May 5, 1887.] 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



325 



Senator Wemple's bill for a fish hatchery at Mill Creek, Ham- 

 ilton county, has passed both branches of the Legislature and 

 now awaits the Governor's signature to become a law. 



Albany. 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



There are probably no other laws of the State that are so often 

 amended, so thoroughly bewildered, and in many cases made so 

 utterly impracticable as the laws for the protection of game and 

 fish. There is not a session of our Legislature that some wiseacres 

 or fishmongers, or selfish defiant deer-slayers, do not use every 

 effort to have the laws so changed that they may kill, catch and 

 have in possession, such game or fish as may suit their selfish in- 

 clinations or purposes. If I am correctly informed, many of the 

 proposed amendments to the game laws now before our Legisla- 

 ture would be entirely impracticable, and if enacted would be 

 destructive of the purposes for which such laws are supposed to 

 exist. It is time to call a halt. 



New York city has its particular views about the matter and is 

 ready at all times to back them with men and money. Other parts 

 of the State with possibly more practicable ideas and with near 

 approach to the beneficial operation of these laws, verymatcrially 

 differ, as to what may be taken as best for the general good, and 

 therefore to a great extent arise these continued changes of la-ws, 

 the enactment of which scarcely receives the signature of the 

 Governor and passes from the printer's hands before a succeeding 

 Legislature repeats the, farce with the usual applause. No law can 

 bo enacted that will be satisfactory to the entire State, or that can 

 or will be observed and enforced until such laws shall be agreed 

 upon and perfected bv a convention of men interested both in the 

 protection and sale of game and Ash; and not until then will there 

 be an end of the constant and lamentable changes that are simply 

 a delusion to the public and a disgrace to the State. 



Why cannot the Fokbst and Stream, as a suitable medium, 

 call such a convention at Utica or Syracuse, say in September 

 next? Syracuse. 



WISCONSIN GAME LAW. 



CHAPTER 374. An Act to secure the bettor preservation of 

 game. The people of the Stato of Wisconsin, represented in 

 Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows : 



Section 1. It shall be unlawful to take, catch, kill, or have in 

 possession when killed or taken, any woodcock, between the first 

 day of December and the succeeding tenth day of July. 



Sec. 2. It shall be unlawful to take, catch, kill or have in pos- 

 session when killed or taken, any quail, partridge, pheasant or 

 ruffed grouse, prairie hen or prairie chicken, sharp-tailed 

 grouse or grouse of any other variety, snipe, plover or wild duck 

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

 aquatic f owL whatever, between the first day of December and the 

 succeeding first day of September. 



Sec. 3. It shall be unlawful to kill or take by any means, con- 

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

 or worry, or to hunt with dog or dogs, any deer, buck, doe or 

 fawn, between the tenth day of November and the succeeding 

 first day of October. 



Sec. 4. It shall be unlawful at any time to take, catch or kill, or 

 to attempt to take, catch or kill any of the animals or birds men- 

 tioned in the first three sections of this act, by means of any 

 snare, net, trap, or spring gun ; and it shall also be unlawful at 

 any time to use in pursuit of any such animal or bird, any pivot 

 or swivel gun, or a_uy other firearm not habitually held at arm's 

 length and discharged from the shoulder. 



Sec. 5. It shall be unlawful to take, destroy or have in possession 

 the eggs of any of the birds mentioned in this act, or of any wild 

 pigeon, or to wantonly disturb or molest the nesting place of any 

 such bird or pigeon, or to kill, wottnd or take any wild pigeon 

 within three miles of a pigeon roost. 



Sec. 6. It shall be unlawful to use, in the pursuit of duck, goose, 

 brant or other aquatic bird, any snoakboat, sailboat, steamboat or 

 floating raft or box, or any similar device, and it shall also be un- 

 lawful to construct or use any blind in the open water outside the 

 natural growth of grass or rushes then and there projecting above 

 the water. 



Sec. 7. It shall be unlawful at any season to hunt, shoot, catch 

 or pursue any of the birds or animals mentioned in the first six 

 sections of this act, in the night time, or to employ any device, 

 means or contrivance whatever for catching, killing or destroying 

 any such bird or animal in the night time. 



Sec. 8. It shall be unlawful to kill, take, wound or pursue, pur- 

 chase or have in possession when so killed or taken, any of the 

 birds or animals mentioned in the first six sections of this act with 

 intent to export, carry or convey the same, or any part or portion 

 of such bird or animal, beyond the boundaries of this State. In 

 deter m ining the question of intent of any party charged under 

 this section, any competent proof that the accused has within one 

 year exported or caused to be exported or conveyed beyond the 

 limits of this State, any bird or animal covered by this section, or 

 any part of such bird or animal. shaLl be received as prima facie 

 evidence of the existence of such unlawful intent charged in the 

 complaint or information. 



Sec. 9. It shall be unlawful to take, catch, kill or destroy, or 

 have in possession when so killed or taken, any otter, martin, 

 mink or fisher, between the first day of May and the succeeding 

 first day of November. 



Sec. 10. It shall be unlawful to pursue, trap, ensnare or kill, 

 any otter, beaver, mink or muskrat, or other fur-bearing animal, 

 upon the lands or to the middle of any stream of water adjoining 

 lands of another person who is engaged in the business upon such 

 lands of breeding or rearing any such animals. 



Sec. 11. Any person who shall violate any provision of this act 

 shall be guilty of a misdemeanor, and shall be punished by fine 

 not exceeding one hundred dollars, or by imprisonment in the 

 county jail not more than six months, or by both such fine and im- 

 prisonment. 



Sec. 12. Sections 4,564, 4,565 and 4,566, and all acts and parts of 

 acts contravening the provisions of this act are hereby repealed, 

 but this act shall not be held to repeal or suspend the operation of 

 penal laws of a local character applicable to the same subject 

 which are now in force, within local territorial limits. 



Sec. 13. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after 

 its passage and publication. 



(Approved April 8, 1887. Published April 26, 1887.) 



"FOREST RUNES." 



A collection of delightful poems that have the sheen of water, 

 the odor of leaves and the fragrance of flowers, that tell of hunt- 

 ing and fishing, and of homely life in field and woods, of forest 

 and mountain, plain and river, of things animate, inanimate, of 

 heroes and heroines, and just such a book as one likes to read on a 

 winter night or a summer day.— Public Opin ion , Wasliinylon. 



ADenver correspondent writes: "Some one writing of this book 

 has an opportunity to commend its delightful simplicity, and its 

 truthfulness to nature as well as the music of it, I like it because 

 there is a sturdy honesty in it, with no striving for display. And 

 it seems to me this of itself ought to win it a place in the esteem 

 not only of plain folks like myself, but in the regard of scholarly 

 men. I trust some one will do himself the honor." 



PUBLISHERS' DEPARTMENT. 



No Crookedness.— Clinton, Conn., April 18, 1887.— I advertised 

 in various sporting papers. With one exception, none of them 

 were courteous enough to send me the issue containing the "ad.," 

 as you did- and it is my conviction that yours is not only bv far 

 the best advertising medium, but it is removed from anv and all 

 suspicion of crookedness or jockeyism.— Dwtght Holbrook. 



The Adirondack Railway Company issues an illustrated hand- 

 book, "Birch Bark from the Adirondacks," which gives much 

 useful information to North Woods tourists. 



The Maine Central Railroad sends us three illustrated guide 

 books, prepared by Mr. C H. Haynes, of Camden, Me. They are 

 descriptive of the Rangelev Lakes, Parmachenee and other re- 

 sorts. 



Every one knows that cocoa is an excellent tonic. Taken in 

 the morning, at breakfast, it has no equal for nutrition and 

 strengthening qualities; but it can be taken with advantage at 

 any time. It is especially recommended for nursing mothers, to 

 whom its benefits are invaluable. Unfortunately, cocoa is some- 

 times mixed with starch, arrowroot or sugar,' and thus loses a 

 great part of its special properties; hence, great care should be 

 taken to procure the best in the marke t. Baker's Breakfast Cocoa 

 and Chocolate preparations have long been the standard of excel- 

 lence, and are guaranteed absolutely pure.— Adv. 



hit mtd Bit er 



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



THE DOGWOOD BLOSSOMS. 



(To my friend, Walter S. Viele, Fish Warden, First District, Ind.) 

 vyHEN the warm spring sun is shining 



' * And the flowers begin to bloom, 

 And the little leaves are peeping 



From the forest's wintry gloom, 

 Then the angler roams the meadow 



With his heart and footsteps light, 

 For the dogwood is in blossom 



And the fish begin to bite. 



Oh, the warm and mellow sunlight, 



How it seems to kiss the ground 

 Till it quivers in its gladness. 



How it wakes the song birds' sound, 

 And not a white cloud flecking 



Dims the sky so blue and bright, 

 Ah, the dogwood is in blossom 



And the fish begin to bite. 



Beneath some forest monarch 



Upon the sward I've lain, 

 Where the sunbeams through the branches 



Break into light and shade; 

 And I feast my eyes in gladness 



On the simple woodland sight, 

 When the dogwood is in blossom 



And the fish begin to bite. 



Half dozing, dreaming, waking, 



I pass the hours away 

 Till the sunbeams slanting lower 



Mark the closing of the day, 

 And the soft moon slowly rising 



Bathes the earth with silvery light. 

 When the dogwood is in blossom 



And the fish begin to bite. 



Ye bustling meu of business, 



Take from your lives one day 

 And wander through the meadows 



In the balmy month of May. 

 You'll be better, happier, purer, 



When you wander home at night, 

 When the dogwood is in blossom 



And the fish begin to bite. 

 Evansville, Ind. 



F. M. Gilbert. 



THE MAINE SEASON. 



WARMER w eather has inspired considerable activity 

 in the minds of rod and line sportsmen in this 

 vicinity, and the dealers in tackle begin to be very busy. 

 Rods are being overhauled and put in order, while lines 

 and reels are being examined. It now looks as though 

 the opening of the Maine trout lakes would, after all, be 

 welcomed by about the usual number of early sportsmen. 



By the way, the latest invention in the way of im- 

 proved tackle is a tension reel for trout, bass and salmon 

 fishing. It is, as its name indicates, simply a tension 

 reel, there being no spring for winding up the line, as in 

 the automatic reel, but all of the effect of an automatic 

 or a spring reel is obtained, to any degree desired, by a 

 simple device which regulates the tension. The operator 

 keeps winding, while the tension allows the fish to dart 

 away and take all the line he wants. He comes toward 

 the operator with as much of a jerk as a fish is capable 

 of, but the tension causes the spool to revolve and the slack 

 line is taken up in a moment. A good deal is expected 

 of this reel, and Appleton & Litchfield, who are manu- 

 facturing them for the first time since the invention, 

 have sold a large number, simply from the working 

 model. 



The opening of the Maine trout season comes with a 

 good deal of water, so far as the streams are concerned. 

 The first day of May brought a freshet of greater propor- 

 tions than has been known for years in that State. The 

 rivers and even the smaller streams were greatly over- 

 flown. Nothing has been done in the way of trout fish- 

 ing on the streams, and a decline of the waters will have 

 to be waited for. This is likely to come rather slowly, as 

 there is yet a good deal of snow in the woods and on the 

 mountains. It is expected that the Sebago lakes will be 

 late about opening this year and the run of landlocked 

 salmon will also be late. Last year these lakes cleared 

 of ice the last days of April, but they are still ice-boimd, 

 or were on the second day of May. A good deal of at- 

 tention will be given to these landlocked salmon this 

 year by Portland, Saco and Biddeford parties of sports- 

 men, as well as by the local fishermen in that vicinity. 

 The size of the fish imprisoned by the Commissioners for 

 breeding purposes last fall in the streams leading into 

 these lakes has not been forgotten by the local sportsmen, 

 many of whom saw them. One male fish weighed over- 

 sows., and there were two or three females nearly as 

 large. Angling will have rather more of an incentive 

 the e than usual this spring. 



But it is at Bangor where excitement is expected to 

 reign supreme among the salmon anglers. Already a 

 number of Boston sportsmen are only waiting for the 

 word that the salmon are rising below the dam, when 

 they will take the first train for Bangor. Commissioner 

 Stilwell and Tom Allen, the famous warden, whom all 

 the poachers hate, both expect a better run of salmon 

 than last year. The ice has gone out of the river with a 

 tremendous freshet, and as soon as it has fallen to a 

 reasonable pitch the salmon are expected. Boston sports- 

 men have letters from their friends in Bangor, warning 

 them to be ready any day now. A club has been organ- 

 ized, called the Penobscot River Salmon Club, through 

 the efforts of Mr. Allen, and they have built a club house 

 for the entertainment of sportsmen, on the banks of the 

 river near the fishing grounds. The papers say that a 

 nine-pound salmon was taken the other day from the 

 Kennebec, at Augusta. The Commissioners have for 

 several years past been putting salmon fry into that river, 

 and it is hoped that this is one of the first signs that tliis 

 river, as well as the Penobscot, has at last been re- 

 claimed, and is about to become celebrated for its salmon 

 fishing. 



The latest reports say that Moosehead Lake is not likely 

 to open this year before the last of May. It is under- 



stood that Congressman Collins, of this city, will lead a 

 party to Moosehead as soon as the ice is out. It is claimed 

 that the rush to Moosehead will be larger than usual this 

 year. Several parties from Boston, Hartford, New 

 Haven and New York will go to Bangor and try the sal- 

 mon till the ice is out of Moosehead, when they will 

 depart for that region. The Androscoggin Lake waters 

 are still ice-bound, and are likely to be till the last of 

 May. The owners of camps and lodges in that region of 

 monster trout begin to be impatient for the. ice to be out. 

 Warm weather and a few green leaves in Boston has 

 set them to longing for the old haunts. Capt. Farrar has 

 gone to the lake region to put h is steamers in readiness ; 

 but reports of only a day or two ago speak of snow in 

 plenty and thick ice. The prospect is that the recent 

 freshet has raised the lakes to the highest water-mark, 

 and that a vast quantity of the flowage-killed trees on 

 the shores of the Androscoggin lakes must be raised up 

 with the ice, and hence will be floated away. In short, 

 this year is likely to improve the shores of Richardson 

 Lake a good deal. 



That notorious game warden murderer, Graves, has 

 been brought back, all the way from California, to Ma- 

 chias, where he is now lodged in jail. It is reported that 

 he puts on quite a bold front and says that he shot th3 

 two wardens in se]f-defense. It is thought that his trial 

 will be begun as soon as the 9th of May, in the Supreme 

 Court of Washington county, now in session. State 

 Attorney-General Baker will appear for the State, with 

 County Attorney Livermore to conduct the case for the 

 county. Graves will be defended by J? sper Hutchins, 

 of Bangor, with other counsel. There is some danger 

 that public sentiment, having forgot the brutal murder 

 of poor Hill and Niles, will begin to work in Graves's 

 favor. Graves claims that he has made a record of the 

 whole affair, which ha shall present in court, showing 

 fchat the wardens set upon him with revolvers, and that 

 he "had to have the first shot." It is curious that during 

 Graves's absence the State ha3 abo fished capital punish- 

 ment; hence, by running away, he has saved his Eeck. 



Special. 



ADIRONDACK PRESERVE ASSOCIATION 



AT the annual meeting of the Adirondack Preserve 

 Association, held at 176 Broadway, May 2, the fol- 

 lowing officers were elected: President, Henry C. Squires, 

 178 Broadway; Vice-President, Edwin W. Adams, 114 

 Wall street; Treasurer, Geo. W. Shiebler, 8 Liberty place; 

 Secretary, J. G. Case, 105 East Seventy-third " street. 

 Trustees, to serve two years, J. G. Case, D. T. Ramsey, 

 247 Water street; to serve one year, A. K. Shiebler, 20 

 Maiden Lane; F. W. Kitching, 94 Reade street. These 

 are all well known business men, and in their control the 

 association ought to be well managed. 



The association was incorporated last year, having for 

 its objects the encouragement of social recreation, and 

 of boating, fishing, lawful sports and the preservation 

 of game and forests. The increasing population in the 

 Eastern States and the growing scarcity of localities 

 where sportsmen, pleasure and health seekers can enjoy 

 primeval nature in all its beauty and attractiveness, have 

 none too soon dra wn the attention of the Adirondack Pre- 

 serve Association to the necessity of an organization such 

 as theirs — one sure to be highly appreciated by those who 

 love to visit the beautiful collection of forests, lakes and 

 mountains included in the Adirondack regi:n. It is a 

 hopeful sign to see sportsmen and lovers of nature identi- 

 fied with such a society as the Adirondack Preserve 

 Association, thus lending their assistance in preserving 

 the wcods themselves and increasing game of all kinds 

 in the forests and streams. 



The high press ore at which business generally is now 

 carried on demands recreation and recuperation for our 

 business men. Only those who have visited the Adiron- 

 dacks for a few weeks' vacation can realize or appreciate 

 the renewed life and increased vigor which its high, pure 

 ah- so generously bestows upon its frequenters. 



The association has secured a commodious club house, 

 situated picturesquely among the hills, and close to as 

 good trouting and hunting as can be found in the Adi- 

 rondacks. This enables them to give to their members 

 uch comforts as cannot be found elsewhere in that sec- 

 tion. With the management in their own hands, the 

 furnishing of the club house and table (which latter will 

 be under the management of a competent caterer) will 

 be made to suit the taste of the guests. Many Adiron- 

 dack visitois will fully appreciate the necessity of this 

 better attention to bed and board, for how many other- 

 wise pleasant vacations have b^en partially marred by 

 poorly cooked and served food and a worse bed. 



The membership of the association is limited and the 

 initiation fee $100, which is not excessive when the vari- 

 ous advantages mentioned are taken into consideration. 



Black Cod of the Northwest Coast. — A dispatch 

 to the New York Times says: "Ottawa, April 28.— The 

 Fisheries Department propose to send another exploring 

 expedition to the northern waters of British Columbia 

 this summer, with the object of completing the survey of 

 Black Cod Banks discovered in the Pacific, northeast of 

 Vancouver Island. A number of fishing firms operating 

 in the Gulf of St. Lawrence have sent representatives 

 to British Columbia, and if their reports prove favorable 

 they will commence this season dry curing fish for ex- 

 port." This shows how quick to take a hint are our 

 Canadian cousins. In his interesting volume entitled, 

 "Our New Alaska," published last year, Mr. Chas. Hal- 

 lock wrote at great length of the black cod of the Pacific 

 and predicted that the fishermen of the Atlantic coast 

 would soon give their attention to the great fishery re- 

 sources of the Pacific. 



Rod and Reel Association.— The committee of ar- 

 rangements will meet on Friday, the 6th inst., at 3 P. M., 

 at E. G. Blackf orcl's laboratory in Fulton Market, to finish 

 all pending business pertaining to the tournament to be 

 helu May 25 and 26. As the score books will be given to 

 the printers on or before the 9 th inst. all parties who pro- 

 pose contributing prizes or desire to advertise in same 

 should communicate at once with the secretary. Copies 

 of the score book will be mailed on issue to all members, 

 prize donors and advertisers, and to those who send their 

 address and stamp for postage. — Gonzalo Poey. Secre- 

 tary, P. O. Box 3049, New York. 



