FOREST AND STREAM 
931 
Military Skaters. —Skating in the United States is 
almost wholly regarded as a sport, but in some countries, 
where the ice and snow season is more extended than 
ours, the skates are very important articles of personal 
outfit. In Norway there is an army corps of skaters, 
consisting of five companies of 110 men each, and this 
force can be further augmented by calling in the land- 
wehr company of 370 Skaters. These soldiers are armed 
with rifles and equipped with skates, which are six inches 
broad and from nine to ten inches long, being adapted for 
travelling over rough surfaces of ice and snow. The 
corps can be manoeuvred with startling rapidity over the 
snow-fields. In ascending steep slopes the men take a 
zig-zag course, tacking up the mountain side as a ship 
does against a head wind. As an instance of the speed at 
which they can go, it is mentioned that last winter a 
messenger dispatched from Roeraas at 3 o’clock in the 
morning, arrived at Drontheim at 9,30 in the evening of 
the same day, having consequently accomplished 120 
miles in 18J hours. It must be added, however, that 
Roeraas lies some 3,000 feet higher than Drontheim, so 
that the course of the skater was down bill the whole 
way. On the return journey the same man took fifty- 
four hours to reach Roeraas from Drontheim, but the 
route he took led him over very rough and broken snow- 
fields, which rendered great caution and Blow skating 
necessary. 
Virginia Root Pipes.—W e have received from an old 
Canadian managed to save himself by drawing himself 
up, but Mr. Foster was unable to do this, owing to the 
heavy pack on his back ; and after a short and vain strug¬ 
gle he became exhausted and sank. His body was recov¬ 
ered on Monday afternoon, The deceased served in the 
commissariat department of the American army during 
the Mexican war in 1817. He leaves a wife in destitute 
oircumstanees in. Island Pond, Vermont. We venture to 
say that very few of the large number of sportsmen who 
have visited Lake Megantic have failed to make them¬ 
selves personally acquainted with this veteran guide, and 
it is those who have known him most intimately that 
will regret his loss. Those who may feel disposed to 
manifest their regret by contributing to the relief of bis 
widow, can do so either by sending their contributions to 
this office, or to Mrs. A. J. Foster, island Pond. 
The Best Christmas Present ! — A receipted hill for 
the subscription price of the Forest and Stream. The 
Forest and Stream Publishing Company employs a clerk 
to sign such receipts. The gift repeats itself fifty-two 
times every year. 
— In another column will be found the interesting re¬ 
port of the Secretary of the Hamilton Cricket Club. 
This organization stands at the head of the list for 1879, 
If there was such a thing as cricket championship, the 
Hamilton Club would deserve the title of Champion. 
GAME PROTECTION. 
The New Hampshire System.—T he advocates of 
IP? gifle. 
Inter-State Gallery Match. —Mr. James S. Conlin, 
at his gallery, 1,223 Broadway, has arranged an Inter- 
State team tournament, the conditions of which make it 
open to teams of five men from any organized rifle club 
or military organization in the United States. Eaoh team 
to have the privilege of re-entering twice. Original entry 
to be madeat the gallery prior to 6th of January. One 
team to shoot each evening, and choice of evening to be 
drawn for by the captains. There are five team prizes : 
First, $35 ; second, $25 ; third, $15; fourth, $10. The 
fifth prize ($15) will be given to the team occupying the 
sixth position. Individual prizes : 1st. Twenty-five dol¬ 
lars for the best score made by any individual. 2d. Ten 
dollars for the man making the highest score on the low¬ 
est team. Any 22-100 calibre rifle of three pounds pull; 
seven shots per man, with the privilege of two sighting 
shots; Conlin’s Ready Measurement target; other 
conditions, those of the N. R. A. The con¬ 
test to be shot at Conlin's Gallery during the month of 
January. In case of tiesinthe aggregate, the teams or 
individuals tying to shoot off. All targets, immediately 
after being shot, to be locked up in a box, and there kept 
until all the competing teams have shot, when they are 
to be examined and counted by a committee of three, ap¬ 
pointed by the captains of the competing teams, to decide 
the various positions of each team. All disputes that 
may arise shall be decided by a referee, appointed by the 
captains, whose decision shall be final. The competitions 
will commence on Jan. 12th, 1880. 
Virginia gentleman, an assortment of twenty or more 
smoking pipes made from sassafras, briar, and other 
roots, of the quaintest natural patterns imaginable. They 
can scarcely be said to be manufactured, the natural root 
being wholly retained in most cases, while in a few the 
most prominent protuberances have been sawed or whit¬ 
tled off. In the rough they represent almost everything 
in nature—birds, animals, and men’s heads, limbs, etc. 
One of our collection is a perfect owl; another, a verita¬ 
ble skull; one a boot, and another an ancient Roman 
lamp. Some persons go so far as to trace resemblances 
and life-like portraits of living persons. And yet these 
are the indubitable roots, just as they are dug from the 
soil. Virginians, of the old school, use up about fifty of 
these in a year, so that somebody must be kept industri¬ 
ously digging to supply the demand. 
The stems used with these pipes are an almost equally 
interesting study to those who have never seen the like. 
The titi is very mucfi prized, but difficult to obtain of 
any length, as it is a vfle, scrubby bush. Its limbs are 
knotted and twisted, and it seldom grows higher than 
eight feet, or more than three inches in diameter. It 
grows in swampy land, and on the banks of streams close 
to water. To obtain stems the main tree is cut down in 
winter, when it will put up from five to twenty sprouts 
from a foot to ten feet long. The pith in the sprouts is 
so small that perforation is very difficult.. The bamboo 
root is also muoh in favor, and is found in considerable 
patches in parts of Virginia, especially upon the Pau- 
maunkev. Hogs are very fond of it, and devour it when 
they can find it. The common cane iB sometimes used 
for lack of better stems. The roots are converted into 
pipes by simply boring a gimlet-hole at right angles to a 
half inch augur-hole; 
Mexican Natural History.— Mr. A. Gwyn Foster, 
nephew of the American minister at Mexico, is now en¬ 
gaged with his friend, A. W. Butler, in making collec¬ 
tions for themselves in entomology, conchology, and 
ornithology of the country. Any person wishing to send 
them orders, can do so by addressing the above, at the 
City of Mexico, care of the United States Legation. 
Multnomah Rod and Gun Club.— This is a club com¬ 
prising the leading sportsmen of Portland, Oregon, to 
which the editor of this paper has recently had the honor 
of being added as an honorary member. We do not know 
that our feet will ever tread the Pacific slope, but our 
voice shall be heard as far off as Oregon, in the encour¬ 
agement of field sports and the protection of game. We 
trust the Multnomah Club will have the fullest success in 
its laudable sports and undertakings. Its worthy Secre¬ 
tary is Will L. Chapman, who has been a long and fre¬ 
quent contributor to the columns of Forestand Stream. 
Andrew Jackson Foster. —There are scores of our read¬ 
ers who will reoall the happy days spent in the company 
of this veteran guide of the Lake Megantic (P. tj.) region, 
and who will learn with sorrow of his death. The fol¬ 
lowing particulars of that sad event are given in the 
Sherbrooke (P. Q.) Gazette of the 12th inst. 
The sporting fraternity will learn with unfeigned sor¬ 
row of the untimely death of this old and faithful guide, 
whose name in connection with hunting, Lapping and 
fishing topics in and around Lake Megantic is as familiar 
as household words. It appears that on Saturday night 
last he started on foot from Agnes, on the Chauctiere 
River, in company with a French Canadian, for his home 
in Marsden, near the hoad of the lake, talcing with him 
a bundle of provisions, which he had strapped to his 
back. When nearly opposite a point on the lake known 
as Pamee, they proceeded to cross, and had accomplished 
about half the distance when the ice broke and they 
found themselves struggling in the water. The French 
game protection, who think that such protection is to 
be secured by the appointment of local game wardens, 
will find abundant food for reflection in the following 
account of bow it works in New Hampshire. Despite its 
failure here, however, the system may still be urged as 
the correct one. Mr. Samuel Webber writes from Man¬ 
chester :— 
I see in your issue of the 11th instant an appeal to the 
Fish Commissioners of New Hampshire in regard to the 
spearing of trout in Lake Winnepesaukee, and wish to 
give you a simple statement of some facts, which should 
be understood in their bearings on this question. In the 
first place, the law which appointed the Fish Commis¬ 
sioners in this State, says nothing about the protection of 
indigenous fish, but authorizes .the Fish Commissioners 
to restore salmon, shad, and other migratory fish to the 
waters of the State, and to introduce new and valuable 
varieties. 
The same law authorizes the Commissioners to appoint 
fish wardens when the towns in the State have failed to 
do so. The statute, as amended in 1877, orders the towns 
to appoint such wardens, giving the Commissioners power 
to appoint, in case of failure by the town officers to 
attend to their duties. 
The matter of protection is made the duty of the local 
authorities, and if they fail to attend to it, the Commis¬ 
sioners can only appoint wardens, who have full powers 
to prosecute for any infringement of the laws. 
Now the Fish and Game Commissioners have appointed 
about twenty fish wardens in the towns bordering on Lake 
Winnepesaukee at the request of the inhabitants of these 
towns, and there the authority of the Board ceases. 
If the wardens fail to attend to their duties we can re¬ 
move them, but we have had no complaint from any of 
the towns interested. The first year the present Board 
entered on their duties the fish wardens around Lake 
Winnepesaukee sent in a batch of bills for services to the 
Governor and Council, equal to the whole expenses of 
the Commission, without having made an arrest or en¬ 
tered a complaint. 
The Commissioners have refused to pay such bills, and 
the dwellers round the lake do not care to protect then- 
own fish without the State will pay them for it, which, 
the State does not propose to do. The penalties for viola¬ 
tion of the la^vs are ample, and one-half of them go to 
the wardens or complainants, so that the the compensa¬ 
tion is sufficient if the wardens attend to their duties. 
Farther than this we have nothing to say, but wish it 
to be understood that we have done all in our power in 
regard to this matter. 
An Active Association.— Boston, Dee. 2077t.— Editor 
Forest and Stream :—The following notice has been 
rinted for distribution amongst our game dealers, hotel 
nepers and others likely to need the admonition. The 
Boston daily papers also will give place to the notice, and, 
we hope, with a recommendation that it be copied by the 
country papers throughout New England. The notice 
reads as follows;— 
‘ ‘ The game laws of Massachusetts provide that between 
the first day of January and the first day of September, 
in each year, the possession, sell in g or buying of wood¬ 
cock and ruffed grouse (commonly called partridge) is 
positively prohibited. The Massachusetts Fish and Game 
Protective Association hereby gives notice that all cases 
of infringement of this law which come to the notice of 
the Executive Committee of the association will be 
promptly prosecuted. Executive Committee, 
Massachusetts Fish and Game Protective Assoo’n. 
We hope to convince the violators of our game laws 
that our Association does not exist for mere show, al¬ 
though in times past there has been a laxity of attention 
to the matter of game protection in this State, in fact, to 
an extent entirely inexcusable. In one or two counties 
we have a few deer. The law has nominally protected 
them for the past few years, and they have somewhat in¬ 
creased iu numbers. Complaints have been frequent of 
late that certain parties have been slaughtering these 
deer, and from reports received, they have b sen very bold 
in their operations. The matter will be investigated, and 
steps taken to bring some of these offenders to justice. 
They should be made to realize that the penalty is one 
hundred dollars fine for each offence, and also a liability 
to be fined fifty dollars forusing a dog in hunting deer. 
John Fottler, jr, 
An example worthy of imitation. 
Death of M. Minus. —A cable despatch announces the 
death, in Paris, of Claude Etienne Minife, the inventor of 
many and important improvements in fire-arms. Bom 
in Paris about 1805, as soon as he was old enough M. 
Minie enlisted in the army, and served several cam¬ 
paigns in Algeria. Promoted to a captaincy of chasseurs, 
he devoted himself to inventing improvements that 
would perfeot the service of the infantry. Favored with 
the special protection of the Duke of MontpenSier, he was 
able to secure the adoption of various of his improve¬ 
ments, which affected the shape and make of balls, 
cartridges and gun-barrels. He was decorated in 1849, 
and in 1852 made chief of a battalion of horse. M. Minii 
refused to go to Russia aud apply his inventions there, 
though offered still further promotion. He was long in 
charge of the shooting-gallery at the Normal School in 
Vincennes, and contributed largely to the perfection of 
portable arms. In 1858 he was called by the Pasha of 
Egypt to go to Cairo and direct the manufacture of arms 
a nd a school of shooting there. 
— The rifle match for the Winchester champion medal 
will be shot at Captain Bogardus’ Shooting School, Fri¬ 
day evening, Dec. 26th, at 8 p. m. This contest is open 
to all comers. 
New York — Jamestown, Dec. 13f7i.—The “ Gallery 
Rifle” tournament closed here last night for the Ballard 
rifle and three cash prizes, ten consecutive strings of five 
shots. 
The following are the names and scores of prize win¬ 
ners :— ) 
S. N. Ayres. . *4 34 24 24 25 25 23 24 24 25—241 
Sami. Coe . 22 24 23 22 23 21 22 25 23 22-227 
Morris Southwiok. 21 24 23 22 22 21 21 25 22 23-224 
E. J. Biakesley. 23 20 23 22 23 23 21 22 24 22-221 
The target.used is Creedmoor 500 yards target, reduced 
for gallery ; position off-hand, and the gun used .22 cal¬ 
ibre ; the score of Mr. Ayres being made with the Stevens 
gun, twenty-inch barrel. Messrs. D. W. Prosser and W. 
S. Kelso made scores of 224 and 322, but being members 
of the Sportsmen’s Association were barred from all but 
the first prize. R. H. B. 
Ohio — Jefferson, Dec. 20f7i.—Scores of Rifle Tourna¬ 
ment ; 40 rods ; five shots each; 10-inch target; Creed¬ 
moor count ; possible 25. Score of Tuesday :— 
P. Barber_ 
R. C. Rice . 
J. A. McNutt. 
M. Miller. 
G. W. Heck with. 
Win. Brunson . 
S. T. Fuller. 
A. C. Brockway. 
N. B. Tyler. 
John Bishop. 
Frank Bishop. 
E. Raw don. 
W. A. Bircburd. 
G. W. Marsh. 
F. Hall . 
C. K. Goddard. 
F. Peek. 
Wednesday, Dec. 17th ;— 
6. T. Fuller. 
John Bishop. . . 
N. B. Tyler. 
R. C. Rice . 
J. A. McNutt. 
G. W. Beckwith . 
E. Rau-don. 
A. 0. Brockway. 
W. A. Birchard. 
F. Bishop. 
W. Bronson. 
P. Barber . 
M. Miller. 
F. J. Fickinger. 
F. Peck .. 
N. B. Tyler. 
S. Wolford .*. 
N. T. Phelps. 
F. . ,1. Bette . 
Ezra Rawdon. 
Thursday, Dec. 18th 
R. C. Rice. 
W. Bronson. 
5. T. Fuller. 
G. W. Beckwith. 
.1. A. McNutt. 
F.. Rawdon. 
Ezra Rawdon. 
S. Wolford. 
W.Biroliard. 
NJH. Tyler. 
F. R. Rawdon. 
J, Bishop. 
F. E. Peck. 
P. Barber. 
P, Hall . 
. 10 ]] 13 38 
. J4 13 11 12 
. 10 19 17 15 If. 
. 19 19 17 17 17 
. 21 19 IU 19 18 
19 21 17 10 
18 16 17 17 
