300 



RECREA TION. 



of Sherburne. There a good story is told 

 of "Uncle Billy," a large buck who had 

 grown so tame that he often fed with the 

 cattle, in the farmers' barnyards. During 

 the summer Billy had pastured with some 

 young cattle, back on the mountain's side. 



After they were driven home for the win- 

 ter, late in October, Uncle Billy began to 

 get lonesome and one cold day, the last of 

 November, he left his fellows of the forests, 

 went to town and established his head- 

 quarters in the sheds near the old church, 

 in Sherburne. 



He soon came to be recognized as one of 

 the fixtures of the little village, and ex- 

 pected and usually received daily rations 

 from the villagers. 



When food was not placed at his disposal, 

 however, " Uncle Billy " would make good 

 the deficiency by stealing fodder left by 

 horses, in their stalls. 



For some time the old fellow was a great 

 pet, but he finally became unruly and ugly 

 and now and then knocked down his bene- 

 factors, which of course did not please 

 them. 



At length the villagers began to think of 

 getting rid of " Uncle Billy; " but how to 

 do it and evade the law was the question. 



To shoot the old fellow would be a breach 

 of the law, punishable by a heavy fine. One 

 Sunday morning matters came to a crisis. 

 " Uncle Billy " was feeling uglier than 

 usual, that morning. He appeared on the 

 street, just at church time. A venerable 

 deacon was on his way to divine worship, 

 " Uncle Billy " caught sight of him and 

 gave chase. Just as the deacon was enter- 

 ing the church door the infuriated buck gave 

 him a foot-ball push from behind and the 

 little congregation was treated to the un- 

 usual spectacle of Deacon making a 



" Kelly Slide " to his family pew. The 

 sequel to this unholy act was not far distant. 

 Next morning " Uncle Billy " was found 

 dead in the horse sheds, back of the church. 

 Paris green, in a manger of corn meal, had 

 done its work well and faithfully. 



That the wooded mountains and valleys 

 of Central and Northern Vermont are full 

 of deer is not to be questioned, for a mo- 

 ment. The stories of farmers generally and 

 the statement of the Essex county men to 

 the last legislature, in particular, give ample 

 proof of an abundance of the animals in 

 many sections. State game commisssioner 

 Titcomb is authority for the statement that 

 there are more deer in Vermont than in 

 either Maine or the Adirondacks; and he 

 is not given to talking at random. Certain 

 it is that by October ist, there will be few, 

 if any, better deer hunting grounds in the 

 East than among the Green mountains of 

 picturesque old Vermont. D. L. C. 



SPORTSMEN'S EXHIBITION IN BOSTON. 

 An announcement which interests every 

 true sportsman comes from Boston, giving 



a general outline of the plan on which the 

 first exhibition under the auspices of the 

 New England Sportsman's Association will 

 be given in the Mechanics' Fair Building, 

 Boston, March 14 to 26 inclusive. This is 

 to be, essentially, a sportsman's exhibition 

 with numerous delightful gleanings from 

 forest and stream and with actual, practical, 

 demonstrations of life in the woods, con- 

 trolled and managed by true sportsmen, 

 and will by no means be the conventional 

 " trade show." On the roll of membership 

 of the New England Sportsman's Associa- 

 tion one finds inscribed the names of nearly 

 all the representative sportsmen of the East, 

 many of them of national reputation, whose 

 broad, liberal policy and true sportsman- 

 ship bespeak a most comprehensive and 

 successful exposition. 



Here the visitor will find all the latest and 

 most improved paraphernalia pertaining to 

 life in the woods, with the newest inven- 

 tions in rifles, shot-guns, rods, reels, and 

 shooting and fishing outfits. Electric and 

 naphtha launches, ducking boats, canoes 

 and kyaks will form an interesting exhibit, 

 their peculiar features and possibilities 

 being demonstrated on a miniature lake, 

 where also various exhibitions of aquatic 

 sports will be given. 



Realism — not idealism — is the watch- 

 word of the association, whose game pre- 

 serves will form a startling exhibit, abound- 

 ing in superb specimens of elk, moose, cari- 

 bou, deer and antelope — not menagerie or 

 circus stock, but trapped in the forest, es- 

 pecially for this exhibition There will also 

 be many cages of game birds — quail, 

 grouse, prairie chickens, etc., and a huge 

 enclosure wherein will be shown a great 

 variety of game mammals. 



But perhaps the most fascinating of all 

 will be the demonstrations of life in the 

 woods, from the picturesque Indian camp, 

 and the log cabin of the trapper, to the tem- 

 porary lean-to of the amateur sportsman, 

 all equipped with practical utensils and para- 

 phernalia, and each presided over by guides 

 — Indians, Canadians, hunters and trappers 

 from all parts of the country. 



The basement, which is light and airy 

 and in every way perfectly fitted, will be util- 

 ized for ranges on which rifle and revolver 

 contests will occur; while an art depart- 

 ment for amateur photography, now so 

 popular a pastime, will undoubtedly be es- 

 tablished in one of the galleries. 



Each department will be in charge of the 

 leading sportsmen of New England, in 

 their respective lines, and will be managed 

 intelligently so as -to appeal to the devotees 

 of each particular sport. Plans of the build- 

 ing and other details are being prepared and 

 the trade will shortly be furnished with 

 full particulars. 



Inquiries, applications for space, etc., 

 may be addressed to The New England 

 Sportsman's Association, Boston, Mass. 



