190 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



[Haeoh 26, 1891. 



ANOTHER POWDER TEST. 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



On Feb. 26 last you published a few tests that I made 

 with my Colt hammerless IS-gauge gun, which Danne- 

 felser has changed from a full ciioke to nearly a cylinder- 

 bore. The teat I made then was witlg. Lyman" expert 

 powder and dead shot, black powder. Since then I have 

 had numerous requests from shooters to try my gun with 

 Schultze and E, C. powder; so to satisfy the numerous 

 readers of Forest and )Stream I had Von Leugerke & 

 Detmold load me some shells with those powders, using 

 the usual trap chai-ge, 42grs. of each powder, with l^oz. 

 No, 6 chilled shot. 



The day was clear and cold, in great contrast to the day 

 I made the other test, which was very damp. I used the 

 same kind of paper and penetration pads that I used in 

 other test, aiud shot at -lOyds. on the same range. After 

 shooting i made a 30in. circle, selecting the best pattern. 

 While the patterns were not as good in percentage as the 

 other test, there was very little difference in the penetra- 

 tion, but taking the distribution of the shot on the paper 

 I find the E. C. powder gave the most even pattern, while 

 the Schultze patterns were very spotty, the patterns of 

 the E. C. run more even, and I should prefer the E. C. to 

 the Schultze for best general results. I only shot 8 shells 

 of each powder, and selected the best 4 of each to get the 

 average. 



Without any interest in any one powder, other than to 

 get the best results for my gun, I have yet to find from 

 my numerous tests the equal to the Lyman powder, for it 

 always makes the best showing, not only in pattern but 

 in penetration also, and good distribution. 



Powder test, day clear and cold, distance 40yds., E. C. 

 powder, 42grs., t^oz. No. 6 chilled shot: 

 Right barrel, pattern 187 (71 per ct.), penetration 27 sheets* 



166 (63 per ct.), " 21 " 

 Left " " 176 (06 per ct.), " 26 " 



" '■' " 176 (66 per ct.), " 31 



Schultze powder, 42grs., l^oz. No. 6 chilled shot: 

 Eight barrel, x>attern 163 (61 per ct.),penetration26 sheets, 



" *' 181 (68 per ct,), " 26 

 Left " " 163 (61 per ct.), " 28 " 



" " " 159 (60 per ct.), " 25 " 



' E. A. SUMiMERS. 



* Three shot. 



THE INDIANS AND THE GAME. 



IS it not time that active steps be taken to prevent the 

 wanton destruction of game by IndiansV To-day 

 sportsDien have no rights that red men ai-e bound to 

 respect, and red men have no legal limitation upon either 

 season or quantity. They want trout. The mountain 

 stream is dammed; the waters are turned out upon tlje 

 grass; the Indians pick up what fish they want; the rest 

 perish. 



In the days of muzzleloaders deer had a little chance, 

 but now, with Winchesters of the most approved pattern, 

 the Indian is nothing if not a wanton murderer. He is 

 too lazy even to tan the hides. He takes them, just as 

 they are ripped from the carcass, and barters them for 

 cartridges with which to continue his work of destruc- 

 tion. Sometimes the skins are traded for Avhisky. 



An expei'ienced, careful hunter, who never kills one 

 deer more than he needs for meat, told me that this fall 

 he had foimd 300 fat deer that had been skinned by the 

 Utes and then left for the crows and coyotes to pick. Not 

 one particle of meat had been taken. A year ago, in 

 Circleville Canon, only tweh-e miles away, a little band 

 of Utes hemmed in a bunch of fat deer and killed every 

 one, taking only the hides. In the bunch were 80 does, 

 and the slaughter amounted to the destruction of not less 

 than 150 fawns. Now, under such existing circumstances, 

 how is the preservation of game possible? These cases 

 require immediate and decided action on the part of all 

 huaters and lovers of legitimate sport, and I believe that 

 if Forest and Stream would take the matter in hand, it 

 would prove a powerful factor in rapidly bringing about 

 the desired result. Either confine the Indians to their 

 reservation or else make them subject to the same laws 

 and penalties as the whites. Call a halt! Shoshone. 



Utah. 



ST. LOUIS NOTES. 



ST. LOUIS, March 21.— The Coots fishing bill which I 

 noticed two weeks ago, has now passed both houses 

 of the Missouri Legislature and only needs the Governor's 

 signature to become a law. Under the old law, seining 

 and netting of fish was allowed during evei-y month of 

 the year except April, with nets of not less than 2in. 

 mesh. Under the new law, seining is absolutely pro- 

 hibited except as stated in a x>revious issue of your paper. 

 The author of the bill, Mr. John W. Coots, writes me that 

 while the law is not just what was wanted, yet it was the 

 strongest that could be passed at the present session of 

 the Lescislature. 



The Hawkins game law has passed the lower house 

 and is now before the Senate. It is very strict in its pro- 

 visions, and prohibits the transportation or marketing of 

 game at any season of the year, and makes it a misde- 

 meanor for any transportation company to carry game at 

 any time. 



The Sc. Louis Coursing Club will give its first meeting 

 of the season a week from Sunday at the fair grounds. 

 Thirty jack rabbits have been received from Nebraska 

 for the purpose. This sort of sporting is of a kind that I 

 hope will never become popular. It is too much like 

 chasing a chicken around in a barn yard. All true sports- 

 men should frown upon such clubs as this. 



Duck shooting during the week has been very good. 

 They struck in here freely the fore part of the week. The 

 trouble with the shooting grounds is that there is too 

 little water and too much mud, so that it is difficult to re- 

 cover ducks even when killed. One of the members of 

 the Kidd Lake Club bagged a dozen snipe the fore part of 

 the week, but as a general thing snipe have not yet put in 

 an appearance. The heavy rain of the middle of the week 

 will greatly improve the shooting gi-ounds. One of the 

 members of the Cuivre Club was fortunate enough to bag 

 half a dozen wild geese. 



Early Yellowlegs.— On Saturday, March 21, Mr. W. 

 Duryea saw in a swamp near H iverstraw, N. Y., on the 

 property of Mr. T. G. Peck, a flock of 13 yellowlegs and 

 2 cmlews. No English snipe had as yet been seen there, 

 but no doubt they are on now. 



Dead-Bbats. — There is a class of men in this city and 

 State that by its acts brings into discredit and disgrace 

 every individual who delights in the pleasures surround- 

 ings hunting and possesses the disposition to pursue this 

 pastime in a thoroughly honorable sort of a way, without 

 infringing upon the rights of others or occasioning property 

 owners any annoyance. The class referred to is made up 

 of dead-beats, unprincipled individuals, drunkards, fel- 

 lows who think it is smart to commit some offense against 

 the peace and dignity of the State, taking every opportu- 

 nity when they go out into the woods to damage some- 

 body's property. It is this kind of people that tear down 

 walls, leave gates and bars open, set woods on fire, tram- 

 ple down grass, steal fruit and hens, put charges of shot 

 into cattle and dogs and violate innumerable laws of right 

 and humanity and decency. For the scoundrelly actions 

 of these fellows men who respect the law and are careful 

 not to injure in any way the property of people have to 

 suffer. It is always gratifying to learn that one of these 

 vandals has been caught in some act of depredation and 

 made to suffer the penalty of his offense. Such was the 

 case a few days ago with| three Manchester fellows who 

 went over to Goff town after rabbits and shot a higly- 

 prized dog owned by Peter Hanley. The killing of the 

 animal was deliberately and cold-bloodedly done, and by 

 chance a neighbor of JNir. Hanley's happened to hear the 

 culprits talking over and laughing about their mean and 

 brutal act. He informed the proprietor of the dog what 

 had occurred and that gentleman immediately took steps 

 to secure pecuniary satisfaction for his loss." The horse 

 that conveyed the rascals from the city had been left at 

 Mr. Hanley's house and by this fortunate step the dog 

 killers were compelled to come to terms, for Mr. Hanley 

 would not allow the horse to be removed from his shed 

 until he had been paid |10 and received as security for 

 $25 more a gun belonging to one of the trio of scamps. 

 For several hours a wrangle of words continued, but Mr. 

 Hanley, armed with a stick of cord wood, held possession 

 of the horse and sleigh and at last got the price of his 

 dog. Tiie inhuman scamps several times sought to get 

 away and once came very near doing so, but Mr. Hanley 

 grabbed the horse by the bridle and his wife got the gun, 

 so that finally, when these disgraces to the title of hunter 

 left for home, Mr. Hanley had obtained his recompense. 

 The fellows unsuccessfullly sought to make Mr. Hanley 

 believe that the person who killed his dog was one of a 

 party of hunters that was pursuing a fox in the vicinity. 

 The names of these brutes ought to be made public and 

 if any information comes to the Mirror again of either of 

 them being engaged in any act of a like or kijidred nature 

 they will all be exposed to the publicity that they richly 

 deserve.— ilfanc7ies^er (iV, H. ) Mirror and American. 



Autistic Snipe Shooting.— A few days ago Capt. T. 

 H. Hyman, a great lover of dog and gun and rod, came 

 by my store and left word for me to be ready early in the 

 morning to go out for snipe. He was anxious to try his 

 new lO gauge hammerless Parker. When we reached the 

 snipe ground it did not take us long to get out guns and 

 put on rubber bootsj and in a very short time oirr guns 

 began to ring out. I shot at one about 50yds. The bird 

 fell and on going up to it I found it sitting up apparently 

 unhurt. I cautiously reached out and picked it up. It 

 made no move till I touched it, then it fluttered and strug- 

 gled. I examined it to see where it was shot but could 

 find no shot mark whatever. I was puzzled and soon dis- 

 covered that it could not see. I thi-ew it up in the air, it 

 could not fly but would sail slowly down. I gave it 

 another close examination and this time was rewarded by 

 finding a small red spot on the top of its head. The skin 

 was not broken. The shot had paralyzed and blinded it. 

 The Captain came up, and I showed him the bird and told 

 him that was the latest and most artistic manner of shoot- 

 ing birds, and was mitch preferable to the old way of fill- 

 ing the bird full of lead, and I advised him to learn it. I 

 have hunted a great deal but never saw anything like 

 that before. Snipe are very scarce in this section. We 

 bagged 21 that day.— Yeldarb. 



The Springfield Club.— Damon N. Coats and A. B. 

 Wallace have returned from the Canadian winter camp 

 filled with enthusiasm for the free and restful experiences 

 possible in a region where the steady cold gives high zest 

 to living. They saw caribou, one roving band of the big 

 creatures coming within 200ft. of the camp, but the 

 campers are guiltless of bloodshed in this connection. 

 Edward S. Brewer tried a few shots at the caribou, but 

 of course he was too tender-hearted to take fatal aim. 

 When it came to trout, however, the party dropped all 

 sentimental scruples, and a sample of the efficiency of 

 Mr. Coats in this line may be 'seen in E. C. Barr's win- 

 dow to-day. The beauty weighing 41 bs. shows up a pound 

 less than the largest caught last year. Mr. Coates, by the 

 way, spient a full month in camp, and Mr. Wallace agrees 

 that winter is the time to enjoy most in that locality — 

 snow-shoe walks of 20 miles a day, for example, — Spring- 

 field (Mass.) BepuUica-ti, March 18. 



The New Jersey Non-Resident Tax.— New York, 

 March 19. —Editor Forest and Stream: I notice in last 

 issue a very important statement of a bill passed by the 

 New Jersey Assembly in regard to non-residents taking 

 out a license and paying $1 for same and $1 to the clerk 

 who makes out the paper for him. I must confess that 

 as a son of an old resident of New Jersey I am ashamed 

 of this. Is it possible that the people of New Jersey for- 

 get that New York and other Scates open their doors for 

 all? Jersey people seem very willing indeed to visit the 

 Catskills and Adirondacks, and there shoot and fish as 

 they like without paying for a license, and why is it that 

 New Jersey should act in such an ungrateful manner 

 toward residents of other States? A movement of this 

 kind will prove a verv foolish and expensive one for 

 New Jersey.— H, C.JW\ 



Crust-Hunters' Hard Luck. — Eutland, Vt., March 

 14.— The Forest and Stream has an item this week 

 suggesting that sportsmen undergo with Impunity severe 

 hardships. They do; but recent events have shown that 

 the way of crust-hunters is hard. Two men from New 

 Hampshire were after deer over here in Vermont. They 

 got lost, and were badly frost bitten. One of the hunters 

 has had both feet amputated, and the other man may lose 

 one of his. They won't crust-hunt any more this winter. 

 This is a case where Natm-e took the law into her own 

 hands; and Nature is sometimes an tmrelenting dame.— 

 Whiielock. 



Monroe County Association.— Rochester, N, Y., 

 March 15,— A meeting of the directors of the Monroe 

 Sportsmen's Association was held last week, Thursday, 

 and very flattpring reports were offered from parties to 

 whom quail had been consigned, in regard to the condi- 

 tion of the birds. The subject of stocking the public 

 streams in this county and adjoining ones with game fish 

 was discussed and definite action will be taken at an early 

 date. The membership of the association is steadily in- 

 creasing and among the names are noticed many of the 

 most prominent business men of this city and vicinity. 

 A scheme is on foot to trap a large number of English 

 sparrows and hold a mammoth trap -shoot using these lit- 

 tle pests for targets. Doubtless this scheme will receive 

 the support of many who would not subscribe to all the 

 other tenets of the association.— Osceola, 



Maine Deer.— a Maine correspondent tells us that he 

 never saw the deer so plenty. He saw two last week and 

 could have shot them both. The buck had the largest 

 antlers he ever saw. 



Long Island Snipe,— Oakdale.— I bagged . the first 

 brace of English snipe March 13. — Alfred A. Eraser, 



The full texts of the game fish laws of all the States, 

 Territories and British Provinces are given in the Booh of 

 the Game Laios. 



TROUT IN WEST VIRGINIA. 



AT the approach of April and May, the most desirable 

 season for fronting in the beautiful mountain 

 streams of West Virginia, I am filled with the peculiar 

 sensation experienced by all lovers of the gentle art, and 

 until that time I will be constantly reminded of happy 

 days spent amid scenery wild and too beautiful to be 

 marred by any attempt to picture with the pen. Imagin- 

 ation alone can do justice, and I will only state facts in 

 my j)leasant exjierience. 



Leaving Ronceverte station, on the C. & O. R. R., our 

 party first reached the ancient town of Lewisburg, the 

 county seat of Greenbrier, where our stay, though brief, 

 was made very pleasant, for we met some old and made 

 some new friends, and enjoyed the warm hospitality of 

 the good people. 



This is the blue grass region of West Virginia, and it 

 has been my experience that where you find blue grass 

 and cattle you will find a well educated, cultivated and 

 hospitable people. 



The distance from Levs^isburg to the mountains is quite 

 a long day's journey, so we had so muster ourselves quite' 

 early in order to reach our proposed camp. When we 

 reach a sinall mountain known locally as Muddy Creek 

 Mountain, we leave the limestone belt and note quite a. 

 difference in the character of the country. After cross- 

 ing this mountain we leave the waters of the Greenbrier 

 River and soon reach the tributaries of the Meadow, a 

 very slow running stream, which is fed mostly from 

 Clear creeks, both Little Clear and Big Clear. After- 

 crossing Little Clear we continue our journey in a. 

 westerly course for a mile or two, when we reach Big 

 Clear. 



These two creeks have a general southwesterly course,, 

 making quite a curve, but always keeping very nearly 

 parallel and quite close together, being divided only by a 

 very small mountain. These two streams^erive their 

 names and have always been noted for their clear, jjure, 

 beautiful waters, and tradition has it that they were 

 never known to be in the least muddy until the past few 

 years: even during long-continued spells of rain they 

 become slightly clouded on account of the byways and 

 paths made through the mountains by the rude foot of 

 man, which lead the muddy waters from the clearings 

 into the streams. 



We are now at the mouths of these streams and at an 

 elevation of 2,o00ft. above sea level. Now picture these 

 streams dashing down over moss-covered rocks many 

 feet high, forming crystal cascades along which nature 

 has planted all varieties of beautiful ferns and flowers, 

 which she has seen fit to distribute in this particular 

 climate. 



Well, we have reached our camping ground, and as I 

 had never experienced the joy and comfort of hooking or 

 tasting a trout, and as the sun was only just edging the dis- 

 tant mountain tops, which left me from one and a half to 

 two hours of daylight, for you must know that hemmed 

 in as we are here by the moiintains, we have a much 

 longer twilight than those on the lowlands or plains. So 

 I hied myself to the brook to investigate, while others 

 looked after putting the camp in order. To my great sur- 

 prise and joy, I was soon given a chance to decide the 

 question which had long troubled me, "Is the trout all 

 that is claimed for it?" Verdict thus, it may be the 

 novelty of the first catch, or it may be the appetite, but 

 "They aa-e the stuft"." 



Then I don't know much about "fly"-fi8hing and am 

 not very delicate in the manipulation of bugs, but I am 

 willing and trying hard to learn how: but these trout 

 just suit me, for you can use a fly or a bug, natural or 

 artificial, or a vulgar worm, and when your insects have 

 all gone you can just reach out to the nearest bush 

 (should you be fishing at that season) and take the first 

 blackberry or raspberry, and they go for all with equal 

 avidity. Should all of these ^ive out you only want to 

 catch one trout to supply you with plenty of bait, for 

 there is none better than the anal fin or the eye of the 

 trout properly adjusted to y^our hook. 



In these streams the trout are abundant and attain to 

 good size, as they have a chance to become fully grown 

 and matured , weighing often lib. and sometimes l|lbs. 

 Usually they run from 9 to llin, long, but after fishing 

 several hours and out of a catch of forty to sixty fish you 

 will find eight or ten 12 to 16in. in length. 



As all the brethren know, I will only state for the benefit 

 of the heathen, that the best mode of taking these fish is 

 to seek the headwaters of these streams and fish down. 

 These trout abound more plentifully way back in the 

 mountains, so near the source of these streams that there 

 is scarce water enough to float them, yet here are found 

 the best fish. 



In fishing this way you can take double the number of 



