70 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



[August 25, 1881. 



gory of the Sheridan fishing rules, recently published in your 

 columns. The original document is now in possession of Mr. 

 Charlrsn,,], of the Render's office, of this cily, and has 

 abmu it a sort of horse-laugh humor which gives us a hint of 

 what was thought to be fan in those days. The rules are as 

 follows ' 



1. The society to be kuown as the Gravois Hunting Club. 



2. The company shall consist of such commissioned and 

 non-commissioned officers as prescribed by other hunting so- 

 cieties, unless a majority deem it necessary to alter them. 



3. \Q shall he (he duty of the president; to appoint the neces- 

 sary number of officers, who shall hold their offices until De- 

 cember 85, 1844, whfn there shall be a general election. 



4. Persons failing to attend either a meeting of the club or 

 a drive, after being notified, shall pay for the" benefit of the 

 company one quart of whisky. 



5. Any member who shall shoot at a deer at the distance of 

 sixty yards or less, without killing, shall pay half a eallon. 

 If he rails to draw blood he shall pay one gallon, and if he 

 neglects to shoot when within sixty yards he shall pay not 

 more than two gallons, at the discretion of the company. 



6. No person shall read a newspaper on his stand under a 

 penalty of one quart, and in case of such fine it shall be 

 placed to the credit, of the driver. 



7. Any person going to sleep on or near a stand shall for- 

 feit, one quart, and if he shall snore so loud as to be heard 

 100 yards be shall pay one gallon to the driver. 



8. Any member who shall fail to feed a dog belonging to 

 the club when it is in his power to do so, shall forfeit half n 

 gallon for each dog, to be credited to the dog's master. 



9. Any member who shall sit hy the lire for more than half 

 an hour without telling a deer story or calling for a horn shall 

 forfeit a quart. 



10. Mo member is allowed to get so drunk after a drive as 

 to require four persons to carry him to bed, under a penalty 

 of one gallon. 



11. The members who go to bed with their boots on shall 

 pay for the benefit of the landlord one-quarter of venison. 



12 Any members who shall refuse to take a slice of good 

 venison when invited shall forfeit one gallon for the benefit 

 of the club. 



13. Any member getting so drunk as to shoot at a horse, 

 cow or sheep by mistake for a deer shall foot the bill at 

 the first dram shop and have his grog stopped for six months. 



14 Any member who is guilty of contributing for distant, 

 charitable purposes when his charity is needed at home shall 

 forfeit two gallons. 



15. Any member who shall discover an individual of our 

 opposers or enemies driving or keeping a hound hid in his 

 barn, or still-hunting under a pretence of amusement or neces- 

 sity, shall receive a premium of five gallons and two plugs of 

 tobacco, to be paid by the treasurer out of any liquor or to- 

 bacco not otherwise appropriated. 



16. Any member who shall play a game of cards without a 

 stake of tobacco shall pay for the benefit of the club not more 

 than one plug nor lets than one chew, at the option of the 

 president. 



To the above rules and regulations we pledge ourselves, 

 our lives, our fortunes and our skill in shooting. 



The s ; gners were : Thos. M. Richey, President ; James 

 Bailey, Vice President ; Harrison L. Long, Council; Abner 

 E. Bailey, Captain ; Andrew J. Cromwell, Gamekeeper ; 

 John J. Bailey, Treasurer; Oliver Cromwell, Sergeant; Lewis 

 Deot, Clerk; John C. Dent, Secretary; John P. Long, Re- 

 cord r. 



1 wonder if some of the older readers of the Forest and 

 Stream cannot give us a glimpse of other old-time hunting 

 clubs. Wagon wheel. 



A Colorado Beau JTttnt— Denver, Col.— You see it all 

 happened in this way. Doe. drove up one morning with his 

 bronchos and light wagon outfitted for hunting. Said he was 



fling up Bru-h Creek, where he 'lowed there was bear. 

 rank said if he'd wait a few minutes he'd go along. 1 said 

 I was rjrazy to go loo. Off we started, Dae. entertaining us 

 with recita s of the bear scrapes he'd been in. "Hold on," 

 said Frank, as we were Hearing the mountains; and out he 

 jumped before we could check the team. As we slopped we 

 could see bitu behind peering along the ground as an Indian 

 would hunt for a trail. ''What is it," we cried. "Fresh 

 bear tracks," he answered. Out I jumped and, sure enough, 

 there in the dust was the fresh' track which, 1 imagine, 

 resembled Crusoe's man Friday's as much as anything. 



Well, where there were tracks we knew there had been 

 bear; and so we hurried on, more eager than ever. Soon we 

 reached Brush Creek, and then wound our way up into the 

 canyon over a rough wood road — so rough that it was torture 

 to ride. We safely made camp about noon, luckily finding a 

 comfortable log cabin at our disposal, which had been used 

 formerly by lie choppers. Altera hasty lunch we loaded our 

 rifles and started out. I did not get hack until 9 o'clock at 

 night, baying seen neither deer nor bear; but before night I 

 had come across a covey of black grouse and had bagged four 

 or five. The others were more fortunate. Doc. and Frank, 

 having joined forces, took a fresh deer trail, jumping up two 

 fine bucks and killed both. 



For two days we hunted for bears without avail, and as 

 Doc. was anxious to get home we decided at noon to pull out. 

 So we packed up, Doc. going ahead with the team, Frank 

 and myself following afoot. As we Beared the mouth of the 

 gulch the canyon widened, and off to our left another wide 

 gHlc i came into the main one. As we neared it all at once 

 •we sbw in the road the freshest kind of bear tracks, which 

 proved to be those of an old one and two cubs. We lost no 

 time in hailing Doc.; and quicker than it takes to tell it we 

 had our team unhitched ana tied to the wagon and were off 

 after our game. It was an exciting experience following 

 through brush and over rocks the trail, which every moment 

 seemed fresher and which every moment led us oeeper into 

 the gulch and away from the hill on our right. After we had 

 1 raveled (or a mile and the brush seemed thicker, Doc. re- 

 inm lied that we had hettrr he getting out as we were liable to 

 be caught at, a great disadvantage. No sooner had he spoken 

 than I, who was in the rear, saw our bear rise up on her 

 bauncliessome 100 yards to our left. " There she is," 1 said. 

 " Hejld on," said Doc.; " let me have the first shot." So Doc. 

 up with his rifle and pulls at her shoulders, over shooting and 

 only causing her to rise on her haunches. "Now is my 

 time," I said, and held for her head, Doc. all the time crying 

 not to shoot, as we'd surely get tangled up in the brush. I 

 told him he had had his shot and now 1 was going to have 

 mine and I pulled, hilling her in the breast, but making only 

 a flesh wound. The way she jumped over the bushes and 

 etarted for us was a caution. It started Doc. on a run in the 

 opposite direction, with Frank and I bringing up in the rear. 

 But that didn't last long, Doc. getting cut of breath and onto 

 higher ground. There we recoiinoitered and saw our bear 



going back to the mountains and endeavoring to entice her 

 cutis to follow. But, we made short work of these proceed- 

 ings by pouring into them a shower of lead from our repeat- 

 ing rifles that caused them all to bite lie dust — or rather 

 snow, as a heavy snow squall had set in ten minutes before. 



We marketed our bear and dear heads and realized hand- 

 somely besides the exciting sport which we had.— J. A. B. 



A New Yoke Bot's Adventure — Conway, N. H., Aug. 

 12. — We have had quite a sensation here this week. Four 

 young men (city boys) went from here to Swift River inter- 

 vale, in the town of Albany and among the mountains, some 

 fitteen miles from this village, to camp out a few nights and 

 hunt and fish. On the second afternoon one of them started 

 off by himself to see if he could shoot something; and in a 

 short, time he discovered that he was lost, and that he did not, 

 know which way to go to reach his camp. He wandered 

 around till it began to grow dark, and then went up into a 

 large tree and passed the night in it not sleeping a wink all 

 night. The next day he traveled all day, and not having 

 any food with him he shot a partridge and kindled a fire and 

 reasted part of it and ate it (without salt). About 5 p. jr., 

 feeling tired, he sat down under a tree to rest. Being very 

 weary, he soon fell asleep, and when he woke up he found it 

 7 the next, morning. Seeing a large hill (it is called Greene's 

 Cliff) he thought he would go up and look off, when he dis- 

 covered houses, and having a small compass with him he 

 took his course for the nearest one and struck a bee line for 

 it. He found it very bad walking as it was through swamp 

 and over windfalls, but, coming up to the. river at last he 

 heard a cow bell on the opposite side ; he crossed over, found 

 the cow, followed her home and arrived at the house at 7 p. 

 m., having been out two and a half days and two nights. He 

 asked for something to cat, although he said he was not in a 

 starving condition, and also asked if that was Swift River 

 intervale, and being informed it was, told his story. The 

 house was about four miles south of where he went in. His 

 father resides in New York city. He says he is going back 

 in about a week to try it again, and thinks he won't get lost 

 the second time. J. 



The Bradford Banquet.— The recent publication of the 

 bill of fare at the banquet of the Washington Wood- 

 mont Rod and Gun Club prompts a Bradford friend to 

 send us the bill of fare of a supper given to the Audubon 

 Shooting Club, of Buffalo, New York, by the Bradford 

 Shooting Club, of Bradford, Pa , June 9, 1881 . The "spread" 

 was given at the St. James Ileitel, Humphrey and Pierce 

 proprietors, and tbe members of the visiting cluh — but, why 

 say what eyery one understands — of course the occasion was 

 one long to be cherished in memory. The menu was as fol- 

 lows: 



Terrapin Soup. 



Brook Trout, Fried, Mountain Btyle. 

 Restigouche Salmon, Boiled, Lobster Sauoe. 



Leg of Southdown Mutton, Caper Sauoe. 



Turkey with Cranberry Jelly. 

 Spring Lamb with Green Mint. 



Sweet Breads, Larded with Puree of Spinach. 



Spring Chickens, Broiled a la Audubon. 

 Kisaoles of Fowls' Liveru, Financiere Sauoe. 



Shrimp Salad. Chicken Salad. 



New Potatoes. 

 Asparagus. 



English Plum Pudding, Brandy Sauce. 



Pine Apple Pie. Lemon Meringue Pie. 



Strawberries with Cream. Assorted Cake. 



Neapolitan Ice Cream. 



Fruits. 



Vienna Coffee. 



New England Sitootuig Wanted— Editor Forest and 

 Stream: — I wish to find some place either in the Sate of 

 Maine, Vermont or New Hampshire where good duck and 

 snipe shooting or ruffed grouse and woodcock 6hooting 

 could be obtained from the 10th to the 25th of September; 

 also the person's name who will take boarders in locality. 



D. D. D. 



Read last and present issues. 



You might go to Grafton, Vt.. Of that, locality a letter 

 just at hand says •. "Grafton, Vt., Aug. 22. — Agreeable to 

 your request for information as to good grounds for sports- 

 men to visit with reasonable chances of success, I take the 

 liberty to suggest that we have some of the finest woodcock 

 grounds in the country in our immediate vicinity, which ap- 

 pear to be well stocked with cock. We have no local hunt- 

 ers with us and very few birds have been killed here at any 

 time. I have no doubt but with good dogs and hunters who 

 are up to the business fine sporl could be had. We have a 

 fine hotel and livery stable here, which make very low 

 charges. Just now the hotel is full, but after the first of 

 September they will have ample accommodations for sports- 

 men. Woodcock are seen constantly in the gardens of the 

 village citizens and I hear of them in many localities.— S. W. 

 G." 



Some Snipe Scores — Louisville, August 5. — The neigh- 

 borhood of Vincenncs, Ind., is said to be the best snipe 

 ground in tbe State. In an old memorandum book of my 

 dear friend Capt, Goslee, now dead, one of tbe best sports- 

 men and loveliest men Kentucky ever produced, I find the 

 following memoranda: "Near Carlisle, Illinois, April 4, 

 1868.— Four of uskil'ed 243 snipe; Apiil 5 we killed 230 

 snipe, April 7 we killed 830 snipe, April 8 three of us killed 

 259 snipe." The best snipe shooting I ever had was on the 

 rice plantations near Charleston, S. C. The fields are scpiare 

 and separated by ditches, the ditch banks being five or sis 

 feet above the fields. Four of us bunted in different fields, 

 the Biiipe flying from one to the other. The snipe were in 

 clouds, like grasshoppers in the fall, and would often alight 

 right at our feet. I am sure that I sometimes saw more than 

 a hundred on the wing at once. — L. P. Y. 



Elevation in Shooting Shot.— Recently I bought a new 

 breech-loader, the best in market of course. I ordered a 9-lb., 

 12-gauge, choke-bore, expressly for long-ran^e shooting, 

 chietly to use coarse shot. Upon testing at target with No. 

 4s, sixty and seventy yards, I found that, by Bigbting directly 

 at tbe centre in a thirty-inch target the greater portion of the 

 charge was found below the centre, but well distributed. 

 Adhering to my old notion that when shot are driven with 



such force they coidd not drop at that distance (sixty yards), 

 I continued the trial, with the same result, Bv good luck I 

 had found in a book store a pamphlet called "Game Birds," 

 by Thos. Alexander, in which I find many valuable sugges- 

 tions. Among others be said that shel will drop four inches 

 in forty yards. I concluded to act upon the suggestion, ele- 

 vating to six inches above the centre spot at sixty yards, and 

 to my satisfaction found the charge every time where I 

 wauled it. At other trials since have had no difficulty in 

 planting from ten to fifteen No. 2s near the centre at 100 

 yards every time, elevating in the latter case about two feet. 

 Of course in shooting in trees this rule does not apply. Per- 

 haps there are others of your readers, like myself, who have 

 not considered that the law of gravitation acts upon a charge 

 of shot as well as upon a ball. — *. 



Adirondack Guides Again— New York, Aug. 20. — I 

 spent over two months last summer on the Fulton Chain of 

 Lakes, and during that time came in contact with a great 

 many of the guides, both from the upper and lower hikes", and 

 found them to be perfect gentlemen in every respect. I did 

 not meet one that I would not trust any ladr with at, any 

 time and under any circumstances. I believe them to be as 

 a class finer men than you will find in almost any work, in 

 other words, men that are square to the letter. TJiearcicle 

 in the New York Mail is unjust in tbe. extreme, and it is 

 evident that the writer has never been in tbe company of an 

 Adirondack gu'de or he would have known that he was en- 

 tirely wrong and unjust in saying that "I he Adirondack 

 guideB are a class to be let severely alone." — Vex. 



An Unusual Accidest. — I would ask you the cause for a 

 rifle's holding fire in this manner : A young man out shoot- 

 ing woodchuck had snapped his rifle at one and for some 

 reason it did not discharge. He lowered the gun, diew the 

 ramrod and was driving the charge homo, thinking the pow- 

 der had not entered tbe tube. The gun discharged while in 

 that position, driving the rod and charge through his hand, 

 which, it is thought, will cause him to lose the use of it. Is 

 it right to suppose a piece of lint in the tube had caused the 

 gun to hold fire, acting as a train to the powder ? — Mig. 



[The supposition of our correspondent is as plausible as 

 any we can suggest. The action of the. gun was very curious, 

 although not without parallel in our experience. The pow- 

 der may have been damp and caked, especially if the charge 

 had been in the gu;i some time.] 



Beak Dogs. — Many years ago when bears were more 

 plenty than pumpkins in the Empire State, it, used to be 

 common for hunters to find where they madenpcturnal visits 

 to corn-fields and then to take a little whiffet 'log, thai, was 

 trained for the business, and hunt them in the same way that 

 coons are hunted now. The little dog would generally scare 

 the bear and put him to flight and then nip bis heels as he 

 tan, which would cause him to take to a tree the first chance 

 he could get, where he would remain long enough, before 

 getting over his fright, for the hunter to come up and g've 

 him a dose of lead hy the light of a torch o? large fire. 'One 

 old hunter, Elijah Dibble, who lived in Delaware Co., was 

 the owner of a well trained dog, and was noted as a great 

 bear slayer. J. H. A. 



Nebraska Chickens. — Lincoln, Neb., August 18.— It 

 turns out that chickens are not as abundant hs was antici- 

 pated. The hunters were out in force on the loth and very 

 few of them made the bags they counted upon. Mr. Hal- 

 lett and I stayed in the country Sunday night and began 

 work at early dawn the next day. During the day, after 

 a tramp of nearly twenty miles, over a good dog, 'we got 

 thiity-seven chickens, all of them pretty nearly grown ex- 

 cept three. So far as we can learn it was the best bag made 

 that day ; but it was arduous work. It may be, cooler 

 weather will show more chickens. — Burr H. Polk. 



Illinois Duck Shooting — Chicago, August 15.— Duck 

 shooting commenced in this State to-day. Ducks xre num- 

 erous and we are anticipating fine sport, this fall. Chickens 

 and quail are also plenty. A gnat deal of illegal shooting ia 

 going on here and just over the "line" in Indiana, by alleged. 

 sportsmen's clubs. Several parties have been fined for shoot- 

 ing ducks out of season, but this does not seem to slop the 

 shooting. Black bass fishing in the small lakes in this viola, 

 ity is unusually good. — Jim. 



Duoktsg on Ohamplain— Troy, N. Y., July 30 —I see by 

 your last that some one wants to go duck shooting. lain 

 making arrangements to go to the north end of Lake Cham- 

 plain on the 10th of September next. Another parly is go- 

 ing with me, but we would not, olvjec' to a I bird. Am my- 

 self acquainted with the ground, and can show him some flue 

 Bport. If he wishes he can correspond with me on the sub- 

 ject.— H. W. Bjbuob, 



Papabottes— Indianiola, Tex., Aug. 16— Have at last 

 bad a fine rain, and the shooting around this place is splendid. 

 "Papabottes" are very plenty and fat. I should sav that 

 there are at least a hundred birds a day killed in a radius of 

 three miles of this town, a single gun in an afternoon get- 

 ting as many as forty and fifty. A few miles up the railroad 

 chickens are very plenty, and there will be plenty of quail 

 this season. — G. A. 



New Jersey— Coster, Aug. 20.— Woodcock shooting has 

 been very poor during July. Wo may have a fall flight, but 

 that is uncertain. I am afraid Bob White has forsaken us, 

 as I do not hear from him as I did last, year. I think they 

 will be scarce. Partridges none.— J. I. 



Koetright, N. Y.— I have often seen woodchucks climb 



trees. Partridges have been bred in vast numbers here this 

 summer and promisj good shooting in the fall. Woodcock 

 shooting will also be good. Squirrels and rabbits are plenty. 

 — Cat Owl. 



Albany, N. Y., Aug. 17.— Woodcock are very scarcehere 

 this season. I was out with a friend yesterday and day be- 

 fore and bagged six birds only.— J. W. P. 



Wisconsin Chickens— Mknomonie, Wis.— Chickens are 

 large in size, and larger still in number in this section, 



Mao. 



We learn rrom 'Messrs. l tpiheg' ove & McLellan, ot Valparn so, Tnfl., 



ttelrlfo ,-"',' , : -"its tins season is un- 



iited. Using only the very best, in.uei-lal, a art engn^-d exolu- 

 , i He maaufacture or these suits, enables them to give a per- 

 fect outfit— [Adv. 



