3°<5 



RECREA TION. 



the buffalo at 25 head, and it is positively 

 certain there are not over 30. 



The Allard herd is in fine condition and 

 number about 250. They are located about 

 65 miles from here. Dr. Baker, director of 

 the Zoological Garden at Washington, has 

 just bought 3, for which he paid $500 each. 



Dr. Baker passed through here to-day 

 and says the bear have increased to such an 

 extent, and commit such depredations on 

 the young antelope and elk, that the govern- 

 ment will be compelled to take steps for 

 their destruction. Last Friday evening, 

 about sunset, 13 of these animals fed at a 

 scrap heap, 34 of a mile back of the Foun- 

 tain hotel, in the Lower Geyser Basin. 



On July 28th Billy Sisson, a poacher, was 

 arrested for killing an elk within the bor- 

 ders of the park. He was fined $250 and 

 sentenced to 3 months in jail. Eli Waters, 

 president of the Yellowstone Steamboat 

 Co., has 4 buffalo on Dot Island, in Yellow- 

 stone lake. He also has a female mountain 

 sheep, which he claims is the only one ever 

 raised in captivity. 



Bald Eagles are numerous in the Canyon, 

 and several nests can be seen from Inspira- 

 tion Point. J. P. Webster, 



Grand Canyon Hotel, 

 Yellowstone Park. 



Can this method of killing be called 

 sport; or can it be patented? 



A miner, working near this camp, met a 

 mountain lion at close quarters. The beast 

 sprang at the man, who had nothing with 

 which to defend himself but a can of cya- 

 nide of potassium. He threw this, hitting 

 the lion fairly in the mouth. At the same 

 time he threw himself flat on the ground. 



The lion, from the force of its spring, 

 went clear over the man and before the 

 varmint could recover himself the deadly 

 cyanide got in its work and the miner came 

 home dragging the lion behind him. Every 

 inhabitant of this city, myself excepted, 

 will make his oath to the above facts. Fur- 

 thermore, these same people will make 

 said oaths go! 



Dr. J. E. Miller, Aspen, Colo. 



That's all right about the oaths; and I 

 don't want to get any of those Colorado 

 chaps on my trail; but all the same I don't 

 believe the story. The mountain lion, or 

 cougar, is one of the most cowardly beasts 

 on the earth, and I don't believe one ever 

 sprang at a man, unless cornered in some 

 way where he could not move except to- 

 ward the man; or unless he were so badly 

 wounded he could not get away. 



This miner might easily have stolen a 

 march on the lion, in some way, and have 

 gotten a whack at him with a can of cya- 

 nide; but the lion never sprang at the man, 

 with his mouth open, to receive it. 



Editor. 



A HANDY COMPASS. 



When in the wilds, and for any reason 

 somewhat " twisted," so that I do not know 

 where I am, I have been in the habit of 

 making use of a scheme which I came 

 across some years ago, and which never 

 fails. It may some time prove of use to 

 some reader of Recreation, so I will de- 

 scribe it. 



Point the hour hand of your watch at the 

 sun, wherever it may be, and exactly half- 

 way between the hour hand and 12 o'clock 

 (the figure XII on the dial) will be due 

 South. From this, of course, any other 

 direction may be determined. Even on a 

 cloudy day, if an object is held up and the 

 shadow looked for carefully, the position of 

 the sun can usually be determined. 



Sepia, Allegheny, Pa. 



I am in receipt of a letter from Capt. W. 

 C. Brown, Commanding Troop E, 1st 

 Cavalry, who made the 10 days' march on 

 an allowance of one-half the emergency 

 ration, as stated in August Recreation. 

 Speaking of the march, Capt. Brown says: 



" It might be desirable to modify our 

 emergency ration to some extent to suit 

 tastes of sportsmen, who dislike so much 

 fat meat. Our ration contains really an ex- 

 cess of fats, but we decided on the bacon be- 

 cause we* already have it as part of the reg- 

 ular ration. A great many will prefer ham, 

 dried beef or pemmican, with a little bacon, 

 to having the meat ration all bacon. The 

 new style hard bread, and the pea meal, are 

 excellent. 



" We saw but little game — only 3 ante- 

 lope, a few turkeys and quails; but then a 

 troop makes so much noise that naturally 

 we would frighten the birds away before 

 coming in sight of them. The grass in this 

 section is so heavy this year, from con- 

 tinual rains, that it furnishes good cover for 

 birds, and we expect fair shooting, in the 

 fall. Deer and antelope are scarce." 



Enclosed find money order for $1.00, for 

 which please send Recreation to Herman 

 Dose. It is a pleasure to me to send you a 

 new subscription, as I think a great deal of 

 the little book, and would not be without 

 it for double the price. 



There are but few true sportsmen here. 

 The rest are hunters, who like to be called 

 sportsmen, but who belong to the class 

 called in Recreation game hogs, and pot 

 hunters. They go out at all times, even out 

 of season, and kill everything, whether law- 

 ful or not. In consequence there is little 

 game here, and I shall have to go about 300 

 miles Northwest to get a little sport this 

 fall. L. Bennequitz, Wolcott, la. 



