, Va.. Mni-ch. 

 LOtlt, — Your good paper finds its way here and is read by 

 many that never take the field with dog and guu. Quaint 

 old Winchester has its past and present history. It has 

 Kort Lowdan and the well, 150 feet deep, dug 'by Wash- 

 ington to BUPply the fort with water; its Brartdock 

 street, through which Ueneral BrftddOi* and liis army 

 marched on their way to the fampus Bra^dtiKSk'a defeat, 

 ami of the last war too many relics i turjaerate. 



On the crest of yonder hill lie 10,000 soldiers that gare their 

 lives for the cause — in two inclosures of 5,000 each. One 

 is oared for and made beautiful by the Government ; the 

 other is watched over by kindred" hearts that drop their 

 tears and flowers believing they are honored dead. 

 "Quaint old Winchester," said cine of Virginia's pt li -,■< 

 and most accomplished matrons to me the other day, 

 " was, before the war, the veiy center of good society 

 and culture." 



Sportsmen are not as numerous as before the war, 

 from the fact that they have not the means nor the time 

 to indulge. Shooting is good all over the State and in 

 the Shenandoah Valley wild turkeys, quad, partridges 

 and deer art found in fair quantities enough to make 

 good sport. Sportsmen are born, not made ; and the 

 mere killing of game, to the true sportsman, is but a 

 small part pi the enjoyment of the field. The beautiful 

 scenery of this valley will largely compensate for a mod- 

 erately sized hag at night, and perhaps, after all, the 

 sportsman will feel as much at peace with himself and 

 all the rest of the world for having had a day out in 

 such a delightful country, as he would have been in a 

 jungle all day slaughtering. 



The wild turkeys are plenty here, and I think most of 

 those who have given their attention to this bird wil] 

 With me, that they arc the wildest and the tamest, 

 tha mo3t cunning and wary, and the most stupid and 

 foolish of all birds. The first two or three times starting 

 him, he will put himself into the air the moment he 

 hears or Bees you, if half a mile away. Shoot at him 

 every time you see or hear him, and he* will soon K 

 demoralized s>nd then find some tree-top, or place to hide, 

 and if his head is out of sight, all right, he will permit 

 the dog to point him, and tie kicked out vithin fifteen or 

 twenty steps of the hunter. 



Thepast season has been very favorable for sportsmen, 

 and that most respectable citizen, "the oldest inhabi- 

 tant," says he never saw such a mild winter. To-day the 

 air is soft and balmy ; like a bridal vail upon the i ■ 

 a young maiden, the bluish purple haze hangs upon the 

 mountain, inviting spring to come and woo and wed. 

 Catching the inspiration, the woods are resonant with 

 the songs of birds trooping their way northward, and 

 redolent with the perfume of swelling buds and flowers. 



D. C. 

 TEXAS, — Indianola, March 21st, — We are having a 

 very wet spring, and game of all kinds is very scarce." al- 

 though I have not seen as many fowl as there were this 

 fall for many years. They all left after Christmas. 



a a. 



Omaha Sportsmen's Club— Spring EtorT.— Omaha, 

 Neb., March 21th. — The members of the Omaha Spons- 



8' Club had their annual spring hunt on Thursday. 



Owing to the scarcity of game it was not quite as suc- 

 cessful as previous spring hunts. Those who went out 

 •were divided into two parties, or sides — one being chosen 

 by Capt. Hathaway and the other by Capt. Henry 

 Homan, and they hunted man against man. The Presi- 

 dent of the club, W. H. S. Hughes, made the smallest 

 score, killing a poor little lone bald-headed snipe, giving 

 him a count of one. The Vice-President, George Mills, 

 didn't do much better, as he only killed a bald-nated 

 duck, giving him a count of two. The killing of a differ- 

 ent kind of a bird from that which was secured by 

 Hughes was a stroke of luck which made his count one 

 better than that of Hughes. It is said by some of their 

 friends that owing to their official position they didn't 

 want to carry off the honors of the hunt, and therefore 

 generously concluded to make the smallest possible score ; 

 others intimate, however, that they did their level best. 

 J. W, Petty brought borne a handsome string of ga ate, 

 having rnadt the largest count, 203: Gen. Crook, J. W. 

 Petty and Henry Homan hunted on the Platte River, 

 near the Santee lakes, and made a total count of 436— 

 more than the entire score of Hathaway's side ; R. N. 

 'Withnell and John Withnell hunted on the Platte River, 

 near Forest City ; Zack Taylor, who hunted around Mis- 

 souri Valley Junction, in Iowa, didn't find much to shoot 

 at, and gave up in despair at about 10 o'clock in the 

 morning : fir. Peabody was- out in the vicinity of Horse- 

 shoe Lake, but hunted only half a day : ,J. Windheim took 

 in the Elkhorn ; William Krug scouted along the Platte, 

 near Fremont; Messrs. Hathaway. B. K. B. Kennedy, 

 Preston and Sackettbun ted around Missouri Yalleg VY. 

 U. S. Hugeefl, M. W. Kennedv, George Mills, Z. T. Sprigg, 

 Mr. Blake and Goodly Booker hunted along the Elkhotra, 

 near Waterloo. The following members did not go out 

 on the hunt -. Judge Cake, H. W. Yates, J. Budd, John 

 M, Thurston, T. L, Kimball, G. H. Collins,. Byron Reed, 

 John Hardit.^; and J. McCartnev, on Homan's side 

 D. C. Sulpha, A. S. Patrick, Dr. Cofl'man, 1). S. Rarma- 

 lee, John M.^Caff rey and James Campbell, on Hathaway's 

 side. The hunters brought in their game yesterday after- 

 noon and deposited at Collins & Potty's gun store, where 



Capt. Hainan's Sidu. — J. Petty: ii Canada geese, 24 

 1 Hudsonian, 8 ; 6 white fronts," 48 ; 1 snow, 8 ; 3 canvas 

 back ducks, 15 ; 3 mallards, f) , IS redheads. 3fi ; hald- 

 pates, 12 : IS green-winged teal, 19; i pintails, S; 2 gad- 

 walls, 4 ; '! mergansers, Id ; I scaup, 1 ; 1 yellbw snipe, I ; 

 total, 203. Gen. Crook ; 1 Canada goose, 13 : 5 white 

 fronts. 40 ; 18 redhead docks, 2U ; i gadwaUs. 8 , 

 pates. S ; 3 green-wing teal. 3 ; a scaups. 2 : 1 pintail, 3 : 

 total. 101, Z, Taylor : 1 redhead, 2 ; 1 canvas-back, 5 : 

 1 bald-pate, 2: I blue-wing teal, 1 ; total. 10. R, Homan | 

 16 redheade, 80 ; 3 pintails. B , 8 bald-pates, 6 ; 3 gad- 

 walls, 4 ; 3 mallards, G ; 7 green-wing teal; 1 scaup. 1; 

 3 snow geese, 34 ; 3 white fronts, 34 ; 2 Oanadas, 34 ; 

 total 132. 1i *illiam Krug : S mallard ducks, 9 ; 3 green- 



wing teal. 3 ; 1 pintail, 3 : 1 bald-pate, 2 ; 1 gad wall, S ; 



1 bufflc-head, 1 ;B redheads, 12; t) white -from B! 



3 snows, Ifi : total, 95. Dr. Peabody: 28 redhead ducks, 

 56 ; 1 canvas-hack, 5 : 1 scaup, 1 ; t bald-pate. 3 ; 1 gad- 

 wall, 2 : total, 87. Withnell Brothers j'IBi ■ ■ 



>nser, ; 4 gadwalls, 8 : 3 bald-pates; 8 ; 5 red- 

 heads. 10; 3 green-wing teal, 3; 1 scaup, 1; total, 41. 

 Total count, til 7. 



Capt. Hathaway's Side. — S. R. Hathaway: 2 canvas- 

 backs, 10 ; 3 bakl-pates, 4 ; 2 gadwalls, 4 : 1 shunerkir, 1 : 



2 green-wing teal, 3; 1 buffle-head, 2; 4 scaups, 4; 11 

 redheads, 22 ; 1 yellow-shank, 1: total, 50. Z. T. Sprigg ; 

 10 redheads, 20 ;' 4 gadwalls, 8 ; 5 bald-pates. 10 : 3 can- 

 vas-hacks. 15 : 3 scaups, 2: 1 merganser, 5 ; .2 pintails. 3 ; 

 1 mallard, 3 : 1 bulile-head, 1 ; total, 80, G. Booker : 1 

 scaup, 1 ; 1 gadwall, 3 ; 1 hawk. 5 : total, 8, Win. Preston : 3 

 redheads, 6: 3 gadwall. 6 ; 1 pintail, 2 ; 1 golden eye, 2 : 

 5 scaups. 5 ; 4 buffle-heads, 4 ; 1 green-wing teaJ, 1 : 1 kill- 

 deer plover, 1 ; total. 27. M. w. Kennedy: 4 gadwalls, 

 8 ; 1 bald-pate, 2 ; 3 scaups, 3 : 1 jack-snipe, 2 : 1 killdeer, 

 1 ; total, 15. Dick Berlin : 1 duck, 2. George Mills, 1 

 bald-pate duck. 3. Fred Blake : 1 hawk, 5 ; 4 sbanerlers, 

 8; 4 bald-pates, 8 ; 1 gadwall, 2; 3 redheads, 6; 1 wood- 

 duck, 3; 1 soaup, 1 ; 1 green-wing teal, 1 : 1 buffle-head, 

 1; total, 34. P. Windheim : 1 canvas-back. 10; 5 gad- 

 walls, 10 ; 3 redheads, 4 ■ 3 bald-pates, 4 : 4 pintails, 3 ; 1 

 wood-duck, ,3 ; 1 snanerler, 1 : total, 33. H. B. :- !, ■ 



4 redheads. 8: 1 merganser, 5: 1 pintail. 3; 1 spoonbill. 

 1 ; 1 gadwall, 2 : 1 bald-pate, 2 ; 1 scaup, 1 ; 1 sandpiper, 

 1 : total, 23. B. K. B. Kennedy : 5 redheads, 10 ; 1 can- 



is-ba , 5 ; 3 gadwalls, 4 ; 5 green-wing teal, 5 ; 1 bald- 

 pate, 3; 1 scaup, 1;1 bufrle-head. 1: 3 jack-snipes. 4; 

 total, 33. William Hughes: 1 killdeer snipe, 1. Total 

 count, 293. 



CAMP BEDS. 



BX AN OI03 CAMPER. 



" H. Z.," " an old camper,'' in your issue of March 4th, 

 wants to know how to secure a comfortable ramp bed ? 

 That depends. I have known fine haired campers with 

 expensive and elaborate outfits, trains if, wagons, horses 

 and servants, who sat in arm-chairs to eat from tables 

 that groaned under then- loads of good things, and slept 

 on spring mattresses With snowy sheets and lainbs'-wool 

 blankets,' and yet they imagined they were not entirely 

 comfortable, I have seen poor devils, ragged, dirty and 

 foot-sore who were glad to improvise a bed that was lux- 

 ury to them from an armful of cornstalks or two or three 

 fence rails laid side by side in the mud. Comfort de- 

 pends upon spirit and circumstance. Luxury is entirely 

 a relative quality. Beds of down and the nectar of the 

 gods may not suffice for one, whilst another may revel in 

 bliss with a cup of water and a crust of bread if a dirty 

 blanket is added for his bed. I have passed a very com- 

 fortable night on a bleak mountain side between two 

 tires that had to be replenished every half hour to keep 

 from freezing, without coat Or blanket and with the butt 

 of my guu for a pillow, because the labors and the hard- 

 ships" of the day had prepared me for it. Discomfort di- 

 minishes the exactions for comfort. 



I once knew a little frail preacher, whom fortune cast 

 into the wilderness, where he got lost* His entire bag- 

 gage was the framework of an India-rubber pillow, about 

 the size of his ear, which he thought was necessary to 

 his comfort wherever he was. After he bad run himself 

 down, and when the dusk of evening was closing in, he 

 thought of his pillow, fished it out of his pocket, blew it 

 up, and, placing it at the foot of a spruce tree, went to 

 bed. After his wild race—' ' go as yon please "—the new 

 position was positive and absolute comfort. That was a 

 camp-bed for you I But before he had closed his eyes a 

 mountain lion appeared on the scene, and discomfort 

 succeeded. The preacher broke down the mountain at 

 such Bpeed that the lion made no attempt to feeeti up. 

 By and by he met a solitary traveler leading a mule, of 

 whom he excitedly asked, "Where am I? Which way 

 am I going?" 



But this is getting a long way from " H. Z. V bed. 

 The best bedding for camping use is blankets. If not 

 enough, take more blankets. 



It is a fact that if a man can be sufficiently comfort- 

 able during the night to sleep well he can stand almost 

 any degree of hardship and hard labor during the day, 

 anil the day may be pretty long. But if hiB rest is spoiled 

 by cold he is illy fitted for the "day's work. If transporta- 

 tion facilities admit, a good, Ught, narrow hair mattress, 

 with rubber or oil-cloth on the under side, is the best ar- 

 tificial formation for a bed. But if carrying capacity is 

 limited, confine yourself to blankets. They will, for 

 given space and" weight, give more comfort than any- 

 thing else. The foundation for a bed can almost always 

 be improvised. Fir or spruce boughs, properly cut and 

 placed, make the best bed for one night in the world. 

 Straw, hay, grass, leaves, willows, or any other 

 slender brush, palmetto leaves, moss, pine needles, all 

 make good beds ; only if the material is coarse it should 

 be placed evenly and parallel with the position of the 

 sleeper, Tho only question then is sufficiency of blan- 

 kets to ecmalize the inequalities. If there is liability of 

 rain or snow, and your bed is in the open air, the top 

 covering should be water proof. It is always best to get 

 on the ground, unless in a very warm climate, because 

 the temperature is more equable. Cots, bedsteads, 



l th- 



lid a 



folds, hummocks, etc., in 

 mother earth. Night air changes are almost si 

 chilliness from beneath. A bed on frozen gn 

 snow can be made much more eomt'oitabl 

 same bedding than it possibly can be in a, i 

 anything else that is off the ground so that 

 beneath it. 



a-i 



if 



ad or on 



vitli the 

 ii, cot, or 

 iron lates 

 B. 



Beab Hunting in the Yellowstone Country.— FeZ- 

 lomstom River, Montana, Feb. ath.— Since bear hunting 

 lias become popular, I will relate an ad venture Mi'. Hiram 

 Stewart and 1 had in 1877 on a small stream that empties 

 into the Yellowstone known as Ply Creek. \\ 

 camp at the mouth of said stream to tr\ our skill on wild 

 geese, but after one day's hunt on 

 eoncluded to go after buffalo. So < 

 packed our camp on four jacks, rat 

 started dp h'lv Creek, which runs s 

 lowstone and heads near the Big Hi 

 two days' travel we came to a large band of buffalo, 

 which we found quietly grazing in a small valley, We 



' killed 1 



.mted our po , I id 



inth-west of the YeJ- 

 irn Mountains. After 



had wandered off north of our watering place, and after 

 looking at tho large herd of cows and calves, we con- 

 cluded to go and look up a good camp, secure our pack 

 animals, and come hack and attack them in good stvle. 

 After we had traveled several miles we saw in the "dis- 

 tance a small clump of box-elder, which always denotes 

 water, We soon landed and found to our entire satisfac- 

 tion a splendid stream at the head of the ravine. As our 

 long-eared packers showed signs of uneasiness, I took a 

 circle around the ravine to look for fresh signs of Indians, 

 as they are easily alarmed at the redniau"of the forest. 

 Once around, I could see no cause for the fright. So I 

 dismounted and went down close to the water to see if 

 there had been any game there during the day. When I 

 was within about three hundred yards of Balaam, I came 

 to a bear track not over three hours made : but the siaa 

 Oj that track would scare any jack, to say nothing of the 

 bear that made it. I let my pony go to camp and started 

 on the trail, following it into a dense red-willow thicket, 

 somewhat anxious to try my faithful Winchester on 

 bruin. I crawled on, and, after about twenty yards, I was 

 greeted with a noise between the roar of a Ron and the 

 growl of a tiger. As the chances were against my re- 

 treat with any speed, I soon got out on clear ground. I 

 looked after him for some time, but could not find him, 

 I called to my friend Stewart, who has had twenty-five 

 years' experience in the mountains with all kinds of 

 game. Ho came at once, but on the other side of the 

 ravine, with his Sharps .44 eal., 75-grs. powder, one leg 

 two inches shorter than the other, large white hat, and a 

 buckskin suit. " Well, what have you here ? " "I don't 

 know just what, and I don't care about going too far in 

 those, willows to find out; but from the looks of this 

 track I would call it an elephant's, if they inhabited this 

 country," There was a trail coming down the bank just 

 opposite me, and I felt sure that it passed near bis lair. 

 S. came down this trail until I could see his large hat. I 

 told him he had gone far enough I thought, as he must 

 be very near the spot where I heard the music ; but we 

 ■were both anxious to get first blood. He kept moving; 

 down until he was full half way down the bank, when all 

 at once I heard the charge, followed by the deafening 

 crash of his rifle, then a howl. I could now see S. scram- 

 bling toward a projecting rock, but the bear I could not 

 see for the bushes ; but I had not long to wait, for the 

 bear was within twenty feet of him. Quick as thought I 

 fired — struck him in the lungs. The report had scarcely 

 died away, when I gave him one in the neck. With the 

 third shot I broke the spinal marrow, just where it con- 

 nected with the brain. S. gave one bound, caught the 

 rock, but was so scared he fell back, and the bear nearly 

 tumbled on top of him. He gave one yell that sounded 

 like an earthquake, before he found out it was dead. I 

 crossed the hollow by crawling under the bush, and 

 found him seated by the bear with death stamped on hie 

 countenance; his face was like that of a corpse ; under hie 

 eyes were a dark-yellow shade. After some conversa- 

 tion, I learned he tried for a second shot, but the shell 

 failed to explode ; and on drawing the shell the ball 

 stuck in the grooves ; so all he could do was to give leg- 

 bail, which in that case would not have lasted long. On 

 butchering the bear we found his ball had struck the 

 brute in the breast, and went down about ten inches be- 

 tween the skin and flesh and lodged there, doing no harm 

 at all, although the ball was mashed flat as a large cop- 

 per. This bear weighed twelve hundred pounds, We 

 took all the fat to camp and had one hundred and sev- 

 enty-six pounds of rendered oil, which we sold for fifteen 

 cents per pound for cooking purposes, My companion 

 would not have the robe at all ; he said I had saved hie 

 life, and I should keep it as a token of his respect to- 

 ward me, When staked on the ground it would square 

 nine feet. This was a grizzly: and m his charge at 8. 

 he tore up two willows, three inches in diameter. 



Stewart died a few months after. I think this scare 

 had some permanent effect on him. W. A. Allkn. 



SHOOTING MATCHES. 



Marlboro vs. Mideubix.— Marlboro, Mass., JLyril 1st, 

 lie!, ween teams or the Marlboro Sportsman's Club, ami 

 dleaex Sportsman's Club, of Cambridge :— 



-UiDDniSIX SPORTSMAN'S CLXTB. 



Rotary. Three Double 



Trap. Trap. Trap. 



Ira Taylor 1 10 1-3 10 10-3 1 1 1 1 1 1 D 



A. w. Bore o 10 11-3 10 111—1 i :i i t o i; i l 



6. 0.G6ve 1 1 1 0-3 Till 0-t 1 11 1 1 1 J I 



C. S. Newenmb.l 1111-5 10 11 1—4 10 1110 10 

 0. F. Morse . ...1 I) 1 1 1— 4 10 1—2 1 1 t 1 1 1 t 



[,. i .!. i : . ■.:.<•.) 110 11-4 11111-5 101111111 



J. S. Baffyer....O 10 1—2 11111—5 I J 1 1 1 1 1 



W. It. Miller. ... 1 1 1 0-3 11100-3 111011011 



D. R. Melclter...l 110 0-3 1111 0-4 111)111. 

 W. H. Harrison. 10 110-3 01111-1 1 1 1 



Total 



.-Match 

 the Mld- 



1— 1— 12 

 0-8- IS 

 8-B- IS 

 0-5- 14 

 1-8— 14 

 0-8- 17 

 1- 8 - 15 

 0-7-13 

 1 S- 15 

 1-4- U 



..140 



MjLkljsoho sportsman's club. 

 H.W*. Eagor....l 1 111-5 10 111—4 101111001.0-6—15 

 V. B. sieason.j.l 1 1 1 1-5 i 1 1 1 1—5 11111110 i-s- 18 



H.S.Fay. 11111-5 1 1 1 1— t 11110111 I l-tl- 18 



T. J. Heauilry...l 1 1 1 1-5 110 11-4 111111110 0— S— 17 



i> i.ll"v 00110-2 11111-5 111011 1 110-8- IB 



F. A. Marshall.. 10 1-2 10111-1 I I I 1 1 1 1 1 1- !)- IS 



A. D. Jnjnwou .1111 1-5 11111-5 010111111 0-7- IT 



J.tt.Howa 11011-4 11111—5 01010011m 5- it 



W. H. Uuliten.J 1111-501111-41111111011 ' 



:..U: ..in H - n1 U 1 1 1—4 11111— 5 1 1 1 1 110 1 10-8— IT 



Total liS 



Okxtek Park— Jamaica S^ad, L. f., April 6th— Third monthly 

 content of the l,on<r Island Shooting- Club tor ji gun presented for 

 competition tiy the eluti, shot for at 7 birds each, from C, ground 

 traps, handicapped rlso, SO yards boundary, L. I. 3. O. rules ; 



I'm* rise. Ktll,-d.Mi.«cd. 



W. Mills 24 till 111 I 11 



w. Dernier, 22 10 11111 ft 1 



11 Q. i Ibol 25 I 1 1 1 1 1 6 1 



J.Aokaurst 22 111111 6 1 



1: ni ette 25 0111111 6 1 



A. A|.i.:evai-.l 23 11110 11 6 1 



a. MidVay 23 1 i 1 1 1 s a 



B. a. Madison 25 1 1 I t 1 5 2 



II. Peterson 25 10+01111 5 3 



... - 25 I f I 1 1 5 3 



.1. Metealf. 't 1 1 ] 1 0< I a S 



Dr. Morton i 1 t I 1 1 B 3 



.! It mv 21 1 1 0*0 11 4 a 



W. ffviin ;."i i 1 1 1 1 3 



H. Atkins 25 1 1 I 3 4 



i>. Thompson 21 w 



RrCRRXTioN Gun Cli-u. Xrw l'mh, Marih'-iWh .— M 



meetlug of the Bergen Point Amateur GOD Club, on thu 22.1 ihst., 

 in was unanimously resolved that the club mono fa changed to 



