June S6. 1884.1 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



426 



)mt[z §ng m\d 



SMOKE MEMORIES. 

 It make* a difference which end of a mateA you try to light. 



WE had met for planning where to lty out our first day's 

 work on woodcock for the season. The old set were 

 there, Jim, the three Johns, viz., John, Ho John and Demi- 

 john. Jim said he would be obliged to be absent for one, 

 but a young man from New York, a first-rate shot and all 

 that, woedd represent him this time; he knew all about him, 

 as a cousin had written regarding him, and in his club he 

 was counted authority on all sports pertaining to dog and 

 gun. Jim also went on to state, a good many things m his 

 good-humored way, trying to gain our good will toward the 

 Stranger, ami as usual, said so much as to make us suspicious 

 thai the man was something of a boaster, or not quite up to 

 his professed capabilities, 



With the evening train the man arrived and was intro- 

 duced to us as Mr. Abel Nye. of New York. He had a good 

 lot of lusgage for two or three days' shooting; anil even- 

 thing in the sportsman's way had a new. unused look. The 

 gun case wasn't frayed, hanged or rusty, the big sole leather 

 trunk, also new-looking, wasn't our sort; but we greeted the 

 newcomer cordially, and after a short chat he "went into 

 supper and we sized him, Jim had gone with him, and so 

 we talked as we thought. John was the landlord, so Ho- 

 Johu and Demi-John were the sizers. Ho said, " The chap's 

 a fraud." Demi said let us draw him out and see. Agreed. 

 Presently he appeared with Jim, and feeling pretty nicely, 

 as most people do after one of of John's suppers, began to 

 talk of what he had done in the past, in the field and what 

 he proposed to do on the morrow. We very soon had his 

 caliber. He opened his gun case showing a brand new 

 piece, and pulled out of an amunition case from his trunk 

 some new-fangled shells, and discoursed like a drummer 

 over their virtues beyond other kinds; in fact he made an 

 ass of himself. 



By and by be went out for a walk with Jim; then we 

 put 'up the job. John, the landlord, joined us, having come 

 to the conclusion we had duriug supper from overhearing 

 his conversation. The plot, was this: A bet was to be made 

 and dollar events were to be scored, based on his previous 

 statements. First, that he would have first shot aud vyould 

 not get his bird ; second, he would have the lowest score tor 

 the day's shooting; and third, he would not kill a 

 single bird in the wdiole day's shoot. While away he had 

 left his ammunition box out upon the table, and we took a 

 corkscrew and drew all the wads which covered the shot and 

 replaced the pellets with pieces of bar soap and then put the 

 wads back again. It was quite a job, but we had finished 

 some time before his return. By and by he dropped in, 

 Jim having bade him good night aud gone home, lie soon 

 resumed his boastful talk, and this being wdiat we desired, 

 we soon had our bets taken and went to bed contented. 

 . Early in the morning we were out. Nothing could have 

 been more superb — weather, dogs, birds, everything. Fan 

 put up a bird inside of five minutes after w r e commenced 

 work, and it got up lazy, too, giving Nye a splendid shot> 

 I watched him; he did throw up his gun as though he had 

 had one in his hand before and wasn't a bit excited; fired, 

 aud of course scored a miss, and John knocked over the 

 bird on a long shot.' Nye seemed surprised, but only re- 

 marked, "I expected to lose the first bet." As the day ex- 

 panded and he missed good shot after another I really pitiwd 

 the man, for 1 had long before come to tiie conclusion that 

 he might be a "good un," even if lie did talk too much; and 

 presently I suggested to John the idea of getting a real shot 

 cartridge into Nye's gun so he might kill one bird and win 

 at least oue event. But no opportunity offered. However, 

 I saw that old John was getting close to Nye, and then 1 

 "smelt rat." Presently up popped a bird and both Nye and 

 John fired and the bird fell, the guns making one detonation, 

 Nye looked at John and not seeing him reload retrieved the 

 bird exultantly, as well he might. I did not know this at 

 the lime. 



Soon afterward w r e started for home, and on our arrival 

 laid out the birds on a table in the office, and we all laughed 

 at Nye for losing all events. Much to our surprise, John, 

 the landlord, inlormed us that Nye had killed a bird, which, 

 of course, we all doubted aud asked for proof. Nye, poor 

 fellow, with his ill-luck all day bearing upon him, had for- 

 gotten his bird, and goma; to his shooting coat hanging 

 against the wall, produced a fine woodcock, which he added 

 to the pile on the table. Ho-John picked it up and looked 

 it over, aud handed it to me without a word. 1 looked it 

 over also, and found a bit of soap under one wing firmly 

 imbeded in the flesh. 1 laid the bird down with the remark, 

 "You can't dodge that, Nye has won one event at least." 



Alter supper we squared bets and smoked our pipes as 

 only tired men can. Presently Nye strolled off to see Jim, 

 and we were free to talk about woodcock being killed by 

 soap. "Soap," we knew, would buy them in and out of sea- 

 son, but killing them with soap was another thing. Land- 

 lord John was called (o assist us and explained matters, 

 alter he found the bets were settled. While we were talk- 

 ing lie had slipped out with a woodcock and placed the 

 piece of soap where we found it. The joke was now upon 



us, aud when Nye returned we told him the whole story 



why we had put up this job and how much worse we were 

 sold than he. We assisted him iu replacing shot for soap, 

 anil found the next, day he could shoot almost as well as he 

 could boast. ' Reignoi/ds. 



RIFLES FOR SMALL GAME. 



IT has never be< u my good fortune to be so situated that I 

 could do much hunting large game, so my rifle shoofmg 

 has been confined to target shooting, bunting squirrels and 

 other small game. Squirrel hunting with a small rifle is mv 

 Eavorite sport, and a good rifle for that kind of work is what 

 I have b< en trying to get for some time, i formerly used a 

 small muzzleloader that was all right iu its day but is out of 

 date now, for burning. The past three or four years 1 have 

 used a Maynard .85-caliber, It is a good gun, but is too large 

 caliber for small game, so about two months ago I ordered 

 a .23-caliber barrel from the Maynard Company to fit on the 

 same stock as the .35 barrel. Not having much faith iu rim- 

 fire cartridges (as they are now made), though 1 would ex- 

 periment a little ou a central-fire shell for .22-caliber. Made 

 a few brass shells long enough to hold 10 grains of powder, 

 and large enough to take in the bullet full size at base. The 

 bullet 1 made the same shape as tlie oue used iu the .35 cal- 

 iber, aud it weighed 35 grains, one part tin to fifteen of lead ; 

 chambered the barrel to lit this shell and bullet. After giv- 

 ing them a thorough trial I was so well satisfied that I have 



since made all that I need. They shoot very strong and 

 accurate with Ihe sights adjusted for 50 yards. T can use 



the same sights for any distance up to 75; for LOO yards re- 

 quires a little elevation, using Hazard's electric powder No. 

 3. The inclosed target is of fS consecutive shots at 50 

 yards, with muzzle rest, without cleaning The string 

 measures 6 ^ inches. This shows it to be accurate enough 

 for all practical purposes at that distance. At 100 yards 

 the accuracy is about the same in proportion, aud that is 

 about as tar as a, man generally shoots at small game. 1 

 write the above for the benefit of sportsmen, and to try and 

 induce manufacturers to make a. better class of ammunition 

 for small-caliber rifles. The rim-fire cartridge is good enough 

 for pistols but is no good for rifle shooting. They don't 

 hold powder enough, aud the bullet beiug compressed at tin 1 

 base destroys the accuracy. What we want is a cartridge 

 holding al least 10 grains of powder, aud made the same style 

 as the best large-caliber cartridge. Such a one might cost a 

 little, more, but most any one would be willing to pay a little 

 extra for a good cartridge. H. 



Acbora, 111., .Tune 10. 



THE CHOICE OF HUNTING RIFLES. 



Editor Btyrest and Stnaoi: 



In rS choice of hunting rifles, I would like to add not 

 arguments, but one or two plain statements of facts which 

 may have some bearing upon Ihe points of issue, hi a tramp 

 through Colorado aud New 7 Mexico, I used a .44-95-280 

 Sharps "Old Reliable." My pard, Ignotus, clung lovingly 

 to his Winchester, model '70. One day we were up iu the 

 "Needles" after mountain sheep. Climbing one of its steep 

 trails, we thought we saw, on the face of the cliff above, in- 

 dications of a silver "lead." Leauing our rifles against the 

 cliff, we scrambled up aud began prospecting. One of us 

 dislodged a stone, which rattled down, struck the guns, and 

 knocked them over the cliff. They r fell perhaps fifty feet. 

 When picked up the Sharps showed several dints in the 

 stock and oue or two small scratches in the barrel and noth- 

 ing more. The Winchester had the cock broken short off, 

 the lever jammed so it could not be moved and the maga- 

 zine bent' badly. It had to be sent to Denver and repaired, 

 at a cost of about twenty dollars. 



Again: We were out one day, Ignotus one side of a ridge 

 and 1 the other. Suddenly I heard a furious fusillade from 

 his direction. Climbing hastily to the top of the interven- 

 ing ridge, I saw him "pumping lead" (pardon O King! but 

 nothing else will express it) into a big cinnamon that was 

 coming at him about a hundred yards away. Every time 

 the W 7 iuchester cracked, "Old Epbriam". would snarl, bite 

 the spot where he was struck and keep on. When I spoke 

 to him through the medium of the Sharps, he tumbled over, 

 rolled down the hill, recovered himself and lay moaning. 

 The second shot killed him. Six Winchester bullets hadn't 

 stopped his rush; one Sharps stopped him, the second killed 

 him. 



Again : He and I. had to go out at once to shoot for meat 

 to supply a camp of twenty men. Deer were tolerably plenty, 

 but wild, and Ignotus could shoot and hunt "all around" 

 me. Results — Winchester nineteen shots and six deer — one 

 struck three times, three struck twice. Sharps, five shots 

 and four deer, none struck twice. "The p'int of these facts 

 lies in the application on 'em." You can draw your own 

 conclusion. Mine is, as regards the Winchester, that "for 

 people that like that kind of a thing, it's about the kind of a 

 thing such people would like." H. P. Ufford. 



Delaware, O. 



NOTES ON "WOODCRAFT." 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



"Woodcraft" received, and it is needless to say, that, hav- 

 ing once opened it, I didn't lay it down till I had finished it. 

 Bless old "Nessmuk's" soul! How I'd like to grip his hand 

 once and sit on a log and hear him talk. And yet, though 

 I'm probably not half his years, I have the impudence "to 

 differ with him on one or two minor points which I will 

 have the boldness to uufokl. 



First— As to knives. He says, "let their temper be of the 

 best." That, I suppose, means first-class steel. Experience 

 has taught me that a finely tempered steel knife, away from 

 "scissor-gnnders" and "sich," is a never ending cause of 

 wrath and objurgation. The first week or two its razor- 

 edge is admirable; then it gets dull and a nick or two comes 

 in it, and your pocket wetsfone (if you haven't lost it) is but 

 little use to restore its pristine keenness. The best knife for 

 "outing" purposes that I have ever seen (and I have tried a 

 score or more), is the common, cheap, soft iron, Sheffield 

 butcher knife. The blade is thin aud will take as keen an 

 edge as a razor, while, if in cutting it meets a sudden 

 obstruction, the edge bends instead of nicks, and can easily 

 be hammered straight again with a couple of stones. When 

 dull, a razor edge may be given to it u ith the same labor- 

 that would hardly put a polish on the tempered steel knife. 



Second— His four pans and camp kettle are good so far as 

 they go, but a pressed tin coffee pot. made just large enough 

 to fit snugly into the kettle, iuto which are slipped his water- 

 proofed muslin bags of coffee, tea and sugar, and two or three 

 strong tinned teaspoons and a fork or two, will add nothing 

 to bulk, but a few ounces to weight, and a bundled per cent, 

 to convenience and comfort. 



Third — "Ohacunasongout," but I wouldn't wear a pair 

 of boots in the woods if I had to go barefoot. Did you ever 

 try to get a pair of wet boots on over a pair of damp socks? 

 "Nuff ced!" A pair of moderately high-low, strong calf skin, 

 buckle shoes, with, for muddy or wet places, a pair of half- 

 leg, thin canvas, three-buckle leggings, are, methinks, the 

 ne plus ulti a of foot gear. 



By the way, may 1 suggest an addendum for a permanent 

 camp, which 1 have found, if not "a thing of beauty" yet a 

 "joy forever." where used? It is the "scrap-kettle." On 

 first going into camp, set aside for this purpose your largest 

 camp-kettle, and into it put every day the scraps that would 

 otherwise be thrown away — the heads and feet of small 

 game, giblets of fowls, scraping of soup kettle, cold potatoes, 

 beans, tomatoes, rice, crusts of dry bread, with an occasional 

 onion or red pepper for those that like them. Fish are good 

 therein, if you don't get in too many small bones. Anything 

 eatable, in fact (and some that are not, as marrow bones, 

 squirrel tails, et al) aud clean, may go in. Keep the pot set- 

 ti-Jg by a corner of the tire-place all the time, where it will 

 keep warm, adding a little water, and when jou want a 

 hurried meal occasionally, dip out a panful, heat up on the 

 coals, and you have a savory mess that will make you smack 

 your lips with gusto. 



I wonder if your correspondent who, in a late number, 

 recommended "cheese and potash," has ever tried his own 

 recipe? I did, following out his instructions carefully, with 



weighed and measured ingredients. Results, about a quart 

 of thin, greasy lluid, which wouldn't "set like a custard" 

 for any consideration, and a n:ass of indigestible, straw- 

 colored guita perch a stuff , as edible as so much raw-hide. 

 The family turned up tneir noses at the mess, and voted 

 "cheese and potash" a fraud and a snare. Will yourcorres 

 pondeut "rise and explain V" H. P. Uffoud. 

 Delaware, O. 



WILDFOWL IN NEW BRUNSWICK; 



Editor Foiest and Stream: 



In lookiug over some back numbers to-day I saw iu your 

 issue of April 24 a communication signed "O," in which 

 he says he lives on the Straits of Northumberland, and never 

 saw the time when 100 birds could be bagged in a day. The 

 statement may be true, but 1 doubt if your readers are par- 

 ticularly interested in what such correspondents have not 

 seen, i have 1 i v < d on the same shores all my life, aud I can 

 name several gunners who during the past spring have re- 

 peatedly come ashore with a bag of over a, hundred of geese, 

 brant aud ducks, not "including coots," and the shooting 

 was done from bo its. True, an occasional tenderfoot, lack- 

 ing the courage to try the boats, sets up on the board ice 

 with decoys, but by far the greater part of the gunners use 

 the finals mentioned. 



Dunne the week when "C." said the largest score was 

 five geese and one duck, three different gunners brought, in 

 bans fangitog from forty-three to sixty. If you would like 

 bottom facts about this matter inquire of Mr. Tom Tren- 

 holm or J. O. O. Goodwin, veteran gunners of Cape Lor- 

 mentine, who have lulled thousands of shore birds where 

 "C," judging from his own statements, has killed units. 

 Cape Lobmentine, N. B. D. 



THE TURTLE LAKE CLUB. 



THE Turtle Lake Shooting Club was incorporated a few 

 weeks since under the State laws. This is the organi- 

 zation referred to several months since in Forestand 

 Stream as having secured the shooting and fishing privileges 

 of one of the finest deer countries of Northern Michigan, 

 The club starts with a paid in capital of $2,000; member- 

 ship limited to twenty, and its headquarters are at Detroit, 

 Mich. I know of no finer deer and ruffed grouse shooting 

 than can be found in the domain controlled by the clul^ 

 while the lake upon which their camps are situated swarms 

 with black bass and mascallcuge. The officers aud members 

 are: E. H. Gillman, President ; W. C. Colburu, Vice-Presi- 

 dent; Frank W. Eddy, Secretary and Treasurer; Fred. A. 

 Baker, Judge J. J. Speed, Howard Barnes, William P. Hol- 

 liday, H. W. Avery, Directors; all of the foregoing are of 

 Detroit; other members are — Col. Morrison, of Locke 

 Haven, Pa ; M. S. Colburn, Factory Point, Vt. ; J. J. 

 Parris, Bennington, Vt. ; Harry S. New, Indianapolis, Ind. ; 

 Col. J. E. Pepper, Lexington, Ky. ; J. J. Gore, Chicago, 111.; 

 Ira A. Paine, Providence, R. I , with several other gentle- 

 men whose names I have not by me. 



Such organizations ordinarily call for a simple notice, but 

 this is, I believe, the pioneer iu an attempt to preserve game 

 right in the heart of a wilderness where game laws are nearly 

 unheard of, much le9sever observed. The club have already 

 sent a steward or rather a game keeper to Turtle Lake. 

 Last summer over one hundred deer were killed in the red 

 coat at that point and it is hoped that, such illegal slaughter 

 can be guarded against this season. The gamekeeper reports 

 deer as very numerous. He also writes that the bass fishing 

 is simply superb in Turtle Lake. Several bass he caught 

 measured twenty-one inches in length. 



I heard of a mean performance the other day. A few 

 days since Mr. Wm. Fisher, a jeweler of Detroit, sat in his 

 store talking with several gunners, and in the midst of the 

 conversation Mr. F. condemned in round terms the shoot- 

 ing of woodcock during the close season. All present coin- 

 cided or at least seemed to in deprecating the unholy prac- 

 tice. But the very r next morning, upon Mr. Fisher's open- 

 ing the door of his store, he found attached to the knob, six 

 heads of as many woodcock, four of them having soft bills. 

 And the end is not yet, for if the miserable, spiteful, sneak- 

 ing hypocrite, who killed the brood and hung the trophies 

 on that door, can be discovered, he will be punished roundly. 

 "Bad cess" to him any way. 



The Terra Cotta Club took a trip to Monroe, Mich., last 

 Thursday, upon the invitation of Hon. Harry A. Conant. 

 The trip was made upon the steam yacht Lillie, and whiie 

 at Monroe the club had their regular shoot. Mr. Geo. Avery 

 won the medal with a score of fourteen out of twenty. Mr. 

 Gay lord took second, breaking thirteen clay-pigeons. 



Mr. Mershou's account of "Lassoing a Man Eater," in 

 last week's Forest and Stream, was capital. He also has 

 a good story about a skunk eater, but I don't believe that he 

 can write this last tale nearly as graphically as he can act it 

 and speak it. I wish he could, however, and the readers of 

 Forest and Stream would laugh. Delta. 



Detroit, June 21, 1884. 



THE PERFORMANCE OF SHOTGUNS. 



Editor Fore&t and Stream: 



I have been much amused and some instructed by the vari- 

 ous articles upon shotguns in your papi r, My instruction is 

 mainly in the lack of experimental knowledge with most of 

 the writers. But a very few know what they are writing 

 about. General Verity is as quotable for facts as most of 

 them. 



Every one knows who knows anything of mechanical 

 work, that a piece of metal — iron, steel or brass — fashioned by 

 a good machine, ju»t as parts of watches, pistols anu sewing 

 m .chines are, is better in every respect of fit, finish and 

 durability than hand-made pieces, anu lower iu price. 



Take another fact, that two barrels of the same size and 

 finish of bore, will shoot alike, whether made of iron, steel 

 or brass. Any one can, or should see plainly, that an 

 American gun of low price cannot be excelled in durability 

 and execution, by any high-priced gun of home or foreign 

 make. 



In all gun trials iu this or in other countries, by govern- 

 ment tests, no account is made of price or quality of the arm, 

 or of the kind of metal in the barrel. 



A trial of sporting guns of 12 gauge, of 28 anil oO inches, 

 cylindrical and chokebore, in England, tested for s eed of 

 shot by electrical apparatus an J proportional velocities by 

 Bushworth's tables, shows the velocity of shot at the muzzle 

 and at different distances from Ihe muzzle. It gives also the 

 distance from the muzzle, where the shot have one-half the 

 force— striking energy— they had when they left the muzzle. 

 No. 8 shot at 30 yards and No. 5 shot at TO yards have only 

 one-half the force they had on leaving the muzzle. The 



