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FOREST AND STREAM. 



[Nov. 21, 1889. 



THE CHESTER FOX HUNT. 



rpHE second annual hunt of the Western Massachusetts 

 X Fox Club was held at Chester, among the Berkshire 

 Hills, Wednesday and Thursday, Nov. 18 and 14. The 

 events of the two days are thus reported by a special cor- 

 respondent of the Springfield Republican: 



About 75 hunters had assembled at the Chester House 

 with 20 dogs at 5:80 Wednesday morning, and at 6 they 

 started in four squads for the hills, James D. Smith, for- 

 merly of Chester, but now of Athol, acting as captain of 

 the squad that went to Abbott Mountain, George Bora- 

 back of the squad to Gobble Mountain, Charles C. Clark, 

 Cemetery Hill and E. A. Perkins to the Spelrnan farm. 

 These squads again divided when they arrived at the 

 hunting grounds, and wero stationed by the captain so as 

 to cover as many foxes as possible. About 6:30 the voices 

 of the hounds rang out clear on the Eager lot near Mt. 

 Gobble, and in a short time it was plain to be seen that a 

 fox had been started from his hiding place and was en- 

 circling Gobble Mountain. Many hunters who had 

 stayed in the village, not intending to join the hunt in 

 the morning, then took their guns and started for the 

 mountain. The fox passed around the west side of Gob- 

 ble and over Eock Ridge before any of the hunters got 

 there, and took down the Austin Brook run , where Dr. 

 Burton of Pittsfield and Charles Clark were sta tioned . Dr. 

 Burton fired both barrels at him, badly wounding the 

 animal, which turned and ran toward Clark, who laid 

 him out. So the honor of killing the first fox goes to Dr. 

 Burton and Charles Clark. The squad that went to 

 Cemetery Hill was not much behind, and succeeded in 

 starting a fox on Cemetery Hill which passed over Capt. 

 Parker's Hill and back across the Parson's run, where 

 he was brought down by R. E. Brace of Lee. The squad 

 that went to the Spelrnan farm succeeded in starting a 

 fox which led them off the route near Becket Center, 

 when L. Bill of Worcester was the lucky man to bring 

 him down. 



Smith's squad that went to Abbott Mountain had poor 

 luck to begin with. They succeeded in starting three 

 foxes soon after arriving there, but the animals kept the 

 mountain, one going to North Chester and the other two 

 to Middlefield , where, they stayed the rest of the day, 

 The one that went to North Chester started back in about 

 four hours, and when he came around the point of Ab- 

 bott Mountain, Alfred Wright, of Chesterfield, succeeded 

 in bringing him down. By 10 o'clock it was raining so 

 hard that most of the hunters returned. 



The first of the invited guests to arrive was Benjamin 

 Coit, of Holyoke, who was on hand Tuesday. Mr. Coit 

 is the veteran fox hunter of Huntington Hill, and in his 

 younger days was well acquainted with the Chester 

 ground. He is 86 years old and is obliged to use crutches 

 on account of lameness, yet the temptation was so great 

 he says he was bound to go and hear the horn blow if 

 nothing else. The Springfield party were together largely 

 through the forenoon. The fog was so dense as early as 

 7 o'clock that the foxes had an easy time of it. About 

 11 o'clock the rain began to fall, driving in by 1 o'clock 

 all but the bravest. Capt. Smith's party had three lively 

 dogs. They were Major, owned by Capt. Smith, W. A. 

 Gibson's Mike and John R. Thayer's Fleet. They went 

 north to Abbott's Hill, Major striking the first scent. 

 Although Major's fox was finally brought down, it is sad 

 to relate that no Springfield man could claim his pelt. 

 However, one of the party is said to have lost the chance 

 of a life-time, and that man's name, they say, is Wood- 

 ward. Having climbed one of Chester's loftiest peaks, 

 the pause for breath lent to his ears the sound of dogs 

 pursuing a fox near by. He took his position in an im- 

 pregnable corner of a stone wall and called to his com- 

 panion to retire to the next corner, saying that he would 

 show him how to shoot a fox. The friend retired and 

 waited. Half an hour passed quietly and not unpleas- 

 antly. Suddenly the companion saw the fox, his great, 

 warm tail on a line with his sharp nose, coming straight 

 for Woodward. Each moment he expected to hear the 

 crack of Woodward's gun and see— a dead fox. But the 

 animal unscathed passed the hunter in the corner. In- 

 vestigation showed Brother Woodward to be fast asleep. 

 And so he cannot be classed with the immortal four who 

 brought in then' trophies. If the rain continue to-mor- 

 row the run will be indefinitely postponed, and the indi- 

 cations are so unpleasant that hardly seventy-five will 

 stay over to-night. 



The social event of the meet was the dinner at the rink 

 this evening. That structure was turned into a hustling 

 lodge as well as a headquarters for all the guests. The 

 walls were covered with branches of cedar and pine boughs 

 and adorned with oriental lanterns and national colors. 

 In the rink were four tables 100 feet long and accommo- 

 dating about 250 men, many coming from Westfield and 

 other towns on the 7 P. M. train. The old board of officers, 

 including the executive committee, was unanimously re- 

 elected, a vote of thanks was tendered the management, 

 and then began the after-dinner speaking. The orators 

 were E. H. Lathrop of your city, Messrs. Knowles, Thayer 

 and Kinney of Worcester, Charles E. Hibbard of Pitts- 

 field and Ledyard Bill of Worcester. Mr Kenney invited 

 all to attend the hunt at Worcester, Wednesday, under the 

 auspices of the Worcester Fur Company. A characteristic 

 letter was read from that well-known hunter and trapper, 

 George M. Stearns of Chicopee. Three cheers were given 

 and then "good night.'' 



About seventy-five out-of-town hunters left Chester for 

 home on the midnight trains Wednesday evening, as the 

 weather was so threatening it did not warrant them in 

 staying over to renew the hunt yesterday. The morn- 

 ing's trains took away about forty more, leaving some 

 thirty or forty to try their luck at reynard again. Three 

 squads started out in the morning, one going to Abbott 

 Mountain, one to Chapman's Four Corners and one to 

 Stebbins' Hill. The squad that went to Abbott Mountain 

 started a fox in the swamp on the north side of the 

 mountain, Foster Beach's dog Billie, Henry Carter's doc- 

 Sam and Willis Hunt's dog Cuff striking reynard's track 

 about the same time. They drove him through the swamp 

 into Johnson's sugar orchard, where Foster Beach, of 

 Worthington, fired both barrels at him, but did not suc- 

 ceed in stopping him. He turned to the left and passed 

 north around Johnson Hill and back, when Beach fired 

 two more barrels at him, rurning him to the right in the 

 direction of Abbott Mountain. Beach then started for the 

 Ingell Run, and found Alfred Wright, of Chesterfield 

 and Henry Carter, Willis Hunt and Orain Beach, of 

 Chester, there before him. Reynard soon came in sight, 



and all the hunters except one got one or more shots at 

 him, but could not bring him down. Mr. Beach, who is 

 one of Chester's veteran fox hunters, did not get a shot, 

 but he started for the Strong lot, thinking the fox might 

 cross there. He had barely got there when reynard 

 mounted the wall in front of him. Beach quickly gave 

 him a charge in the face, which brought him down. The 

 other two squads did not have any luck. The Stebbins' 

 Hill squad started a fox, and Homer Smith fired one shot, 

 which hit, but did not cripple him. He then disappeared. 

 The squad that went to Chapman's Four Corners started 

 several foxes, but everything was so wet that the dogs 

 could not follow their track, and the hunters finally gave 

 it up and returned to Chester, taking the noon train for 

 home. About twenty-five remained for the evening- 

 train. This ended the second annual fox hunt of the 

 Western Massachusetts Fox Club, which , on account of the 

 weather, has not proved as much of a success as was an- 

 ticipated, yet appears to have been satisfactory to all. 



WOROESTER,Mass.,Nov. 15.— Editor Forest and Stream: 

 The Worcester party went to the annual hunt of the West- 

 ern Massachusetts Fox Club at Chester, with an even 

 dozen of the finest foxhounds Worcester hunters own. 

 The Berkshire men were not slow to accord them all a 

 hearty hunters' welcome and paid many a glowing trib- 

 ute to the fine appearance of our dogs. W ell, we have 

 got some good ones. I waited for a late train Tuesday 

 night for a friend. I found two of them, and after get- 

 ting their badges, etc., we were tendered a banquet by 

 Mr. .Harwood, of the Hampden Emery Co. Harwood ! 

 if the foxhunters were all like you, 1 don't know T but I 

 would quit bird hunting and join them just for the asso- 

 ciation. He is one of the salt of the earth, verily. 



The hunter's horn sounded 5 A. M., and on looking out 

 of our windows we imagined Linfield and Harry Smith 

 must be up there coon hunting, as the whole place was 

 lighted up in a halo of red fire. Our party were' driven 

 about four miles west under the leadership of Mr. Per- 

 kins, of Springfield; and letting loose the hounds we soon 

 had three foxes started. The fog was so dense that we 

 were unable to get the lay of the land, and were unable to 

 locate the runways. Mr. Ledyard Bill was fortunate 

 enough to intersect one of them, which he killed with 

 the second barrel ahead of Webster Thayer's hound Tige, 

 and slipping in a third shell he tumbled over a stone wall 

 in his haste to get at the game, dislocating his gun, 

 luckily without injury to himself. The other hounds 

 were driving over beyond Cherry Hill and finally went 

 out of hearing to the west, only one man getting a shot. 

 By noon it commenced to rain and we started back. The 

 chase, though short, had been a hot one, and a knowledge 

 of the country Avould probably have enabled our party to 

 get several chances to secure another brush. The after- 

 noon quickly passed in giving and listening to reports of 

 the different kills, and the banquet found a a large party 

 ready to enjoy the most excellent dinner provided by the 

 club. 



The grand total was four foxes, and here comes the 

 peculiar part of it. Ledyard Bill killed one sure, for we 

 saw him when he was scarcely cold. Mr. Brace, of Lee, 

 killed one, as witnesses testified. Another party reported 

 by telephone that they had one, and as they were reliable 

 parties no doubt was expressed but that they had. Dr. 

 Burton, of Pittsfield, killed one, for "Lisha" says he saw 

 the smoke from the Doctor's gun when he fired and saw 

 the fox fall. So did Mr. Clark. Mr. Clark, of Chester, 

 killed one, for Dr. Burton stood right there and saw him 

 do it, and he is an honorable man. Mr. Knowles also wit- 

 nessed it. Now the fox reported killed by telephone was, 

 of coiu-se, not produced, so setting him aside there should 

 have been four pelts, Mr. Bill's, Mr. Brace's, Dr. Burton's 

 and Mr. Clark's, but strange to say only three were shown, 

 and stranger, only three foxes were claimed to have been 

 killed beside the one reported by telephone. Hence we 

 ask, where is that other fox? 



Oh ! Berkshire, land of fogs and foxes galore. You 

 entertained us royally: and feasted and toasted us like 

 princes. Your hospitality was unbounded. Our respect 

 for your people and your country is truly great. Our 

 mountains are to your hills as toadstools. And our yarn 

 spinners ! We simply raise our hats to you. We are as 

 nothing. 



The Worcester party returned home during Thursday, 

 ah pleased with the trip. The weather was poor, but 

 every one had a good time, and all the hounds but one 

 were secured and brought back, which was better luck 

 than coidd have been expected. Many pleasing acquaint- 

 ances were formed which we hope to renew. We are 

 satisfied wdth our showing. Worcester furnished at least 

 half of the total number of hounds in the hunt. Mr. Bill, 

 Mr. Clark, and Dr. Burton killed their foxes ahead of 

 Worcester dogs, and Mr. Bill was himself one of us. 



Hal. 



WILD TURKEYS IN NEW ENGLAND. 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



In your issue of Nov. 14 I notice the communication of 

 Mr. C. H. Ames referring to wild turkeys in New Eng- 

 land. Thirty years ago wild turkeys were frequently 

 reported to have been seen on Mount Tom, Mass. An 

 old acquaintance of mine -was, early one morning, chiv- 

 ing along the road between Mount Tom and Mount 

 Holyoke, when he heard the sharp quit, quit, quit, of a 

 turkey high up the side of Mount Tom. Looking up he 

 say a large wild turkey flying out from the treetops of 

 Mount Tom. The length of its beard showed it to be an 

 old gobbler. He flew high over the road and disappeared 

 in the forests of Mount Holyoke. 



Soon after the first battle of Fredericksburg, which 

 must have been twenty-six years ago, I came up from 

 our regiment in front of that place, for a brief visit to 

 friends at Easthampton, at the foot of the western slope 

 of Mount Tom. The day I was there a party from East- 

 hampton went on to Mount Tom hunting for gray squir- 

 rels, and upon their return reported having flushed a large 

 wild turkey, which flew away toward Mount Holyoke. 

 This Avas the last occasion of a wild turkey having been 

 seen that has come to my personal notice, but I should 

 presume that parties living in the vicinity would be able 

 to reliably locate them there at a later date. 



There are numerous places in western Massachusetts 

 where this finest feathered game of America once existed 

 in large flocks, and if properly protected by law would 

 still be found in reasonable numbers. They are still 

 quite abundant in parts of Michigan and in West Vir- 



ginia, and if Massachusetts and other New England 

 States would pass laws preventing their being killed at 

 all times except during the month of November, it would 

 pay the game societies of those States to get live stock 

 from Michigan or West Virginia and place in the north- 

 east forests. None should be killed for the first three or 

 five years, in which case, owing to their extreme shyness, 

 it would be almost impossible to exterminate them dur- 

 ing the open season of November alone. As they are 

 readily trapped, all trapping should be prohibited. 



Fifty years ago they were abundant in the large forests 

 of southern New Jersey, as I have been informed by old 

 residents there, but they were exterminated by trapping 

 for the New York and Philadelphia markets. While 

 residing in South Jersey, I tried repeatedly to induce the 

 West Jersey Game Society to get some wild turkeys and 

 place in the forests there, but no attention was paid to 

 the request. Supposing the Society would do something, 

 I asked the New Jersey Legislature to pass an act for the 

 protection of the birds, which they promptly did. Finally, 

 as the game society would take no steps toward procur- 

 ing a stock of wild turkeys for the still immense forests 

 of South Jersey, I decided to do so on my own account, 

 although disabled physically so as to prevent hunting 

 them myself. I advertised in Michigan and other news- 

 papers, and soon found where over twenty fine wild 

 turkeys could be had at reasonable prices, and more at 

 unreasonable rates, About that time I decided to return 

 to Ohio, and turned the turkey enterprise over to Mr. 

 Lorillard, for his preserve on the Erie Railroad. 



I never notice any reports of wild turkeys in the Adi- 

 rondack region, but there is no valid reason why there 

 should not be thousands of them there. 



* Milton P. Peirce. 



Cotombus, Ohio. 



CHICAGO AND THE WEST. 



I WAS sitting in the office, solving the question of 

 game protection, with my feet on the table, when in 

 came Mr. Fred Donald, wearing that peculiarly innocent 

 smile which has always carried him to success in railroad 

 work and poker. Mr. Donald, I need not repeat, is the 

 general passenger agent of the Chicago and Atlantic 

 Railway, president of the Gun Club of Chicago and presi- 

 dent of the Illinois State Sportsmen's Association. He is 

 a dead shot on a sliding tariff or a clay bird. I can say 

 just what I please about him, for he is out of town, now, 

 anyhow. 



"Forest and Stream is interested in game protection, 

 is it not ?" said Mi-. Donald. 



"It are," I replied, with gravity. 



"That's what I thought. Well, Charley Burton and 

 Hank Smith and I thought may be you would like to run 

 down into Indiana, a hundred miles or so over the road, 

 and protect a few quail from the hard winter that is com- 

 ing on. We'll go down in the car, you know, and there's 

 a boy to cook for us, and we can live in the car. We 

 have a couple of dogs, and I know there are quail where 

 we are going. Besides, the last time we were down we 

 killed three coons and cut a bee tree. The scenic attrac- 

 tions along the C. & A. " 



"Don't say another word! This outfit knows a good 

 thing when he sees it. 'Bout when do you want to start?" 

 By this time I had gun, valise and she'll box together, and 

 was on the point of calling a cab. Delays are never de- 

 sirable on such occasions. 



We started that evening on the big C. & A. Eastern 

 through train, of which we formed the last coach. "The 

 car," to which Mr. Donald so modestly referred, proved 

 to be the official car Fredonia, and I think it was built to 

 order for this occasion. Provided with smoking-room, 

 dining-room, sleeping apartments and kitchen, it came 

 near being as pleasant a hunting-camp as anybody ever 

 saw, and the fellow who would find fault with it would 

 kick about the door-plate on his own coffin. And there- 

 was Scott, the colored cook, the most important person- 

 age on hand, after the dogs; and there was Dick Turtle's 

 pointer, Lee, confiscated for this trip; and there was 

 Frank Arrowsmitb , the conductor who pulled us out — a 

 great many in the East will remember him as a frequent 

 winner in the fly-casting tournaments and a trout fisher 

 from 'way back— and who seemed to drift from the front 

 end of the train to the rear car after every station. Char- 

 ley Burton I suppose everybody in this neck o' woods 

 knows. He is a city passenger and ticket agent of the 

 Kankakee line, and can tell a fish story with a tranquil 

 eye. And everybody on Clarke street, at least, knows 

 Hank Smith, just as everybody on the boulevards knows 

 his brother. Ed Smith. He doesn't deal in dry goods, you 

 know. Not long ago he was fishing, up in Wisconsin, 

 and ran across a blanketed Indian to" whom he offered a 

 drink of Apollinaris out of his flask. The Indian re- 

 marked that this was "haep good." "Yes," said Mr. 

 Smith," that's my special summer brand, copper-distilled, 

 made before the war. Say — " And when the boys found 

 him he had the Indian up a tree, and had nearly sold him 

 six cases of the Tennessee brand. Mr. Smith now denies 

 this story, but it is true, and is only one more instance of 

 the commercial activity which has made this city what 

 it is. 



We made our run of nearly one hundred and fifty miles 

 before midnight, and in the morning awoke to find the 

 good ship Fredonia anchored on a side track in a little 

 town whose only feature seemed a short and low-browed 

 sawmill with a falsetto voice. Scott, arrayed in faultless 

 linen and a gleaming smile, served us a breakfast which 

 faded away even as the stars of the morning faded, and 

 then we went out and found Mack Middleton, the young 

 resident who had in charge Mr. Donald's setter Smike, 

 who made the other dog in our battery. A few minutes 

 later we started afield, numbering five guns with Mr. 

 Middleton. The latter's father started out with us, but 

 didn't count, for he shot a muzzleloader and unfortu- 

 nately lost his shot pouch early in the day. 



We found a bevy of quail within 500yds. of the car, 

 and after that we* found quail wherever we went; so 

 many, indeed, that none of the party remembered ever 

 to have seen a like number on the same amount of terri- 

 tory. The country seemed alive with them. A great 

 many of the birds were not more than two-thirds grown, 

 and as this was about the 20th of October, they were 

 doubtless second-brood birds. It would be impossible to 

 say how many birds we struck in all, for the birds were 

 packed in large numbers. In one little swamp, which 

 could not have covered over five or six acres, we put up 

 at least 400 birds, and we could hardly drive them away 

 from the place at all. And yet, although the thicket waa 



