April 1, 1887.] 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



231 



A Pennsylvania Union.— Pittsburgh, Pa., April 2.— 

 Editor Fored and Stream : At a meeting of the repre- 

 sent ativets of the different hunting, fishing and camping 

 clubs, in the immediate -vicinity of this city, held for the 

 purpose of organizing a united club, it was resolved to 

 issue the following circular: This club is formed for the 

 purpose of securing the preservation and increase of fish 

 in the waters of Western Pennsylvania, and the enforce- 

 ment of laws regarding the same; for the protection and 

 enforcement of the lately amended game laws; for ob- 

 taining uni for in and cheap transportation to the various 

 fishing and hunting localities of the United States and 

 Canada; to secure better accommodations from the vari- 

 ous transportation companies; to obtain more informa- 

 tion as to the status of the hunting and fishing of the 

 different sporting sections of America; and finally, to 

 become personally acquainted with the brother members 

 of the different clubs, and by occasionally meeting 

 together in a social way gain knowledge through the 

 mutual exchange of information derived from personal 

 experience. It has been decided that all clubs having a 

 membership of ten or less are entitled to two repre- 

 sentatives, and an additional representative for every ten 

 members, or a majority fraction thereof, over that num- 

 ber.— W. G. ScutKAiER. President; W. W. McNeil, Secre- 

 tary. 



How SHALL He Ouccmvent Them ?— Editor Forest 

 and Stream: Near this city is a lake formed by a cut off 

 of the Mississippi Paver, and subject to the rise and fall 

 of the same; its width is f of a mile. This lake is a feed- 

 ing place for considerable numbers of mallard and teal. 

 My object in writing this is to ask suggestions from some 

 of your correspondents as to the best methods (practica 1 ) 

 of shooting these ducks. The banks of the lake are 

 mostly clear, and the ducks are generally bedded in the 

 middle of the lake, far out of reach of gun shot. Decoys 

 and blinds made of brush stuck in the ground are in- 

 effective. A bhnd built in the water would not do on 

 account of the frequent change of the water level — a rise 

 or fall of 3ft. in 2i hours is not infrequent. Some of the 

 local gunners think of getting a punt gun; this I object 

 bo strongly, and will, 1 think, successfully oppose. I 'am 

 opposed to spring shooting and pot-hunting. Any sug- 

 gestions which will fit the case as stated will be gratefully 

 received. — D. M. P. 



Beulin Ron and GrUN Club. — Berlin, N. J. — The officers 

 are as follows: Pres., Chas. E Wooster; Vice Pres., How- 

 ard Ireland; Secy., Howard T. Wright: Treas., Lincoln 

 Doughty: Directors, Wm. H. Norcross, Louis Kammer 

 and John B. Wright: Capt., John B. Wright. 



Ottawa, Out., March 80.— Wild goose shooting has 

 been in active operation for some weeks along the north 

 coasts of Nova Scotia. Here the waters of the lakes and 

 rivers are still icebound, with four feet of snow over the 

 surrounding country. — Stansteal. 



New York Forest Preserve.— The forest preserve 

 covers the counties of Clinton, Essex, Franklin, Fulton, 

 Hamilton, Lewis, Saratoga, St. Lawrence, Wan-en, Wash- 

 ington, Greene, Ulster and Sullivan, 



MINNESOTA GAME LAWS. 



AX Act for the better preservation of game; Be it enacted by 

 tlie Legislature of the State of Minnesota: 

 .Section 1. No persons shall kill, or pursue with intent to kill, 

 any woodcock, saving only during the month of July after the 

 third day of saia month, aud during the months of August, 

 September and October: nor any prairie hen or chicken, nor any 

 while-breasted or sharp-tailed grouse, or prairie chicken, save 

 only during the month ofJAugust after the fourteenth (11th) day of 

 said month, and during the mouth of September: nor any quail 

 or par w ridgc, save only during tne months of September, October 

 and November: nor any ruffed grouse or pheasant, save only 

 during the months of September, October and November; nor any 

 wild duck of any variety, or wild goose or brant of any variety, 

 or aquatic fowl wiiaterer, save only during the month of Sep- 

 tember, after the 13th day cf said month, and during the months 

 of October. November and December in each year. Whoever 

 kills any woodcock between the ure$ day of November and the 

 fourth day of July following: or kills any prairie lien or chicken, 

 or white-breasted or sharp -tailed grouse, oetween the first day of 

 October and the lif teen th day of August following; or kills any 

 quail or partridge, or ruffed grouse or pheasant, between the iir.-'t 

 day of December and the first day of September following: or kills 

 any wild duck of any var.ety, or mid goose, or brant of any 

 variety, or aquatic fowl whatever, between the first day of Jan- 

 nary and the 15th day of September in any year, forfeits not less 

 than ten dollars ($10.00) nor more than fifty dollars ($50.00) for each 

 bird so killed. Whoever has in his possession any such bird 

 (except alive) during the said time the killing whereof is prohibi- 

 ted, shall be deemed to have killed the same, contrary to law, and 

 shall be liable to the penalty aforesaid, unless he proves in defense 

 one of the following facts: That he had no notice or knowledge 

 that the same was m his possession; or that the same was killed 

 during the time it was Lawful to kill the same; or that the same 

 •was not kdled in this State. 



Sec. 2. No person shall kill or take, by any means, contrivance 

 or device whatever, or pursue with intent to kill, or take or worry, 

 or hunt with hounds or dogs, any elk, moose, deer, buck, doe or 

 fawn, save during the month of November in any year: and who- 

 ever hunts or kills or destroys any of such animals between the 

 first day of December and the first day of November forfeits not 

 less than twenty-five dollars (525.00) nor more than seventy-five 

 ($75.00) for each animal so killed or destroyed; and whoever has in 

 his possession the carcass or hide of any such animal, or any part 

 thereof, between the first day of January and the first day of No- 

 vemoer of any year, shall be deemod to have hunted and killed the 

 same, contrary to law, and shall b3 liable to the penalty afore- 

 said, unless he proves in defense one of the following facts: That 

 he had no notice or knowledge that the same was in his possession; 

 or that the animal was killed during the said time it was lawf ul to 

 kill the same; or that the same was not killed within this State. 



Sec. 3. No person, parsons, or corporations, shall at any time, 

 or in. any maimer, export, or cause to be exported or carried out 

 of the limits of the State of Minnesota, any of the birds or ani- 

 mals mentioned in this act; and any person, persons or corporation 

 who shall export or cause to be exported, or carry out or cause to 

 be carried out of the limit of this State, an y of the birds or animals 

 mentioned in this" act, shall forfeit the sum of not less titan five 

 dollars (35) nor more than seventy-five dollars (,f75) for each bird 

 or animal so exported or caused to be exported, or carried out or 

 caused to be carried out of the State of Minnesota. And the pro- 

 visions cf this section shall apply to every corporation, railroad 

 company or express company carrying on business within the State, 

 and to any and every employee of such corporation, railroad com- 

 pany or express company. 



Sec. i. No nersoii shall at any time catch or kill any of the birds 

 aforesaid, or any of the animals aforesaid, in any other manner 

 than shooting them with a gun held by the persou discharging the 

 same. And no person shall at any time set, lay or prepare any 

 trap, snare, net or other contrivance or device whatever with in- 

 tent to kill or catch any of the birfe aforesaid or any of the 

 animals aforesaid. " And no persou or ms shall, between tliu 

 time of sunset and sunrise, hunt, pursue or kill, on any of the 

 lakes, rivers or waters in this State, any aquatic fowl whatever: 

 and no person or persons shall a* any time in hunringlmy aquatic 

 fowl make nseof any artificial light, decoy, battery or any decep- 

 tion whatever wtioreby any such wi]d fowl shall be attracted or 

 deceived. Aud no one shall use any part of any public high way 

 or any bridge thereon as a duck pass or for such duck pass shoot- 

 pig. And whoever shall offend against any of the provisions of 



this section shall forfeit not less than twenty-five dollars ($25) nor 

 more than seventy-five dollars ($75) for each and every offense. 



Se< a Si No person shall at any time enter into any growing or 

 standing gram or any enclosed land not his own, with sporting 

 implements about his ncrsou; nor permit his dog or dogs to enter 

 into any such growing or standing grain or into such enclosed 

 laud, without permission uf the owm r or occupant thorecf, and no 

 person shall ai anv time hunt or shoot upon any lands of 

 another which are imculti ated or unenclosed after being notified 

 not to jurat or shoot thereon; and any person who shall enter into 

 such growing or standing (grain) or into such enclosed land of 

 another with gun, dogs or any .- porting implement upm his per- 

 son without the permission cf the owner r.r occupier of such gram 

 or enclosed land, with intent to kill, hunt or pursue any animal or 

 game bird, and any person who shall, without the right so to do, 

 hunt or shoot upon any uncultivated or unenclosed land of an- 

 other after being notified not. to hunt or shoot thereon, shall for- 

 feit the sum of not less t han twenty dollars ($20) nor more than 

 fifty dollars (.#><)) for each nod every such offense, to be recovered 

 by action before any justice of the peace of the county where 

 the offense is committed or of the county where the defendant 

 may reside, to be brought by and in the name of the owner or 

 occupant, of such land: but nothing in this section contained shall 

 be so consumed as to limit or in any way tn affect the remedy of 

 the owner or occupier of any such grain or enclosed land cr un- 

 enclosed land, or of the person injured, at common law for tres- 

 pass. 



Sec. (t The governor shall appoint a game warden for the State 

 of Minnesota, to hold his office for four (4) years unless sooner re- 

 moved, and such game warden may appoint in writing one or 

 more deputies, and require suitable bonds for the faithful perfor- 

 mance of their duties. And it shall be the duty of the said game 

 warden and Ins deputies to faithfully enforce all the laws of this 

 State relative to the preservation of game. And each of said 

 officers shall have the same authority to require a id in the execu- 

 tion of his office as sheriffs and their deputies have. Such State 

 warden, cr any of his deputies, ma> institute proceedings by civil 

 action, m the name of said State warden as plaintiff, or of the 

 State of Minnesota as plaintiff, and the name of the accused as 

 defendant, to recover all the penalties for the unlawful hunting 

 and killing of any of said game birds or anima ls, and for the 

 violation of any of the provisions of this act, except those pro- 

 vided for in section five (5); aud the whole of the penal tins so re- 

 covered shall go to such warden, to pay himself and his deputies 

 for their time, labor and expenses. Such prosecution miy be 

 commenced and heard before any justice of the peace or district 

 court of any county in which said bird or animal after 

 being killed is carried, or of the county in which the defendant 

 may reside. And in case any offense committed under this act 

 shall not i e prosecuted by said State warden or his deputies with- 

 in twenty (30 days after the commission thereof, then any person 

 may institute and prosecute such action therefor in his own 

 name in any of such court :; and in that case the party so prosecut- 

 ing mav be entitled to all penalties recovered; and in all actions 

 therefor, if the plaintiff prevails, he shall be. entitled to and re- 

 cover costs. And justices of the peace shall have jurisdiction to 

 hear, try and determine all cases arising under this act, except 

 when the damages claimed exceed one hundred dollars (110.1). 



Sec. 7. That section one fl) and section two i2>, and seel ion five 

 (fi), and sectiou seven 1 7), and section eleven (11) of chapter twenty 

 (20) of the General Statutes of the State of Minnesota, being of an 

 act for the preservation of game, and all acts amendatory thereof 

 be, and the same are, hereby repealed; and all acts and parts of 

 acts inconsistent with this act are hereby repealed. 



Sec. 8. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after 

 its passage. 



Approved March 8, 18S7. 



ANALYSIS OF THE TRAJECTORY TEST. 



Editor Purest and Stream: 



I have read with much interest ami perplexity the. article run- 

 rWiig through two late issues of ^ our pauer over the signature 

 of Major H.W. Merrill and purporting to be an analysis of the 

 Forest and Stream's trajectory tests. 



Tt seems to me the Major has permitted himself to overshoot the 

 center of merit. Some captious critic, it seems, rudely assailed 

 Iris idol and of course he fights without being particular aS to the 

 means he avails himself of in defense. Therefore Ins article par- 

 takes of the uature of a labor of love in eulogizing a style of arm 

 whose obituary was written years ago. He says that the test re- 

 ferred to Whs for the purpose of deriving instruction from flat 

 trajectories in connection with great accuracy along the range. 

 What instruction has the memoiializer of the muzsleloader ue- 

 ducbd and Imparted t'.ierefromV With much labor he has endeav- 

 ored to demonstrate that the Merrill rifle (muzzlcloader) weighirg 

 llV£lbs., exploding a large charge of powder and driving a light 

 buffet of medium caliber, was the only arm fired in the test whose 

 projectile would shave a squirrel's head on the range along the 

 line of sight from 1 to 100yds. Now, this is valuable in the study 

 of projectiles to a hunter who must guoss at distance, but it is not 

 a discovery of power inherent in oue style of arm. If it is, then 

 the squirreis may increase and multiply with impunity before I 

 will load myself with such cumbersome ordnance for such light 

 sport. 



When I read your correspondent's carefully tabulated record of 

 the trajectory tests, examined his formulas aud studied his com- 

 parisons of the competing arms, it was with more than passing 

 interest, but it was an interest centering upon only oue of the 

 many elements that enter into the essentials of a sporting arm. 

 with its relative merits, namely, flatness of the bullet's line of 

 flight. Regulate tl is factor with the killiug power of a projectile 

 and you advance rifle shooting in a hunting arm when you com- 

 bine these principles assimilated with accuracy aud steadiness 

 in a weapon capable of rapidity and facility of manipulation, 

 light, of weight and using ammunition protected from moisture. 

 Your test did not embrace these points (beyond the lessons to be 

 drawn) which your correspondent admits, yet he takes occasion 

 to make it a text to preach the superiority of eld systems in a 

 hunting arm. Again, if tlia Merrill ritle is in vincible in Bhaving 

 squirrel heads, which one among the lot fired is to be selected to 

 shave Old Ephraim of the Rocky Mountains? If my examination 

 of the tables is correct there were a few weapons with a trajectory 

 flat enough to include the grizzly's head along the range. Will 

 Major Merrill advise the use of the arm he says beat all others 

 for this sport or in the extremity of danger? Suppcse a hunter, 

 armed with the Merrill, to be inaccurate iu aim, which system 

 would the unfortunate man believe to be the exponent of advanced 

 rifle shooting? 



I am at a loss to discover upon what hypothesis the designer of 

 the Phillips-Merrill rifle discovers in your trajectory tests what 

 he terras in the third paragraph of his opening article a ''com- 

 plete vindication of his advocacy of the accuracy and power of 

 the muzzleloader as a bunting weapon." Many riflemen have 

 long believed that flatness of trajectory is a. result of high velocity 

 produced in a gun barrel by a heavy charge of explosive material 

 propelling- a light weight projectile; while accuracy, steadiness 

 and power are obtained in all rifles by adjustment of relative 

 proportions in weight, form, size, material, rotation and direction 

 and friction, treated with delicacy and precision of construction. 

 Probably the majority of riflemen will not deny the possibilities 

 of aceura y and steadiness of a muzzleloader at the taiget, nor 

 deny sim Jar qualities in the breechloader. Why should they, 

 while both arms attain the same end through the utilization of 

 mechanical agencies? But the desideratum is coomotny aud facil- 

 ity of means to produce a result which involves power. I do not 

 believe that accuracy and power in the full meaning and intention 

 of the combined terms IIS applicable at the target involve the 

 many conditions these terms cover in hunting game, and the dis- 

 parity is illustrated in the inability to find stationary' game and a 

 steady aim in riflemen; hence accuracy and power upon game in- 

 volve facility and rapidity of application. Did the Merrill arm 

 discover any new principle of accuracy and power hi a huntiug 

 weapon, or did it simply intensify a familiar element entering 

 into the essentials and common to all rifles? Yet Major Merrill 

 in closing paragraph says he believes the majority of your readers 

 must appreciate his effort to advance the cause of truth and 

 rifle shooting. Beyond the line of truth exhibited in the frac- 

 tional depression of his trajectory in degree, and including his 

 prejudice, did his arm materially advance tne cause of rifle shoot- 

 ing according to the ethics of science as applied to huuting? I 

 believo not. Again, did not his pique over a criticism cause him 

 to overlook the true lesson taught by your tests aDd lead him into 

 opening the old threadbare controversy over the different styles 

 of arms in a vain grasp at a Shadow instead of the substance? 



Adverting to the claim to advancement iu the domain of rifle 

 shooting as illustrated in the sc-callei vindication, compare the 

 muzzleloader arm of twenty years ago with that arm to-day, and 

 then contrast the breechloader weapon of twenty-five years ago 

 with the same rifle as now produced- A glance will show the evo- 

 lution of both systems towa-d perfection and the degree achieved 

 by each. I have never seen a muzzleloader comparing favorably 

 with the modern Maynard, Ballard or the magazine rifle, in accu- 

 racy and range (eliminating power, in the concrete, at an unknown 

 quantity in muzzleloadersi but would greatly exceed either in 

 cost. With due courtesy toward your correspondent, I am 



obliged to believe his letter to be mlslead ; ng and imperfect in the 

 analysis of the subject taken under consideration. 



Now will not Ka.pr Merrill who, as he says, writes "pro bono 

 nntlir.o in the advancement of rifle shooting as applicable to hunt- 

 ing arms," forbear umbrage at differences of opinion in his theory 

 or practice, and apply bis experience and knowledge of [.r jecfiles 

 to the perfecting or n. system of rifling and a charge of cartridge 

 proportional ir powdei, lead and caliber, that shall produce a flat 

 trajectory and great killiutr power for the different ranges and 

 uses in an arm continuing lightness, facility aud rapidity of 

 manipulation, winch 1 believe broadly covers not only advance- 

 ment in rifle shooting, bu I embodies the principles that should 

 govern lessons given in all. rifle testa for the sportsman? Further, 

 cannot the Forest and Stream arrange for tests that will de- 

 velop a substitute for tae rifie powder now in use? Civilian. 



\m mul §irer 0shing. 



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



TARPON AT CHARLOTTE HARBOR. 



SECOND PAPER. * 



MR. S. C. CLARKE speaks ex cathedra as to the tar- 

 pon: "Imagine a herring-shaped fish, 5 or 6ft. 

 long, with brilliant silvery scales the size of a half dollar, 

 in schools of a dozen or twenty, leaping from the bine 

 surface of the summer sea. This is all that the angler 

 usually sees of the tarpon. Sometimes one of these glit- 

 tering monsters takes the hook. What follows? The line 

 runs out at great speed until it has all left the reel, when 

 it parts at its weakest point, and the fish goes off, leaping 

 seaward. When hooked on a hand line similar results 

 follow. No man is strong enough to hold a large tarpon 

 unless he is provided with a drag or buoy, in the shape of 

 an empty keg attached to the line, which may retard or 

 even stop the fish after a while. 



"I have heard of one instance of this fish being killed 

 on a. hand line. As usual the line was snatched from the 

 hands of the fisherman in the first rush, and the tarpon 

 went leaping clown the river; but the heavy leaden sinker 

 struck it on the bead and stunned it, so that it was picked 

 up by means of a boat. One was killed a few years ago 

 in tlie Indian River, as I am credibly informed, with rod 

 and reel, by an angler from Philadelphia, after a contest 

 of some hours. The fish was over Oft. long, and weighed 

 more than lOOlbs. — certainly one of the greatest angling 

 feats on record." 



Again: "A cuttyhunk linen line, 15-thread, 300ft. long, 

 will hold and kill most of the fish encountered on tins 

 (Florida) coast. Of course, a tarpon Oft. long will get 

 away with the tackle." 



Thus Mr. Clarke. These authoritative statements would 

 make the angler abandon the attempt to take a tarpon in 

 advance. My own experience and observation the present 

 spring and last year's show that any fair angler, who is 

 observant and really cool, cau kill some tarpon, and those 

 of the largest size, although the greater number of those 

 hooked will probably escape him. The fish is a tremen- 

 dous fighter, but he fights fairly; there are no nods or 

 jerks, nor boring into the bottom, nor hunting cover of 

 rocks or snags. 



And how tastes differ! Mr. Clarke, in the same article 

 above quoted, decides that the three best fishes for the 

 table found in America are the pompano, the salmon and 

 the whitefish of the lakes. I have enjoyed pompano on 

 both the east and west coasts of Florida, salmon taken 

 from Scottish river, and whitefish on the shores of the 

 Great Lakes. Every fish was living when prepared for 

 the broiler. But I have also bad Spanish mackerel broiled 

 upon the deck of the vessel as they were taken from the 

 water, and have had shad on the Ocklawaka steamboats, 

 barbarously fried and desecrated with tomatoes, and 

 enjoyed them in perfection planked at tlie Bnena Vista, 

 at Gloucester City, New Jersey. I would admit the pom- 

 pano to the supreme trio and next to it the Spanish mack- 

 erel, but queen of all is the Delaware planked shad with 

 her roe. Ubi alosa ibipatria. 



But this digression is foreign to my purpose and can be 

 brushed aside with the comment, "There's no accounting 

 for tastes." Degustibut'. Chacuu a son gout. There is no 

 doubt a Choctaw proverb to the same effect. 



Last March (18S0) I went to Punta Rassa and spent a 

 few days fishing, in the manner and with the results al- 

 ready detailed in Forest and Stream. I was not pre- 

 pared for tarpon, but accidentally hooked one. which 

 promptly ejected my bait. I stated my wise conclusions, 

 from this brief experience, that this fish could not be 

 taken from a stationary object, like the shore, or an 

 anchored boat; but, after observing Mr. W. H. Wood's 

 management of a fish of 1301bs., at the mouth of the 

 Caloosahatchie River, I find my judgment a little too 

 hasty. He killed the fish in less 'than an hour — beautifully 

 —without raising the anchor of his boat. My other 

 dictum— that the ''spring of the rod" cuts no figure— he 

 confirms in conversation. All that is required is plenty 

 of line, and the rod always at right angles to the rush of 

 the fish. But, as Mr. Wood says, one must be always 

 prepared for accidents. "After taking more than one 

 tarpon, one gets a great respect for the fish!" 



In March of last year, after a careful examination of 

 both the Indian River region and the southwest coast, I 

 was sure that the best place for an angler, with limited 

 time, is San Carlos Bay, at the southern end of Charlotte 

 Harbor. There is certainty of fish, and, if not too early 

 in March, assurance of tarpon — the king of all of them. 

 Mosquitoes are not there, and midges and flies are very 

 scarce. Not so on the Indian River. The scenery is per- 

 fect, with strange and picturesque forms of southern 

 vegetation- 

 White sheets of water and clear sky. 



And then the climate. The sweetest days on earth are 

 the Indian summers of the Middle States, when 



''Under the yaller pines I house, 



When sunshine makes 'em all sweet-scented, 

 And hear, among their furry boughs, 



The baskin 1 wes 1 wind purr contented. 

 While way o'erhead, as sweet 'n' low 



As distant, bells that ring for meetin', 

 The wedged wil' geese their bugles blow, 

 Further and further south retreatin'. 

 But we have but few Indian summer days rathe North, 

 and we do have three dreadful months, February, March 

 and April. There are lucid intervals in February and 



*For flrst paper, "Florida Coast Fishing," see "Vol. XXYTh, p. Ma. 



