Aran, 23, 1880 ] 



FOREST AND STREAMS 



231 



I will, by the steamer that carries this, send to him and 

 to you also, a fair specimen of said potatoes, and it 

 strikes me that the Professor will he compelled to admit 

 that it is his prophecy and not the "fondest hopes of 

 ' Piseco : " which "come to naught.'' I must confess that 

 ■when I read in his first paper the remark about " the 

 ■watery walnuts, dubbed potatoes," I had no idoa that he 

 had, as he admits in his last, ' ' witnessed, tasted and 

 handled " himself, at Sitka, just such potatoes, weighing 

 nearly a pound each, and good. However I will send 

 him another, and I feel very confident ^that he will have 

 some difficulty in brushing aside, as an "erroneous infer- 

 ence," so substantial an argument — one I run some risk in 

 advancing at this time, as nearly two months must 

 elapse and a long journey be taken before the pota- 

 toes can reach their destination, and they may come to 

 grief. Before dropping this potato, which has proved a 

 hot one, I will say that if most or many of the Profes- 

 sor's statements in regard to Alaska affairs are to be 

 taken with so many grains of salt, as in this case, I can- 

 not wonder that every well-informed person with whom 

 I come in contact here differs with him so radically upon 

 so many points. In his next paragraph Prof. E. makes 

 it perfectly clear to " Fiseco " " that potatoes cannot be 

 successfully raised in Alaska," by argument based upon 

 experiments in cotton raising in Ohio, and warming 

 with his subject, pronounces the attempt " an utter fail- 

 ure," simply because he finds that he can't raise in Ohio 

 as good cotton as can be raised in Georgia. "Piseco" 

 utterly fails to trace the connection, and remains of the 

 opinion that the cotton experiment has very little, if any, 

 bearing upon the question, and having seen many and 

 eaten some very excellent potatoes raised in Alaska, is 

 not prepared to admit that the crop of 1879 was ' ' an utter 

 failure." 



Very few practical gardeners would be willing to ad- 

 mit that their gardens were failures simply because each 

 season they found themselves compelled to resort to pro- 

 fessional seedsmen for fresh supplies of seeds and 

 I cuttings. 



Things which are equal to each other, we are taught, 



are equal to the same tiling. Let us apply the axiom : 



Ohio cotton not as good as Georgia cotton ; Connecti- 



f cut tobacco not as good as Virginia ditto ; therefore, the 



first crop being an utter failure, so is the second. 



By mutual consent the stock-raising question is left out 

 of the discussion. All that either of us know about it is 

 ♦ what other people have told us, and judging by the 

 weather we are having this winter, I rather believe that 

 his informant judged more correctly than mine ; but one 

 reason that the Professor gave in his first paper, to show 

 that it could not be done, will not Btand against facts. 

 He says squarely : " Hay cannot be cured in this 

 country." I say just as positively that it can, and has 

 been for many seasons. 



I will first prove my assertion by matching direct in- 

 formation from the parties who have cured it, against his 

 opinion. Doyle, the man who planted or sowed the fust 

 seed in Katliansky Bay, assures me that he has year after 

 year obtained good crops of cured hay. And there has 

 been, this last season, to my certain knowledge, for I 

 have seen it brought in, and know that it is now being fed 

 daily to cows and mules, a crop of eighty or a hundred 

 tons— I don't know exactly how much— of excellent hay, 

 composed of timothy and clover. 



Can the Professor controvert this statement, and prove 

 conclusively that it is an "erroneous inference," by as- 

 serting that we have only got to keep it long enough, 

 and it will get musty ? 



The following, which is written by a man who is up 

 in Alaska matters, is worth reproduction in this connec- 

 tion : — 



NOT QUITE CORRECT. 



A recent number of the San Francisco AUa contained ft letter 

 from a "special correspondent" on the subject of Alaska, which 

 displays much carelessness, if not absolute ignorance, on the part 

 of the writer. After enlarging upon the manner of killing seals 

 under contract on the PribyloiT Islands, the correspondent enters 

 "into details concerning other parts of the Territory too palpably 

 false to be allowed to pass without refutation. 



With reference to the island of Kadiak, he states that the only 

 Bettlenent is at St. Paul Harbor, aud that only tiyelve acres are 

 under cultivation in that most favored spot of the Territory, pro- 

 'duoing "a few potatoes and some grass." The statistics in 

 other column of this number of the Appeal inform our readers of 

 the number of settlements and inhabitants of Kadiak and 

 vicinity. The acreage under potatoes and turnips on Kadiak and 

 Afognak alone, mounts into the hundreds, and as for the "ci 

 vatlon of grass," the pita's correspondent has evidently nc 

 seen the luxuriant growth of timothy and other grasses of that 

 region, completely hiding a man of common stature. Thousands 

 of people make a living on those islands, raising potatoes 

 enough for home consumption and export to lees favored sections 

 of the Territory. Cord wood and rough lumber is also shipped 

 from here to treeless Aleutian Islands, and the southern portion 

 of the Alaska Peninsula. 



Of the numerous quartz ledges of Sitka, the correspondent 

 Saentions D u.t " o ne recently discovered mine," and then goes on 

 to state that "industrial enterprises have failed, because the 

 Creoles refused to work"— a very unjust accusation of a whole 

 class of people. The amplo facilities for vegetable gardening at 

 Sitln, Wranjrell and on Prince of Wales Island, the writer passes 

 Ovorin silence, as well as the fisheries ; his whole communication 

 'ollows in the footsteps of many other similar productions of men 

 who set out to write about Alaska with a flrm determination to 

 seenoth og that is good or ;sveu promising for the future. In any 

 part of the neglected Territory.— Alaska Appeal, Dae. BOtfi, 



In some respects I agree with Prof. Elliott. He is un- 

 doubtedly correct in the assumption that if "three thou- 

 sand misguided mortals" should come suddenly into 

 Sitka, they would be compelled to send below for many 

 necessaries. We three hundred who are hero now have 

 to do that or become impoverished ; the store-keepers are 

 rnerciless, and charge such exorbitant prices for every- 

 thing, that most of us who have to spend a dollar save 

 the half of one by so sending. 



But Sitka is not peculiar in that respect. I fancy that 

 the inhabitants of Virginia City, and Leadville, and 

 Beadwood have to send somewhere for a great many 

 things ; and even those of New York who want first-class 

 beef send West, and for early vegetables, South. But I 

 do believe that if such an influx were preceded by 

 that of a few competent and industrious farmers, Sitka 

 and vicinity could adapt itself to the situation, and I so 

 expressed myself in this connection — a point which Prof. 

 E. apparently overlooked, 



And now about " those mines near Sitka." In his first 

 paper, Prof. E. says : " If the gold mines are so rich, why 

 are they not worked?" In his last, he completely over- 

 looks my direct assertion that certain of the ledges are 

 being worked and sending bullion away monthly, and 

 various other well-founded statements, and gives this 

 enigmatical reply : — 



"As for those mines near Sitka, that is a long story, 

 and dates back prior to the transfer ; and when "Piseco" 

 gets away next year (I hope he's right, then) he will sub. 

 stantially agree with me in regard to them, if the owners 

 of those mines have a valuable vein (valuable veins ?), 

 then they are in full sympathy with me, because they 

 do not want it (them ?) puffed outside of their own knowl- 

 edge ; but if they are simply doing what; thousands of 

 such people are daily doing, floating worthless stock 

 then of course I shall merit their hostility." 



" Piseco " gives it up; and will here only repeat his 

 statement, that he has good reason to believe that, what- 

 ever may have been the state of affairs at the date of the 

 Professor's visit, there have since been discovered by 

 miners who have flocked here, a great many ledges of 

 quartz, many of which have been proved by assay to be 

 auriferous, and which are owned in two cases only by 

 incorporated companies ; that most of them are owned 

 by the miners who discovered them, and that most of 

 said miners are poor men, who are not in sympathy with 

 the Professor, although " they believe their ledges valua- 

 ble," because they feel that it is partially due to his persist- 

 ent assertions to the contrary, that capitalists refrain from 

 investigating and developing the mineral resources of 

 Alaska. 



A 10-stamp mill, run by steam, is at work upon one of 

 these mines, and producing such returns as justify its 

 owners, who are among the most respectable business 

 men of Portland, and United States officers — army and 

 navy— in the belief that they have a good thing. I shall 

 send to the Smithsonian, also to you, Mr, Editor, some 

 specimens of Alaska quartz ; and if Prof. Elliott will but 

 ask of the mineralogist of the Smithsonian, and you, of 

 any expert among your acquaintances, their character, I 

 think that you, at least, will be satisfied that, if thore is 

 plenty of it, the ledges from which it was obtained must 

 have value. 



In stating that the knowledge of auriferous quartz 

 edges existing in the vicinity of Sitka dates prior to the 

 transfer, the Professor is again mistaken. The transfer took 

 place in 1868 ; the first discovery of a quartz ledge took 

 place in 1871, The history of the successive steps through 

 which this mining region has advanced to its present 

 condition, is, as he says, a long story, and no one man 

 knows it ; but there are at Sitka, and at the mines, all of 

 the men who have from time to time discovered these 

 ledges, and each has his quota of personal knowledge. 

 I will make it my business to interview all of these men, 

 and getting their stories, compare and sift them, examine 

 records and papers, and in my next furnish you with the 

 first and only authentic and connected history of mining 

 developments in this country. From my present knowl- 

 edge, I am convinced that while there has been more or 

 less " wildcatting" of certain of these ledges, which I am 

 in accord with the Professor in condemning, yet there is 

 also perfectly legitimate mining now being prosecuted in 

 this vicinity. 



February lBth, — Please see that the above date is in- 

 serted, Mr. Editor, for it bears on the great potato ques- 

 tion. Five months and one day have elapsed since I 

 helped eat that '• giant Murphy," which in fourmonths, at 

 the outside, was doomed by the Professor to decay and 

 corruption. Yet to-day I have seen quite a quantity of its 

 mates and have had some for my dinner, aud they were 

 very good potatoes. (I have used great care in the con- 

 struction of the above assertion. The last time I refer- 

 red to a dinner in which an Alaska potato figured, I in- 

 cautiously admitted that it was not "quite ripe," and 

 thereby furnished proof positive that Alaska potatoes 

 never do get ripe). 



In anticipation of the possible arrival to-morrow of 

 the steamer, I went for the potatoes wliioh 1 have prom- 

 ised to send, obtained them and found them in excellent 

 preservation. A rather amusing conversation took place. 

 The seller apologized for the small size of the "tubers " 



(they weigh about six ounces on an average) and ex- 

 plained that he had sold all of his crop except these 

 three barrels, which were small ones he was keeping for 

 seed." This rather staggered me. I hated to see the 

 man make such a dead waste of such a fine lot of pota- 

 toes, and said to him : — 



" f wouldn't undertake to save them for seed, they 

 won't grow if you do plant them." 



" Won't grow, is it, and why not, I'd like to know ? " 



"Why, Alaska potatoss don't get ripe, and are of no 

 use for Beed." 



"Won't they? Ain't they? Well then, who's been 

 telling you that ? " 



" Why, Prof. Elliott says"— 



" Prof. Elliott, what does he know about it? " 



I answered truly that I didn't know, and then my 

 friend explained to me that he and Smeig, and others 

 whom he mentioned, had for several years raised their 

 potatoes from the small ones saved from tha year be- 

 fore 1 Mr. Editor, I felt a good deal, I have no doubt 

 John Phcenix did, when the native assured him that 

 the distance to the next ranche waa but a mile, while 

 the assistant with the pedometer had made it twenty, 

 " The dicta of science is not to be disputed," but I have 

 since questioned several who don't raise, but have 

 bought potatoes here for many years, and they all back 

 the native, and convince me beyond a doubt the agricul- 

 tural possibilities, etc., were very limited. I should have 

 agreed with him, but to " take away from him who 

 hath not, even that which he hath," may be scriptural, 

 but it is not fair worldly policy. 



March 26th.— That potato ought to have been with 

 you ere tliis, but a failure of the steamer to make her 

 usual trips has kept our mails waiting. It starts from 

 hero in excellent condition— as does a mate, to the Pro- 

 fessor—and my dinner to-day was partially composed 

 of some from the same lot. PlSECO. 



§mr\e §ng m \d §m h 



GAMIi IN SEASON IN AMtll. 



Wild Ducks, Geese, Brant, etc, 



GAME AND FISH DIRECTORY. 



In sending reports for the Forest and Stream Directory to 

 Game and Fish Resorts, our correspondents are requested to give 

 the following particulars, with such other information as they 

 may deem of value : State, Town, County; means of access; Hotel 

 and other accommodations; Game and Its Season; Fish and its Sea- ' 

 son; Boats, Guides, etc.; Name of person to address. 



NESTING PIGEONS. 



Late advices from Shelby, Mich., announce the arrival 

 of the wild pigeons. The trappers, or notters, are also there 

 to the number of about eighty. It is expected that in a 

 few days the pigeons will begin their preparations for 

 nesting, when they will be settled for about a month, and 

 the pigeon-catchers' harvest will begin. A few seasons 

 ago your correspondent spent two weeks in the same lo- 

 cality, and saw one of the largest roosts and the business 

 of pigeoning in full blast. The netters, buyers aud 

 pigeons generally arrive on the ground at one and the 

 same time, the course of the birds being found out bv 

 use of the telegraph. The netters at once proceed to se- 

 cure a good place to set their nets, often paying as high 

 as §50 for a favored spot where the flight is "good, or for 

 some drinking place or salt marsh where the birds are 

 in the habit of going. The buyers erect coops for hold- 

 ing live birds, or get together their stock of barrels and 

 ice for shippmg dead birds, though a good proportion of 

 the trappers ship their own; birds alive or dead to New 

 York and Chicago. I saw dead birds sold at Shelby for 

 fifteen cents, and live for thirty cents per dozen, though 

 the average prices are higher. The morning and evening 

 hours are best for catching, as then the flights are on. I 

 saw 287 taken at one spring of a single net, over a bed of 

 muck to which the buds had been baited for some days 

 by sprinkling salt over the mud. On these beds no decovs 

 are used, the baiting being sufficient. The pigeons would 

 eat greedily of the salted muck. 



On the occasion I speak of we arrived at the bower 

 just before daybreak. The birds were well baited and I 

 expected to see a fine catch, as no net had as yet been 

 sprung over that bed. Willi the first streaks of light we 

 could hear the flutter of wings as they lit in the trees 

 about the bed. As the light increased ' they fame faster 

 and thicker, until soon the trees were alive with them 

 and the woods were filled will, their calls. Soon a single 

 pigeon dropped upon the bed, and had hardly folded its 

 wings before others began to pour from the trees in a 

 stream. When tbey seemed to bo standing on each 

 other's backs and you could see nothing but pointed tails 

 sticking up, and while I hey were still living' thickly 

 down on to the bed, we both jerked the line with all our 

 might. There was a loud swish as the net sprang over 

 the lead line knocking feathers from those still in the 

 air and in the way of the net. We rushed from our 

 cover, and while I stood in astonishment at the boiling 

 mass under the mesbes, the netter proceeded to fasten 

 down the corners of the net and remove the birds to the 

 coops 



ft requires the most skill to trap pigeons as they are 

 flying over a net. A flyer (a pigeon with its eyes sewed 

 shut and a light weight fastened to its legs) being 

 first thrown in the air to attract the attention of a pass- 

 ing flock, and a stool (a pigeon trained to act as if alight- 

 ing) being industriously worked to induce the flight to 

 strike upon the bed when the net is sprung. The Oatofi 

 per day per man ranges from nothing to fifty or sixty 

 dozen. No shooting is allowed within five miles of 

 the roost proper. Good shooting (for those why wish to 

 shoot nesting birds) can be had outside these limits, as 



