20O 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



[Oct. 5, 1895. 



shore. As one hour followed another and the day was 

 drawing to a close, we realized how helpless we were 

 and longed for a small boat, with which it would have 

 several times been an easy matter to have reached the 

 body. 



No longer could Sumner bear the sight of the body, 

 supposed to be his brother's, being dashed about, so when 

 in circling the pool again it approached rather close he 

 leaped into the water and his strong strokes carried him 

 out from the living over on shore to the dead body before 

 him. His progress through the water was marked by 

 firm determination. Befoie him was the corpse we had 

 watched so many hours. Perhaps he too would be one 

 in a less number of minutes. Anxiously we watched him 

 as his strong arms dashed the water aside and carried 

 him forward to the dead form beyond. A few more 

 strokes and he was by its side, the torn clothing grasped 

 and the return to shore begun. It was made with diffi- 

 culty, but in safety. The body floated face downward 

 and when we turned it over we found it was not that of 

 John. It was a sad disappointment to us, and it was 

 turned over to the Canadian coroner, and was afterward 

 identified as that of a man who had been drowned above 

 the falls. 



The next day we received news that a body had been 

 found at Lewiston and it proved to be that of my cousin. 

 It was shipped to Kansas for burial. Thus ended one of 

 the saddest experiences of my life, and from that day to 

 this I have never been fishing in the gorge below the 



falls. ORRIN E. DCNLAP. 



AN OUTING AT OKOBOJI. 



Okoboji Lak.e is situated among a series of high hills 

 that form the watershed of northern Iowa. This lake is 

 1,700ft. above the Gulf of Mexico, and is the southern- 

 most of a chain of lakes reaching far into Minnesota. The 

 water is clear, blue and deep, and is maintained by springs 

 from the bottom. There are many bays, promontories 

 and points around this lake, making a meandered shore 

 line of thirty-five miles. 



From the top of a high hill on the west shore we have 

 a fine view. The topography of the lake is laid out at our 

 feet like a mammoth map. The points, bays and forests 

 of native trees are well defined, The water is a deep blue. 

 The steamers look like toy boats running hither and yon, 

 the sailboats look like birds on the wing, while the row- 

 boats look like mere white specks upon a blue mirror. 

 Little wonder that the Indians fought for this beautiful 

 sheet of water, made doubly dear to them by the fact that 

 the fish, otter, mink and muskrat of the lake, and the 

 deer and larger game that came to the lake timber for 

 shelter, supplied all their wants for food and clothing. 



Dixon's Beach is about a hah! mile long, with high 

 banks, covered with native trees and carpeted with fine 

 blue grass that is kept free from weeds and well trimmed 

 by a flock of sheep. The beach is about 50ft. wide, con- 

 sisting of fine pebbles in various colors, ranging from the 

 size of a pea to a hickory nut. No sand, no dirt, no dust, 

 nothing but clean pebbles, that will not soil your clothing 

 should you sit down or roll on the beach. It should be 

 called Pebbly Beach. 



There are about thirty sloop and cat-rigged yachts on 

 the lake, nearly all of which enter for the season cup 

 races. When fifteen or twenty of these yachts are doing 

 their level best in a stiff whole-sail breeze that lists each 

 craft well over to leeward, with each bow buried in white 

 foam, it makes up a spirited scene that even landsmen 

 and haymakers seem to enjoy and appreciate. 



There are about two hundred cottages around this gem 

 of lakes. Of all the bathing beaches our preference is for 

 Gull Point — a wild and isolated place where we can have 

 a schoolboy swim. Bathing at this point is simply lux- 

 urious and delightful. The first plunge is cold and dis- 

 agreeable, but after Bwimming a few rods the "tonic" has 

 taken effect, the circulation is stimulated, and from that 

 time on it makes one feel like a boy just released from 

 school. We earnestly hope no one will improve Gull 

 Point, but leave it untouched, except by the wild gulls 

 and those wilder bipeds who love to swim and bathe as 

 did our predecessors, the native Americans. 



For three months we have slept in a tent. We are de- 

 lighted with the change from stuffy rooms to inclosed 

 section of pure atmosphere. The air in a tent is con- 

 stantly changing, but the change is gradual, without a 

 draft, and one can thus have fresh air without taking a 

 cold. 



For many years this series of lakes have afforded fine 

 fun for fishermen, but the lawmakers of the last legisla- 

 ture made a law permitting open fishing with hook and 

 line for ten and one-half months of each year. All last 

 winter the pot-fishers slaughtered the pike, pickerel and 

 bass, by cutting long holes through the ice and tying lines 

 to bushes that would tip up when a fish was hooked. One 

 man could tend fifty bushes, each holding a line that the 

 law intended should be held by one man only. If the 

 weather became too cold for "bush fishing," a painted 

 cninnow with spear or snare was used in the hole covered 

 by the fish house, and thus the slaughter went on, day in 

 and out, during the past two winters, taking from the 

 lakes tons of game fish which were shipped to numerous 

 cities in Iowa and other States. 



Yesterday two expert fishermen, both of whom have 

 been rowing and fishing for the hotel guests, started in on 

 their fall and winter pot-fishing. They came in at night 

 with 260 croppies which they shipped to Dt-s Moines, 

 $4.50 for the day's catch. They know the location of all 

 the croppie beds in the lake, and will soon clean them 

 out. 



This class of fishermen and later on the farmers will 

 cover the lakes with temporary fish houses and bush-fish 

 the lakes dry the coming winter. 



We are informed that the code of Iowa will be revised 

 next winter, and that a fish law (that will hold water) will 

 be inserted in said ode; but what is the use of more laws 

 when it is impossible to convict under any law? How can 

 we convict an illicit fisherman with a jury composed of 

 illegal fishermen? The spear, snare and multiplicity of 

 ice-cut holes per man are clearly illegal, yet the yearly 

 slaughter of game fish seems to be as inevitable as gravita- 

 tion. We are informed that the member of the Legisla- 

 ture, who drafted the open winter fishing bill, had con- 

 stituents living around this system of lakes, whose votes 

 were more important to him than any number of game 

 fish, hence the framing of this fish destroying bill. 



The natives who inhabit the land around the lake are 

 quaint, inquisitive, impecunious and profane, There are 



two things the natives freely give us— namely, water and 

 advice. The latter is urged upon us from the time we 

 step from the car up to the day we leave. We are ad- 

 vised to board here and there, to let this and that man do 

 our draying, to "take the only safe steamer on the lake," 

 only to find that we were on the oldest tub on the lake. 

 Do we want a team to drive around the lakes, we are ad- 

 vised to take a certain rig, but before we have taken a 

 dozen steps are advised to steer clear of the same team. 



We go a-fishing, and still-fish faithfully in one place for 

 an hour+ having been advised as to our locality; but the 

 first native that rows by said, "You won't catch nothing 

 thar. Go fish off that old dead tree in 20ft. of water and 

 you'll catch 'em." As we had caught nothing but small 

 perch, we pulled up our anchor and again anchored off the 

 old dead tree, where we fished persistently for an hour, 

 and getting no bites we went home Ashless. 



As the nights are cool we build camp-fires, around which 

 the boys assemble to relate their experiences in fishing. 

 They tell of having caught fish so large and heavy that 

 they were lost in landing. Verily, a thousand lies will be 

 told before one large fish is landed. 



Several years ago, when we occupied a cabin at the con- 

 fluence of the East and West Okoboji lakes, the Ananias 

 Club bad an informal meeting around our camp-fire. 

 Dr. W., of Sheldon, la., was elected president by 

 acclamation. He took the chair (an old canvas camp 

 chair) and lit a long cigar (a gift from a traveling man 

 who had loaded said cigar with a firecracker), and pro- 

 ceeded to reel off fish stories, between which other ambi- 

 tious members tried to keep up with the procession. This 

 stimulated the old Doctor, who related his experience in 

 catching a shark 30ft. long. Just as the Doctor was 

 "landing his big fish" his cigar exploded . throwing the 

 hot tobacco on top of his bald head. The camp chair 

 gave way and let the Doctor down upon his $500 bird 

 dog. The dog bowled with pain and fright, and the boys 

 howled with glee and delight. The chair was feebly re- 

 paired, and since that time that chair has had a penchant 

 for letting large story-tellers fall to the earth. 



At the final camp-fire (last evening) we resolved that we 

 would abandon Spirit and Okoboji lakes, and seek some 

 lake in northern Minnesota (for future summer resorting) 

 where the fish and game are more plenty than around 

 this system of lakes. We disbanded the club and burned 

 the old "Ananias chair." R, P. Bell, 



EHEU ! 



I see that Dick of Connecticut is having some trouble 

 with himself about the meaning of the above word, and 

 expresses his belief that I have founded a "cult." In the 

 first place, I want to assure him that I never did such a 

 thing in my life. If there's a thing I shy at it's that. In 

 the second place, I would remark that I did not originate 

 the word; and in the third place, I will, with great pleas- 

 ure, tell him who did, for I always like to help fellow 

 sportsmen over hard trails when I can, and I just think I 

 can now. 



However, in the first place, imprimis, I will state, that 

 if this exclamation, which I have resurrected, can be 

 made to do duty in the place of any objectionable swear 

 word, or otherwise relieve the feelings of any correspond- 

 ent, I shall feel amply repaid for having called attention 

 to it. We all know that at critical moments, such as 

 when the big trout gets away, or the hook gets hopelessly 

 caught on a high limb, or the shell sticks when the duck's 

 are flying just risht, vigorous language alone, something of 

 a deep crimson Eheu will fill the aching void or gap, and it 

 may be that if the requisite amount of power and inflec- 

 tion are concentrated on the word in question, the pent-up 

 emotions of the soul may find vent and so disaster be 

 averted. I sincerely hope it may be so, for most of the 

 old cuss-words have been worn to a frazzle by violent use 

 and need a dose of innocuous desuetude. But to the 

 explanation. 



Along back in the fifties, or thereabout (450 B. C, I 

 mean), there was a man lived in Athens (not Athens, O., 

 or Athens, Ga. , but Greece) who was quite a noted person- 

 age and fond, as many noted men are nowadays, of fish- 

 ing, and was accounted quite a sport in that line. His 

 name was U. Ripides, but his intimates called him Rip 

 for short. In those days all fishing was done with bait. 

 If I remember correctly, flies hadn't been invented, and 

 so, of course, a person wasn't in danger of social ostra- 

 cism or eternal suffering if he used bait, which was a for- 

 tunate thing for fishermen. 



Rip was of a social disposition and liked right well to 

 have his friends enjoy sport with him, and on one occa- 

 sion had planned for a week's outing up in the country 

 and had invited a Mr. S. Kylus and one P. Hidias to 

 accompany him up into Phocis, along the Hyloctf River, 

 which heads way in back of Parnassus somewhere and 

 was a dandy trout stream. Well, Rip had made all 

 arrangements and one fine morning, while the coming 

 day was revealing the magnificent proportions ol the 

 Parthenon and ere yet Mars Hill had caught the first 

 gleams of the glinting sun, while thf grocers were taking 

 down the front shutters and the servant girls were scrub- 

 bing the front steps, after a hearty breakfast of muffins, 

 skewered eggs and peacocks' livers, washed down with 

 the sparkling product of Bceotian vineyards, the trio 

 wheeled out of Rip's barn in a gay old chariot behind 

 three calico nags, the whole outfit being the proceeds of 

 a levy by the sheriff on the defendant, a played-out rac- 

 ing sport, in a case wherein Rip was plaintiff. The 

 chariot wasn't eminently fitted to an expedition of this 

 kind, but by putting in a couple of seats and a tail-board 

 it answered pretty well. The adage that "it is not all of 

 fishing to fish" had gained a footing even in those times, 

 and the part which wasn't fishing in the present instance 

 was riding thirty or forty miles in a springless cart, but 

 it was that or nothing, for the graders on the A. & G. N. 

 R. R, had but just begun operations. 



Well, to make short what might be made quite a long 

 story, in the afternoon of the third day they arrived at 

 the chosen spot on the banks of the foaming river and 

 unhitching proceeded to make camp under the spreading 

 branches of some fine old oaks. While Rip and Kylus 

 were busy unpacking and putting things to rights Hidias 

 cut a pole and tying his line to it said to Rip, whose 

 hands were smeared with honey which he was trying to 

 save from a jar that had been jarred too vigorously in 

 transit: 



"Now, while you fellows are getting things shipshape, 

 I'll go down to the river and catch a mess of fish for sup- 

 per, if you'll tell me where the worms are," - r 



"Why," replied Rip, "I forget just where I did put 

 them, but hunt round and you'll find them somewhere." 



But hunt as he would, and as they all finally did, turn- 

 ing everything inside out and topsy-turvy, the worms 

 were not to be found, and the conviction finally fastened 

 itself upon the unhappy trio with a grip like that of a 

 bear trap that the worms were peacefully reposing lov- 

 ingly entwined in the old olive jar in Rip's barn in far- 

 away Athens. 



Then it was that Rip, knowing that there were no 

 worms in the mountains, lifted up his rich baritone voice, 

 that erst had held the populace spellbound in the forum, 

 and from the heaving depths of his soul ejaculated, with 

 all that words might, could, would or should imply under 

 the circumstances, Eheu! Eheu! Eheu! 



I hope that Dick will find the explanation satisfactory. 

 He surely will see that the word will meet any demand 

 that can be made on it. Ha says that as a rule he has 

 managed to conjecture my meaning "in the blindest 

 parts." Thanks, Dick. This pleases me. But don't over- 

 tax your perspicacity, for it might not pay, O. O. S. 



A DAY WITH A NATURALIST ON A 

 NEW MEXICAN RANCH. 



The journey had been tedious, and it was with diffi- 

 culty that the snow-covered prairies of Kansas were rec- 

 ognized as the garden of America. The winds had 

 whistled but a cheerless and wintry welcome as we 

 emerged from the Raton tunnel and found ourselves in 

 New Mexico. Then night enveloped us and we were left 

 to imagine the beauties of Las Vegas and the prosperity 

 of Albuquerque. As daylight broke we looked out on 

 one side upon the braided strands of silver upon a golden 

 background which constitute the Rio Grande at low 

 water, and on the other caught distant glimpses of the 

 mountains. With all the necessary accompaniment of 

 noise the train stopped and the brakeman shouted "So- 

 corro!" 



Before we could dampen our ardor by a plunge into the 

 the dank sterility of a Western station, a bronzed six- 

 footer gathered up our luggage and we were hustled 

 energetically into a vehicle which might have been an 

 incipient stage or a glorified prairie schooner. It was, in 

 fact, a prospective wagon, with stout wheels and ar. pie 

 cover, mounted on tireless springs. A span of Mexican 

 ponies were soon whisking us past the faded splendors of 

 Socorro. Three bank buildings with officers abscondent 

 and depositors despondent, empty stores with palimpsest 

 signs each a history and epitaph in itself, most of them 

 bearing the name of some member of the Baca family — 

 the dominant gens here — and a beautiful building, once 

 ambitiously posing as the State School of Mines, but now 

 in a state of innocuous desuetude; these and several other 

 evidences of past prosperity were noted during the few 

 minutes which brought us to Park City, as the pictur- 

 esque suburb developed by the smelter works is called, 



These elaborate establishments, which a year before 

 had been affording bxisiness to the whole region and labor 

 to hundreds of skilled workmen, were now in that window- 

 less condition which proclaims the rule of anarchy and the 

 small boy. But even this dominion had ceased, for the 

 adobes were all empty and the streets of the village were 

 occupied by stately ravens who flirted about with head 

 and throat puffed out and feathers spread like turkey cocks 

 "of color." 



Ten minutes more brought us to the comfortable ranch 

 at the foot of Socorro Mountain. In a moment all pre- 

 vious ideas of a New Mexican ranch were dissipated. We 

 had pictured a broad expanse of prairie with a cluster of 

 half-buried mud hovels and corrals, but what we found 

 was a comfortable five-room house with large windows 

 and modern comforts nestled at the foot of protecting 

 hills from which issued abundant springs of soft sparkling 

 water, in some places distinctly warm. The water, which, 

 like a hunted thing, had originally crept at once to covet 

 beneath the sand, had been cribbed, cabined and con- 

 fined until it spread out in the clear and placid expanses 

 of two reservoirs, amply adequate to supply irrigation for 

 the orchard and drink for man and beast. I said orchard 

 advisedly, for forty acres of young trees, raspberries and 

 other small fruits certainly deserved the name. Nowhere 

 in the world are grown better apples and pears, grapes 

 and nectarines, than in desert New Mexico. We were 

 glad to plunge at once into the lethe of hospitable enter- 

 tainment, forgetting the fatigues of the journey and even 

 the strangeness of our surroundings until the morrow, 

 which was to be the "day on a New Mexican ranch." 



Long before the sun had obliterated by his greater glory 

 the gorgeous colors he had flung over the eastern range, 

 we were roused by a dismal concert of howls which 

 affected us like the whoop of disembodied savages or the 

 screams of a maniac. Springing out of bed we were at 

 the window in time to see two tawny coyotes trailing 

 their limp bodies sidewise across the barnyard. The 

 coyote, like "zip coon," will "lope all night up de branch 

 wid he nose pint' like he 'guine t' cross," but he puts great 

 stretches of grease-bushed mesa behind him with an ease 

 not to be despised. During the last two years about 

 eighty fowls had been unwillingly sacrificed on the altar 

 of these desert fiends, and the theoretical profit balance 

 of poultry farming was correspondingly disturbed. 



After breakfast we sallied out to inspect the springs and 

 reservoirs which made this oasis in a cactus desert pos- 

 sible. Our host, enthusiastically descanting on the possi- 

 bilities of development of the local water supply, pointed 

 out the evidences of violent erosion in the arroyos and 

 minor watercourses. If this water, which during the 

 short rainy season forms resistless torrents and speedily 

 goes to waste, were but stored and utilized, vast areas of 

 inexhaustible fertility would be reclaimed. The present, 

 ranch, however, was supplied by springs which gush 

 from the foot of Socorro Mountains and are collected in 

 small reservoirs, whence water is piped to orchard and 

 buildings. The water sources attract many winter bird 

 residents. Here, for example, we first saw a bird which 

 attracted considerable interest. In general appearance 

 resembling a catbird, as it sat on a greasewood bush, 

 something in its attitude at once suggested a flycatcher. 

 When it rose into the air at our approach we instinotively 

 said, "How like a robin!" but the two oblique bands of 

 salmon color on the wings and white lateral tail feathers 



