NOTBMBBE 17, 1881.] 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



311 



BLOOMING GROVE PAKE. 



THE new club-house, built to replace the one destroyed 

 h, b?k f ' Wfl , 9 P cnt ' fl to members and Iheir guests ou 

 the loth ot October. It ia unique as a specimen of a sports- 

 men's? club-house, being furnished tLroitghout with a view to 

 the comfort and convenience of both sportsmen and others 

 who seek a qmci country resort. The general plan of the 

 former house has been followed. The design furnished by 

 0. J>. Hatch, Esq., architect, is pleasing without being 

 elaborate. The exterior is rustic, and painted with taste and 

 in a variety of colors. The main hall, fifteen feet wide, ex- 

 tends through the building and has an open lire-place six 

 teet wide with solid oak mantel eight feet high. The other 

 rooms, parlor, dining and billiard rooms, have open fire- 

 lea, ses, than which, piled up with blazing logs, nothing can be 

 more cheerful m cool weather. 



There -were the following named gentlemen at the club- 

 house during October and November .- Thos. E. 0. Curtis, 

 I resident; John Greenough and John Avery, of the Build- 

 ing Committee; A. Da Prato, Superintendent; besides a 

 Large party of the members and their families and guests. 



I he prospects for deer hunting this season are good. The 

 park hounds have started several deer. Two were killed on 

 , ?£u h< ? , a aurl 0De near K lw"lian's. A driven deer crossed 

 the MiUvilJc road on Monday last, and a large buck was seen 

 Bwnrufiing Lake Giles. A. 



OnviKB Out n— Cincinnati, Nov. 6 —The club has been 

 quite active of late years in its work toward the protection 

 of game and the development and passage of proper game 

 laws in the Slates of Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky and Illinois. 

 In this respect it has shown itself to be vastly more than a 

 mere sporting club, and the thoroughness of its museums 

 shows that it is oue of the most instructive institutions in the 

 matter of natural history in the country. At the meetinsr 

 last night Colonel Len A. Harris presided, and in the absence 

 of Jules F. Blackburn, Mr. J. J. Fearoe acted as Secretary 

 pro tern. The following new members were admitted : A. 

 M. A r an Dyke, W. D. Henderson, E. Achert, Aug. Wessel, 

 II. 0. Law ton, J. E. F. Donavan, Geo. H. Landy, W.H. Laws, 

 August Becker, Lew Wcitzel, W. A. Taggart, D. Buchanan, 

 G. H. Wold, Henry Ellis, W. S. Ward, Jos. W. Smith, D. 

 L. Billighehner— seventeen in all. Mr. Russel reported prog- 

 ress on the building of the new club house, and indicated 

 the probability of its being completed by the end of the year. 

 The Finance Committee made a favorable report, but sug- 

 gested that with ths addition of subscriptions to the amount 

 of about $3,000 iu membership fees the club would be able 

 to make a grand display on New Year's Day. It was reported 

 that of the membership of the club— ranging from six hun- 

 dred to seven hundred — about one hundred and fifty have re- 

 sponded to the call for subscriptions toward the building of 

 the newclub house. It. ispossible that because of absenteeism 

 the Secretary has been unable to lay the matter before all the 

 members, but with a small donation from the balance the 

 club-house will undoubtedly prove a success. The amount 

 required would average but little for each remaining member, 

 and 1he probabilities are that such donations will be made by 

 others so far not reporting. Action was taken at the meet- 

 ing in regard to the destruction of fish in the Big and Little 

 Mianiii by the use o£ dynamite and other explosives, and it 

 is expected that by the means adopted by the club the de- 

 structive process will be stopped before the end of the pres- 

 ent week. — li, 



TiiXAs Game Notes— Heame, Texas, Oct. 28.— The quail, 

 or, as they are ctdled by the people here, partridges, are 

 more numerous this season than for a good many years 

 before ; and as for squirrels, their name is legion. The 

 ducks and geese are beginning to come in now, and every- 

 thing promises a good seasou's shooting. One gentleman 

 near town bagged thirty-six ducks one day last week, 

 and 1 have had two first-rate squirrel hunts within the past 

 week, oue day getting sixteen and another twelve. The 

 wild pigeons arc. coming in by the thousands. People 

 here arc just beginning to realize the advantage of the 

 breech-loading gun over the old style muzzle-loader, and 

 the demand for them is increasing rapidly. The gold-wing 

 plover, usually very plenty here in the fall, have for some 

 unknown reason entirely slighted us this season. There are 

 some very good shooters in this "neck of the woods," and 

 some talk of organizing a glass ball club, but as such things 

 generally go the way of all good intentions in this communi- 

 ty', I. don't think there is any probability of a corner on glass 

 balls ou their account.— B. C. IT. 



Paofosed Class Diso Taboets— New York, Oct. 31.— 



l-Ulituf Forest and Stream: Why has not some one hit upon 

 the simple device of glass cakes instead of balls? A flat 

 glass about three inches in diameter, with rough surface, is 

 much more liable to be broken when hit, and, thrown either 

 to the right or left, would be fully as good as a ball, while a 

 ball thrown directly from the trap is very much like a dead 

 mark. Of course, it would not do for rotary shooting. A 

 double spriug, hidden from the shooter, and, throwing either 

 way, would make it nearly as difficult as rotary shooting. 

 Yei v fine shot will not always break a glass ball unless close 

 by and squarely hit, while there would be no uncertainty in 

 case the flat glass is hit. In matters of cost and transporta- 

 tion the advantage is immensely in favor of the latter. If 

 made thick at the edge, and the surface thiu and rough, 

 even the finest shot would break it. — D. 



[The " clay pigeon " is such a disc ; sails like a clam shell; 

 much resembles bird's (light ; affords excellent practice, and 

 the fragments dissolve, thus being an improvement over 

 glass.] 



Georgia Notes— Bainbridge, Ga., Oct. 24.— The quail 

 season is open. Birds are in the greatest abundance. The 

 weather just now is too warm for the sport, but it cannot last 

 much longer. Sportsmen report turkeys more plentiful than 

 iLnjy have been for years. Deer are taking to the fields to 

 enjoy the farmer's peas. Almost daily reports reach me of 

 their having been seen in the fields within five miles of our 

 town. A few. days ago a large buck was run into Spring 

 Creek, and caught by the dogs in the middle of the stream 

 near to some men culling timber. A negro swam out to the 

 stnn: cling drer and dogs, cut its throat and swam ashore 

 with "the prey. It weighed when dressed 150 pounds. Ow- 

 ing to an unprecedented dry summer and fall large quantities 

 of fish have been and are now being taken. Never has fish- 

 ing been more lucrative to those engaged in the sale of the 

 delicious finny tribe or more enjoyable to those who handle 

 the rod for pleasure,— O. G. G, 



Game is BuxilvAH County— Monticello, N. Y., Nov. 11— 

 Editor Forest and Stream : We have at present woodcock, 

 Wilson snipe, ducks and pigeons, with a fair number of 

 ruffed grouse and some quail. Eleven fine deer have been 

 earned through here within the last two weeks. Tbcy were 

 captured in the vicinity of Black Lake, eight miles from 

 Monticello, by Orange county sportsmen. Foxes and rabbits 

 are very abundant and owners of tiained hare beagles, that 

 are so much talked about, have now an opportunity of trying 

 them in this section. I have no ax to grind, nor do I own a 

 hotel. — Cjia.ht.es F. Kekt. 



Wild Fowl at Cckritccic— Advices from Currituck 

 Sound, under date of lOlh instant, report fowl as plenty, 

 though the weather has been so warm that few or none can 

 be shipped. Swans, geese and ducks are on the grounds. 

 A short time since one man killed in one day sixty geese, 

 five of them at one shot. Another man lulled forty pairs of 

 redheads November 10. Until the weather becomes colder, 

 we presume that few will care to visit these grounds as it is 

 a pity to lull birds that cannot be used. 



|«r Htid $§iver Jj[ii$hittg. 



FISH IN SEASON II* SOVE3IBEH, 



Black Bass, Micropter\ 



and M. pallidus. 

 Mascalonge, ESw* nobilior. 

 Pickerel, fi^ox reticulatiia. 

 Pike or rlokerel, Ksox luclua. 

 Pike-perch (wall-eyed pike) 



Slizotrthium arwricanum, S. 



gri-i*um, etc. 



Yellow Perch, Perca flumatiliA. 

 Striped Bass, Roccm linealus. 

 White Bass, Raeew enrysopa. 

 Rock Bass, Ambloplitea. (Two 



species). 

 War-mouth, Chosnobryttua guwaub. 

 Grapple, Pomazya nigromocnlotue. 

 Bachelor, Pomoxya annularis. 

 CflUD, SemoHUs corporate. 



SALT WATER. 



Sea Bass, Centroprtitia atrarius. | Pollock, Poliachiue carbonarma. 

 Striped Bass or Kockflsh, Roccua Tautog or BlackQsh, Tauloga 



lineatns. \ mrititt. 



White Perch. Hforoii/i tmertewnka. 1 Weakflsli or Srraetague.CyMoscyon 

 Blueflsh or Taylor, Pomatomus regalia. 



mltatrix. I Channel Bass. Spot or Bedflsh, 



SCUp or Porgle, Slenotumm argy- I Scicenops acellalua. 



ropa. 



For dally blessings most men forget to pay to their pratres; hut let 

 us not, because It Is a sacrifice so pleasing to Him that protects us, 

 and gives us flowers, and showers, and stomachs, and meat, and i 

 tent, and leisure to go a-hshlng.— Izaak Walton. 



A CAPE COD FISHING RESORT. 



THE LAKOE ELSH Of OHATHaM. 



Editor Forest and Stream : 



Any of your readers who have perused the various fish 

 stories which I have contributed to your columus, from time 

 to time, since in the first number of the first volume I started 

 on fishing in Africa to the last of my Alaska letters, in which 

 series there were several allusions to halibut, salmon, etc., 

 calculated to test believing po-ver to the utmost, will admit 

 that at the least I claim to have seen some very pretty fish 

 and fishing while knocking about the world, and will there- 

 fore be able to appreciate the value of the statement that, five 

 weeks ago at Chatham, Cape Cod, I saw the handsomest 

 sight in the way of fish that 1 have ever seen. 



You, in your issue of October 20, described a handsome 

 lot of even-striped bass, the aggregate weight of which was 

 175 pounds, and of another lot of seven, of which the 

 smallest weighed twenty-six and one-half ponnds and the 

 largest sixty pounds. 



1 thought that about as high as could be expected, but soon 

 after, siw in a store window at Newport, R.L, a photograph 

 of ten, which had been captured in one day, at one of the 

 Rhode Island Club fisheries — tl.e name I can't recall— and 

 this lot averaged frrly-nine and one-half pounds each, and, 

 judging by the picture, rau very uniformly. 



Never expecting to see in real i'y such a sight I only ad- 

 mired Ihe photo and envied the fishermen. A few days 

 after though, at Chatham, I was describing, or rather speak- 

 ing of this catch, to Mr. niraru Watts, a veteran angler aud 

 keeper of a summer boarding house for anglers, where, if 

 fresh sea breezes and splendid views count for anything, 

 they may be had, with the best of fishing thrown in, and I 

 am informed comfortable quaiters. I didn't enjoy the breeze 

 much, I will admit. A fresh east wind conveys impressions 

 that are veiy different when the mercury is at forty degrees 

 and seventy degrees. Captain Hiram said that was a " pretty 

 good catch, but wouldn't I lake a little walk down the beach 

 with him." I did so, in sand up to my ankles, and reaching 

 a fish bouse he showed me, side by side, ten striped bass that 

 had been caught the night before, which aggregated 650 

 pounds, the largest four feet five inches long, weighing 

 seventy-three pounds, and Ihfi smallest sixty-two. 



Except as to size and beauty of the fish this lot did not, 

 from a sportsman's point of vh w, come up to those you 

 described, for they were caught in a net which had bagged a 

 school of them so large that, iu the effort to get them fn, the 

 net capsized and tore, and but ten fish were saved. 



Many large ones are caught daily off this beacb, but not 

 many of the sizes 1 have gi'vt u. Such are undoubtedly 

 booked, on the eel-skin drails, which are used in heaving and 

 hauling, but as a general thing it is the drail that is captured, 

 not the fish. During my two days' stay several good ones 

 were, however, so taken, the largest, I believe, weighing 

 thirty pounds. 



I had other evidences of the resources of Chatham as a 

 fishing resort. The son of my host, Captain Rockwell N. 

 Strong, spent his Saturday forenoon holiday catching smelt 

 for our dinner, and such smelt I never saw but once. Black- 

 ford once sent me a present of a lot from the Provinces, 

 which averaged a loot in length, and were deep and fat in 

 proportion. The Chatham smelt equaled them in every re- 

 spect, and, by the quantity i he young gentleman brought in 

 after three hours' fishing, they are certainly abundant. 



I never fully appreciated quchogs aud "sea fowl stew" un- 

 til I partook of them prepared iu true Cape Cod fashion at 

 Rockwell's table. 



Two things struck me on my visit. One was that the place 

 was comparatively little known by fishing tourists, and the 

 other was that it ought to be well known and sought. So 

 1 picked up a few items about it. It is situated on the elbow 

 of Cape Coil, about eight miles from the nearest station, on 

 the Old Culony Road, llaiwick, from whence a stage con- 

 nects. 



There is a harbor for boats and light draft yachts, which 



is protected from the sea by a long sand spit, and is safe in 

 all weather. 



The waters teem with fish of all descriptions, and the boys 

 keep themselves in spending money by contributing to the 

 cargos of schooners sailing]to New York or Boston, quohogs, 

 blue fish, smelt, mackerel and lobsters. 



The village is scattered over a large tract of rolling ground 

 on which there are many unoccupied locations for a summer 

 residence fully equal to the Cliffs at Newport. 



In their season, brant, beach birds, geese and ducks are 

 plentiful, and in the vicinity are trout, streams and fresh 

 ponds, which furnish good bass and pickerel fishing. 



Prices are very low for everything, the climate healthy, 

 plenty of churches and, on the whole, I pronounce it a most 

 desirable spot for a summer's visit. Piseoo. 



RED DRUM, OR CHANNEL BASS„AT CAPE MAY. 



Editor Forest and Stream : 



I am never happier than when " Cap.'^Micapah Smith gets 

 bis sail up and tne bow of his yacht pointed toward Sewell's 

 Point, for thence we speed out into the briny deep at Cape 

 May in search of mackerel (blueflsh J. S. M. calls them;, or 

 the festive croaker and the toothsome "goodey." 



And when the Preacher saw the suu set, dying in crimson 

 glory as he went down right beside the U. 8. lightship on a 

 late September afternoon, he said : "The boys are hooking 

 red drum off Denizol's Pier." "I never saw one," continued 

 my brother clericus, "but I would fain .catch a drum, for 

 Spicer, one of our quaintest and most clever as well as 

 successful sportsmen, with gun, line, or rod, tells me of a 

 spot off Sewell's Point where they most do congregate." 



I did not need a second invitation or suggestion, having 

 never caught but one drum fish, and that one (1 was a boy) 

 in the unhcroic method peculiar to Atlantic City, to wit — 

 baiting with sand-fleas and throwing the line out into the 

 surf aud hauling the red drum up with the tide. 



There is no flavor of salmon or trout catching in that ; so- 

 I caught Baron Von Roden, who drives Mullener's Arab 

 team, and hied myself, before dark, to Schillinger's landing, 

 to see Micifah Smith, a veteran fisherman who knew heaps, 

 about " Sheepshe'ddm," or about, catching the bounding 

 mackerel twenty miles at sea. " Really,'' slid Micipab, "I 

 don't take no risks, and fishing off'n that bar and the tide a' 

 coming in ain't no fun. Mind ye, my friend, old M:capdi> 

 ain't takin' no resks." 



Butasight of three dollars brightened up ••Micapah'a'* 

 ideas somewhat, and he briskly spoke up, 



" Waal you and me be old friends any way down to Atlan- 

 tic City, when Bob Matlaek was the Big Gun of that ar' bar, 

 and I reckon if its drummin' you want and the wind at nit, 

 nor east, drummin' we'll go." 



The Treacher I had hooked or booked for the trip, but I 

 bethought me of a certain gay aud agreeable soldier named 

 McGralb, who ia fond of life in the Ocean Wave, and who 

 edits the Haiti/ Wave. I found him in his sanctum, gazing 

 delightedly at a case of old Valtrnian wine (or, Franklin or 

 Johiink), sent him by the well-known Hinke, of the ctlj- 

 brated Eg.r Harbor Yinvaras. 



When isaid "Drum," the sad eyed McGrath looked up 

 and replied. "Drumming on the surf? Not if the court 

 understands herself; I had four friends drowned that way 

 once." S i my well-beloved and spicy friend McGrath had 

 to be counted out. 



But by 8 a. m. "Cafay" (is the boys called him) had a 

 dozen mullets, the best bait for drum, in a bucket, ready 

 for action, and we were soon down to Sewell's Point, and 

 Ihence battling witti the surf trying to get over the " Har- 

 bor-bar that went moaning." 



I have been in tight places in swamps and on coon-hunts, 

 lost in Riney w >ods with only blueberries to eat for thirty 

 hour3, but I never felt my hair "rise" like it did when 

 Micspah's little skiff kept darling skyward between the 

 waves— along or over the crest of a breaker, the Preacher 

 occasionally getting a mouth full of salt water, and an un- 

 usually bounding billow slapped us fair in the face. 



Just outside of the bar, where the waves were only six 

 feet high, we anchored. 



Bight ahead we saw a ridge of moss bunkers, and had 

 reason to think there was fun ahead ; for in September and 

 October, whenever you find a school of moss bunkers, you 

 may count on the red drum and the snapping mackerel n )t 

 being far away. 



" Capay" got his lines out with some pride; but I aid 

 respectfully, "old man. there is but one line worth a darned 

 stocking in this boat." 



" Waal, now. said Capay, " you younkers think you know 

 aheap. I've been a sheepshe'ddin' afore you wcreborned, 

 and I rather guess I know a strong line when I see 'em." 



I was snubbed a little, but only waited future events to 

 vindicate superior sagacity over the lone fishirmau'a ipse 

 dixit. Nor did I have to wait long. 



The Preacher, whose recovery from "O! the Mys 1 ' wes 

 rapid, after he had cast up his breakfast, and "Capay" had 

 cast down his anchor, began to feel as frisky as a Texai 

 rabbit (the one with big ears). He tested a line like an 

 amateur, and the one striking bis fancy had a big horn spear 

 (a mackerel line) at the end of it. 



"That will do, he said," and over it went into the djep 

 sea. 



Cpay began to hum, when 8 ssid, "Hist I What is 



that'! 1 I had an awful pull. Maybe it's a 'shirk " He 

 slowly pulled up, to see if his animated mullet still livel 

 and moved. Alas ! horn, spoon, hook, mullet and all 

 had disappeared, and the line tore from the bait. The 

 Preacher looked as sorrowful as a politician who had not been 

 called on to speak at the last " grand rally." 



" Waal now," Baid old " Capay," " them's drum, sure, cer- 

 tain as death and taxis." He whipped on another hook and 

 a second mullet, 



Cericus' eyes began to glisten as soon as the quarter pound 

 dipsey touched bottom. " Ah ! Ah! got him now," ejacu- 

 lated the Preacher, as his line began to spin out at Ihe rate 

 of ten yards a second. Suddenly, the line caught around bis 

 ministerial legs, and things grew very slack ; and the line 

 felt and looked as limp as Buntborne's legs when " Patience" 

 sings, " Willy, Waly— Waly. O." 



"Gone again," he said, as the Preacher sadly hauled in 

 the line, to find the hook snapped nearly off above the 

 shank. By this time the Preachers patience out, more especi- 

 ally as I had asservated that there was but one drum lino 

 aboard, and I was fishing with that. The Preacher doubled 

 himself up and lay down to pleasant slumbers in the bottom 

 ol the boat. 



When youuger, there were just two thiu.es I thought I 

 was no ' dabster" at — making a stump speech, and catching 

 fish | 



