Auawre 10, 1882.] 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



27 



tion of heat. Still I quarrel with no man ahout his taste (not 

 even the Esquimaux, Indian nor the African of tlieUppvr Nile) 

 but only say that 1 prefer my food to be the flesh ot bird or 

 the beast. "After this episode 1 hep: to express the sincere 

 wish that the sportsmen who meet at High Point in .Novem- 

 ber may have a "royal good time," and abundant reason for 

 being satisfied with the abundance of game and the behavior 

 of their dogs. Wells. 



Ellehbe Speinos, Richmond County, July !J7, 1882. 



A STORY OF PRAIRIE SCHOONER DAYS. 



CROSSING the plains twen ty years ago with the long 

 tiains of prairie "schooners"' "drawn by mules or oxen, 

 which at that date was (he chief means of communication 

 with the far West, was, as your readers are aware, very 

 different from the rapid transit by the palace or Pullman 

 cars of to-day; and although generally very tedious and 

 monotonous it nevertheless occasionally" furnished romantic, 

 exciting or dangerous episodes, thai ever afterward were 

 regarded by those participating as some of the most, thrilling 

 events of their lives. 



It was in the summer of 1862 that the writer found him- 

 self acting in the capacity of hunter for a wagon train sent 

 out by the firm of Irving & Jacknu.n, of Leavenworth, 

 Kan., who had a contract from government to supply some 

 of the frontier forts with provisions. Our train, consisting 

 of twelve wagons, each drawn by six yokes of oxen, wa.s 

 loaded with bacon for Camp Douglass, located a mile or so 

 north of great Salt Lake City. 



Nothing of special Interest occurred IiniU we had passed 

 Fort Laramie. Antelope and small hands of buffalo (usually 

 old bulls) were fairly plentiful, and furnished a welcome 

 addition to our daily rations of biscuit and bacon, until we 

 reached a spur of the Bla,ek Hills, through which meander 

 three tributaries of the North Platte, known as Wagon 

 Hound, Deer Creek and La Bonte. Those were about a 

 day's drive apart, and on the evening f the 21st of August 

 we made our encampment on the banks of the latter stream. 

 The cattle were feeding, under the care of the night herder*, 

 in a small meadow a short d stance below us on the stream. 

 the opposite bank of which had a dense thicket of tall 

 willows, interspersed here and there with cottonwoods. 



The remainder of the trainmen wore gathered around the 

 camp-fire, smoking, and lounging after the evening's meal, 

 when sudden commotion amongst the cattle, followed in- 

 stantly by the sound of hoofs and the clashing of horns an- 

 nounced in unmistakable tones that a stampede had began. 

 The two night herders who were on foot soon came ta the 

 Are, stating that a large animal, which, in the darkness, they 

 had mistaken for one. of the oxen, had ascended the bank of 

 the stream; but ou approaching it to drive it into the herd it 

 had turned and with a snort and bound decidedly unboTine 

 in its character, had disappeared almost before they had dis- 

 covered their error. The wagonmaster and assistant in- 

 stantly mounted their horses, and struck out in the darkness 

 in the" direction the fugitives were supposed to have taken, 

 while the remainder of the trainmen, after canvassing the 

 matter for an hour or more, retired to their blankets. Early 

 the next morning a number of us hastened to the river bank 

 to endeavor to solve the mystery, when the tracks of a bear, 

 so large that they were immediately pronounced by the old 

 plainsmen to be that of a grizzly, were to be plainly seen in 

 the moist sand, near the half-decayed carcass of an ox 

 upon which he had evidently been feeding. The eattlehad 

 not yet returned, and hastening back to the wagons, the writer 

 and one of the trainmen, a strapping Mbsouriau named Jim 

 Jones, made hasty preparations to pursue the midnight for- 

 ager. 1 carried a short but heavy 44-calibre. rifle, and a 

 Colt's dragoon revolver;, and Jones loaded up a large smooth- 

 bore musket with as heavy a charge of slugs as he thought 

 consistent, with personal safety; and we both struck the trail 

 with all the eagerness of two fools wholly intent, upon Sport 

 and knowing nothing of the formidable character of the 

 brute they were pursuing. 



The bear had taken down the river and, where the. willow 

 thickets were broken by open prairie, walked along in the 

 Band under the bank and near the water's edge, but upon 

 reaching the thickets it invariably left the stream and passed 

 through them, although still following the same course with 

 the river. In such wises one of us went around the thickets, 

 which were usually from five to ten acres in extent, and the 

 other followed '.he trail through, which was easily done, as 

 they were so thick as to be almost impenetrable except by 

 the trails that had been beaten through them by wild animals. 



About three miles ' below the camp the trail entered 

 thicket larger and if possible more dense than any we had 

 passed through, and it appeared so difficult that we con- 

 cluded to pass around to the lower end and take up the trail 

 there if it became apparent that he had gone beyond. The clos- 

 est scrutiny, however, failed to find any fresh tracks of the big 

 bear leaving tie thicket, and we. therefore, felt sure that he 

 was near at hand. As there was no prospect of ousting him 

 by remaining outside, we determined to enter by different 

 trails, and if either succeeded in locating him to inform the 

 other by a law whistle and wait for reinforcements before 

 commencing hostilities. It is hardly necessary to say that a 

 more foolish or impracticable plan could hardly have been 

 devised, but as neither of us had ever seen a bear in his 

 native wilds — to say nothing of shooting one— it may not be 

 surprising that we could uot think of a more feasible cam- 

 paign. 



With rifle cocked, 1 entered the thicket, stooping almost 

 double beneath the willows that interlaced in a heavy arch 

 not four feet from the. ground, while my companion did 

 the same about fifty yards to my right. Slowly and cau- 

 tiously I forced my way along, straining my eyes to discover 

 the first sign that would indicate the presence of our for- 

 midable antagonist, and nattering myAelf that. 1 was uot 

 only conducting the Operation after the most approved 

 method, but that any disastrous surprise was impossible, 

 until I had penetrated nearly to the heart of the thickest 

 part, when, with a savage growl, the bear arose upon his 

 hind feet, from a large hole scooped in the sand and com- 

 pletely hidden by willows, not ten feet to ray right, and 

 "jumped" me with the quickness of thought. So rapid were 

 his movements, and so vigorous the onslaught, that 1 seemed 

 to have hardly comprehended the situation before I was 

 hurled backward with irresistible fury, the bear aiming a 

 stroke at my face with one of his huge fore paws, the nails 

 <of which were longer than my ringers. Fortunately, 1 was 

 falling so fast that it failed to reach its intended destination, 

 its Spent force reaching my arm, each nail drawing blood 

 froui elbow to wrist and stripping into ribbons the sleeves of 

 my hickory *hirt. Lying helpless upon my back, my re- 

 volvers buritW in the sand beneath me and my rifle crosswise 

 between us. Iki haying followed up the attack so cloBdy that 



it could not be used, I endeavored to keep him off with my 

 feet. He paid no attention to these, however, and closing 

 with me, made another pass at my head. His paw struck 



I lie 

 .1 ,w 



its Ei 

 Ei 



teetli 

 his ja- 



rel i 



. between the two bands, and glancing 

 zle was violently forced downward, spent 

 e hinnlessly upon the ground. 



- i 8l ''! failure, he seized the elongated stock in his 

 nd 1 heard it crack and splinter like" a rotten stick in 

 a. Taking instant advantage of this, I endeavored 

 to release my revolver with my left naud, still holding to the 

 rifle with my right, but at the first motion I made at my hip 

 the bear let go his hold upon the gnu and fastenened upon 

 my thigh, f felt his teeth sink into the flesh, but no pain 

 followed it, and raising partly to a sitting position I struck 

 him as violent a blow upon the nose as iny awkward situa- 

 tion would admit of. Impotent as was the effort, it 

 ;ffected the desired result; the bear drew back with a snarl, 

 and wheeling around with head clise to the ground, he for 

 the first time since the attack placed sufficient distance be- 

 tween us to enable me to get the muzzle of my rifle against 

 hiB body and pulled the trigger at my side. 



His head was partly turned from me aa I fired, I saw the 



hair raised as it was burned or blown away where the bullet 



entered. He gave a great bound forward and went crashing 



through the brush, out of sight at the second jump. My 



astonishment at this unexpected turn in affairs was hardly 



ded by my delight, for by this time I had entirely 



1 hankering after Bear meat, and springing to my feet 



iv my revolver, expecting his immediate return. My 



i -,'ireds, and ol a pair of new overalls with which 



thing remained but a strip about a foot 



id i 



blood 



List. 



years ago gave a very pleasant 

 sight. Pine Creek, a considera 

 Blue Lake and Cameron's Lata 

 ducks feeding in their waters. 

 The miles of Mississippi bolt' 

 and snipe shooting. Probably 



ecount of a duck shoot, is in 

 le stream, flows into the lake. 

 are just, in sight with many 

 Mallards are nearly grown. 

 in lands fm'uish woodcock 

 d baas, pike and 



pickerel have been lauded by '"'the boys" within sight of the 



hotel veranda to-day. Hon." Daniel Cameron, f'i-h C mis 



sioner of the First District resides here, and will throw wide 

 hospitable doors to the lovers of the gentle craft. 



We are at the termini of three railroads lending North, 

 South and West, and lastly, but not least to a sportsman, a 

 good hotel, the La Crescent, House, just opened, with land- 

 lord Kirwan behind the desk, knowing just how to take care 

 of a tired aportsman and hk dog, and lo put them on the best 

 line for game. Parties so wishing could get a man with his 

 dog, knowing every mile of prairie between here and Fair- 

 mont, to pilot them through, or show thorn birds at any in- 

 termediate station. 



The writer designs driving through with camp equipage 

 and to get a shot at the birds en route. 



The L. M. R. R. passenger leaves here after breakfast and 

 arrives at Fairmont iu time for an early supper. 



No more desirable location for a sportsman can be found 

 i which to pass a few pleasant days. X. 



LACBB9CENT, Minn., Aug. 3, 1S3:. 



[See notes ou the prairie, chicken trials in another column.] 



running in a stream down my leg from my 

 thigh, and was bubbling over the top of my shoe* I stood "a 

 moment or two in anxious expectation, seeing nothing, but 

 hearing now and then a strange though faint choking noise 

 in the direction taken by the bear, and then began to load 

 my rifle as fast a.s 1 was able. While forcing down the bul- 

 let my comrade made his appearance, hehadheard the growl 

 and first rush of the bear but was unable to reach me direct, 

 being obliged to return and enter by the trail I had followed. 

 Forcing our way through the brush, we soon came upon 

 large spatters of blood, which led us to where the bear was 

 lying. By stooping close to the ground where the foliage 

 "as thin we could see a short distance ahead, and as soon 

 ! we made out his position w r e both dropped to our knees 

 and fired. No noise nor motion, however, followed the dis- 

 charge, and we found him already dead, the first bullet 

 having passed diagonally through nearly the whole length 

 of his body, tearing a frightful hole in his lungs and other 

 portions of the intestines. 



fter a very brief examination of the hideous brute, ter- 

 rific even in death, we returned to the bank of the stream 

 where I endeavored to staunch the flow of blood while my 

 companion hastened back to camp for assistance. In an 

 hour he returned with a saddle mule. 



The next two weeks found me confined strictly to a couch 

 in the baggage, wagon where after the ample time afforded 

 me for reflection, I wa3 obliged to confess that those few 

 moments spent in that willow thicket had given my educa- 

 tion in that particuly department of backwoods recreation a 

 more elaborate finish than all the happy hours I had spent 

 over the pages of Kit Carson, or Grizzly Adams. 



Fobkbd Deer. 

 San Francisco, California. 



WESTERN GAME PROSPECTS. 



I see in Forest and Stream received yesterday that you 

 ask for the prospects of prairie chickens. I must say 

 that for the last nine years I have never seen such good 

 prospects as there are this season. Tho birds hatched out 

 early and well, and the youug birds are more than half 

 grown now; in fact, I saw a covey to-day which, when I 

 started them, must have flown one hundred yards, and if 

 they are only left alone until our season opens (a month to- 

 day), we may look for good sport. A few weeks ago I was 

 in Minnesota, and from what I could learn birds were as 

 plentiful there as here. I quite agree with your letter in 

 last paper about the game laws. We have good laws, but 

 who is going to make disturbances, etc., with neighbors and 

 friends by informing against them? It is too personal a 

 matter for one or two men to take in hand, and regular game 

 constables ought to be appointed in each town, and then 

 the)' should appoint their deputies if they need any, and 

 until that is done the game laws are almost "nil." 



Cucido. 

 R.ipc3e\vay, Iowa, July 18. 



As I am constantly receiving letters of inquiry in regard 

 to the chicken shooting in this section, I will take the liberty 

 of answering all through the medium of your valuable and 

 widely read paper. The chickens have made an excellent 

 crop the present season, and the game law is rigidly en- 

 forced. Open season begius iu Iowa August 15, Minne- 

 sota, September 1. The northern portion of Kossuth 

 count}' was a comparative wilderness until the Chicago & 

 Northwestern Railroad built north from Algona into Min- 

 nesota some six mouths ago. That section never having been 

 shot over, is literally alive wdth chickens, and the lakes 

 along the State line with geese and ducks. To reach that 

 section take the Chicago & Northwestern Railroad via. 

 Clinton, Cedar Rapids, Tama City and Algona to Bancroft, 

 twenty miles north of Algona, and sixteen south of the 

 Minnesota line. Shoot this section over from August 15 to 

 September 1, then cross the line into Minnesota and at- 

 tend the National American Kennel Club field trials at 

 Fairmont September 4, only twenty-five milea distant from 

 Bancroft. Accommodations can be had at Bancroft or with 

 farmer,;, or you can try the tent and skillet. A. A. Call. 



A_lgona, Iowa. 



Youa.sk for "game notes." The prospect for game were 

 never better throughout Southern Minnesota. Chickens are 

 abundant further west, we havea few here; quail are whistl- 

 ing in every direction. The writer of this was awakened 

 three mornings last month with "Kirk White" being loudly 

 whistled from the roof tree of his house. From my own 

 premises more than twenty flocks of ducks were seen 

 to-day, some not yet grown. Quite a number of fair bags of 

 woodcock have been made since the season opened. The 

 woods are full of rabbits, and young ruffed grouse are seeu 

 every day, and why is this not an excellent place for sports- 

 men to come, rest and refresh themselves and get their dogs 

 in form before the chicken season opens and the campaign 

 at Fairmont'.' 



We. are just above the confluence of Root River with the 

 Mississippi, Target Lake, on which a writer in Marper'e some 



You ask your Western readers to tell of the prairie chicken 

 prospects. They are plenty here. There are a boy and gun 

 ready for every chicken within ten miles, In fact they are 

 buying powder and shot now to shoot hauko and snipe, as 

 the chickens will not be ripe for a month yet. I do not 

 know what else they are going to do with the powder and 

 shot. I would like to have your Western readers to treat 

 the members of the Kitty Hawk Club and .all others of the 

 same stamp, when they come West after chickens and oilier 

 game, the same as they would treat a Western man if he 

 would appear with dog and gun on their ground (of two or 

 three hundred miles in length)— that, is, order them off, or 

 have them arrested or fined, as they say they will do if a 

 stranger goes on their ground. If buying up a few hundred 

 miles of the shooting grounds by a few for their own shoot- 

 ing is uot a monopoly, what is it? Jacik Sjhipe. 



Vail, la., July 17. 



There is no doubt that prairie chickens are unusually 

 abundant in Nebraska this year. Everything is abundant and 

 the crops marvelous. Ponds are full of water and we antici- 

 pate excellent fall goose, and duck shooting. Quail are heard 

 on every hand. Burr H. Polk. 



Lincoln, Neb., July 81. 



DUCKING AT WAUBONSIE LAKE. 



LAST October a party of four, including the writer, rigged 

 up a wagon with a cover, and putting in bedding, boat 

 and camp utensils, started for this lake, distant twelve miles 

 south of this city. We went for duck shooting and spearing 

 fish for which this lake is noted. This lake, or more properly 

 a bayou of the Missouri River, is in fact a relic of the 

 old bed of the river. It is two miles long and one wide, and 

 has a dense grow T th of flags and marsh grass. But there are 

 many open spaces of wafer. The flags completely conceal 

 the boat and the shooter, thus affording the best of shootiug 

 morning and evening. Bass, pickerel, pike and catfish are 

 abundant, and hundreds are caught by the trawl net. A 

 party of three shipped six hundred pounds the morning we 

 arrived. Thousands of ducks in spring and fall find excellent 

 feeding ground here, and good shooting is found after the 

 sloughs and small streams are frozen over. The birds will 

 not be driven away. 



We killed as many as we and our friends could use for 

 many days; more than this we did not care for. Wo spent 

 two days' and nights on this lake, days and nights we will 

 remember for years. We secured eight varieties of birds, 

 viz., mallard, gray duck, blue and greenwing teal, broadbill, 

 woodduck; bluebill and readhead. We saw but few geese 

 here; but they are found in large numbers along the river 

 bars, and this kind of shooting was better this year than 

 usual. 



In my twenty years' shooting I never saw so many coots 

 {Fu.liea amerkuma) as here. The water was black in places 

 with thorn; and when they took to win," it was not unlike a 

 wind storm. They are not used for food here, although I 

 have been told that some of the natives eat them. We 

 always found clucks feeding with them, either broadbills or 

 redheads. Owing to previous hard rains that diicolored the 

 water, our spearing was a faihue, although we procured 

 enough hsh for our own needs in camp. One of the party 

 killed a solitary jack snipe, the only one wo saw during our 

 stay. 



Excellent camping places are found anywhere around the 

 lake, as high bluffs 100 feet high skirt the north and east, 

 broken by ravines, which afford plenty of good spring water 

 and an abundance of wood for camp fires. Corn can be 

 bought near for teams. No hotels nearer than twelve miles. 

 A few wild turkeys are found iu the timber back of the 

 lake; hut it is the roughest country in the State, to travel 

 over, so he who hunts them will have all the exercise he 

 wants. Plenty of quail and squirrels are found, but no 

 ruffed grouse." Andy Moore, of our party, secured a bald 

 eagle (ff. iuwnqjhulun), and has it mounted. Measured six 

 feet from tip to tip, and was a male in full plumage. It 

 now adorns a leading hardware store iu town. We intend 

 to visit this place atrain this fall, and anticipate a glorious 

 time. W- H. R. 



Ulenwooii, Iowa. 



Bear Oil for Rheumatism. — Rangelcy , Me. , July ;!1 . — As 

 James Spaulding was mowing near a piece of wood last 

 Monday morning, he heard the waitings of a cub in the 

 vicinity where Charles Sowle had a bear-trap, and surmising 

 the cub to be in the trap proceeded with a club to despatch 

 it. As he was in the act of dealing a blow the mother of the 

 cub presented herself rattling her ivories and £ 

 geanee. Then commenced a go-as-you-pleasi 

 clearing, which was barely won by Spauldmg. 

 he gave forth a series of shrieks that made eclic 

 around, causing the neighboring haymakers 

 with various weapons. On hearing Spaulding 

 proceeded to the trap where mater familias 

 her offspring. William Ellis got •'- 



irting yen- 

 race to the 

 As ho ran 

 i for miles 

 o assemble 

 story they 

 . ..as guarding 

 broadside shot and 



laid her" outT Spaulding had for a long time been crippled 

 with rheumatism, but after the affair was over found him- 

 self cured. Note.— Those afflicted with rheumatism are ad- 

 vised to try this remedy.— Wahkujxd. 



