SS6 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



A WEEKLY JOURNAL, 



Devoted to Field and Aquatic Sports, Practical Natural History, 



FISH CULTURE, THE PROTECTION OP GAME, PRESERVATION OF F IB 



and the Inculcation in Men and Women op a Healthy Interest 

 ik Out-Door Recreation and Study : 



PUBLISHES BT 



Sorest sn& gtremti gublhUng §om$<n\u. 



— AT— 



NO. Ill (old No. 103) FULTON STREET, NEW YORK. 

 [Post Office Box 28S2.] 



TBRMS, FOUR DOLLARS A TEAR, STRICTLY IN ADVANCE. 



Twenty-flve per cent, off for Clubs of Three or more. 



Advertising Rates. 



Inside pages, nonpareil type, 25 cents per line ; outside page, 40 cents. 

 Special rates for three, six and twelvemonths. Notices in' ed 

 columns. 50 cents per line. 



All transient advertisements must be accompanied with the money 

 or they will not be inserted. 



No advertisement or business notice of an immoral character will be 

 received on any terms. 



V Any publisher inserting our prospectus as above one time, with 

 bnef editorial notice calling attention thereto, and sending marked copy 

 to us, will receive the Forest and Stream for one year. 



NEW YORK, THURSDAY, DECEMBER 20, 1877. 



To Correspondents. 



All communications whatever, intended for publication, must be ac- 

 companied with real name of the writer as a guaranty of good faith, 

 and be addressed to the Forest and Stream Publishing Company. 

 Names will not be published If objection be made. No anonymous con 

 trlbutions will be regarded. 



We cannot promise to return rejected manuscripts. 



Secretaries of Clubs and Associations are urged to favor us with brief 

 notes of their movements and transactions. 



Nothing will be admitted to any department of the paper that may 

 not be read with propriety in the home circle. 



We cannot be responsible for dereliction of the mail service if money 

 remitted to us is lost. No person whatever is authorized to collect 

 money for us unless he can show authentic credentials from one of the 

 undersigned. We have no Philadelphia agent. 



tar Trade supplied by American News Company. 

 CHARLES HAIXOCK, Editor. 



T. 0. BANKS, 

 Business Manager. 



S. H. TURRILL, Chicago, 



West*n Manager. 



A MERRY CHRISTMAS- 



Although Christmas is not here yet, for we pen these lines 

 some five days in anticipation of the event, we are certain our 

 many friends and readers will accept our congratulations on 

 the coming festivities. 



Christmas presents itself this year almost in the guise of 

 spring, with summer skies and balmy breezes, and has for- 

 gotten snow flurries and chilliness. • Let us bless the holiday 

 as it comes, nor grumble because ducks are scarce and sports- 

 men have not had their full innings so far. If the sportsmen 

 are disappointed the ducks rejoice. Let, then, Christmas 

 imbue us all with a holy, a contented and a cheerful spirit, 

 for does it not bring with it the remembrance of Him who 

 brought peace and happiness to the earth ? 



Some Grumbling.— We beg to state that, although we are 

 generally in the best of humor, we get riled at times when we 

 are held to account for the character of the goods adver- 

 tised by us. Do our many friends want us to give written 

 guarantees as to the infinite variety of things which find pub- 

 licity in our columns, from a five cent dog whistle to a $1,000 

 Laverack ? Are we to swallow all the medicines, drink all 

 the champagne and brandy, and dress in all the shootin°- 

 suits, or wash ourselves in the soaps ? We are really tired of 

 being keel-hauled. Of course if we ever find fraud exercised 

 through tbe medium of our columns we will expose such 

 swindlers, as we are not meally-mouthed in handling such 

 gentry. In tbe present case, some gentlemen, members of a 

 sporting ciub, are disposed to drag us over the coals about a 

 $5 rifle advertised in this paper. In this instance we have 

 taken the trouble to see the rifle, aud have had the opinion of 

 a leading arm expert on the subject. The rifle is declared 

 dirt-cheap at $5, as it cost the government $23 by the 10; 000. 

 It is not a Creedmoor match rifle, and not of the kind used at 

 Dutches. The mistake people make is to expect a $175 rifle 

 for $5, and that is not our fault. 



BLOOMING GROVE PARK. 



IT has not taken us many years to appreciate fully the abso- 

 lute necessity of having as part and parcel of every large 

 city, certain extensive grounds where green trees, shady walks, 

 broad expanses of lawn, with lakes and flowing streams, give 

 health and recreation to the people ; still something more was 

 requisite, and just here private enterprise has entered to fill a 

 public want. Some six years ago certain gentlemen conceived 

 a plan which would combine within itself all the departments 

 of fish culture, timber culture, the breeding of game, which 

 would be appreciated alike by the lovers of field sports and 

 those seeking profitable investments. It 'was obvious that the 

 rapid progress of the railroads, the increase of population, was 

 fast converting the haunts of the larger species of wild game 

 into farms, and that those fond of the pleasure and excitement 

 of the chase would be compelled to forego it, unless they had 

 the means and time to travel to the far West. The idea was 

 to purchase and control an area of land, presenting all neces- 

 sary advantages, and accordingly in March, 1871, a charter 

 was granted to the organizers of the Blooming Grove Park 

 Association empowering them to purchase lands in Pike and 

 Munroe Counties, Penn. Under a most valuable charter the 

 Blooming Grove Park Association holds titles to 12,000 acres 

 of ground with improvements. This territory is large enough 

 to be the appenage of a German Duke. Its forests include all 

 varieties of trees, such as the oak, hemlock, chestnut, beach, 

 spruce, cedar, maple, birch and pine. In animals there are 

 found there the bear, wild-cat, fisher, otter, mink, fox, coon, 

 deer and varieties of the squirrel and rabbit. In birds there 

 are hawks, eagles, ducks, quail, woodcock and ruffed grouse. 

 In the numerous lakes and streams belonging to the associa- 

 tion bass, pike and trout are found in quantity. One most 

 pleasing feature of the Association is that every member is a 

 shareholder. All these advantages are not a thousand or 

 more miles from New York, but within six hours of pleasant 

 railroad travel. 



The object of this Association is not simply that of furnish- 

 ing amusement for the individual members ; it has a higher 

 object in view. Its aim is to propagate and preserve all game 

 animals, birds and fish adapted to the climate, to cultivate 

 the forests, to supply the eggs of fish and the young of ani- 

 mals, and finally to give the fullest development to field and 

 aquatic sports. 



Such a vast enterprise as that of the Blooming Grove Park, 

 so well conceived, has from its very commencement fairly suc- 

 ceeded ; though a certain few gentlemen, shrewd enough to 

 see into the future, have thus far borne almost alone by them- 

 selves the larger part of the expenses. The executive com- 

 mittee of the Blooming Grove Park Association, believing, 

 however, that its sphere of usefulness could be increased, and 

 that a more general co-operation would be advantageous, 

 have framed a most liberal proposition, which we now present, 

 and to which we invite the serious attention of all persons 

 interested in game protection and out-of-door sports : 



Office of Blooming Grove Park Association,)- 

 No. 37 Park Row, New York, Dec. 1, 1877. j 

 To the Member & of the Blooming Grove Park Association : 



Gentlemen— It is proposed to renew the bonds of the 

 Association, increase its membership, and take advantage of a 

 proposition made by one of its members, to make certain val- 

 uable improvements on its property, at his individual expense. 

 To this end the earnest co-operation of all the members will 

 be necessary. 



We submit herewith, confidentially, the present condition 

 of the Association. You will thus be able to place the matter 

 in its proper light to proposed members. The bonds on the 

 property, represent, as far as they go, dollar for dollar, cash 

 actualiy expended for and on the property. ***** 

 Over $21,000 has been put into buildings, breeding-yards, 

 etc. Besides this sum, over §'9,000 cash has been expended 

 by _ one of its organizers, which sum is cancelled and no 

 claim made, besides many other considerable sums by its dif- 

 ferent officers. The Association has no other indebtedness. 

 So salaries have been, nor are, paid, to any of its officers. It 

 holds a valuable charter, and titles to about 12,000 acres of 

 ground, with improvements. Its capital stock is .$225,000, 

 divided into 500 shares of the par value of $450 each, with 

 power to increase its capital to $500,000, and own 50,000 

 acres of land. There is no personal liability. But a com- 

 paratively small part of the capital stock is now out, so that 

 its resources are ample. 



For any further financial details, apply to one of the Ex- 

 ecutive Committee. For other information, see pamphlet and 

 charter. * * * Mr. Fayette S. Giles has placed at the dispo- 

 sition of the Association $7,500 of his own bonds, on con- 

 dition that the Association issue, during the coming winter, 

 not less than 150 memberships, to the proper parties, one 

 membership each, free on condition each new member to take 

 a, $50 bond at par, cash. If 150 are sold, Mr. Giles proposes 

 to spend the $7,500 thus obtained about as follows : 



Road to Park House S 600 



Furniture in Park House 2,000 



X-uIe Team, Yoke of Oxen, Carriages, Carts 1,000 



Stone Wall around Breeding Park, with wire on top — Dog, 

 Deer and Bird Proof Trout Works— the labor to be per- 

 formed with our teams 1,500 



Ornamental Grounds at Park House 500 



Boats at Park House 300 



Boats on other lakes 200 



Three Gamekeepers' Lodges, at $300. 900 



Margin 500 



time withdraw from the Association by sale of or returning 

 their shares to the Association. The annual dues have her!, 

 tof ore been $50 per annum. It is very desirable that they 

 should be considerably reduced. * * * If the 150 addil 

 members are obtained before the first of March, the dues will 

 not exceed $35 for next year, at any rale, and alter that they 

 would depend on the number of members, expenses and in- 

 comes from various sources. If 300 members are obtained 

 as proposed, the dues can be fixed at even a lower iate. They ' 

 will probably never again be above $25. In fact, through the- 

 very liberal donations of its organizers and different officers 

 the affairs of the Association have been placed on a ne 

 thoroughly substantial basis. Some members have presented! 

 their bonds to the club. Mr. C. H. Bead, with his usual liber- 

 ality, has offered to furnish the money for buildine a carriage ' 

 road around Lake Giles, at a cost of several himdied dollars 

 and substantial offers of aid have been made by other mem- 

 bers. We hope to go on rapidly with the improvements tend- 

 ing toward tbe accomplishment of the great objects of our 

 organization— the cultivation of forests; the preserving j m 

 porting, acclimating and breeding of all game and fur-bearing 

 animals ; all birds and fishes adapted to the climate, and pre- 

 venting their extinction; providing the members and their- 

 families with an agreeable resort, and to give a lull develops 

 ment to field and aquatic sports. 



Every effort will be made to increase the attractions for la- 

 dies, and the Association expects their presence, aid and 

 participation in its sports and objects. 



You will see that the easy terms offered to the limited num- 

 ber of members could not have been made except that the 

 bonds and stock had been presented by the club and mem 

 bers for the purposes herein enumerated, and that the plan 

 contemplating the improvements should bo executed without 

 delay. We would beg you to notify us, as soon as possible 

 of the number of persons you will propose for membership' 

 and trust you will take an active part in the interest of the 

 Association. Very respectfully yours, 



(John Aveby, 

 The Exec dti vk Committee. -Geo. H. Glenet, 



T , , . (Geo. S. Geeene, Jr. 



In order to inaugurate a new departure in the affairs of the 

 Blooming Grove Park Association, which we believe must be 

 successful, there will be a Reception and Ball given by this 

 Association at Hoffman House, Jan. 8, 1878, 94 p ar Tick 

 ets for lady and gent, $4, including supper. 



VACATION RAMBLES IN MICHIGAN, 

 WISCONSIN AND MINNESOTA.— No. 8.' 



By the Editob. 



Total $7,500 



If $300 are. obtained on same terms and in same time, Mr. 

 Giles proposes to furnish §7,500 more boi-dsfrom thoseowned 

 by him, and place the $7,500 cash obtained in trust, to be 

 employed in fencing the whole park in same substantial man- 

 ner (s one wall ana wire), upon the condition that the club 

 wdl place $7,500 more with it at the same lime, for same pur- 

 pose. Each share will constitute full membership, and carry 

 with it .pro rata ownership in all the property and improve- 

 ments. The members wjll receive security in bonds fcr the 

 $50 cash paid, and draw interest thereon, and may at any 



^ Deoembee 20tb. 



Bbothek Spobtsmen: Although these lines are penned 

 upon the eve of Christmas Holidays, my reminiscences are of 

 August angling. A lapse of nearly four months has brought 

 its natural change of seasons. The snow that mantles our 

 northern country makes pleasant contrast to the fervent heata 

 of summer, when the gentlest zephyr was grateful, and the 

 gushing of the cool spring in the shade made sweetest music. 

 The Yule-log burns all the more brightly in the crisp atmos- 

 phere of our lower temperature. Its ruddy reflection upon 

 the yew and holly which decorate our homes is as cheerful as 

 the blaze that played fantastically among the pines and spru- 

 ces when we camped al fresco upon the shores of Lake Su- 

 perior. Now the peal of the Christmas carol rings out ; now 

 the clatter of the sleigh-bells is merry ; the voice of the'noisy 

 brook that babbled among the stones in summer is hushed, 

 and only its gurgle can be heard under the ice. As we swing 

 with measured cadence over its transparent surface, the mid- 

 day sun glints from our skates. We seem to tread on nothing, 

 The long weeds underneath float and sway in the imprisoned 

 current, and we see fish lying at rest or darting among them 

 like creatures* in an aquarium with only a glass between us. 

 Hail! boon companions and beguilers of our joyous Bumrnei 

 hours .' Thanks for the winter locks and icy chains which 

 guard and preserve you from the greed of unconscionable 

 fishermen ! 



It -was among the latter days of August when the porter 

 toted my camp-kit into the spacious reception hall of the Che- 

 quamegon House at Ashland, Wisconsin. Only a brief open 

 season remained for those who wished to catch trout. It was 

 late for conscientious anglers, and the fish abode no loDger 

 in haunts which they pre-empted in spring. They had left 

 the lower waters of the streams which emptied into Che- 

 quamegon'Bay and moved afar up among the brush and 

 tangle of roots and trunks which filled the upper Bl 

 As for "rock fishing" along the shores, which is the 

 favorite pastime in June, and always the crrnne de la crenie 

 of piscatorial sport, it was even asserted it was nil; old 

 resident fishermen declared that trout could not be taken 

 among the rocks at all at this season, and at no time except 

 with bait. This was a challenge to provoke a laudable ambi- 

 tion in the breast of an angler accustomed to conquest, and I 

 forthwith essayed to put the question to the test. Accepting the 

 proffer and services of my friends Sam Fifield and Mr. Blank, 

 with their skiff and yacht, we made daily excursions and 

 cruises all along the shores of the bay ; we explored the riv- 

 ers and creeks that came flowing out of the river in great or 

 lesser volume; we poked our bush rods into almost inaccessible 

 placett, and we trailed our flies where we had full sweep and 

 plenty of elbow room. Never in my life have I found 

 cality that offers such an inficite variety of diversion as 

 land and its vicinity. By vicinity I mean the sti eren ol 

 that extends from thence to Bayfield, a rlUtahceof si 

 miles, and as much farther east or west for forty miles as ttie 

 enterprise and pluck of the rambler will take him. 



Chequamegon Bay is an arm of Lake Superior, some eight 

 miles loug and from three to five rndes wide; Its southern 

 shore is a highland. Upon a sand cliff near the head of the 

 Bay the town of Ashland stretches itself for a couple of miles 



