THE WHITE GOAT IN EVIDENCE. 



89 



inch barrel, about 7% pounds. The recoil is light. 

 The type of this rifle is that of the revolving packet 

 multiple loader, original in this arm, and should be 

 distinguished from the flat packet, spring feed system 

 whether of the vertical, side, or circular feed pattern. 



Fig 2. 



The mechanical features of the system allow that 

 grace of outline in the completed arm so much desired 

 by sportsmen who wish a handsome gun." 



Mr. J. H. Blake, 136 Liberty street. New York, is 

 now ready to fill orders for his repeating hunting 

 rifle, using full charges of smokeless rifle powder. 



THE WHITE GOAT IN EVIDENCE. 



Charles H. Kingsbury. 



In October last I faced Westward for a little 

 recreation in the mountains. Leaving Chicago 

 in the evening, a most comfortable night's ride 

 landed me in St. Paul, at daybreak, convincing 

 me that the claim of the C, M. & St. P. to run 

 the finest train out of Chicago, is valid. Per- 

 haps the explanation of such satisfactory service 

 is in the fact that the road owns and operates its 

 own sleepers and dining cars, which are provided 

 with every luxury known to modern railway 

 travel, even to a system of electric lighting, de- 

 vised and patented by one of its officers. 



The scarcity of big game in Minnesota has led 

 to the enactment of a law prohibiting the killing 

 of moose, elk and caribou till 1898 ; but I saw 

 many carcasses of deer at St. Paul, the majority 

 of them does, which had been killed for market. 

 Here is the secret of the rapid disappearance of 

 our game Every one knows the history of the 

 destruction of the buffalo, and skin hunters and 

 game butchers have been busy, in and out of 

 season, ever since. If not checked they will soon 

 complete the extermination of every other 

 species. Now let Minnesota, and every state in 

 the Union, prohibit the sale of all game and it 

 will be many years before it will again be neces- 

 sary to prohibit all shooting. The " noble red 

 man" hunting off his reservation is another active 

 agent in the work of destruction. He should be 

 forced to stay at home and should be taught that 

 he has no rights superior to those of the white 

 man, when he breaks the game laws. 



The game I sought never did live in a plains 

 country. The white goat and the big horn 

 sheep belong to the mountains of the Northwest; 

 and there, too, other large game can yet be 

 found, in a few localities in fair numbers. From 

 St. Paul across prairie and mountain to the tide 

 waters of the Pacific, stretches the Great North- 

 ern Railway — the shortest line across the conti- 

 nent Its easy grades and fine equipment 

 appeal to the practical man of affairs whose busi- 

 ness or inclination leads him to seek the most 

 rapid and comfortable route, and the tourist will 

 ever be attracted by the magnificent scenery of 

 the great plains and mountains, the beautiful 

 lakes and grand rivers. It is to the lover of nat- 



ure, in every form, who with rifle, rod or camera 

 would cultivate a closer acquaintance with the 

 life of the wilderness that the new country made 

 accessible by this road, offers a most inviting 

 field for study and adventure. The most 

 recently completed of our trans-continental 

 railways, its line close to the Canadian bor- 

 der, penetrates some of the best game 

 country in the States. Within a compara- 

 tively limited district, comprising two or 

 three counties in Northwestern Montana 

 and the adjoining Panhandle of Idaho, can 

 be found a greater variety of big game than 

 in any locality of similar size in the country. 

 In fact, if you except the Columbia river 

 black-tail deer, every member of the family 

 is represented ; for here that rare visitor from the 

 North, the woodland caribou, can be found. It 

 may not be generally known that a herd of 

 buffalo roams in the vicinity of Flathead Lake. 

 To be sure a man by the name of Allard looks 

 after them, with rather more care than the Great 

 Father at Washington bestows upon his wards in 

 the Yellowstone Park, and if you should shoot 

 one of these bulls you would probably fare worse 

 than did the poachers who have been systematic- 

 ally slaughtering the Park buffalo for a number 

 of winters past. 



Let us hope that the boundaries of our National 

 Preserve will soon be enlarged so as to include 

 the sources of the Yellowstone and Snake rivers, 

 on the south, and the Absarokee mountains on 

 the east, and that a sufficient force of troops and 

 scouts may be stationed there to insure the com- 

 plete protection of the wild creatures who have 

 sought a refuge from the relentless pursuit of 

 hide and horn hunters. Lack of time forced me 

 to decline the invitation to spend a few days in 

 the vicinity of Devil's Lake, famous for its 

 fine duck and goose shooting, and. resisting the 

 temptation to stop at Kalispell and take a pot 

 shot at Allard's buffaloes, I arrived at Spokane 

 and joined young Robert G — , who was return- 

 ing to the Methow valley, so charmingly de- 

 scribed by Mr. Waring in the May number of 

 Recreation At Wanatchee the Great North- 

 ern crosses the Columbia and here we left the 

 railway boarding the steamer "City of Ellens- 

 burgh," about to start on her regular trip up the 

 river. The uniform courtesy of officers and 

 crew gave promise of a pleasant trip which was 

 more than fulfilled, and we landed at Virginia 

 City with the good wishes of all hands for the 

 success of our trip. A 40 mile tramp and ride 

 over mountain and up the beautiful valley of the 

 Methow, brought us to Robert's home, at the 

 forks of the river, and we received a hearty wel- 

 come from his brother and friends. After a 

 council of war with our guide. Jack R — , we 

 decided on a brief campaign in the mountains of 

 the South Fork. This is the region that Owen 

 Wister has described in his interesting sketch 

 4 ' The White Goat and His Country," and that 

 animal's claim to some part of it will undoubtedly 

 always be respected. We passed one such spot 

 on our way up the river. Jack suddenly halted 

 and pointing across the valley, remarked : 

 " There is the Goat Wall." The mountain rose 

 to a considerable height almost perpendicularly ; 

 only here and there on its surface was the bare 

 face of rock dotted with little patches of green, 

 where the scanty soil supported a few bushes and 



