May 6, 1880,] 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



271 



term of contempt passeB current only because those who 

 employ it don't know what they are talking about. Each 

 expression is true, and bears inherent evidence of its 

 origin. The comparison of a foolish man to a goose 

 evidently arose in the town, among men who knew only 

 the barnyard fowl, the tenant of the village green and 

 wayside puddles, the stupid, waddling, hissing and un- 

 cou 1 1 1 orea hire bred for its feathers. The other figure, on 

 the contrary, the comparison of an unsuccessful pursuit 

 to the fruitless chasing of a wild goose, is plainly an out- 

 growth of the country, where the wild bird is found in 

 its first estate, a worthy subject of the sportsman's most 

 ingenious devices. Thus each of these figures is true and 

 each is false, IC a mail think the goose a silly bird, let 

 him try to capture a wild one : if he think the goose a 

 cunning bird, show biro a mud-bed rabbled tame one. 



NOTES AND QUERIES. 



UNDER tli is heading wo propose, as occasion shall 

 demand, to offer an opportunity for the exchange 

 of notes and queries, and invite our readers to coutribute 

 both queries and answers to the inquiries propounded. 

 There are many topics connected with the different 

 bronchos Ql* sport which afford room for investigation, 

 and sometimes recondite study, while there are a thou- 

 sand and one bits of local information, like that sent us 

 by Mr. Van Stolen, which would bo of general interest if 

 published in the Fokest and Stream. It must be under- 

 stood that matters legitimately belonging to our Answers 

 to Correspondents column proper, will be confined to 

 that department. Now let us hear from that man who 

 always bends his fishing rod into the form of a, quotation 

 mark. 



'I'm: :Mi'.UUXO of " Wn.r.OWEMOO."— Shawaxgunk.— Bmvcr- 

 Ai'7 Cluh, May ISU».— Oyer the bill from the Beavcrkill is the Wtt- 

 lowetnuc. ji is almost as g-OOd a trout stream as ihe former, but 

 the. t.-out are more eamicioua. The weather must be just rijht 

 for you to pe voJr erect in the W.L'owernoc. Lately Mr. Dt-y'd 

 H Secor <<",-• a, <j<-.1 believe, of the Se<S» si . as mach'ne), hnp- 

 (n -i ■!•!! in .r'oJlee, am] the beautiful trout bl Scribuei _. Son's 

 "G4TC8 '•""■'i '.'America" caught liis eye. Xhfs lea to a B'epsaut 

 coiue.Siiio i, 'a wh'cti he informed me that he came from the 

 tow.t c. Poo- 'and, Sullivan County; that his uncle '- Home " 

 (,. t -ovc) Sopor lived Miate at WestfieJd Flats, the uc-^t station tie- 

 yonil Micrstuu, o.- W u.iwemnc ; near Peter Stewart, who is I 

 eighW-iWO "ears old, and is the son-in-law of M is. Darby, whoso 

 house tin. e conc.iins many Pne paintings by James Gilford. ;iv'> 

 Oi-iera . ,.s w 'ohaccooafded thcreivhiiet-'outins'. Graurry Sic- 

 wart.o'C Peter Stewart's mother, who was (i tan tiy ,n every ;jr,cy in 

 the town, learned from the Indians the meauin«- oH bo name " Wil- 

 lowerooo:" itis "The kettle that washes itself clean," and the 

 stream was so called beetiuse of its rapid curt-cut, and of theeffeet 

 of tne spring: freshets, which curry off tUl the driftwood, etc., 

 from its banks. Do you not find the inline singularly appro- 

 priate ? Those streams run down the steep bills so fast that it 1s 

 a wonder that any water is left in them. I wish that now some 

 one who knows would tell tno the meaniutr of the Indian word 

 " Shawangunk," which is pronounced " Sbongum," up in the 

 neighborhood of the mountains so called. 



Geo. W. Van Siclen. 



Gun Flints.— CarduiUe, Pa., April 2d.— There is a man in our 

 town who says that he has never found any one that can tell him 

 where gun flints come f i om, or how or by whom they ivere made. 

 Please answer throuffh your paper, If you can throw any iig-ht on 

 the subject. K.T.C.S, 



George C. Colburn. — George C. Colburn, whose name 

 has been for many years so familiar to the sportsmen of 

 America, died at his residence in this city, after a brief 

 illness, last Saturday, May 1st. Mr. Colburn was for 

 many years a prominent dry goods merchant in New 

 York, and was at the time of bis death about fifty years 

 of age. As the owner of the Gordon setter Dash, of the 

 lemon and white pointer bitch Belle, and other famous 

 dogs, Mr. Colburn was widely known, and always held a 

 prominent position among those who were interested in 

 the importation and breeding of fine stock in this coun- 

 try. Mr. Cjlburn was a genial, generous man, possessed 

 of many warm friends, and highly esteemed in his busi- 

 ness and social le'ations. The news «f his death will be 

 learned who. unfeigned sadness by many of our readers 

 who enjoyed his friendship. 



Notes. — The course of civilization has ever been west- 

 ward, and it is in conformity to this rule that archery 

 has crossed the Rocky Mountains, and has extended its 

 gentle sway to the isles of the' Pacific. If, was not so 

 many years ago that we were readiug about the Sand- 

 wich Islanders putting aside their bows and clubs and 

 nakedness to assume the utensils and habiliments of 

 civilization, 



A hint to some five or six of our esteemed daily contem- 

 poraries : The mere fact that a gentleman is connected 

 with the editorial staff of a sporting weekly is not a suffi- 

 cient reason for dubbing him " Colonel." 



The Blooming Grove Park is advertised to be sold at 

 Sheriff's sale on May 17th, to satisfy a debt of $71,000. 

 This is au amicable sale, made to re-transfer the property 

 to the club, and to reduce the interest on the indebted- 

 ness. The Blooming Grove Park is perhaps the finest 

 game preserve in the country. $100,0.00 1 las been put into 

 it since the inception of the project. The property coni- 

 prisea 12,000 acres of land, of which 700 acres are inclosed 

 by a wire fence seven feet high, ami a line club house, 

 where the best of fare is served at a low rate. The park 

 ; ud email game, and is pro- 



tected by special police. Easy of access, being situated 

 ten miles from Lackawaxen station, on the New York, 

 Eric and Western Railroad, aud seven miles from Mill- 

 ville. on the Honesdale brauch, Blooming Grove Park 

 is a desirable property for a club of sportsmen. We un- 

 derstand that the Association propose to bid in the prop- 

 erty for the fixed sum of $24,000. Mr. Fayette S. Giles 

 has been most active in the work of estahhsking this pre- 

 serve, and it is to his enthusiasm and activity that the 

 formation of the Association was due. The trustees of 

 the property are Messrs. Giles, Avery, Reed, Fearing, 

 Magiunis, Robinson, Grimes and Mouzilley. 



— The FobbsT and Stream is now published at 80 aud 

 40 Park Row, Times building. 



Two moose have been added to the Central Park 



Menagerie. They came from Hali'ax, Nova Scotia, and 

 are worth visiting. 



GAME PROTECTION. 



ANOTHER GOOD SUGGESTION. 



Philadelphia, Pa., April 18*& 



Fditov Forest and Stream, :— 



"New Jersey." in bis letter published in FOREST AND 

 Stkkam April' Slh, says : "If many of the sportsmen of 

 that State are in doubt, whether or not the law has juris- 

 diction over the. deeds of a proprietor ott his own estate, 

 as stated in your notes last week, it must be because they 

 have very slight acquaintance with the laws." 



Now I Bay, if any sportsman, of that State is in doubt 

 whether or not any proprietor of an estate has any regard 

 "except contempt for any game law that ever was en- 

 acted" now exists, or is proposed for the future, let him 

 get better acquainted with the above-mentioned proprie- 

 tor, and his doubts will be cleared up on that score. It 

 is a notorious fact that the majority of them believe that 

 they have a constitutional right to kill and destroy all 

 kinds of game birds and fish in season or out, provided 

 they do not go olf their own land to do it. Now what is 

 the remedy ! Certainly not more nor more stringent 

 laws. They help make these game laws, they are all in 

 favor of them ; but "agin" carrying them out — that is, 

 so far as applying them to then own actions. Those laws 

 were made to govern the true sportsman. 



It is seldom 1 go out into the State that I do not learn 

 something that does not substantiate the above, and I am 

 persuaded that the remedy is not in laws ; but to educate 

 the proprietors and their sons to the fact that it is much 

 better for them and every one interested to protect the 

 game, birds in their nesting season and fish on their spawn- 

 ing beds. There has to be a revolution in sentiment on 

 the part of the proprietors before the game laws will be 

 respected, and I think it can be best done through the 

 medium of the country papers. 



Let suitable articles appear from time to time, contri- 

 butions of sportsmen who are known and respected by 

 the land-owners, then the proprietor will become a re- 

 specter of the game laws himself and will see that, the 

 true sportsman does the same on bis premises, and we 

 shall have the most efficient game wardens possible. 



R. T. G. 



gmqe §zg arid §m[. 



MAT IS A CLOSE MONTH FOR GAME. 



GAME AND FISH DIRECTORY. 



In sending reports for the Pobest 4 <o Stream Directory 1 

 Oame oiG. Fish Ec jorts, our corresponds j.i r.-o-equc ei" ,o jfjve 

 the -"oilo wins particulars, with each other intormauou ,s toe 

 tna/cieem of valve : State, Town, Cor'niw-; means or access; ito.' 

 and other acnomr.ioi'atioe'! ; GiVi-e a "t, 1 1 St .-son ; Fish aud i ... Sea- 

 son; Boats, Guldco, et„.; Na.'e o.' ie sou to rCi e33. 



—Address all communications "Forest and Stream 

 Publishing Company, New York." 



TEXAS DEER SHOOTING. 



THIS has been an unfavorable spring for " gobbler" 

 hunting. Too much cloudy and windy weather. I 

 have taken only one little hunt of a week ; got four shots 

 with my Wesson, and bagged four old gobblers— beards 

 from 9 to lZi inches— weights from 30 to 23 lbs. 



We have plenty of nearly all kinds of game, from a 

 Bnipe to a bear. The latter, especially, are numerous. 

 Oar friend, Capt. Hightower, has killed twenty-three 

 bears this season, up to last accounts. They are quite 

 fat this year from an abundant mast, and the Captain 

 has killed some fine ones. 



Deer are also plentiful here, but are fearfully butchered 

 at all seasons, and will be decimated soon unless some 

 measures are taken to stop it by legislative action, and I 

 for one would like to call the attention of the sporting 

 clubs all over this State to this subject, and urge them to 

 action in trying to have good, wholesome aud effective 

 game laws established in this State, as in other States. 



There was some "stagger" at a game law made and 

 provided at the last sitting of the Legislature, but any 

 schoolboy could see at a glance that not a hue of it is 

 worth the paper it is printed on. 



The little game that yet remains in Texas ;is mostly 

 confined to the borders of streams, and in tho wooded 

 districts, where in the latter the deer are killed by hun- 

 dreds at all seasons of the year, for their hides alone in 

 instances. The law now stands, that "it shall be 



ertain months) any female dec 

 inglyV" Does any "man, with a 

 i "knowingly" know what harm 

 aw has done? Did he ever think 

 of helpless little fawns have been 

 their mothers have been slain by 

 ..•areiess and heartless persons,? Since that miserable 

 farce wm piac»d on. the statute,' I have never known nor 



unlawful to kill (w 

 knowingly." "Know 

 tea-spoonful of brains 

 that one word in the 1 

 how many thousands 

 left to starve, beeat 



beard of a doe being killed in this county. All are 

 bucks that are killed now. Oh, yes, all bucks— although 

 then udders filled with milk are dissected and thrown in 

 the bush, and then - heads, feet and other evidences of 

 sex are cut off and thrown aside in the woods — yet they 

 are all "bucks." ' " 



I, for one, would appeal to every sportsman, natural- 

 ist, or other person, who has a spark of humanity in his 

 heart, and who lives in this great State, to try and im- 

 press this matter upon their representatives in the Legis- 

 lature, to frame some worthy method of protecting the 

 game and fish while there is yet some little left, It seems 

 to me that six months out of a vear is long enough to 

 bunt one variety of game. Let the closed season for 

 deer' be from Dec. 1st to the 15th June; for in those 

 months are the breeding season, and the deer are poor, 

 musky and unfit for food ; and before the 15th of June, 

 or 1st of July, the fawns are too young to care for them- 

 selves if then- mothers are killed ; and many other reasons 

 I can give, if necessary. Sportsmen of Texas, think of it, 

 and set your minds to work by the time the next Legis- 

 lature convenes. Q, L. J. 

 Willis, Tex., April Z Oth. 



A Carom in Goose Siiootimj. — One day, a few years 

 ago, I started out for an all-day's squirrel hunt. 1 was 

 armed with a Lamb rifle, carrying a ball weighing seventy- 

 eight to the pound, end with which I had'" done wonder- 

 ful execution among game of all kind in the general 

 years that 1 bad owned it. The earl v morning was uu- 

 usually pleasant for the season, and I anticipated a de- 

 lightful still-hunt and a big bag, My objective point was 

 what is known as Blue's Swamp, a dry swamp running 

 parallel with and a short distance from the river, and 

 some live or six miles in length. Squirrels were always 

 plentiful in this swamp, and on a pleasant day it was 

 easy to bag a large number. 



To my dismay, by the time I readied tho swamp, the 

 sun had disappeared and a cold northeast wind was blow- 

 ing, and I found I was in for a regular '• blue day." I 

 did not turn back, however, but pushed along with very 

 little prospect though of seeing anything to shoot. To- 

 ward noon I branched off to the river, where was an 

 island some two miles in length. By means of a dug-out 

 I reached the island, crossing it and coming to a beach on 

 the banks of the main river, which was here some two 

 hundred yards in width. Finding a convenient place at 

 the edge of the water, I sat down and commenced eating 

 my lunch. My attention was at once attracted to a large 

 flock of geese, perhaps numbering more than two hun- 

 dred, right opposite me, and almost two hundred yards 

 away. Ah, bow I wished I was seated on the heach just 

 above them ; but it was no use to wish, so I finished my 

 lunch and stooped for a flask of water, and, just as I 

 stooped, I heard the peeubar "swish" made by geese in 

 lighting upon the water, and peeping through the wil- 

 lows which lined the banks of the island I saw' two geese, 

 probably the advance guard of another flock. Pushing 

 my rifle through the willows I prepared to lire, when my 

 finger was stayed from the trigger by the thought that I 

 might get them in range, and so get two instead of one. 

 They had not yet begun to feed, when this thought oc- 

 curred, and, knowing I could not be seen by them, I 

 quietly rested my rifle on a point of the rock behind 

 which I was hid and awaited their first move. 



I had not long to await. They soon crossed, and I 

 fired. There they. lay— two beauties. The nearest one 

 to me was some thirty-five feet away, and the second 

 "probably some five or six feet further. The river all 

 along this side of the island did not average a depth of 

 more than ten or twelve inches, and the bed of the river, 

 as also the banks of the island, was covered with rocks 

 of all shapes and sizes. There was no current, owing to 

 the peculiar form of the island on this side, and this was 

 a favorite feeding place of both ducks and geese. Pro- 

 curing a willow limb, as a souuding-pole to avoid holes, 

 I waded out after the dead geese. They had probably 

 not moved an inch since the ball struck them, but imag- 

 ine my astonishment, on rounding the bend that had 

 been my hiding place, to behold a third goose, not yet 

 quite dead, struggling in the water nearly thirty feet 

 away from either of the others. I had seen but two, and 

 could scarcely believe my eyes now when I saw three. I 

 had heard no other shot fired, else I might have thought 

 this goose killed by some one else. But speculations as 

 to its death were useless, so 1 at once made an examina- 

 tion. The first goose, tho one nearest me when 1 fired, 

 was shot through the head ; the heau,[in fact, was torn to 

 pieces by the ball. The second goose, five or six feet 

 further away, was shot just at the junction of the neck 

 with the body, the ball passing entirely through, making 

 a large, ragged wound, causing instant death. Now, as I 

 sat on the island, these two geese were in a line leading 

 directly north, while the third goose was fully thirty feet 

 away on a line a little south of west. Examining the 

 third goose, I found the ball had shattered the butt of 

 the left wing and had buried itself in the body, there 

 being but the one wound. Going back to where the 

 second goose had been killed, I made a careful examina- 

 tion, and was at last rewarded by finding a large slate 

 rock just reaching the surface of the water, and upon 

 this rock was a small white spot, the imprint of my rifle 

 ball. The surface of the rock toward the spot from which 

 I tired was almost perpendicular, with a very slight in- 

 clination or twist to the southwest, being of just the pe- 

 culiar shape to send the ball glancing in the direction it 

 did, and which happened, very fortunately for me, to be 

 in the direction of the third goose. But while .1 rejoiced 

 at my fortune in getting three geese at one shot, and of 

 not having to go home empty handed, as I had certainly 

 calculated on doing, I was not really satisfied as to the 

 cause of death of the third goose ; nor did I become fully 

 satisfied uutfi I had taken the ball from the body and 

 weighed it, when I found it was indeed my own rifle 

 hah. Hair TRIGGER: 



Washington, Feb. 14 th. 



Pennsylvania— Pittsburg, S. S., May 1st.— Our friends 

 — H. sinaiiey and Charles Caul, members of the Smith 

 Side Gun Club— have just returned from "Seven-Mile 

 Island " after a week's shoot, having bagged :>l decks. 

 They report ducks very scarce aud wild, quail very 

 scarce— the bard winter of 1878-9 has greatly dimin- 

 ished their numbers; but this winter iias been very mild. 

 and I earnestly hope there will be enough of them hit, 

 so that we may have a little quail-shooting this fall. 



J. K, 



