372 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



[May 29, 1890. 



" NESSMUK." 



FROM an appreciative sketch of "Nessinuk" in the 

 Wellsville, Pa., Republican- Advocate, we take these 

 paragraphs: 



Mr. Sears early learned the shoemaker's trade and pursued it 

 save when enjoying the solitude of the iorest. When a j oung 

 man lie shipped aboard a whaler for a three years' cruise, but the 

 vessel put & at Fayal Islands, and he, sick with the f ever. . was 

 taken ashore and left in the hospital. When convalescent be 

 was sent home by a representative of the U. S. Government. 



Mr. Sears, who had dubbed himself "Bacchus." emigrated to 

 Wellsboro in 1848, preceding his father's family several years. 

 Besides a limited common school education be attended a Bos- 

 ton school for a brief period. .,_ 



When the call came for 75,000 volunteers, "Bacchus was one 

 of the first to respond and was a member of the original and only 

 Bucktails. While in camp near Harriaburg he met with an acci- 

 dent that resulted in his discharge. The men were .growing un- 

 easy and restless in their inactivity, and under orders he took the 

 company out to amuse tbem. A game of ball was proposed, and 

 during the game in which he participated he broke bis right in- 

 step. He was sent to the Hospital and the regimental surgeon. 

 Dr. W. T. Humphrey, attended him. He told Bacchus that it 

 would be months before he could use that member and the front 

 was no place for him. Very much to his disgust and chagrin his 

 discharge papers were made out and he returned home. It was 

 a long time before be could use the foot, and never entirely re- 

 gained the full use of it. . a cJjl at 



In 1867 his love of travel led him to make a journey to South 

 America. He spent most of his time in the province of Para-, 

 a Brazilian state, and watched with careful eye the workings of 

 the rubber industry. He stayed in Brazil nearly a year and was 

 at that time correspondent of the Philadelphia Press. 



Between the years 1869 and '70, he invented a valuable machine 

 for use in curing the gum milk and preparing it for market and 

 returned to Brazil with the intention of introducing it and selling 

 it, if possible, to the Government. The natives, who are very 

 bigoted and ignorant, would not give it a trial, but it was demon- 

 strated beyond a doubt that it was a very valuable patent and 

 Government officials were making arrangements to purchase it, 

 when the Governor of the Province was removed by Dom Pedro, 

 and the scheme fell through. 



Mr. Sears was a true lover of nature. There were few places m 

 this and adjoining counties where the trout and wild deer loved 

 to hide, but bore the imprint of his moccasin. His mission was 

 not to kill all game that he saw; he was not a pot-hunter; that class 

 he detested; but he was a true sportsman, taking life only when 

 necessarv. He would go unaccompanied to the wildest nooks and 

 with rod^ dog and gun, pass weeks in solitude. Unattended and 

 alone, he explored the Adirondack region, and the log of the canoe 

 "Nessmuk," a boat that only weighted 171bs., shows a cruise for 

 1880 of over 550 miles. In 1881 Mr. Sears cruised in the same reg- 

 ion in the "Susan Nipper," a distance of 250 miles, but the voyage 

 was cut short by failing health. 



In 1886 in order to escape the rigors of the Northern winter, he 

 went to Florida, and passed several months at Tarpon Springs. 

 The climate agreed with him. The cough that had been an almost 

 life-time companion, was better as he expressed it, than it had 

 been for 45 years. While there he wrote very interesting letters 

 to this journal. 



The winter of 1887 he returned to Florida, this time remaining 

 during the summer. It was a fatal mistake. He contracted 

 malaria and this connled with his lung difficulty wore his life out. 

 He fadea gradually like the maple leaves that he loved so well, 

 and now in a most picturesque spot "rests bis head upon the lap 

 of earth," in his own door-yard, under the lilacs that he planted; 

 and the six hemlocks that he carefully set out and nurtured stand 

 sentry over his tent, "the door of which opens not outward." 



George W. Sears was a good citizen, peaceable, charitable and 

 honest, he had many friends and might have had many more to 

 enjoy his sparkling wit and eccentricities, but he was somewhat of 

 a recluse. Early in life be made up his mind (hat the vanities of 

 this world yvere not worth the struggle. That marts were but 

 places "where man cheats his fellow man and robs the workman 

 of his wage." The trumpet of Fame sounded not in bis ears, 

 urging him to higher aspirations. Prosperity, Fortune and Posi- 

 tion lured him not with their seductive smile3, and for the pomp, 

 vain glory of the world he bad no wish or desire. Leaving all the 

 vexations of life, he sought solace in the peaceful woods. In 

 mountain path, by sylvan brook, alone he loved to stray, and who 

 dare say that from life he did not extract its fullest measure of 

 comfort, or that when the evening came that the shadows did not 

 close on a life well spent. 



Mr. Sears was a man of a good deal of literary ability. In 1881, 

 by the urgent request of his friends, of whom the writer was one, 

 he published a modest little Docket volume under the nam de 

 ■plume of Nessmuk, entitled "Woodcraft," containing his experi- 

 ences of fifty years in the woods. As was anticipated it met with a 

 ready sale and many editions have been exhausted. Like all of 

 his writings, it is short and to the point, and contains just the 

 thing that you wish to know. 



In 1887 his book on poems entitled "Forest Runes," Forest and 

 Stream Publishing Company, was issued. His "John o' the 

 Smithy," that originally appeared in the Atlantic Monthly, gave 

 him a world wide reputation. Some of his poems are gems, and 

 had some names been attached to them, devotees would have 

 fallen down and worshipped. His "Mamelucko Dance," written 

 while in Brazil, is considered by the literati to be an unusually 

 strong piece of blank verse. The whole volume savors of the 

 smell of hemlock browse, of sparkling spring water, of the camp 

 and woods, and shows literary ability of no mean order. In clos- 

 ing we append a little gem to show his style and taste. 



CRAGS AND PINES. 



Who treads the dirty lanes of trade 

 Shall never know the wondrous things 

 Told by the rugged forest kings 



To him who sleeps beneath their shade. 



Only to him whose coat of rags 

 Has pressed at night their royal feet, 

 Shall come the secrets, strange and sweet, 



Of regal pines and beetling crags. 



For him the Wood-nymph shall unlock 

 The mystic treasures which have lain 

 A thousand years in frost and rain, 



Deep in the bosom of the rock. 



For this and these he must lay down 

 The things that worldlings inost do prize, 

 Holding his being in her eyes. 



His fealty to her laurel crown. 



No greed of gold shall come to him. 

 Nor strong desire of earthly praise; 

 But he shall love the silent ways 



Of forest aisles and arches dim. 



And dearer hold the open page 

 Of nature's book than shrewdest plan 

 By which man cheats his fellow man, 



Or robs the workman of his wage. 



fishing in the pond, After catching a suitable number 

 we ran our boat up to one of the headlands that jut out 

 into the pond from the Gore, spoken of by 'Nessmuk,' 

 built a stone oven, set our camp kettle, got the ingredi- 

 ents all fixed for a chowder and started the fire. How it 

 rained after we got that pot of chowder agoing! By 

 taking our rubber overcoats we improvised a shelter and 

 under it cooked and ate our meal. How good it was! and 

 what a lot of it we managed to dispose of! The camp 

 kettle was about all that was left when our least was 

 concluded. The weather turned out that day to be very 

 disagreeable, but we had a jolly good time of it in spite 

 of the rain. By the way, here is another form of the 

 name of the pond, said to be the real old 'Injun' name: 

 Chargoggagoggmanchauggagoggagungamaugg." 



Tarpon Springs, Fla. — Rare old "Nessmuk." He was 

 a man whom it was good to know. In the long months 

 that we spent together, in fields and woods, and on the 

 waters, there is nothing to recall but pleasant memories, 

 no regrets, save that the pleasant hours spent together 

 can never be repeated. Genial old "Nessmuk," may the 

 earth rest lightly on him. And may his sleep be sweet 

 beneath the hemlocks he loved so well. — Tarpon. 



A correspondent, "A. L. L.," who in our issue of Jan, 

 20 last mentioned "Old Jim Injun," tells us that this In 

 dian was connected with that same remnant of the tribe 

 the Nepmuks, that "Nessmuk" wrote of. He adds: "] 

 think there are a very few members of the gang still liv- 

 ing scattered around in that part of the State and in Con- 

 necticut. A number of years since an old squaw named 

 Rhoda Ja-ha, daughter of old Chief Ja-ha, was living 

 with some other Indians but a few miles from where 

 'Nessmuk' was born, but I have not seen nor heard any- 

 thing about her for a long time. Some of the Indians 

 amalgamated with the whites in our vicinity up there, 

 and one in traveling through that section will now often 

 come across persons having more or less Indian blood in 

 their veins. I never blamed the Indians for hanging 

 around old Junkamaug, for it is one of the most beauti- 

 ful sheets of water that I ever saw; clear as crystal, and 

 a splendid place for fishing or bathing. I have spent 

 many happy days on its bosom, and always had good 

 luck in catching fish there. Even now, when I go back 

 to my old home on a visit I always have at least one 

 fishing excursion over there. Last August during my 

 vacation I was up home, and on the very last day of my 

 stay two old cronies and myself put most of the time in 



ON THE RED SNAPPER BANKS. 



THE IT. S. Fish Commission schooner Grampus left Key 

 West, Fla., Feb. 14, 1889, bound for the grounds of that 

 famous fish, the red suapper. We put out the towing net off 

 Fort Taylor and towed from here at intervals, catching jelly 

 fishes, Portuguese men-of-war, several species of copepods, 

 and many small fishes. Two green turtles which we at- 

 tempted to catch from the dory escaped from us, although 

 the iron was put into one of them. Several large, pelicans 

 were seen. 



From 12 to 4 the wand blew from the S.E., decreasing in 

 force from a gentle to a light breeze. The weather was clear 

 and hot. At 6:30 we made Rebecca Light, bearing N.¥W , 

 lb miles distant. At 7:40 we changed the course to W.N.W. 

 with the vessel on the starboard tack and under full sail at 

 the end of the watch. 



The implement used in the fishery for red snappers and 

 groupers is an ordinary cotton line, with two codfish hooks 

 attached, which is thrown from the moving vessel by a man 

 standing on the rail by the fore rigging. In trying for fish 

 the fisherman holds a large coil of line to which a heavy 

 sinker is attached; this sinker enables him to throw the 

 line a considerable distance ahead, and he then follows 

 it to the after part of the vessel, keeping the bait as long a 

 time near the bottom as possible. The baits used are blue- 

 fish, porgies and groupers. 



When a fish is caught the vessel is luffed and allowed to 

 drift; a buoy is put out to mark the spot where the fish are 

 found, and then the fishing commences. 



We found that the bottom on these grounds varies, mud, 

 sand, gravel, broken shells and coral, and hard bottom 

 occurring within a limited area. The most life, both ani- 

 mal and vegetable, is found on the hard and shelly bottoms. 

 Algse form the principal vegetable life. Sponges, hydroids, 

 bryozoans, starfishes, sea urchins, worms, crustaceans, mol- 

 lusks, tunicates and small fishes, the animal 



The red snapper moves from one ground to another, which 

 makes the trials above mentioned necessary. As a rale, the 

 fishermen do not go much outside of 15 fathoms for this fish. 

 We commenced fishing on the 15th at 8:30 A. M. in 15X 

 fathoms of water about 20 miles north of the Tortugas, and 

 did not catch anything until noon, during which hour we 

 succeeded in taking four red snappers, the first of which 

 weighed 151bs., its length being 30in. The others were 

 smaller fish, one of 131bs. measured 25%in. During our fish- 

 ing the vessel drifted from broken shell bottom to white 

 mud, and the fish ceased to bite. It is probable that many 

 red snappers would have been caught had we remained oh 

 the spot where the fish were first found. Toward evening 

 we caught two more, weighing 121bs. each and measuring 27 

 and 28in. respectively. 



On the 16th thirty-one red snappers and three red groupers 

 were caught in the morning, this proving the only catch of 

 the day, except two snappers and ten groupers, which were 

 taken late in the afternoon. 



The fish were nearly all what is called "poke blowed," that 

 is, the stomachs protruded from the mouths. If, however, 

 the fish are slowly pulled in this bloating does not occur: 

 but in hauling in line slowly the chances are not so good for 

 landing your fish. When the fishermen pull in the fish 

 they insert a little sharpened tube behiud the pectoral fin 

 into the air bladder, thus relieving the pressure, so that the 

 fish will live in the live well. As is generally known the 

 yvells are spaces set off in the hold of the vessels, allowing 

 water to enter through holes in the bottom. It may be 

 proper to state here that a red snapper if poke blowed will 

 not live, and the same applies to groupers. 



The average length of twenty-two red snappers taken dur- 

 ing the morning of the 16th was 24in., aDd the average 

 weight 9?^lhs. The length and weight of several black 

 groupers showed the following relation: 23in., 81bs.: Sain., 

 201bs.; 36in., 223^1bs. 



Feb. 19, in 19% fathoms of water, we caught twelve group- 

 ers, most of them red, and three red snappers. The average 

 length of the groupers was 33j<fin., weight S>£lbs. In the 

 stomach of a grouper was found a trunk fish {Ostrncion) 

 9in. long. 



At midday Mt.rch 10, in a depth of 15 fathoms, 32 red snap- 

 pers were caught and two or three red groupers (JSpijieph- 

 clus morio). The snappers averaged 8,'^lbs., with a length 

 of 25in. The groupers were each 27in. long and weighed 

 9>£lbs. 



Trials made on the 13th, 15th, 16th, 17th and 18th of March 

 yielded only a few fish. On the 21st, three black groupers 

 and three red groupers were captured, the former being 

 largest. They were full of parasitic worms in the flesh and 

 intestines. These worms infested nearly all of the groupers 

 taken by us. On the steamer from Key West to Tampa 

 boiled grouper was served, which I looked over and found 

 to be full of these little worms, shrunken to very small pro- 

 portions by the boiling process, and it is needless to say I 

 did not eat grouper. 



March 22, two red snappers were taken. At 6 P. M. we 

 caught four red groupers and ten black ones. They took 

 the hook voraciously and bit even at the sounding lead. The 

 stomachs of the groupers contained trunk fish and crabs in 

 various stages of digestion. Their intestines were covered 

 with black parasitic worms. Some of the fish were very 

 lank and lean, owing, no doubt to tbe presence of the para- 

 sites. 



The Grampus earned on this work by running parallel 

 lines east and west, ten miles apart, making continuous 

 trials for fish by means of lines. The dredge was used every 

 ten miles. 



The temperature of the air and water, at the surface and 

 on the bottom, was regularly taken. The average temper- 

 ature of the air during our trip was about 70° Fahr. The 

 water at tbe surface averaged 65°, and on the bottom very 

 nearly the same. Sometimes the surface water was cooler 

 than that at the bottom in from 15 to 50 fathoms. 



There was no exceedingly rough weather; one moderate 

 gale was encountered during the night of March 12; the 

 vessel dragged the anchor for about six miles. 



When leaving Tampa Bay two flying fishes and three 

 devil fishes (3fanta) were observed close to shore. They 

 were going through a pass opposite Egmont Light. Three 

 porpoises (spotted dolphin) and several sharks were cap- 

 tured during the cruise. Tbe sharks did not interfere with 

 the fishing. 



While lying in Charlotte Harbor we were surrounded by 

 drumfish, and a very novel entertainment it was to the 

 stranger. , The drumming of this fish reminded me very 

 much of the noise made by the grpat American bullfrog. 



The vessel staid out about three weeks at a time and then 

 ran into port for supplies. While in port we would seine 

 and collect on the beaches, and in this way many good 

 things were obtained; among them were: "Squirrel fish, 

 white grunt, sailor's choice, yellow-spotted grunt, sheeps- 

 head, mullet, young bluefish. poinpauo, yellow-tails, chan- 

 nel bass, garfish (Tylosunts), sardines (Harcnrjula), gizzard 

 shad, menhaden and catfish. The sardines anil catfish were 

 plentiful. Sbeepshead, pompano and yellow-tail were very 

 scarce at Charlotte Harbor. Angel fish were quite abuud- 

 ant in Tampa Bay and are very good eating. We ate gar- 

 fish {Tylosurus) with much relish. Large quantities of" sil- 

 versides, anchovies and young pardines were seined. Por- 

 poises were seen destroying schools of the last species. 

 Spanish mackerel were among the fishes taken in the seine, 

 we took the cero, or kingfish (Seoinbcromoriis sp.) by troll- 

 ing with a piece of white rag for a lure. The best ti me for 

 this fishing was during a light breeze, when the water was 

 rippled. Flying fishes were often seen in the act of flying 

 aud the rapid vibrations of the pectoral fins were evident 

 enough. The frigate mackerel is not very good to eat, be- 

 cause of the dark color of its flesh; but it gives the angler 

 rare sport. We took it by trolling as in the case of the cero. 

 They could not be caught during calm weather, but the fish- 

 ing was fine during a good sailing breeze, when the vessel 

 was in lively motion. W. C. KENDALL. 



15. S. Fish Commission, Washington, D. C. 



PROPOSED TRANSFER OF THE FISH COM- 

 MISSION. 



AT a meeting of the American Fisheries Society, held on 

 Wednesday, May 14. at Put in-Bay, Ohio, a committee 

 consisting of Herschel Whittaker, of Michigan, C. V. Os- 

 born, of Ohio, and W. L. Powell, of Pennsylvania, appointed 

 for the purpose, reported the following preamble and reso- 

 lution, which, upon motion, was unanimously adopted by 

 the Society: 



Whereas, There is now pending before Congress a propo- 

 sition to change the organization of the TJ. S. Fish Commis- 

 sion, attach it, and make its chief and employees of every 

 grade and position subject to the appointment and removal 

 of the Secretary of Agriculture, which legislation we feel to 

 be directly inimicaLand prejudicial to the progress and 

 proper consummation of the original intent and present 

 practical and efficient work of the Com mission, therefore be it 

 Resolved. That the American Fisheries Society, which 

 for the past twenty years has been actively interested both 

 in the science and practical development of fishculture, 

 does most earnestly and emphatically protest against such 

 legislation, aud therefore, does most respectfully urge our 

 Senators aud Representatives by every proper means to op- 

 pose and defeat such obnoxious enactment, and be it further 

 Resolved, That this preamble and resolution be printed 

 and sent to every Senator and Representative in Congress. 

 Eugene G. Blackford, Pres., 

 Edward P. Doyle, Sec'. v. 



American Fisheries Society. 



UTILITY OF TROUT CULTURE. 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



Several weeks ago you published a brief communication 

 from me, relative to the failure of trout culture. As an ad- 

 denda to the article a brief reply was published by you. In 

 response to this I sent you another article on the same sub- 

 ject, which seems to have been mislaid. In the meantinxa 

 some gentleman, I think in one of the Territories, has also 

 replied to my communication. 1 regret that neither of the 

 papers containing these article are where I can now see 

 them, and I will consequently have to depend upon memory 

 in order to prepare a brief response, which 1 trust you will 

 find room for. 



I believe that you referred me to two different parties who 

 you thought could cite instances of success in trout culture. 

 Your Western correspondent cited a case in his region 

 which he regarded as a success, principally because Eastern 

 trout had been brought there and were to be fouud in a cer- 

 tain stream in considerable numbers. I believe he did not 

 claim that any great quantity had been taken, but had sim- 

 ply been seen darting about the stream. 



Now, in regard to this subject, I wish to say that I have 

 had many more years experience in this business, and par- 

 ticularly in research, than any other American, and any of 

 the hundreds of my correspondents will, I think, give me 

 credit as an earnest worker, but in no sense a theorist. I 

 have several huudred letters from parties who have tested 

 trout culture, and in no instance among them all has there 

 been a case of success reported, beyond hatching and plant- 

 ing them. This, I beg to say, does not constitute success- 

 ful trout culture. There has never been a pound of trout 

 raised in America which has not cost a dollar, and no do- 

 mestic trout is worth to exceed twenty-five cents per poundj 

 and very few persons indeed would pay that price for them 

 for table use. Very few persons at this day pretend that 

 the stocking of streams with trout is in the interest of an 

 increased food supply, although such was largely the intent 

 of the original trout culturists of this country. Now, it is 

 generally understood that the stocking of streams is in the 

 interest of sport, pure and simple. Most of this work is 

 done at public expense, and is practically so much dead loss 

 of public money. One thing is well understood by old trout 

 culturists generally, and that is that any stream which 

 is adapted to the support of trout will receive by natural 

 process ten times as many young trout as will survive. 

 It must be apparent then, that in a great majority of 

 cases the addition of a quantity of young fry is just so 

 much loss of time and money. There have been cases where 

 trout streams have been mysteriously and suddenly depop- 

 ulated, and without human agency (indeed most cases of 

 sudden depopulation are not by intentional human agency). 

 In such cases the stocking of streams artificially might pos- 

 sibly hasten the resuscitation somewhat, but such cases are 

 rare*. If the temperature of the water has become raised by 

 reason of the removal of forest or bushes from the banks of 

 stream, and particularly if in addition the water has be- 

 come polluted by reason of contiguous agriculture, or from 

 other causes, trout will disappear from said waters, and 

 they cannot be successfully restocked, unless allowed to re- 

 vert to their former condition. In my native region there 

 were not less than twenty miles of excellent trout streams 

 say forty years ago. A steady march of improvements 

 raised the temperature of and polluted most of those waters, 

 and thirty years ago the trout had mostly disappeared. 

 Since that time most of the lands contiguous to those 

 streams have been allowed to acquire a second growth 

 of brush and timber, and the trout have been grad- 

 ually increasing, until the present season anglers are 

 having old-time success. Upon one edge of this region 

 a neighboring local fishing club have been restocking with 

 trout during the past few years, and to this fact have 



