106 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



("Aug, 30, 1888. 



THE WOODCHUCK CREEK COUNTRY. 



I.— FLUID. 



THE rain came pouring down with that peculiar per- 

 sistency, pertinacity and perverseness which char- 

 acterizes a Michigan November rain. It began at day- 

 light and appeared to have made all proper arrangements 

 to stay with us. The clouds were a dull leaden mass of 

 moisture, and hung so low that it seemed easy enough to 

 touch them with a trout rod; but as we had ho trout rod 

 handy, we will simply call this an estimate; This rain 

 was especially unwelcome, unexpected and exasperating. 

 We had reached the "Castle" two days previously, with 

 dogs, guns, provisions and other necessaries for a two- 

 weeks' campaign among the game in a section of country 

 which, so far as exclusiveness, quantity and quality were 

 concerned, was to us almost as good as a private preserve. 



I have no desire to mislead the confiding reader by the 

 allusion to a castle. Strictly speaking, it was not a castle. 

 So if you have already any fanciful ideas of 

 • ft* * * battlements gloomy and high. 

 That tower aloft, to the frightful sky," 

 with moats, port-cullis, drawbridge and such like, it 

 would be well enough to heave them overboard at once. 

 It was a good, plain, substantial log cabin. It was said 

 by Sysiphus, one of our party, to be unique and primitive 

 —aboriginal, so to speak. Sysiphus is a great admirer of 

 the unique and primitive. The style of architecture was 

 strictly colonial, and as it may serve a useful purpose to 

 others who may have an inclination to erect a substantial 

 "forest house,'" a sketch of the "Castle" is given with its 

 surroundings. It will be observed that the chimney is on 

 the outside of the structure, and is of liberal capacitv. 

 There are two outside doors large enough for a horse to 

 haul in logs 6ft. long and 2ft. diameter or more, in front 

 of the fireplace, which are rolled into that spacious recep- 

 tacle, three making a very respectable pile, with small 

 wood to rill the interstices, and when fairly blazing the 

 effect is in the highest degree cheering and comforting. 

 Well, as may be imagined, the blazing hearth possessed a 

 charm on this dismal, damp, disgusting November morn- 

 ing, which in some degree reconciled us to the depressing 

 features of the landscape as viewed from the south win- 

 dow of the Castle. 



A rendition of Hamlet, with the part of the Prince of 

 Denmark omitted, would be no less complete than would 

 these chronicles minus the tangible and all pervading 

 presence of Aaron, the portly, sable genius who presided 

 over the domestic arrangements of the Castle. These 

 domestic arrange merits were as broad in their compre- 

 hension as a political platform, but more conscientiously 

 adhered to by the chef. 



Aaron was once a cook and house servant, in the days 

 of slavery, on the plantation of a wealthy Virginia 

 planter, and what he did not know about concocting 

 toothsome dishes and consoling draughts and all the 

 little tricks and mysteries of comforts, elegancies and 

 luxuries that contribute to the gratification of physical 

 wants and fancies, wasn't worth making any effort to 

 learn. He was a natural born genius in his line, and 

 when it came to providing a dinner for four with a very 

 limited larder to draw upon, he surpassed himself, broke 

 the records every time. This is mentioned incidentally 

 as a tribute to the moral and intellectual worth of a per- 

 son who makes no claim, desires no notoriety, and seeks 

 no higher place than serving his esteemed employers at 

 $50 per month and found. 



On this eventful morning Aaron had a decidedly 

 moody party to cater for, and the troubled and anxious 

 expression upon his ebony countenance fully declared 

 that he appreciated that fact. The roaring, blazing, 

 crackling fireplace was about the only cheerful feature 

 to be seen, 



"Well, gent'men, dis 'ere's a right smart narsty niomin' 

 and no mistake; rains like it wa'n't never goin' to stop. 

 Howsomever, we got to have bre'kfust all de same, and 

 what do ye feel like hevin 1 ? We've got some venison 

 steaks and some of dat dar bird pie left over from yist'elay 

 and some partridges ready to go on the gridi'on.'' 



The Doctor was the first who found tongue to answer. 

 "I want no game, Aaron, nothing that will remind me 

 that I am here on a hunting expedition. Nothing that 

 will destroy the illusion that 1 am not in a Bengal jungle 

 with a six month's rain on hand, and a tiger or two to 

 every square yard of territory outside of this house. No, 

 give us some corn bread and bacon, strong coffee without 

 sugar or any of that condensed abomination." 



"Better have a little stewed boa constrictor or fried 

 monkey with it, to carry out your ideas most perfectly. 

 You can have your bacon, but. Aaron, for me, let it be a 

 bountiful allowance of that excellent bird pie warmed 

 up, and a couple of piping hot baked potatoes," 



"How about the buckwheat cakes, Aaron?" 



"All right, sah, the kitchen is as dry as a squirrel's 

 nest, and dat batter de best what we haint neber had yet." 



"Well," sagely remarked Sysiphus, "I see no immedi- 

 ate danger to be apprehended so far as eatables are to be 

 considered, andgue=s we'll worry through till noon, rain 

 or no rain." 



In half an hour we were sitting around the "hospitable 

 board," discussing as good a breakfast as falls to the lot 

 of most humans, and a very contented quartette we were, 

 much to the relief of old Aaron. 



The wind was fast rising, and the fury with which it 

 ever and anon dashed the rain against the windows was 

 calculated to make us duly thankful that we were so 

 comfortably housed. The waves on the lake, which 

 washed the gravelly beach a hundred feet distant, were 

 ornamented with fluffy white-plumed caps, and threw 

 the spray far up on the bushes that grew along the mar- 

 gin. 



It was a wild day, and the prospect was that there re- 

 mained for us a choice between a day of inactive stupid- 

 ity in doors, or a battle with the elements without in a 

 doubtful pursuit of game. An hour was passed before 

 the great fire with cigars and pipes. The previous day's 

 sport was gone over, the big buck inspected for the fourth 

 or fifth time, the small game counted up, the guns and 

 other accoutrements of the chase examined and declared 

 "the best and cleanest outfit ever turned out of a shop," 

 the dogs fed and duly cared for and all was in order and 

 satisfactory. 



The General stood looking gloomily out of the window, 

 down which the water poured in torrents. Presently he 

 turned to the others with a fierce expression of determin- 

 ation to do something rash, "Yes sir, I'm going to take a 



sly shot at those turkeys down on the creek; I don't pro- 

 pose to stay housed up all day because it happens to rain 

 a little." 



"Will you listen to that, now?" exclaimed Sisyphus; 

 "turkeys on such a day as this; quail, too, perhaps, and 

 grouse, eh!" 



"No, I don't want anything to-day but turkey, except, 

 perhaps, I may bring in a couple of wild geese." 



Amid the derisive comments of the rest of the party, 

 the General proceeded to don his waterproof shooting 

 suit, and when he was fully equipped, he looked so 

 thoroughly comfortable and able to encounter any 

 amount of moisture that more than one of us secretly 

 wished that he were going along too, but it would mani- 

 festly never do to acknowledge any such weakness. So 

 off went the General at a swinging gait with his faithful 

 Don at his heels. 



The stable was but a few steps distant, and a brief visit 

 thereto revealed the fact that Aaron had performed his 

 duties in that department perfectly; the pair of bays 

 were comfortably and. contentedly enjoying themselves, 

 their sleek coats shining like satin, eloquent proof of the 

 darkey's vigorous grooming. Fleck, Rose and Maj. were 

 stretched out in the straw and everything bore an aspect 

 of perfect neatness and contentment. 



Inside the Castle to-day at least was a place to be 

 sought, and as the chronicler entered, the Doctor was 

 heard say: 



"Speaking of those antlers on our big buck, what do 

 ou suppose becomes of the horns shed by deer?'* "What 

 ecotnes of 'em? Why they— they ? re — er, that is I sup- 

 pose they sort of— disappear," replied Sisyphus. "Well, 

 that is about as clear an idea as I thought you would 

 evolve out of that gigantic brain of yours. Chronic, 

 what do you say? Have you ever thought about the sub- 

 ject sufficiently to hazard an opinion?" 



"I al ways supposed that the Indians gathered 'em up 

 and sold 'em to cutlery manufacturers for knife handles." 



"Oh, you did always suppose so, eh? Well, that does 

 you great credit, as a naturalist, and I wonder you never 

 published a book on the subject. I'll bet old Aaron can 

 give a better solution of the question than either of you. 

 Aaron, do you know what becomes of deer's horns when 

 they shed them?" 



"Wall, d'know, Doctor; of course dere'sa heap o' dif'nt 

 'pinions 'bout that question, and likely 's not aint comin' 

 widin forty rows of apple trees of de-right one: but when I 

 lib'd in Alabama, when I was a young tnan, on old Kernel 

 Compton's place, he wasconsid'ableof a feller for huntin'. 

 had stacks of dogs, a dozen horses, an' guns — wall, I 

 neber seen no gun shop what bed so many— an' I used to 

 go 'long wid him to de woods pooty often; an' I mos' 

 freq'ently found horns layin' roun', an' I uster take notice 

 dat dey was gnawed an' chawed all ober, an' like some 

 beasteses had been tryin' for to eat 'em up— inebby wolves, 

 De horns was shed down dere 'long in Feberay an' Murch, 

 an' I kinder watched to see what in de Ole Harry it was 

 dat eaten de horns. I watch 'bout ev'ry day, an' bimeby 

 I seen a couple o' gophers goin' for 'em, an' bitneby I seen 

 some of dem pesky wood rats a-nibblin' at 'em, an' den 

 it was the squirrels carryin' off great big chunks; an' 

 'twant long before the hull horn was done gone, for 

 sure." 



"That is just the explanation exactly, Old Ebony, And 

 I have observed the same facts in Mississippi and also Vir- 

 ginia, and my theory is, that wherever deer abound and 

 their horns are not found, the regions will be ascertained 

 to be well stocked with squirrels, field mice, wood rats, 

 gophers and other industrious rodents." 



'An' I took notis of anuder ting," added Aaron, "an' 

 dat was, dat dese 'ere horns is cast off at a time o' year 

 when de stock of pervishins was rannin' mighty short 

 wid these little varmints, and dere want nothin' wuth 

 speakin' about dat was big enough of the new crap, an' 

 so dey jes go for dem horns like they was mos' starved." 



"Very philosophical and very observing, my sable 

 friend; you ought to belong to some scientific association." 



"Like Brudder Gardner's Lime Kiln Club, forinstance," 

 put in S syphus. 



"No, sar, 1 don't want no truck wid dat whitewash 

 brigade, I waded froo one 'er two ob dem perceedin's ob 

 de meetin's, an' I 'klar to grashus it mos' turned my 

 stumuiick." 



"Hark!" ejaculated the Doctor, "wasn't that the Gen- 

 eral's gun? There's another!" as the sharp reports rang 

 out plaiuly in the direction of the creek, and in less than 

 five minutes two more broke the damp stillness. 



"I believe the fellow's pluck and bad taste in going out 

 in such weather are to have a reward: if he has got a 

 turkey he will be home before dinner time." 



"Which will be in an hour. Aaron, betake yourself to 

 the culinary department and employ your time from now 

 on as usefully as you may in preparing for us the where- 

 with to fight the pangs of these f ormidable appetites, and 

 great shall be thy reward." 



And the cloud "disappeared with a grin that threatened 

 to let the top of his head fall off. Keuka. 



Kansas Peairie Chickens. — Prairie chickens will soon 

 be ripe, and after Sept. 1 can be lawfully killed. Many 

 people, however, seem either to be in ignorance of the 

 existing game laws or wilfully violate them. Reports 

 have been received at this office from observing gentle- 

 men who have been traveling through our State, that our 

 game birds are now being rapidly exterminated by the 

 ruthless slaughter that is now going on, and many in- 

 stances are given where sporting vandals from the large 

 Eastern cities are now in this State shooting prairie 

 chickens in defiance of the laws of Kansas. In most 

 other States game laws are rigidly enforced and highly 

 beneficial. Action should be taken where these viola- 

 tions occur, and they will be encouraged by a large num- 

 ber of sporting men who thoroughly enjoy the lawful 

 hunt, and who earnestly hope for the enforcement of our 

 laws. —Leavenworth Time?', Aug. 19. 



Of Sam Lovel's Camps, as published in the Forest 

 and Stream, the Whitewater (Wis;) Register, Aug. 9, 

 said: "There are many passages equalling the best de- 

 descriptive touches of Thoreau, and there is a humor 

 and an absence of personal self -consciousness and a close 

 recognition and discernment of nature's very heart, 

 which that well-famed writer fails to show. 



Rail Shooting is now in order at Port Elizabeth, N. 

 J.. Mauricetown, N. J., and Chester, Pa. 



THE CONNECTICUT ASSOCIATION. 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



The persons interested in the formation of the Connecti- 

 cut Association of Farmers and Sportsmen for the Pro- 

 tection of Game and Fish met in Hartford, and com- 

 pleted organization by the election of the following 

 officers: President, A. C. Collins, of Hartford; Secretary, 

 Allen Willey, of Hartford; Treasurer, Dr. N. W. Holcomb, 

 of Simsbury, At the next meeting eight directors will be 

 elected one from each county in the State. F. B. B. 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



I see that that Mr. A. C. Collins and a few selected gen- 

 tlemen are trying to combine the interests of the farmers 

 and city sportsmen. I suppose I am what I have noticed 

 some of your correspondents call a "pot-hunter." Surely 

 I am not overburdened with this world's goods; I am not 

 guilty of shooting birds on the ground without giving 

 them a chance for life. I have sold game to defray ex- 

 pense of my powder and shot, and with a great many of 

 my farmer friends I claim to be a sportsman, I am a 

 farmer's son, and as much interested (and perhaps more) 

 in the protection of game as our would-be city friends. 



There is a very foolish game law in force "here which 

 deprives me from sending a brace of partridges to the 

 editor of this valuable paper or any other friend without 

 danger of arrest from. Mr. C.'s special agents, if he 

 gets them; but city sportsmen from many cities outside 

 this State come here, shoot large strings of our game and 

 take it out of the State. It is not a fair deal. I claim if 

 partridges are plentiful on my farm, and I can shoot 

 them, I should be allowed to sell or give them away if I 

 wish, in any place that 1 wish, the same as I would trout 

 from my private fish pond. Unless there is a revision of 

 our game laws I think very few farmers will join the 

 association of "farmers and sportsmen." 



One of the Farmers. 



Westchester, Conn. 



Herbert Banning, of Lyme, Conn., who is a crack shot 

 with gun or rifle, hunts for the market, says the Hartford 

 Globe- Game Warden Collins successfully prosecuted 

 him last year for a violation of the game laws. A friend 

 of Banning gave a Globe reporter Banning's record of 

 game slaughtered for two years past: 



1886. Partridges, 180: quail, 495: woodcock, 75. 



1887. Partridges, 176; quail. 480; woodcock, 80. 

 Banning kept, no account of rabbits or squirrels, and 



made no special mention of a fewfoxes, coons and musk- 

 rats that he had killed in the two years, or of several 

 hundred meadow hens. Banning's biggest shooting last 

 year was one day when he brought in thirty-eight head, 

 six partridges and thirty-two quail. B inning in one day 

 shot seventeen partridges. He hunts front October 1, or 

 a little before, until it is too cold to handle a gun. Besides 

 his wholesale slaughter of game, he finds time to attend 

 chicken and turkey shoots, and if he thinks it advisable 

 can bring a chicken or turkey every time he shoots. 



NEW ENGLAND GAME. 



BY the time these liues reach the eye of the readers of the 

 Forest and Stream the open season for game bird 

 shooting in the New Eagland States will hava begun. 

 The 1st of September bring* that welcome day in Maine, 

 New Hampshire, Vermont and Massachusetts, and it is 

 very natural for the enthusiastic gunner to desire to 

 know what the prospects are. In the first place the re- 

 ports are rather favorable for grouse shooting in the most 

 of the States named above. Those who have been watch- 

 ing the woods in Massachusetts with considerable 

 thoroughness say that the broods of ruffed grou e are 

 more plenty than usual. One gentleman, living in Read- 

 ing, says that there are three broods of these game birds 

 this year where there was one last. He has several broods 

 located against the opening day, and thai day being Satur- 

 day, he will try his dogs in earnest. He has several times 

 taken his dogs out for an imaginary hunt of late — a hunt 

 to him imaginary, because he has not allowed himself to 

 take a gun, so long as the law was on. but perhaps more 

 real to the dogs, since he has them trained so that tLey 

 will point an old partridge in a very few moments any 

 day. This gentleman claims that there is a good deal of 

 dissatisfaction expressed concerning the change that has 

 put the opening season on woodcock forward to Sept. 1. 

 The feeling among the gunners is that these birds are all 

 flown before the first of September, and that it is impos- 

 sible to get any as late as that, unless it be occasionally a 

 flight bird. The enforcing of the law is regarded as 

 simply giving away the birds reared here to the more for- 

 tunate gunner in the South, where the birds winter. The 

 gentleman mentioned above thinks that the feeling is 

 pretty general to break the law on woodcock, for the 

 above reason, while all are willing to wait for the proper 

 season to kill partridges. In this case all the gunners 

 fair alike, and fairness is a jewel with them. 



Certainly from some parts of Maine the prospects for 

 grouse shooting are fully up to the average. It was the 

 remark of a well-known gunner from Cumberland county 

 to me the other day that he had been out but very little 

 this year himself , but that he had heard from the boys, who 

 are very close observers, that the broods of grouse are 

 plenty and also unusually large. The same report comes 

 from Androscoggin county. From Oxford county, in 

 the southern part, I have not heard except from one 

 young man, a great lover of the gun. His idea is that 

 partridges are not as plenty as last year. In the northern 

 part of that county, especially in the Lake region, it is 

 doubtful if grouse are as plenty as last year. The fre- 

 quenters of the La,ke Road, from Andover to the South 

 Arm, a noted grouse ground, say that they have not seen 

 half as many partridges as last year. On the other hand, 

 I saw a gentleman the other day w T ho is familiar with the 

 roads into the lakes, via Phillips and Rangeley, and he 

 claims that grouse are unusually plenty. A Boston sports- 

 man, who takes one or two outings in New Hampshire 

 with dog and gun each year, says that the best information 

 he can get goes to show him that the birds are quite 

 plenty in the neighbor hoods he visits. But the entire 

 New England States involve a vast territory for grouse 

 shooting, and from the meager reports at hand it is fair 

 to conclude that the shooting this fall is to be as good as 

 last at least. But a good deal of this shooting is to be 

 clone by the local gunners. Each year the interest in 

 this sport has been growing among the farmers' boys, 

 and they are likely soon to take about all there is of it. 

 As a rule these boys are law-abiding. They are willing 



