N«T. 38, 1889,1 



FOREST AND STREAM, 



867 



times, when relating the circumstance aixrand the camp 

 flie, I would have given a good deal to be able to produce 

 that flint, in vindication of the story as told by W. M. G. 

 Hale, Esq., at whose house the venison was cooked and 

 the flint found. A more reliable man or true sportsman 

 does not live, although only a plain, unassuming back- 

 woods farmer. 



It is snowing here to-day, which means extermination 

 for the deer. One good tracking snow at this season will 

 cause the death of more deer in this section than by every 

 other means for a whole year. They will soon be gone, 

 and my camp hunts at an end. But send along our dear 

 old Forest and Stream: I can at least live over again 

 in its pages some of the hallowed past, in following the 

 "Kingfishers" from camp to camp, and others of the 

 many correspondents, whose writings I have enjoyed so 

 much. Almost every number calls up associations of a 

 past, that will not, can not, be blotted out this side the 

 dark river. J. T. B. 



Kentucky, No v. 18, 1889. 



MARYLAND DUCKING CLUBS. 



A GLANCE at a map of the country between Balti- 

 more and the east side of the Susquehanna River, and 

 from the Philadelphia, Wilmington & Baltimore Railroad 

 south to the Chesapeake Bay, will show the waters where 

 the sportsmen kill thousands of ducks each season. 

 Almost every foot of available land bordering on the 

 waters where the ducks feed is either in possession of 

 some sportsman, who uses it for his own shooting, or is 

 owned by a ducking club. Thousands of dollars have 

 been spent on many of the shores and the club houses are 

 as comfortable as money can make them. They are well 

 constructed, and many are handsomely furnished — gas, 

 heat, hot and cold water being supplied in some. A few 

 are especially fitted with a view to the comfort of the 

 members' wives and families. It is rare that the ladies 

 try their hands at duck shooting. They usually remain 

 indoors while their husbands slaughter the ducks. One 

 Baltimore gentleman, who is often accompanied to his 

 shore by bis wife, exacts a promise from her before they 

 start that she will in no way interfere with his servants 

 or household affairs while at the house. 



The club gunner is in the business for the sport it fur- 

 nishes. He is generally a wealthy city gentleman who 

 can afford to indulge his love of sport, and who finds 

 diversion from business cares at the shores. He is equipped 

 with all the paraphernalia necessary to make his shoot- 

 ing a success. His clothing is of the warmest kind, and 

 frequently there is an attendant who carries the club mem- 

 ber's gun and ammunition, and who brings in the ducks 

 slaughtered by the aforesaid club man, who remains in a 

 dry blind or tub. For him the sport loses all its uncom- 

 fortable features, but all of its pleasures are retained, 

 The ducks are becoming more scarce yearly. There is 

 still, however, a supply that makes the sport a choice one, 

 and it is enjoyed by thousands of Baltimoreans every 

 season. Many who cannot get shores to their liking on 

 the rivers at the head go lower down the bay for their 

 shooting. There has been much complaint among the 

 gunners that the feeding grounds in the rivers are cov- 

 ered with mud brought clown by the floods, and especial y 

 those in the upper parts of the streams, and that the 

 ducks can be found only at the mouths of the rivers or 

 in the bay. Just "what chances the ducks have in the 

 rivers emptying into the upper part of the bay is a mys- 

 tery, as both shores are a skirmish line of gunners trying 

 to inveigle the ducks to destruction. One of the best 

 posted duck shooters in the State, besides being one of the 

 best shots, is Mr. Jack Williar. He says that many of 

 the shores fail to furnish good shooting, because the club 

 members do not know how to lay out their shore blinds, 

 and when they are laid out bad" management keeps the 

 ducks away. Mr. Williar thinks that Grace's Quarter is 

 best situated for sport. 



Among the best known ducking shores on Back River, 

 are Island Point, Japanese and Swann Harbor. "Island 

 Point" is on the west side of the river, about 74 miles 

 from Baltimore out the Eastern avenue road. Adjoining 

 this are the "Japanese" and "Swann Harbor" shores. In 

 years gone by they were famous places for ducking, but 

 of late have furnished but little sport. The members of 

 the club have royal good times, however, and enjoy good 

 fishing in the summer. 



The next shore is Twin Oaks, one of the best known in 

 the State. It formerly included in its membership Mr, 

 D. T. Bartlett, Mr. Hayward, Mr. Jerry Mallory, Mr. H. 

 P. Luca, Hon. H. B. Holton and other gentlemen who 

 knew as well when a canvasback was cooked to a turn as 

 they did how to shoot. The shore was rented last_ week 

 by a club of which Mr. Edward Hyatt. T. Wallis Blakis- 

 ton and others are members. Though not what it used 

 to be there is still shooting to be done there. The club 

 house, stables and surroundings arc the finest in Black 

 Ri ver Keck. 



"The Cedars" adjoins Twin Oaks on the south. The 

 shore is about equal to Twin Oaks, each having a good 

 river front. The club house is connected with the city by 

 telephone, and there is also a telephone in the blinds so 

 that the members can sit in the blind and order more 

 ammunition, or solid or liquid refreshments. If the river 

 fails to supply ducks a call through the telephone brings 

 after a 25-mmute wait, a hot roast canvasback from the 

 well-supplied club kitchen. The club numbers among 

 its members Messrs. Keuter & Mallory and Win. H. Cole. 



The next shore is the "Bright Lights." It was formerly 

 Lynch's Point. "Brickhouse Farm" was formerly the 

 late Samuel Grover's shore. It is now a club shore. 



At the mouth of Black River is Cockel's Point, which 

 was at one time a splendid shore. The point runs into 

 Miller's Island Narrows. Since the lighthouse has been 

 on the island the shore has deteriorated. Among others 

 who gunned the shore was Mr. Hamilton Easter, who 

 killed many thousand ducks there. 



Off the mouth of Black River is Miller's Island. It is 

 accessible from land by wading or driving. A bridge at 

 one time connected it with the mainland, but it has dis- 

 appeared. The island contains about 10 or 12 miles of 

 shore. The bay front of the island is one of the best 

 swan and goose shores in the State. Wm. H. Evans 

 leases the island, and a club of Baltimore gentlemen 

 shoot there. 



Leaving the island and going up the east side of Black 

 River, the first shore reached is Rocky Point, which is 

 owned by J. W. S. Brady and Alexander McComas. It 

 is a good shore, containing several miles of water front. 

 Adjoining on the north is Jerry Miller's place, which of 



ate years has been rented by the day to gunners. This 

 season it is leased by a club. It is reached, as are all the 

 shores on the east side of the river, by driving from Bal- 

 timore over a good shell road, which runs nearly to the 

 mouth of the river. 



North of Miller's is "Porter's Bar." It is owned by Mr. 

 Matt Townsend. an J. is rented by a New York gentleman. 

 The shooting privdege is said to bring $1,000 per season. 

 It is a magnificent shore, and usually furnishes good 

 shooting all the season. 



Next on the river is Mr. George H. Brown's private 

 shore. Next is "Broadbelt's," which was formerly a 

 famous tolling ground, and belonged to Moses Fox. 

 Hyde Park, formerly owned by Mr, Sam Hyde, is the 

 next up the river. It is a club shore. "Walnut Grove" 

 is next. It is leased to a club, of which Robert Gilbert, 

 William Numsen, J. M. Matthews and Dr. Pue are mem- 

 bers. Several members of the club are crack shots and 

 belong to the Baltimore Gun Club. Next is "Coxe's 

 Point." Mr. Joshua Harvey formerly shot there. The 

 last shore north, which is Just below the bridge, is Mr. 

 Robert Scarlett's "Newport." The club house is a model 

 one. 



The shores along Middle River are accessible from 

 Middle River Station or Benjies Station on the P., W. & 

 B. R. R, Eastern avenue road from Baltimore also leads 

 to them. The river is about 11 miles from Baltimore. 

 Near the west side of the mouth of the river is Valmar's, 

 adjoining Rocky Point, in Back River. It is a big shore, 

 and occasionally wild geese are killed there. It was 

 gunned one season by the Messrs. Easters. Around in 

 the river the first shore is Planter's Point, which is a club 

 shore. Next up the river comes Bull Neck, which was a 

 famous place for overhead shooting as the ducks crossed 

 the necks of land. At times there is good shooting there. 



Paster's Point and Log Point are the next. They be- 

 long to Biddison. Messrs. Andy Poplein, M. Tyson, A. 

 and M. Jenkins and their friends extract much sport here, 

 and have been having as good shooting as they could de- 

 sire this season. It is a splendid shore. Cold Spring is 

 next. Mr, H. Vonderhorst and Frank Kenley formerly 

 shot there. Bowly's Bar is next. It was recently pur- 

 chased by a syndicate of Baltimore and Eastern sports- 

 men, who have erected a handsome club house. It is a 

 fair shore and is responsible for the absence of Dr. Delano 

 Fitzgerald from the city during the shooting season. Mr. 

 Gillet Gill is also a member. This shore borders on the 

 river and the bay. Adjoining it on the west and north is 

 Seneca Creek, where the Seueca Duck Club enjoys the 

 season, It is a fair shore. Mr. T. Norris, H. Vanderhorst, 

 Dr. Winslow and other Baltimoreans are members. 



The great and famous Carroll's Island is here. It is 

 partly in Seneca Creek, partly in the bay and partly in 

 Gunpowder River. The island has numerous gunning 

 points. Among them are Briar, Lower, Weir, Carroll's 

 and White Oak points. The island comprises about four- 

 teen hundred acres of land, a great deal of it being 

 marsh. A stock club company owns it. The shares are 

 distributed among twenty members. The original price 

 per share was $7,500. It is said a New York gentleman 

 recently offered Mayor Latrobe $10,000 for his share. 

 Mr. James Frick and several other Baltimore gentlemen 

 are members, but the majority are Eastern sportsmen. 

 The club is exclusive. The property was sold for about 

 834,000 to the club, which has had possession five years, 

 although many of the original members have been sport- 

 ing there for many years. The island has not been in the 

 last few years up to its standard. The overhead shooting 

 is of the choicest order. Geese are also killed on its shores. 



The next shore adjoining to Carroll's Island is "Ben- 

 jie's," made famous this season by a visit from the Pres- 

 ident. The shooting there has been first-class this season. 

 The shore is so situated that it furnishes sport whenever 

 ducks are to be had in Maryland waters. 



The next points in Salt Peter and Dundee creeks are 

 Marshy and Sandy Point, belonging to Mr. Alexander 

 Brown. They are private grounds. Opposite them on 

 Dundee is Mr. Eugene Levering's shore. Mr. Levering, 

 who has not been in good health for some time, killed 

 eighty-eight ducks one day last week at his shore, and 

 could have killed more had he been able to stand the 

 fatigue. 



Persimmon and Marsh)' points, or Grace's Quarters, 

 are in the Gunpowder and are owned by Mr. Wilmot 

 Johnson, Mr. John Gill, Mr. Fisher and several other 

 Baltimoreans. The shore is the finest, in the opinion of 

 t he duckers, in the State. The five shares in the club are 

 said to have been sold for $60,000, It is also one of the 

 finest fishing shores in the State. In the finely appointed 

 clubhouse many celebrities have been entertained by 

 the members. Up the Gunpowder, on the west side, is 

 Wm. McCay's private shore. It is a fair one. 



Above McCay's is Hax's shore. It formerly brought 

 $600 rental per season. Whitely and Gaithe'r leaseo it 

 some years ago. Mr. Peter Hax, a well-known sports- 

 man, was a few years ago found dead in one of the blinds 

 with a number of ducks which he had killed beside him. 

 Attention was attracted to the dead man by the howling 

 of his famous dog Drake, who was in the blind with him. 

 Mr. Hax's death was caused by apoplexy. The shore is 

 still a good one, though the freshets covered up the grass 

 to a great extent. The last place up the river is Porter's, 

 which runs to the bridge. At times there is good toll- 

 shooting there. Above the bridge are Bird River, Har- 

 wood Park, Doc. Allison's, and other minor points where 

 shooting is had occasionally. 



Opposite Porter's is the San Domingo clucking shore. 

 It has for shooting places Piney and Hog Points, which 

 are guarded by Peter Swanspy, and Canal Point is looked 

 after by John 'Sweden. San Domingo is the property of 

 Gen. Cadwalader's estate. The shooting privilege rents 

 for over $1,000 a year. There are five or six miles of 

 shore. The club also has a shooting point across in Bush 

 River, at the head of Dove's Cove. The members include 

 Messrs. John Stewart. Weild, Gilmore, Hoffman, and 

 about a dozen other Baltimore gentlemen. 



Maxwell's Point ranks with the finest shores in the 

 State. It embraces point, creek, blind and bar shooting. 

 It is guarded by John Lynch, The shore brings to Mr. 

 John Cadwalader, the owner, an income of $2,000 a year. 

 On Maxwell's Point some of the handsomest imported 

 fruit and shade trees grow. The estate was one of the 

 finest in Maryland. The club house is a grand old struc- 

 ture about 80ft. square. The shore is known as "Gun- 

 ners' Paradise." 



Below Maxwell's are Riekett's and Robbin's Points, fa- 

 mous for goose shooting. Robbin's Point is at the mouth 



of the river, while Rickett's Point is on the bay, opposite 

 Poole's Island. During a south wind it furnishes good 

 goose shooting. 



"Lego's Point," which is next, is at the mouth of Bush 

 River on the west side. It was formerly owned by Mr. 

 John S. Gittings. It now belongs to Messrs. W. and H. 

 Hurst. The shore furnishes good all-around shooting. 

 Tt is a, favorite shooting ground for Dr. E. R. Baer, Mr. 

 W. Hurst's father-in-law. It is a valuable shore. Up 

 the west bank of the river are Sandy Point and Briar's 

 Point. They are gunned by clubs. Wilson's Point and 

 Possum's Cove, at the mouth of King's Creek, comprise 

 the Philadelphia Ducking Club's shore. It is a good 

 shore a t times. The shores of Tay lor's Creek are owned 

 by Messrs. Ed. Bartlett and Thomas Haywood. The Tyd- 

 ings property, which is included in the shore, furnishes 

 general first-class shooting. The shore is about twelve 

 miles long. It is the favorite shore of the many belong- 

 ing to the owners. Their steam yacht Comfort is a model 

 craft for gunning purposes The shore of Messrs. Bart- 

 lett and Hayward extends to the Bush River bridge, and 

 over on the east side of the river below the bridge is 

 Stockham's shore, which runs from the bridge to Sod 

 Creek. The Chelsea Shore is below Barren Island. 



Next comes Old Baltimore, a place which bears the 

 distinction of having been an original site for Baltimore, 

 and on which rest the remains of the distinguished Paca 

 family. The property belongs to Mr. James Richardson, 

 who is an old time duck shooter. He could never be per- 

 suaded to rent the shooting privileges of the shore, James 

 Walker's shore is next down the, river. Stockham's 

 second shore begins at Walker's line and runs down to 

 the mouth of Redmond's Cove. It is a private shore. In 

 Redmond's Cove is Lemuel Matthews's shore, and adjoin- 

 ing this is Mr. Jay Towner's shore, which runs around 

 into the river, taking in Bar Cove. It is gunned by Chas. 

 K. Harrison, of Pikesville. The balance of the cove and 

 river on the lower side running down to Bush Point, and 

 extending part of the way into South Cove, as far as 

 Monk's. Island, is owned by Mr. Middleton. The property 

 formerly belonged to the celebrated sportsman. Jack 

 Sutton, who, together with the late Billy McDonald, 

 killed thousands of canvasbacks at Bush Point. It is 

 still a first-class shore. Adjoining is Abbey Island, the 

 property of Dr. Farnandis. The island is a good place 

 for big fowl, and at times ducks trading down the bay on 

 a south wind furnish shooting. The island is in the bay 

 at the mouth of the river. 



Along the bay shore toward the mouth of the Susque- 

 hanna are Michael's and Hog Neck shores, where occa- 

 sionally shooting is had. Abbey Island, as are the shores 

 on the eastern side of Bush River, is accessible by driving 

 over good roads from Perryman's station on the P. , W. 

 & B. Railroad. Up the bay from Hog Neck is Quill Nel- 

 son's Locust Point Bar, at the mouth of Romney Creek. 

 It is owned by Mr. Wilde, who lives at Red Bank, N. J. 

 Locust Point is a first-class shore for big fowl and ducks. 

 Across Romney Creek is Hairy Hyatt's property, Stony 

 Point, which is a good shore. Several of Mr. Hyatt's 

 Baltimore friends shoot there. Taylor's Island is the 

 next shore. It belongs to a syndicate composed of 

 Messrs. Bartlett and Hayward, M. Ould and John Bey. 

 Up the bay shore there are no shooting points of note 

 until Mulberry Point at the mouth of Spesutia Island nar- 

 rows is reached. It has quite a reputation. Eastern 

 sportsmen gun it. In the Island narrows on the north 

 side are two shooting points, and the southern side is 

 Middleton's shore, and through the narrows into the Sus- 

 quehanna River is Swann Creek. "Woodpecker," "Oak- 

 ington," "Davis," "Old Bay" and ' Mitchel's shores," 

 which run up the west shore to Havre de Grace. On the. 

 east side of the river, at the mouth of Northeast River, 

 is Carpenter's Point, where the crack shot Perry Barnes 

 lives. It is reserved for his individual shooting. On the 

 south is Turkey Point, which is at the lower end of the 

 flats. Between these shores, beginning with Swan Creek 

 on the south, are the celebrated Susquehanna Flats, 

 where sinkboats and sneak or bushwhack boat shooting 

 is practiced. — Baltimore Sun. 



The Wildfowl Range.— St. Paul. Minn., Nov. 19.— 

 I inclose you extract from a letter just received from a 

 friend, in which he advances some ideas new to me. As 

 he is an old sportsman they may be worth publishing. — 

 F. A. K. The extract reads: "I have seen the ducks work 

 gradually west, and have kept following them up. At 

 my time of life I can't make many more moves, but 

 think I will try Dakota next. People generally think 

 they will become practically extinct like the pigeons and 

 buffalo: bub they never will. 1 am satisfied there are as 

 many ducks now as there ever were, but hunting them 

 to excess drives them to new routes on their up and down 

 passages. They go further north to breed each year, as 

 civilization advances. I have been a close observer of 

 the habits and characteristics of them, many of which I 

 cannot account for. The one thing that bothers me most 

 is this, why are there three drakes for each duck, parti- 

 cularly among the divers? It is so and has been since 1 

 can remember." 



Indiana Game.— Terre Haute, Ind., Nov. 20. — I see 

 your numerous correspondents write of the abundance of 

 game this season in different parts of the country. 

 Hoosierdom is no exception to the rule. For five years 

 quail have not been so plentiful as this fall, and as for 

 rabbits, "the woods are full of 'em." A good many ducks 

 are killed along the Wabash, and squirrels are found in 

 large numbers in the bluffs and hills west of the city. 

 One party of four returned this evening from a two days' 

 hunt in the vicinity of Cory, this county, bringing in 149 

 quail and 58 rabbits. Last week Mr. Edwin Seldomridge, 

 editor of the Argo. and the writer, bagged 27 quail, 3 

 pheasants and 7 rabbits in a day's shoot, and neither of 

 us can boast of bein g good "brush sho oters."— H. 



Ontario Deer and Moose.— I have been a little while 

 with the deer this fall; managed to get two fine bucks. 

 I found moose very plenty all along the line of lakes and 

 rivers in the Muskoka district down as far as Trading 

 Lake; they seem to be driven in from the Mattawa Dis- 

 trict; weather good the whole ten days and not too cold. 

 — Medicus. 



Overland Flyers.— To Washington, Oregon and California, 

 over the Chicago and Northwestern and Union Pacific Railways, 

 Limited fast mail, through sleepers Chicago to Portland in eighty- 

 two h o urs; *C hlcago to San Francisco, eighty-five hours. Denver 

 limited, solid vestibuled train Chicago to Denver, thirty-eight 

 hoitrs. Overland express, first-class coaches and colonist sleepers 

 Chicago t o Portland. Dining cars on fast mail and Denver lim- 

 ited.— 4-dv. 



