374 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



[Dec. 1, 1887. 



TORONTO, Nov. 22.— A pigeon shooting tournament took place, 

 at Ohas. Ayre's place, corner of Morse street and Eastern avenue, 

 "being a farewell meeting in honor of Mr. W. Hine, of Winnipeg, 

 who after a three months 1 sojourn in this city is about to leave 

 for his home. The weather was all that could he desired and the 

 hirds being particularly lively, some excellent sport was enjoyed. 

 Three sweepstake matches were shot off, resulting as follows: 

 First sweepstake, at 5 pigeons, 26yds. rise, Toronto Gun Club rules, 

 single barrel: 



Quarrie 4 J K Leslie * 



W Bugg A Malvern 2 



Carruthers 4 Kemp - 1 



JTownson 4 Deady 1 



G Pearsall 3 George, retd. . 



In the shoot-off Quarrie killed 4 straight and took the inaney, 

 Second sweepstake, at 5 pigeons, 26yds. rise: 



Carruthers 5 Staneland... 3 



N Wright 5 Bugg 3 



George 4 Rice 3 



Cockburn 4 Malvern .3 



In the shoot-off Carruthers won the first prize, an antelope 

 head; Wright second, a pair of buffalo horns. Third sweepstake, 

 at 5 birds, 26yds. rise: 



Cockbum 5 Newman 4 



Leroy 4 Bugg 4 



Hood 4 Thompson 4 



George Staneland, Ayre, Kipps, Hawkesworth, Townson and 

 Miller all retired. Cockburn took first prize and Leroy second. 



MISS ANNIE OAKLEY— An interesting eemmony took place 

 on Saturday, the. 29th October, in Miss Oakley's tent at the "Wild 

 West Exhibition," when Mr. Withers, on behalf of the Schultze 

 Gunpowder Company, Limited, presented that lady with a gold 

 medal commemorative of her stay in England. Mr. Withers said 

 Mb visit was one in which pain and pleasure were involved— pain 

 in having to Md Miss Oakley farewell, pleasure in handing her a 

 token of appreciation from the Company he represented, which 

 he hoped she would accept, with best wishes for her happiness and 

 success "in storm or in sunshine, on land or by sea." Miss Oakley, 

 with a grace peculiarly her own, expressed herself as being very 

 proud of the gift, which she would much value, and desired Mr. 

 Withers would thank his Company for her. She added, with much 

 naivete, that had she not found "Schultze" powder to be the best 

 powder she had ever used it would have found no favor with her. 

 The medal, which is of pure gold, is suspended by a colored ribbon 

 from a clasp and bar, is circular in form with a cable edging and 

 bears, in blue enamel, the company's trade mark, a closed hand 

 grasping lightning, with tile motto "Inter f ulmina securus." Pen- 

 dant from the medal is a smaller one of like pattern with the 

 monogram A. O. likewise in enamel, on the obverse of the large 

 is the inscription "Presented by the Schultze. Gunpowder Company 

 Limited, to Miss Annie Oakley, as a souvenir of her visit to Eng- 

 land, and in appreciation of her skill iu the use of Schultze Pow- 

 der.— October, 1887."— London Field, 



WELLINGTON, Nov. 26.— There was a fair attendance at the 

 grounds of the Wellington Club to-day, and some good scores 

 were made in the merchandise matches at blue rocks and 

 clay-pigeons. Perry was first in Class A, with 19, Gerry in Class 

 B, with 17, and Snow and Wardwell scored a point in Class C, with 

 16 each. Following are the winners in the several sweepstake 

 matches: 1. 6 blue rocks— Cobb first. 2. 6 blue rocks— Wardwell 

 first. 3. 3 pairs blue rocks— Wardwell first. 4. 6 clay-pigeons— 

 Pery first. 5. (i blue rocks, merchandise match— Snow and Perry 

 first, Warren and Gerry second, Wardwell and Melcher third. 6. 

 10 clay-pigeons, merchandise match— Perry first, Gerry and Ward- 

 well second, Snow third. 7. 3 pairs blackbirds— Swift first. 8. 6 

 clay-pigeons— Gerry first. 9. 6 blackbirds— Gerry and Bradstreet 

 first. 10. 6 clay-pigeons— Warren first. 11. 6 blackbirds— Perry 

 first. 12. 6 clay-pigeons — Snow and Wardwell first. 



FREEPORT, 111., Nov, 16— The shooting tournament for the dia- 

 mond badge which represents the championship ot Winnebago, 

 Ogle, Stephenson, DeKalb, Boone, and Rock Counties, took place 

 at Taylor's Park, in this city, to-day, and was an exciting contest. 

 Twelve marksmen participated, and there were many spectators. 

 The shooting was at 50 Peoria blackbirds, 18yds. rise, and in spite 

 of the heavy wind which blew across the range, the scores were 

 excellent. John T. Buker, of Rockford, won the emblem, with a 

 score of 45; Dan Burrell, of this city, was second, taking first 

 money, with a score of 43; Eugene Gaboon, of this city, the present 

 holder of the badge, made 42. Six other events were on the pro- 

 gramme, and Cahoon made the biggest winning in the way of 

 purses. The next tournament will be held in Rockford early in 

 December. 



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



Secretaries of canoe clubB are requested to send to Forest and 

 Stream their addresses, with name, membership, signal, etc., of 

 their clubs, and also notices in advance of meetings and races, and 

 report of the same. Canoeists and all Interested in canoeing are 

 requested to forward to Forest and Stream their addresses, with 

 logs of cruises, maps, and information concerning their local 

 waters, drawings or descriptions of boats and fittings, and all items 

 relating to the sport. 



AMERICAN CANOE ASSOCIATION. 



Officers, 1887-88. 



Commodore: R. W. Gibson tAih.,«». k v 



Secretary -Treasurer: V, L. Mix. ( Alban > < * • 

 Vice-Corn. Rear-Coin, Purser. 



Central Div. .Henry Stanton.. .R. W. Bailey E.W. Brown, i46B'way, N.Y. 



Eastern Div. .L. Q. Jones Geo. M. Barney W. B. Davidson, Hartford. 



N'thernDiv..A. D. T.McGachen. W.G.McKendrlck. S.Britton, Lindsay, Can. 



Applications for membership must, be made to division pursers, accom- 

 panied by the recommendation of an active member and the gum of £2.00 

 for entrance fee and dues for current year ($1.00). Every member attending 

 the general A. C. A. camp shad pay §1.00 for camp expenses. Application 

 sent to the See'y Treas. will be forwarded by him to the proper Division. 



Persons residing in the Central Division wishing to become members of 

 the A. C. A., will be f urnlshed with printed forms of application by address- 

 ing the Purser. 



A NEW DIVISION OF THE A- C. A. 



THE necessity for a further division of the main body of the 

 A. C. A. that remained after the Eastern and Northern 

 Division was set off, and that has been known as the Central 

 Division, has long been recognized by the leading men of the 

 Association, and the only question has been as to when the proper 

 time would come. It is now plainly evident that this time has 

 arrived, and that the best interests of the Association demand a 

 further carrying out of the scheme that has already resulted in 

 two strong and firmly founded Divisions. The development of 

 the sport has been most rapid within that section of the country 

 between New York city aud Canada for several reasons. First, 

 New York was the original home of canoeing in the modern sense, 

 the first canoes being imported by New York men, the first, and 

 for many years the only American canoe club being formed them 

 and canoeing was kept alive for the ten years between 1870 and 

 1880 mainly by the few New York canoeists. Secondly, Canada 

 was the home of the Indian canoe, or rather its modern successor, 

 the open basswood canoe, as well as of the single paddle, and 

 canoes were very widely used there for hunting, fishing and camp- 

 ing long before canoe clubs, associations and sailing races were 

 thought of. The waters between New York and Canada were 

 well suited for canoeing, and were the favorite cruising grounds 

 of the New York canoeists, and besides their many natural ad- 

 vantages the fact that Lake George, the central spot of all, was 

 the home of the man to whom, above all others, the origin of the 

 American Canoe Association is due, Mr. N. H. Bishop, helped to 

 bring it into deserved prominence, and to make it the birthplace 

 of the young Association. 



With New York on the one hand and Canada on the other, and 

 with the best of caneeable water between, it was but natural that 

 the growth both of canoeing and of the A. C. A. should be more 

 rapid here than in more distant parts, and such has been the case, 

 while so near the old home of the A. C. A., its influence has been 

 stronger, and there bas been a smaller proportion of unattached 

 canoeists. Year by year, how ever, the number of canoeists has 

 increased throughout the country at large, but the influence of 

 the Association has decreased with the distance from its central 

 point, which has naturally remained whore most convenient for 

 the great majority of its members; and to-day there is a very 

 large number of active canoeists outside of the Association, and 

 many not even members of clubs. It was to meet the widening 

 circle of A merican canoeing and to take in the many new recruits 

 that the scheme of divisions of the A. C. A. was established, and 

 thus far we have seen its successful working in two cases. 



Within the last three or four years canoeing has advanced very 

 rapidly within the territory drained by the Passaic and Hacken- 



sack, the. Delaware, the Susquehanna and the Potomac rivers, and 

 to-day there is a verg large body of canoeists on these streams and 

 their branches. The growth has been spontaneous, fostered to a 

 great extent by the impulse given to canoeing by the A. C. A. and 

 its meets, but still not directly due to any organized effort of the 

 Association. Men have taken up canoeing, here one or two. there 

 half a dozen, and in timo a number of clubs have been formed. 



Of course in New York city, which virtually forms the eastern 

 limit of this territory, the A. C. A. has been well represented; in 

 Pittsburgh, the extreme western point, there has been an active 

 club of A. C. A. members; while Trenton, Philadelphia and 

 Washington have been in intimate connection with the Associa- 

 tion through members resident in these places. Altogether about 

 180 A. C. A. men are scattered over the territory in question, but 

 beside these there are many canoeists who are not members. The 

 small clubs and the many unattached canoeists owe their intro- 

 duction to canoeing not to the direct efforts of the A. C. A. men, 

 as is the case in some parts, but to the general spread of canoe 

 literature, the accounts of meets and cruises, and the prominence 

 given to the sport since the formation of the Association. Not 

 coming directly within its influence, and being unable on account 

 of the distance to visit the meets, these men have never fully un- 

 derstood the aims and methods of the A. C. A., and have never 

 realized that it would be to their benefit to join it. Gradually, 

 however, as the number of canoeists has multiplied, the ideas of a 

 union and of meets of some kind have taken form, and to-day 

 there are several groups in various places ready to organize in 

 some manner. On the Passaic there are a hundred active canoe- 

 ists, about Philadelphia there are many more, and local meets of 

 some kind are now being projected for the spring. The following 

 letters voice several opinions on the subject, and the last one puts 

 the matter of organization in a definite shape by a proposal for a 

 preliminary meeting: 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



Philadelphia, Nov. 17.— I see by the Forest and Stream that at 

 the last meeting of the A. C. A. a discussion arose regarding a 

 new division. Now this may be new to the members of the A. C. A., 

 but it has been talked about for some time in the vicinity. Now, 

 our idea was this: That the Central Division comprised that 

 section lying in the vicinity around New York city and the State, 

 including Newark, Paterson, etc., and it was our intention to form 

 a new division to be known as the Southern Division, A. C. A., and 

 including that section from Trenton south, Harrisburg, Wash- 

 ington, etc. When you get as far as Pittsburgh the majority are 

 members of the W. C. A. The object of forming a separate 

 division is this: If we were included in the Central Division a^d 

 a division meet were held (which would be in the vicinity of New 

 York city), it would be as inconvenient for Washington canoeists 

 to be present as it is for New Jersey canoeists to be present at 

 Lake George. This has been a matter of discussion in this neigh- 

 borhood for several seasons, but was not carried out owing to the 

 scarcity of clubs in the South, but this is not now the case; we 

 have in Philadelphia alone five canoe clubs and about fifteen men 

 not club members, but this is not all, the Delaware has in i ts many- 

 corners many more clubs, viz., at Wilmington, Trenton, Bristol, 

 etc., which are never heard from, owing chiefly to the little 

 attention paid to progress in this direct ion. The matter has come 

 before the clubs at the proper time and action should be taken 

 immediately so as to have it settled one way or another before the 

 next canoeing season opens, which could very easily be accom- 

 plished in this way. 



Let the canoeists of Philadelphia, Harrisburg, Trenton, and 

 Washington, each hold meetings in their respective cities and 

 elect each an officer for the division, and these officers could 

 agree to meet in some way and select some spot for a local meet 

 next season. At a recent meet of the Keystone C. C, of Philadel- 

 phia, (after transacting club business), it was decided to hold a 

 local meet under the auspices of the Keystone Club (and not by 

 individual persons as it was last season), and all persons who wish 

 to attend will please communicate with me and their letters will 

 be read to the club for action. The meet will be held during that 

 week of May 30, 1888, on the Delaware River. It is to be hoped 

 that Southern men will take hold of this matter and not be the 

 only district in the United States that is not officially represented 

 in the A. C. A. Messrs. R. Binder, Jr., and Geo. Comly and 

 Call*. Norgrave were appointed a committee to act, and letters 

 should be addressed as follows on both matters, viz., the division 

 and local meet: R. Binder, Jr., Keystone C. C. 



635 North Eleventh Street, Philadelphia, Pa. 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



I notice in your editorial, that you are in favor of an Atlantic 

 Division of the A. C, A., to be formed at once. That opinion is 

 the wish of three members of our club, the fourth is absent from 

 the citv, but I think that is his desire also. All the members will 

 probably join the ranks, if the Atlantic Division is formed and a 

 meet held at salt water. A. S. Pennington, Paterson C. C. 



Paterson, N. J., Nov. 24. 



Editor Forest and St7 , com: 



As I am too long a distance from your last week's correspondent, 

 "Essex," to meet him personally, 1 should like to shake hands 

 with him through the medium of your paper. Let me say to 

 "Essex" that he is a man after my own heart. I should like to 

 cruise all summer with him, and I think we could cruise without 

 the quarreling that canoeists are alleged to do. especially when 

 there are only two of them. What a pity it is that we have not 

 more men like him in the Association. I think t he. officers would 

 like it better and have an easier tirne than they do. I am willing 

 to wager that if the executive committee should decide to hold 

 the meet at Lake G eorge more than fifty per cent of the canoeists 

 who have never attended any of the meets, or never will, would 

 have preferred to have had it at the Thousand Islands or on salt 

 water. The Forest and Stream covered the ground of a salt 

 water meet perfectly last week, and pointed out the troubles, 

 which were by no means imaginary ones. Now, I have a plan 

 which might, work and save a greatdeal of talk and letter writing. 



Let each Division have a meet of their own. It was done by the 

 Northern Division this year and was a success. Then we could 

 have one at Lake George, another at Grindstone, aud the Eastern 

 and Southern could ha ve a salt-water, if they want it. That ought 

 to suit everybody. They might be arranged so that one could 

 attend all of them. Now for the races for a perpetual cup. Why 

 not appoint a man for each Division as time keeper for a special 

 race, and make the races against time. Of courseit would be con- 

 siderable trouble making the wind blow alike at each meet, and 

 making the tides and currents alike, but the execut ive committee 

 wouldn't mind such a thing as that. I merely offer tins as a sug- 

 gestion to put an end to yearly argument as to where the meot 

 shall he held. 



I myself never attended a meet, business always interfering, 

 but 1 should have done if it had been possible, and I am sure I 

 should not ha ve said to the officers "If I cannot have the meet 

 where I want it I will not belong to it at all." Now, one word 

 of advice to the officers of the Association, when you are advised 

 by anybody to do so and so, tell them to— well, give it to them so 

 hard they will never try to give you any more advice. Not to be 

 influenced bv anything you see in the papers (the kickers will 

 kick anyway), and to go into the bomb business and keep several 

 on hand to use on those canoeists who pay more dues in good ad- 

 vice and indifferent suggestions than in solid cash, 



BlNGHAMTON, N. Y., Nov. 22. GRACIE L. 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



The discussion as to the location of the nest general meet of the 

 A. C. A. has developed the fact that in the present Cent ral Division 

 the majority of the members are residents of the section compris- 

 ing the waters of the Hudson within 60 miles of New York, New 

 York *■ 

 water 



Sound up . - 



A. C. A. members iu this section now enrolled in the Central 

 Division mounts up to 181 as against. 131 left for the remainder of 

 the State and the whole country not now included in the present 

 Northern and Eastern divisions. Also, in the salt-water section 

 above outlined there is a large number of men who own canoes, 

 some of a larger class than any in the Association, but men thor- 

 oughly imbued with the spirit of canoeing. Thisnumber bas been 

 variously estimated at from 50 to 200. In my judgment, 100 is well 

 within the actual number. Now, under these circumstances, it 

 seems to me very desirable that A. C. A. members of this section 

 take the action provided for by the present constitution, aud ap- 

 ply for a new division under the name of the "Seaboard," "Atlan- 

 tic" or "Salt Water" division. 



One of the arguments used at the late executive meeting against 

 considering a salt-water meet was, that the A. C. A. was not a 

 missionary body. From this argument I respectfully wish to dis- 

 sent. 1 hold that, the general association is most emphatically a 

 missionary association in that it is intended to unite the whole 

 body of canoeists throughout the country. With that object, the 

 clause providing for rotation of the general meet was inserted, 

 with that object the formation of the Eastern and Northern 

 divisions was advocated, and with the same object have advances 

 been made time and again to the men of the present Western 

 Canoe Association. 



It would seem as if the separate existence of this latter associ- 

 ation should have warned the present governing body against 

 repeating the error of ignoring a section containing a body 

 of men interested in the sport, already large enough to form 

 a working association of their own outside of the A. C. A., 

 and only kept from doing so by the efforts of present A. 

 C. A. members, who have assured them again and again that the 

 A. C. A. would soon have a salt-water meet which they could 

 attend and sec for themselves the pleasures and benefits to be 

 derived from being part of so magnificent and united a whole. 

 However, under our admirable constitution we have another 

 remedy, that which I have suggested above, viz., to form a 

 new division of present A. C. A. members and to invite our fel- 

 low canoeists and single-hander cruisers to join us. A meeting 

 can he held in New York, organize for the election of officers, ap- 

 ply for admission as the Seaboard (or other) Division, and have 

 the application acted on by mail by the Executive Committee in 

 ample time to start the boating season with a, defined plan for a 

 local meet on salt water under the division officers, say two weeks 

 in advance of the general meet next August. The co-operation of 

 the Passaic River clubs has been solicited, and personally I hope 

 this action may seem preferable to them to forming the independ- 

 ent association they have talked of. I am confident that we can 

 have a local meet on salt water next summer, which, in point of 

 attendance, will be far ahead of the general meet on Lake George, 

 which many do not want, to revisit, and Which will give fairer sail- 

 ing tests than can possibly be hoped for on the broadest part of 

 any mountain-surrounded lake, no matter how beautiful. From 

 investigation made prior to presenting the matter to the meeting 

 at Albany, 1 know that the trouble of getting fresh water and of 

 beaching boats on tidal beaches can be oviated, and that being the 

 case, if we have not energy and executive capacity to make such 

 a meet a success, we deserve to be passed over again as we have 

 been heretofore. 



I therefore invite A. C. A. members and other canoeists inter- 

 ested to meet at 217 Fifth avenue, New York, on Friday, Dec. 

 9, at 8 o'clock P. M., to organize and apply for admission as 

 a new division and to take such further action as may seem 

 necessary in the premises. Under the constitution a quorum of 

 any division containing 100 members is twenty members. A full 

 attendance of all interested is, therefore, hoped for. 



Wm. Wuitdock, A. C. A. 35. 



That action will result in one or more quarters very soon 

 seems certain, and it is not necessary now to «ro into any argument 

 to prove that the best and most effective step that can betaken 

 will be the simplest one. the organization of a fourth division of 

 the American Canoe Association, according to the method pre- 

 scribed by the Constitution. Failing in this step, the only other 

 contingency w-ould be the formation of a number of small and 

 isolated bo'dies, actually but large and badly constituted local 

 i slabs, even though under the more ambitious title of association. 

 For instance, the canoeists on the Passaic already number enough 

 to form an organization of their own, independent of the A. O. A., 

 and the canoeists of the Delaware might soon form another, but 

 there could be no harmonious action, and the two would w r ork 

 solelv for their own interests, aud in the end canoeing would gain 

 but little. 



The advantage of such a division would be plain enough as far 

 as the present members of the A. C. A. are concerned, it would at 

 once establish a division meet that would travel in a far narrower 

 circle than the A. C. A. meet, and so come each year more nearly 

 within reach of the members of this section, while it would, as 

 soon as the plan is fairly working, insure the A. C. A. meet within 

 the division at least as often as anywhere else. Naturally it 

 would increase the membership of the entire Association, and 

 at the same time give the division a larger and more powerful 

 representation in the A. C. A. than the members now within the 

 same extent of country enjoy as a part of the Central Division. 



It is not. enough, however, that it should benefit the present 

 members or those who would naturally join in time, but to till the 

 required end it must bring the Association directly to every can- 

 oeist now within its borders. It has been urged by many that the 

 A. C. A. was so far from them and its benefits so few that there ' 

 was no use iu them joining, and this no doubt has been to a cei- 

 tain extent true. The work of organizing a national association, 

 begun and carried out for some time by a very few earnest, can- 

 oeists, has heen by no means an easy task. That it has yet been 

 fully successful none of its friends claim, but what it has done is 

 casilv shown by a comparison of the growth of canoeing in the 

 first ten years, from its introduction in 1870 to the foundation of 

 the A. C. A. in 18S0, with the growth during the seven years that 

 have since elapsed. It must be remembered that the first period 

 was coincident with the greatest development of canoeing hi 

 England, while here it is marked by an unusual interest in water 

 sports, from which rowing in particular benefitted, aud yet can- 

 oeing was with difficulty kept alive. The rapid growth of canoe- 

 ing is so nearly coincident with the origin and growth of the A. J 

 C. A., and the leaders in the latter are so intimately connected . 

 with all the improvements in canoes that there can be no ques- 

 tion as to cause and effect. It was not the increase of canoeing 

 which led to the Association, but the long and untiring efforts of 

 a handful of canoeists iu advance of the times who formed the 

 Association and used it as a lever to raise canoeing. It is to the t; 

 leaders in the A. C. A. that canoeists to-day are iudebted for fcbe 

 vastly improved canoes, the many new rigs, the dozens of minor i 

 conveniences and for the entire literature of canoeing, in itself 

 ail aid that all the old hands were deprived of. Looking at these 

 results who can say that the A. C. A. has been a failure, or that 

 because it does not give to each and every member who pays a 

 dollar, a meet on his own duckpond, that he is under no obligations 

 to aid it. That much remains to be done before it can he brought, 

 within the reach of all in the territory which it, now attempts to 

 cover, is very certain, but the work is going on faster and faster. 

 The scope of the Association is widening, the details are being i 

 further perfected, more able men are being enlisted in the work 

 each year, while the progress within the last two years is particu- 

 larly encouraging. 



Now, we have no sympathy with those who complain that the. 

 A. C. A. is of no use to them, that they cannot visit the meets, and 

 that they will not join until they can. Seeing that all is not per- 

 fect, they stand aloof and refuse to have anything to do with it; 

 when it just suits the individual ideas of each and gives him a 

 meet at home, he will step forward and pay up— two cents per 

 week through the year. That it has done much and is each year 

 doing more for canoeing counts but little, that nearly every man 

 on the roll is working for its improvement; all this counts for 

 nothing with many. It never seems to occur to them that if all 

 joined and lent their efforts, the end wished for might soon be 

 accomplished. There is no money in working for the A. 0. A.; it 

 costs something to hold every office, time and money too, but 

 these are freely given for the Association, for the members indi- 

 vidually, andfor American canoeing; and when a man declines to 

 aid the work until he can see that he is sure of exactly 100 cents of 

 benefit iu return for the dollar invested, we have little sympathy 

 for his complaints as to distance, etc.; but, at the same time, it 

 may be worth while to show to those unwilling ones that the re- 

 turn can be had in a little time. 



It is impossible to hold any meet at a point that will accommo- 

 date all the men who wish to attend, otherwise it would be but a 

 local meet of all the men in a big city, or on a part of one river. 

 The best that can be done is to rotate the meet throughout the 

 allotted territory, in such a manner as may bo fai r to the majority 

 of canoeists who belong to the body. This plan is now in practical 

 operation in the Association itself, though some difficulty has at. 



. K\JU IbQCII, IJIUU^J! Ol'lJiC »lilllt.UJl,> 11,1.5 <t'., 



first been experienced which is unlikely to occur again; and it is 

 proposed to apply the same to the division meets. It is not in 

 every central locality that a suitable camp and courses can be 



found, and the location must be governed by this aud by the trans- 

 portation facilities, but the aim is to hold the meet in different 

 sections of the division in turn, as far as consistent with these re- 

 quirements. There will still be some who will have to travel a 

 distance, in whose locality the meet can never be held, but in the 

 main it will be within easy reach of the majority. Further than 

 this the division should so promote the interests of canoeing rhat 

 every waterside town and village should have, its canoe club, how- 

 ever small, the members all in the Association, used to w r orking 

 together, and fully capable of holding such small meets as may 

 prove a substitute in the years when the division meet is too far 

 away for a general attendance from the section. 



The area of the Eastern Division, excluding the Maine wilder- 

 ness, where no canoeists are likely to dwell, is about 40,000 square 

 miles; the division we have to propose would contain about 60,000, 

 leaving in the Central Division about 5C,000. As to distance, each 

 division would, roughly speaking, be inclosed in a circle of about 

 150 miles' radius, while the distance from extreme points in any 

 division would be not over 300 miles, or say one night's ride by rail 

 at an expense of about $10 for the return trip. This would repre- 

 sent about the maximum distance which a man would have to 

 travel to reach a meet, while often it would bo very much nearer. 

 This is all that any one can ask for a meet of any size; it. cannot 

 be held near to him every year without injustice to many others, 

 and when he is at too great a distance he must depend on a still 

 smaller local meet with others situated as he is for the year. This, 1 

 however, will be less of an evil as the number of canoeists increases, I 

 as it will always be possible to get together men enough in any I 



