170 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



[Aug. 24, 1895. 



Duxtrary Y. C. 



DUXBURY, MASS, 



Saturday, Aug. 10. 

 The fourth regatta of the Duxbury T. 0. was sailed on Aug. 10, 

 starting in almost a calm, the wind coming in later and making a race. 

 The principal event was the third contest for the Davenport challenge 

 cup, already won twice by Fanny D. This time the older boat, Nancy 

 Hanks, was the victor. The times were: 



SPECIAL CLASS. 



Length. Elapsed. Corrected. 



Myles Standish, Boyer Bros 21.06 S 52 46 2 07 11 



Vida, W. S. Maglathhn S2.09 2 55 08 2 10 29 



Ida, C. S. Clark 18.06 Did not finish. 



Blaine, Graham 28.09 Did not finish. 



FIRST CLASS— 21 TO 27FT. 



Future, W. S. Whitman 21.01 3 09 51 2 36 57 



Natana, N. W. Emerson 24.06 8 CO 24 2 27 14 



SECOND CLASS— 17 TO 21FT. 



Nancy Hanks, P. W. Maglathlin 19.11 2 36 32 1 50 17 



Fanny D., M. W. MacDowell 19.10 2 38 57 1 53 34 



In It, R. D. Williams 18.04 2 42 84 1 54 31 



Emerald, W. H. Lowe 18.01 2 45 19 1 55 35 



Cleopatra, M. MacDowell 20.07 2 42 34 1 57 29 



Nemo, M. F. Carell 18.04 Did not finish. 



THIRD CLASS— UNDER 17FT. 



Amie, M. S. Weston. Jr 16.09 1 55 41 1 29 24 



Bucket .....17.00 2 14 48 1 48 48 



FOURTH CLASS- SPRIT, FORKS AIL AND MAINSAIL. 



Vigilant, A. 51. Watson, Jr 16.11 l 41 03 1 14 57 



Maj. D , C. H. Drew 16.02 1 47 52 1 20 55 



Gipsy Girl, W. Steele 16.02 1 50 01 1 23 04 



Henrietta, E. W. Watson 16.08 1 52 42 1 20 19 



Eunice, B I. Symmes 17.01 1 59 10 1 33 15 



Natalie, H. M, Jones 16.10 Did not finish. 



FIFTH CLASS— GAFF, FORESAIL AND SPHIT MAINSAIL. 



Solitarie, B. B. Baker 17.09 1 41 45 1 16 33 



Dolphin, N. Morton 16.04 1 55 42 1 24 57 



Ellen B., C. F. Bradford 16.06 1 53 10 1 26 13 



Nereid, A. E. Walker 16.10 1 56 01 1 29 50 



Waterwitch, Graham 17.01 1 54 28 I 33 33 



Perhaps, T. S. Diman 16.00 Did not finish. 



Lake Geneva Y. C. 



CLUB RACE. 



Saturday, Aug. 10. 

 The 21ft. class course from the Village around the buoy off Camp 

 Collie and return is twelve miles; weather, fair; wind, strong, 



FIRST CLASS. 



Length. Elapsed. Corrected. 



Lorna, Julian M. Rumsey 24.4 1 34 50 2 34 50 



Precept, J. Hodgkins 24.5^ 1 42 15 2 42 15 



Expert, Julian M. Rumsey 24.7 ..... 



SECOND CLASS. 



Maybe, H. H. Porter. Jr 20.11J6 1 33 10 2 33 10 



Mahnahbezee, Geo. Hateley 21.00 1 35 42 2 35 42 



Mystery, Benton Sturges 21.00 



Satan, Byron Boyden ....18.2 



Winners: First prize, first class, Lorna; second class, Maybe. Second 

 prize, first class. Precept; second class. Mahnahbezee. 



The first class boats sailed with working rig and stationary weight 

 and sailed the same course as the second class boats. 



Judges: H. W. Marsh, H. G. R.ch and L. C. Fuller. 



AMERICAN CANOE ASSOCIATION, 1 S95. 



Commodore, Walter C. Witherbee, Port Henry, N. Y. 

 Sec'y-Treas., Chas. E. Cragg, Port Henry, New York. 

 Librarian, W. P. Stephens, Bayonne, N. J. 



PURSERS. 



Atlantic Division, Thomas Hale, Jr., Yonkers, N. Y. 



Central Division, W. 8. Haekett, Albany, N. Y. 



Eastern Division, R. N. Cutter, Winchester, Mass. 



Northern Division, E. F. Burritt, Ottawa, Canada. 



Annual dues, $1; initiation fee, $1. Applications for membership 

 must be made to the Purser of applicant's division, from whom 

 blanks for the purpose may be obtained. 



WESTERN CANOE ASSOCIATION, 1895. 

 Commodore, N. B. Cook, Chicago. 

 Vice-Commodore, L. F. Porter, Madison, Wis. 

 Rear-Commodore, H. D. Spenser, Bloomington, 111. 

 Sec'y-Treas., F. W. Dickens, Milwaukee, Wis. 



Executive Committee, W. H. Sardley, St. Paul, Minn.; R. M. Lampe 

 Madison, Wis.; F. B. Huntington, Milwaukee, Wis. 



FIXTURES. 



AUGUST. 



9-28. A. C. A., 16th annual meeting, Bluff Point, Lake Champlain. 



SEPTEMBER. 



Red Dragon fall regatta, Delaware River. 



The W. C. A. at Ballast. 



Mr. Nat. H Cook kindly supplies the record of the W, O. A '95 

 meet at Ballast Island with the accompanying information: There 

 were 31 members present and 65 personB on the island, including ladies 

 and non-members. There were 15 canoes, 1 war canoe, 1 catboat 1 

 double cat, 1 naphtha launch. 



The annual W. C. A. hop was held on Wednesday, July 17 at 

 Werhle's Pavilion, Middle Bass Island. The Iowa State band with 

 forty musicians was engaged for the occasion and the entertainment 

 was a splendid success. 



In the regatta the winners were as follows: 



Race No. 1, passenger race, 7 starters: First, Lotus, Nat H. Cook 

 Captain; J. F. Turrill, crew; second, Wood, O. A. Woodruff, Captain : 

 Ralph S. Huntington, crew. 



Race No. 2, Gardner Cup race, 10 starters: First, Carrier Pigeon N 



B. Cook; second, Princess Alice, 6. H. Gardner. 



Race No. 3, Trophy Cup race, starters: First, Wood, O. A, Wood- 

 ruff; second, Carrier Pigeon, N. B. Cook. 



Race No. 4, Longworth Cup race, 5 starters: First, Lotus, Nat H. 

 Cook; second, Princess Alice, G. H. Gardner. 



Race No. 5, sailing and paddling, 5 starters: First, Isabel, T S 

 Gates; second, Phceuix, Ralph S. Huntington. 



Race No. 6, paddline, class 1, 4 starters: First, Mud, A. D. Stearns- 

 second, Whisper, G. E. McWilliams. 



Race No 7, paddling tandem, 3 starters: Mud, A. D. Stearns and G. 

 E. McWilliams; second, Minnehaha, L. K. Liggett and S. C. Stearns. 



Race No. 8, hurry-scurry: Not raced. 



Race No. 9, consolation race: First, Anita, T. B. Stevens; second 

 Isabel, T. S. Gates. 



record. 



Points. 



First, N. B. Cook, Carrier Pigeon 9 



Second, O. A. Woodruff, Wood '* 5 



Second, T. S. Gates, Isabel 5 



Third, Ralph S. Huntington, Fhcenix 4 



Fourth, T. B. Stevens, Anita " 3 



The business meeting was held Saturday, Julv 13, and the following 

 officers were elected: Com., C. F. Pennewell, Detroit ; Vice-Corn., N. 

 H. Cook, Chicago; Rear-Oom., E. H. Holmes, Milwaukee; Sec'y-Treas., 

 W. D. Stearns, Detroit. Executive Committee: R. M. Lamp, Madison • 



C. J. Steadman, Cincinnati; F. W. Dickens, Milwaukee. 



D. H. Crane, Chicago C. C, head of the regatta committee, says: 

 "We had only a small crowd, but it was all one crowd— with 'no 

 cliques. The races were very pleasant, and I never had so easy a time 

 in getting the starts off, and that with a good sized entry. The racing 

 was spirited all down the line, and the contest often was not with the 

 crack or two at the head, but with some other fellow in a rival boat, 

 as when Grandpa Gates and Mr. T. B. Stevens, of Cleveland, 'had it 

 in' for each other." 



Mr. O. A. Woodruff, Rpckawa C. C, one of the old-time fathers of 

 the W. C. A., says: "Any time we can find a place offering so many 

 advantages as Ballast I am ready to go there. I am not prejudiced in 

 favor of Ballast. I would not, however, be willing to go again to anv 

 inland lake." 



Nat. Cook, Chicago C. C, says: "We never had any better sailing 

 than we had this year at Ballast, and the summer girl was never 

 better. I am willing to go anywhere for the '96 meet, but I want to 

 go where I can get sailing. I would like to join a party to go up and 



have a look at Grand Traverse Bay. Michigan South Peninsula. They 

 say that is a good place." 



We received some time since, and have held for permission to use, 

 a letter from Mr. Woodruff, which is printed below. It states fairly 

 enough the many advant ages of Ballast Island, though it hardly over- 

 comes the logic of results, which would show that a Ballast meet is a 

 small meet, and one made up only of the older and stronger W. C. A. 

 element, without much accession of new material. We admit the 

 force of theBallast argument, but it really seems bard for us to be- 

 lieve that the only sailing and swimming waters of the West are to be 

 found at Ballast. To go elsewhere might mean trouble and expense, 

 it is true; but it mieht also mean a growth of membership, which 

 would make the expense seem light. Moreover it might assure a re- 

 union of the canoemen of the West, which should be more like canoe- 

 ing and more like camping than can he possible at the "home of the 

 W, C. A." Whatever most promotes canoeing must most please us, 

 but a "home" for any body of sportsmen bound primarily to the out- 

 door air should be well watched that it does not become that long 

 home to which we none of us want to see canoeing organizations 

 come. Mr. Woodruff states the contrary of this very well, though 

 perhaps had he not written so soon after the publication of the "Sum- 

 mer Girl's Diary" he would not have taken exceptions to that as de- 

 liberate criticism, but would have seen it as it was meant and really 

 was, a good piece of fun and something of a novelty. His letter fol- 

 lows: 



"Dayton, O., July 25. — We had a very pleasant time, with plenty of 

 fine sailing and swimming and good grub, this year . The attendance 

 was small, only thirty-one members; no one at all from the West ex- 

 cept four from Chicago. 



"I had rebuilt the canoe Wood and made a new suit of sails, hoping 

 to get a crack at the fin-keels, but they didn't show up. However, I 

 beat Nat Cook and his father, and they are good sailors, and they have 

 fast canoes. Nat of course took the Longworth cup, his father the 

 Gardner, and I got the trophy. 



"I am very sorry that you felt it your duty to criticise the W. C. A. 

 and Ballast the way you did in the summer girl story. If you had 

 been present you would have seen the 'pretty little canoes' in the 

 water most of the time and very little carrying on with the summer 

 girls. I bad my family established in a cottage, and they enjoyed it 

 very much without at all interfering with my duties or pleasure in 

 camp or on the water. 



"As I was the first to advocate holding Western meets on alternate 

 years, I feel that it is my privilege to express an opinion now on the 

 same. We went to Oshkosh in '92 and the meet was attended by quite 

 a number from that place, a very few of whom had canoes or John- 

 boats, but the majority had not. Most of the men came out on 

 bicycles or in buggies in the afternoon, and either returned to town 

 that night or very early the next morning. Not one of them has at- 

 tended a meet since, although the '94 meet was held at Madison, about 

 two or three hours' ride from Oshkosh. 



"In '94 we met at Madison, where we found a good, active club, and 

 some of the best men who ever sat around a camp-fire, but they only 

 had two or three canoes, and not one of them has attended the '95 

 meet. Here also a great many of the Madison men had to spend the 

 day in the city, and only slept in camp. 



"At both of the Western meets the building of docks, cook houses, 

 renting of mess tent, etc., ran the expense up very high. The grub 

 was very poor and in both cases we had to stand a raise in price of 

 meals, made after we had gone into camp. At both places the winds 

 were very poor for sailing: (nearly every day a flat calm most of the 

 day). The water was dirty or full of green scum, making it unfit for 

 swimming, and worst of all, after all this, we failed in our object of 

 getting new blood into the meets. Not one of these men from Osh- 

 kosh or Madison has attended a meet that was not held in front of his 

 own boat house. 



"At Ballast Island we own the lumber and cribs for our docks, and 

 the expense of putting up and taking down is very little, and no 

 trouble at all to the members or officers, as the only trouble is to write 

 a letter ordering the docks put up for a certain date and it is done. As 

 for the mess, we have no expense putting up the mess tent or cook 

 house, no trouble getting a caterer and no wrangling with the caterer 

 through the entire meet, and no raising of price after we get to camp. 

 We just pay $1 per day for good grub well cooked, and sit at long 

 tables and have just as good a time as if we were in a mess tent, 



"At Ballast we never have a mosquito (which were a great pest at 

 both Oshkosh and Madison). We have excellent water for swimming, 

 clear and just cool enough to be refreshing. Being located in the mid- 

 dle of Lake Erie it is cool and the winds are steady and very seldom a 

 calm. The surrounding islands break the force of the seas so that 

 there is not a very bad sea even in a high wind. 



"We have there quite a number of pleasant places to cruise to with- 

 in a distance of from five to ten miles. 



"There are plenty of yachts and yachtsmen in the neighborhood and 

 they are congenial spirits. 



"You think I am prejudiced in favor of Ballast. I am, but the pre- 

 judice is justified by the many advantages it has for the canoeist, and 

 as a place for holding a canoe meet. There may be better places, but 

 we have not found them, where the advantages for a canoe meet 

 equal those of Ballast. 



"When you accuse us of being Lah De Dahs and spending our time 

 mixing drinks, and dancing attendance upon the women 'while the 

 pretty little canoes lie upon the grass,' and 'the sails hang upon the 

 trees, you do a great injustice, as the men who follow any one of these 

 pursuits are a mighty small minority. O. A, Woodruff." 



AMERICAN CANOE ASSOCIATION. 



Sixteenth Annual Meet. 



BLUFF POINT— LAKE CHAMPLAIN. 



The sixteenth year of the American Canoe Association begins in 

 one of the most charming camps that has yet been found in the 

 course of many wanderings on Lake George, Lake Champlain, the St. 

 Lawrence, the Canadian Lakes, the Hudson or Long Island Sound. In , 

 its adaptability to the purposes of an A.C.A. camp the present ior-.ation 

 i s to be compared witti Grindstone Island and Jessup's Neck rather 

 than with the bogs of Willsborough and the a'id dust hills of Croton 

 Point, possessing natural features which leave nothing to be desired 



The central portion of the camp ground is a large plateau of rock 

 rising from the water's edge at an inclination of 1ft. in 12 to 15ft! 

 until a height of 30 to 40ft. is reached back of the large meadow which 

 forms the main camp. The first 30ft. of this rock adjoining the water 

 is bare; immense flat slabs on which a canoe may be hauled up safely 

 without a staging, though in some places the beach is formed of peb- 

 bles and small boulders, there being no sand aDy where. The rest of 

 the rock is covered with a thin coat of dry sandy loam, just thick 

 enough to give a hold for tent pegs, though the rock crops out in 

 many places. The rock is broken by cracks and fissures in every 

 direction, making a curious effect; where tlie soil is thin the grass is 

 dry and brown, but in the deep Assures the grass is a bright green 

 the result being a brown surface covered with straight lines of bright 

 green running in all directions. 



Along the rocky beach is a scattered row of trees, mostly spruce 

 arbor vitaj and cedar, not close enough together to obstruct the out- 

 look, but offering shade for tents. Other large trees are scattered at 

 intervals over the field with many small evergreens, To the right and 

 left (or south and north) are groves of evergreens, comparatively frea 

 from undergrowth and with the limbs high enough to admit of light, 

 air and easy passage, with open spaces for the tents. That to the 

 south is but lit tle above the level of the beach, as i!; runs on into a 

 pretty little bay. That to the north is in a rocky bluff, from 10 to 20ft 

 nigh, ending in a pretty little point. 



On alighting from the Delaware & Hudson train at Bluff Point Sta- 

 tion, carryalls are in waiting for a drive of ten minutes over a fine 

 macadam road, turning off suddenly into a farm-yard, and there on 

 over the rough meadows for a few minutes, finally'drawing up at the 

 highest point of the open field already described. Here, at an eleva- 

 tion of some 30ft. above the lake, the headquarters is arranged after 

 the plan adopted by Com. Hume in 1892, the various tents being in a 

 semi circle, with the flagpoles in front. The central tent, or rather 

 three tents in a row, beloDg to Com. Witherbee; on the north are tents 

 for Secretary-Treasurer Cragg, the regatta committee and Signal 

 Officer Holden. On the south are the tents of the campsite and trans- 

 portation committees and Fleet Surgeon Nellis, the latter surmounted 

 by the red cross flag. Each tent is on a platform about a foot above 

 the ground, and Mr. Robertson, of the campsite committee has 

 amused himself by decorating the edge of each platform with a' suit 

 able inscription and appropriate emblems. In front of each tent is an 

 open platform covered with an extra flag, making of headquarters a 

 shady and comfortable rendezvous. A small dock has been built 

 directly in front, but the water is too shoal for anything but a canoe 

 or a naphtha launch. 



The main camp begins just south of headquarters, and extends 

 down through the south grove. Many tents are pitched in the open 

 or under the fringe of trees in the meadow, but others are among Lhe 

 trees in the grove, the Vespers as usual at the far end of the camp 



The north grove, the most beautiful portion of the grounds' is 

 given up to the ladies' camp, a large one this year, and the most, pic- 

 turesque and pleasant location ever devoted to Squaw Point. 



Just north of headquarters, between it aud Sqhjatt Point a large 

 mess shed and kitchen have been erected, with all ciie modtirn'conveui- 

 ences, a steam boiler and pump bringing water from the lake, while 

 electric light wires have been run down the path from the Hotel 

 Champlain, lights being strung along the path aud also in the mess 

 shed. 



The mess service is conducted by an Albany caterer for the Hotel 

 Champlain, and is the best for many years. The food is good, well 

 cooked and well served by experienced colored waiters, the charge 

 being $1 per day. The camp is readily accessible from New York, 

 Boston, Albany and Montreal, though much less favorably situated 

 for Toronto, Buffalo and Rochester. The round trip from New York 

 costs $10 50 and from Boston |8.50, the time by rail being ten to twelve 

 hours, or one night's journey. The nearness of the railroad station 

 does away with the necessity for a launch, and makes the service 

 prompt and cheap. 



The water is excellent for sailing, Valcour Island offering a partial 

 shelter. The outlook from the camp is very fine, the distant moun- 

 tains of Vermont, the green shores of the lakes, the beautiful islands 

 and the clear blue water making a perfect picture. There is no need 

 of a trolley line to get from camp to a point where the races are 

 visible, but a man may sit In the door of his tent and watch the whole 

 course. Though but a few miles from Willsborough Point, the weather 

 for this year at least is totally different. The frequent and violent 

 thunderstorms and squalls that did so much to spoil the '91 and '92 

 meets have not troubled Bluff Point; they seem to pass over without 

 harm. There have been several short storms during the camp, but 

 mostly during the night, and the ground is so porous and so well 

 drained by the broken rock beneath that one can walk dryshod within 

 a few minutes after a heavy shower. The weather this year has been 

 very pleasant, clear and bright by day throughout the meet, with 

 summer skies of blue; not too warm for comfort at midday, and quite 

 cool enough for extra blankets at night. 



No previous camp has offered the same conveniences as this, nor 

 been as much under the influences of civilization; but it cannot be 

 said that the meet has suffered on this account. Plattsburgh, a large 

 town, is but four miles distant; the Hotel Champlain is but half a mile 

 from the camp, one of the largest, finest and most fashionable of 

 American summer hotels; but very few townspeople have visited the 

 camp, and on the other hand the canoeists have not left camp en 

 masse, as on the daily expeditions to "Jag Harbor" in 1890. The 

 canoeists have received every courtesy and attention from the man- 

 agement of the hotel, and have visited it by invitation on several occa- 

 sions for dances and other entertainments; but the guests have made 

 few visits to the camp, nor have the canoeists abandoned the camp for 

 the hotel. Huyler's candy can be bought from a wagon in front of 

 one's tent, clothes are taken for a laundry in Plattsburgh and returned 

 in a couple of days, the mess shed and the walk to the hotel are 

 lighted by electric lights, there is a telephone in the mess shed; but it 

 must be admitted that with all of these elements of monern degenera- 

 tion close at hand, with not one camp outfit in use in the whole camp, 

 the meet is made up of persons who have come here for a couple of 

 weeks of healthy, happy tent life, and who are enjoying it thoroughly 

 and sensibly. The camp has been troubled little by outsiders, and Is 

 troubling itself still less about matters outside its own limits. 



The one pity is that with such a perfect location and such excellent 

 arrangements, so few are present to enjoy them, the attendance up to 

 race week- being only about 130, and with few new arrivals promised. 

 Comparatively few of the men who were present at the early meets 

 are here this year, Will Wackerhazen, Brokaw, Butler, Huntington, 

 Stephens, J. C. Edwards, of Ottawa; Moore, Winne, Wilkin, Goddard 

 and the Leatts of Ottowa. Such old-time members as Oliver, Gibson, 

 Leavey, Mix, Boux, Whitlock. Warder, Rathbun, Nickerson, E. B. 

 Edwards, the Moekendricks, Foster, Ford, Jones, Bailey and Nate 

 Smith, have not been seen or heard of. Among the better known 

 A. C. A. men present known are Com. Witherbee and Secretary Cragg, 

 members Lawrence, Lawson, Dorland, Hale, Sparrow, Gray, Schuyler, 

 Dudley, Hand, Savage, McBean, TJpham and Towne. 



The New York C, C. has two representatives, the Ianthe one, the 

 Red Dragon none, the Rochester one. the Toronto two, the Knicker- 

 bocker two, the Vesper four, the Puritan none, and so through the 

 list; many clubs are not represented and none have more than a few 

 members. 



Why men do not come to a place like this it is hard to say; cer- 

 tainly those who have ventured this year have been well repaid, 

 though the marked absence of familiar faces is rather saddening to 

 the older men 



Of canoes there are a fair number, most of them open paddlers, a 

 few old-time sailing canoes and very few racing craft— with no war 

 canoes, no canoe yawls, cruisers, nor "Class C" craft. There are 

 very few launches or yachts. Mr. Carpenter, of Sing Sing, has a 

 naphtha launch, and Dr. Savage, of Newburgh, has cruised to the 

 meet in a small kerosene launch. What may be expected from the 

 racing is shown in the following list of e-itries up to Monday morning: 

 Canoe. Name. Club. City. 



Bug Paul Butler Vesper Lowell. 



.Bee D. S. Goddard Vesper Lowell. 



Wasp Howard Gray Vesper Lowell. 



Fly Butler Ames .Vesper Lowell. 



Torment F. O. Moore New York New York. 



Laidee H. V. Backus Irondequoit Rochester. 



Onajag ,,.,.H. D. McVean...... .Irondequoit Rochester. 



glyifla I J. R. Stewart Irondequoit Rochester. 



Kionilla C. E. Cragg Bulwagga Port Henry. 



Eel J. W. Sparrow Toronto Toronto. 



R. O. King Toronto Toronto. 



Orescent C. Cartwright Catarague Kingston.Ont. 



Black Diamond . . ..Wendell Andreas Bogota B C Bogata, N. J. 



The only specially notable canoe in the. list is Bug, a new boat built 

 by Stevens, of Lowell, from Butler's designs, a very fair aud hand- 

 some model, the lines round and full. She has several peculiar feat- 

 ures in her fittings, the centerboard is about 4ft. 6in. long, of alum- 

 inum, J4in. thick, with a thick plate of lead on the lower corner. 

 The trunk is placed just to port of the fore and aft eenterline, while 

 the mizenmast is placed abreast of the trunk and to starboard of the 

 middle line, thus allowing the board to be raised or lifted clear out. 

 The deck seat is very far forward, over the fore end of the board. The 

 old Fly is fitted with a similar lead and aluminum board, placed on 

 one side of the center. All of the Vesper canoes have solid plate rud- 

 ders of aluminum, Min. thick, the usual rudder yoke and double lines 

 to the deck tiller being replaced by a half yoke— one arm only— on the 

 rudder, with a rod of wood connecting it with the deck tiller, an 

 adaptation of arrangement known as the "Norwegian tiller," and 

 once used by canoeists before the invention of the thwartship tiller. 

 The four canoes carry the Butler hoisting rig, materially improved in 

 cutting and making of sails and in small details of fittings, but with 

 nothing new in shape The outfit of hollow spars, all of spiral wound 

 veneer after Mr. Butler's method, is the finest ever seen at a meet. As 

 now rigged only two masts are needed for each canoe, the complete 

 outfit of hoisting sails, from the two largest of a total of 160ft. down- 

 ward, being interchangeable on these masts. The Vesper party still 

 have their work tent, completely equipped with tools, and Mr. Butler 

 did some very neat repair work in camp on Fly, mending four differ- 

 ent breaks in the garboards caused by a badly fitting crate. The ex- 

 cellent work put into these light canoes by Stevens is shown by their 

 condition after six or seven seasons of hard service. 



A. C, A. Membership. 



Eastern Division: Albert H Crook, Cambridge. Northern Division: 

 Douglas H. MoUougalJ, Toronto. 



Dorman to Ross. 



St. Louis, Mo„ Aug. 16.— Some time since there was published in 

 Forest axd Stream a challenge from Mr. Gus. Zimmerman, of New 

 York, offering to back Mr. F, C. Ross against Mr. A. J. Vandusen, of 

 Winona, Minn., m a 100-sh.Dt race with a rifle at 200yds. for $1,000 or 

 more a side. This was promptly accepted by the challenged party, 

 and the time set for February, 1896, the challenged party giving as his 

 reason for naming February that his business prevented him from 

 taking a vacation at any other time during the year. 



In the light of subsequent events and of Mr. Zimmerman's later 

 article in regard to "climatic conditions," offering to Bhoot the match 

 in "hot weather," after the Minnesota gentleman had expressly stated 

 in his acceptance of the challenge that it would be impossible for him 

 to shoot before February, the question arises, Was the New York 

 gentleman in earnest when he made the challenges, or as a prominent 

 rifleman suggested, "making a great Dig bluff?" I sincerely hope that 

 time will prove that the last suggestion is not the true solution of the 

 challenge, as the event would be of the greatest interest to all lovers 

 ol rifle shooting, and their name is legion. 



Now, if the Eastern gentlemen are in earnest and really want to 

 shoot the match, in the interest of "clean records" I will make this 

 suggestion as a lover of fair play: Why not accept Mr. Vandusen's 

 offer to shoot in February f Put up a forfeit and find out if the West- 

 ern gentleman is bluffing. 



I do not understand what objections Mr. Ross could have to shoot- 

 ing in February, when one of his beat 100-shot scores was made at 

 W issel's Park on the 19th of March. And 1 know from experience that 

 March weather in the vicinity of New York is not any better adapted 

 to fine rifle shooting than February weather half way between Minne- 

 sota and the old Atlantic. 



It is said a Kentucky gentleman will "shoot first" and apologize 

 afterward. What will the New York gentleman do ? - 



Sam G, Dorman. - 



