May 39, 1884.] 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



349 



FISH DAY AT WORCESTER. 



r piIE second annual fish day festival of the Worcester 

 JL Sportsman's Club occurred on Wednesday, May 21, and 

 was a success in every respect. The rules governing the 

 affair were the same as last year, except that a fine of one 

 dollar was impased upon every member who did not partici- 

 pate in the sport. This rule had the desired effect, and 

 called out a much larger number than usual— not that they 

 cared for the dollar, but, they did not. like to be branded as 

 delinquents. The conditions prescribed were: "Every fish 

 on the list to be caught with hook and line, on the day set 

 for the fishing. Points— Trout, 1(5 points to the pound; 

 pickerel, 4 points to the pound; perch, 2 points to the pound ; 

 pout, 2 points to the pound. For every trout that Weighs 

 over eighteen ounces, an additional point to every ounce 

 will be allowed. No private trout streams or ponds to be 

 fished." 



The fishermen went in all directions, some to New Hamp- 

 shire, some to Connecticut, some to the hills of Berkshire 

 county, and a few who did not aspire to trout fishing trolled 

 for pickerel or bobbed for perch and pouts in the ponds about 

 home. It was the first really hot day of the season, ami 

 some of the men who are unused to being out of doors came 

 in with faces that would have made good headlights for 

 locomotives. All were tired, but jolly, and nearly every man 

 had a uood story to tell concerning the exploits of the day. The 

 scene in the small hall at the Bay State House on Wednesday 

 evening was a delightful one to any man who enjoys looking 

 at a line display of fish. A long table was spread with plat- 

 ters, in order that those members who had made good catches 

 could spread them out in the most attractive style, as it was 

 pleasant to watch the expression of their faces as they proudly 

 unloaded their creels. It was truly a magnificent display of 

 trout, to say nothing of the other varieties. The finest dis- 

 plays were those of Capt Jacobs and Chas. A. Allen, caught 

 in New Hampshire; John R. Thayer, caught in Connecticut ; 

 II. E. Smith, Davenport, Verry and Barton, caught in 

 Berkshire county, and Samuel Brown aud James F. Daven- 

 port, caught in' the western part of the State. The count 

 closed at 9 P. M.. with the following score: 



OAPT. golbert's side. 

 ft. h. Golbert and Alba 

 Houghton 241 



A. F. Earle and Frank P. 

 Douglass GO 



John B. Goodell . . 68 



E. s. EJaCwles 26 



Steduimi Clark 10 



B. C. Sumner 187 



J. A. Titus and W. Thayer. . 48 

 G . J. Bugs and L. G. White . . 30 

 H. E. Smith, S. T. Davenport, 



H.B*.Verry~. C.S.Barton... 465>_, C. K. B. Clallin 



CAPT. JACOBS'S SIDE. 



A. R. Jacobs 125U 



C. Hartwell and A. Colby. . . 840 



A. H. Perry 33 



H. W. Eager 34 



V. Sheldon and Wm. Coe. . . 88 



B. J. Healey and S. Porter.. 78 



Chas, A. Allen fOW 



E. B. Stoddard 15 



M. O. Whittier 88 



Joseph Garland , . . . 18 



A. B. F. Kinney 31 



33 



Edwa rd Wright 38 



Jesse Smith 11 



John R. Thayer 05 



W. L. Davis 71 



Caleb Colvin 08 



L. K. Hudson 07 



Waldo Simpson 09 



O.L.Taft 11 



Samuel Brown and J. F. 



Davenport 232 



R. D. Perry 15 



Joseph H. Smith 78 



S. Hamilton Coe p? 



B. Hemv Colvin 10 



C. F.Batchelder 51 



J. E. Fuller .48 



1,5G3V£ 1,003 



Captain Jacobs and his men bore their defeat good-natur- 

 ed lv, aud Captain Golbert received the congratulations of 

 his' friends. The crowd of spectators scattered away and 

 a set of tired fellows went to their homes to dream of the 

 dinner they were to enjoy on the evening of the following 

 day, On Thursday evening, the members with the invited 

 guests assembled in the parlors of the Bay State House one 

 hundred strong, and about 9 o'clock marched to the large 

 dining hall, where Richardson's orchestra was discoursing 

 excellent music. The hajlwas finely decorated ; the tables 

 laid with rare taste and decorated with a profusion of beauti- 

 ful flowers. It was strk tly a fish dinner. After the company 

 had done ample justice to the dinner, President White 

 opened the "after dinner exercises" with a neat speech, in- 

 troducing H. B. Yerry as toast-master for the evening, who 

 called up several gentlemen iu response to sentiments. 

 Mayor Reed opened tlie speaking with a witty and supposed 

 apropos story. Pleasant remarks were made by Messrs. 

 Jacobs and Golbert, captains of the teams of fishermen, 

 ex-Mayors Hildreth and Stoddard, Gen. A. B. R, Sprague, 

 Dr. Merrick Bemis, President E. O.Parker of the City Coun- 

 cil. Dr. W. H. Raymenton, Messrs. John Thayer, E. S. 

 Knowles and F. A/Gaskill. E. Spkagce Knowees. 



Worcester, Mass,, May 24, 1884. 



SCHROON LAKE. 



FULL of hope, desire, zeal and ambition for a pleasant 

 trip, we boarded the train at the thriving lake town, 

 Plattsburg, Friday, the objective point being the Trojan city, 

 Troy. Simple chance and nothing more caused your corre- 

 spondent to become erratic aud deviate somewhat from the 

 programme so hastily made the day before. Leaving the 

 train at Crown Point, we boarded the stage for the business 

 part of the town, known locally as Hammond's Corners. 

 This place supports a lively little local paper, and from our 

 short acquaintance with its editor, R. W. Billett, we should 

 judge he was able to accomplish the dvities involving upon 

 him in the way of writing up church sociables, quilting 

 bees, and the many other little trifles so necessary for the 

 peace of a countiy village. From him we learned many 

 valuable bits of information, and if he should happen to read 

 the issue of your paper containing this, he will please accept 

 our sincere thanks. 



It was our intention to take the C. P. I. Railroad to 

 Hammondville, and it was also our misfortune, of fortune, 

 to miss the train, so engaging a conveyance we determined 

 to make the best of the matter and find consolation in 

 the fact that the scenery would be more enjoyable from 

 a carriage than the railroad coach. By this time Troy was 

 nearly forgotten in the one idea of seeing a part of the 

 world-renowned Adirondacks, and Schroon Lake seemed the 

 most feasible point from which to resume our journey Troy- 

 ward. 



The scenery after leaving Crowu Point Center grows each 

 mile more grand. To the east the Green Mountains of 

 Vermont roll upward as far as the eye can reach, and to the 

 north are displayed the outskirts of the Adirondacks, sloping 

 downward to Lake Champlain, dotted here and there with 

 farms, each just beginning to show the thrift of its worker. 



Soon Hammondsville is reached, and stopping to inquire 

 the way to our destination, we view with wonder and sur- 

 prise the many striking features of the iron mines which are. 

 here. The sun gives us w r arniug to move on, and reluctantly 

 leaving the works of man we enter deeply into the works of 

 nature, and soon are Where we can view the different features 

 of the woods. To the far north can be seen toweriug up 

 among the clouds nearly 6,000 feet, and to the west, grand 

 piles of mountains, which convey an idea of grandeur to the 



beholder that no others inspire. The very air, the clouds, 

 the surroundings, bring forth exclamations from the tourist, 

 and leave wonder in the mind that the section should be 

 blessed with such a multitude of charms and attractions. 

 We have viewed Pike's Peak in Colorado; with alpenstock 

 iD hand we have climbed the Alps; we have been astounded 

 by the greatness of the Himalayas, but never have we seen 

 so many wonders combined as one can find in the Adiron- 

 dacks. We are passing through a wilderness, with moun- 

 tains on the one side and deep and awe-inspiring precipices 

 and chasms within a step from the wagon track on the other; 

 fear, mingled with a fascination, besets the timid, and 

 frightened, yet dreading to leave the scene, he views the 

 panorama of nature silently, with an emotion too great to ex- 

 pi ess by word or pen. 



It is now quite sundown and the sweet music of the forest 

 warblers recalls vividly to our mind the stanza: 

 "O, nightingale, that on yon gloomy spray 

 Warblest at eve, when all the woods are still, 

 Thou with fresh hope the traveler's heart dost fill." 



Nature seems king, but not for long. Soon we emerge 

 from the wilderness and euter quite a thickly populated agri- 

 cultural district, and we know we are nearing our Mecca, 

 Schroon Lake. A little after dark we alight from the carriage 

 at the hospitable doors of the Windsor House. 



Let us turn from poetry to the practical. Schroon Lake 

 is fast becoming a popular watering place, and each year 

 brings new faces as well as the old ones. Unlike Saratoga 

 Springs, Long Branch, Newport, and other older resorts, it 

 retains its primitiveness. The sound of the locomotive is 

 yet unknown, and nature, has decreed that the railroad can- 

 not penetrate the wilderness. It would be an innovation that 

 would not be endured by the people who congregate here 

 year after year, and the people here would regard it in much 

 the same light. Like Saratoga, nearly every resident "takes" 

 boarders, and besides the boarding houses there are several 

 magnificent hotels that surprise the stranger by their beauty 

 and elegance. 



Among the leading hotels can be named the Leland, Wind- 

 sor, Ondawa and Lake House. The two first named are 

 comparatively new and both are modern and fully up to the 

 wants and needs of the seeker after pleasure and rest. The 

 Leland accommodates 200, the Windsor 100, and the Ondawa 

 75. The Lake House, another popular hotel overlooking the 

 lake, is the nearest to the sheet of water that gave the place 

 its name. Of the lake itself little remains to be said. Its 

 charms, its beauties and attractions have been told in poetry 

 and prose. My next letter will be from further back, and my 

 only wish is that you were to be with me. Ed. M. H. 



TIM AND SEVEN PONDS. 



r pHE sportsmen in Connecticut were greatly pleased to see 

 JL in your advertising columns of last week notice that the 

 resorts named in the caption of this article are soon to be 

 opened to their many friends for the season. It is very 

 gratifying news to us in this section. The cold season ha's 

 been long. The spring weather has been treacherous, The 

 birds came when the almanac said they should come, but 

 the snow and ice caused them to retire. They came again 

 and began their homes, but the cold storms drove them 

 back. And so they have struggled and are now striving 

 with wind and wet. And our trials have been as disappoint- 

 ing as those of the little gay -plumaged songsters.. Some of 

 the bravest, of us went to the brooks, but trouty had no 

 overcoat and was not there. We have been several times 

 since, still only a few of the toothsome swimmers could be 

 found. A few gentlemen went to a distant part of our Stale 

 and returned with fairly well- filled creels. Our streams are 

 well supplied with water, and later we hope for good strings. 

 As I have intimated, our tackle has been in good order for a 

 long time, and we have been restless to use it, and I repeat 

 we\vere glad to learn our favorite fishing grounds of North- 

 ern Maine are soon to be ready for us. We have great ex- 

 pectations, for since the nefarious work of poachers has 

 been stopped, notwithstanding the large and increasing num- 

 ber of visiting sportsmen, the trouting is better in these 

 ponds than when they were opened by Smith to the public. 

 This fact was very noticeable last year to those of us who 

 have fished these waters for five or six years. The first of 

 June, I think, will be about the right time to reach there, 

 for the ice is scarcely out of the ponds and snow out of the 

 buckboard roads. Since the great wind of last autumn 

 the roads have been cleared of fallen trees and put 

 in better order than ever before the entire distance 

 to Seven Ponds via Tim Pond. New horses and wagons 

 have been procured to run between Smith's farmhouse and 

 the cabins at the ponds. The cabins are being repaired and 

 refurnished. So large a number of customers, old and new, 

 have made and are making engagements for cabins and 

 board that it is found necessary for Smith to make much 

 greater preparation than any previous year. The trouting 

 of these ponds in the Dead River region is not damaged by 

 water-power companies and steamboats, as are the hikes at 

 the head of Androscoggin River, described iu the Fokest 

 and Stream of recent date; nor are tons of trout sent away 

 by express, to spoil on the route before reaching their desti- 

 nation. Consequently, sportsmen find that Tim Pond and 

 the Seven Ponds and others in this region maintain their 

 high standard of excellence for fishing, while the lakes in 

 the region to the west are on the retrograde. A. W. Robin- 

 son, of Boston, seeing the greatly increasing demand for 

 information about the Dead River region, has in preparation 

 a guide book and map of this interesting section of the 

 country. I am not. informed just when it will be given to 

 the public. 



I find a large number of the gentlemen from this State and 

 from Boston will go this year via Farmington and Kings- 

 field to Kennedy Smith's farmhouse, Eustis, Maine, from 

 thence they and their luggage will be taken to the ponds on 

 buckboard wagons. The location of the Franklin & Megan- 

 tic Railroad has been approved to Kingfield, and the con- 

 tracts for construction made. Cars are expected to be run- 

 ning on it this autumn. 



A new feature is to be added to the attractions of Seven 

 Ponds for the enjoyment of Smith's visitors. He is to cut 

 and spot a trail to the top of Snow Mountain for a sort of 

 observatory, from which can be seen almost the entire Dead 

 River valley to the Kennebec River; and one can see Lake 

 Megantic in Canada, also the boats when on the lake, and 

 some of the settlement. It is a grand view. Two years ago 

 I witnessed a portion of its magnificence as I ascended to 

 the second plateau, about three-fourths of the distance to the 

 top of the mountain. It is thought that ruffed grouse have 

 wintered well from the amount of drumming from the 

 drummers. More anon. J. W. T. 



New Britain, Conn., May 23. 



MICHIGAN ANGLING NOTES. 



BLACK bass have been caught in large numbers during 

 the past two weeks iu the Clinton River, near Mount 

 Clemens. Several large catches are also reported as having 

 been made at Johnson's Channel, St. Clair Flats. As it 

 is the spawning season, aud as the fish are caught off the 

 spawning beds, I am sorry that there are not more sports- 

 men to rebuke the unthinking anglers who are boasting of 

 their success. The fish are now thin and poor, and I regret 

 to say that many are caught with trolling line and spoon. 

 How any one can find sport in trolling for black bass when 

 rod and reel are near by is beyond my conception. 



Perch have been remarkably plentiful this spring in all 

 the waters about Detroit. In fact, the great numbers taken 

 by anglers have been matters of remark. I have a sneaking 

 admiration or love for the gamy-looking perch. They 

 surely present an exceptionally animated and beautiful ap- 

 pearance as drawn from the water, with fins all erected, 

 they gleam and dance in the sunlight. And what a memor- 

 able thing it would have been to have landed one of 

 these Western one-pound beauties years agone when, a little 

 shaver, I used to haul out the "pumpkin seeds," dace and 

 shiners down iu old New England. Yes, I love the tooth- 

 some, hardy perch. I can appreciate them for what might 

 have been. Remembering the numerous lickings received 

 for playing "hookey" in those halcyon days to catch a 

 dozen or so paltry little fish, 1 verily believe I would have 

 deliberately agreed to be walloped for a week for the sake 

 of a big perch such as I caught to-day. 



The season at the various club houses at the. "flats" has 

 fully opened, and the regular habitues of the flats Bow make 

 their weekly pilgrimages to their fascinating resorts. 



It's not often that a Frenchman, born and bred as it were 

 in a boat at St. Clair Flats, loses his life in their waters. 

 Several fatal casualties have occurred during the last few 

 years, but the victims have been gentlemen who went there for 

 recreation, and indeed who sailed or rowed without a profes- 

 sional punter in their boats. Last week, however, Clowel Tea- 

 bedo, for some time cook on Mr. Harry Newberry's hunting 

 yacht Venila, and who was considered more at home in a 

 boat than elsewhere, lost his life. He left Herson's Island 

 in a small boat at 5 P. M. bound for the Canada shore, 

 eighteen miles away. Shortly after his start a heavy gale 

 commenced to blow, which lasted for twenty -four hours. 

 Nothing has been heard from him, and it is not to be doubted 

 that he was capsized aud drowned. Careful search has been 

 made, but nothing found to explain the poor fellow's fate. 



The lovers of grayling fishing are making ready for June 

 1, when the open season on these beautiful fish commences. 

 Wading stockings and pants are being overhauled or pur- 

 chased, and from appearances a far greater number of 

 anglers than usual will take to the streams to enjoy the 

 delicious sport. DELTA. 



Detroit, Mich.. May 34, 1884. 



A Swoud Swalloweu Choked on Bass. — Complaints 

 concerning persons catching black bass out of season have 

 been numerous of late, but despite the vigilance of the mem- 

 bers of the Passaic County Fish, and Game Protective Asso- 

 ciation the complaints could not be traced to any good source. 

 Some of the members of the association have taken trips into 

 the country on various days for the purpose of ascertaining 

 whether fish and game were taken out of season. In most 

 instances it was found that there was no ground for the 

 stories circulated; in others it was found that the accounts 

 had been grossly exaggerated and that the catching of fish 

 was clone by boys who occasionally captured a black bass 

 while fishing for other fish. The question has frequently 

 arisen what is a person to do if he catches a black bass by 

 accident. There are various methods of catching fish and 

 if a person adopts such a method as is generally recognized 

 as the proper method for catching catfish, suckers or dace, 

 and then accidentally captures a black bass he cannot be 

 held responsible, for the law does not punish accidents 

 unless they can be avoided by the exercise of reasonable 

 prudence. But if a black bass is caught, say on a worm, 

 it is the duty to return the bass to the water if the fish is not 

 so badly injured that he will necessarily die. Should his 

 gills be badly cut it is not thought wrong to take the fish 

 home, as throwing him back into the water would not tend 

 to increase the number of fish there. Last w r eek several 

 members of the association were informed that Mr. John J. 

 Garrabrant and Signor Carlo Benedetti, the sword swallower, 

 had returned from Greenwood Lake with a large mess of 

 tine fish, including several black bass. The allegations were 

 at once reported to Fish Warden Harry Keenan, who is also 

 the warden of the association, and an investigation showed 

 that Gairabrant and Benedetti had displayed some of the 

 black bass at the depot of the New York, Susquehanna & 

 Western Railroad on their return to this city. Quite a 

 number of people had seen the fish and the warden consid- 

 ered himself justified in making a complaint. Senator 

 Griggs, the counsel of the association, accordingly drew up 

 a complaint which was sworn to last night before" Recorder 

 Greaves and warrants were issued. Greenwood Lake lies 

 partly in New York State, and over that portion magistrates 

 in Passaic county have no jurisdiction, but it is said that in 

 the present case ample evidence will be forthcoming to show 

 that these fish were caught in Passaic county. Should it 

 appear otherwise there is every probability that the accused 

 will be arrested in New York State as soon as they return 

 there, the association intending to protect the waters of 

 Greenwood Lake at all hazards, as this is the only sheet of 

 water near New York whers first-class black bass fishing 

 can be had. Mr. John J. Garrabrant runs the Passaic Hotel 

 and Signor Carlo Benedetti is the. famous sword swallower 

 who has given repeated exhibitions in this city of the won- 

 derful construction of his swallowing apparatus.— Paterwft 

 (iV. J.) Press. 



Bleefishtng in Great South Bat. —A few days ago, on 

 the 14th inst., myself and friend paid a visit to the Prospect 

 House, Bay Shore, L. I., and after a night's sojourn started 

 at early dawn in the sloop Pelican for a trial of fishing for 

 bluefish, none having as yet been caught this season. We 

 determined to be first in the field or on the water. We were 

 soon on the blue wave and began to troll for the swift and 

 gamy fish, and before long had our reward iu hauling in fish 

 after fish, weighing from 7 to 9 pouuds each. Around us by 

 this time many other boats had congregated, and all seemed 

 to be busy, and almost every boat had quite a successful day; 

 one boat taking 35 magnificent fellows. This being the first 

 run of the season, the fishermen are alive and anxious to get 

 out. From now until the 20th of June the fish will be in great 

 abundance and afford splendid sport. Bay Shore is the finest 

 situation on this magnificent bay.— Yachtsman. 



