Mat 7, 18&1.] 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



819 



Quimby UOIUUIOIII 01-12 Beors lUOO] 100000011- 7 



Savage 000111111111111—12 J WnlatencromiOimilllllll- 14 



Long'don 111111111111111—15 Vibberr 111111111011101—13 



Root 111101111111111—14 Bamplon 11111001110110(3-10 



Bmbridsje. .. 111111111111110-14 Albert .111111111111111—15 



Saunriers 111011111110111-13 Hall 1010110101 llOOl- 9 



Folsora , 011111 OlUOlO 110— f) SteriT 011101111111 111—13 



Brooks llOniOllOUOlOO- w Howard 111111111111111—15 



Perkins 011111111101111-13 ZMltebell llOllUlliUlll-l-l 



In expert claPS O. R. Dickey, of Boston, won firsr average. 86.6 

 per cent.— |3j.«5; "VV. Crosby won second ax^eifitrH, SiJ O per cent.— 

 Iglv.80. In amateur class, F. A. Sbermwn, of JCew 13aveo, who sbot 

 under tlie name of Albert, won first, aveiage.. fill per cent.— S>35.85, 

 and 0. E. Longdon, of New Haven, won .'^ecoud avei aije, 94.6 per 

 cent.— SIT. yo. jUbert (Sherman) mil be advanced to expert class. 

 Total surplns was $179.90. 



The tournament was a pronounced success from start to finish, 

 and everybody was well satisfied. P. 



HARRISBURG TRAPS. 



Haei^isbckg, Pa., April 35.— At the regular shoot of the Harris- 

 burg Shooting Association to-day, it was pronounced by all tlie 

 coniestants as being the hardest day for facing tlie traps we have 

 had. A strong northwest wind blew directly against tbe targets, 

 making their flights the most irregular of any I have ever wit- 

 nessed on the grounds, and at the discharge of each gun ihe 

 shooter had the pleasant sensation of receiving the powder smoke 

 in his face and eyes, and at the cl'^se of the afternoon each con- 

 testant's face resembled a soft coal miner's more than of a man 

 on pleasure bent. The Smith gun was won by Mr. A. C. Krueger. 

 of Wrightsville, the dandy crack shot of Central Pennsylyania, 

 and also a member of this association. The balance of the day 

 was put in on sweeps. See scores below. 

 L. 0. Smith gun, 35 singles: 



Shearer llllllOlllOOOlllllOiniOO-18 



Krueger 1111111101011111111111111—33 



Shusley 1111100110001111110110100-16 



Duaten 111000101111111010111 1111-19 



Snell lllOOlOlllllOllllllOmiO-19 



Word en 11 111110011101 lim uillO-21 



Fuller, Metzgar, Twup, Gunther, Brelsford, Haas, StahfUer, 

 Martin, Felsenger, Kinzer, Nutt, Hapler, Brelsford, Dustin, Suli- 

 vai, W. B., Nut t and Schearer withdrew. 

 Sweep No. 1, at 15 singles, entrance |1: 



Dustin 101001111111101-11 W D 001000000100101-4 



Worden 110111111100110-11 Motler 000 i 11100100111- 8 



Shearer lOlOlOUlOOOOOO - 7 Nnlt lOlOllOllHlOll-U 



Martin 001011 lOOlllllO- 9 Metzgar 010111100111011—10 



Krueger llOOllllllHlOt— 13 Sullvan IIUCOIIOIIIOII— 11 



Shusley llllllOOOlUllll— 11 Brelsford 111111111111110-14 



Troup 1111011101(^110— '.) l-Iatiield 111100111100111— U 



Sweep No. 3, at 15 sinsU-e. eutrance §1: 



Snlivan lllOllllOllOUO-ll Dustin OOIUlllllOlOlO-lO 



Sbusley 110110101100111—10 Mariin 001111011111111—13 



Shearer 011110011111111-12 Hepler llOullllOlllOM- 9 



Nutt 011111011001111-11 Giuther 11101 UOOoOllOlU- 7 



Krueger 111000111111111—13 Filsenger 111111(11(1111111—13 



Worden 111101110111111-1.8 Brelsford OOlOnoilOllllO- 9 



Motler 110101111110001—10 Metzgar 110010100111110— 9 



Sweep No. 3, entrance $3: 



.Shearer 11 Worden 13 Nnell 7 



Kj'ueger 14 Dustin 13 Kinzer 7 



Shusley « Felsmyer 13 Breisfoid ...13 



Nutt 9 WS 7 Martin 6 



Sulivan 13 Haas.. 9 



Sweep No. 4, enirance $1: 



Krueger 9 Kinzei- 13 Sulivan 11 



Nutt. 11 Dustin 13 Felsmyer 9 



Fuller 12 Worden 14 Brelsford 10 



Shusley 13 



Sweep No. 5, §1 entrance: 



Krueger ...13 Nutt 11 



Sulivan 12 Brelsford 11 



Worden 14 Dustin 14 Fuller... 



Sweep No. 6, §1 entrance: 

 Ki'ueser.. 12 Worden 11 Dustin, 



KiJGzer 13 



Shuslev 11 



....13 



Brelsford. 12 Kinzer.. 



Sulivan 12 



.10 Fuller U 



BLOOMING GROVE PARK. 



THE first of the proposed series of six tournaments to he held 

 during the year was shot on the grounds of the Blooming 

 Grove Park Association, Pike county, Penn., on April 35 and 27. 

 The weather conditions were not favorable to good shooriug. as a 

 variable wind blew across the grounds and especially in the rifle 

 contest, prevented any sort of steadiness. Below are the scores in 

 the various matches. Live bird contest, prize 1-50, silver cup, 10 

 birds, liandicap rise, 38, 37 and 26yds. men allowed one miss to be 

 scored as no bird, 3.5yd.s. (and under) allowed two mis.ses to be 

 scored as two no-birds. Ties at 3 birds, no allowance. Entrance 

 fee $5. No double entries, 5 ground traps, 50yds. bound: 



D A^Keyes (29) 0220332012— 7 Fred Eugle (SO) 2031103132- 8 



C R Hedden (39). . . . OlOOlOOOOl— 3 N S Smith (27) 3220320221— 8 



A M Cromellin (30).o32o321020— 6 H Breintnal 1 (29) . . .2122021212— 9 



D Bacon (37) 12o0220220 - 6 E Cruikshank (28) . .22000312o0~ 5 



1 ) McKeever (24) . . . 21o32o0200- 5 B E J Eils (28) ...... 010200ol20 - 4 



E M Youmans (37) . .1232222223-10 W W Green (29) .... 0022002222- 6 



A Hall (37) 3112130222- 9 I P Cruger (20) .. .2112210211— 9 



C T Wills (38) 2222000000— 4 H C Higgin-on (29). 0.221101100— 6 



oDead out of bounds. Cup to Youmans. Ties on 9 div. first, ties 

 on 8 second. 



Clay bird contest for silver flask, 35 birds, 18yds. rise, ties at 3 

 birds. Handicaps were arranged by allowing men to shoot at 37, 

 20 and 30 birds; entrance fee $2, no double entries: 



H R BreintnaU (25 birds) 1001111111110111111001101 -19 



NS Smith (27) OOOOOniUOUOlOOOflOOOllOlO —11 



Fred Engle (25) 110001 11011110111011 10011 -17 



C T Wills (30) OOOOlOlOOllOlOOOllOlOlOOOlOOOl-ll 



A Hall (39) 00010001100011010030001010011 -10 



W W Green (27) 111111000001110110011010110 -10 



Rifle contest, ijrize £50 cup, 200vds., off-hand, only open sighi;s 

 allowed, 10 shots, decimal target, tie- ' — " 



A RKuzer 



R H BreintnaU 



C R Hedden 



A M CromeUin 



D Bacon 



Fred Engle., 

 BE JEils... 



M Freeman 



WH MeCord... 

 A 0 Higginsou . 



.6 12062316 



3-30 





2 



4 



5 4 



6 



2 



4 



5 



5-38 



i 



3 



4 



7 2 



4 



4 



3 



9 



6-39 



.2 



1 



1 



CO 



2 



1 



1 



3 



9—29 



.9 



1 



■z 



1 7 



1 



6 



3 



3 



2—33 



.1 



0 



0 



0 0 











— 1 



.0 



0 



0 



1 1 



1 



4 



4 



0 



3—14 



4 



1 



1 



9 5 



6 



4 



6 



3 



5-44 



3 



4 



9 



1 5 



2 



5 



4 



2 



2-37 



.7 



V 



3 



2 2 



3 



4 



4 



5 



2-39 



4 



0 



5 



r 4 





0 



2 



3 



3-30 





1 



0 



0 6 



3 



4 



ij 



7 



7-40 



6 



1 



0 



5 9 



1 



0 



0 



6 



0-28 



3 



1 



1 



0 5 



2 



3 



1 



0 



1-16 



0 



2 



5 



2 10 





5 



3 





.2—38 



3 



4 



3 



1 6 



4 



5 



1 



4 



3-33 



BEAVER, Pa., has a new organization, the Beaver Gun Club, 

 with Dr. G. A. Scroggs, Pres.; G. Q. Wolfe, Vice-Pres.; J. H. 

 Eaton, Sec'y and Treas. We had our first shoot to-rl ay. Inclosed 

 please find score. Not so bad when you consider the high north- 

 west wind that blew across the grounds. Mr. Aughenbaugh's 

 Bcore is hardly fair, as he used two guns, one a Ot^lb. 10-gauge and 

 then a 61b. 12-gauge. But let her go. Our birds are all here ex- 

 cept the orioles. Whippoorwills arrived Wednesday, April 23. 

 Weather warm and delightful. Match at 50 bluerocks: 



Eaton IIUIOIIIUIOOIIIOOI 11111(111 1 lOllimilOllOmO 101-39 



Wolfe OllllOllOOlllOOlllOOllllllllllllllOllOlimmillO— .39 



Scroggs 1111101100011100110011101(1101111111110111111111111-38 



McCready 01000110110011011111111010110110101000100101001000-38 



Aughenbaugh..,. 01100001111110110100111011110110110100100101001000-37 



Wickham lllOllOllOOOlllOOllllllllOlllllOOlOlllll w —39 



S. 



RETRIEVED BY'' TELEPHONE.— At a pigeon shoot on Erb's 

 grounds, near Newark, the other day, the pointer dog Telephone, 

 owned by E. D. Fulford, of Harrisburp, Pa., caught a wounded 

 bird by springing into the air after it. The bird was Oft. above 

 the ground when the dog's .laws closed on it, and the old trap- 

 shooters entered in the sweepstake shoots said that it was the 

 finest catch ever seen. 



PATEHSON, N. J.. April 39.— Match between A. Martin, of 

 Eclipse Gun Club, and T. Rogers, of the LTniversal Gun Club, at 

 10 live birds each, 31yds. rise, 80yds. bounds, old Long Island rules, 

 825 a side: „ 



A Martin 1101111111—9 T Rogers , . . 0010111101-6 



Next match will take place on Monday. May 18, between T. 0. 

 Wright, of the Eclipse Gun Club, and Geo. Doremus. of the 

 I'orest and Stream Gun Olub, at 13 hve birds each, for f50 a sl^e. 



SOME MORE FROM "AD VANCE." 



Editor Fmriit and Stream: 



1 have carefully read the well wrilten article of ''Occasional" 

 in issue of April 30, and I still live. "The voice is Jacob's voice, 

 bill the bauds ate the hau'ls of Ksau'"— a poor lamb of a rouufler 

 bleating,"! am only a professional."' Baa! Bia! The simple sheep 

 in the 50 and 60 class bleat back, "What's tlie difference as far as 

 we are concerned? Our money goes all the samr and too many 

 of them take the kind advice of our accompliaheil salesman, with 

 which be closes bis remarks, "Better give up tra ii-shooiing." 

 Now, "Occasional," 1 haye you where I want yon; I am fighting 

 for that very ela.-s of indiffi.rent shooters who are always tempted 

 by their poor scores to lay away their guns and withdraw from 

 club and practice. 



"Occasional" is evidently voicing hia convictions of how the 

 better shots should regard his class— a class which is a cross be- 

 iween a live pigeon and a bluerock, neither one thing nor the 

 other, a hybrid with affiniiy for both animate or inanimate, so 

 long as a sweepstake is back of it, 



"Occasional" agrees with me about the bad policy of colonizing 

 shooters, but says it is no harm to bring in my class if you do. 

 Now 1 sav better leave your crowd out too. "Occasional" speaks 

 of the diiHeulty in getting a team from the average club together. 

 I agree with him there, but maintain that it can be done and 

 ought to be done from the members of the club alone, every pro- 

 fes-sional and rounder barred. 1 have had some experience here, 

 as every team which has ever represented my club has been 

 selected by me, been wril ten to and notified by me, and I have 

 received the answers, W'e won the Rockland county champion- 

 ship by three straight victorifs and have engaged in numerf us 

 other contests, winning some and losing others, but always with- 

 out help from either the abov^e classes. At lirst we were very 

 weak, but we made a team of lighters finally by graduating the 

 50 per cent, men and not by colonizing. 



Now, why should professionals be debarred? Because they are 

 too handy for one thing. To explain: A club rer eives an invita- 

 tion to send a ffam to compete for a trophy, ten men must be 

 seli^cted, notified and sent. The captain gels positive assurance 

 from five that the.y will be on himd; the other five are doubtful. 

 Instead of taking five of his club next in ability and shooting 

 I hem on his team, he flies immediately to the gun store; and find- 

 ing high-class men there having the necessary leisure, he secures 

 them, makes up his team, winks his eye and is ready for the fray. 

 1 have a letter before me from one of the best known club cap- 

 tains within fifty miles of New York, and he says there'n, "The 



R Club was to have Lmdsley, Collins, Penrose, Beam, Von 



Lengerke, etc.," and he justifies his own club in taking a still 

 wider range for E. D. Miller and .lohn Riegott by saying, "What 

 could my club do against the R Club with such a team ?" 



You see what it leads to, Brother "Occasional." The next time 

 the various clubs meet in competition, they may be astonished to 

 see those very men on the team of an entirely different club, and 

 the next time on yet another olub. "See?" It don't look nice 

 published in black and white, does it? 



I have not said that these men are not fine companions and 

 royal good fellow.*; is it not written in the books of the scribe 

 E. Hough that they are so? That is not the point. That they 

 "give more impetus to trap shooting" 1 very mucb doubt. They 

 often help to start shooting enterprises and therein do some good, 

 but some at one time very strong clubs in this vicinity are now 

 slumbering the sleep of everlasting annihilation in spite of the 

 connection therewith of the aforesaid jolly sportsmen. 



Tournaments for the past year or so bave been almost flat fail- 

 ures In spite of the attendance thereat of these pleasant gents 

 w^ho shoot for "business only." 



Oh yes, my dears, the amateurs as a rule are taking good care 

 to protect themselves; they do it by staying away. "See!" What 

 I want is to have them back, facing the traps and burning pow- 

 der, not practicing to become salesmen in gun stores or expert 

 rounders or even gobblers of small sweepstalses in their own club 

 shoots, but men wtth a decent degree of skill developed by moder- 

 ate practice into that desirable position where their friends and 

 and fellow members say of them "he is a good shot and a good 

 fellow." 



I am not throueh with this business yet, and have a carload of 

 facts, letters and theories to spring upon your confiding readers 

 when the humor next strikes me. Ad Vance. 



W^ATSON'S PARK.— Burnside, 111., April 22.— Lake County 

 Club and guests in a practice shoot at live pigeons, Illinois State 



N Ford 1310101213-8 J Quinnel 3000101003-4 



A L Smith 0310111133—8 C Brockelman 0012030010—4 



J W Donnell 03031,3.2000-5 G Peterson 011U12201-8 



VVLBond 2121303,233— !> Farnum (guest) . . .0011001030—4 



H Keohler 1020120011-6 A W Reeves (guest) 3011132331-9 



LFIershem 1010010030—4 Fleming (guest). ...1030010320—5 



Same day the following scores were made in a practice shoot at 

 25 live birds each. W. P. Mussey 20, C. E. WiUard 16, Frank Hol- 

 lister 16, Frank Place 18. 



Another of 'he same, less birds: Ford 9, Farnum 9, Dr. Smith 10, 

 A. L. Smith, Donnell, Bond, Koehler, Flershem, Peterson, A. W. 

 Reeves withdrew. 



April ^0.— The Gun Club of Chicago for club medal, 10 live birds, 

 Hlinois State rules: 



L M Hamlin 2201001021-6 F A Hollester 1201001120- 6 



C E WiUard - . .0122121000-0 L Willard 2113113123-10 



F E Willard 2021201300 - 6 A W Adams 010200211:12— 5 



Frank Place 1221100110—7 H Farnum. 1000103001— 4 



Peoria blackbird medal: 

 C WiUard 10001011110111011111-14 L WMUard llOllllOllllllUll 01— 17 

 Hamline.. 11111001 111111111101— 17 HoUester. 11111111100110111111—17 

 F Place. . ,11111100110111111111-17 A Adams. 11011111111001110011-15 

 F Willard 11110111111111101111-18 



Open sweepstakes, 5 live pigeons each, $3 entrance, 3 moneys, 

 Amei icnn Association rules: 



C E Willard ..11100—3 F A Pl.ace 10112-4 



FE Willard 33112-5 H F.arnum 00213—3 



LM Hamline 31030—3 L WiUard 03211—4 



£' A Hollester 01111—4 A W Adams 00203—3 



Another ol the same: 



Hamline 13331—5 A W Adams 00211—3 



F E WiUard 33113-5 H Farnum 13110-4 



LWnUard 21201—4 



Another, with one mouf-y only: 



FE WiUard 0ni2— 4 L WiUard 21212-5 



A W Adams 13100-3 



May 5.— Tue Forester Club, of Chicago, 15 live pigeons, Ameri- 

 can Association rulf»s: 



A Price 211131111111311-15 F HoUester. .. .031111332102111-13 



C E WiUard. . .31-,;311001211111-13 L M HamUme.l0122310Hlllll— 13 



W D Price 111111211110111-14 A W Adams. ..120201122003323-11 



J O'Brien 122103212111122-14 



J Byers 12012—4 C E Willard 11211-5 



Peoria blackbirds: 

 A Price. . .11001011101101101011-18 HoUester .11001001110110110111-13 

 Willard... 100111101111011100111-13 HamUine. 00101111101110110111— 14 

 WDPricelOllllKillllOllObllO— 14 Adams,. . .10110011011111110011—14 

 J O'Brien.lllllllOllUOllOOllO— 14 J Byers. . .00010100011110101000— 8 



Ties for medal: 



WD Price OlllC-3 J O'Brien 11111-5 



Ravellrigg. 



CHICAGO TRAP.-GMcago, May '2.-Col. A. G. Courtney, 

 evangelist of the Lefevei- Arms Co., is in the city to-day, and is so 

 as to be about. Mr. W. H. Skinner, of the Whitney Aims Co., is 

 just back from his trip to the Coast. Mr. Whitney did some in- 

 quiring for the missing E. S. Benscotten while in the Northwest, 

 and says that the last heard of Benscoi ten in that country was 

 that he had purchased a ticket for the Ea-^r. He wiU turn, up yet, 

 it is hoped. Mr. R. O. Heikes, Western agent of the Staudard-Key- 

 stone Co., O" Monday next engages in a time match, in which he 

 is to break 450 targets in an hour and a half, three traps, glOO tip. 

 This is merely in the interest of sport, but there are some side 

 wagers up that he will succeed.— E. Hotjgh. 



WAYNE GUN CLUB.— Philadelphia, April 25.— Match at 30 

 bluerocks each, 5 traps, 16 and 18yds., strong wind, fair weather: 



Joe. Jeltries OlllOlOlllUOlOOOllOlllOUllll— 31 



S Davis OlOOOlOOlOlOlOlOOOllllOllll 100—15 



F Hessler 110111010111101011111010101101—21 



T Scargle OOlUOOOOlOOlOOOlOOOOUOlOlOlO— 11 



E. Hansbery, H. Kane, A. Hessler. T. Mack, J. Sidle, Wm. Jay, 

 Wm. LTlary, Gretch, N. Hessler, G. Hessler, J. Royds withdrew. 

 In the above score several individual matches were shot between 

 Hansbery and Kane, F. Hessler and Jeffries, the latter two win 

 ning.— P. F. Yost. 



VICTOR, N. Y., May 2.— Victor Rod and Gun Club regular semi- 

 monthly shoot, at 35 kingbirds per man, 3 Keystone traps, 18yds. 

 rise. New York State rules. 3 badges: W. A. Hill 17, D. A. McVean 

 9. H. M. Stewart 20, A. O. Gordon 15, W. G. HiU 14, M, Sage 13, L. 

 W. Benson 13, A. E. Sale 14. C. Brusie 16, E. S. Norton 13, J. Q, 

 Smith 14. Stewart, Gordon and Norton took the three badges, A, 

 B and 0 respectively, Hembers are classified in tiiree classes, A, 

 B and O. i 



NEWARK, N. J.— The Maplewood Gun Olub expects to have at 

 crowd of crockery smashers on its grounds on Decoration Day to 

 take part in the spring tournament. Bluerock targets will be 

 used, the shooting being under the rapid-firing Keystone system. 

 Experts wiU shoot at unknown angles and amateurs at known 

 angles. The events will be as follows: Ten birds. 50 cents; 1,5 

 birds, «1; 10 birds, 75 cents; ,20 birds, §1,50; 10 birds, 75 cents; 15 

 birds, Si; 25 bird,'., S2; 10 bird?, 7,^ cents: 15 birds, $1.60; 10 birds, 'fl ; 

 10 bird.^, 75 cents: 15 birds, $1. The sport will begin at 9 A. M. 



MONEY VS. FL0Y'D-Jt>NE3.— The p-geAu shootine match be- 

 tween CoL Money, of the (.lartei-et Ciun Club, and C. Floyd Jones, 

 of the Westminster Kennel Club, for ¥5U0 a side, which took place 

 Tuesday afternoon last on tho trrounds of the Westchester County 

 Club, resulted in favor of Col. Money. The, conditions of the 

 match were 100 birds each m-m, oOvds. rise, 50yds. boundary. 

 Score: Col. Money 85, C. Floyd Jones S?,. 



TORONTO, AprU25.— The members of the Owl Gun Club shot 

 for the gold medal presented to the club by Mr. McDowall and for 

 the three gold medals given by the club at the Woodbine Saturday 

 afternoon. Some good scores were made, considering the strong 

 wind which was blowing. The conditions are that there be five 

 shoots, and the member making the highest score in any three 

 shoots to be the winner. Following are the scores, 20 birds per 

 man. Smith and Unwin iSyds.. res' 31yds.: 



J Rice... .10111111111111111110-18 Kdwards..llOIl011011101]ii0011— U 

 Tymon.. ..01111101111011111110-17 George . ..01100110101010001111-11 

 O Henry. ,01111010111111111111-17 J Unwin. .00110011010011111111-13 

 M'Dowall IIOOIIOIIOI 1011 11111— 15 W Smith. 01001111 OlOOOlOlOOll-lO 

 To wnson.. 11011010110101011111— 14 



MUIJCIE, Ind., April 29— The first day's shootat the fifth annual 

 tournament of the Muncie Gun Olub to-day was the most success- 

 ful yet given. Mnny of the crack shots of the country contested 

 for the stakes. Among them were McDowell and Ileikes, of Dayton, 

 O.; Hialt, Whistler and DeWitt, of Marion, Richardson: Allen, 

 Britiou and Comestock, of Indianapolis; Long and Thompson, 

 Lafayette; Warner, of Greenville, O., and a score of others. 

 American Association rules are governing, with rapid fire system 

 at Peoria black birds. The moneys are divided in three purses. At 

 the ten matches to-day a number of clean scores were made and 

 some excellent shooting was done, with Dayton and Indianapolis 

 artists in the lead. 



April SO.— The second and last day's shoot of the Muncie Gun 

 Cluo tournament was conspicious by the presence of Scott Mc- 

 Donald, of Dayton, O. The majority of other shooters, concluding 

 they stood no chance against McDonald, left for their homes on 

 his arrival. In the fourteen contests in which McDonald took 

 part ten were clean records at ten, fifteen, and twenty-five birds. 

 In a match he killed 1.54 out of a possible 163, his only weakness 

 being on doubles. The scores are said to be the best ever made in 

 the State. Bender, Gough and Williamson, local men, pushed the 

 leaders hard. 



ROME, N. Y'., May 4.— The indications are that the 33d annual 

 convention of the New York State Sportsmen's Association will 

 exceed our wildest expectation. No doubt we shall have the 

 largest convention ever held in the history of the Association. 

 Wo are doing everything we can to perfect arrangements, and 

 we are confident that everj^ one who comes here will have a good 

 lime. W^e are going to have a little sweepstake tournament May 

 23, and we expect that most of the clubs in the surrounding towns 

 will be with us on that date, to give them a chance to try our new 

 grounds.— M. R. Bingham. 



THE CRUISE OF THE SHENANDOAH C. C. 



AS DETAILED BT THE COMJIODOHE. 

 PAKT XI. 



IConchulcd f rom Page 300.} 



to Riverton over smooth water proved anything but well founded; 

 for we found the ten miles between McCoy's Palls and Riverton, 

 at the present stage of water, to be a little the meanest and worst 

 piece of river on the whole trip. There did not seem to be much 

 taU, and the water was not specially swift and rough even among 

 the reefs, which were interminable, but the river was very broad 

 and very shallow, and in many places we could find but a few 

 iuches of water rippling over gravel bars, filling in between the 

 reefs and stretching clear across the river from bank to bank. 

 Even the boat channels, which were easily found..did not help us 

 materially except that they were free from rocks and reefs; and 

 the ten miles were made laboriously by means of vigorous shov- 

 ing, pushing and lifting, with pike-poles and paddles, and at great 

 risk to the frail canvas skins of our canoes. With 6in. or even 3in. 

 more water we would have perfectly smooth, plain sailing. 



We portaged the Blakemore dam. which is an unusuaUy high one, 

 by simply sliding the canoPS over the edge and dropping them bow 

 first, with closed hatches and aprons, right down into the deep 

 Stillwater below. There was no water going over the dam; all the 

 water that did not go through the mill race went foaming and 

 tearing down the primitive chute which consisted simply of a 

 huge trough of logs built against the face of the dam at an angle 

 of about 60°, with a loose log or two at the bottom which threw 

 the water in a great boiling spout high in air, and which Lacy 

 hastened to assure us he had no desire whatever to interview after 

 giving one glance down its slope, and which George and I also dis- 

 claimed any ambition to run. 



It was considerably after one o'clock when we finally beached 

 our canoes at the old camp ground, just above the big dam at Riv- 

 erton, with the crumbling piers of the old bridge rising like 

 spectres from the deep black water just above, mute monmnents 

 of the ravages of war; and three hungrier, more tired and gener- 

 aUy played out canoeists never more gladly stepped ashore, nor 

 more vig-oronsly attacked and utterly demolished a more formi- 

 dable lunch in less lime than we did. We had decided to make 

 this the terminal place of the cruise; and as it was Saturday we 

 proceeded to make ourselves comfortable in ramp until Monday 

 before packing ourselves and our canoes off in the train for home. 

 The canoes were put in position on a beautiful piece of turf under 

 the trees, between the river and the road, which led down from 

 the straggling little viUage to the ferry a short distance below 

 the dam and our camp, while the fly was erected on the broad 

 timber platform near by, adjoining and protecting the end of the 

 dam, over a stnall table built of heavy planks and conveniently 

 left there by some former campers. It rained heavily at supper 

 time, and our rubber coats and oilskins came into good play, 

 while tne little camp-stove came out brilliantly, for the driving, 

 pounding rain would have put out an ordinary camp-fire. 



Afier supper, which was eaten under the protecting shelter of 

 the fly, the rain ceased, although great black masses of low-hang- 

 ing clouds drifted rapidly overhead, through the occasional rifts 

 of Which the moon shone in fitful gleams as she went sku trying 

 down the sky; and the night promised to be a rainy one. During 

 the evening a couple of gentlemen from the viUage visited us and 

 urged us to forsake our fraU-looking camp and accept their hos- 

 pitality for the night; but we decUned their kind invitation with 

 thanks, assuring oirr friends that otir quarters were weather- 

 proof. 



Never was promise better ftUtiUed, for it rained pretty much all 

 night, and morning dawned upon a low-hanging sky of leaden 

 clouds, with a steady, chUl, gray veil of rain, through which, as I 

 opened my tent flap and looked oat, the trees and the mill across 

 the river loomed up like vague and indistinct shadows: while the 

 outlines of the lofty covered bridge of the old Manassas Gap Rail- 

 road could be but dimly discerned. The temptation to cuddle 

 back in my blankets in the snug, tight little cabin of the Frankie 

 for an additional mornin.g nap was so seductive that it was long 

 after 8 o'clock when I was iiually awakened with tiie vague im- 

 pression that there was a fire somewhere, to And it still raining, 

 and that Lacy was bawliitg in no .gentle tones (from the snug re- 

 tirement of his tent) for his breakfast. It did not rain aU day, 

 however, and by the time brealvfasc was partaken of under tlie 

 fly, and the boys had gotten the cooking utensils and the club 

 plate cleared oif. the weather likewise cleared off, and the sun 

 came out and beamed down upon us aud we had another nice hot 

 day of it. 



1 Ut my after-breakfast pipe and strolled down the sloping plat- 

 form at the end of the dam, wet and slippery with the rain, in 

 time to see George puU in a short throw Une he had put out the 

 evening before, with two or three bass hooks on it, baited with 

 chunks' of fat bacon, with a huge eel, over a yard long and as 

 thick as a man's arm, dangling and s>iuirming at the end of it. 

 As I walked down the incline my feet slipped on the treacherotis 

 slippery floor in spite of the hob nails in my canvas shoes, aud in 

 spite of my executing the roller skate shuffle mo6t\ngorously with 

 both feet, it was no go; and I got a tremendous fall which landed 

 me squarely on my back, while my pipe Hew iu one direction, the 

 stem iQ another and the toba ceo to the four winds of heaven. 

 George helped me to pick myrelf up andgatber np the ciihria, ana 



