/ 
Terms, Five Dollars a Year. } 
Ten Cents a Copy. f 
NEW YORK, THURSDAY, FEB. 26, 1874. 
Volume 2, Number 3. 
103 Fulton Street. 
For Forest and Stream. 
A RETROSPECT. 
HERE the Androscoggin rises, 
’Mid the waving pines of Maine, 
Rushes o’er its pebbly bottom, 
Swelled by spring and autumn, rain, 
Three charming lakes of wide expanse, 
Lie sheltered by the leaf-clad hills, 
Whose sparkling waters gather strength, 
•From coolest spring and clearest rills. 
Beneath their waves the wary trout, 
Cleave the clear water as they play, 
Or, tempted by the bright winged fly, 
Bart to the surface for their prey. 
The screaming loon betok’ning storm, 
Swift cuts the air in stately flight, 
Or proudly sailing with the breeze, 
Dives deep to escape the fowler’s sight 
On the green banks the lofty trees 
Fling out their branches to the sky, 
Now sighing with the morning breeze, 
Now echoing to the cuckoo’s cry. 
The air is filled with sweet perfumes 
Of fragrant mosses and of vines, 
Mingled with odors grand and full, 
From hemlock, balsam and the pines. 
Charming retreat from haunts of men, 
And city’s busy, bustling strife, 
I long to tread thy shores again, 
There to renew my “lease of life,” 
The Dracing ride on stage coach top, 
The murm’ring stream, the village bell, 
The shadow on that range of hills, 
Whereon my eye delights to dwell; 
The throwing oil of every care, 
The easy lounge and grateful rest, 
Staunch buckboard, way-side spring, 
Each in their turn give zest. 
1 long to joint my tapering rod, 
And cast the bright and tempting fly, 
To see them float upon the stream, 
Or hover ’twist the lake and sky; 
To watch the rise, to swiftly strike, 
To feel the breath come hard and thick, 
To press my fingers on .the reel, 
And hear the music of its click, 
* * * * * 
“Come, sec! the west is tinged with red, 
The cove is gently rippled o’er, 
There’s waiting sport for us to night, 
We’ll net, my boy, at least a score.” 
* * * * * 
“Just one more cast, I yet can see 
That miller’s white and dainty wing— 
Hold! there he comes, strike quick and hard, 
Oh! don’t he make that leader sing. 
He’s doubling on you, look out, sir! 
He knows the game, just see him cut! 
I’ll risk my rod to save that trou t, 
Stand by now, Frank, he’s got the butt. 
It bends—almost a circle now, 
There’s music—not another inch; 
Good bye old rod, you’re staunch and true, 
But yet—ha! ha! sir trout, you flinch. 
“He’s winded, sir”—“the net please, Frank,” 
(Head first my beauty, if you please) 
He’ll turn the scale at four sir, sure, 
Well, that’s not bad for joints like these. 
Up anchor boys, the shadows fall, 
The mist is slowly settling down; 
Said one as trudging to our camp: 
“God made the country, man the town.” 
Boston, February, 1874. Chart.es W. Stevens. 
—A white oak tree measuring twelve feet in diameter, 
was lately cut near the house of Mr. Rinaldo Saminis, near 
Middleville, Long Island, to be used for a new yacht. It is 
supposed to be one hundred and ninety years old from the 
circles through it, Mr. Sammis’s father was offered $100 
for it years ago, but refused to have it cut. 
—In Biddeford, Maine, the liquor dealers have become 
g! impoverished by the enormous amount of money they 
have paid into the treasury by way of fines, that they will 
8ion be compelled to throw themselves upon the town in 
order to realize a comfortable livelihood, 
chting in Jfjloricfa. 
NUMBER ONE. 
- 4 - 
Editor Forest and Stream :— 
N your references to yachting, it is observed that this 
amusement is for the present suspended,‘and well, in¬ 
deed, may it be in all branches except refitting and laying 
keels and plans for new triumphs, for the storms of our 
frozen north render anything but attractive the waters that 
in summer invite the white winged beauties that so delight 
a sailor’s eye, and they are now deserted by even the storm- 
loving sea fowl. But if we do as the birds do, and follow 
the sun, we can find a point where ice and snow are but 
occasional even in mid-winter months, and as beautiful 
waters for sailing and boating as the yachtsman, fisherman, 
or sportsman can wish for, and fitted for any variety of 
craft, from the steam yacht to the dainty Rob Roy canoe. 
There is a combination of pleasure in boat life that is un¬ 
rivalled, and it is a matter of regret that with our magnifi¬ 
cent inland waterb, some among them attractive at every 
season, so little effort lias been made to render more simple 
and economical the methods for enjoying tiieiti. Our 
steamboats are perfection, and he who will go by time 
card, and with half the population of a city as companions, 
may be wafted along like a prince, and find at hand every 
luxury of life; but if he will go or tarry at will, hasten or 
linger as tempted at the moment, there is less chance to do 
it with any present arrangements than on the Nile or Am¬ 
azon. 
A witty lady is reported as having expressed an in¬ 
tention of renting her town house and buying a “drawing 
room car,” to go freely from point to point, and it may be 
that in due time arrangements may be perfected by which 
a small party can charter a plain, roomy car—not one of 
royal character—and go from Quebec in October to Florida 
in January, and be at all points “shunted” on to a fashion¬ 
able switch, in a “good locality,” to remain as long as the 
inducements justify. Think how nice to lay in some crea¬ 
ture comforts, a few good books, and hang rods and guns 
overhead in a clean, roomy car, and go in July to New 
Hampshire, and be run on a special branch, a little remote 
from the howling demons of night trains, and more remote 
than half the wayside hotels. No snubbing from superb 
clerks, no weary stairs, no attic, or risk of bad air from 
rooms over the kitchen, and no rough and tumble for place; 
no two hundred per cent, profit3 to pay on Jersey wines, 
and no new daily servant to fee and reduce to half service. 
Ciel , how the idea glows with visions of a little porch at 
one end of the car, with a railing at the altitude of two 
degrees of comfort for a foot rest, and two or three Shaker 
chairs for smoking! How many a place our railways now 
reach where there are no decent hotels, while all about 
many remote stations are scenes of endless beauty, streams 
that are hardly fished, and prairies that abound in game. 
Remember the valleys in Pennsylvania, the gorges of New 
England, the ponds and mountains of Nova Scotia, and 
the marshes and covers of the west, and see the promise 
there is before us when we go in our chartered car. 
How charmingly fit for fair companionship! Even the 
Benedict who cannot leave his family may shoot and fish 
with the youngest, while madam can sketch, photograph, 
or botanize, and fill her fernery from the shades of every 
latitude. Fit up a nursery on board and take the little 
ones; give them the clear air of Colorado, and a winter on 
the Pacific. Take the family physician, a seamstress, and 
a good cook. Attach a little gearing to ?lie wheels that 
will beat eggs, turn the freezer, and operate the best patent 
washer, and the “only real cog adjustment” wringer, and 
will run half a dozen mechanical toys and turning lathes 
to enliven the sage barrens or the southern pine lands, and 
add, if it is liked, a hand organ, to play softly all night to 
overcome with dulcet tones the low rumble of jpapier mache 
wheels. 
As to the expense, if Americans propose, after rendering 
Europe extravagant, to take thought, like John Gilpin, 
“who tho’ on pleasure bent had yet* a frugal mind,” and 
look at sum totals of dollars and cents, why for their com¬ 
fort be it said, and, fun aside, it may be said with all the 
assurance of a circular “calling your attention to an invest¬ 
ment of unusual desirability,” that such travelling can be 
made as much cheaper than what is now paid at our gay 
resorts, as it would be more independent and agreeable. 
But all this ns not yachting, nor anytliiug resembling it, 
except in freedom of motion and independence of having 
our quarters always at hand, and, be it confessed, your cor¬ 
respondent’s pen has fallen into a wandering vein, as it 
often does. So for a time let the project of a “Grand 
Union Company,” for furnishing tourists with transporta¬ 
tion and all the comforts of a home en route , remain unde¬ 
veloped, while we take a reckoning and see whence we 
have drifted. 
Having allowed us so much latitude, permit a further pas¬ 
sage unrecorded from the icy hills of Central New York, 
and the unequalled slush of your city, to the “right smart” 
city of Jacksonville, lying when we first saw it as a long 
line of lights, doubled in reflection along the St. John 
River. It was in February, our most bitter month, but 
there was no sign of the bondage of winter there. At the 
hotel all was like July at a watering place. The doors 
were open to the evening air, a band of genuine darkey 
minstrels were playing and dancing in the hall, and in 
groups about the parlor doors were girls in summer dress, 
their hair and dresses festooned . and decorated with long 
Spanish moss and garlands of fragrant jessamine. It was 
very charming, coming in fresh contrast to snow and cold; 
a spring, indeed, without the teirible family quarrel among 
the seasons that renders so fitful and uncomfortable the 
coming of our northern summer, and, for a few days, idling 
and basking about seemed interest enough, when just as an 
impulse of restlessness came on an invitation came to make 
a third in a party of gentlemen in an expedition up the 
river. It struck the key note of what proved to be a plea¬ 
sant harmony, and an experience although brief, and not 
eventful, was so very agreeable that it may justify a place 
among “Southern Sketches. 0 ’ The pioneers in the project 
had chartered a small steam tug, and her crew of captain, 
engineer, and cook. To do the odd work a darkey boy on 
the dock volunteered, and was taken. 
A day or two was passed in preparation; and what is 
more agreeable to a thorough sportsman than collecting his 
traps? Who would let any do it for him any more than 
place love making in other hands? Getting out well used 
rods and guns brings up so many associations of wild wood 
camps and hunting adventures, while as they are tested and 
put in order anticipations fill the mind of the new scenes 
to be enjoyed, with high hopes of great success in bags of 
game of novel kind and character. We had a merry time 
getting ready. Our captain, an excellent fellow, went with 
us to the shops, where selections were made, and they went 
under the care of grinning negroes to the dock. Such a lot 
of traps, foo! When at last our little boat swung away, 
and turned her snub nose against thj lazy tide, our final 
adieux were waved to our friends, and as we turned our 
hands to taking possession it was with dismay at the pile 
of what may be called housekeeping things staring us in 
the face. At it we went, marked our individual tin basins, 
and cleared the corresponding pieces of slippery soap out 
of the way. We hung guns overhead until our heads were 
in imminent danger, and drove nails into every space for 
something until the walls were like the fitful porcupine. 
And yet there were so many things all wanted in immedi¬ 
ate readiness, that all could not be on top. The captain 
left the wheel and lent his aid and counsel. Lockers under 
the seats were developed, fortunately capacious ones. One 
was made arsenal and magazine, and filled with powder 
enough to blow the boat up, and lead sufficient to carry her 
down. Another was cellar. Into it went liquid sunshine 
from the hills of France, and rosy wines from Italy, say¬ 
ing nothing of a “wee summat” to correct the influence 
of rain water, and to fortify against miasma, (also recoin* 
mended for snake bites). 
Our system of domestic life was superb; tin ware, china,, 
