66 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



fAuG. 16, 1888. 



FOREST AND STREAM GUN TESTS. 



VICKSBUEG, Miss., Aug. 9, 1888.— Editor Forest and 

 Stream: You will confer a benefit to lovers* of the 

 shotgun by your proposed gun tests. 



Only to-day an argument was had as to the merits of 

 coarse-grained vs. fine-grained powder, the advocates of 

 the former claiming tbat it gave equal penetration witb 

 less recoil. Will you test that for us ? 



In the minds of some there are doubts as to the benefits 

 of placing more than one gcoi wad on the powder. Your 

 trial could speedily determine a small matter like that. 



However, the most important matter to determine is the 

 proper charge of a gun of given gauge and weight. I 

 claim that the gauge and weight must determine the 

 charge. For this purpose it assuredly appears that the 

 gun ought to be fired naturally from the shoulder, or at 

 least from a rest that will yield after the way of a live 

 sportsman as much as possible. 



Your test will most likely show that, after a certain 

 charge is reached— say 4 to 4J drams of good powder, and 

 lioz. shot for a ten-gauge gun of 9-Jlbs. weight — that any 

 ammunition in excess is a detriment in three respects— 

 pattern, penetration and recoil. Your test will result in 

 the saving of tons and tons of ammunition and thousands 

 and thousands of headaches. The 5 and 54 dram fellows, 

 who load to kill at 100yds. and beyond, will have to suc- 

 cumb. It will give their blue shoulders a rest. 



Let us also know how the same charge of powder will 

 affect the different sizes of shot, whether one size shows 

 a disposition to scatter more than another. 



Will you also try whether a felt wad is the proper 

 thing to put on the shot? Try a stout cardboard that 

 blows to pieces and see if better results are not obtained, 

 especially as to the evenness of the distribution of shot. 



Along with your test please give us a table of the vel- 

 ocities of the various sizes of shot. This will citable a 

 man of a mathematicl turn to do a little figuring as to 

 the matter of drawing ahead of a teal that is a we'e bit 

 behind time, and going down the wind. 



And tell us, if you please, what is the best charge to 

 tumble a shiny old gobbler at 50yds. with his head high 

 and bill straight toward you — his neck but little larger 

 than your thumb, and head no bigger than a si lver dollar, 

 and admirably shaped for glancing shot. Have put a 

 little thought on that thing myself. 



And tell us how to load buckshot in a chokebore so 

 they will not flare out at an angle of 45° and bark all the 

 timber in a vast area of woods. 



Could you give us a pattern— firstly on a 30-inch circle, 

 secondly on an 18-inch circle or thereabouts, and thirdly 

 on a paper about the area of a section of a pigeon or teal 

 duck, say 4x5 inches? The first and second might be 

 put up just in front of the penetration cards, and all 

 three patterns be taken at one discharge, the third one 

 being marked off in the front penetration card. 



But why suggest? We know from your admirable 

 test of the rifle what the test of the shotgun will be. It 

 will do away with much guessing, and enable us to arrive 

 at sound conclusions without haphazard work in the 

 field. Give us your trials by all means. W. L. P. 



"LET HER GO, GALLAGHER!" 



FOSTORIA, Ohio, Aug. 4.— Editor Forest and Stream: 

 The mention of the "Gallagher carbine," by "G. O. 

 S.," on page 513, of the issue of July 19, was, in part, re- 



?lied to by "D. G.," in the issue of July 26, on page 5. 

 he name of the inventor of the gun or carbine isMahlon 

 J. Galloger (not Gallagher), of Savannah, Ga. The arm 

 was patented July 17, 1860, and was manufactured by 

 Overman & Richardson, at the corner of Twelfth and 

 Thompson streets, Philadelphia. I think the guns were 

 all made for the Government. The peculiarity of the 

 cartridge was that one-half was held in the breech, while 

 the front portion was contained in the barrel. The com- 

 mon army percussion cap was used to explode the cart- 

 ridge, as the capped cartridge of the present day was not 

 then in use. A small hole in the rear end of the cart- 

 ridge, in juxtaposition with a similar hole leading to the 

 gun tube or nipple, on which the cap was exploded, was 

 the means of conveying fire to the cartridge. To load 

 the gun the lever, which constituted the trigger guard, 

 was thrown down, and this action caused the barrel to 

 move forward in a right line for a little distance, then 

 swing on a pivot or tip up similar to the breechloading 

 shotguns of the present. The brass cartridge could then 

 be inserted, and by returning the lever to place the barrel 

 would tip back to the breech and slide back in a line 

 until it was closed, holding the cartridge in place, one- 

 half being in the barrel and the other half in the breech. 

 When the barrel was thrown forward and "tipped up," 

 it was supposed the projecting end of the cartridge would 

 be sufficient to enable the one using the gun to remove it 

 with the thumb and finger, but as the breech would foul 

 and the cartridge stick pretty tight in the barrel, there 

 was an extractor made with two holes, one in which a 

 finger of the hand was to be placed and the other hole to 

 be slipped over the cartridge and thus remove it. The 

 guns were well made for the kind, and gave a very good 

 account of themselves during the first portion of the re- 

 bellion. W.'B. Harbison, 



Author of the "Gunsmith's Manual." 



THE GAME OUTLOOK. 



BISMARCK, Dak., July 31.— Editor Forest and Stream: 

 We expect fine sport next month. The largest coveys 

 of prairie chicken ever noted here are to be seen this 

 year, sixteen to eighteen in a flock. I have heard from 

 some of the boys in the East who expect to come out. Dr. 

 F. McKown, of Albany, N. Y., wrote me he would be 

 here. The law does not expire till Sept. 1, but that is too 

 late for good shooting and the boys pay no attention to it, 

 and they expect to begin on the 15th of August as it used 

 to be. I write this for the information of some who have 

 written to know. 



Thousands of ducks have hatched on the lakes and 

 creeks this year. A gentleman living eight miles north 

 told me he counted forty young mallards, almost full 

 grown, in a little creek near his house. He said he had 

 watched them all summer from little goslings up; a pretty 

 sight to have this kind of game by your door. He can 

 stand in his door and easily throw a stone to where these 

 ducks hatch. 



There will be fine duck shooting here next fall, and we 

 expect thousands of geese to visit us, as so many went 

 north, and they are certain to come back to feed on our 



rain fields in the fall, and stay with us from the 20th of 

 eptember to the last of October. 

 I The same gentleman who told me of the ducks told me 

 there is not a morning, that if he cares to look, he can 

 see deer on the bottom in front of his house, a natural 

 meadow five miles long and one mile wide, skirting the 

 Missouri River, along which there is brush and timber. 



W. H. Williamson. 



Woodcock in Dutchess County, N. Y.— Nantucket, 

 Aug. 9.— Editor Forest and Stream: Since writing you I 

 have learned that the season for woodcock opens in 

 Dutchess county on Sept. 1 instead of Aug. 1, as I wrote 

 you.— Peter B. Hayt. 



Dubuque, Iowa, July 22, 1888.— J. F. Breitrnst.nn, E.k/., Krolntk, 

 la.: Dear Sir: The last paper shells, U. S. Climax, you loaded for 

 rue were the best I ever used. I won the (dub medal with them at 

 the last club shoot, and July 4 I won more prizes than any two 

 men on the grounds. I shall use them in all principal matches I 

 shoot in. Yours truly, (Signed) A. H. Pennoyer. Aim. 



Putnam, Conn., Aug. 9, 1888.— U. S. CartriOae Co., Lowell, Mass.— 

 Gentlemen: The sportsmen in this vicinity are making a distinc- 

 tion between the different makes of cartridges, and now almost 

 without exception call for the U. S. cartridges, as in their experi- 

 ence they give the best results. I have fired a few thousand this 

 summer ranging from .22 to .38-caliber, and find them accurate 

 and the rifles easily cleaned. Respectfully, (Signed) Lyman K. 

 HjMj.— A&ti. 



m md §it er fishing. 



Angling Talks. By George Daivson. Price 50 cents. Fly- 

 Rods and Fly-Tackle. B y H. P. Wells. Price $2.50. Fly- 

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

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

 Price $5.50. 



TWO WEEKS ON THE DEAD DIAMOND. 



BOSTON, July 29.— Editor Forest and Stream: I must 

 confess that I had many misgivings regarding Amasa 

 Ward and his camp, as one Saturday morning nearly a 

 month since, in company of two congenial spirits, we 

 seated ourselves in a luxurious Pullman and started out 

 of the Boston and Lowell station headed for Colebrook, 

 N. H. My friends were yearly visitors to Hell Gate 

 Camp, and for two months they'had been telling me of 

 the trout fishing in the Dead Diamond and its tributaries, 

 of the grand scenery, the bracing air, the fertile land, in 

 fact a veritable land of "milk and honey" for the sports- 

 man, until I began to seriously doubt its existence. But 

 I have been, and I have seen, and my wavering faith has 

 been established on foundations as firm as the granite 

 hills through which the beautiful Diamond runs. How 

 many are there out of the scores of men who love the rod 

 and reel, and who yearly visit the lake regions of Maine 

 and Canada, who can tell you aught of the Dead Dia- 

 mond? Year after year they go to the Rangeley or Moose- 

 head Lakes, and leave almost unvisited a territory which 

 in numbers at least can furnish more fish than any other 

 New England waters. And let me assure you that big 

 fish are not uncommon in these waters; that is if a man 

 will be satisfied with fairly big fish. He will get no 8 

 and 10-pounders, but of trout running from -^lb. to 41bs. 

 in weight there are plenty, and who that loves the rod for 

 the pleasure it affords him cannot be satisfied with such? 



We left Boston at 9:30 A. M., June 30, arriving at Cole- 

 brook at 8 P. M. After a good night's rest at the Parsons 

 House, at 8 o'clock with our guide, Albert Wallace, we 

 started on our drive through Dixville Notch to Went- 

 worth's Location, distant about thirty miles. 



The last words Harry Litchfield said to me as I walked 

 out of his store on Washington street the day before we 

 started were, "If you don't get a fish, if you don't have a 

 rise even while you are gone, you will come back to me 

 and say that you have been amply repaid." How many, 

 many times those words came to me during our ride that 

 beautiful morning. Dixville Notch; did you ever stand 

 on the crest of the ridge midway of that mighty chasm, 

 and gazing upward at those rocky shafts, towering 

 hundreds of feet above you, and not feel yourself gradu- 

 ally dwarfing and shrinking into infinite littleness? That 

 is the way I felt in the presence of those gigantic senti- 

 nels. We arrived at the Umbagog House about 1 o'clock, 

 dined, and at 2 o'clock were once more on our way. fol- 

 lowing the Androscoggin past Errol's Dam ovev Errol 

 Mountain, and in the valley beyond striking the sluggish 

 Magalloway, which we followed up to Wontworth's 

 Location, about ten miles from the Umbagog House. At 

 the Location we left the main road, and turning abruptly 

 to the left drove about a mile cross lots to Bennett's. 



It is here that the Dead Diamond empties into the 

 Magalloway, and Bennett's house is on the point of land 

 midway between the two rivers and not over two hun- 

 dred yards from where they join. The Dead Diamond 

 here will average nearly 100ft. in width, and on it, 

 a quarter of a mile above Bennett's, are the remains of an 

 old dam; below the dam is a tremendous pool, and below 

 the pool for nearly half a mile the shallow running water 

 forms rips, as they are termed here. As I am in honor 

 bound to write impartial history, I might as well admit 

 at once that the sight of that stream roused me to a 

 degree of enthusiasm that was very amusing to my 

 phlegmatic friend, the "inventor." But when a small 

 boy assured us that there were plenty of trout on the 

 rips at that moment, I grew a trifle demonstrative, I 

 guess. My grip came out of the wagon in short order, 

 my waders went on, and with rod, reel and creel adjusted, 

 in an incredibly short time I had introduced an Orvis 

 white-winged coachman to a pound-and-a-half trout, 

 through that prince of mediums, a 7oz. Nichols split 

 bamboo. In my eagerness I neglected to coat my face 

 and hands with "fly medicine," consequently, though w^e 

 I i shed only about an hour, they got in their work on me 

 in great shape, and the blood was running from a score 

 of places on my face and neck. However, I did not mind 

 that much; we had taken fourteen trout a veraging nearly 

 a pound and a quarter apiece (if that won't reconcile a 

 man to a few bites, what will?), and later on four tired 

 and hungry men sat down to a trout supper at Bennett's. 



Amasa's camp is twenty-five miles up the Dead Dia- 

 mond from Bennett's, and we expected him to meet us 

 there that night and start up the river with us next morn- 

 ing; but he did not come, and that insured us another 

 day's fishing at Bennett's before we went in. After sup- 

 per some one suggested that we try the temper of the 

 trout in the big pool below the dam; it instantly met with 



the approval of the whole party, and in a very few min- 

 utes Ave were standing on the ledges which mainly com- 

 posed its banks. The fish were rising freely, and now 

 and then a big one would come to the surf ace and "break" 

 like the swirl of an oar. I located one of these quite near 

 the dam, and with our guide went above to see if a white- 

 miller would induce him to fasten. One cast, but no 

 response; to the second he answered, and I struck him 

 instantly. He was evidently surprised, and as he rolled 

 we caught a full-length view of him; he was a beauty, 

 and the guide called "a 4-pounder." Quick as a flash he 

 sounded, the reel sung, then stopped; the pressure on the 

 rod relaxed, and— I had lost him. It was a sore disap- 

 pointment, for it was the largest trout I had ever hooked. 

 Another of our party was equally unfortunate, losing a 

 still larger fish after nearly ten minutes' play. Still, we 

 took nine trout weighing about lllbs., which was emi- 

 nently satisfactory. The next day we fished but very 

 little, as we had all that we could eat, and it was our 

 established policy not to kill a fish we could not use. 



In the afternoon two boats came down from the camp 

 for us, and that night we took all our heavy luggage 

 about a mile above the dam, turned the boats over it (in 

 case it should ram during the night), and had everything 

 ready for an early start in the morning. The day came 

 bright and beautiful; and at just ten minutes to seven 

 the boats were pointed up the river for "Hell Gate 

 Camp." The freight was divided between the two boats 

 as evenly as possible, one taking all the luggage and one 

 man, while the other took the two heavy-weights of the 

 party. The guides used neither oars nor paddle, but 

 standing in the stern with a. long iron pole shoved the 

 boat skillfvdly and rapidly. 



The day was a glorious one and the trip was perfectly 

 enchanting; to me every bend in the river was a series 

 of exclamation points. The water was clear as crystal 

 and cool as the coldest spring. Trout were constantly 

 rising and from the shallow water we could see them 

 dart like, flashes for the banks. Deep still pools were 

 numerous, and, as we passed each of them, we sighed 

 and mentally exclaimed, "What a place for a three- 

 pounder!" But no line was wet on the upward drive. To 

 say that the river is crooked can give no one an idea of 

 its sinuous course. Our guide told us that "as the crow 

 flies" it is but sixteen miles from Bennett's to Hell 

 Gate, but by the river it is ^wenty-five. There was 

 much besides the trout and scenery to interest us, for 

 scarcely had we started when the guide pointed out to us 

 the fresh tracks of deer, where they had come down 

 across the sandy beaches to drink, and eat the tender 

 grasses growing from the river bottom. Deer signs con- 

 tinued all the way up and occasionally a much larger im- 

 print in the sand showed that moose were not wholly ex- 

 tinct in these woods. 



At about 11 o'clock we reached Half-mile Falls, which 

 are somewhat more than half-way up, and while the 

 guides were hauling our boats through we found a suit- 

 able place to take our lunch. Resuming our way we 

 forged ahead very briskly, and at about 3 o'clock pulled 

 up to the landing at Hell Gate Camp. Amasa stood on 

 the bank to receive us, having been notified by the dis- 

 charge of a rifle by one of the party a half-mile down the 

 river. We lost no time in getting our traps ashore and 

 up to the camp, and I venture to say that every one was 

 glad that the journey was at an end, for it is just a trifle 

 tiresome to sit in a boat seven or eight hours, even if the 

 surroundings are delightful. That we were hungry goes 

 without saying (Johnny in particular, whose appetite kept 

 a little ahead of him during the trip), and in a very short 

 time we sat down to a dinner of broiled trout that would 

 have done credit to any hotel chef in the country. 



The site of the camp is well chosen. Standing on the 

 piazza you look almost due west and see the river pour- 

 ing through Hell Gate (a flume not more than twenty 

 feet in width, with perpendicular granite walls, as though 

 cut by man, through which the river flows for nearly 

 200yds.) over a succession of ledges, and then spreading 

 out into the magnificent pool below. This pool is Amasa's 

 "trout preserve," and out of it he has taken a trout 

 weighing 61bs. 2oz. The camp consists of three distinct 

 buildings, all connected, yet separated by log partitions; 

 the cook house, the main 'building containing the tidiest 

 of dining rooms, and a large comfortable sitting room, 

 and the sleeping apartments, which are models in their 

 way. The walls and partitions are of peeled spruce logs, 

 as white and clean as when the bark was first removed, 

 and the space between the logs is solidly caulked with 

 dry moss. The floors are spruce plank two inches thick, 

 smoothed and laid in a manner to do credit to any car- 

 penter. The bunks are wide and roomy, and are very 

 comfortable for two if the camp should be crowded. 

 They are filled to the depth of six or eight inches with 

 fine soft fir twigs, over these are spread woolen blankets, 

 and the occupant has the choice of two or three blankets 

 over him. The pillows are filled with the same fir 

 boughs, and when a tired man throws himself upon them 

 he wastes very little time before he is enjoying sleep. 



The fishing here is unsurpassed, that is, unless a man 

 is looking for the biggest fish of the season. An hour's 

 casting any evening will reward you with as handsome 

 a creel of trout, running from $ to lib. in weight, as were 

 ever lifted from any water. Amasa has about twenty 

 boats and canoes, all built by himself, and they are fine 

 specimens of boatbuilding art. The fishing season ex- 

 tends from the loth of June to Sept. 1, when the shooting- 

 season begins. Deer are as plenty nowhere in New Eng- 

 land as within a radius of twenty miles of "Hell Gate 

 Camp. " Parties going in would do well to engage accom- 

 modations and guides well in advance. Amasa will en- 

 gage guides, if desired, by giving him reasonable notice. 

 His address during the open season is Wentworth's Loca- 

 tion, N. H. ; during the winter, Colebrook, N. H. 



My friends give him a call. He has worked hard to 

 establish his camp, he works hard to please you while you 

 are there, and my word for it, you will never turn your 

 back on "Hell Gate Camp" dissatisfied. 



J. W. Barney. 



Largest Greenwood Lake Bass.— Jersey City, N. J., 

 Aug. 9. — Editor Forest and Stream: In company Avith 

 Mr. A. Collerd, Jr., I caught an Oswego bass out of 

 Greenwood Lake last week weighing 61bs. 14oz., the 

 same being the largest bass taken this year. I used a 

 light reed pole in casting, with a small frog on a single 

 hook as a fine. No doubt our success was largely due to 

 the knowledge of John Smith, the well-known guide at 

 Brown's Hotel. However, Ave are greatly elated over 

 our catch. — R. B. SMITH. 



