FOREST AND STREAM. 



stand. But fortunately for mo the snnw did not eoina last fall 

 and I was saved. The guide informed ine that hardly ever was 

 there snow enough for such "doin's" or snowshoei ng moose before 

 the holidays, but he said "toward spring is the time when the 

 snow is deep and solid." Is it such great prowess after all when 

 there are tnree or four feet of solid snow to go find a yard of 

 moose or caribou and butcher them in their yards, or while the 

 poor brutes axe floundering in the snow trying to save their 

 Jives? But that's the way most of the hunters get their "beef" 

 up in Maine. My guide was a perfect gentleman and as true a 

 sportsman as ever lived and lamented the fate in store for what 

 few moose were left in that section. 



One day in November it was proposed to go to Moxie Mountain 

 to hunt caribou, as they were generally known to be plenty there. 

 But a gentleman kindly informed us that a certain pot-hunter 

 or game stealer out, of season had piit Ids dogs out on the mount- 

 ain and chased them all off so the sportsman would be likely 

 to find them and that they might be saved for snowshoeing. A 

 pretty how-de-do. 



We found in an old lumber camp near Pierce Pond quite a num- 

 ber of old deer hides and other evidences that there- had been a 

 party of "spring hunters" there last year who had killed con- 

 siderable game. They made no secret of it either and that in 

 defiance of the law. But there was no person to prosecute or 

 execute the law; and that is what is wrong, I fear, all over the 

 State. 



We found fish ahout as scarce as moose, and about the only 

 animals that were left in a flourishing condition were bears, and 

 we found them too tough to kill with any ordinary shooting. As 

 the Yankee says, "There has been some bad doin's up on the Ken- 

 nebec aud Dead rivers." And if the commissioners or proper 

 authorities would take the trouble and go into the vicinity of 

 Bingham, The Forks, Paslin Pond, Somerset county, they might, 

 hear stories about, "spring hunting" moose, caribou and deer Chat 

 would open their eyes. But candidly, it does not seem to me that 

 they are after the pot-hunters or they could certainly easily catch 

 and punish them according to law, even if the butchers do swear 

 it was "beef" they sold the boss, and the boss swears he purchased 

 it for beef, and all the bovs in camp swear they ate and thought, 

 it was beef. 



I think that as the game law now is and is executed it, protects 

 the pot-hunter (instead of the game) to kill in and out of season 

 for the lumberman and boarding-house keeper of Maine; and (ids 

 might just as well be so understood all over the country, so t hat 

 honest sportsmen would not be duped in spending their money on 

 a "wild goose chase" in Mainp after moose. Only "ton or twelve" 

 killed, and out of this number the "sportsmen from outside of the 

 State" only killed what could be counted on the Angers of one 

 hand (so says "Special"), for a whole army of hunters in that vast 

 forest of Maine, and the commissioners are able to say game is on 

 the increase. Oh, what a "paradise" for game and sportsmen, 

 truly. 



Will the Forest and Stusam be kind enough to inform the 

 writer if a hunter has a right to ship his lega,l share of game killed 

 in season out of the State of Maine? Black Fox. 



Pennsylvania, February, 1388. 



tracts of burnt, land where it is very open and occasionally affords 

 a sportsman a chance to get a shot at deer on a still-hunt; but all 

 to the north of those open lands it not. practicable for a sportsman 

 to still-hunt deer, and I don't know or have I learned of any 

 sportsmen going into the woods north of those count ies and still- 

 hunting a aeer. All the accounts of game being still-bunted in 

 the northern part of the State are of what has been done by the 

 natives and guides. .Sportsmen will not go into the Uuck woods 

 to hunt deer. I would like to have a list furnished showing how 

 many deer have been shot in the past four years b> T sportsmen 

 north of the territory of burnt land. That list would show the 

 great benefit of trying to preserve our game for sportsmen to 

 still-hunt, and then have our natives kill it by the thousands in 

 the deep snow, as they are doing every year, with little or no 

 attention paid to it. Our present law, with the officers we have, 

 is worse than no law, and they eau't enforce it. 1 would like to 

 have a good tish and game law, thai, would he for the interest of 

 the State, and I would help enforce it. What is tor the interest of 

 the state is for my interest also. Jonathan Darling. 



"That reminds me." 

 230. 



m J HEN my brother and I were boys we used to trap a 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



As my name has been used in your paper many times by 

 "Special" and "Old Tug," and it seems that anything they could 

 think of to injure, me they have written, and it has been often 

 remarked to me tlmt they were doing me a great, harm, I would 

 like to use vour columns to see if I can explain to your readers 

 who I am and what I am trying to do. I wish to ha ve your read- 

 ers understand our game laws, or rather the manner in which they 

 are enforced. 



In the first place, I am spoken of as a famous landlord. J am 

 nor, a landlord, but 1 have as good a site for a hotel, thai would be 

 well filled if there were a good landlord with it, as there is in 

 Maine, and I want to sell it. I will explain how I happened to be 

 called a landlord. 1 am a hunter and guide. A few years ago I 

 was guide for one of Boston's first lawyers. He washed to build a 

 house for himself and his friends in some good locality for tish 

 and game. We explored the Rangeley Lake region, the head of 

 the Kennebec waters and the Penobscot waters, and chose Niea- 

 tous Lake. 1 made arrangements for a lot of land and he set me 

 to work, and he was to foot the bill. After I had expended several 

 hundred dollars he skipped from Boston and left me to settle the 

 bills myself, which has been a hard matter for me to do with my 

 small mea.ns. A good hotel is much needed there^aB it is the best 



T 



not - 



myself but many others should have been so for the treat meat 

 we have received, which I will give an account of in some of the 

 particulars. The fall after the passage of the law that did not 

 allow auy one person to kill more than three deer, and after I got 

 through guiding, I thought I would send my three deer to Boston. 

 I shipped them by express, and when they arrived at Bangor a 

 game warden entered the car and took away t he deer without 

 auy warrant or process of law, ana did what he pleased with the 

 deer. At another time I was carrying home from Moosehead 

 Lake a pair of moose antlers, that were legally my property; and 

 some one telegraphed to Com. Stilwell that I was coming on the 

 train with a pair of moose antlers. Stilwell sent a warden to 

 Oldtown to arrest, me. When I arrived there he stood on the 

 platform and told me he had a warrant for me and my horns. 

 The warrant for me was for transporting them. He took me 

 before one of our trial justices, selected for the occasion, and 

 fined me $40 and costs. I appealed to a higher court, and while I 

 was arranging the papers with the judge, the warden took the 

 horns and skipped Cor Bangor; and did not have any warrant for 

 them as he had stated. When this case came up for Irial in the 

 higher court it was kicked overboard. I then went to the officer 

 for mv horns. He toll me he had not got through with them. I 

 then went to Stilwell. the Game Commissioner, who had sent him 

 after me aud the horns. I asked him about my horns. He 

 laughed at ine and said he had not got my horns. 



I afterward shipped some deer and caribou heads that I had 

 preserved for mounting, and they were taken from the express 

 company by the same party. I sued the express company for 

 them and it was tried in Boston. I will here state what the ex- 

 press agent, at Rangor told me. He said that the game commis- 

 sioner had given the company a bond that if the company would 

 allow them to go aboard their cars and take away whatever they 

 had a mind to, if it made any trouble they wmdd back it, and 

 they fought mv case against the express company and put me to 

 all the. trouble and expense that was possible for them to. It was 

 tried before a judge without a jury- And what a funny decision! 

 The judge decked that I had aright to ship the goods and that 

 the seizure at Bangor was an illegal oue, and then he gave the 

 case against me. 1 think that the game commissioner helped 

 make that decision, for he has said that he should back his 

 wardens if it took every dollar of the appropriation. I under- 

 stand the general laws of the United States to plainly say that 

 when a common carrier receives goods to transport, if they do 

 not deliver them to their place of destination the company is 

 responsible for them unless a legal seizure has been made, this 

 kind of business has been going on all over the State, aud I cannot, 

 look at it in any other way than as stealing and highway robbery. 



Many people have been led to believe that it is against the law 

 to ship game. There was such a law passed, but it was found to 

 be unconstitutional, and the next Legislature repealed it. But 

 what is the law now? Whoever carries or transports from place 

 to place the carcass or hide of any such animal or any part thereof 

 during the period in which the killing is prohibited, forfeits $40. 



What do our courts with experienced judges say to that? laook 

 at . nine's report of 1870, where this same warden I have been 

 referring to got a non-suit, where he took B. L. Young, of Green- 

 bus a, for transporting deer in February. Young proved that the 

 deer were legally killed. The question was whether if game is 

 legally killed during the time when it is lawf ul to do so, it is a 

 crime" to carry or transport the hides or carcases from place to 

 place in this State during the time when it is unlawful to kid 

 them. Justices of the Supreme Judicial Court say ' we think 

 not," and they go on and explain why, and then say, our conclu- 

 sion is, "that the transportation of deer or any pail of themlroin 

 place to place, is no violation of the statute, when they have been 

 legally killed, and that the words 'such animal' mean one that 

 has beeu illegally killed," •- 



Another method, which our wardens have resorted to, has been 

 the distributing of strychnine all through the State for the pur- 

 pose of killing dogs. It has not only killed dogs, but "fur 

 animals, domestic animals, etc," "Old Tug" and "Special" have 

 boasted of pounds of strychnine being used. Our respectable 

 officers don't have anything to do with the game laws tor some 

 reason, which I think is to be found in such proceedings as I have 



m f am anoid hunter and an experienced guide and I am working 

 for the interest of the sportsmen as well as of myself, and I can- 

 not see the motive of being slandered in the manner I have by 

 those strychnine men who exceed their authority in every 

 respect, except it is because I am in favor of sportsmen using 

 dogs to help them get a deer. I say they cannot practically get 



them in any other way. 



In;the vicinity of Hancook and Washington counties there are 



THE ALBANY GAME LAW MILL. 



[Correspondence of Forest and Stream.] 



ALBANY, March 5.— There are plenty of game bills in both 

 houses of the Legislature; but no definite action has been 

 taken oy either of the game committees so far. It is likely that 

 something may bo done this week. It is high time, because there 

 are five game bills in the Senate and twenty-three in the Assem- 

 bly- 



Assemblyman Thompson has introduced a bill which provides 

 ♦ hat a, State bounty of two cents each shall he paid on the English 

 sparrow. 



Assemblyman Brownell has introduced a bill to make the deer 

 season in Hamilton county from Aug. 1 to Dec. 1; hounding to be 

 permitted between the same dates. 



The death of Mr. Carpenter, of the working force of the Forest 

 Commission, has made a very great difference in regard to the 

 appearance of the report of the Commission for the year. Mr. 

 Carpenter was so well versed in the art of woodcraft and also in 

 the working up of details in the office— a combinat ion we rarely 

 meet in one man — that his absence is most severely felt. Much 

 that, had been intrusted to his care for the forthcoming report is 

 now obliged to be taken from the very beginning; aud the result 

 is that the report is very much behindhand. It should have been 

 presented to the Legislature before this time; but the chances are 

 that it must now be put off till near the end of the session, and 

 possibly altogether. In the latter case it may lie that we shall 

 have no report, this spring, aud instead of it. there will be a larger 

 and fuller report covering two years, which will be made public 

 early in Jauuary next. 



The Commission feels hampered by the fact that the fish and 

 game protectors are appointed by the Governor without any con- 

 sultation whatever with the Commission. Appointments of this 

 sort must, more or less, partake cf a political nature, and thus 

 they cannot be for the best interests of all the parties concerned. 

 If the manner of appointing the protectors cannot be changed, 

 the Commission thinks that they should report to it and he under 

 its control. 



Assemblyman Hunting proposes to protect the robin by making 

 Section 6 of Chapter 427 of th Laws of 1886 read as follows: 



The English or European house sparrow (Passer (tamest km) is 

 not included among the birds protected by this act; and it shall 

 be considered a misdemeanor to intentionally give food or shelter 

 to the same. The crow, henhawk, owl and blackbird are not pro- 

 tected by this act." 



Assemblyman Saxton's bill extends the time of rabbit shooting 

 from Feb. 1 to March 1. 



A bill introduced by Mr. Sheehan makes it lawful to have m 

 possession and to sell at any time pike-perch, sometimes known 

 as yellow pike, lawfully taken from waters outside of this State. 



Assemblyman Hadley has introduced a bill -similar to his bill 

 of 1886 which did not pass— to authorize the Governor, upon the 

 recommendation of the Commissioners of Fisheries, to appoint a 

 superintendent of fish and game protectors, to hold office for three 

 years and to have an annual salary of $2,000, with traveling ex- 

 penses not to exceed $1,000, The prot ectors are to report monthly 

 to the superintendent, and he is to die his report with the 

 Governor, all reports of expenses to be tiled with t he Comptroller. 



Verplanck Colvin, superintendent of the Adirondack Survey, 

 has sent in a report stating that the surveys have been impeded 

 by the deficiency of means, the appropriations of 1887 having been 

 vetoed. The change (suggested by the Governor) of the survey to 

 the control of the State Engineer is not regarded with favor, this 

 survey having been, as it remains, independent since the survey 

 was created in 1873. Further appropriations to continue this 

 accurate work are urged, and the complaint is made that the 

 printing of the last annual report has been so full of difficulties 

 as to be a great annoyance and to deprive the people of the in- 

 formation t hat they ought to have. 



good bit, and generally had a nice pile of fur to 

 dispose of in the spring. In those days inuskrat skins 

 brought double what they do now, and we were always 

 on the lookout for their "pipes" and dens. 



Our great ambition was to get an otter, but as they were 

 scarce and wild it was a long time before we found a 

 den. One day we stumbled on a fresh hole in the bank, 

 and laid our plans to capture that particular otter or any 

 other who might be visiting round. 



The governor would not allow us to buy an otter trap 

 for fear of our doge getting into them, so we got six or 

 eight muskrat traps and chained them to various stakes 

 and a log or two, having first set them in the entrance of 

 the den. We did not expect these little traps to hold an 

 otter very long, but we thought we might get a shot at 

 him before he could shake them all off. So at dusk we 

 took our stand on a spot commanding our traps and 

 awaited events. We stood there in the cold for a long 

 time, with guns well loaded, and nearly frozen stiff. 



Clank, clash, rattle, suddenly went our traps, and two 

 excited boys prepared to shoot, but it was too dark to see 

 under the shadow of the bank, so as things were quiet, I 

 broke back to the house for a lantern. 1 also armed my- 

 self with a sharp butcher knife, as I bad heard otters 

 were very savage when cornered. 



Getting back with the light, it was hung on a conven- 

 ient bush, and as the chains all led into the hole it was 

 agreed that I was to pull the otter out, while my brother 

 kept him covered with his gun. Holding my knife in 

 readiness for instant use I gave a yank and away came 

 the traps, and fast by foot, leg and tail was a fat 'possum. 

 We sold out next day. Sangwillah. 



SCHULTZE POWDER FOR RIFLES. 



Editor Forest and- Stream: 



In order to shoot a ride successfully it is absolutely necessary 

 to practice. Many who are now indifferent shots would become 

 experts were it not for the difficulties attendant upon practice. 

 The range is at too great a distance and the weather is not always 

 pleasant, or the time is not available. Indoor shooting is fre- 

 quently out of the question because of the noise and smoke. The 

 writer'had practiced some in a cellar with black powder, but it, 

 was necessary to open doors, even with very small charges, in 

 order to get rid of the smoke. Even with this precaution the 

 smoke was a source of great annoyance. 



Shortly after the appearance of the article on Schultze powder 

 in the Forest and Stream, a quantity of this powder was ob- 

 tained and experimental practice begun. The rifle used was a 

 Winchester repeater, model 1873, .3Scal., 10-lso cart ringe, barrel 

 86in., Lyman rear and front sights. At the present writing over 

 350 shot's have been fired at a target. Having in view the state- 

 ment in the article alluded to above, that a strong primer was 

 necessary. I attempted to overcome the supposed deficiency in 

 the Winchester primer by mixing black powder with the xvhite. 

 This being successful the attempt was made to use Sgrs. cf 

 Schultze, equal to lOgrs. of black powder in hulk, with no black 

 powder. A part of the discharges were perfect, the bullet going 

 near the spot aimed at, while many fell from a few inches to a 

 foot or more, the discharge being very imperfect. For a 

 long time the cause was a puzzle. At first the primers 

 were supposed to be at fault; but after a time it was noticed that 

 the bullets fell in upon the powder occasionally, and as the shell 

 is bottle-necked, of course the gases had a chance to escape around 

 the bullet. When this occurred the explosion was very slight and 

 imperfect. A wad of tissue paper upon the powder was used with 

 vei \ unsatisfactory results, as it caused much smoke by taking 

 fire and the discbarges were still imperfect. At last the experi- 

 ment of crimping the shell about the bullet resulted m a perfect 

 success. Since its adoption every shot has been perfect, A pair 

 of cutting nippers was used, making four slight indentations 

 which held the bullet firmly in one of the groves. 



The conclusions arrived at through the above experiments are 

 that it is absolutely necessary to confine the powder, that; the 

 Winchester No. 1 primer is sulncicnt if the powder rests upon it 

 that it is not object ionable on account of smoke and that fouling 

 aud cleaning are reduced to a minimum. After thirty shots the 

 fouling was apparently not more than after five. After firing 

 several shots of black powder a few shots of Schultze would 

 remove the whole of the fouling. No experiments with a full 

 charge have been made by the writer, although a few shots were 

 tired" with appareiuiy satisfactory results. For shooting under 

 cover with verv small charges, however, it has more than met his 

 expectations. With this powder and a little management, every 

 rifleman might have a shooting gallery of his own. 



Augusta, Maine. James W. Inortu. 



THE "ATLANTIC" ON THE "SHOP." 



XTNCLE LISHA'S SHOP; Life in a Comer of Yankee Land. 

 ' By Rowland E. Robinson. (Forest and Stream Publishing 

 Co New York). Twenty-two sketches Of home life in Vermont, 

 as it was a generation ago. The sketches are. continuous in so far 

 aB they deal with the same characters who meet lor the most 

 part in the shoo shop of Lisha Pcggs, and the incidents relate 

 chiefly to huuting, wnethcr bears, foxes, coons, or bees- So much 

 for the mere external features of the sketches. It would be a 

 mistake to think that ihe book belonged in the category of 

 threadbare New England dialect fiction. Mr. Robinson has the 

 art of a story-teller, and the gift of portrait-painting; aud when 

 now and then he touches upon the tenderer side of this homely 

 life, he does it with a sure hand. The compactness of his style is 

 remarkable, and his eye for piel uresquoness in nature is keen and 

 sympathetic. The book is racy, but very close to the soil. It is 

 long since we have seen so masculine a treatment, and in spite of 

 the Yankeeism of speech and phrase, the book impresses one as 

 •dngu tally fresh and genuine.— Atlantic- Monthly for February. 



\m nnd Miver 



Address all communications to the Forest and Stream Puh. Co. 



Angling Talks. By Geo. Dawson. Price 50 cents. Fly- 

 Rods and Fly-Tackle. By II. P. Wells. Price $ J. 50. Fly- 

 Fishing and Fly-Making for Trout. By J. H. Keene. 

 Price $1.50. American Anglers' Book. By Thad, Norris. 

 Price $5.50. 



Secretaries of gun clubs and others who are interested in the 

 protection of the Yellowstone National Park are invited to co- 

 operate with this journal by securing signatures to the petition 

 printed elseivhere. See instructions on editorial page* 



SUNAPEE LAKE. 



NEWPORT, N. H., Feb. 22. An article under the 

 above caption, in Forest and Stream of Jan. 26, 

 over the signature of "Swirl," catches my eye, and I am 

 impelled to volunteer the desired information, as I have 

 been lucky enough to have "been there," and can direct 

 him how to get there from Worcester, Mass., where his 

 communication is dated. 



Forty-six miles over the Worcester, Nashua and Roch- 

 ester R. R. will bring him to Nashua Junction, Boston 

 and Lowell stations, where he will have to change cars 

 and buy a ticket to Newbury, 69 miles north west of 

 Nashua, and 109 miles from Boston, on the Concord and 

 Clareniont branch of the Northern R. R. — "Northern 

 Division" of the "Boston and Lowell System" of the 

 Boston and Maine R. R., to tell the whole story. He will 

 reach Newbury, if the train is on time, either at 12: 24 

 noon, or 4:52 P.M. The tourist coming up or down the 

 Connecticut River will strike the Concord and Clareniont 

 at Clareniont Junction, where he will change cars, leav- 

 ing the Junction either at 7:30 A. M., or 3:35 P. M., "arriv- 

 ing at Newbury either at 8:37 A. M. or 4:52 P. M. Steamers 

 connect with all regular passenger trains at Newbury, 

 and will drop him most anywhere about the lake, during 

 the season of summer travel. 



There are several hotels and numerous boarding-houses 

 about the lake, partly furnished cottages to let, and in 

 some places tents all pitched, while "far from the mad- 

 ding crowd" are delightful camping grounds. This article 

 is not inspired by the owners of any of these places, but 

 upon receipt of stamped directed envelope I will put your 

 correspondent in a way to obtain all necessary informa- 

 tion. Address P. O. Box 379, Newport, N. H. 



Sunapee Lake is about nine miles long and from one- 

 half mile to three miles wide, with an area of 6,000 acres, 

 containing several islands, three of considerable size. The 

 bottom is rock and sand, and the waters deep and cool, 

 the temperature at the bottom in the deepest parts being 

 but little affected by summer suns, conditions favorable 

 to the trout family, wliich come reluctantly from its con- 

 genial depths. The sueface, of course, warms up in July 

 and August, but clearer, purer water cannot be found. 

 As drinking water Dr. Quackenbos attributes to it specific 

 qualities for the bowels and kidneys and uses no other 

 while at the lake. The only visible feeders of the lake 

 are a few mountain trout brooks, while the overflow, 

 Sugar River, drives the wheels of numerous mills and 

 factories in its impetuous course of twenty miles to the 

 Connecticut. The bottom is, therefore, held to be very 

 springy, and, indeed, the lake has been termed one vast 

 spring. It nestles among the hills and mountains over a 

 thousand feet abovejsea level. On account of its pictur- 

 esque scenery it has been styled "The Loch Katrine of 

 America," and a local bard, in Scotland born, has linked 

 them together hi gifted verse. Forest and Stream may 

 have published the poem in full, but I must quote these 

 lines: 



u Sweet Granite 'Katrine' of this mountain land, 

 Oh jewel, set amid a scene so fair ; 

 Kearsarge, Ascutney, rise on either hand, 



While Grantham watches with a lover's care, 

 And one dark ' Ben' to Croydon sends in glee 

 A greeting o'er thy silvery breast, Lake Sunapee." 

 "Swirl" and his companion. I take it, are just the ones 

 to enjoy the beauties of this charming spot, as I and my 

 companion have enjoyed them, tenting under the frag- 

 rant pines, and I'll warrant will feel repaid for a visit this 

 summer, even if they take no more fish than I did on a 

 certain day last summer. 



