Jews 15, 15SS.] 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



389 



we were provided for; afterward, silently and alone, he took 

 them a short distance from camp, to the edge of the water, 

 nnd arranged an apparatus for their keeping. Thenceforth 

 he had plenty of bait. Too proud was every member of that 

 party to ask him for a single crawfish, much more to touch 

 one without invitation. The next dny a glorious contrast, 

 ■"Mot ».," cume for a day's fishing. He had brought a supply 

 of crawfish barely sufficient for his own needs. The state of 

 affairs soon leaked out and, forthwith that generous soul, a 

 stranger to all save one, insisted on sharing his scanty stock 

 with the party. They were refused, but in vain, and" "Mot" 

 was crowned a brother in more than one. heart on that day. 

 6oon_after"Mot" and we anchored alongside of Self Pbt 

 and ,in fitting irony, to say nothing of his chagrin, were re- 

 warded with a dozen fine bass while, he failed to get a nibble. 



The selfish man in camp has a near kinsman, although one 

 somewhat better bred and of a genus not so nearly related to 

 the porcine. This is the jealous angler who, wliile he has 

 aspirations like the other, is without his methods. His 

 -ambition is to catch the biggest fish. He insists on weighing 

 every fair-sized fish caught by the party for purposes of 

 comparison. Let him but once lead and you hear, "I'm 

 fethead. " This is dinned in your ears at meals' by the camp- 

 fire and after you have retired. It is a harmless vagary, and 

 although monotonous, it is perhaps childish and silly to be 

 -annoyed by it so long as it remains in that stage. If, how- 

 pver, he finds another is ahead, the veritable green-eyed 

 finonster may appear. Mark you, he is the only one of "the 

 party who has noted who has caught the biggest fish, and 

 Bet it bo someone else than himself, he is unhappy, perhaps 

 troublesome. 



Once in camp we had a jealous man who was leading — so 

 «le claimed, no one else seemed to know — with a three and a 

 quarter pounds bass; morning, noon and night it was, "Well 

 boys, there don't none of you beat me," "I'm ahead yet," 

 ietc, until it became tiresome, A remedy was long sought; 

 At last we found it. One day "Mot S." had taken a bass 

 which we judged would weigh about three pounds— a 

 quarter of a pound less than the "biggest fish." "We had 

 been fishing alone and, on our way to camp, our conversa- 

 tion turned upon the jealous man. An idea occurred to us, 

 and we said: 



"Mot, can't we fix that big fish?" 



"How?" 



"Why, so he will out- weigh the big one old Green-Eye is 

 continually harping on." 



"Capital; of course we can." 



We turned the boat into a cove and gathered about a quart, 

 Of pebbles, as large as could be crowded down th» gullet of 

 Tour fish. We stuffed it until it would hold no more, and 

 .resumed our homeward way. As we arrived at the landing 

 we raised a shout that we had the "biggest fish which had 

 been caught yet. " Jealously came from his tent on a run 

 with scales in hand. 



"Let's see 'em." 



"Mot" handed him over. Jealously hung him on his 

 scales, took one look and dropped him. 



"What does he weigh?" 



Jealously made no reply, but took up the fish and hung 

 him again on the scales; we looked over his shoulder— four 

 pounds, plump. Slowly, sadly, and without a word of con- 

 gratulation he sought his tent. ' 'Mot" put the fish in a box 

 with other and we thought no more of it. After lunch we 

 again went out. No sooner had we departed than, as one of 

 iihe party in camp told us afterward, Jealously went to the 

 box where "Mot" had put the fish and weighed it — four 

 pounds. Before ten minutes had passed he had weighed it 

 three times. Then he said to one of thejmrty: 



"Let us go out and see if we can't beat that." 



They went; it was not a good day for bass. They came 

 in and again Jealously weighed the fish — still four pounds. 

 The lust seen of him before our return he. was sitting and 

 holding that fish, looking at it in a dazed sort of a way. 

 When we returned Jealously was alone in camp, and he 

 •came to the landing to meet us. We saw "something was 

 tip" — he was "mad." He spoke first: 



"How big a one have you got this time?" 



"About two pounds." 



"How many stones are there in it?" 



"Mot" looked at us and we looked at "Mot." The jig 

 Iwas apparently up, but we replied on the heels of his 

 inquiry: 



"About as many as there were in the one weighed this 

 morning. " 



It might have been tauntingly said, but his wrath was 

 aroused by the episode, of the day, and he poured the vials 

 of the same on us. We went to the camp in company, and 

 left "Mot" seated on a log taking in siledbe the storm which 

 was being poured upon him. Our flank was uncovered, and 

 something had to be done. We found the rest of the party 

 a short distance from camp, and quickly explained all; they 

 knew the "job" was not for them. We returned by a diff- 

 ierent way, and arrived just as the rest of the party came in. 

 There had been a cessation of hostilities, but the appearance 

 of the party started him off again. 



"These, fellows think they are smart, that they have done 

 big thing; they will find honesty is the best policy; any- 

 body can play a dirty trick like that." 



'What is tiie matter?" asked one. 



"Why, that big bass they caught this morning was full of 

 stones, look here :" and from his pocket he produced a pack- 

 age, and counted before us — eighteen was the number, we 

 think— a handful of pebbles like one's thumb. "I found 

 these in him." 



There was dead silence for a moment then, "Bill V " let 



him down gently thus : ' 'Why, any fool ought to know 



that a fish "as small as that couldn't weigh four pounds; I 

 knew he was 'loaded' as soon as I saw him." 



Old "Pete," another of the party, " 'low'd as how them ax" 

 bass swallowed stones just like a hen — they took 'em into 

 their gizzards to grind feed with." 



The" victim looked at them as though another load had 

 fallen on him. He was squelched, and if he caught a bigger 

 fish than ours no one heard of it. He weighed no more fish; 

 bis ambition was crashed. 



Another character filling no small place in the life of a 

 camper, if it chance the camp be on the confines of civiliza- 

 tion, is the nearest neighbor, li yours be the first which has 

 Kb e \\ ithin his experience, or if unaccustomed to the pres- 

 ence of the camper, each ire studies to the other. On Sun- 

 lays the boys chaff the old man by the hour, and, in return, 

 are instructed in the mysteries of charcoal burning and bark 



The contagion of civilization ! how soon the neighbor is 

 HSected! Those four or five Sundays in camp; what eras 

 kach mark in his increasing knowledge of men and things! 



We have seen the simple-hearted being, whose place we used 

 as a base of supplies for milk, bread and potatoes, and who, 

 on our first visit, was "glad to accommodate the boys," by 

 some mysterious process evolve into the modern landlord, 

 who came to regard each of us — as some one has put it — as 

 Mr. Vanderbilt or Jay Gould out for a little recreation; who 

 ' 'reckoned as how the ole woman ought to have twenty-five 

 cents a loaf for her bread," and that "young pertaters ought 

 to be worth a cent a piece for the big ones." 



Thus, after many days, they come up before us again — the 

 romancer, the greedy, the ambitious and the thrifty; the man 

 of fear and the enthusiast; once more they throng the camp- 

 fire, and song ' and tale and jest go round as of old. In our 

 heart we cannot but forgive the weakness of the human, and 

 for that genial blaze to-night would willingly undergo the 

 penance of meeting their peculiarities on the morrow. 



Though the yellow leaves are lying still, Where once their 

 shadows danced and flickered, a new life is bounding through 

 the veins of Nature, warming forest nooks, and carpeting 

 anew the pathway of the angler. Soon the shadows will 

 again dance and p'lay, and the firelight gleam and flash over 

 the tent of the lone camper with all its olden radiance. 

 Then, perchance, the camp Uotsam may add to our experi- 

 ence something new concerning "signs," angling or charac- 

 ters, which comes only in the life of those who dwell in 

 tents. Wawayaxda. 



DOWN BY THE DAM. 

 I. 



"F\REAMS are fooling, every one; 

 *~* When you wake up, they are done. 

 They are done, and so are you, 

 If you ever thought them true. 



IL 

 In the woods all low and wet, 

 Mosquitoes there their sharp bills whet; 

 When you hear their piping note, 

 "Wicked words rise in your throat. 



m. 



Come with me down by the dam, 

 Where live the sunfish and the clam; 

 Stand upon a slippery stone 

 Like a crow upon a bone, 

 Then sit down gently in the stream. 

 And try how pleasant it will seem. 

 Google, guggle goes the water, 

 Deeper, wetter than it ought'er. 



IV. 

 Still the stream goes puddle, piddle, 

 Like a tune on a one-stringed fiddle. 

 Now I drop my big bob worm, 

 On the hook I see him squirm; 

 Then in the bank I set my pole 

 Just above asunfUh hole. 

 Nature goes on as usual, 

 Flowers blow and small birds call, 

 Bye and bye I get a bite, 

 See my line all straightened tight. 

 Now an awful weight I've found, 

 A fish that weighs a full half-pound. 

 I brace my feet upon the bank, 

 And upward give a mighty yank. 

 From underneath I scare a minnow, 

 Confound it ! Now I've barked my shin O ! 

 And yet the stream goes bubble, bubble, 

 Which does not help me in my trouble. 

 High overhead my victim flies, 

 And a dozen rods behind me lies. 

 I follow him and hear him flop, 

 Then down upon all fours I drop. 

 In both hands I grab him fast, 

 Now I have him sure at last, 

 But can't help thinking what a fuss 

 I've had to get the little cuss. 

 And the birds laugh out their glee; 

 Are they laughing at him or me? 



V. 

 Oh ! I am glad I came to the dam ; 

 Glad my sunflsh isn't a clam, 



And I am glad I didn't say d ! 



Then I'd have got not even a clam. 

 For he who curseth at his fishing, 

 Getteth nothing for all his wishing. 



VI. 

 And still the stream goes tootle, tottle, 

 Like ale a-running from a bottle. 



Oh ! goodness ! Don't I wish t'was Bass '. 



For my throat is as a pipe of brass— 



And how I wish the bubbling stream. 



Would tura out Bass instead of bream. 

 [Editor Forest and. Stream: I have felt kind of swelled up lately, 

 but it was the divine afflatus. Having brought forth the above, I feel 

 better now. Major J. Verity.] 



THE ICHTHYOPHAGOUS DINES. 



THE invitation said that the club would dine at the Pali- 

 sades Mountain House, Englewood Cliffs, N. J., on 

 Tuesday, June 6, at 6:30 P.M.. and on taking a steamer for 

 that rocky resort, we found that there had been no postpone- 

 ment. Landing at the foot of the perpendicular cliffs, which 

 are a standing puzzle to the passer-by on the Hudson, we at 

 once saw why the club had selected this spot for their annual 

 dinner. A fall over that airy precipice, which loomed up 

 hundreds of feet, would be instant annihilation to any mem- 

 ber who ventured near the edge with unsteady feet ; and the 

 fact that the club would dine there was an advertisement of 

 the fact that they were all steady men. 



At the appointed time about seventy members and guests 

 sat down prepared to taste, if not to eat, of strange and un- 

 usual monsters. Unfortunately, the weather had been un- 

 favorable for some weeks; the rains in different parts of the 

 country had prevented the promised supply of fresh-water 

 mussels, hellbenders, water lizards, water snakes, etc., from 

 being captured by the indefatigable caterers, both at home 

 and abroad. Therefore the menu had to be filled with what 



the facetious member calls "respectable fishes," and the 

 only new things were a few of the fresh-water mussels 

 ( Unios), not enough to serve in several styles in order to 

 try to bring out their excellence if they possess any— lam- 

 pre} s, and porpoise steaks. Word was telegraphed from 

 Sandy Hook the day before to the head caterer that a school 

 of porpoises were entering the bay, and a steamer, with 

 small boats, harpooners and their implements, was immedi- 

 ately dispatched by Mr. Blackford, and a porpoise, was se- 

 cured. The sea-captain said: "We often eat the liver and 

 the brains of a porpoise at sea, and they are very fair; but 

 as for steaks, you might as well eat sole leather.'" His ad- 

 vice was not followed; the steaks were served. The club 

 surgeon says that the venturesome member will recover if 

 he can succeed in getting a corkscrew into that porpoise 

 steak, which now lies at the bottom of his stomach undi- 

 gested at the end of a week. He has purchased corkscrews 

 by the gross, but they proving too soft, he has ordered a 

 diamond-pointed one, and is now awaiting its arrival. The 

 patient has been fasting since the night of the dinner, and 

 now says that the reason that the steak turned to vitrified 

 sole-leather, is because he is a Tanner. Following is the 

 MENU. 

 Little Neck Clams. 

 Bisque of Razor Clams. Consomme Lady Morgan. 



Whitebait. Greenwich Style. 

 Souffle of Fresh Water Clams en coqullle. 



Moonflsh Hollandaise. 

 Cucumbers. Potatoes Duchesse. 



Turban of Skate, Toulouse. 



Small fillets of Porpoise, saute Bordelaise. 



Croquettes of Dogfish, flnos herbes. 

 Lamprey Eels fried in crumbs. 

 Teuderloin of Beef, fmanciere. 

 Asparagus. Green Peas. 



Stuffed Tomatoes. 

 Salmon, sauce tartare. 

 Alligator Garfish, Eavigote sauce. Brook trout in ielly. 



Pate of Eels. 

 Shrimp Salad. Lobster Salad. 



Punch du Chaillu. 

 Albany Beef, larded au jus. 

 Lettuce. Grouper a la Foord. 



Assorted Cakes. Neapolitan Ice Cream. 



Cheese. Coffee. 



Fruits. 

 The table was decorated with an entire porpoise with sea- 

 weed trimmings, a monster striped bass and smaller fishes, 

 while above was a drapery of nets, harpoons, etc. Among 

 the invited guests were P. B. Thurber, Judge Gedney, ex- 

 Senator Strahan. Controller Semler of Brooklyn, Major 

 Handy of the Philadelphia Press, Francis S. 8treet of the 

 New York Weekly, Albert E. Whyland of Thurber & Co., 

 S. S. Conant of Harper's Weekly, William Ottman of Fulton 

 Market, Mr. Clark Bell of the Medico-Legal Society, and 

 others. . The regular members were all present, and seemed 

 to anticipate the pleasure of staggering some of the guests 

 with dishes either horrible to think of or remarkable for 

 their indigestibility. The first Ichthyophagian delicacy was 

 the bisque of razor clams, which was quite good, this vul- 

 canized mollusk being quite easy of assimilation when in 

 form cf a bisque; but it is not easily dissolved in anything 

 weaker than aquafortis if stewed entire. Perhaps the fresh 

 water clams would have appeared to better advantage if so 

 served, instead of in a souffle en coquille. The turban of 

 skate was good ; skate is alwa} r s good, and since the club has 

 eaten it and praised it for the past three years, it is in danger 

 of becoming " too respectable" to appear on its table much 

 longer, except as the moonfish and whitefish do, as a conces- 

 sion to the weak stomachs. Some of the more enthusiastic 

 members affect to like the horsefoot crab — de gmtilrus n/>n est 

 disp/jt/indum. The porpoise steaks we have referred to, 

 our dentist cannot imagine what could have split, three 

 molars in such a way, and advises us to have them out be- 

 fore they get troublesome. 



The dogfish; well, dogfish is dogfish anyway, and if a chef 

 can make a palatable dish of it we are prepared to give it an 

 impartial trial. Lampreys are good, and Connecticut people 

 are fond of them; but in New York and West they are re- 

 garded with the aversion that the inland dweller holds 

 toward the delicious common eel. The garfish, presented by 

 Col. McDonald, of the IT. S. F. O, were dry and a trifle 

 coarse, but not bad. Dryness is not so bad a quality with 

 such a well stocked cellar as the Palisades House has, so near 

 at hand; we mean, of course, that the Hudson flows below. 

 "Albany beef " is a local term for sturgeon; a good, coarse 

 fish, but much neglected outside of Albany, where it is con- 

 sidered a luxury. After this came a punch, such as is drank 

 iu the "Land of the Midnight Sun," and its author acknowl- 

 edged the appiause with which it was greeted. 



The speeches are always looked forward to by the club as 

 one of the main features; but cold type cannot express the 

 warm flow of wit, at each other's expense, that fol- 

 lowed. A banner with two owls, one having his eye banged 

 a la Henry Havemeyer, was presented to the president, 

 with the motto, "Where have you been all night?" Mr. 

 Feuardent talked about placing the porpoise steaks in the 

 Cypriote collection, without restorations; and Mr. Werren- 

 ruth sang "The Melancholy Oyster on the Mountain Top." 

 The menu was illustrated by Gillam, of Puck, and was there- 

 fore, not only in character with the contents, but artistically 

 done. At 11 P. M. the party left on a special steamer, and 

 all voted it a most enjoyable dinner. 



RAINBOW AND OTHER PACIFIC TROUT. 



THE question has been raised as to the species of trout 

 which have been sent East from California. We have 

 been of the opinion that the rainbow was the only one, and 

 we confine the name rainbow to the <S'. iridea. We have ob- 

 jected to the names, bestowed by some, of "California 

 mountain trout," "McCloud River trout," etc., as mislead- 

 ing. These are not the names of fish in their own habitat, 

 and they have no business to be re-christened to suit the 

 fancy of anyone. The name of iridea signifies iridescent, 

 and "rainbow" expresses it, and besides our California 

 friends have adopted the name. The following letter fiom 

 Dr. T. H. Bean, of the Smithsonian Institution, and one of 

 our hard-working and best-informed ichthyologists, to Mr. 

 E. G. Blackford of the New York Fish Commission, will be 

 read with interest : 



Washington, D. C. , Juno 8. 

 Mr. E. Gr. Blackford: 



Dear Sib — The trout found in California are the follow- 

 ing: 



1. Salmo Irideus, Gibbons.— California brook trout, rain- 

 bow trout, occurs west of the Sierra Nevada, throughout 

 California and northward to Oregon. I have collected a 

 young trout at Sitka which is so nearly like irideus that I re- 

 ferred! t to that species in my "Preliminary Catalogue of 

 Alaskan Fishes." Young irideus cannot be distinguished 



