June !S, 1884] 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



ses 



large bear, on which they were afraid to fire, lest their 

 horses, being unaccustomed to the report of a gun, might 

 take fright and tin ow them. This circumstance reminded 

 us of tiie ferocity of these animals when wewere before near 

 tliis place, and admonished us to be very cautious." 



July 15! "During the day we were engaged in drying 

 meat and dressing skins. At night McNeal, who had been 

 sent in the morning to examine the cache at the lower end of 

 the portage, returned, but had been prevented from reaching 

 that place by a singular accident. Just as he arrived near 

 Willow Run he approached a thicket of brush in which was 

 a white bear, which lie did not discover till he was within 

 ten feet of him; when his horse started, and, wheeling sud 

 denly rouud, threw him almost immediately under the ani- 

 mal. McNeal started up instantly, and, finding the bear 

 raising himself on his hiud feet to attack him, struck him on 

 the head with the butt end of his musket. The blow was so 

 violent that it broke the breech of the musket and knocked 

 the bear to the ground; and, before he recovered, McNeal 

 sprang into a willow tree which he saw close by, and remained 

 thererwhile the bear closely guarded the foot of it, till late 

 in the afternoon. He then went off, when McNeal came 

 down, and, having found his horse, which had strayed to 

 the distance of two miles, returned to camp. These animals 

 are, indeed, terribly ferocious; and it is matter of wonder, 

 that in all our encounters with them we should have had 

 the good fortune to escape unhurt." 



July 16: * * "As we came along we met several white 

 bears, but they did not venture to attack us." From the 

 headwaters of the Columbia, Captain Clarke, with a portion 

 of the command, diverged southward, and crossing the head 

 waters of the Missouri, reached the Yellowstone and de- 

 scended that stream. Under date of July 31, narrating the 

 progress of this division the journal says : "Having made 

 sixty-six miles, they stopped for the night; and just as they 

 lanued, perceived a white bear, whichVas larger than any 

 of the party had before seen, devouring a dead'buffalo on a 

 sand bar. Though they tired two balls into him, still he 

 swam to the mainland and walked along the shore. Captain 

 Clarke pursued him, and lodged two more balls in his body: 

 he bled profusely, hut still made his escape, as the night pre- 

 vented them from following him." 



Aug. 2 : * * "The bear, which had given them so much 

 trouble at the head of the Missouri, they found equally fierce 

 here. [Along the Yellowstone.] One of these animals, which 

 was on a sand bar as the boat passed, raised himself on his 

 hind feet, and after looking at the party for a moment, 

 plunged in and swam toward them; but, after receiving 

 three balls in the body, he turned and made for the shore* 

 Toward evening they saw another enter the water to swim 

 across, when Captain Clarke directed the boat toward the 

 shore, and just as the animal lauded shot it in the head. It 

 proved to be the largest female they had seen, and was so old 

 that its tusks were worn quite smooth." 



This is the last mention of the grizzly in the journal. The 



divided party reunited below the junction of the Missouri 



and Yellowstone and on Sept. 23, 1806, reached St. Louis 



W. N. B. 

 Denver. Colorado. 



THE PERFORMANCE OF SHOTGUNS. 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



Your correspondent "Harnrnerless" in issue of May 15, 

 must have very limited chances of observation or else he has 

 never really tried to find the gun that did not fall short of the 

 target given by the maker. I have never yet tried an Ameri- 

 can gun that didn't make, with the proper load, as good, if 

 not better target, than that given by the maker. Parker's 

 guns are universally so, by common report among gun deal- 

 ers and others who handle a great number of them. Reming- 

 ton's and Colt's also usually make a better target than that 

 marked on the tag, if properly loaded. I lay great stress 

 upon the loading, as the pattern depends almost entirely 

 upon that, and it is unreasonable to suppose that any gun 

 will shoot in the same manner, regardless of gauge, leno-t'h of 

 barrels or choke. I have a 10-30-10 that has made the fol- 

 lowing targets, off-hand shooting, which is not the best way. 

 Distan ces were measured : Forty yards, with five drams Eagle 

 duck powder, one ounce No. 8 shot (my measure gives 460 

 to ounce) 318 pellets in a 24 -inch circle, 330 in a 24-inch 

 square. At 50 yards, 244 in a 24-inch circle; using this time 

 l£ ounces of shot. I would have tried a 30-inch circle, but 

 could get no paper large enough. These are probably better 

 than a long series of shots would average, but am satisfied 

 that I can very nearly do as well every time. I consider 

 that the secret of all this lies in the loading. I use two pink- 

 edge wads over powder, not quite down, the powder being 

 left rather loose. In this way I can burn 6i drams in my 

 gun every time and get the full force of the charge. I don't 

 want my powder ah crushed to tine dust as I have seen done 

 by forcing the wads down as hard as they can be driven. I 

 have found by experiments, too, that coarse powder is better 

 for pattern than fine, and as for close cover or snap shooting 

 1 use Electric, and find about the same pattern at 18 yards as 

 with coarse Eagle Ducking at 40. Q U Ail 



Orlando, Fla. ^* 



Editor ForeM and Stream: 



I will have to give it up for the present that fire and gun- 

 powder have some kind of an understanding mutuallv that 

 under certain peculiar circumstances they lay aside" their 

 well-known antipathy to each other and occupy the same 

 space at the same time without the one interfering with the 

 other. "D. W. C," in issue of May 15, says that this pecu- 

 liar condition of affairs comes about when a gun is over- 

 charged with coarse powder. "P." says that the same thing 

 happens when the rifle is overcharged with powder. These 

 gentlemen would hardly write so pointedly and positively 

 unle.-s they had carefully experimented and proven their 

 position absolutely. But have they experimented? I am 

 well aware that this inquiry casts a reflection, but the idea is 

 simply so preposterous on" its face is my excuse for asking 

 the question. 1 have experimented in this line carefully, but 

 perhaps crudely. "D. W. C.'s" own words, "a long 'blaze 

 of burning powder," should set the matter at rest, for how 

 can in any possible way a grain of powder that did not take 

 fire in the gun escape this "long blaze of burning powder?" 

 By what hocus pocus do these two thiugs occupy the same 

 space at tie same time and the fire not explode the powder? 



I did not say, nor do I pretend to say, that each and every 

 grain of powder is entirely consumed "in the gun when it is 

 overcharged and fired. 1 know that such is not the fact. 

 But I did think I knew that each and every graiu "took fire" 

 and began to burn— explode— before, it reached the muzzle of 

 the gun, or, at least, before they got out of "the long stream 

 of burning powder beyond the muzzle." I said in this p iper, 

 April 24, that gunpowder was a compound substance, made 



up of three very different things just simply mixed, with the 

 result that no powder has two grains exactly alike (the 

 proofreader in the other article made me say "things" instead 

 of "grains," in that way spoiling my meaning); some of 

 them— the extremes — differing very materially from others. 

 If all the powder grains in a charge had exactly the same 

 and the right proportions of saltpeter, sulphur and Charcoal 

 and these weie mixed the same in each, then all would he 

 changed into their gases in the same length of time; but it is 

 impossible to mix these three substances so intimately 

 together in mass, that when the mass is grained into 

 powder all will he the same. Some grains will 

 be nearly pure sulphur, which we all know burns 

 very slowly and does not explode, others will be sulphur and 

 charcoal ; they will also burn slowly, etc. These pellets of 

 sulphur and of sulphur and charcoal will be projected from 

 the muzzle of the gun afire, and fall to the ground afire. 

 Here is a sample — the common 22-caliber, rim-fire cartridge, 

 short, containing three graius of very fiue and strong powder. 

 1 have often seen when firing these from a 30-inch Ballard 

 after du9k, grains fall clear to the grouud ablaze. Ouce I 

 was standiug up and firing this rifle over an open dish of 

 powder— about a pound — from which a party were loading 

 shells. The dish was about eight feet in front and six feet 

 below the. muzzle of the gun, when one of these sparks of 

 slow-burning compound — we can't call it powder — dropped 

 into the dish and got up a regular "picnic" among some ten 

 or fifteen of the boys, scorching some of them severely. Now, 

 if there ever was a gun overcharged with coarse powder 

 (FG), it was that tin cup. But I think it all burned inside 

 or outside of the cup, at least I do not recollect of an indi- 

 vidual grain getting away. Possibly if there had been white 

 paper spread around sufficiently, we might have gathered at 

 least a charge or two. 



But why say more on this subject until after careful ex- 

 periment. Assertions prove nothing. 1 shall experiment in 

 this line as carefully as possible and if I find that I am wrong 

 I will own up. It may be that nearly all of us have been 

 wrong, been laboring under foolish delusions. For if an 

 overcharge of powder don't all burn, we have been very 

 foolish for thinking that our guns would "kick us heels over 

 head" if we put in ten drams of powder instead of five, for 

 according to this newer philosophy no more than five drams 

 can possibly burn in a ten-bore gun. Byrne. 



Lacon, ID:, May 17, 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



I have just been testing my pair of wildfowl guns to see 

 what I can get out of them. (Inclosed targets.) These guns 

 are of no use except for wildfowl, as they shoot so close at 

 short distance as to tear quail or young chickens all to 

 pieces. I have just cleaned them up and put away till 

 next November. 1 consider I am at fault if I do not kill 

 geese or ducks at 80 to 100 yards on the wing. The chances 

 of holding far enough ahead on swift game are great ; it takes 

 long practice, It takes me three or four days every season 

 before I get the hang of it. Red River for sixty miles is one 

 vast bed of sand, making the best goose ground I know of 

 this side of the Rockies, and from November till March a 

 sportsman can get his fill of goose shooting. For other 

 shooting I presume that my guns make as poor a pattern as 

 a man could find in a month's ride. 1 use a plain cylinder 

 for quail and most of the time on turkey. No one could 

 persuade me to use a choke on quail over a dog, or even 

 snipe, yet the mania for close-shooting guns increases. 1 

 know hundreds who use 10-pound 10-bore close choke on 

 quail when a 16 or 20-cylinder would be the weapon. 



Axmo. 

 Henrietta, Tex. 



THE CHOICE OF HUNTING RIFLES. 



Editor FareM and Stream: 



The articles on "Choice of Hunting Rifles" tell pretty 

 plaiuly that the majority want a rifle with a bullet heavy 

 enough for good execution and the flattest possible trajec- 

 tory. In the May 22 number of Forest and Stueam the 

 article from "C. D.," which overflows generally with good 

 sound sense, contains one statement which is the object of 

 this letter to disprove, viz. : "The number of repeaters thus 

 far developed that fill the bill can be counted on the thumbs 

 of a one-armed man," and all "because they shoot with too 

 high a trajectory, throw too much lead with too little pow- 

 der." Not knowing what repeater is to he counted on that 

 thumb, it is supposed to be the one that shoots the least lead 

 with the most powder. Now let us see. It is the old, old 

 story of condemning a good rifle on account of its ammuni- 

 tion or lack of ingenuity in preparing it. "C. D." points it 

 out all through bis article, but at last does the very thing 

 himself. He says : ' 'There are times when a man has noth- 

 ing else to do, and he may very pleasantly and profitably 

 inspect his ammunition. If he reloads it himself, then the 

 reloading, if properly done, is an inspection." With the above 

 I decidedly agree. I think I have loaded every shell I have 

 used hunting for four years, and in doing so l'keep in view 

 a flat trajectory. I put in all of my .45-75 Winchester shells 

 90 grains of powder and 300-grain bullet hardened 1 to 11; 

 but what I prefer to do is to buy new cartridges, draw out 

 the bullet and put in 20 grains of Hazard No. 3 ducking 

 powder, and then seat the 3Q0- grain bullet aforesaid. 



I do not know just the trajectory at 200 yards, but venture 

 the assertion that it will compare favorably with any other. 

 Another thumb, please. 



I can take any empty government shell and load it with 

 90 grains powder and the 300-grain Winchester bullet; but, 

 better still, take out the bullet from a new cartridge and put 

 in *5 grains of powder above named, or some equally as good, 

 and seat the bullet. This I have repeatedly done and work 

 them perfectly through the magazine. The recoil is not as 

 much as before changing, and they are perfectly safe in any 

 rifles that will take the United States government shell, which 

 are several. So several more thumbs are required. The 

 last described ammunition 1 used hunting deer with a Marlin 

 rifle in Northern Minnesota three years ago. I do not know 

 that the new .45-85-285 cartridges, so favorably spoken of and 

 used and advertised by the Marlin Arms Company, was the 

 result of my experience, but it tickles my vanity to know I 

 led off "in that direction. " Two years ago, while hunting 

 in Montana in company with a friend who had a .45-60 

 Winchester, I had two rifles, the .45-75 Winchester, with 

 modified ammunition, as before described, and a Hotchkiss, 

 with 90-300 (government shell). After shooting over a deer's 

 back at 100 yards and under his belly at 200 yards until he 

 got tired of it, I persuaded him to try my Winchester and I 

 would use the Hotchkiss. At the end of one day he was so 

 pleased with the result that he wrapped his rifle up in a gum 

 blanket and hid it in the sage brush and used mine the 

 remainder of the hunt. 



I wrote the Winchester Arms Company two years ago 

 about loading 1,000 cartridges to order for me containing 90- 

 300. They answered they would, but cash must accompany 

 the order as the goods would be worthless lor any one elsej 

 evidently thinking the iuquiry came from a crank. Now, I 

 certainly predict that in less than three years just such car- 

 tridges will be on sale everywhere, the same as the .45-85-285 

 are now (which; by the way, is nothing but the government 

 shell with modified charge, and not a special rifle, as a great 

 many think), and such cartridges will not "be worthless for 

 any one else." 



In all my use of a Winchester I never got "balked," ex- 

 cept where it was clearly my own fault by reloading my shells 

 so many times that they were swelled and would not enter 

 the chamber or would not extract after firing, The .45-90 I 

 prefer to the .40-90, for the reason that when an animal is 

 shot clean through, the .45 hole is the most deadly, one of 

 your correspondents to the contrary notwithstanding. As for 

 comparison of the recoils, trajectories, etc., 1 know nothing, 

 never having seen a ,40 90, but the recoil of the .45 90-300 is 

 not so unpleasant as the .45-75-350 with the same weight of 

 powder and lead as the express Winchester .50-caliber. "Ts not 

 the .45-caliber entitled to the name "express?" I think so. 



C. M. Skinner. 



Minneapolis, Minn. 



PHILADELPHIA NOTES. 



PERSONS living in the section of Pennsylvania lately 

 visited by forest fires state that damage has been done 

 to the ruffed grouse of that section. One farmer, who re- 

 sides about ten miles from the Lehigh River, told your cor- 

 respondent he had found two or three nests of scorched and 

 deserted eggs, and from all I could learn during a trip to 

 the Lehigh Valley (from which I have just returned), the 

 prospects of good pheasant shooting in that region for the 

 coming autumn is very poor. Deer have been coming to 

 neighborhoods from which it was thought they had long 

 since been driven. The same gentleman informed me that 

 several had been frequenting his rye field within the past 

 two weeks, and that he had on more than one occasion seen 

 them. This is within ten miles of a town of at least fifteen 

 hundred inhabitants. 



Mr. Harry Parker's estate is now offering for sale a num< 

 ber of semi-domesticated deer, which have been for a few 

 years running at large within the inclosed park this gentle- 

 man took so much pride in at Mauch Chunk, Pa. The 

 Bloom ingdale Park Association should secure these speci- 

 mens, as they are fine ones. 



The stay of the bay birds on our near New Jersey shores 

 was a brief one. Many were killed during their short so* 

 journ. The professional market gunners at the different sea 

 side resorts have now put away their guns and are getting 

 their yachts and sailboats in trim for the summer season, 

 and their attention will mostly be given to "waiting upon 

 the boarders" unless the demand for gulls and water birds 

 for hat ornamentation should offer a more lucrative occupa* 

 tion. If the rage is to continue another year, millinery 

 establishments will send to New Jersey coast, as they did 

 last season, taxidermists who will remain at the different 

 hotels the whole summer and purchase everything in the 

 shape of feathers, from a strand^snipe to a blackheaded sull, 

 and better wages can be earned by the baymen than sailing 

 sea-side visitors at $3 or $4 per day. It is hoped the fashion 

 spent itself last year, and the gulls and beach birds may be 

 spared to ornament the sea side and not the hats of the city 

 belles. Homo. 



May 31. 



THE COST OF GUNS. 



Editor Foi'est and Stream: 



"Wells's" article on "English and American Guns," 

 reminds me of a conversation I had some years siuce with 

 my late colleague on the New Hampshire Fish Commission, 

 Mr. A. H. Towers, of Grantham, N. H. 



Mr. P. had for some time the superintendence of the 

 forging department for the Providence Tool Company, at 

 the time they were deeply engaged in the manufacture of 

 military rifles for foreign governments, and he informed me 

 that the cost of gun barrels was a mere trifle compared to the 

 common opinion of their expense, and that the material, 

 forging, rough boring and turning, all of which can be done 

 by machinery, would amount to" but a very few dollars for 

 a pair of first-class barrels. Of course a large amount of 

 hand-labor can be put on them afterward to get a high finish, 

 and if all the work was done by hand it would be still more 

 expensive, but still, he told me a pair of barrels does not cost 

 anything like as much as they are supposed to. 



"Wells" is right also about the co.-t of locks. It is the 

 fashion among the old school gunsmiths to decry "machine- 

 made" guns, but as a practical mechanic, I beg to say that 

 no hand-work can equal the precision of a machine. Witness 

 the military rifles and revolvers, all made by machinery of 

 American invention, to say nothing of the sewing machine, 

 machine tools, agricultural implements, etc., into the cost of 

 which hand labor scarcely enters, and at best forms but an 

 iusignificaut item. Sam'l Webber. 



Shooting Near New York. — I have never seen so many 

 partridges and quail as at Nyack. I lived near center of 

 village. Last November in one day I put up five bevies of 

 quail ai?d sixteen partridges within two miles of my house. 

 They are all to be found along the ridge which runs from 

 Oak Hill Cemetery north to Hook Mountain— partridges on 

 top of rid^e on Maxwell farm and north of it, and quail on 

 eastern slope of ridge. We will have fine quail shooting 

 here this fall. I hear them whistling in every direction. 

 There are three broods on our place alone. East of Cress- 

 kill station, on the Alpine road, is the best woodcock ground 

 I have ever seen. My dog found four nests in one place 

 there this spring, and he is a youngster, never been trained 

 at that. He did not flush the old birds, just pointed, and 1 

 am told it was a beautiful sight. I think this will do for so 

 near the city. — N, 



Massachusetts.— Salem, Masst, May 80.— I was at Ips- 

 wich Beach the 2^d. There were a good many "peeps," and 

 I also saw eighteen beetleheads (S. hdvitica) and fourteen of 

 the greater yellowlegs. I also saw a least bittern that had 

 been shot and thrown away by some one, and as it was 

 "ripe" when I found it, I much regretted the loss. Wood- 

 cock are hatching, and some quail are heard whistling. I 

 don't think hawks have been as numerous this season as 

 usual. The season thus far has been wet, and if it continues 

 it will have a tendency to help fall gunning. Of course, now 

 things are between "hay and grass" so far as shooting goes. 

 — X. Y. Z. 



