Oct. 31, 1886,1 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



247 



A Gkouse Captukbd m Town^.— Allrany, N. Y., Oct. 



16.— Last Monday, jnBt after 1 o'clock, a boy was deliver- 

 in;; soiu(> wood at iiiv house, in a tMcldy settled portion 

 Oi'the t'Lt V . and he came to the honse and inqiured what 

 kind of a,' bird we kept there. As vre keep no birds, his 

 qnestiou excited some siiriirise, and lie was told to catcii 

 it if he waated it. He retuined to tlie woodshed and in a 

 few minutes came back with a full-grown partridge. 

 The night before bad been foggy, and my impression is 

 that he .started out in tlie morning, got bewildered in the 

 fog ;',nd got under the grape arbor, and as it grew lighter 

 got into the woodslied, wliere he bid the balance of the 

 day, and ijrobably would not liave been discovered excej)t 

 for the hoy emptying a iiarrelof wood into a Ijin in wMch 

 ho was secreted, ' Partridges are usually so hard to find in 

 fields and woods, and instances of their being seen in 

 cities so rare, I thought you might be interesled in this 

 incident.— Willi AH E. f'itch. 



Two Days at Barnegat.— We were no sooner settled 

 than the ducks began, to fly in every direction, but none 

 of them came withru g-un shot for over an bom-, when we 

 bagged two broadbills oid. of a small flock, which, 1 

 should say, were fully 75yds. away. After that we did 

 not get a shot for several hours, Avhen we had quite a 

 lively time firing at single birds; but they were all long 

 sliots. The day's total only amounted to 3 redheads. 6 

 broadbills and 3 widgeons. We tried a second day A\ itli 

 about the same luck, and went home the day after, feel- 

 ing just as happy over our small string of 23 birds, as the 

 majority would over tlrrce times that number. We de- 

 cided to try it again, but in the f:dl instead of the spring, 

 a-s the last few years. The birds are sadly decreasing in 

 mnnbers. and this is mostly due to spring shooting. — 

 O. U. B. 



Those Sn acker Libel Suits. — We announced last week 

 the withch-awal of the Shacker libel suits against Dr. 

 Samuel B. H\mter of tliis to^vn, for his alleged author- 

 ship of an article in the Fokest and Streali neAvspaper 

 last stmamer. Hince the suits were withdrawn a rumor 

 has gained more or less cm-rency that the Doctor procured 

 the withdrawal by the payment of a considerable sum of 

 money. A flat contradiction of all such statements ap- 

 pears necessary. We are informed on the best authority 

 that Dr. Hunter did not make or authorize any overtures 

 for settlement, and did not pa.y, a.nd rmder no circunr- 

 stanccs cotild have been induced to pay, one cent for the 

 withdrawal of the case against h\va.—3£acMcis, Me., Re- 

 publican, Oct. 16. 



Quail in New York City.— Last Sattu-day whde play- 

 ing tennis in Spnyten Dtiyvd, I was surprised to hear the 

 unmi.stakable whistle of a quail, and a moment later an 

 answer from another a fe^v rods away. They were in a 

 small i^iece of -woods tliick with underbrtish. I hiiv(\ fre- 

 quently seen gray squirrels there and have heard stories 

 of trotit, but no .sportsman need apply, nor dogs either. 

 There are pleiity of the lattei', laxge and rurmuzzled. — 

 F'lin. 



PENNSYLVANIA LAWS. 



Editor Forest cmd Strcmn: 



I inclose a leaf from "PMladelDWa Times Almanac," wliicli 

 agrees mth PaniDlilot I^aws, find is liandy for use. Before 1883 the 

 season did extend lo Dec. .SI But so many deer were slauplitcred 

 on tlie first snri^vi=, .c^euerally in latter part of December, that we 

 got this among othei- cliaugos in the la.w. It slionld he corrected 

 (of cour.'ie in yonr own way) Ijecanse yon are loolcedto asantlioritv 

 in stich matters. Here we tliinli tlic se;ison for grouse should opeii 

 Sept. 1, because tlie squirrel fellows shoot them any ^^'ay, they go 

 for hair and get teathers. HaA-e iust come in with a string of 

 grouse and write this in a iiurry to catch the mail. 



The inelosnre is pi'inted in full as follows: 



Pennsylvania Gainc aiifl Fish. Laws. 

 GAMje;. 



No person slutll kill or pursue any w ild deer, save only between 

 the 1st of October and the 15th of December of any year, under 

 pejialty of §50. Xor hare in his or her possession, or oiler for sale, 

 any wild deer or tresh \'enison, excepting from Oct. 1 to 'Nov. 30, 

 inclusive. 



No person shall, at any time, kill any fa^TO when in its spotted 

 coat, oi; have the fresh skin of such fawn in possession, under 

 penalty of goO. Dogs pursuing deer or fawn may be killed by and 

 person, and the o^vner of such dogs shall be liable to a penalty of 



flO for each deer killed by such dog, except in CeDtre,Cliuton, 

 a.\ettc, Lycoming, Luzerne, Scliuylkill, Union and Wyoming 

 counties. 



No person shall kill, or have in possession after being killed, any 

 gray, black, or fox squirrel between Jan. 1 and Sept. 1— penalty, .^5 

 for each squirrel; hare or rabbit, bet\veen Jan. 1 and Nov. 1— 

 penalty, 1-5 for e^jch rabbit; wild turkey, between Jan. 1 and Oct. 1.5 

 —penalty, 310 tor each turkey; upland or grass plover, between 

 .)8,n. 1 and July 15— penalty, IflOforeachplover; woodcock, between 

 .Jan. 1 and .July -1 — penalty, 810 for each woodcock; quail or part- 

 ridge, between Jan. 1 and Oct. 15— penalty, $10 for each quail: 

 ruffed grouse or pheasant, between Jan. 1 and Oct. 1— penalty, $lO 

 for each pheasant. 



No person shall, at any time, kill or take any wild turkey, 

 grouse or plieasajit, quail or partridge, or woodcock, by means of 

 any blind, torcliliglit , trap, snare, net, or device whatever, under 

 penalliy of £10 foi- each. bird. 



No person shall hunt or permit the hunting of hares or rabbits 

 with ferrets, under jjenalty of $10 for eacli rabbit caught or killed 

 by such means. 



It is illegal to kill, trap, or expose for sale, or have in possession 

 after being killed, any uigbt-hawk, whippoorwill, thrush, lark, 

 finch, martin, swallow, woodpecker, flicker, robin, oriole, red-bird, 

 cedarbird,: catbird, bluebird, tanager, or any other insectivorous 

 bird, under penalty of 15 to?- each bird. 



No person shall destroy the eggs or nests of any wild birds what- 

 soever (only predatory birds, such as are destructive of game or 

 insectivorous birds), under penalty of $10. 



No person shall catch, kill, or disturb wild pigeons while on 

 nesting-grounds, under penalty of iS50. No person, not a citizen of 

 h'ennsyl\'ania, mny ti'ap or net wild pigeons in any courit.\', unless 

 he sliall have iij'St taken out a license from the treasiu'er of the 

 said county, and paid therefore the sum of |50, for the use of the 

 county. 



jSo person sLa.ll hunt pheasant during the nislit time, in any 

 manner Avliatc\-ci-, under penalty of flO for each offense. 



It is unla\vf ul to liunt, slioot, or destroy any web-footecl fowl ex- 

 cept from Sept. 1 to April .50, inclusive. At no time it is lawful to 

 hunt, shoot, or destroy such fowl from or -v^dth' any craft or boat 

 propelled by steam or sails. 



ITSH. 



• It is made illegal to ca tch speckled trout, save only by rod, hook 

 and hne, at any time, or to place any set lines or set nets across 

 any stream inhabited by them, under penaltj^ of S2.5. 



No person shall kill, sell, or liave in possession after being killed, 

 any salmon or speckled trout, save ordy from the lolh. of April to 

 the 15tli of July, under penalty of .SIO for each fish. No person 

 shall take, for sale, any trout less than Sin. long, or fish in any 

 waters for three years, in which brook trout have been planted by 

 tbe Fish Commissioners, when public notice of said planting ha's 

 been given, under fSy penalty. 



No person shall catch or kill, save only with rod, hook and line, 

 at anytime, and no person shall catch or sell, or have in possession 

 after being killed, any bass, pike, pickerel, or Snsquehamia salmon, 

 between ttie 1st of January and the Ist of .June, under penalty of 

 ^10. Any person taking or caooui-ing a bass of less size than bin. 

 in length ball immediately return the same to the waters whence 

 taken, under pena.lty of .^0. 



No ]ierson sha 11 kill or catch flsh bj- placing any torpedo, giant- 

 powder, nitro-glycerine, or other explosive substance, in any of 

 tfie streams of thia Commonwealth, under penalty of $50. 



No person shall catch or destroy flsh by shutting o(T or drawing 

 of? any of the water of the State, or by dragging small nets or 

 seines therein, when the waters are wholly or partly shut ofl, 

 under penalty of $50. 



No person sliall place any fish-basket, pond-net, gill-net, eel- weir, 

 kiddle, brusli, or facine net in any of the waters of tlris State, under 

 peuahy of $;i5 for each offense. 



It shall ])e lawful to lish with fyke or hoop nets, in any of the 

 streams uninhabited by brook or speckled trout, during the 

 months of M.a.rch, April, ]\la\', September, Octolier anil November, 

 provided Urat the meshes of said nets sliaU not be less than one 

 inch in size, and shall not be placed at the cOTiflueiice of any wing- 

 waUs, and if any salmon, bass, trout, pike, pickerel, or any other 

 kind of fish introduced by the Corumonweail li in aai<l waters, .shall 

 be taken or ca.pttired 1.)y means aforcsaiil, I liey shall be retui-ncd 

 alive to the waters whence taken, and any person violating the 

 provisions of this act shall be subject to a penalty of S25. 



It shall not be lawful, at any time, to catch fish by means of the 

 dra wing of a seine or seines, in anv of the waters of this State, 

 urjder pen.'iltv of $35. 



Sliadshiill not be taken in the Susquehanna or Juniata river.s, 

 Jrom sunset on Saturday to stnirise on Monday, during the run of 

 sliad, from March 15 to Juno 25, or with seines less than four and 

 one-half inches in the mesh, under penalty of $50 and thi-ee 

 months itnprisonment. 



§m mtd §mr ^ishinq. 



Add/ress all fAtmmunimtdoDs to tlie Forest and St/ream Fub. Co. 



THE NEPIGON. 



IN a recent issue of the Forest and Stream I read a 

 short article on the Nepigon which recalled a very 

 pleasurable exj)erience of mine on that famed and beauti- 

 ftd stream whose swift cold waters afford so much sport 

 for the angler. 



In the summer of 1867, in comj)any with my cousin, I 

 was engaged in manufacturing in the city of Detroit. We 

 were in tlie oakum business, and those who are acquainted 

 withthe^articleknowits qualifications for disapiiearing very 

 suddenly in smoke. We Avere engaged in putting in new 

 raacliinery and one day when all was lovely and serene 

 and we, in fond imagination, were coining shekels in the 

 near futm-e, the fire iiend descended through the cloud- 

 less air and with one fell swoo-hoop disappeared in flame 

 with otu- possessions — and we stood and let 'em go. Thirty 

 minutes sufficed and my cousin thusly unto me spoke, 

 "That bm-sts our little bubble," and I, remembering a 

 slender bank account, looked at him affirmatively. The 

 machinery was sold; and about the time we got things 

 straightened up, an exciu-sion party from Buffalo or 

 Cleveland on the ijropellor Ironsides, arrived at Detroit 

 bound for Lake Superior and a good time. With a view 

 of driving "dull care" and the memory of our misfortune 

 away, and in anticipation of good fishing somewhere, 

 somehow, of which we were both very fond, O. sud- 

 denly suggested that we join the paj:ty,*if yet there was 

 room. There was room, just one stateroom left, and we 

 engaged it, got our grips and fishing rods together, and 

 one night when the moon shone bright we went aboard 

 and to bed, awaking the next morning as the boat was 

 passing tlu-ough Lake St. Clair. 



Our trip througli the river, Lake Hm-on and the Sault 

 Ste. Maxie was imeventful. Om* party was a very pleas- 

 ant one, the table good, the captain good-natm-ed and 

 obliging, and nothing was lacking to make the voyage 

 enjoyable. We stopped a half day at St. Marie, saw the 

 Inchans catch whitefish, which we helped dispose of, ran 

 the rapids m birch canoes (being the jiroper caper), were 

 locked through the canal and launched forth into grand 

 Lake Superior. That evening we enjoyed the most 

 wonderful and glorious view of the ausora it was ever 

 my good fortune to behold. We stopped at Marquette a 

 few hoivrs, and after lookmg over the place a httle, O. 

 and I took our rods to a stream a mile from town and 

 took out thu-ty-five pretty trotit. The next morning I 

 was awakened by much ringing of engine bells and found 

 we were poking our way through the tortuous, sluggisli 

 waters of Portage Entry, which connects Portage Lake 

 Avith Lake S. or KeeweenaAv Bay. We stopped a couide 

 of hours at Hancock, a copper inining town on Portage 

 Lake, visited mills and mines and then crossed to Hough- 

 ton, a similar town on the opposite side of the lake, where 

 we stopped a half day. Inquiring the whereabouts of 

 trout streams, O. and I were soon bruiting them up, but 

 the labor exceeded the pleasure by large odds, for the 

 brush Avas thick and musquitoes ferocious. We captured 

 sixteen nice fish though, and I nearly ran a spruce stub 

 through my neck as I slipped on a mossy log. Out again 

 into Lake S. and to Ontona.gon, stopping an hour or tAvo. 



The captain had decided to cross here to the north 

 shore, but the passengers prevailed on him to Adsit Bay- 

 field, near the western end of the lake; so thither we went. 

 B. is a sleepy little hamlet, or Avas, but having a very fine 

 har1x)r. O. and I engaged Indians and canoes and went 

 trouting again, haAdng fine sj)ort. getting 43, one weigh- 

 ing lilbs. — the largest trout I had ever killed. From Bay- 

 field we steamed to Isle Royale, where Ave stopped a half 

 day, finding a Government survey steamer making sound- 

 ings and otherwise passing the time. From here Ave 

 sailed to Fort William, a Hudson's Bay post, and an- 

 chored a mOe and a half from shore in shalloAA^ water. 

 Smallboats took us ashore, where we inspected the com- 

 pairy's quarters and saAv some ChippeAvas attempt a scalj) 

 dance and get beaten in a foot race AA-ith AA-hite men. One 

 of their bra,ves had recently returned from the Far West 

 with a Sioux scalp, so represented, and the Indians gath- 

 ered in the yard in front of the post and treated us to 

 Avhat was called a scalp dance, in order to gather in a 

 little filtliy lucre in return for a view of filth in other 

 shapes. There may be among your readers those who 

 have never seen a modern Indian scalp dance or any other 

 dance, so I Avill briefly quote from my journal; 



' 'But tAvo or three of the bucks were dressed, or un- 

 dressed as Ave suj)posed Avild Indians Avould be, so far from 

 ciAdlization, the most of them having either coats, pants, 

 shirts or boots on, and some all of these — a stove-pipe hat 

 or two Avas sported AAdth great pride. Two or three had 

 nothing on but the traditional breech clout. All were 

 painted hideously. The scalp was tied to one end of a 

 stick abotit two feet long and around it were himg strings 

 of beads, buttons, feathers, pieces of bright-colored cloth 

 and other geAv-gaws, so that Avith difficulty one could find 

 the scalp. This stick they set up in the ground, while 

 close by two or three Avith kegs covered with skins for 

 drums, and one Avith a piece of stovepipe began the 

 trouble. At first the men danced singly before the scalp, 

 and beneath a British flag, which one "of them held over 

 them. The dancing consisted of stamping on the ground 

 with arms bent, and placing themselves in aU sorts of 



ridiculous postru'es. Each held in one hand a mtistard 

 box partly filled AAdth pebbles which he AA'orked for aU it 

 Avas worth; in the other a stritig of eagle's feathers, Avhicb 

 he brandished. When one hacl hopped as long as he could 

 stand it, he handed his box and feathers to another fraud , 

 who hopped awhile. When all the noble ragamuffins had 

 hopped singly, tliey combined the hop. When all had 

 wiggled t(3gether. the squaws formed a circle around the 

 scaij) and musicians, tlie Avarriors on the outside and the 

 circus began. The squaws hopped around the scalp, 

 drummers and tom-tommers, the men hopped around the 

 squaAvs, and all grunted and Avhooped their audience out 

 of all patience and the show broke up." 



I bought a heavy MackinaAv blanket here for the coming 

 Nepigon trip, which I have yet, and in many a camp has 

 it given me comfort since. Four of the party, Messrs. 

 Cameron from Cincinnati, Dexter from Chicago, O. and 

 I, hired four Indians and tAvo canoes here for our Nepigon 

 exciu-sion, the firsl named gentleman having been to that 

 stream for several seasons, and of course was a soiu'ce of 

 information on all points. The next morning we were m 

 Nepigon Bay, a beautiful sheet of water, with beautiful 

 islands and pictm-esque bluffs. At noon aa-c cast anchor 

 near tlic mouth of the river, and after dinner the bustle 

 of preparation, so dear to the heart of the sportsman, 

 began. In addition to the quaii:ette above mentioned, the 

 captain, steward and three ladies had concluded to go to 

 Camp Alexander, about fifteen miles up the river, and 

 camp out a day or so. The boats and canoes were soon 

 loaded, and Avith parting salutes and good wishes from 

 the i^assengers left on the propeller, Ave began the journey 

 with high hopes of landing huge trout, taking along half 

 barrels and salt to pack them in, which I thought rather 

 superfluous, but I learned more of the number and size 

 of Nepigon trout before I returned. After enjoying a 

 most delightful tiip and beautiful scenery, we reached 

 Camj) Alexander, a point round Avhich the river rushed 

 swiftly, at sunset, and pitched tents for the ladies. Here 

 a portage must be made. As a matter of cottrse we en- 

 joyed oiu' supper and pipes immensely and slept like logs. 

 Early next morning Mr. Cameron took four trout larger 

 than any I had ever seen, and my arms ached for the fray. 

 They ached worse after it. 



After breakfast the quartette took its departure for a 

 point about 25 miles firrther up, where Mr. C. had camped 

 previously. At the first portage of 2i miles we met 

 a party of Hudson's Bay Indians going down to Eed 

 Rock station for supplies for the interior, Eed Rock being 

 a post near the mouth of the river. The amount of goods 

 of all softs that these Inchans Avill carry on their backs, 

 sujiported by a strap passing across the forehead, aston- 

 ishes a tenderfoot. We made foru- portages aroimd 

 rapids this day, the Indians carrying the canoes and 

 duffle and we going light with rods. The scenery was 

 grand. The rusMng waters, pi-ecipitous cliffs, lovely 

 Lslands, rocky canons and bold mountains, combined to 

 form most beautiful pictures, and just ahead of us were 

 not the speckled b — usters waiting for us? Before sunset 

 we made camp at the head of Hamilton Pool and fished 

 until dark, taking 30, averaging 21bs. What a feast 

 we had at supper. j?he Indians could dress a trout 

 and have liim in the skillet before he fairly realized he 

 was out of the water. And what a place of all places for 

 a camp. At oirr back the unbroken forest rising to the 

 mountains; in front and afar to the right the beautifid 

 waters of Hamilton's Pool; to the left and just above the 

 rapids, where the ice cold water rushed and foamed 

 among the rocks, and under our feet a soft bed of pine 

 needles where aa^c might rest our weary bones and rise 

 refreshed for another bout with the trout. 



The next morning AA^hen I awoke, between 4 and 5 

 o'clock, a couple of polecats were rummaging around at 

 om- feet, but on our moving they leisurely and uncon- 

 cernedly walked off into the woods. "We fished early 

 and late this day, creeling 130 fish, averaging 31bs. The.se 

 the Indians dressed and salted doAsm." Thus goes my 

 journal of that day. Another entry stands thus: "Broke 

 the tip of my rod to-day on a big fish — probably a 1,000- 

 pounder.'' The mosquitoes and flies were just aAvfully 

 aAvf ul. O. was bitten on the eyelid and lost the use of tha,t 

 peeper for tAventy-four hours. The next morning we 

 fished until 9 o'clock, but the fish did not rise eagerly; so 

 Ave broke camp and returned to the next pool below, 

 where we found a party of Toronto gentlemen who had 

 followed us up. We liad not quite filled our half barrels, 

 so, at the invitation of these gentlemen, Ave pitched om- 

 tent near tliem and proposed to fill the packages, provided 

 the trout were AAdlling. Mr. Cameron and I took our 

 canoe, Avith tAvo Indians, and got up as close to the rapids 

 as possible, one Indian holding us Avith the setting pole, 

 the other handling the landing net, while Mr. C. and I 

 handled the fish. 



I qtiote again: "We caught in an hour 18 fish, 14 of 

 which averaged S^lbs. We fished A\dth from 40 to 60ft. of 

 line out, and much of the time were each playing a fish 

 at the same time, and lost many OAAdng to the SA\dft cur- 

 rent. Almost every fish leaped its full length out of the 

 water as it took the fly, and then- red and yellow bellies 

 flashed most beautifully in the sunlight." 



The next morning, after a A^ery pleasant visit with the 

 Canadians, we got under way again, and after a thorough- 

 ly enjoyable ride, varied by the usual portages, meeting 

 the Hudson's Bay Indians coming back loaded, we reached 

 the Lonsides at 8 P. M. , finding the passengers all agog 

 for our return, having fought mosquitoes and flies until 

 they were thoroughly disgusted and ready to depart. The 

 captain and the steward had caught enough trout at Camp 

 Alexander to make with av hat we caught about 8001bs. , 

 the bulk of wlrich Avere distributed, salted doAvn, to the 

 passengers as they wished, to be sent home, the remainder 

 put on ice and served up on board imtil we were surfeited 

 Avdth trout. 



Such was trouting on the Nepigon twenty years ago. I 

 give figures simply to shoAv the abundance of fish at that 

 time. I read of good fishing there noAA^, but fish can 

 hardly be as abimdant as then, AA^henl spent the red-letter 

 day of my trouting experience. O. O, S. 



National Rod and Reel Association.— The follow- 

 ing notice has been issued: "l^ew York, Oct, 15, 1886. — 

 The annual meeting for the election of officers and the 

 transaction of such other business as may come up will 

 be held in the laboratory of Mr. E. G. Blackford, Fulton 

 Market, on Monday, Oct 25, at 3:30 P. M. Dues may be 

 sent to the secretary at Cold Spring Harbor, N. Y., by 

 check, money order or registered letter. Signed, Francis 

 Endicott, President; Fred. Mather, Secretary." 



