FOREST AND STREAM 
59 
haps our sportsmen will remember these nests that gave 
them so much inconvenience. This locality is reached by 
the Ohio & Mississippi railroad. 
—The Masculine Pantheon of the Smiths has still a niche 
or so vacant, so let room be made for a female Smith 
of this illustrious family, Harriet Augusta Smith by name. 
Wisconsin is Mrs. Smith’s stamping ground, for such a 
woman must stamp, likewise is Wisconsin the pawing and 
shuffling ground of the bear. Shall we describe the deed 
dramatically? A huge bear on one side of the fence, a 
strong woman on the other. Object of Mrs. Smith to take 
in the wash, object of the bear, general hugging and pillage. 
Bear growls at the woman, the woman with her arms a 
kimbo jeers at the bear. Bear replies, gets the worst of it, 
then charges in desperation right through the fence at the 
wash, which comes down with a rush, poles and petticoats, 
line and stockings in one confused chaos. Ha ! the bear 
has the worst of it, as entangled in the wash cord with one 
paw in a pair of drawers and his head in an undershirt, he 
madly endeavors to shake off a night-gown which envelopes 
him. Mrs. Smith naturally looses her temper. A bear in 
a kitchen-garden is bad enough, but a bear in a weekly 
family wash is the height of animal ferocity. Quickly she 
* seizes the wash kettle, not only boiling hot but filled with 
a fluid as strong as concentrated soft-soap can make it', and 
unerringly Harriet Augusta Smith slings it, pot, contents 
and all, at the bear. Now Bruin, too, looses that equi- 
nimity of mind, for which bears are so noted, and goes for 
Mrs. Smith. She frails him with a wash pole, as half 
blinded with the suds in the most ungallant way he 
endeavors to embrace the relic of the late Smith. But, 
alas ! though not a feeble woman, the wash pole shivers to 
atoms, and now all the heroine of the Smiths’ can do is to 
prod the bear with a splinter, and viciously she jabs him 
with it, but the bear minds it no more than a prod with a 
hair pin. Slowly the bear drives her towards the house, 
though she gallantly disputes every inch of the ground. 
Just then Lincoln Greeley Smith, a sweet Wisconsin boy of 
six, looks out of the window. “Your poor old daddy’s 
gun, Lincoln; git on the settle over the chimbly; don’t 
smash the clock, and hand that gun to your mammy 
through the window; a bar that spiles a lone woman’s wash 
’aint to have no mercy shown unto him—a mussin’ of frills 
and a chawing up homespun. Be keerful how you handle 
that gun, Lincoln, and lo'ok smart about it.” “Kin I shoot 
him, mammy?” asked the boy. “IT lick you worse nor the 
bar if you don’t hand me that ’ere gun at once.” The child 
was brought up in the school of passive obedience, and in 
the midst of the contest the gun was passed to the child’s 
parent through the broken pane of glass. Without a 
tremble Harriet Augusta Smith takes that musket, cocks it 
and places it at the bear’s shoulder, just as he reared up to 
clutch her. There is a stunning report and a wilted bear 
rolls over in agony on the ground. “Bar skin—three dol¬ 
lars—meat about as much—grease—well there ’aint no put¬ 
ting a value on that if fixed up properly with sweet smel¬ 
ling yarbs. Put that agin my best night gownd and a brand 
new petticoat. Well, wc are about squar.” Such was the 
placid remark our heroine made as Horace pulled the bear’s 
ear and tail, to ’be sure he was dead. Wisconsin papers 
ring with the bold deeds of the fair Mrs. Harriet Augusta 
Smith. Let Mrs. Smith represent her district in the future 
Wisconsin Legislature. 
—A veteran marksman sends us the following useful hints 
for rifle and gun practice :— 
“No person can ever expect .to be a good shot with either 
a rifle or shotgun, without a great deal of careful practice. 
There are certain muscles, nerves, organs and senses 
brought into use in target rifle shooting, both at long and 
short range. For example the flexors of the fore-arm, the 
deltoid, biceps, triceps &c., these in the arm,—then the 
trapezins of the back and shoulder and the pectorals of the 
breast, all these are required to make certain harmonious 
motions, and nothing but regular and careful practice with 
a good weapon will make a good marksman. Properly con¬ 
ditioned muscles are just as necessary as good eye sight, 
both are required to make a good marksman. 
To illustrate, let any kind of a mechanic abstain from the 
practice of his trade, for a few months, and he will soon 
see that he does not handle his tools as deftly or as accur¬ 
ately as when he is in practice. Indeed it is only by 
long practice that we accomplish anything. Daily practice 
then in the open air or in a gallery is requisite. It has 
been claimed that those who shoot well in the gallery can¬ 
not do well in the field; this is a mistake. It must, how¬ 
ever, be admitted that in all ranges over one hundred yards, 
the ground and condition of the mind must b" regarded’ 
but otherwise there is no difference between field and gallery 
shooting.” J 
—A correspondent, J. S. B., calls our attention to a 
remedy against the dazzling reflection of the sun from 
snow, water surface, or other objects which frequently in¬ 
commode the hunter and traveller and often produce in 
winter what is called snow blindness: This is simply to 
blacken the sides of the nose with burnt cork. This 
remedy is not new to us, though not always having _ corks 
convenient, (we carry a patent flask,) we have been in the 
habit of employing damp powder, which answers the pur¬ 
pose equally well, if not better. The philosophy of this is, 
that the eye receives but one reflection, instead of several. 
—Oregon has wisely resolved to protect by law the game 
remaining in its valleys. For years past it has been the 
custom to make extensive raids upon the elk, moose and 
deer to get their skins, the bodies being left on the ground. 
An act of the Legislature makes it unlawful to kill or offer 
for sale any deer, moose or elk during the months of Feb¬ 
ruary, March, April, May and June, and making it unlaw¬ 
ful to take or kill at any time elk or deer fur the sole pur- 
/pose of obtaining their horns and skins. 
—In the Massachusetts Legislature" an effort is being 
made to prevent the hunting of rabbits and hares with fer¬ 
rets under a penalty of $25, but as far as the practical ad¬ 
vantage to be gained by the prohibition is concerned, it is 
not worth an opinion, for in all our experience with do¬ 
mestic rabbits, (and we have, raised hundreds) we have 
found it more difficult to exterminate the creatures than to 
propagate them. It were better to legislate for the protec¬ 
tion of the ferrets. You can buy five rabbits for one ferret 
anytime. 
—In the Maine Legislature the Committee'on Legal Affairs 
have voted to report a bill prohibiting shooting and hunt¬ 
ing upon any island in that State situated within salt waters. 
Trespassers are to be held liable to owners or lessees of such 
islands in exemplary damages, to an amount not less than 
$20 nor more than $50, and also to be held liable in the 
sum of $5 for each bird shot. 
—A nimrod named Alexander Atclierson, of Westmin¬ 
ster boasts the slaughter of eight hundred foxes during his 
life. 
—We have again been honored by a number of gentle¬ 
men of Olney, Illinois, who have organized a shooting club 
in that vicinity, and named it “The Forest and Stream 
Sporting Club.” 
—We are indebted to the Hon. W. F. Whitcher for the 
following table of close seasons for Fish and Game in the 
Dominion of Canada:— 
PISH. 
Whitefish. 
“ seining. 
Salmon, net Ashing.... 
“ Ay surface.... 
Ashing. 
Speckled trout.. 
Bass.1 
Pickerel (doree).v 
Maskinonge. \ 
ONTARIO. 
} 19th Nov. to 1st Dec. 
30th May to 1st Aug. 
1st Aug. to 1st May.. 
QUEBEC. 
19th Nov. to 1st Dec. 
31st July to 1st Dec. 
1st Aug. to 1st May. 
1st Sept, to 1st May.. 1st Sept, to 1st May. 
1st Oct. to 1st May... 1st Oct. to 1st May 
loth April to 1st May. 130th April to 24th of May. 
Fishery laws are administered by Dominion government 
officers appointed to enforce them in each district where 
fisheries exist. These officers are vested with magisterial 
powers, and act summarily. The special prohibitions are 
supplemented by various prohibitory clauses designed to 
strengthen protective measures. The Governor in council 
can adopt regulations to increase efficiency, or relax strin¬ 
gency of statutory enactments, in accord with local circum¬ 
stances or special necessities. 
GAME. 
Deer, Elk, Reindeer or 
Caribou. 
Moose. 
Hares and Rabbits. 
Turkeys, Grouse,Pheas¬ 
ants or partridges. 
Quail ... 
W oodcock. 
Snipe. 
Mallard, grey Duck, bl’k 
Duck, wood oT sum¬ 
mer Duck and Teal... 
Wild Swan, wild Goose, 
Insectiverous Birds! 
beneAcial to Agricul¬ 
ture. 
Beaver. 
Muskrat.. 
Mink. 
Marten. 
Raccoon. . 
Otter or Fisher. 
ONTARIO. 
1st Dec. to 1st Sept ... 
1st March to 1st Sept.. 
1st Jan. to 1st Sept.. 
1st Jan. to 1st Oct.. 
1st Jan. to 1st July.. 
1st May to 15tli Aug. 
1st Jan. to 15th Aug_ 
Not to be killed at any 
time. 
May 1st to 1st Nov. 
QUEBEC. 
jlst Feb. to 1st Sept. 
u Vi 
1st March to 1st Sept. 
1st March to 1st Sept. 
1st May to 1st Sept. 
1st March to 1st Aug. 
1st May to 1st Sept. 
1st May to 21st Oct.- 
15th April to 15th Oct, 
Jlst April to 1st Nov. 
jlst May to 1st Nov. 
Game laws under jurisdiction of provincial governments. 
No official organization to enforce them. Their provisions 
are somewhat incongruous, and for want of practical sym¬ 
pathy and machinery such as keep in active and efficient 
operation the fishery laws, they are disregarded. The pro¬ 
vinces being contiguous, their geographical situation admits 
of and requires some degree of uniformity as to close sea¬ 
sons. Many friends of game preservation desire a uniform 
date, where practicable in border districts, say 1st Septem¬ 
ber, for commencement of autumn shooting. Also, further 
prohibition of spring shooting, and summer shooting of 
woodcock, with rational modifications to suit sectional dif¬ 
ferences. 
—At a late meeting of the Cleveland Sportsmen’s Club 
the following officers were elected for the ensuing year 
President—Hon. A. T. Brinsmade; Tice President—Har¬ 
vey H. Brown; Treasurer—W. J. Farrar; Secretary—W. 
P. Cowan; Board of Directors—G. H. Babcock, W. J. 
Farrar, H. A. Harvey, Frank Rockefeller, Charles C. Hills. 
—The National Sportsmen’s Club of Washington, D. C. 
was organized in April of last year. Its object is the pre¬ 
servation of game and certain kinds of fish, to protect the 
same by legal means and promote a kindly intercourse and 
generous emulation among sportsmen. The following are 
its officers:—President—Col. C. M. Alexander; Vice Presi¬ 
dent—Franklin Rives; Treasurer—Jas. M. Mason; Secre¬ 
tary—M. A. Tappan. 
—The Jefferson Sportsmen’s Club of Watertown, N. Y. 
have elected the following gentlemen as officers of the club 
for the year 1874:—President—Dr. E. L. Sargent; Vice 
President—Dr. W. R. Trowbridge; Secretary-Clias. R. 
Skinner; Treasurer—C. Weidner; Chairman of Board of 
Managers—E. A. Andrews. 
The Bluff City Sporting Club of Memphis, Tennessee, 
elected the following gentlemen as officers of the club for 
the year 1874:—President—A. Merriman, Secretary; Jas. 
Specht, Jr. ; Correspondent Secretary—M. E. Smeltzer ; 
Treasurer—I. W. Alley—Active members about fifty. 
—The Audubon Shooting Club of Angola, Indiana, 
elected the following officers:—President—Wm. Chitten¬ 
den; Vice President—A. D. Parcell; Secretary—F. M. Ar- 
dell; Treasurer Robert Pow. The Board of directors con¬ 
sists of five members and the field sportsmen of the club 
about thirty active gentlemen. 
—The members of the Deer Foot Shooting Club, of 
South Brooklyn, shot their first pigeon match of the season, 
on Monday February 23d, 1874, on the Dummy Road above 
Greenwood; the contestants shot at 10 birds each 21 yards 
rise, 80 yards Boundary, lj ounce shot, II and T Traps, for 
a handsome silver medal, which was closely contested and 
won by “Penney;” about one hundred and fifty spectators 
were present; including Pot Hunters. The following is the 
summary of the score:— 
Killed. Missed. 
Penney.1 1 0 1 1 1 1 0 0 1 7 3. 
King.1 1 1 0 0 1 1 1 0 1 7 3. 
Hague.0 100010010 3 7. 
Brown. 1000111110 6 4. 
Simpson....1 011100111 7 8. 
Bickerton. 1110010110 6 4. 
Fisher.0 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 3 7. 
Messrs. Penney, King, and Simpson having tied, shot at 
(3) birds each. 
Killed. Missed. 
Penney.0 10 1 2. 
King.1 0 0 1 2. 
Simpson.0 0 0 0. 
Messrs. Penney and King having tied the second time, 
shot at (2) birds each. 
Killed. Missed. 
Penney..11 2 0. 
King.0 1 1 1. 
Judge, Alxander Macready, S. B. S. C. Referee, John 
Allport, G. S. B. 
—A pigeon match was shot at Dexter Club Grounds last 
week between Messrs. W. Ireland, W. Sehovwer, at fifty 
birds each, 21 yards rise 80 fall, find and handle for each 
other, $250 aside. Mr. Sehovwer was out-shot and out- 
birded from the start, at the 34tli bird Mr. Ireland had kill¬ 
ed 25, Mr. Sehovwer only 14. It being impossible to tie, 
Mr. Sehovwer withdrew, leaving Ireland the victor. The 
birds were fine flyers, and the day splendid. Messrs. Ire¬ 
land and Green shoot a match on the 19th of March, fifty 
birds^each, find and handle, for $200 aside, same grounds. 
Washington, February 26, 1874. 
Editor Forest and Stream:— 
I enclose you the score of a pigeon shoot, which took place yesterday 
at Kalorama, for a fine breech-loading shotgun; 14'entries, $10entrance, 
10 birds to be shot at according to the Washington Club rules. The re¬ 
result was a tie, which was shot off at two birds each, resulting in an¬ 
other tie. There being no more birds on the ground, it was agreed to 
shoot of on Monday, March 2, at Analostan Island, at 15 birds each. 
Ferguson. 11111 1100 0—7 
Derrick.1 1 0 0 1 1 1 1 1 0—7 
Barber.0 10 0 11111 1—7 
House. 100010101 1—5 
Ferguson.1 1 o 1 1 0 1 1 1 1—8 
Derrick.1 1111110 1 1—9 
Benjamin.0 111110 11 1—8 
Dodge. 101110 111 1—8 
Sherwood... 1 11111011 1—9 
Mayhew—0 00111111 1—7 
Derrick.0 1 ,1 1. 0 l 1 1 1 1—8 
Stevens.0 11111101 1—8 
Williams.. .110111111 1—9 
Yates.0 0 11110 11 1—7 
TIE— 25 YARDS. 
Derrick.A.1 0—1 IWilliams.1 0—1 
Sherwood.1 0—1 | 
Referee—H. O. French; judges—Dowling and Simons. 
__ J. N. D., Jr. 
A LITTLE TURKEY STORY. 
Fort Sill, I. T., January 25, 1874. 
Editor Forest and Stream:— 
I was much amused several years ago by reading in the Galaxy Miscel¬ 
lany and Advertiser’s column some New Hampshire turkey stories, 
simply huge, and which to cap the climax, wound up as follows: “But 
these are nothing compared to the latest turkey story from .Fort Richard¬ 
son, Texas, where a company of soldiers returned a few days since from 
a scout, bringing in three scalps and one hundred and fifty odd turkeys, 
killed in one night.” 
Now our Galaxy recorder man supposed he had perpetrated a huge 
joke on Fort Richardson. Allow me take the wind out of his sails a 
little, and tell a few more turkey stories: The country lying between 
the Canadian River on the north and the Neuces in Texas on the south, 
between the 98th and 100th meridians is the wild turkey country par ex¬ 
cellence. The most of it is in the Indian country, so called, and hunting 
alone is not healthy. But few sportsmen, other than army officers and 
those connected with the army have seen and in fact know literally any¬ 
thing of it. As for their numbers and the numbers that are frequently 
killed in one night—just here tell the Galaxy recorder man to open his 
eyes - it would astonish anybody but the natives. I have seen hundreds 
at one time feeding on the prairies; in the evening they collect from 
near and far in some bottomland with large cottonwood trees and go to 
roost, sometimes a hundred or more within a space of a couple of hun¬ 
dred yards. I can now recall to mind several instances of hunting par - 
ties from forts to get Thanksgiving or Christmas turkeys that have re¬ 
turned loaded as follows: One party of twelve men had 156 turkeys; a 
party of officers had 60 turkeys and five deer, two wild cats and a bear; 
another party of officers, with a small detail of men, one hundred and 
thirty odd; three officers this Christmas brought home fifty odd. Our 
friend Jones, to whom I introduced you in my last letter, shot ten tur¬ 
keys out of eleven shots. I saw an officer fire six shots this past fall 
without moving a step, and his servant picked up six turkeys. But 
where is the use of going on? The Galaxy man has long since taken to 
his legs, and calls me a “whopper” as he runs off. 
Now, Mr. Editor, these are all veritable facts, and but few of many 
within my knowledge. By the way, I have just returned from Red River 
with a command who were watching for Indians; I sent four men hunt¬ 
ing the third night out from this post. As I had turkey breasts broiled 
for breakfast the following morning, I presumed they had bagged some 
game. When I marched off in the morning and found twenty-eight tur¬ 
keys hanging on the wagon bows then I was sure they had. Tell the 
Galaxy man that four men shot those turkeys, and also that they shot 
them with Springfield breech-loading rifles. 
Now it may be, Mr. Editor, that you will take me to task for such tur¬ 
key slaughter; but let me interpose an objection. These larger kills are 
only on and for special occasions. Most hunts bring in but a few, jyist 
enough to go round, and I have no recollection of an instance in which 
the birds were wasted. Also, while we have no game laws to guide us, 
we have sportsmanlike feelings, and you seldom or never hear of a tur¬ 
key being killed, except in the late fall and winter. Now—in January_ 
it would trouble anybody to kill tw r o turkeys without moving; as Jones 
remarks, “I tell you, the January turkey cock is a different gentleman 
from the December fellow.” It is now difficult to approach them night 
or day. Jones has just returned from a few days’hunt; only fourteen 
turkeys, but three bucks and all caught and held by greyhounds. This 
little story is enough in itself for another letter, so I will save it for a 
week. 
By the way, your correspondent from Cumberland, Maryland, on the 
subject of the turkey is in error in one thing, or else his wild turkeys act 
differently from ours. The cock*here does not set on the eggs, nor does 
the hen.remain with him when hatching. She sneaks off on the prairie, 
makes her nest in high grass, and keeps very shady from her husband! 
At this season as early as June you will see the gobblers all together in 
droves, a most disconsolate and sheepish looking lot of grass widowers' 
and they do not rejoin the females again until October, w'hen the 
young turkeys are large enough to take care cf themselves. With the ex¬ 
ception of this his turkeys and our are alike Yours, Basso. 
