290 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



[May 7, 1885. 



tide 21st, "without a dissenting vote in either case. The St. 

 Clair Flats have been a very famous territory in the past, 

 and its final disposal is of much public account in the future. 

 Well considered views also relative to the disposition of the 

 like class of public territory have public interest and arc of 

 account. F. M. Wilcox. 



Rochester, Michigan, April 2H. 



JERRY'S SUNDAY DINNER. 



I WAS riding in a buggy to a marsh about four miles 

 from the little country hotel where I had been staying 

 for a few days, to kill a few English snipe. Jerry, my 

 guide, philosopher and friend, was at my side driving, and 

 the dog was lying between our feet comfortably, but insisting 

 on poking his nose out from under the lap robe to snuff the 

 fine breezes of the country, as dogs always will. Jerry 

 pointed out a little tumble-down shanty and* said, "Mr. E. , 

 I used to live there once, and 1 shall never forget a Sunday 

 dinner that 1 took in that house." 



There was something peculiar in Jerry's manuer of saying 

 it that led me to inquire into the particulars. 



"Well, you see it was the winter when me and Miraldy 

 was first married ; and I got a job from old Skinner to haul 

 cord wood for him at seventy -five cents a day. It wasn't as 

 much as other fellows was getting for the same work, but 

 times was hard and money was mighty scarce with me that 

 winter, for I'd only been working off and on for some time, 

 you see. Well, when Saturday night came there was three 

 dollars coming to me, and as 1 knew that Miraldy had noth- 

 ing but a little corumeal in the house, I asked old Skinner 

 for my wages. He said that he hadn't any money just then, 

 but would pay next week. Sez I, 'Give me a dollar on ac- 

 count, then;' but he said he hadn't even that. I knew that 

 he was lying, but at the same time, as it was a long job and 

 I didn't want to lose it, I hated to quarrel with him; sol 

 tramped home with my heart thumping way down, like it 

 was trying to knock my boot heels off. 



"Miraldy met me at the door and 'Where is the meat?' 

 sez she. 'I haven't any,' sez I. 'Well,' sez she, looking up 

 smilingdike, 'Jerry,' sez she, 'we'll have corn dodgers for 

 dinner to-morrow,' and put up her mouth to kiss me. I tell 

 you that made me feel bad to think that a big, strong fellow 

 like me couldn't give that dear little woman anything better 

 than corn dodgers for dinner; so I walked out through the 

 snow behind the house to— to — " Jerry turned his head 

 away from me as though looking at something behind us as 

 we rode along, but I thought that there was a little moisture 

 on his cheek, which, "God save you, honest gentlemen," 

 was no dishonor to his manhood. 



"Seems funny, don't it?" said Jerry, looking at me wist- 

 fully, as though afraid that I was laughing at him. 



"No," said I gravely, "I see nothing funny in it." 



"Well," continued Jerry, "about forty yards from the 

 house I see a good many rabbit tracks going from one little 

 copse to another; and, thinks I, if I can kill one of them 

 there'll be meat for us to-morrow. So I went and got old 

 Crazy Jane— this very same gun I've got here in the wagon; 

 she don't look like much, but she'll drop a snipe every time 

 at forty yards, if the man only holds her right— reg'lar— and 

 I waited and waited, and sot there: but none of 'em seemed 

 to be trading, and so I went home and undressed to go to 

 bed. Then as I stood before the window I saw in the bright 

 moonlight something a-juinping and a- jumping in the very 

 tracks that I'd been watching nearly all night. Sez I, 

 'Miraldy, there's the rabbit I've been watching for.' So I 

 lifted the window quietly, very quietly, and when I got the 

 gun, this very gun, she came up behind me in her night 

 clothes, and, sez I, 'Here goes for fur.' 'Stop, Jerry,' sez 

 she, Toe sure it isn't my cat.' Sez I, as I took sight, 'Think 

 I don't know the difference between a cat and a rabbit.' So 

 I let fly and fetched him down." 



Just then we arrived at our stopping place at the edge of 

 the meadow where we intended to shoot. Jerry got out and 

 hitched the horse to a rail fence, while I took out the guns 

 and ammunition. 



"Jerry," said 1, as we shouldered our guns, "what was it 

 you shot?" 



"Come, Sanch," and he whistled the dog to his heels. 

 "Come, Mr. E., the snipe are waiting for us," and strange 

 as it may appear, the most careful and guarded inquiry on 

 my part has faded to elicit any information from either 

 Jerry.or Miraldy as to whether it was a rabbit (Lepus ameri- 

 ca/ius) or the family cat {Felis tomcalus ?) that made their 

 memorable dinner on Sunday. Francis Endicott. 



CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA. 



THE Game and Fish Protective Association of Central 

 Pennsylvania was incorporated atHarrisburg April 27, 

 1885, for "the preservation of game and fish by the enforce- 

 ment of all laws now enacted or which may hereafter be 

 enacted for said purpose; to inculcate a spirit of respect for 

 the game and fish laws; to assist in the study and dissemina- 

 tion of the natural laws of the propagation of game and fish ; 

 to propagate fish by artificial process; to increase the desire 

 for gunning and fishing in forest and stream in a rational 

 way." 



The officers are: Walter H. Powell, President; John M. 

 Peddicord, George W. Boyd and John B. Nicholas, A r ioe- 

 Presidents; Albert J. Fager, Secretary; Horace Lutz, Treas- 

 urer; Walter H, Powell, Albert J. Fager, Samuel Fitzgerald, 

 David Davidson, William Kutz, David G. Krause, Jacob 

 Hess, Moses H. Brensinger and Charles Mnffitt, Executive 

 Committee; Daniel W. Seiler, Johu Vallerchamp and William 

 S. Rutherford, Auditing. Peter Ludwig has been appointed 

 fish warden, and he will see that no obstructions such as 

 "Nessmuk" complains of will be allowed in this part of the 

 Susquehanna River. The association is very large and at 

 present consists of the active sportsmen of this section, who 

 are determined, come what will, to see that the game and 

 fish laws are enforced and that violators shall be brought 

 before the proper officers and punished. It is intended to 

 get the farmers interested and have them join the association 

 and protect them in their rights against trespassers; to 

 stock their farms with quail and have them looked after in 

 the closed season and during severe weather. In this way 

 they expect to draw the farmer and sportsman in sympathy 

 for their mutual protection. The association will act with 

 the Pennsylvania Fish Commission in the enforcement of 

 the laws relating to the protection of fish,>nd hope to be 

 able to make fish and game more plentiful. Keonk. 



Wakefield (Mass.) Sportsman's Club.— The Wakefield 

 Sportsman's Club held its annual meeting recently and re- 

 organized for the ensuing year, with its old president, C. I. 

 Goodale, re-elected, and Geo. Clothey, secretary. This is a 

 live club of law-abiding gentlemen. 



Wisconsin Deer Law.— Fond du Lac, Wis., May 2.— 

 Editor Forest and Stream: This summary of the deer law is 

 correet, as the law is now in force in this State: It is unlaw- 

 ful at any time to take, catch, kill or destroy any deer for 

 any purpose except for consumption thereof as food within 

 the State. It is unlawful to take, catch, kill or destroy any 

 deer or have in possession any part of the carcass of the 

 same for consumption as food, within the State, except, 

 during the months of October and November in each year. 

 It is unlawful for any person, company or corporation to 

 expose for sale or have in possession except alive any deer 

 or any part of the carcass of the same with the intention of 

 sending or transporting or having the same sent or trans- 

 ported beyond the limits of this State. Every violation of 

 any of the provisions named in the foregoing sections shall 

 be a midemeanor and shall be punished by a fine of fifty 

 dollars, and any person so offending shall on conviction and 

 in default of payment of such fine be committed to the 

 county jail until such time not exceeding thirty days, as 

 such fine shall be paid. It is unlawful to hunt after night 

 fall by or with the aid of artificial light of any description. 

 The penalty for each violation is a fine of twenty-five dollars. 

 It, is unlawful to chase, hunt, drive, worry or kill any wild 

 deer by or with the use of dog or dogs." The penalty for 

 each violation is a fine not exceeding one hundred dollars. 

 It is unlawful to set or use any traps, snares or set-guns for 

 the purpose of killing or capturing any wild deer. The 

 penalty for setting guns is imprisonment in the State prison 

 not less than six months and the penalty for setting traps or 

 suares for deer a fine not exceeding one hundred dollars. 

 One half of the fines collected shall be paid to the informer 

 and the remainder shall go to the State. Tribal Indians 

 while hunting on their reservations are not restricted by the 

 foregoing statutes, but they are subject to all the penalties 

 named for violations when found outside the limits of their 

 reservations. 



The State Geologist op New Jersey in his report says 

 there are more than 10,000 acres of land subject to overflow 

 by freshets in the Passaic at any season of the year, which 

 could be saved from this disaster by lowering the obstruc- 

 tions at Little Falls and Two Bridges seven feet. The other 

 portions of the channel are already so low that very little 

 expense would be required to bring them to a uniform grade 

 with the lowered obstructions mentioned above. The dam- 

 ages to hay on these lowlands, from being overflowed by 

 roily water last summer, could not have been less than $40,- 

 000 or $50,000, and the land itself is damaged to the amount 

 of more than half its value by the uncertainty of its crops 

 from the same cause. The water which is left stagnant on 

 these flowed lands in summer is a fruitful source of disease. 

 The project would result in reclaiming large tracts of land 

 almost worthless, and the manufacturing interest, it is said, 

 would also be protected by constructing a second dam at 

 Little Falls, below the one now in use.. It is the old darn 

 that causes the overflowing of the lands by artificially raising 

 the level of the river. Should these lands be drained, of 

 course an end will be put to the snipe, duck and woodcock 

 shooting, This year the snipe shooting has been a failure, 

 owing to the late season and dry weather, but early iu this 

 month and in March the duck shooting was excellent, far 

 better than for many years. 



Philadelphia Notes.— May 3.— Snipe are yet plentiful 

 south of Philadelphia in both Delaware and Maryland, the 

 lateness of the season causing them to remain. A large 

 flight occupied the borders of Milton Creek about the mid- 

 dle of April, and have been undisturbed up to this time. 

 Milton is six or seven miles from the railroad, and the creek 

 grounds at least three more from the town, and as none of 

 the local shooters of the place kill them, the birds find undis- 

 turbed feeding places. The tramping there, however, is very 

 soft, and top boots are advised for rheumatic individuals. I 

 know of no better spot for longbills within a reasonable 

 distance of Philadelphia than this same Milton Creek. 

 Twenty years ago it was Dr. Clapp's favorite ground and he 

 kept it all to himself. When birds are on they can always 

 be found there. At Atlantic City quite a number of ducks 

 are still being killed by sportsmen starting out from that 

 town. Black ducks are fairly plentiful yet, redheads scat- 

 tering, and shelldrakes are present in large quantities. 

 The smooth water outside of the surf is black with coots, 

 and some brant yet remain in Tuckerton Bay.— Homo. 



Maine Venison Steaks.— It is a rather startling story 

 that comes to us from a well-known Maine correspondent. 

 It appears that in the first week of April there were hauled 

 into Kingfield. for shipment south, no less than 2,700 pounds 

 of venison, being all hindquarters. The owner registered as 

 A. R. Smith, of New Haven, Conn. He affirmed that the 

 deer had been killed across the line in Canada, and to give 

 color to this statement he sent for a customs officer, had the 

 meat appraised, paid duty on it, and sent it off by railroad 

 to market. Kingfield is, we believe, forty or fifty miles 

 from the border, and this duty dodge is very suspicious. It 

 is believed by our correspondent that the deer were actually 

 killed in Maine, all but the hindquarters being left in the 

 woods, and bv this ruse shipped to market in evasion of the 

 law. Despite' the fact that notice of this case was given to 

 the Maine game officials, no adequate investigation appears 

 to have been made to determine where the deer were actually 

 slaughtered. There is something rotten in Franklin county, 

 Maine, and it is something besides a deer's carcass, too. 



Card prom Mr, J. P. Squibob.— Editor Forest and Stream : 

 Permit, me to say that no account of any "bear-scrape," 

 bull fight, assassination, or other amusement in which 

 I have been, am, or am to be a party, is to be considered 

 authentic, unless it has appended my signature, with my 

 qualities in full. I am, sir, with sentiments of the highest 

 consideration, your most obedient and most humble servant, 

 Jettoiachtm Preposterous Squibob, Knt. Grand Cross of 

 the Iron Crown, and Professor of Blood-and-Thunder in 

 General. (Elk Rapids, Michigan, April 18, 1885). 



The Spencer Gun.— Seattle, W. T.— Will not some of 

 your readers who have used the new Spencer repeating shot- 

 gun give us the benefit of their experience with the gun? 

 They have not yet appeared in this section, and I, for one, 

 would like to know something of their performance at the 

 trap and in the field. I see frequent mention of them in the 

 columns of your paper, but beyond vague expressions of ap- 

 proval, have seen nothing further. The principle seems to 

 be good, but do they pattern well and shoot hard?— Alki. 



Chateatjoat Lake,— Adirondacks, April 27. — Although 

 we have had a severe winter here, deer have wintered well 

 and seem to come out in greater numbers than the past few 

 seasons. I saw plenty of fresh signs to-day when going to 

 my otter traps. Grouse have also wintered well and are 

 quite plenty. Our fish were protected last fall while on the 

 spawning beds, and w r e anticipate good sport this spring. — 

 R, M: S. (Indian Point). 



Newport, R. I., May 2. — 1 am happy to inform you that 

 we have organized the Newport Fish and Game Association 

 with the following officers: J. P. Cotton, Vice and Acting 

 President; F. H. Wilks. Secretary; W. H. Hainmett, 

 Treasurer; W. P. Sheffield, Jr., D. LeRoy Dresser, E. S. 

 Hammond, Thos. Burlingham, S. E. Greene, Directors, We 

 have a membership of thirty. — F. H. Wilks, Secretary. 



The Merino Wad.— To-day ends the season (in this 

 State) for duck shooting. It was very poor, birds few and 

 very wild. Ducks all gone north, a few snipe and plover 

 linger still. Quail are nearly all winter killed. More prairie 

 chickens are left over this year than for the past five years; 

 if hatching season is good there will be abundance m this 

 part of the country next fall. Would like to say a word in 

 favor of the merino elastic felt gun wads. 1 have been try- 

 ing them the past season, and also have induced a number 

 of our sportsmen to try them, and we all say they are 

 capital.— J. It. O. ( Dwight, 111., April 80 ). 



Quail ln Mississippi.— The quail have wintered remark- 

 ably considering the unusually severe and protracted cold 

 weather. A natural abuudance of food helped them through 

 all the hardships. If the plentiful supply to be seen now is 

 anv criterion of future numbers, the shooting will be ex- 

 cellent the comiug season. There is no snipe shooting m 

 this section.— B. Waters (Lamar, Miss., April 11). 



Kansas,— Columbus, April 28.— The goose, duck and snipe 

 shooting was not so good as usual, and. most of the above 

 have gone north. A few fat, lazy plover, curlew and Eng- 

 lish snipe remain with us yet, and the last furnishes fine 

 sport for dog and gun,— T. 



FLY NOMENCLATURE. 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



Seeing Mr. Harrington Keene's article in your paper this 

 week, I must say it has brought recollections back to me of 

 thirty years ago, in mentioning the king of flies, Spary 'sf ancy. 

 I had not forgotten it, but did not name it as I thought 

 no one here knew there was such a fly. Mr. J. G. Lane, of 

 Hartford, last season caught his largest basket of fish with 

 Spary's fancy, sent him by my brother in England, and he 

 is undoubtedly the best fly fisher and shot in Hartford. 

 Wickham's fancy is also a good fly here. In speaking of 

 Messrs. Currell and Wickham, two gentlemen that tied their 

 own flies, and true sportsmen, I doubt if here they would 

 use any larger hook than from No. 10 to 16 midge. I find 

 as far as names of flies are concerned in this country, you 

 can send to different makers and not two flies of the same 

 name will be tied alike, and probably on different size hooks. 

 Therefore 1 think as Mr. Ladd does, if there were a fly-fishers' 

 association formed in this country, and it decides on a regu- 

 lar standard fly or flies, there would be a great deal less 

 argument in regard to the best killing fly, and a great bene- 

 fit to sportsmen in remote places where they have to send 

 perhaps three or four hundreds of miles for their flies, where 

 perhaps they will get a coaehmau with a red tail or a pro- 

 fessor with gut body, according to the maker's fancy, for 

 we all know not one out of ten fly-makers ever casts a fly, 

 and what is more, anything fancy and neat will suit most 

 dealers, anything to sell the fly. I met a gentleman in Maine 

 with two books of flies, only one of which took a fish. If 

 Mr. Russell should see this, being a New York gentleman, I 

 would like him to mention in next issue the flies that he did 

 kill with at Tyler and B. Cove. They were the red spinner, 

 cow dung and yellow dun. In the evening we killed with 

 white moth and sedge fly. A good killer also is the May fly 

 on No. 8 hook, all of which 1 tied on the sneck bent hooks, 

 Nos. 10 and 12. 



Talking of a society of anglers, why not as well as your 

 dog shows and cat shows? Certainly there is more science 

 in casting a good fly than judging a cat or a dog. Let a man 

 get a two-pounder on his fly, and get back and watch the 

 expression on his face while playing his fish, and you will 

 experience almost as much pleasure as he. 



1 would like to ask any fisherman why, this last few years. 

 so many flies of different names and kinds are introduced? 

 Is it because the flies have changed from thirty years ago? 

 I see no difference in the small flies, such as the duns, gnats 

 and dark flies. The house fly, mosquito, wasp, bee, etc., 

 certainly have not changed in my time; why shoidd the 

 water flies? Take the dobson, a good bass bait. He's the 

 same old dobson every year, except perhaps his horns might 

 be a little longer, One fly, I admit, is a little smaller here 

 than in the English waters, that is the May fly and green 

 drake; as for duns, etc., I see no difference. Then why not, 

 gentlemen of the rod and line, stick to nature? Have a 

 society and Jet every flymaker tie five or six dozen flies from 

 his own State and compare them, and let the society decide 

 on a regular set, of standard flies, and do away with this 

 "Jack's fancy" and "Bill's favorite," and soon. Let every 

 man who sends for a certain fly get it the same of one dealer 

 as of another, and that will be a guarantee that you get what 

 you call for. I will agree to tie six dozen of flies from the 

 Connecticut waters, and if all will do the same we shall get 

 at the standard fly. This is rather a poor State for nshmg, 

 that is, for the majority of sportsmen. As I say, there are 

 a few good fly-casters here, but very poor fishing. 



Now a word of advice to your friend from North Middle- 

 town Ky. If your are fully determined to give up hunting 

 worms go to some good flymaker and learu to tie your own 

 flies by study and observation on the streams in any btate. 

 Watch the lly taken and you will find it's a dun of some 

 kind or gnat. Carry your box of materials lor tying, and 

 imitate as near the natural fly as you can, and by studying 

 the colors you can, after a little while, get a good mutation 

 which will insure you a good day's sport. My first experi- 

 ence in fishing was in 1852, with my brother, on tne River 

 Itciieu between Winchester and Bishopstoke; the grayling 

 were rising finely at a small fly called the willow fly. At 

 that time I could tie a very bad fly. I got my brother's box 

 and sat down and tied two, my brother, I suppose to 

 encourage me, called them "big heads," but the color was 

 there and I caught three brace of fine grayling. From that 

 time to this I have tied my own flies, and several gentlemen 

 in Providence, Elniira and Boston, use nothing but Spary s 



