494 



FOREST AND STREAM, 



TJuly 12, 188«. 



bis antagonists, with a single bound cleared a space of 

 24ft. to the root of a large pine, and after the mariner of 

 our common house cat proceeded to scale the tree with 

 about the same agility our "puss" would exhibit if she 

 had her tail pinched for half an hour by our small 

 brother, and been chased around the barnyard by three 

 or four lively curs in the bargain. On reaching the first 

 large limb, about 35ft. over the ground, the animal re- 

 mained there, crouching close against the trunk, watch- 

 ing every movement of the disappointed canines below, 

 his eyes gleaming like balls of fire, and lvis tail spasmodi- 

 cally twitching from one side to another, the very pic- 

 ture of intense excitement and fury. Once more the 

 echo from the report of my .45-70 Martin rang out on the 

 clear mount;un air, borne by the light autumn breeze 

 from hill to hill, from bluff to bluff and returned a thou- 

 sand fold from every nook and corner in the crags, and 

 before it finally died away in the far distance the bleed- 

 ing, lifeless form of our noblest animal of the forest lay 

 stretched at my feet. It was a male, the largest it has 

 ever been my good fortune to kill, measuring from end 

 of nose to tip of tail 7ft. 9fin. (before skinned), and I 

 have reason to believe i t the only panther killed in the 

 State of Missouri in 1837. The tree in which he was 

 killed was a pine, 47in. in circumference 2ft. from the 

 ground, and about 68 to 70ft. high, the first mark of the 

 claws was 14ft. 2in. from ground. This is the fifth pan- 

 ther I have killed, but the only one I have actually ob- 

 served in the act of climbing a tree. 



H. J. K., ex-Cowboy. 



St. Louis, Mo., June 28. 



THE NATIONAL PARK. 



]V XAMMOTH HOT SPRINGS, June SO.— Editor Forest 

 -lTX and Stream: The weather management in this 

 section of the mountains gave us an abundance of rain 

 for the past month. Summer, according to the almanac, 

 commenced on the 20th inst. To have a variety, something 

 different from the regular thing and standard article for 

 the Park, ours commenced with a snow storm. This 

 continued for three days ©n the high mountains, and 

 cold showers with now and then a few flakes of snow 

 lasted for two weeks longer; then warmer showers the 

 rest of the time. The sun, when it did show itself, 

 made the intervals between showers very hot, giving 

 every green thing renewed life. There are more grass 

 and flowering plants than usual at this time of the year. 



The roads, notwithstanding the abundance of rain, are 

 in splendid condition. Some repairs have been made, 

 rocks and trees removed and washouts filled. Major 

 Allen, of the U. S. Engineers, made a visit of inspection. 

 There are only a few hundred dollars available for re- 

 pairs left over from last year's appropriation. Nothing 

 as yet for new work. This depends on the action of 

 Congress. 



Game has been very abundant in sight of the wagon 

 roads. Elk, deer, antelope and bear were often seen by 

 the tourist, and buffalo were seen by parties riding over 

 the unfrequented parts of the Park. Ed Wilson , the scout, 

 saw over twenty young buffalo calves belonging to one 

 band, while on a scout. Buffalo are still using the Alum 

 Creek country, six having been seen but a short time ago. 

 In the same section a band of over one hundred and fifty 

 elk were seen by a party of tourists. In a day's ride from 

 the Yellowstone River to the Lower Basin, through the 

 Alum Creek country, one cannot miss seeing a great 

 amount of game thus early in the season. 



The Excelsior Geyser, the great attraction this season, 

 has been very regular in it eruptions, much more so than 

 while in action years ago. It was feared that the geyser 

 would not continue to be active for more than a short time, 

 and that as it threw out so much loose material and rock it 

 would soon be nothing but a hole in the ground or a lake 

 of hot water. It now looks as though it would last all 

 summer or longer, as there are only a few pieces of the 

 lousegeyserite thrown up at each eruption. More people 

 have visited the Park up to this time than ever before. 



H. 



OLD CRUSHER CRUSHED. 



A FTER summing up the evidence that has lately ap- 

 peared in Forest and Stream no one can doubt 

 that panthers or mountain lions do climb trees, though 

 as I stated in my first note of inquiry it would be hard 

 to make some of the old hunters about here believe that 

 such is the case. 



About three weeks ago I started on a little hunting 

 and fishing trip. I had to go up Rifle Creek to procure 

 some burros to pack our ■ 'chuck," or duffle, as "Ness- 

 muk" would probably prefer to term it. When I reached 

 the ranch of old Capt. Watson, who lives alone on 

 his place, where I intended to stay that night, I found 

 him wrought up to the hightst pitch of excitement and 

 blasphemy, recounted about what had befallen Crusher. 

 Crusher was a large white bulldog of fair blood, 

 which had been owned by twenty different people in this 

 county, and was famed for his grit; he was almost 

 seventeen years old and had but one stump for a tooth. 

 He had been in so many rows that his head was covered 

 with hairless scars; he more resembled a mammoth toad 

 than any other creature, and withal he was a most affec- 

 tionate and gentle old chap. 



Capt. Watson's statement was (omitting the blas- 

 phemy) something like this: "Last night when I was 

 reading on the bed, I heard old Crusher groan in his box 

 outside. I thought he had a fit or maybe he had the hy- 

 drophobia, I looked out and all was dark, but I could 

 .see his white body rolling on the ground, then I could 

 see his eyes as large as dollars. 'He's as mad as a hare,' 

 I said, so I got my six-shooter out and determined to put 

 the old fellow out of his misery as soon as he ceased to 

 thrash about. 



"In a few minutes I went out to Avhere he was, just 

 between the house and shed, and some sort of an animal 

 gave two springs away into the darkness. I picked up 

 the old dog and brought him into the house. He was 

 badly used up; both eyes were struck out, and his scalp 

 was gone. He still wished to fight. After bathing and 

 bandaging him, I put him in his box under the shed, just 

 outside the house door. 



" In about twenty minutes I heard the dog growl 

 again. I went to the door but could see nothing, though 

 they were fighting not twenty feet from me. I shot at 

 the noise, I could see the lion make two jumps with old 

 Crusher in his mouth," 



The old gentleman was very wroth, and had nry Scott, 

 a .44 Smith & Wesson, a .41 Colt's, as well as his old 

 sword, at the head of his bed ready to hand if the lion re- 

 turned. I suppose the lion must have been a female, and 

 she probably had kittens away up some gulch. It is not 

 usual for a lion to come so near a man, nor return after 

 being once driven off. 



The next day we started for Trapper's Lake (one of the 

 largest in the State, though it would be only a pond in 

 the East). Without giving a detailed account, after 

 much hunting for seven days we at last found the lake. 

 We passed through some of the grandest country I ever 

 saw, a succession of parks, ponds, peaks, forests and rim- 

 rock wastes. 



Game was plenty, we could have killed any number of 

 elk, deer and grouse. We saw no bears, though there 

 were plenty of signs. We shot only one elk, as the meat 

 would keep for only a short time. 



The trout in the pond vary between one-half pound 

 and one pound, never smaller and seldom larger. 



If I had not seen them I should have supposed any one 

 telling of their numbers was prevaricating to an abnormal 

 extent. In walking my horse across a little inlet of 

 about twelve feet wide he stepped on and killed two 

 trout, they were so thick that they could not get out of 

 the way. Paul Biqelow. 



Co i.oii a no, June 29. 



BEARS IN MAINE. 



THE Maine newspapers are full of bear stories, even 

 more so than a year ago, when the fact was particu- 

 larly noted in the Forest and Stream. There can be no 

 doubt that this animal is on the increase in Maine, as 

 well as the larger game, moose and deer. The accounts 

 of getting bruin into traps are numerous, and still the 

 old bear trapper contends that with his concealed and 

 baited weapon of steel springs is about the only way that 

 his bearship is ever brought to lvis end other than in a 

 natural way. The moose and deer poacher leaves the 

 carcass thai he dare not bring out to the light of the set- 

 tlement in the tracks where it fell; then early in the 

 spring he gets himself to the spot, armed with his big 

 bear trap. This he conceals in the proper position at the 

 carcass, where bears are bound to come and eat. It is 

 also said that the carcass is sometimes dragged for a long 

 distance, after the snow is off, by the bear trapper, in 

 order to make a line of scent, which the bear is sure to 

 follow up to where the carcass is left. There he falls 

 into the trap. The farmer's sheep that hungry bruin is 

 sure to run down and kill, if they are suffered to stay out 

 over night in spring and early summer, furnish another 

 attractive bait, and here the bear trapper loves to set Ms 

 traps. But of late years hunters of more courage than 

 the mere setter of a trap have found these spots where 

 the sheep have fallen just the places to try their nerve 

 and skill with the rifle or shotgun. The killing of the 

 big bear at Andover, Me., a year ago, by J. A. French 

 and his son Tom, will be remembered by the readers of 

 Forest and Stream. This year Charley Bessee, of North 

 Woodstock, in the same State, has killed his bear with 

 the rifle. His bearship, an old one, was thought to have 

 been chased over the mountains in that section for sev- 

 eral days last year, by a party suddenly improvised, but 

 bruin gave them ail the slip. This spring he early began 

 the slaying of sheep and lambs, and some of his prey was 

 left where it fell, while the live sheep were carefully 

 housed. About the third day, though he was being pur- 

 sued by all the men and dogs in tire neighborhood, the 

 bear came out at nightfall to feast on the dead sheep. 

 But Charley Bessee was there in ambush, and a bullet 

 put an end to the sheep slayer. He was a big one and an 

 old one, weighing some 3001bs. His presence created a 

 good deal of excitement in the neighborhood of Bryant's 

 Pond, and when lie was slain the farmers breathed easier. 



Special. 



HOW I SPENT THE FOURTH. 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



As there seems to be an increasing interest in .22-cal. 

 rifle shooting, perhaps the following may interest some 

 of your readers. Living near a dam which supplies water 

 to a large flouring mill and which, including the races 

 and streams supplying it, affords good snap shooting at 

 rats, etc., I went to the head of the dam yesterday, and 

 finding snappers plentiful, basking on a fallen tree, I 

 staid there for seven hours killing and retrieving seven- 

 teen snappers, one red-bellied turtle, a water snake 28in. 

 long with a catfish 4^in. long fast in his jaws. I killed 

 him just as he caught it, the splash he made as he rushed 

 it attracting my attention in time for a shot, which hit 

 his head as he made for the rushes at the side. I also 

 bagged a crow shot at flying, and killed with the second 

 shot, and killed two water rats swimming near the edge 

 and got them out. I use the Colt lightning .22-cal., Ly- 

 man fore and hind sights, extra large hole, Winchester 

 .22-cal. short cartridge, field-cleaner home-made, of whip 

 cord, with bit of lead at one end and loop for rag spliced 

 on the other; it works good and saves the nuisance of 

 carrying a long brass cleaning rod to catch in everything. 

 I wish to thank "Iron Ramrod" for his papers and ask 

 for more. Colt .22. 



Delaware City, Pa. 



GAME PROTECTORS OF NEW YORK. 



AT a meeting of the New York Fishery Commission, 

 held at Albany on Friday last, several fish and game 

 protectors were appointed. The office of chief of game 

 protectors is still vacant; two or three protectors are yet 

 to be appointed. The following is the list, those marked 

 * being reappointments: 



* Matthew Kennedy, Hudson, Columbia county. 

 Francisco Wood, Schoharie, Schoharie county. 

 Fred P. Drew, Washington Mills, Oneida county. 

 John Sheridan, Penn Yan, Yates county. 



* S. C. Armstrong, Riparius, Warren county. 

 Win, N. Steele, Clayton, Jefferson county. 

 Willet Kidd, Newburg, Orange county. 

 Thomas Bradley, Rockwood, Fulton county. 

 Henry C. Carr, Union Springs, Cayuga county. 



* Geo. M. Schwartz, Rochester, Monroe county. 

 Peter R. Leonard, Ogdensburg, St. Lawrence county. 

 Chas. Ripson, , Niagara county. 



George Moyer, Lowville, Lewis county. 



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

 Rods and Fly-Tackle. By JS. P.Wells. Price $2. 60. Fly- 

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

 Price $1.50. American Angler's Book. By Tliad. Norris. 

 Price $5.50. 



FISH IN MAINE WATERS. 



THERE are accounts of a big landlocked salmon being 

 taken with the fly in Long Lake, one of the upper 

 lakes of the Sebago chain, Bridgton, Maine, but this story 

 I am not able to confirm. Fish Commissioner Stanley is 

 still of the opinion that the landlocked salmon will rise 

 freely to the fly, under the proper conditions. 



Sportsmen, so far as I have learned, are not very well 

 pleased with their success at Tim and Seven Ponds this 

 year. A gentleman from Webster, Mass. , who for several 

 years has visited Richardson Lake, was overpersuaded by 

 a friend to try Tim Pond. On their way out they were 

 met at Portland by another Mend on his way to the old 

 fishing ground. The two new converts to Tim and Seven 

 Ponds were much disgusted. When they reached the 

 ponds some trout were being caught, it was true, but the 

 size was so small that the newcomers did not unpack 

 their tackle, but started the next day for home. A Bos- 

 ton gentleman, well known in the dry goods trade, has 

 just returned from Tim Pond. He says that the fishing 

 was fan-, but the size of the trout was "dreadfully small." 



I see by the last Forest and Stream that one of its 

 correspondents says that the fishing at Rangeley is 

 "played out," and he goes on to extol some other pond 

 or lake that he has found. Well, when he speaks of 

 Rangeley, he probably has in view the vast lake system 

 of the Androscoggin River, where it is true that the fish- 

 ing is not what it should be, nor what it would be, if 

 such as our friend were true sportsmen and content with 

 trout enough for the camp. But just so long as sports- 

 men will continue to fish to pack in ice and carry to 

 Boston or any other city or town, just so long we shall 

 hear this complaint of no trout. But the truth of the 

 matter happens to be that the record of trout taken in 

 the Androscoggin Lake is larger this year than usual. 

 Drop the fresh fish business, my friend, and leam that it 

 is not all of fishing to catch hundreds of trout that you 

 do not need, and then you will be content with waters 

 near, and not be obliged to hunt the world over for some 

 spot where the trout are unacquainted with the form of 

 the sportsman. Special. 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



What your correspondent Kit Clarke says in the present 

 week's issue of your paper about the great amount of 

 damage clone the shores of the Rangeley Lakes by the 

 high water, and the fishing at the lakes being played out 

 and a thing of the past, is untrue and outrageous. Is 

 this the way he takes to champion his old fishing com- 

 panion, A. T. Stewart? I have but a few moments for 

 writing this evening, but will give you a little idea of 

 what I am knowing to as being caught. In one week, 

 the last days of May and the first days of June, the guests 

 from Camp Bemis alone took 429 trout, 13 of which 

 weighed 51 bs. and over. ^11 of a quarter of this num- 

 ber were caught from the steamer wharf close to the 

 camps. Since June 20, Mr. Hart (of Waterbury watch 

 fame), and a friend took in a few hours' fishing with a 

 fly at Sunken Island, near Brandy Point, 65 trout, many 

 of (hem weighing over a pound. The same day parties 

 at Bemis took 70, most of them on a fly. Mr. C. W. 

 Stevens, of Boston, among the rest, took 30, all on a fly. 

 Mr. Stevens is the author of "Fly-Fishing." A few days 

 previous to this Mr, Charles Cushm an, of Auburn, Maine, 

 took two trout, one of Gflbs., one 4ilbs. weight. The 

 following day he took a 3-pounder and several between 

 that and a pound. Mr. Peck, of Waterbury, Conn., in 

 not over three hours' fishing with a fly at Brandy Point, 

 took 20 fine trout. To-day Messrs. Long and Seymore, of 

 New York, both new beginners, have taken 29 nice ones 

 near Bemis. These catches which I have given you, are 

 not over half of what have been caught on a part of the 

 Mooselucmeguntic Lake alone; on other parts of the lake 

 and on the other lakes good catches have been made, and 

 the Rangeley Lake has this spring gone away ahead of 

 any of its previous records on salmon fishing. I will try 

 and see that you have something of that later. 



Camp Bums, Me., June 30. F. C. BARKER. 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



In looking over your paper of June 28 I find the annual 

 tirade by Kit Clarke against the Rangeley Lakes, and 

 these emanations from his pen increase in malicious 

 falsity each year, while they come as regular as the fish- 

 ing season. For about the fifth time Mr. Clarke lias 

 found the best place for trout fishing and the easiest of 

 access from New York of any in the country, and this 

 yarn will hold good with him until about next June, when 

 he will find another place. It is not my purpose to de- 

 tract from this latest paradise (?) of Mr" Clarke, for his 

 article is a first-class puff for the Quebec and Lake St. 

 John Railway and the hotel proprietors at Lake Edward, 

 therefore I am willing that they should have all the bene- 

 fit that may come from it. But his statement that ' 'good 

 fishing at the Rangeley Lakes is a thing of the past," is not 

 only false, but malicious. I have been visiting the Range- 

 ley Lakes for sixteen years, and in my opinion there are 

 more trout in number and more large ones taken from 

 those waters now than there were twenty years ago, In 

 fact the poorest fishing I ever saw at the lakes was on 

 my first visit. It is true that opening and closing the 

 gates in the dams disturb the trout, and they seek new 

 places in the lake for feed and spawning, but this is a 

 benefit to the fish. 



My opinion also, grounded on sixteen years' observation, 

 is that there is very little "jigging," "gang- hook fishing," 

 or "marauding the spawning beds" done, and certainly 

 no more is done at the Rangeley Lakes than in other fish- 

 ing waters of Maine, New Hampshire or Canada. 



Neither are those who visit the Rangeley Lakes ' 'doomed 

 to disappointment." The most of the fishermen who 

 visited the lakes this spring made very fine catches of 

 trout and landlocked salmon, the fish running unusually 

 large, and there are plenty of sportsmen who visited the 

 lakes this spring that could give the lie to Mr. Clarke's 

 assertions, if they choose to publish the scores of the fish 

 they caught. 



