346 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



[JS'ov. 188f>. 



flat, boat or float about thirtjr inches wide. TLo mode of 

 propulsion was to be tlie walking movement of one's legs. 

 On tlie bottom of each float fins or paddles are hinged across 

 the line of travel. The paddles fold back flat against tlie 

 bottom of the boat, but are arranged to stand perpendicular 

 to the bottom when moved forward. The arrangement lets 

 them cut through the water without resistance forward, but 

 holds the boat from moving sternward. The first trip was 

 made on the canal, and the craft slid into the water without 

 the usual baptism of champagne, but amid the cheers of 

 coimtless small boys. She moved easily, cannot be upset, 

 and may possess some features that would be valuable in a 

 sporting craft. My pride as the inventor of the novelty was 

 taken down when an Englishman who heard of her said he 

 saw one on exactly the same principle in England, and that 

 her builder "made her^o like 'ell." E. R. 



Rochester, November, 1885. 



NOTES FROM FIELD, WOOD AND SHORE. 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



The cold season has begun, and the shooting, so far as 

 birds are concerned, is over. The ruffed grouse is the prin- 

 cipal game bird. Although not so numerous as they were 

 years ago, there are enough birds to satisfy any reasonable 

 sportsman. Small flocks of ducks are occasionally seen, but 

 the wild pigeon is about as "scarce as hen's teeth." Fifteen 

 years ago they were seen in countless numbers: likewise 

 there were shooters in great numbers. There are a few deer 

 on the peninsula of Bruce county, but I am afraid they will 

 not last long; nine carcases were brought into "Wiarton 

 lately. Black bears are not uncommon, indeed I think they 

 are increasing; are seen when raspberries are ripe. No one 

 owns bear dogs to trail them, so they are safe in the heavily 

 timbered pine and cedar swamps. There are very few 

 sportsmen in the county, mostly pot-hunters, just because 

 they are not acquainted with the Forest and Stream. 



Tamarack. 



Carsill, Ont., Nov. IS. 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



Quail are plenty, and I hear of turkey and deer being seen 

 in the hamak, a few milea out of town. A. 8. A. 



Bellevikw, Fia., Nov. 3. 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



Have just returned from a ducking trip off Fire Island. 

 Saw very few birds, the most of which were sheldrake and 

 brant. Birds are very shy, and stool miserablv. Bagged 

 one broadbill and one sheldrake. They say this has been so 

 far a very bad year- for waterfowl on the Great South Bay. 

 New York, Nov. 14. J. W. 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



The hunting season is at its height here. The quail shoot- 

 ing lasted but thirteen days this year, and every lover of the 

 sport was out with gun and dog. Quail have been unusu- 

 ally abundant, and many fancy .shots from Cincinnati and 

 adjoining towns have been here and carried awaj-^ birds by 

 the dozen. Rabbits are very plenty, and hundreds are 

 shipped from here daily. Squirrels can be found in the 

 woods adjoining town. The quail law closed on the 13th, 

 and we now shoot birds in Kentucky. If good shooting is 

 wanted it can be found here. G. G. J. 



Moscow, O., Nov. 17. 



Editon' Forest and Stream: 



Ruffed grouse very scarce. Judge Farnham, of Wellsville, 

 reports them plenty in Allegany county. J. O. F. 



HORNELLSVILLE, N. Y., NoV. 20. 



A NEW GUN PRINCIPLE. 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



With your permission I would like to call the attention of 

 sportsmen and others interested in the progress of gunnery, 

 particularly that of the modern breechloader, to an improve- 

 ment which has been patented to me recently (Nov. 8, 188f>) 

 in breechloading firearms. So far in the history of breech- 

 loading arms, particularly in that of rifles, there has been no 

 adequate provision made for prolonging and maintaining 

 their accuracy to any material length of time, in the hands 

 of the sportsman, to' any degree of time at all comparable to 

 the average life of the old muzzleloader; and there has been 

 no special device whatever adopted whereby a radical change 

 could be made with fixed ammunition at will and the gun 

 remain intact in the hands of the sportsman ; in this respect 

 the breechloader again falls very far short in its sphere of 

 usefulness of that of the muzzleloader with its unlimited 

 charge. 



When, after a season's repeated tiring at the target or in 

 the field, the bore or caliber of a breechloader has become 

 so worn and enlarged as to create a windage of the bullet 

 sufficient to destroy the accuracy of the arm, a resort for 

 relief is generally had in a bullet of the Minie pattern, or 

 one extra heavy, of soft lead on the theory that its inertia 

 should cause it to upset upon the explosion of the charge, 

 and by being pressed again to the bottom of the too shallow 

 grooves, thus destroy the windage and restore the accuracy. 

 Barring any consideration of the temporary character of the 

 relief thus afforded, it is insisted that the methods are in- 

 effectual, because uncertain, and unscientific because not 

 positive in their action, as experience has always proven. 



Regarding the second point made, as to a change of load, 

 or charges that, in fixed ammunition, a charge cannot be 

 increased beyond the limits or capacity of the shell, goes 

 without the saying, because that fact is self-evident: and 

 in decreasing the quantity of powder used in a fixed ammu- 

 nition requires the production of a straight shell, of unneces- 

 sary and unseemly length, with a bullet shoved far down 

 into it, on to the lessened charge; or the production of a 

 shorter shell which will not reach the length of the chamber; 

 or the production of a full-length shell filled with a miscel- 

 laneous assortment of powder, sawdust, bonedust, corks, 

 wads, or air-space. Neither of these devices have proved of 

 practical utility. In the first case, the shell, being straight, 

 does not extract well, and the shell itself becomes fouled at 

 once; if made tapering outside and straight inside there is a 

 waste of valuable material and subject to the same fouUng; 

 in the second case there is a windage to the bullet, causing an 

 escape of gas, an uncertainty as to how the bullet will take 

 the lands, and a fouling of the chamber of the gun; and in 

 the last case, saying nothing of the wear and general de- 

 moralization of the interior of the barrel from such a nonde- 

 script mass being repeatedly blown through it, the bullet is 

 necessarily uncertain in its action and "almost invariably 

 tumbles and penetrates the target sideways." Experience 

 has proved these facts, too, indisputably. 



And there is another point to be made in regard to the 

 deficiencies of the breechloader, viz,, there has been no pro- 

 per means yet devised of handily extracting a shell which 

 the extractor fails to draw. The gun, while in this condition, 

 IS renjlered perfectly ?iors du combat, to the always great 

 annoyance and sometimes imminent danger of the sportsman, 

 and certainly the soldier in the field. The construction of 

 breechloaders to carry ramrods as auxiliary extractors, beside 

 "stealing the thunder" of the old muzzleloader, is false to a 

 true conception of the proper functions of an independent 

 breechloader, and practically but a lame apology for appro- 

 priate relief. 



Having thus arraigned the breechloader and given the 

 counts in the indictment against it, the next thing in order is 

 to produce a remedy for the deficiencies set forth, and thereby 

 perfect and establish the status of all breechloading arms, 

 whether for the sportsman, the soldier, or the marine, It is 

 proposed to produce a breechloader which shall be accom- 

 panied with a set of interchangeable auxiliary chambers, 

 made to fit the breech end of the barrel, of different internal 

 capacities to a given caliber, with a graduated fixed ammu- 

 nition to suit. How this purpose is accomplished may be 

 most readily apprehended by reference to the following illus- 

 trations, which were first drawn for application to a Frank 

 Wesson .40-caliber. 



I-ii.4r. 



Fig. 1 is a sectional view of a steel auxiliary chamber 

 bored to carry a .40-90-300 BuUard cartridge. 



Fig. 3 is an exterior view of all the interchangeable 

 chambers. 



Fi§. 3 is a sectional view of the .40-90 chamber and 

 cartridge in place in the breech end of the barrel. 



Fig, 4 is a view of a .40-75-325 Bullard chamber and 

 cartridge in place in the same barrel, the .40-90 having been 

 taken out and replaced by this. 



Fig. 5 is a view of a .40 60-260 Marlin chamber and 

 cartridge. 



An addition of still another chamber might be made of a 

 .40 45-265 Sharps' patched. In such case there would be 

 four changes of charges for the one gun, commencing at 

 forty-five grains of powder and advancing by an addition of 

 fifteen grains to each successive charge, and running up to 

 the maximum in this case of ninety grains. In ordering a 

 gun of this kind, of course it will be optional with the 

 purchaser to choose the caliber, and the number and kind of 

 auxiliary chambers to accompany it, and which may at any 

 time be multiplied, the same being produced of standard in- 

 terchangeable sizes for different calibers. 



If, after a season's shooting, the gun has become, as the 

 phrase goes, "shot out" and consequently inaccurate, the 

 grooves may be re cut, the bore generally repolished with the 

 same facility as the muzzleloader, and the accuracy of the 

 arm restored by the introduction of a chamber a size larger 

 in caliber. This answers the pm'pose of reaming the bullet 

 moulds of the muzzleloader and insures the possession of the 

 breechloading Betsy for a lifetime, with all the pleasant 

 memories connected with it. And thus is "Nessmuk's" 

 wail for a breechloading gun that "can vary the charge ac- 

 cording to the game," answered with an echo. 



The following illustration will show where the extra cham- 

 bers accompanying the gun are kept until wanted, with one 

 in the barrel ready for use. The butt-plate opens and shuts, 

 turning on the square joint A, and is held in either position 

 by the action of the spring B, and the auxiliary chambers 

 carried in the butt of the stock. 



The extractor of this gun will be constructed so as to be 

 ea,?ily removed or turned out of the way to permit the pas- 

 sage of the chambers. 



If a shell gets fast in the chambers and the extractor will 

 not draw it, remove the chamber and drive the shell out with 

 the handle of the little iron pocket chamber wrench made 

 to accompany the gun and which is its only ramrod. 



In the construction of shotguns two auxiliary chambers 

 should be furnished for each baiTcl of the gun; one each for 



metallic and for paper shells. This will allow |for the dif- 

 ferent thicknesses of the two kinds of shells, and the inside 

 diameter of the two may be made alike, and to the caliber 

 of the gun. This will permit the use of wads of the same 

 size, and thereby insure uniformity of shooting. 



The auxiliary chamber principle applied to arms used for 

 military purposes will have a vital value, especially with 

 regard to small arms in the hands of the soldier. Dm-ing 

 our late war we had our experience in this matter. 'The 

 following extract, taken from a leading editorial of the 

 Forest and Stream, while treating of a prospective Anglo- 

 Russian war, thus vividly portrays the fatal shortcomings of 

 the military breechloader in action : 



"Another point of more than ordinary importance in all 

 this discussion is the trouble which constantly threatens 

 frorn the confusion of ammunition. Each rifle carries its 

 special cartridge, which will not serve any other weapon. 

 The result is that in the huriy and scurry of train dispatch- 

 ing, it very often happens that the wrong cartridge cases 

 are sent to the fighting men in the front, and they are left 

 with magnificent rifles, yet of no more use than so many 

 haysticks. This condition of affairs wtis met again an'd 

 again during our late civil war, and it would require the 

 most careful sort of management of the supply trains to pre- 

 vent its happening along the enormous fighting line which 

 win open with the Anglo-Russian war." 



This experience has led the government into trying the 

 experiment of establishing the use of a one-sized caitiidge 

 for all small arms. That" ultimate failure in this direction 

 will be the result is probable, owing to the different weights, 

 and consequent recoil of the arms. 



So far as the breechloaders now in common use are con- 

 cerned, they can readily be changed so as to use auxiliiiry 

 chambers, especially singleloaders, and there is nothing in 

 the action of repeaters, but what slight changes will fit them 

 to the use of auxiliary chambers. 



The fixed ammunition prepared for use in the new gun 

 will have heads all of one size to one caliber, and will be 

 graded to suit the necessities of the sportsmen at the range 

 or in the field. 



Having already trespassed too much upon your space I 

 will close by expressing the opinion that a white day has 

 come in the history of the modern breechloader. 



CorMON Sense. 



VV'ashington, D._C^^ 



Hunters and Settlers. — There has been some trouble 

 between sportsmen and settlers in the Pine and Popple river 

 regions of Wisconsin. The F]oro.nce (Wis.) 3fimng Wem, 

 Nov. 14, takes a very sensible view of the affair. It says: 

 "The Ohio and other foreign hunters in the vicinity of the 

 Pine and Popple rivers, were greatly surprised during the 

 forepart of the present week hy receiving vi-its from armed 

 bodies of settlers, who requested them to leave the country. 

 The settlers claim the hunters hound the deer, hunt with 

 headlights, shoot their stock, insult their wives, and in muny 

 other ways trespass on their feelings and premises. If so, 

 they have just cause for grievance, but arc taking the 

 wrong way to obtain redress. A homesteader has vested in 

 himself the right to protect his home, stock and land, but his 

 jurisdiction extends only so far as tlie limit of his own prem- 

 ises. He has not the power to order visiting hunters from 

 lands owned by others than himself. If his rights are 

 trampled upon, his feelings and property injured and the 

 laws broken, the proper way is to appeal to the law, whose 

 strong arm will protect him. In the large number of outside 

 hunters who come to enjoy the rare sport to he found in the 

 great forests hereabouts,' there arc of cour.se some who have 

 little or no regard for the welfare, safety and rights of any 

 except themselves. But there are alio many, and, in fact, 

 the major portion of them, are law-abiding, sport-loving 

 gentlemen, who have all regard for those things which are 

 the inalienable right of their fellow men. In making trouble 

 for these, they have done as great an injustice as the settlers 

 claim they suffer at the hands of the other class. One hun- 

 ter, a gentlemanly fellow, said to a representative of this 

 paper: 'A body of armed men came to our camp on Mon- 

 day and ordered us out of the countiy. There were a dozen 

 of them at least and every man had a gun. We asked them 

 if they owned the premises on which we were camping. 

 They said that they did not. We asked them, then, by 

 what authority they ordered us to go. They then left, but 

 not without admonishing us to leave, and saying that we 

 would hear from them again. I never will infringe on the 

 rights of others, but this is a free country and I will not be 

 bulldozed. The settlers may have been given trouble, but 

 that does not warrant them in troubling innocent parties. I 

 will let them sti-ictly alone and I want to be let alone. These 

 are the sentiments of all of the hunters I am acquainted 

 with. We want peace if possible, but will stand up for our 

 rights. If the settlers are troubled why don't they sweai* out 

 warrants for the oilenders and not bother those who mind 

 their own business.' All of the hunters .seem to talk about 

 the same. They say they will not leave until they get ready; 

 they will molest no one and wiU not be molested. Really 

 the proper course for the settlers to pursue is to appeal to 

 the law if they receive injuries of any kind and not resort to 

 guerrilla practices and mob law. Unless matters assume a 

 different phase, there is liable to be bloodshed, as thi? settlers 

 appear to be on the warpath and the hunters are inclined to 

 defend themselves and stand their ground. It is to be hoped 

 that cooler counsel will prevail and that no violence will be 

 done." 



The Wild Pigeon.— South Lyon, Mich.— In years bacJj, 

 up to 1874, we saw large flocks of pigeons migratmg from 

 north to south in the fall and from south to north in spring, 

 sometimes staying with us a few days and then disappearing 

 on their journey. Since 1874 we have not seen any flocks, 

 and only a very few single birds in a whole year. Why 

 have they stopped their migrating, and where have they 

 gone to, or are they numbered with the past? — Youso 

 Reader. [There is no mystery about the disappearance of 

 the wild pigeons. Their flocks have been depleted by market 

 pot-hunters and by the trap-shooting game protective so- 

 cieties.] 



Simon Truman, living near Elkland, Potter county, Pa., 

 is dead at the age of seventy. He was a famous bear hunter 

 and often asserted that he had killed over two hundred 

 bears. He was driving along a road with a companion when 

 the horses, scared at two trained bears, turned .short around 

 and threw both men out. Truman struck on a sharp knot 

 on a log, breaking three ribs and pushing the broken pieces 

 into his lung. He said to the physician : "This will settle 

 me. I don't mind dying, but it's the thought that after 

 escaping from wild bears for fifty years I am killed thiough 

 tame bears, chained and muzzled; that worries me." — Ex. 



