FOREST AND STREAM 
791 
ing-parties, in the early days of the town, used to go out 
in pursuit of it, hut of late years no trace of it has been 
seen, and this story, told by the young men who claim 
to have, seen it, revives again the old story of the wild 
man of the mountains. There is talk of malting up a 
party to go in search of the creature. 
A DESIRABLE SHOT GUN POLICY. 
F ROM the way matters are shaping themselves of 
late, it would seem that reconciliation between the 
North and South was to be effected by a species of '“shot 
gun policy” after all. But thanks to the peace-loving 
dispositions of those who carry the guns, no larger shot 
than number eight will be used, and although innocent 
blood will he shed at the uprising, we. are confident that 
the more sanguine the conflict, the stronger will be the 
union and the more thoroughly the peace basis estab¬ 
lished. 
Already the note of preparation has sounded, and soon 
the choice shooting localities of Virginia, Tennesee, the 
CJarolinas, and Florida will be invaded by those fortunate 
gentlemen of the North whose time and means are such 
as to permit an indulgence in that sport for which the 
South is so justly celebrated—quail shooting. 
And what will be their reception in that favored land ? 
Ask those who have felt the cordial handshake and know 
by actual experience what true southern courtesy is, 
those who have trod shoulder to shoulder behind the 
dogs, with the big-hearted colonels, majors, and captains 
who oomposed their entertainers and were always so glad 
to see them. The novice who gets his ideas of our south¬ 
ern brethren from the tone of the political press, and who 
finally, after smothering many a gloomy doubt and fear> 
yields to his love of sport sufficiently to risk (?) a trip 
South, will, to his surprise, look in vain for “ bloody 
chasms” and “gory shirts; ” listen to no purpose for 
“rebel yells” and vengeful mutterings against the 
* * Yankees. ” On the contrary he will learn many a lesson 
in the art of good breeding, good sportsmanship, and del¬ 
icate hospitality, and will come home with new if not 
golden opinions anent the boys across the line. 
The sportsmen of the South are poor in this world’s 
goods. The war swept everything away ; but from the 
wrecks of that direful time they have laid good founda¬ 
tions, and are already building substantial superstructures 
that speak of fortune not far off. But in spite of rever¬ 
ses the same old hearty hospitality that characterised 
their fathers still exists in all its purity, and he who comes 
intent on sport will not be disappointed. 
A majority of the letters from southern correspondents 
of Forest and Stream, after detailing the variety and 
quality of the shooting and fishing in the writer’s locality, 
close with an earnest invitation to their northern breth¬ 
ren to “come and share with them the glorious privi¬ 
leges.” That these invitations are hearty and spontane¬ 
ous, arising from unselfish motives, we can testify by a 
ripe experience, and many northern sportsmen are tak¬ 
ing advantage of these kind inducements offered, and are 
reaping abundant rewards socially and in the field. 
It were useless to attempt a description of the delights 
of autumn sports in the South. Only those who have 
been there can realize what these glories are. Imagine 
weather like that we enjoyed during the first weeks in 
October, long drawn out, extending to and over-lapping 
the holidays. Happy days, when the quail lie like stones 
on the hillsides and in the stubble—while we, at the North, 
are bending over registers and base-burners. Happy the 
man who can leave the wfurl and activity of our north¬ 
ern cities and seek some quiet spot in “Dixie,” where 
quail and good company do most abound, and enjoy a 
month of unalloyed pleasure in the field ; verily he will 
come home with whatever of animosity he may have 
had toward our southern friends completely obliterated 
from his heart. And who can say that this intercomming¬ 
ling of northern and southern sportsmen will not redound 
to general national good ? Who knows but that it has 
been ordained that to the peaceable knights of the shot 
gun shall be given the honor of effecting that reconcilia¬ 
tion which the actions of political demagogues seem to 
make an utter impossibility. 
When Captain John, formerly of StonewalTs brigade, 
invites a couple Of northern men—old soldiers—with 
whom he is acquainted, only through the medium of an 
animated correspondence, to visit him at his pleasant Vir¬ 
ginia home for a season of jolly fellowship in the field, 
and vies with his good wife in every effort to make the 
Yankees happy, does it look as though the spirit of ’61 
prevailed to any alarming extent ? And when Captain 
John introduces his new friends to the boys—all old Con- 
fed’s—is their reception a cold one, or are any slighting 
remarks made alluding to the past when they met face to 
face on the field of battle ? Far from it. A warm hand¬ 
shake and a hearty welcome greets the strangers. Schemes 
are at once set on foot for their delectation. Judges leave 
the bench, lawyers push aside their briefs, and merchants 
drop business for the nonce, while the cold blooded deni¬ 
zens of the north are filled with wonder at the prepara¬ 
tions going forward. 
The above is no fancy sketch. Hundreds have been 
there, taBted the sweets of unassumed good fellowship, 
and returned taking hundreds more with them. And so 
the good work goeB on, silently, yet effectually healing 
the wounds that years of political strife would only 
cause to gape the wider. The southern people recognise 
tins, and encourage the coming of the sportsmen. They 
know that this great army is a peaceful one, a jolly one, 
a wealthy one, with its eyes open and with capital to in¬ 
vest, and being fond of peace and jollity, and being in 
need of capital to develope the paralyzed resources of 
their country, they encourage what may be termed the 
shot gun policy,”.to the exclusion of the wily politicians. 
The southern sportsmen—and under this head come the 
intelligent masses of the South — are not responsible for the 
actions of the lawless desperados whose crimes are a foul 
blot on the history of our country, and sportsmen visiting 
the South will find a peace-loving, contented, happy peo¬ 
ple, with whom to tarry for a while will afford an era in 
social and sporting life never to be forgotten. 
H. W, D. L, 
POT HUNTING PAR EXCELLENCE. 
Chicago, Oct. 17 th. 
T HERE is a report current here in Chicago that par¬ 
ties from the States won’t get permits' to fish the 
Nepigon next season. Some fishing parties up there this 
summer caught fish and threw them away stinking ; 
their greed overcoming all sense of decency in their de¬ 
sire to take big strings of fish. Like all such men they 
•care nothing for the law, but if they get a chance shoot 
deer during the time they are fishing. I heard M- 
boast of shooting one a year ago last August. 
I am inclined to think our rivers and streams suffer 
more from men like these, who have a mighty small con¬ 
science, than from Indians. The harm they do indirectly 
is greater than their own deeds. 
Last summer Messrs.-and- came home from 
fishing full of Michigan, and sent two gentlemen up on 
the plains of the Au Sauble,|deer hunting. Both of them 
were members of a large wholesale house, aud wealthy 
men ; yet they oame home, having killed and sent home 
twenty-seven deer, and sold some of them to commission 
men to help pay their expenses ! This is pot hunting with 
a vengeance I I heard A. boasting of this as an instance of 
how fine the sport was on the plains of the Sauble, and 
of the prowess of his friends. At another time such a 
piece of ruthlessness will not be kept concealed. I will 
ring changes in every sportsman’s journal that will give 
me room for letters. Is it any wonder tnat the Kanucks 
growl and grumble at the ruthlcssness of Americans? 
Some fishermen never know when to stop fishing, and be¬ 
cause they are on another soil do all the damage possible, 
both to streams and forests. Candor. 
Remarks. —It is just such abuses as these which have 
compelled the discriminating laws of which so much com¬ 
plaint is made as respects Nova Scotia and New Brunswick; 
and, indeed, we may come nearer home, and say as re¬ 
spects the non-resident laws of Delaware, New Jersey, 
and other States. Strangers who wantonly waste the 
property of those who receive them as guests cannot ex¬ 
pect to be very long tolerated in such indulgences. We 
have been cognizant of abuses on the Nepigon for years 
past, and have on more than one occasion exposed the 
offenders. In consequence thereof permits to fish were 
refused fully six years ago, and no persons were supposed 
to he allowed on the river without them by the warden 
charge. But as these permits cost nothing save the ask¬ 
ing, and as the warden could not well refuse respectable 
visitors the privilege when they asked it, nor prevent 
their fishing if he refused, the requiring of permits has be¬ 
come a sort of dead letter. We are glad that our Chicago 
correspondent has brought the matter into notice again, 
and although good honest men will have to pay for the 
delinquencies of others, we have no doubt that they will 
cheerfully sustain any decision of the Canadian Govern¬ 
ment, requiring fishing priviliges to he paid for, and em¬ 
powering the warden to enforce his prerogatives. 
As to the deer slayers of Michigan, they are reckless 
and ruthless beyond comparison. We doubt if the Indi¬ 
ans waste meat. The very considerable amount of veni¬ 
son which they kill is dried for winter consumption. 
They kill deer when they can get them the easiest, to be 
sure, and that is in midsummer ; but the moat is generally 
utililized, even to the entrails, as those well know who are 
loudest in their accusations against the red men. 
It is the spirit of vain glory which prompts novices in 
the chase to demonstrate their prowess in a fashion which 
true hunters would despise, and which elicits only the 
contempt of experts, although their unseasonable half- 
fledged trophies may astonish the small boys and namby- 
pamby maidens of their hearth-rug circle. This spirit of 
vain glory should be humiliated. Why, here are our 
friends Van Dyke, ct at., who shoot their birds with the 
rifle, and take only cross flights at that; while that old 
veteran “Bear Paw,” who has weathered forty years in 
the Rockies, and is even now half snowed under in his 
Montana camp, studies carefully the weights of his pro¬ 
jectiles and the measurements of his powder, that he may 
give the greatest odds against the poorest chances on the 
very antelope,elk, and big horns which he shoots for meat! 
Shame on the deer slayers of Michigan, and of every 
other place ! Why men, the old professionals whom you 
would emulate, wouldn’t put you on guard at a sheep 
ranch outside of the settlements. They could see clean 
through you at sight, 
RIFLE SIGHTS FOR NIGHT SHOOTING. 
Editor Forest and Stream :— 
Seeing sometime back an article on night shooting, 
and the plan on which a rifle ought to be fixed for it so as 
to enable the sportsman to see the fly I give my exper¬ 
ience after twenty years night shooting :— 
When I first commenced night shooting, I began it with 
,n English rifle, a muzzle loader. I had heard from some 
one that putting a dab of chalk and water on the fly of 
the rifle enabled one to see well enough to shoot at night ; 
I tried the plan ; it was true that the fly was visible on 
moon-light nights, but I could not distinguish it on a dark 
night, I invariably found that on aiming and firing at 
an animal the bullet flew over the beast, I then put 
the rifle aside and took to a smooth bore, aud on putting 
the chalk and water as before, I could see the muzzle 
perfectly, but found that the bullet went imder the beast. 
Whilst I was in this fix I happened to make the acquaint¬ 
ance of a neighboring native chief, who was a great 
sportsman, and on mentioning to him my difficulty, ho 
told me that I ought to aim low with a rifle and high with 
a smooth bore. I tried the plan, but with the uncertain 
light of the moon I oftener missed than hit. I then de¬ 
termined to try some experiments. I began with the old 
Enfield. I loaded it with a round ball and measured ou t 
and pegged a hundred yards from my target. I found that 
the round bullet went too high. I did not touch the hind 
sight, but made the fly long and kept firing until I got the 
proper height of the fly for the round ball to hit the bull's- 
eye. 1 then took the rifle out at night and had a bang at 
some deer, but to my disgust I found that the bullet fell 
low. I then put on another fly, making it £ of an inch 
higher than the old fly. I then found that the rifle was 
perfect for night work, but then again on using it in the 
day time I found that the rifle carried low. I raised the 
sight to the 200 yard notch and shot again ; then I found 
to my delight that the ball went true to the mark up to 
100 yards and any distance, between. I then took my 
double gun and made a sight on the same plan as the rifle, 
and shot with it until I got the gun true at 75 yards with 
the sight resting in the 200 yard notch, and' when the 
sight was shifted back to the 100 notch the gun was true 
for night work. 
If you were to take a common Snider rifle and alter the 
fly, and raise the sight to the 200 yards, loading with a, 
round ball, you would find that at 100 yards your rifle 
would carry true in the day time, but if you want the 
same rifle for moonlight shooting you must put a dab of 
chalk and water on the fly, and shift the sight back to the 
100 yard notch, then you will find that the rifle would be 
true at night for 100 yards. 
All rifles, whether carrying a spherical or conical ball 
must be fixed in the same way for night’and day shooting, 
as well as smooth bore guns!; the fly must be j, of an inch 
higher for night shooting than for*the day time. If gun- 
makers were to fix their guns and rifles in this way sports¬ 
men would have a rifle or shot gun fit for night and day 
shooting, and the sportsman would only have to put 
a dab of chalk and water on tlie fly for night work. 
A. Shikaree. 
Bella Harem, India, Goruckpore. 
—Another person poisoned by a careless or incompe¬ 
tent apothecary 1 Pharmacy sake, can’t this vile slaughter 
he Btopped ? 
Creedmoor Trains.—H ereafter the Tuesday, Wednes¬ 
day, and Saturday trains will be discontinued, aud spe¬ 
cial trains on Wednesdays and Saturdays will carry com¬ 
petitors to matches announced on November programme 
of the N. R. A. Train for afternoon matches will leave 
Hunter’s Point at 1.35, and Flatbush. avenue, Brooklyn, 
at 1.30, p. m. For morning matches train leaves Hunter’s 
Point at 9.30, and Brooklyn at 9.25, A. m. 
New York vs. Brooklyn.—T he New York and 
Brooklyn Rifle Clubs shot a friendly team match, eight 
men on a side, on Oct. 22d at Locust Grove, L. I., under 
the rules of the National Rifle Association. The range 
stands east and west, and the sun shines in the eves of 
the shooters. The “ elevations” were found to vary con¬ 
siderably in comparison with either Creedmoor or Brin ton 
ranges. 
After the teams had assembled it was found that the 
New York Club were short one man, but as they had met 
together for a friendly match, the Brooklyn Club very 
generously suggested that they select one man to shoot 
twice, Mr. J. W. Mangam being the man so selected. The 
following are the scores :— 
NEW YORK rifle club-J, S. Conlin, Captain. 
iTv. H V D,, . nto l’”..1 5 5 5 14 15 1 5-45 
B. B. Barker. 51444 5 45 4 5—44 
A. J. Hewlett. 4 4 4 4 4 1 J 4 5 4—43 
J- W. Mangam. . 4 44454451 4-12 
J. fe.Conlm... 4 55445424 4 — 4 *> 
J. W. Mangam. 4 4 4 5 3 5 5 4 4 3-41 
F.J. Donaldson . ...4 4 5 4 5 4 4 5 4 0-39 
13. T. Davis. 5 4 5 4 3 4 4 0 4 4—81 
Total.. ...Isj 
Average per man, 414. 
south BROOKLYN HiPLE cluh -James H. Roche, Captain. 
J, B. Hazelton. 5 1 4 4 5 4 4 4 5 h-U , 
C. .T. (Hover.S 4 5 4 4 5 4 5 4 4—44 
lJ. Trotter..4 455444 4 5 4-43 
IT. A. Stratton.5 4 4 5 4 4 4 4 s 4 4.1 
JDr.G.W Weltry.8 5 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4=8 
James H. Roche. 4 3 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4—39 
C.H. John. .6 4 5 5 5 3 4 0 4 3-38 
J. F. Burns.3 88535434 8-88 
Total.... me 
Average per man, 40i. 
After the match the New York Club was invited to a 
grand luncheon prepared by the Brooklyn Club, which 
made the day one to be pleasantly remembered by both 
clubs. It was also decided to shoot a return mutch at 
Brinton Range on Wednesday, Nov. 5th. 
New York, Utica .—Annual Fall Meeting of the Mo¬ 
hawk Valley Rifle Association, Competition 2, at 500 
yards was shot with a very troublesome height. Competi¬ 
tion 8, at the last two distances, and competition 9, through¬ 
out were shot in a young tornado. Competition 10, was 
shot with thermometer below freezing and with our first 
snow on the ground. 
Competition No. 1.—Directors’ match, open only to dir¬ 
ectors of the association; 200 yards, standing ; any riflo ; 
fjve rounds; prize, directors’ gold badge, to be competed for 
