328 
FOREST AND STREAM 
A WEEKLY JOURNAL, 
Devoted to Field and Aquatic Sports, Practical Natural History, 
..Fish Culture, the Protection of Game,Preservation of Forests 
and thf- Inculcation in Men and Women of a healthy interest 
in Out door Recreation and Study : 
PUBLISHED BI 
Rarest and plrmtg publishing <$om#agg, 
-AT- 
17 CHATHAM STREET, (CITY HALL SQUARE) NEW YORK 
[Post Office Box 2832.1 
and 125 SOUTH THIRD STREET, PHILADELPHIA. 
Terms, Five Dollars a Year, Strictly in Advance. 
A discount of tweilty per cent, for five copies and upwards. Any person 
sending us two subscriptions and Ten Dollars will receive a copy of 
Hallock’s “Fishing Tourist, 1 ' postage free. 
Advertising Kates. 
In regular advertising columns, nonpareil type, 121ines to the inch. 25 
cents per line. Advertisements on outside page, 40 cents per line. Reading 
notices, 50 cents per line. Advertisements in duuble column 25 per cent, 
extra. Where advertisements are inserted over 1 month, a discount of 
10 per cent, will be ifiacle; over three months, 20 per cent: over six 
nonths, 30 per cent. 
NEW YORK, THURSDAY, JULY 2, 1874. 
To Correspondents. 
All communications whatever, whether relating to business or literary 
correspondence, must be addressed to The Forest and Stream Pub¬ 
lishing Company. Personal or private letters of course excepted. 
All communications intended for publication must be accompanied with 
real name, as a guaranty of good faith. Names will not be published if 
objection be made. No anonymous contributions will be regarded. 
Articles relating to any topic within the scope of this paper are solicited. 
We cannot promise to return rejected manuscripts. 
Secretaries of Clubs and Associations are urged to favor us with brief 
notes of their movements and tr. csactions, as it is the aim of this paper 
to become a medium of useful aim tenable information between gentle¬ 
men sportsmen from one end of the country to the other ; and they will 
find our columns a desirable medium for advertising announcements. 
The publishers of- Forest and Stream aim to merit and secure the 
patronage and countenance of that portion of the community whose re¬ 
fined intelligence enables them to properly appreciate and enjoy all that 
is beautiful in Nature. It will pander to no depraved tastes, nor pervert 
the legitimate sports of land and water to those base uses which always 
tend to make them unpopular with the virtuous and good. No advertise¬ 
ment or business notice of an immoral character will be received on any 
terms ; and nothing will be admitted to any department o the paper that 
may not be read with propriety in the home circle. 
We cannot be responsible for the dereliction of the mail service, if 
money remitted to us is lost. 
Advertisements should be sent in by Saturday of each week, if possible. 
CHARLES HALLOCK, Managing Editor. 
WILLIAM C. HARRIS, Business Manager. 
CALENDAR OF EVENTS FOR THE CUR¬ 
RENT WEEK. 
Friday, July 3d.— Huntingdon Driving Park, Huntingdon, lnd.—Uti¬ 
ca Driving Park Association—Corinthian race for sloops—Columbus 
Driving Park Association, Ohio—Riverside Driving Park, Ottawa, Ill.— 
Galesburg Driving Park, Ill.—Blood Stock Association, Denver, Col. 
Saturday, July 4th.—Utica Driving Park Association—Annual regat¬ 
ta Seawanhaka Yacht Club—Maine Boating Association, Portland, Me. 
Monmonth Park races—Regattas at Buffalo, Boston, Newburg, Salem, 
Lowell, and all over the United States—Driving Park Association, Hunt¬ 
ingdon, N. Y.—St. George Cricket Club vs. Alpha at Salem—Columbus 
Driving Park, Ohio- -Galesburg Driving Park, Ill.—Auburn Driving 
Park, N. Y.—Watkins Driving Park, N. Y.—Yale vs. Mutual at Brooklyn. 
Tuesday, July 7th,—Shooting Tournament at Detroit—Yale vs. 
Princeton at Brooklyn— Monmonth Park races. 
Wednesday, July 8th.—Tournament at Detroit—Dixon Park Associa¬ 
tion, III.—Boat race, George Brown vs. William Scharff, Springfield. 
Mass. 
Thursday, July 9th.—Atlantic vs. Boston at Boston- Dixon Park As¬ 
sociation, Ill.—Tournament at Detroit—Monmouth Park races. 
TO THE PUBLIC. 
Edward Moore, who was formerly connected with the Forest and 
Stream as canvassing agent, is no longer in the employ of this Company, 
his connection having ceased on the fii*st day of May last. 
PROTECTION OF GAME. 
T HE New York State Association for the Protection of 
Game took a long stride in advance at its late Con¬ 
vention, when it issued a call for a National Convention to 
be held next September, that is, if we assume that the 
object of the Call is to secure better legislation and better 
protection for game, and a more rigid enforcement of the 
laws and vigorous prosecution of the offenders. No doubt 
this was the intent of those who moved and voted for a 
convention, though there is nothing in the resolutions to 
indicate it. As the resolutions stand the call has no signifi¬ 
cance or weight except as predicated upon the predilections 
of the delegates assembled, and the proceedings of the 
week. What these were may be inferred from the fact 
that some 9,000 wild pigeons were slaughtered on the 
grounds after the approved fashion of trap shooting. Pig¬ 
eon shooting engrossed almost the entire attention of a 
large majority of the delegates. Only a few were interested 
in fly casting, or in rifle and pistol practice, while the bench 
show of dogs was nil. Upon these plain facts, we have a 
right to assume that the call for the National Convention 
is to rectify the abuses of trap shooting, alleviate the suffer¬ 
ings of pigeons caged in transitu, and to diminish the slaugh¬ 
ter which at a single week’s sport requires a holocaust of 
9,000 birds. 
Now, it is most obvious to all persons interested in the 
preservation of game,—whatever the purport of this Oswego 
call may be,—that some immediate revision of the game 
laws is necessarjr, and that any new system must be based 
upon the intelligence which grows from a thorough study 
of the subject. Hence it has been deemed important that 
any convention called for such purpose should combine the 
wisdom of the naturalist, the breeder and the sportsman 
alike, the wisdom of men who have studied the character¬ 
istics of game in its haunts and in the field, of men who 
have bred and propagated the creatures, and of those who 
are enabled by scientific comprehension to determine 
varieties and species. 
Thinking men have had this matter in mind and hand 
for many years, but it was not until last spring that thought 
and study took definite shape and were embodied in the 
scheme presented to the American Fish Culturists’ Asso¬ 
ciation and adopted by it at its convention on the 10th of 
February last. Pre-eminent among its endorsers stood 
Baird, the Chief of the United States Fishery Commission, 
who was warmly supported by naturalists from various 
sections of the United States and Canada. And so the 
scheme went out from that body for the world’s approval. 
We have printed it several times in Forest and Stream— 
first on February 19th, 1873, last in our issue of 25th of 
June just past. The Oswego Convention, when it issued 
its call for a National Convention, would have done wisely, 
and secured the confidence of all persons interested in the 
preservation of game and fish, had it received this scheme 
just as it came from the convention of February, and on 
the strength of its integrity issued its call. Then the public 
would have had some solid ground plan for work, some¬ 
thing tangible out of which to form new and better crea¬ 
tions, if such were desirable or practicable. 
It was our intention to submit it to the Oswego Conven 
tion—indeed, we handed it to its officers for examination, 
and were assured that we should receive a hearing upon 
the floor of ihe convention; but when we presented our 
credentials as delegate from the “New York (city) Society 
for the Protection of Game,” of which Royal Phelps, Esq., 
is President, and Hon. Robt. B. Roosevelt Vice President, 
we were excluded on technical grounds; and so the matter 
lapsed. As long ago as May lltli the society just named 
had endorsed the scheme and prepared a call for a National 
Convention through a circular letter, (for copy see Forest 
and Stream June 25th) but deferring to the precedence 
due the State Association, held the call in abeyance until 
the Convention should meet in Oswego, that it might em¬ 
anate from that body. The exclusion of its delegate pre¬ 
vented both the tender of the intended courtesy and the 
reception of the scheme. 
Under these circumstances the (city ) Society for the Pro¬ 
tection of Game had no alternative than to send out its 
circular on its own responsibility to the various natural 
history societies, fish culturists’ associations, and sports¬ 
men’s clubs, as provided in the resolutions adopted by its 
committee; audit has so done. The circular is merely a 
call for a National Convention upon the basis of the reso¬ 
lutions adopted at the meeting of Fish Culturists. Those 
interested in the matter will doubtless give it thoughtful 
attention, and determine for themselves in whose hands the 
matter can he left w r ith the greater confidence and safety. 
STEAM LAUNCHES AND THE STEAM¬ 
BOAT LAW. 
E VERYONE conversant with boating must have ob¬ 
served the rapid increase of small pleasure boats 
driven by steam within the past two years. This is even 
more noticeable in England than in the States; but since 
their construction here has been so simplified and cheap¬ 
ened, and one company at least, as will be seen by our ad¬ 
vertising columns, has made a specialty of building such 
boats, their evident adaptation to the purposes of the 
sportsman and pleasure seeker mus't speedily bring them 
into extensive use among us, unless in the zeal of our ama¬ 
teur law makers they shall be legislated out of existence. 
When our very proper and wholesome “steamboat laws,” 
designed to provide against the dangers of travel on the 
waters of the United States, were framed, such small boats 
were practically unknown, except as tenders to naval ves¬ 
sels, and therefore it is not surprising that provision was 
not made for them in that act. As it stands, therefore, if 
rigidly enforced, all such boats would he compelled to con¬ 
form to all the rules and regulations laid down for the gov¬ 
ernment of larger craft, or those under fifty tons. These 
rules require:—Regular inspection of hulls and machinery, 
regulation.safety valves, pumps, feed water heaters, etc, 
with the possession, in a conspicuous position, of an official 
certificate of such inspection, an independent or “donkey” 
pump, fitted for fire hose, with five fire buckets and an 
axe, and the employment of a licensed pilot and engineer. 
We say “if rigidly enforced,” because the requirements of 
the act being so obviously unadapted to small open boats 
or launches, and its enforcement, in most cases, an evident 
hardship, uncalled for by the circumstances of the case, 
most inspectors have conveniently refrained from taking 
official notice of such boats when used for purposes of 
pleasure. But though this method of meeting the neces¬ 
sities of the case would do sufficiently well when such boats 
were rare, for obvious reasons it is not the proper way to 
overcome the difficulty. No law should be permitted 
stand on the statute books which is not, for any reason° 
enforced; and when circumstances arise which require a 
modification of an otherwise good law, the sooner such 
changes are made the better. If the steamboat law be an 
unnecessary hardship in any case, or if its enforcement 
under any particular condition is not called for in the inter¬ 
ests of the public welfare, then it should be amended at 
once, so as to except all such cases. 
Now, wherein is its enforcement uncalled for in the case 
of steam pleasure boats? The government has an un¬ 
doubted right to protect the lives of its people, and that 
the restrictions of the steamboat law were called for was 
only too painfully evident from the fearful “accidents” 
happening from the cupidity or criminal carelessness of the 
owners and managers of passenger steamers. But there is 
no more reason why the government should “inspect ” 
“license,” or otherwise control the private steam yacht 
than that it should inspect, license, or otherwise control the 
construction and management of a sailing yacht or a pri¬ 
vate carriage, or compel the employment of licensed cooks 
and coachmen. The inspection of hulls and machinery 
however, cannot be called a hardship, unless it be in the 
fact that it is compulsory, for it is really in the interest of 
all parties—that of the public, who may he injured by the 
explosion of unsafe boilers, though they run that risk con¬ 
tinually on land; that of the owner or purchaser, that he 
may not be cheated by unscrupulous builders, even though 
he be not thus protected in other matters; and that of the 
honest and respectable builder, to protect him against the 
competition of dishonest and reckless persons, who would 
risk the lives of their fellows to secure a temporary advan¬ 
tage. But the provisions for fire extinguishing apparatus 
and for the employment of licensed engineers and pilots, 
is certainly uncalled for, unnecessary as pertaining to pri¬ 
vate boats, and not in accordance with the practice of gov¬ 
ernment in other matters. Let so much of the law, there¬ 
fore, as makes these provisions applicable to private boats 
be repealed, and they be placed on a par with all other es¬ 
tablishments for private pleasure and individual enjoyment. 
Betting at Conventions. —Some nine thousand birds 
having been killed at Oswego, we hope to see 20,000 shot 
at Niagara Falls next September, and that next year 
50,000 more will be slaughtered somewhere else. With 
these special advantages, sure to draw the throng and be 
appreciated by the gun-maker and cartridge manufacturer, 
there is another element which such tournaments (not con¬ 
ventions) draw forth, and that is, that people are inclined 
to hazard a littte money on the events. Mr. A, of such a 
club, is backed for a cool thousand in a quiet way, to kill 
more birds than Mr. C, of a rival association. We are 
pleased to see that Mr. Lamberton’s movement to do away 
with all betting at meetings of sportsmen met with many 
supporters at Oswego. Would it not be well to remove the 
cause entirely at future conventions, and have neither fly 
casting nor pigeon or rifle shooting? A convention is one 
thing, a tournament is another. Half the mistakes in this 
world come from people not calling things by their right 
names. Some two weeks ago we received the following 
card from the Monroe Sporting Club, which we much re¬ 
gret want of space prevented our publishing at the time:— 
Rochester, June 5,1874. 
Dear Sir; 
At a regular meeting of tlie Monroe County Sportsmens’ Club, held at 
their room last evening, the following resolutions were unanimously 
adopted: 
Resolved , That any member of this club who shall hereafter be guilty 
of betting in any manner or way (on the ground where the shooting is 
taking place) at any of our club shoots, either on individual skill, or the 
result of matches, shall be summarily expelled from this club bv the sec¬ 
retary erasing his name from the roll. A certificate properly signed with 
the names of two competent witnessess, who are members of this club, 
shall be the secretary’s warrant for erasing the name of 1 he offending 
member. 
Resolved , That no betting on the result of shooting be allowed to any 
person on the grounds wffiere the shooting is taking place, and that the 
officers of this club are directed to use the necessary means to prevent or 
suppress the same. 
Resolved, That no ale, beer, or any intoxicating liquors shall be sold or 
dispensed on the grounds during any of our club shoots. 
L. A. Pratt, Secretary. 
What better comment can we pass on these measures, 
which we fully endorse, than by copying in full the excel¬ 
lent letter of our well known correspondent, which accom¬ 
panied the resolutions passed by the Monroe County 
Sportsmens’ Club? 
Rochester, N. Y., June 12,1874. 
Editor Purest and Stream:— 
On the enclosed card are series of resolutions of which the Monroe 
County Club have a right to be proud. This is a step in the right di¬ 
rection. It is to be hoped that other clubs throughout the State and 
county will follow this example. Our angling and shooting clubs should 
be noted as composed of sportsmen and not of sporting men. The mem¬ 
bers of our clubs who imagine that these exist as a means for profes¬ 
sionals to make money, are laboring under a delusion; these were not 
originated for trap shooting solely, and much less for any species of 
gambling. A careful review of the history of these clubs, and of our 
State Conventions, will show that trap shooting grew up as an incidental 
affair. There were no trap shoots at the early conventions. A few gen¬ 
tlemen, lovers of out-door sports, met together to discuss the best 
means to protect game and song birds and fishes. Now r , these 
objects are almost lost sight of in the yearly meetings of our 
State Association, while trap shooting and betting are the main attrac¬ 
tions for many of the mem bers of the various clubs throughout the 
State. Last year gamblers flocked from the cities to Batavia, where 
they assembled from day.to day on the grounds of the association where 
the shoot took place, ~aking and taking betjs as though they had been 
in a faro bank. Yours, very truly, A. B. Lamberton. 
—We fairly stagger under a load of honors. Down to 
posterity will go a collar called the Forest and Stream 
collar, manufactured by the Metropolitan Collar Company. 
May we trust that in warm weather this collar may never 
grow limp. 
