Oct. 30, 1890.] 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



291 



CHICAGO AND THE WEST. 



CHICAGO, III. , Oct. 17.— After all the comment upon 

 the apathetic or unsuccessful state of affairs which 

 has marked game protection in this section, it is a pleasure 

 to read or to write about one Illinois game protective 

 society which is not only earnest and conscientious, but 

 which is headed by men who really mean what they say, 

 and who, more than that, have actually results to show 

 for their work. Before me lies the report of the officers 

 of the Fox River Association, to which reference has been 

 made. This report shows that the association has en- 

 forced the law in regard to fishways in every dam on the 

 Fox River, so that a complete passage way is offered the 

 fish from the Illinois River all the way up through the 

 Fox Lake system. This was accomplished only after 

 stubborn fighting in tbo courts. The association has had 

 a patrol out all summer on the river, and on Aug. 1 there 

 was traceable to this work the destruction of twenty-one 

 nets, besides the arrest and conviction of thirteen offenders 

 against the fish and game laws. In addition to this, many 

 persons were cautioned against illegal shooting and fish- 

 ing, many copies of the law were distributed. Since the 

 date of the report much work has been done along the 

 Illinois River also, and I believe it is not wrong to state 

 that ths lifting of the illegal nets at Spring Lake, in the 

 country visited and mentioned a few weeks ago, was 

 caused through the efforts of the Fox River Association. 

 It has enlisted club after club, further down the water- 

 way toward the Mississippi, and the result will doubtless 

 be that ultimately it will have a fish way in every dam 

 clear through to the Mississippi , and will clear out the 

 bulk of the illegal nets throughout the whole waterway. 



It is a pleasure to offer for inspection a treasurer's re- 

 port which shows a balance in the treasury. Following 

 is the last report of the association : 



Gush on band Jan. 9, 185)0 $158 35 



From annual dues 45 00 



From life membership 150 00 



From, contributions 173 70 



Total $526 05 



DISBURSEMENTS. 



Prosecutiue cases $ 25 00 



Paid F. th Buck (for service) 210 00 



Printing and postage 27 70 



Expense examining dams 38 67 



Total $30137 



Cash on hand $224 68 



J. Wilkinson, Treas. 



The officers append the following to then: report: "You 

 will see from the above that we have accomplished much 

 good, but there is much more to be done, and in order to 

 carry it to a successful conclusion we need more money. 

 Our only dependence is in the voluntary work of the 

 members. Annual membership costs but $1, life mem- 

 bership but $10, no initiation fee in either case; and all 

 that is necessary to obtain membership tickets is to send 

 the money with name and address of applicant to the 

 president or secretary. We also solicit contributions in 

 any amounts. Our work is in the interest of fish and 

 gaine protection everywhere; if we fail, other organiza- 

 tions will be deterred from making tne attempt. 



•'We hope you will consider this a personal appeal to 

 you— to give us what help you can directly — and also to 

 interest your sportsmen friends. It is a fact that the 

 greatest stumbling block in our way at the present time 

 is the apathy of sportsmen themselves, We hope this 

 appeal will help to overcome that apathy. 



"Respectfully submitted by order of the board of direc- 

 tors. Geo. E. Cose, Pres., 86 and 88 Dearborn street, 

 John Wilkinson, Sec.-Treas., 150 Kinzie street." 



To-day 1 talked with Mr. Geo. E. Cole, the president of 

 the association, and he showed me a letter from the 

 secretary of the State Fish Commission, Dr. Bartlett, 

 which has still further good news about the work along 

 the lower rivers. Dr. Bartlett says, under date of Oct. 3, 

 that he has evidence of nineteen cases at Havanna, on 

 the Illinois River, and that Gen. Ruggles, an able attorney 

 and ex-legislator of that town, has interested himself on 

 the cases. He reports trouble at Lacon, but says the 

 warden there has evidence for about ten cases more, 

 some with a half dozen complaints in each. At Virginia., 

 Cass county, on the Sangamon River, the local warden 

 has secured nine convictions during the past month. In 

 Porter county four convictions are reported . The State's 

 attorney is at work there. Dr. Bartlett also reports 

 efforts to secure testimony in the late Pope glucose 

 factory horror, in which so much fish life was destroyed. 



It must be encouraging to Dr. Bartlett to feel behind 

 him the aid and support of the Fox River Association, 

 which is, so far as is known, the only society and the 

 main factor that takes the least notice of the actual work 

 of fish and game protection in the State of Illinois. 

 Once in a while, when we look upon their earnestness 

 and their actual disposition to do something besides pass 

 resolutions, there does seem a temptation to believe that 

 these men are going to accomplish something practical 

 in the way of fish protection, and certainly if game pro- 

 tection ever amountR to anything in this State, it will be 

 through the efforts of this society, whose main men are 

 first and all the time anglers and not shooters. 



Mr. Geo. E. Cole, the president of this association, is 

 one of the most actually earnest and enthusiastic sports- 

 men I ever knew, meaning in matters of game protec- 

 tion. He is a busy man, but he is in this association for 

 results, and when he talks he means it is a personal be- 

 lief and not as a sportsman's fad. Mr. Cole is a member 

 of the wealthy and important Union League Club here. 

 Last summer he found prairie chicken on the bill of fare, 

 of course illegal. He called the steward of the club to 

 Mm and told him he should institute prosecution against 

 him. This was no idle threat, and he would have brought 

 suit had not the steward agreed to serve no more duck or 

 prairie chicken out of season. Some such steps as this 

 should be taken against Kinsley and other prominent 

 runners of soup houses in this place, and they probably 

 will be taken. It is Mr. Cole's idea that the hotels and 

 restaurants can be attacked more successfully than the 

 South Water street game dealers. 



I like to talk to Mr. Cole. It is a novelty to see a man 

 whom you can actually believe to be anxious to do some- 

 thing to save the rapidly-passing fish and game of this 

 region. He is by no means the only one of that sort in 



the Fox River Association. This association scheme is 

 simple, and is set forth in the report above. Let every 

 member and every club of the sporting fraternity of 

 Illinois rally around the standard of this body. It only 

 costs $1 to rally, and that is the only kind of rally 

 that is any good. Surely the men in this State can see 

 what a power this association can grow to be, practically 

 and politically, if it represents the amalgamation, without 

 clique or faction, of the best of the general organizations 

 and the local clubs of the State. Illinois has never been 

 behind the world. This one association has done more in 

 the same time than any one protective organization in the 

 Union. It is only the nucleus now. What can it not be- 

 come? If the fire of its genuine enthusiasm for work and 

 for results shall touch the soul of slumbering sportsman- 

 ship all over the State, what cannot the sportsmen of 

 Illinois do? In union is strength. Here is the place to 

 unite. You pay $1, or $2, or $3, as an entrance for a 

 little sweepstake, where you shoot at artificial targets, 

 and get shot out and lose your money besides. Pay that 

 into the treasury of the Fox River Association, and after 

 a while you'll get to shoot at actual game birds, big 

 enough to fly. No man will miss that dollar, and since 

 we ha ve here a body of men in actual earnest, and an 

 organized and practical machine for work, why not turn 

 in, unite, concentrate, and help it all we can? 



E. Hough. 



A STORY OF "THE GUNNERY." 



I WENT to school in Washington, Litchfield county, 

 Connecticut. F. W. Gunn was the teacher. If he 

 were alive now and I could meet him as a man. I know 

 that we would be friends. As my schoolmaster — well, we 

 had differences of opinion. 



There were three fishermen among us boys, W. C. 

 Beecher, C. Deming and I. Quite a number of the other 

 boys fished occasionally, but we fished in season and out 

 of season as regards school hours. 



One afternoon in July it commenced to rain slowly, 

 and when the sun set it was still drizzling, so I went to 

 Gunn and asked permission to go fishing before school in 

 the morning. I knew that the trout would be on the 

 feed and I also knew that no one had been trouting for a 

 month, on account of the drought. Gunn chewed his 

 toothpick, stroked his long gray beard, looked at the ceil- 

 ing and said, "Well, yes; but you must get back in time 

 for school, or you will hear from me!"' "Yes sir," and I 

 slid out. "Mrs. Gunn will you pull the string at my 

 window when you go out to pick strawberries?" "Yes," 

 promised the madam with a kindly smile. She was in 

 the habit of getting up before day in strawberry season, 

 and I used to tie a piece of fish line to a dumbbell, lay it 

 on a shelf and let the string hang out of the window. 



When Mrs. G. pulled the string it came down on the 

 floor with an awful clatter, and I jumped up. It was 

 just getting light. The grass and trees were fresh and 

 green from their washing, and the sandy road was hard. 

 The day was going to be clear and still. 



I started on a run down the road for the Parrish Dam, 

 which was the last dam in the brook and only half a mile 

 from the Shepang River. Another road from the upper 

 part of the village ran into mine about half a mile 

 away, and when .1 reached there I looked for the track of 

 a No. 10 boot with hob nails in the sole; but it was not 

 ahead of me. More than once I had seen those footprints 

 and been forced to change my intention and go to some 

 other brook, for it was no use to fish for trout after W. 

 H. H. Murray, who was our spiritual adviser in those 

 days. When 1 saw that Murray was not ahead of me I 

 slackened my pace to a fast walk, and soon reached the 

 little dam, where the wine-colored water poured over it 

 into a pool circular and 10yds. in diameter. My rod was 

 put together, and I let the bait float down over the dam. 

 Snap! a trout has broken Avater to get it; and I have him 

 on the bank with a flip. He weighs at least 6oz. Five 

 more come out; and then they stop biting, and I move on. 

 The brook is full of trout; and when I reach the river my 

 creel is full of trout, and the pockets of my old sack coat 

 wiggle delightfully, for they are full, too. I cast into 

 the river and the line ran away. He was too heavy to 

 flip out, and I managed him carefully and soon tired him 

 out, and landed a pounder. I fished till my bait gave 

 out; and then fished with trout eyes and occasionally a 

 piece of a trout's belly. They bit all the same. I got wet 

 all over by slipping down, as I stood up to my knees in 

 the water; and at last stopped, not because the trout 

 stopped biting, but because it was 10 o'clock and I feared 

 the consequences. I had the creel full, my pockets full 

 and two strings of trout — at least 301bs. — none less than a 

 good quarter of a pound in weight and one pounder. 



When I reached home Mrs. Gunn was looking for me, and 

 said, "Mr. Gunn is mad about your being late, I know, 

 but I'll try to save you this time. I will have the girls 

 clean those beautiful trout and set them in platters in 

 the ice-house; and when Mr. Gunn comes home, don't say 

 a word back, but get him to the ice-house and show him 

 the trout. Leave the rest to me." Then she gave me a 

 nice breakfast she had saved for me. 



Soon Clarence Deming came down and said, with a grin, 

 that my rod was going to be taken away from me for the 

 rest of the term. Billy Beecher came down and said, 

 like the gentleman that he always was and is, if he fives, 

 "I am sorry that Mr. Gunn is so angry with you. I wall 

 talk to him to-morrow and see if I can't get him to give 

 you back your rod." I told Will that I had hopes that I 

 could fix it. And then came Mr. Gunn, looking stern. 

 When he saw me he started to speak, but I interrupted 

 him, "Don't say one word, Mr. Gunn, but come with me." 

 He followed me to the ice-house. There on a stone table 

 stood four turkey platters full of trout, cleaned and fresh, 

 with their colors" as lovely as the flowers in a garden . 



He looked for five minutes and heaved a sigh. The 

 sportsman's instinct overpowered him, and he said, "If I 

 had been you, Dixon, I would have staid all day," "My 

 bait gave out." "Well, come up to school after recess 

 and I will have to talk to you some." I appeared in due 

 time. Gunn called me before him and asked me, "When 

 did you get home this morning?" I said I was a little 

 late, but that I would be more careful in future. "Well, 

 I intended to take away your rod for the rest of the term 

 if you were late at school; but I have concluded to let you 

 go this time." I went to my seat and smiled at Clarence. 

 He was disgusted, as he hoped to have most of the fishing 

 to himself for the rest of the term. 



This story does not read as I can still feel it. If I 

 could only word-paint the perfect day, the beautiful 

 la,ughing water, the birds' song, and, above all, my youth 



and health. Some of you that read this will remember 

 me as a boy. Our paths in life have diverged widply, but 

 I remember you all fondly still. W. J. Dixon. 

 Kansas. 



CANADIAN FISH AND GAME INTERESTS 



MONTREAL, Oct. 21.— A special meeting of the com- 

 mittee of the Fish and Game Protection Club was 

 held in the Windsor last evening, Mr. I. H. Stearns in 

 the chair, and Messrs. Ives, Boyer, Brown, Horne and 

 Shewan (secretary) being present. After the reading of 

 the minutes it was, on motion of Mr. Horne, resolved 

 that Mr. Boulter be appointed on the committee in place 

 of Mr. Skelton, who is at present in Europe. The secre- 

 tary stated that since April last the club had proceeded 

 successfully, in forty-ono suits in the police courts for 

 violations of the fish and game laws, and out of this the 

 offenders were mulcted in the sum of something over 

 $400. Mr. W. S. Walker, the attorney for the club, had 

 pushed the cases diligently and deserved well of all 

 sportsmen who take an interest in protecting the game 

 of Canada fraro extinction. But this method of proceed- 

 ing had cost the club a considerable sum of money, and 

 although good work had been done by the club and con- 

 siderable fines imposed there was still a very large ex- 

 pense attending the prosecutions. The following letter, 

 of which cognizance has been taken by the Government, 

 will be of interest: 



Lieut.-C'ol. Tilton, Deputy Minister of Finance; Dear, 

 Sir — At a meeting of the committee of the club, held in 

 the Windsor Hotel here on June 27, the report of the 

 deputation to Ottawa was received and approved. On 

 behalf of the club we desire to tender the hearty thanks 

 of the club to the honorable the Minister of Marine and 

 yourself for the kind reception given to the deputation, 

 and beg to offer the following suggestions: 



1. That the Chateauguay de Lille and Beaudette rivers 

 have fishways put in, and that the "Sawdust act" be 

 strictly enforced on those rivers. 



2. That the licensed nets on those rivers be reduced at 

 least one-half, and that no netting licenses be issued 

 within a,t least ten miles of Montreal, this limit being re- 

 served for rod fish. 



3. That Missisquoi Bay be closed to net fishing for five 

 years from May 1, 1891. 



4. That the mesh of net used be not less than 2in. when 

 wet. 



5. The club desires to ask the appointment of Alfred 

 Marsoin as a fish warden to act in concert with John Norris, 

 of St. Lambert, over the whole district mentioned above, 

 and that local wardens be abolished in the said localities. 



G. That the secretary of this club be ex-ofpeio an officer 

 of your department, and that the club be authorized to 

 appoint sub- wardens during the close season. 



7. That the close season for lake (gray) trout and brook 

 trout commence at the same time, the first of October, 

 and end together. 



8. That the close season for bass, maskinonge and dore 

 end the same time, June 15. 



Should your department decide on granting the above, 

 the club will hold itself responsible for the protection of 

 fish in above' districts, and will furnish the department 

 with all information in their power as to quantity and 

 kinds of fish caught in this neighborhood, provided the 

 department furnishes the forms to be filled. All of 

 which is respectfully submitted. 



Geo. W. Stephens, President. 



Henry W. Atwatfr, Sec.-Treas. 



A. N. Shewan, Hon. Secretary. 



HANOVER LAKE PIKE. 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



A few days since, receiving an invitation to come and 

 put in a day at pike fishing from a friend of mine, Ben 

 Harker, living at Oakwood Mansion, near Wrightstown, 

 a small village not far from Pemberton, N. J., I packed 

 up a small amount of duffle in my knapsack and took the 

 evening train for a station near his residence. When I 

 arrived Ben was waiting for me with his lively team, 

 and soon we were going at a good speed toward Marion. 



Next morning the weather was extremely pleasant, 

 and after a very early breakfast we, accompanied by his 

 brother Dick, were soon on the road going at a lively rate 

 behind the same team, headed for a place off in the pines 

 some ten miles distant called Hanover, once a thriving 

 and busy village, containing a large furnace and other 

 iron works, but now dilapidated and deserted, save, per- 

 haps, some half a dozen families of wooclchoppers, char- 

 coal burners and berry-pickers (during the berry season). 

 At Hanover is a large deep pond, in which pike of a good 

 size are abundant. 



Stopping at a stream on the way, Dick managed with 

 his scoop-net to get a suitable supply of minnows for 

 bait, and in good time we reached our destination. 



Having obtained a boat and arranged our tackle, we 

 were soon off on the pond, and in a short time the fishing 

 commenced. Although the weather suddenly changed 

 and became cold and showery, with wind northwest, we 

 had reasonobly good luck with the fish during the fore- 

 noon; and after disposing of a noonday meal supply, 

 enough for six men at least, with big drafts of new 

 cider, we resumed our fishing and continued it until near 

 night with fair results, after which we returned to Ben's 

 home, getting there in the evening, having had a very 

 enjoyable time of it. 



Had the weather continued pleasant throughout the 

 day without doubt we would have had extra good luck, 

 for that is one of the best ponds for pike in South Jersey, 

 being fished but a little on account of its being remote 

 from villages and thickly settled regions. 



In going there, and while in the neighborhood of the 

 pond, we saw many gunners and heard the reports of 

 firearms in all directions, thus showing that the game 

 laws of this State are but a little, if at all, respected in 

 that section, as shooting does not commence legally until 

 Nov. 1. Around the pond we saw considerable game; 

 but at the rate the shooting was going on but a little, if 

 any, game would be left after a short time. It is unfair 

 for lawbreakers to scoop in nearly all the game before the 

 season commences, leaving but the poorest kind of shoot- 

 ing for law-abiding citizens after the game law is off. No 

 true sportsman would be guilty of doing it, for the law, if 

 respected throughout the State, would be a great benefit 

 to every sportsman in it. A. L. L. 



Homerstown, Oct. 23. 



