Oct. 6, 1S87.J 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



209 



would have to travel twenty to forty miles to reach a 

 place where we, strangers, would be unable to give bonds. 

 So we deposited with the warden, but under protest, 

 twenty -five dollars, on condition that he would go with us, 

 at our expense, to the nearest magistrate and enter a 

 complaint against us. I gave him the money and he gave 

 me the following receipt: 



Uppeh Dam Oamp, Sept. 20, 1887. 



Received "5 dollars of T. B. StgWart for violation of fishing. Re- 

 ceived as a safety until he goes (Stuart goes) before a magistrate 

 and p]cad[s] guilty.— George D. Huntoqn. 



Whoever the magistrate may bo, please send to me and the 

 part belonging to you wiU bo sent.— Geo. D. Huntoon, Warden, 

 Kangeley. 



We th _ n went to Andover, where the warden consulted 

 with the justice; what advice was given him we do not 

 know; at all events, though we strenuously insisted on 

 being arrested, he refused to arrest us and refused to re- 

 turn to me the money. He still has it and I have his 

 receipt, which I intend to handsomely frame and hang in 

 my store as a picture of "A Fisherman's Luck." 



Out of these simple facts the tale hangs. 



As an old fisherman who loves the sport, the charge 

 that I have been gu lty of taking fish from their spawn- 

 ing beds to ba-g in show windows of the city, as evidence 

 of superior skill, makes me restive. 



Who the originators of the slander are, whether 

 prompted thereto by ignorance or inspired by malice, I 

 do nob know, but I shall bait my hook to bring the slimy 

 eels to the surface. 



I have fished at the Upper Dam and vicinity for many 

 years; its sport is dear to me. Rather than have it pro- 

 hibited by law, I now offer to give bonds to the State of 

 Maine to bear the expense of maintaining at that place 

 for the next five years, during the month of September, 

 a fish warden of intelligence and honesty; and I trust 

 such of your readers as appreciate the wonderful advan- 

 tages of the place, and wish to preserve, for legitimate 

 sport, the finest trout fishing ground yet discovered in 

 America, will aid the efforts of yours truly, 



T. B. Stewart. 



A STORY OF HORNED POUTS.-I. 



DURING the late heated term a select party were com- 

 fortably seated in camp chatting, as many a like 

 party have often been before, each telling of his many 

 exploits with rod and gun during past seasons, and all 

 regretting that those precious moments could never return; 

 each vieing to make the present as pleasurable as possible 

 while mapping out the coming week's sport, and each in 

 rotation giving a part of his experience of sporting events, 

 peculiar sivrroundings and miraculous incidents. All of 

 these were embellished in true woodciaft style, provoking 

 floods of merriment, greatly relieving the oppression of a 

 high temperature and bringing out the sparkling wit of 

 the ingenious narrator, and phraseology peculiar to such 

 democratic gatherings. The evening was passing rapidly 

 away when it was proposed that brother W. should con- 

 tribute something in this line, and it was demanded much 

 against the protest of our quiet friend from Connecticut. 

 At length lie agreed to give us the benefit of his experi- 

 ence at seine fishing for suckers and horned pouts, as bull- 

 heads were christened in the land of his birth; they are 

 known only by this name among the oldest residents 

 there. Brother W. was born an i for years resided within 

 a few miles of the "Wolf's Den," made famous by the 

 youthful Putnam: 



I know it was wicked, he began, to take advantage of 

 fish with a great long seine. I have lived to 1. am this 

 while associating with you gentlemen — knights of 4 and 

 5oz. split bamboo rods — but you understand , gentlemen, 

 how willing a boy is to catch a fish as best he can, and I 

 was only a boy then. The art of fly-casting was to me 

 unknown ; the nearest approach to it within my reach 

 was the employment of a small sapling, a piece of stout 

 cord, a penny 'fish hcok, and a pocket full of grubs or 

 ground worms for bait. This to me was the ne plus ultra 

 of an outfit with which to put in a few hours of solid 

 enjoyment. 



Uncle Bill T. of our town was a character, and a real 

 five one. His avoirdupois was, to make a rough guess, 

 about 280lbs. He was short in stature, with a stomach 

 that forbade anything like inspection of his legs by himself, 

 except possibly in a sitting position, when by careful 

 maneuver it was barely r^ossible for him to behold both 

 feet at once if brought well to the front, his legs at an 

 angle of about forty-five degrees with his body. Uncle 

 Bill was a whole-souled, kind-hearted man,' liked by 

 every boy for miles around. It afforded him great 

 pleasure to see the town boys enjoy themselves, and 

 many were the good meals of pouts, cooked and served 

 to us lads by Uncle Bill at his own house, and many were 

 the parties organized and conducted for us boys to have 

 a day's fishing by Uncle Bill, to wind up with a feast at 

 his own hospitable board. 



It was one of these "spells" of his best nature that influ- 

 enced him on a bright June day, twenty odd years ago, 

 to harness his horses and hitch to his long wagon, already 

 provided with several boards for seat", and then, with 

 his seine loaded in, to come down the town's principal 

 street, picking up the boys and stowing them away in his 

 wagon, just as he found them ; some in their shirt sleeves 

 — having no coat with them — some bare-footed — having 

 no boots— but all brimful of anticipation of a good time. 

 Among these it happened to be my good luck to be num- 

 bered. "Now, boys, we will have a good frolic," said Uncle 

 Bill, as he loaded in a fresh recruit; "we will drive to the 

 pond at A. and get fish enough for the whrle town, and 

 when we get home we will have such a fry as you and I 

 never had before, and such lots of fun as we will have" — 

 his tongue running at a speed not less than that of the team , 

 until we had covered several miles and the little village 

 of A. was plainly in sight. A few moments more and 

 we were there. The seine was out; and Uncle Bill, 

 divested of his outer apparel, arrayed himself in a pair 

 of overalls of prodigious proportions, much resembling 

 late cuts I have seen of the World's balloon. As a matter 

 of course the idle villagers were out, and we were the 

 center of considerable attraction, we boys with pants 

 rolled as high as human ingenuity could raise them, and 

 Uncle Bill with boots off treading around with feet as 

 large as flounders. 



The pond lay at our feet, and being a little low, the 

 dam showed well above the water, with the red muddy 

 banks of the pond defining clearly the boundaries of the 

 water, and showing the best favored places for drawing 

 the seine ashore. After a liitle reconnoiter by our party 

 a site was selected about 60yds. above the dam — the dam 



being about 50 or 60yds. long, and the pond in front of us 

 to the point opposite about 40yds. wide; and at this point 

 commences the exciting chapt r of the day— and here 

 with our wagon for a background stood our brave little 

 band under command of Uncle Bill awaiting orders. At 

 length, all things ready, another boy and myself were 

 detailed to hold the shore end of the ropes; while another 

 detail were to throw stones into the water above at the 

 given signal from Uncle Bill. The moment came and 

 the order "all ready" passed, Uncle Bill with arms full of 

 seine and ropes. over his shoulders gave the final "Now 

 you boys hold tight to your ropes untd I reach shore 

 again, then walk slowly toward me, as I will tell you in 

 time. At present hold fast to your ropes." 



Thus saying, Uncle Bill partly walked and partly 

 floundered through mud considerably above his knees, 

 with water enough to make up a total'to near his neck, 

 and in this manner reached the channel of the pond and 

 crossed safely to within a short distance of the opposite 

 shore, when he struck out up stream, and circling to the 

 north, swung in toward the muddy shore from which he 

 started. Uncle Bill, now nearing the shore, begins to 

 loom well up above the mud, to the great delight of the 

 steadily growing crowd of visitors on the bank, which 

 was being greatly augmented from the factory help 

 wending its way to dinner, who could not go by when a 

 seine was being drawn without first being able to number 

 the catch. At length the seine, fish and quantities of mud 

 were well drawn up to the shore, and Uncle Bill, with 

 his kindest expression, calls to his boys, "Now hold tight 

 to the ropes; we've got 'em. Now, boys, this way, slowly, 

 now pull carefully on the ropes, keep the foot rope hard 

 down and a leetle ahead." 



These directions were given in true scientific and en- 

 couraging terms, until the fish, seine and mud were hard 

 aground, and the difficult task of selecting one from the 

 other was begun. This was soon over, after wallowing 

 nearly knee deep in the mud and becoming well bespat- 

 tered to the roots of our hair. Another haul was made, 

 and still another, until about six bushels of suckers and 

 pouts lay on the greensward, after throwing back all 

 small fry and reserving only the best. After carefully 

 filling our basket and putting it in the wagon, the balance 

 were disposed of among the crowd on the banks by invita- 

 tion of Uncle Bill, who invited all to take some of the fish. 

 "Take a good mess," said Uncle Bill; and they did, many 

 taking to them with a very strong liking for fish, if my 

 youthful mind was a correct judge, and" my memory has 

 not failed me. 



Now this pond lies over the line dividing Connecticut 

 from Rhode Island/ within the latter State. The fishing 

 being over, Uncle Bill was busily engaged washing the 

 seine, and washing and coiling the ropes and preparing 

 to stow them in the wagon, when suddenly looking up a 

 commotion in the crowd was noticed, where an animated 

 discussion was going on, a few words of which were 

 wafted on the winds to Uncle Bill's ears, and with his 

 keen senses ever at his command he straightened up just 

 in time to behold the constable of the village approaching 

 and to hear his order, "Surrender to ths law, for drawing 

 a seine in the waters of Rhode Island." This, although 

 surprising to our little band, was much short of a surren- 

 der, or a capture of our valiant leader. Uncle Bill could 

 not recognize either justice or law in this, both of which 

 he was a good judge of, and no novice with either, for 

 next to serving a good meal of fish to the boys it was his 

 best hold to fight law. To be arrested by word of mouth 

 thus, he could not permit, or recognize any such proceed- 

 ing without a warrant. As the squire of the village was 

 away no warrant could be procured, as the last half hour 

 of labor by several of the villagers had proven. During 

 pending controversy the horses were attached to the 

 wagon and all was in readiness to start so soon as the 

 seine and Uncle Bill should be loaded in. 



The officer not liking to be outdone, concluded to "hook 

 on" to Uncle Bill, warrant or no warrant, so saying, 

 "You must go with me at all hazard," he started to secure 

 Uncle Bill, who waiting at the edge of the mud, retreated 

 at the approach of the officer to the water, and partly 

 by rolling and partly by wading, relieved by a little 

 swimming, succeeded in gaining the opposite shore in 

 safety, where he laid down to rest upon the grass and 

 watch coming events. The officer not liking the com- 

 plexion of the mud or water concluded to take to the dam 

 and cross in that way to where the culprit lay at ease in 

 defiance of his high authority. At length the dam was 

 crossed and the would-be captor and culprit were near 

 together, when with one long roll Uncle Bill was floating 

 toward the home shore and fast widening the distance 

 between himself and the officer. The home shore being 

 reached a few moments were devoted to further prepar- 

 ing the seine for the wagon. Uncle Bill's weather eye 

 carefully covered tbe officer on his return by the way of 

 the dam. At length the dam was recrossed, and the 

 officer, who meant business, gathered himself for the 

 biggest effort of his life and with a burst of speed that 

 raised the credit of official propulsion several points, he 

 | got just near enough to Uncle Bill to miss him, as he 

 again floated clear of the mud upon the bosom of the 

 water. This disappointment seemed to confuse the officer 

 and much interested the audience gathering on the bank, 

 who cheered the officer on his return trip across his 

 chosen route — by way of tbe dam — to the opposite shore. 

 He reached it just as Uncle Bill hauled in port sixty yards 

 or more above and lay a few moments in peaceful rest 

 watching the puffing form of the officer approach with a 

 gait which plainly showed the terrible muscular strain 

 upon him and the anxiety of an over-matched brain, 

 which was fast becoming maddened by the tactics of 

 Uncle Bill. 



The officer paused a moment and wiped away a pro- 

 fusion of honest sweat, and after duly scanning the field 

 before hint, burst forth again at a more terrific speed 

 upon his would-be captive, failing by about three lengths 

 of getting the hand of the law upon'Uncle Bill, who was 

 again rolling over the mud and soon floating upon the 

 water like a full rigged "sixty-four" under full sail, fast 

 putting distance between himself and the officer. The 

 officer, thus foiled, again turned to the dam , and if officials 

 are ever supposed to swear, we may suppose that the 

 gestures of this bigh official meant swear, and to the best 

 of my honest belief I think he cursed his commission and 

 those who gave it to him, in the highest style of the art. 

 At length he gained the home base as Uncle Bill left it 

 for another mud bath in the now well colored water, and 

 again the officer led off to the dam, while Uncle Bill was 

 floating over the waters with an eye covering the officer 



and this time not leaving the water but waiting until the 

 officer wrs landed and well on his trip up the opposite 

 shore. He then swam up the pond several hundred feet 

 further before landing, much to the dismay of the official, 

 who saw the distance from the base of his former oper- 

 ations becoming lengthened and more annoying. Then, 

 to his dismay, Uncle Bill landed on the home shore near 

 his starting point, and nothing was left for the officer to 

 do but either to retrace his steps or arrest his man in the 

 water, which he deemed imprudent. So back he climbed 

 to the dam and pursued the path which to him was be- 

 coming quite familiar. 



This crossing and recrossing was repealed several times, 

 with an occasional variation of a swim up the pond, 

 until Uncle Bill had gained time enough in port to get 

 the seine into the wagon, we boys helping to the best of 

 our ability; when, espying the Squire in the crowd, Uncle 

 Bill thought it best to capitulate to the officer, as means 

 were now at hand to produce the warrant. Under these 

 circumstances he allowed himself to be captured with 

 only a slight show of resistance, just enough to wipe off 

 a little of the surplus coat of mud on the officer, who had 

 consented to permit Uncle Bill to wash and change before 

 being led before the justice to be tried for breaking the 

 fish and game law of Rhode Island. 



Not liking the situation myself, and having a much 

 more limited knowledge of law than Uncle Bill, I con- 

 cluded that I could get my person to a place of safety— 

 which I argued myself into the belief was a becoming 

 thing to do. Watching my chance, I was well on 

 my way homeward, treading friendly cowpaths among 

 the bushes, before my presence was missed by the crowd. 

 Long before I reached home the team of Uncle Bill 

 crossed the State line at a rattling pace and overtook me 

 just as I was emerging from the lots to take the pike. He 

 brought the rest of our party and a good lot of suckers 

 and pouts, which we boys did ample justice to, as they 

 were served that evening by Uncle Bill in lots to suit 

 customers. 



Having now arrived at home, I move we adjourn until 

 further notice. You know I abhor a story that takes all 

 night to tell. 



After W. had agreed at some future time to give an 

 account of that supper and the trial, the party sought 

 repose for the night. Sid Bromley. 



ADIRONDACK EXTORTION. 



T>ROOKLYN, N. Y, Sept. 30. — Editor Forest and 

 > Stream: I notice in this week's Forest and Stream 

 a letter from Mr. Orange Frazer, about Adirondack extor- 

 tion. I think this is a timely warning, and I will there- 

 fore relate an experience of mine. The day before I 

 started camping I wrote out a list of things I needed and 

 handed it to the clerk, receiving a promise that every- 

 thing would be ready the next morning at six. 



The next nio tiling we put all the groceries in a box and 

 started for camp that night. We camped about 20 miles 

 from Paul's, and when we unpacked our box to get 

 dinner we found we were without both eggs and butter, 

 thus making it impossible to make biscuit or fry trout, 

 and rather than do without these I sent my guide back 

 for them, which cost me his services and wages for two 

 days. 



I was obliged to return home immediately upon arriv- 

 ing at Paul Smith's, so I went to the head clerk and 

 demanded that h ^ take $5 from my bill (the wages of my 

 guide for two days). He immediately blamed my guide 

 for not checking off the goods. Arguments were of no 

 account, for he just kept talking to pass away the time 

 until the stage started, so I gave up in disgust and paid 

 the bill. I should strongly advise those who intend to go 

 into the woods from that point to have as little need of 

 supplies from Paul Smith's as possible. 



T. L. Cranford. 



A QUESTION OF APPETITE. 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



Your columns contain many commendable reprimands 

 from sportsmen throughout the country, directed against 

 "pot-hunters," "skin hunters" and "trout hogs;" but by a 

 strange obliquity of vision it seems to be considered that 

 any man who claims to belong to the fraternity of sports- 

 men may slay and destroy ad libitum without entitling 

 himself to those unsavory appellations. 



I am led to these reflections by reading the narrative of 

 your correspondent "Shoshone," published in your issue of 

 Sept. 15. 



It seems that "Shoshone's" party of five sportsmen 

 camped on Goose Creek, in Nevada, dtvring the latter 

 part of August. "The third day out was devoted to fish- 

 ing," and three of the party essayed to determine the 

 comparative merits of grasshoppers and artificial flies as 

 trout bait. By midday they had captured 100 trout, and 

 "Shoshone" tells us that two-pounders were so plentiful 

 that fish weighing a pound or less were "insignificant." 

 One of the three went to camp for a "pack horse" to 

 carry in the trout, while the other two continued to fish. 

 The party had a "fat doe and a two-pronged buck" in 

 then larder, killed the previous day, and "Shoshone" had 

 also caught eleven trout, among which two-pounders 

 were "plentiful." 



What could these five sportsmen do with 150 to 

 SOOlbs. of trout out in the wilds of Nevada, having a 

 larder already well stocked with game, in the month of 

 August? Comment seems unnecessary. Coahoma. 



Memphis, Tenn., Sept. 25. 



Lexington, Va., Oct. 1.— Bass have been unusually 

 scarce this season, no really good catches having been 

 made, due probably to the fact that the waters have been 

 almost continuously muddy. A few fair catches were 

 made.— T. M. S. 



"A Two Weeks' Outing."— For "Nahma Sebe" read 

 Nahrna Sepe, for "celebrated torrent stream" read celebrated 

 trout stream, for "heavy ruin, not," read hoary ruin, nor. — 

 Kelpie. 



Keokuk, la., Aug. 31, 1887. 

 J. F. Breite7\sUin, President of -Keokuk Gun Club: 



Dear Sir— The two boxes of paper shells, "Climax," U. S. Car- 

 tridge Co., which you so kindly handed me, have been thoroughly 

 tested, and I, after my long experience as an expert amateur, 

 without hesitation pronounce them the best shells made, being 

 perfection for wet and dry shooting. They cannot be excelled. 

 Knowing perfectly well what I am writing about, I subscribe my- 

 self, yours truly, (Signed) H. A. KinnAmAn. Adv. 



