Dec 22, 1887.J 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



429 



shall stand on their heads while discharging their fire- 

 arms. That would he an unreasonable use of the right 

 given by the Legislature, and the courts would undoubt- 

 edly interfere. The only question is, whether the exac- 

 tion of an annual fee is a reasonable exercise of the power 

 conferred by the Legislature. Is it not probable that the 

 same court which recently decided that $2 per year was 

 not too large a fee for a license to keep a dog would also 

 decide that any not excessive sum would be proper for 

 non-residents to pay for the privilege to hunt in the State? 

 It ought to be remembered that New Jersey courts have 

 always been jealous of the rights of its citizens as against 

 those of other States, as many a creditor has ascertained 

 in this State. 



But the law as to non-resident sportsmen is foreign to 

 us; we do not care whether it is constitutional or not. and 

 have no desire or occasion to test the law. Most of our 

 members are residents of this State, and we have no de- 

 sire to go out of Passaic county for the purpose of finding 

 subjects for litigation. We have enough to do in Passaic 

 county in looking after the interests of sportsmen here. 



The law gives our association the right to collect in the 

 court the fees due us from persons who become members. 

 It does not require us to do so, and we have never made 

 any such attempt. When a member falls behind in his 

 dues he is simply dropped from the roll of membership 

 and no more is said about it. This is only another case 

 in which we have a light which we do not exercise, and 

 which no law compels us to exercise. The Passaic 

 County Association was organized for the purpose of 

 protecting game and fish and buds, and propagating the 

 same, and, although we did once step a little outside of our 

 purview infesting the dog law, because it affected owners 

 of dogs in Passaic county, we have no desire to step out- 

 side of our boundaries and in any way interfere with the 

 workings of other protective associations. They perhaps 

 can give you some valid excuse for compelling non-resi- 

 dents to pay license fees. Chas. A. Shriner. 



Sec. Passaic Co. Fish and Game Ass'n. 



Patebson, N. J., Dec. IS). 



SHOOTING NOTES. 



I KNOW of about nine late woodcock this month. As 

 I said before, I do not believe the timber-doodles are 

 bothered much by the cold. Certainly the weather about 

 the first of December was freezing enough to send both 

 woodcock and snipe southward, but it appears that a few 

 tarried behind. Near Boiling Spring, N. J., Dec. 3, a fat 

 snipe was killed, and in Warren county, N. J., Dec. 2, 3 

 and 5, nine woodcock were shot in the vicinity of 

 Haokettstown. Mr. Jules Reynal, of White Plains, 

 N. Y., and Mr. Ernest Stables, of this city, were shooting 

 in Westchester county on Dec. 3, and started a big wood- 

 cock. Mr. Reynal has shot 49 woodcock this season and 

 some 100 quail. Not bad for covers so near New York. 



My experience has been simply ridiculous. I ga ve up 

 quail shooting in New Jersey about fifteen years ago and 

 have been shooting West ever since. This year, owing to 

 sickness at home, I have been obliged to content myself 

 with three or four day trips to places where I was get-at- 

 able. Three days iu Warren and Sussex counties, N. J., 

 last week resulted in my seeing four quail. I got three of 

 them. They cost me at the rate of $72 a dozen. The fact 

 is I have spent more money in monkeying around here 

 than it would have cost me to spend for two months in 

 Missouri or Arkansas, where with all my heart and sold 

 I wish I was. 



Wherever I have been I have found the country over- 

 run with young shooters to the manor born, who market 

 every bird and rabbit they can kill. I was offered five 

 woodcock and two grouse for 35 cents, all fresh kfiled. I 

 refused the tempting offer, as I have made it a rule never 

 to purchase game in any section where I am myself shoot- 

 ing, for by doing so I would simply encourage the killing 

 of it to the detriment of my sport. Still, I do not depre- 

 ciate those who sell game. ' In my opinion a man has as 

 much right to sell a woodcock as he has to eat it. If pos- 

 sible I would prevent him from shipping it for sale to 

 another State. I advocate home consumption. I fancy 

 it would be impossible to pass a law in New Jersey to 

 prevent the game of that State from being shipped to this 

 city for sale. Even if such a law were passed it would 

 only join the dead letters. 



I don't profess to know it all, but from what I have 

 seen from shooting in seven different sections in New 

 Jersey this season and the great scarcity of game every- 

 where, I think that a law should be passed prohibiting 

 the killing of quail for several years in the northern coun- 

 ties. The same complaint — that game is scarce — also 

 comes from Maryland and North Carolina. In the last 

 named State Vice-Chancellor Van Fleet, Walter Knight 

 and Wm. Gumtnere, of Newark, spent ten days and 

 found few birds on grounds where last season they were 

 numerous. Heber Brientnall, Frank Watts, Lem. Thomas 

 and Dr. Pindell, of Newark, tried East New Market, Md. 

 They had fine "hunting;" they were guided about for 

 nearly two days and did not see a bird. Mr. Brientnall 

 come home disgusted with the "steer," which turned out 

 to be a professional shooting hotel one. 



Like the ghost of Gaffer Thumb, the Maryland license- 

 to-shoot-law has popped up to scare Northern sportsmen. 

 It has risen from $5 to $20; and I am informed the fine is 

 $50 or ten days in jail, or both, for shooting without the 

 necessary permit. A few weeks ago there came to Green- 

 boro Mr. Mills, superintendent of the Delaware Railroad, 

 and a party of friends. They were unprovided with 

 licenses and were arrested, and Mr. Mills has taken an 

 appeal, and says he intends to test the constitutionality 

 of the law. Some day the South Jersey Society will also 

 catch a Tartar, who will knock their present by-law regu- 

 lations higher than Gilroy's kite. If it were any one else 

 but provincial Puiladelphians who had been scooped in 

 by this very flimsy racket I would wipe away a tear. 



The Rev. W. S.Rainsford, of this city, and the village 

 blacksmith of Southampton, L. I., have been killing 

 some small bags of quail this season near Bridgehampton, 

 L. I. 



Mr. Rutherfurd Stuyvesant, of this city, is making 

 great improvements on his game preserve at Allamuchy, 

 N. J. As far as I know, it is the largest and best-stocked 

 preserve in the East. Mr. Stuyvesant has recently pur- 

 chased several large farms adjoining his estate; one on 

 the mountain between Allamuchy and Wiretown will be 

 made into a deer park. On the main estate Mr. Stuyves- 

 ant is fencing in fifteen acres of ground with wire netting, 

 12ft. high, a portion of this is also roofed over with wire 

 netting. In this inclosure he will keep his English pheas- 



ants, and next season hatch out over 5,000 pheasant eggs. 

 In addition to this Mr. Stuyvesant is securing the shoot- 

 ing privileges on all the farms in bis vicinity. During 

 the past few months he has added half a dozen to his list. 

 In time he will have scoured the best shooting in Warren 

 county, and will have lots of game for his friends to pop 

 a way at. I have been told that Mr. Stuyvesant advocates 

 a close season in New Jersey for the next five years. If 

 such a law is passed, what will the law-breakers of Dan- 

 ville do then, poor things? 



Some of Mi'. Stuyvesant's I-talian quail, as the farmers 

 call them, are residing on the Arnold and Stephens fa rms 

 on the Great Meadows. The flock is about thirty strong. 

 A few of these birds have been shot by young Arnold this 

 season. When once flushed they are hard to find again. 

 Those who have seen them say that "the birds tree." 



ADIRONDACK DEER HOUNDING. 



WE have already said that certain paragraphs of the 

 report of the New York Commissioners of Fish- 

 erics, prepared by Gen. Sherman, were unacceptable to 

 two of the Commissioners, and in deference to their views 

 wotild be omitted from the report, which is to bo pre- 

 sented to the Legislature at the approaching session. The 

 paragraphs were these: 



"In regard to deer hounding they would repeat what 

 they uttered in their report on this subject in 1886. The 

 trial for two years of the limited hounding law has not 

 been attended with the results its framers promised. The 

 assistance that was to be rendered by the guides m the 

 enforcement of the law has not come. The guides, 

 rather, have fraternized with the law-breakers, and be- 

 tween the various classes of poachers, viz., gentlemen 

 sportsmen, guides and pot-hunters, the deer are passing 

 away like chaff before the wind. 



"As an illustration of how things are working, it may 

 be stated that last summer there was detected and 

 arrested a gentleman of high personal standing, hound- 

 ing deer out of season, who at the legislative session ap- 

 peared before the Game. Law Committee in advocacy of 

 the present hounding law ! 



"If there is one thing in futurity that is sure to come, 

 and come quickly, it is the extinction of the deer in the 

 great forests of New York. To save them, both jack- 

 hunting and hounding must be vigorously forbidden, and 

 dogs of the hound kind kept out of the woods at all 

 seasons." 



Auburn, Susquehanna County, Pa., Dec. 15.— Am just 

 home after a week spent in the wilds of Wyoming and 

 Sullivan counties. Owing to unfavorable weather no 

 hunting was done. The entire absence of snow, with 

 the woods dry and noisy, rendered successful still-hunt- 

 ing impossible. Bears are doubtless on the increase, 

 while the deer are certainly being driven out by dogging. 

 But the mortality among the dogs far exceeds that of the 

 deer. Not more' than one dog out of five taken into the 

 woods gets out alive. All the "natives" and all visiting 

 still-hunters are constantly on the alert, and "love 

 powders" are often used where the use of lead is imprac- 

 ticable. Convictions are hard to secure under the present 

 law, and killing the dogs is considered only a partial 

 protection to the deer, — Bon Ami. 



That Ideal Gun.— The kind of gun for general use I 

 want to see is a "combination gun" with a noiseless .22 

 barrel on top for sitting flocks and rookeries, a central 12 

 cylinder bore for wing shots, buckshot and explosive slugs 

 for large dangerous game at close quarters, and a lower 

 .44 rifled barrel for alligators, deer, etc. It should have 

 a magazine in the stock holding about four shots for the 

 central barrel. With this gun we can take our first fowl 

 sitting with the .22 and the next on the wing with the 12, 

 or our first deer standing with the .44 and the next run- 

 ning with a charge or two of buckshot. Its other ad- 

 vantages are apparent. Who will be the first to make it? 

 —Hal Hellion. 



\m unA stiver ^mhtng. 



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



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

 Bods' and Fly-Tackle. By H. P. Wells. Price $2. 50. Fly- 

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

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

 Price $5.50. 



THE ROD AND REEL ASSOCIATION. 



THE National Rod and Reel Association held its annual 

 meeting for the election of officers for the coming- 

 year, and other business, on Saturday last at 2 P. M. , in 

 the laboratory of Mr. E. G. Blackford, in Fulton Market, 

 New York. The following officer were chosen: Presi- 

 dent, Henry P. Wells; Vice-Presidents, Hon. Henry P. 

 McGown, John A. Roosevelt, William Dunning, D. W. 

 Cross, Daniel B. Fearing, Cornelius Van Brunt, Louis B. 

 Wright and Eugene G. Blackford; Secretary, Gonzalo 

 Poey; Treasurer, James L. Vallotton. 



Mr. Endicott offered the following resolution, which 

 after some discussion was adopted: "That a committee 

 be appointed to draw up the protest of this Association 

 against the catching of menhaden, by steamers and other 

 vessels, except under such restrictions as will prevent the 

 destruction of food fishes." He related his experience on 

 the coast of New Jersey this year, and repeated what ap- 

 peared in Forest and Stream last week on the subject. 



Judge McGown stated, that as a member of the Cutty- 

 hunk Club he had fished for striped bass from Cuttyhunk 

 Island, in Buzzard's Bay and Vineyard Sound for many 

 years, and the menhaden were formerly plenty there, 

 but now they could not get enough to chum with. Some- 

 thing should also be done to stop the wholesale netting 

 of bluefish and striped bass, but it was a difficult thing 

 to do. He hoped that the chair would appoint a good and 

 efficient committee. 



Mr. Blackford would like to see such a committee ap- 

 pointed. There were great interests involved in the men- 

 haden oil and guano industry, and it would be well if 

 some of the prominent menhaden men could meet with 

 this committee and exchange views. The subject of the 

 migrations of sea fishes is not understood, a good illustra- 



tion of this was the fact that the menhaden men made 

 such poor catches during the season a few years ago that 

 they met and agreed to restrict the catching and ap- 

 pointed a committee to memorialize Congress on the sub- 

 ject of restrictive Jaws. The meeting adjourned, and in 

 less than a week the fish struck in on the coast and they 

 had an immense catch, larger than in several previous 

 years. He thought that it would be well to consider the 

 interests of the menhaden fishers and get them to con- 

 sent to a form of legislation which would be satisfactory 

 to all. 



On being asked by the_ president if he would serve on 

 the committee, Mr. Mather declined, saying that if it was 

 to be a compromise lie was not a fair juror, being strongly 

 prejudiced against the whole menliaden fishery, which, 

 he bebeved to be the invention of the evil one. It might 

 be difficult to find a committee composed of anglers who 

 had no prejudices of this kind, but be felt sure that his 

 views on the subject would prevent him from acting im- 

 partially. The menhaden men had never considered the 

 interests of the anglers, and he did not see why this 

 Association should consider the interests of the menhaden 

 fishers. 



Mr. Dunning said that be had much to say on the sub- 

 ject to the committee, as he had studied the menhaden 

 for years. He thought that a close time might be 

 established so that they could only be taken at certain 

 seasons. 



Mr. Endicott replied that a fixed close time would not 

 suit the menhaden men; they caught fish when they 

 came, and the date of their coming was very uncertain. 



Mr. Blackford said that in the history of our migratory 

 fishes there were records of certain species having 

 deserted our coast for years and then reappearing. He 

 quoted Prof. Huxley as saying, after examining the her- 

 ring fisheries of Great Britain, that the efforts of man 

 were not a factor in the decrease of sea fishes, and that 

 this view was indorsed by the late Prof. Band. Some 

 years ago he held decided views on the subject of the 

 menhaden fisheries and thought that they were injuring 

 other fishing interests and proposed laying the case before 

 Congress, but after overhauling bis notes "winch had been 

 kept for a series of years, recording the abundance or 

 scarcity of different fishes he found that he had no facts 

 to lay before Congress. In his remarks on this subject he 

 would like to have it understood that he had not a dollar 

 invested in the menhaden fishery. 



President Wells remarked that during the time he had 

 been a member of the Association there had been no 

 question before it that compared in importance with the 

 present one. 



Judge McGown hoped that the president would not 

 appoint all the members of the committee from among 

 the salt-water anglers, as they might, like Mr. Mather, 

 have too strong prejudices on the subject. He did not 

 wish to injure any person who fishes for a living, and the 

 committee should be composed of men who could do 

 justice to all. 



Mr. Endicott stated that was just his idea. He wanted 

 to see justice done to the poor New Jersey farmer and 

 fisherman who formerly went down and caught his 

 winter's food , or bought it for two or three cents a pound, 

 while now if he got any bluefish to salt for his family 

 they cost him eight cents per pound at least. He was 

 not looking at the matter from the mere standpoint of 

 sport, but realized that only by means of nets could the 

 markets be supplied with fish, and the poor man who 

 lived in the city or country get his dinner of cheap and 

 wholesome food, but he did want to see some restriction 

 placed on a wholesale system of fishing which followed 

 a school of fish into the bays and captured the last fin. 

 When a menhaden steamer sights a school of fish it gets 

 every one. It cuts off a portion and surrounds it with a 

 purse net and then cuts off another portion and so on 

 until the school is gone. When a section is cut off by 

 a steamer it does not rejoin the main body, and as the 

 fish are usually surface swimmers then- destruction is 

 easy 



The discussion closed and the president appointed the 

 following gentlemen as the committee : Francis Endicott, 

 Chairman; E. G. Blackford, Hon. H. P. McGown, C. Van 

 Brunt, Louis B. Wright. Of this committee two are salt- 

 water fishermen, Messrs. Endicott and McGown, while 

 the others, with the president who is ex officio a member 

 of all committees, are trout and salmon angers. 



Mr. Mitchell moved that a committee be appointed to 

 revise the by-laws relative to the admission of members. 

 This was carried and the chair appointed Messrs. Fred. 

 Mather and Francis Endicott as such committee. 



It was then resolved to hold a meeting at the same place 

 on Saturday, Jan. 14, 1888, to decide on the time and place 

 of the next tournament and to consider the rules to gov- 

 ern the contests. A vote of thanks was tendered to Mr. 

 Blackford for the use of his laboratory at various times, 

 and the meeting adjourned. 



CHARLES FRAZEE MURPHY. 



i^lHARLES FRAZEE MURPHY, a noted maker of 

 split-bamboo fishing rods, and the first one to make 

 a rod on that plan from tip to butt, died in Newark, N. 

 J., Dec. 15. He was born in 1825, and from a very early 

 age was an enthusiastic angler and sportsman. As he 

 grew up he became recognized as one of the best fly- 

 casters and crack shots in America. For the last forty 

 years he has caught more fish and killed more birds than 

 any man in New Jersey. In his youth he was known as 

 the strongest man of his size in that State. He stood 5ft. 

 6in. and never weighed over 1251bs., yet he could easily 

 lift a barrel of flour or plaster and put it on bis head. He 

 could also cross an un plastered room by gripping the 

 beams overhead with his fingers and thumbs. When he 

 was 56 years of age he jumped a few inches over 100ft. in 

 ten successive standing jumps. He was also a great 

 boxer, and as qruck as a flash. On one occasion he got 

 decidedly the best of "Awful" Gardner, when that terror 

 of the ring was in his prime. He excelled in all athletic 

 sports where strength and quickness were requisite. 



In 1860 Mr. Murphy conceived the idea of manufactur- 

 ing split-bamboo rods for the trade, and for a number of 

 years supplied the rod, made of four strands, to the well- 

 known firm of Andrew Clerk & Co. , in New York city. 

 Had Mr. Murphy patented his process of manufacture, it 

 is thought he would have made a fortune. "Honest 

 Charley Murphy," however, was a very conscientious 

 workman, and he would not intrust to any assistant the 

 work he thought it necessary for him to perform, Thus, 



