May 28, 1891.] 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



373 



always declared that this point was "got up by Mann on 

 ui-pose to annoy him." It must have been Introduced 

 y some one living east of the Penobscot, for those living 

 ■where dogs were not used would have no interest in the 

 matter. The still-hunters of the Union River would have 

 been little likely to propose legiala,tion on the subject: for 

 they would have killed the dog that troubled them with- 

 out waiting to have the law passed to permit them, and 

 this law would not have protected them in the fall when 

 they needed it most. Park always said that Mann was 

 at the bottom of it. Note how this might have been. 



Previous to the law of 1853, the law (R. S. 1840) had 

 been: *' Any person who shall kill any moose or deer 

 between the first day of July and the fii-st day of Novem- 

 ber in any year shall forfeit or pay for every moose or 

 deer so killed the sum of five dollars." That is, close 

 time previous to 1853 was from July 1 to Nov. 1, theveiy 

 period when Park was hounding deer, for no one ever 

 kept the law then. The fine was too small to be a per- 

 quisite to anybody, as only half went to the complainant, 

 so that Mann could have done Park no harm by com- 

 plaining. But to alloM- the killing of dogs in close time 

 —that is from July to November— would be the most 

 serious injury possible. If Mann could compass that he 

 had abundant revenge. Mann was not a representative 

 at any time— "he hadn't education enough," said John- 

 eon, his old rival, to me this winter. Whatever he did 

 he must do thi-ough others. Supposing, then, that he 

 argued with some representative the need of stopping 

 hounding in close time, the advantages of MUing dogs 

 as the means of stopping it, and impressed on the legislator 

 the fact that close time was the period of danger. When 

 the close time is changed from the fall months to the 

 winter and summer months, that representative is still 

 acting in obedience to his constituency by urging tha.t 

 dogs ought to be killed in the new close time, while 

 Mann, if he were guilty, loses the opportunity which he 

 correcUy sought, though gaining the letter of his desires. 

 That this change in the game law which he could not 

 help even if he had known it, should take place at the 

 same time that he did desire a change is natural enough, 

 while only such a desire as his could exi)lain the singular 

 rovision which allows the use of dogs part of the year, 

 ut makes their lives a forfeit at the period when they 

 were least likely to be used. For this is not aimed at 

 crust hunting, as may be seen from the fact that moose 

 may be killed with dogs tmtil the middle of March. It 

 was an unfeathered shaft that flew aslant. 



Until a better explanation of the subject is given we 

 may assume, as Park did, that the first law permit- 

 ting dogs to be killed was framed from personal 

 malice. Even if he were wrong, the history of the law 

 would justify such a supposition. Good it has never done, 

 could not do. The man who loses one dog will buy two 

 more, and will forever hate the man who kiUed his pet 

 and companion. If dogging is illegal it should be stopped, 

 but never by killing the irresponsible dog. Arrest the of- 

 fender and fine him — he will submit; but any attempt to 

 kill his dog will be resisted, and in one way or another 

 will harm the cause in which it is done or the man who 

 does it. The slaughter of dogs has caused deer dogging 

 to thrive in this State. Doing it in the name of the law 

 has merely brought the law into disrepute; for it is now 

 and long will be considered a worse offense to kill a dog 

 than to use him in running deer. To arrest the man 

 brings credit to the law and little or no danger to the 

 officer; to kill the dog has just opposite effect. 



I will give three examples of theresultsof dog killing, 

 selecting for obvious reasons some of long standing. In 

 every case 1 could give fullest particulars and could cite 

 other parallel instances. In the first a woodchopper, 

 hearing a hound, stepped behind a tree and cut out her 

 shoulder as she ran past. He escaped with his life, 

 but it was of little value to him for some time. The 

 dog was owned by Louis Ketchum, the well-known Indian 

 guide, who could give full particulars although at 

 the time he was miles away, having lent the hound to 

 those who had her. The second occurred on Long Island 

 in Bluehill Bay. There was a special law that no deer 

 should be killed on the island, but an Indian named Joe 

 Orons, whom I suppose to be dead, met there with com- 

 panions to evade the law by driving deer into the water 

 and shooting them from the canoe. He had just killed 

 one in this way when a man, said to be named Hender- 

 son, shot his dog. The Indian instantly threw down the 

 gun he had, thinking the range too long for the buckshot 

 barrel, and seized a rifle lying beside him. Careless 

 handling caused a premature discharge, which tore open 

 his coat sleeve and burned his arm, but he once more 

 changed guns and fired at the man before he disappeared. 

 He then searched a house on the island to find him, and 

 failing in this was with difficulty restrained from doing 

 great damage to personal property. Almost any of the 

 Oldtown guides could give further particidars. Nor must 

 it be thought that only an Indian would do this. A white 

 man would do fully as much, I know of one man, now 

 deceased, a selectman of his town for many years, a man 

 honest and trusted and with a host of friends, who de- 

 clared that he himself had walked many miles and spent 

 two days in-trying to kill the man who shot his dog. Nor 

 need reference be made to the two wardens who were 

 killed for attempting to take a dog from its owner, in 

 order to prove the hazard of doing it. 



Not only is it dangerous to kill dogs, but of late this 

 danger has been greatly increased because most of it has 

 been done illegally. It is not lawful to destroy any dog 

 not actually engaged in hunting, either On the track, or 

 swimming after the deer, or holding it at bay. Yet most 

 of the dogs killed here for some years have either been 

 poisoned or taken from their owners and killed before 

 their eyes. Need we cite the instances of three dogs 

 taken from one canoe and killed, of four belonging to 

 one sportsman, of one and two in many instances belong- 

 ing sometimes to residents and sometimes to visitors, but 

 in every case killed while not engaged in hunting? Nor 

 has the least discretion been shown in the dogs selected. 

 One well known and decidedly popular contributor to 

 FoEEST AND STREAM has given me his own experience. 

 "When I was in JIaine, Mr. H. and I had a narrow 

 chance," he writes, "for the lives of two liver and white 

 ointer dogs (which any person could tell were not 

 ounds) notwithstanding the fact that we ofEered to 

 show what they were by working them on game."' 

 "Hounds and greyhounds, mongrels, spaniels, curs, 

 Bhoughs, water rugs and demi-wolves," all that in the 

 catalogue are clept by the name of dogs, to mieaxiote— 

 have lost their lives or had them dangered by the law 



that however it has been enforced, says only, "Any per- 

 son may lawfully kill any dog found hunting moose, 

 deer or caribou." Nor has the poisoning been legal. 

 Most of it has been necessarily laid out contrary to law 

 prohibiting its distribution within five-eighths of a mile 

 from "any highway, pasture, field or other improved 

 land;" and any one can see that while hunting the dog 

 would not take poison — "unless he was a very poor dog," 

 adds one hunter slyly. True, the law does not prohibit 

 poisoning dogs, but if they will not take it while hunting 

 and cannot be killed when not hunting, there is barrier 

 none the less strong for being unexpressed. If not killed 

 in the act, the dog cannot be killed in any way, for he 

 returns to his owner who becomes responsible according 

 to the law which says, "Any person owning or having in 

 possession dogs for the purpose of hunting moose, deer or 

 caribou, forfeits not less than twenty nor more than one 

 hundred dollars." "Any person may lawfully kill any 

 dog found hunting moose, deer or caribou," runs the 

 law, not a wise provision at best, but infinitely unwise as 

 it has been administered. Consider the provocation that 

 has been given, the illegality of methods used, the 

 domestic animals killed and supposed to be killed by 

 those engaged in this work, the peril to human life, that 

 this work was kept up for three years in spite of all 

 remonstrances, and it is not hard to see how murder 

 grew out of it as the stalk from the seed. 



Even if it had not been done by officials and under 

 orders it would have caused trouble; but those set to pro- 

 tect and defend the law broke the laws, and disaster was 

 inevitable. The Commissioners— that is Mr. Stilwell, who 

 represents them here— had timely and frequent warnings 

 of what would happen. It was not chance that caused 

 the death of Hill and Niles; it was fate. By the same 

 work we shall have more of it unless care is taken. That 

 murder was no surprise, but we expected it nearer home. 

 It was in this way that I heard it— for I was out of the 

 State that year and my father wrote it m^: 



"12Nov., 1886.— Dear Fannie: I send two dailies. You 

 will see by reading, that as Meg Merriles told Dirk 

 Hattera^'ck, 'It is sown: it is grown; it is heckled: it is 

 twisted.' What I have so long expected and foretold has 

 come to pass, and in the way I predicted— by killing dogs. 

 I went to Stilwell twice last month to talk to him about 

 this very thing. He asked me only a short time ago [if] 

 I really believed any man was bad enough to kill another. 

 I told him I did not think, I knew it, and it would be done 

 if he kept such a eet of men as wardens and allowed them 

 to do such things. I do not know any of the parties. 

 They may all be angels for all I know. I know the place 

 exactly, as I have slept on the very same spot." 



The original of this, with other important documents 

 published .and unpublished, is in the hands of the editor. 

 On receiving it I formed the resolution which I have held 

 to ever since, not to stojD until the time came to prevent 

 worse evils by showing up these. Unknown to me my 

 father had decided to do the same, had written to the 

 editor of this paper about it and then withdrawn because 

 the danger was not then pressing and the Commissioners 

 needed what support could be given. The danger is here 

 again. We have a new set of laws yet untried, and worse 

 conditions than at first for enforcing them. In giving the 

 results of years of study of these matters, it must again 

 be stated that there is no personal adA^antage to be sought; 

 no desire to present more than can be proved, but the 

 necessity of saying less; no hatred to any class, for none 

 have injured me; no wish to bring our wardens into dis- 

 repute, for some of them could not well have blacker 

 reputations than they now wear; no wish to disparage the 

 Commissioners, for their works are their judges; no thought 

 to stir up trouble— for there is more abroad at present than 

 most realize. To prevent trouble, to save respect for those 

 broken laws before it gets too late, to diminish the danger 

 to human life— that of these wardens and of better men 

 than most of them— is the only possible advantage. 



Fannie Pearson Hardy. 



Kankakee Marsh.— Chicago, May 20,— In a recent 

 issue of your paper your talented but misinformed 

 Chicago correspondent accuses the members of the Cum- 

 berland Gun Club of spearing fish on the Kankakee 

 Marsh. I am the only member of the club that has had 

 a spear on the marsh this spring, and my only spoils were 

 a few dogfish. Some of the members of the club will go 

 gunning (or spearing) for friend Hough unless he is a 

 little more careful how he advertises them as violators of 

 the game and fish laws.— Geo. T. Farmer. 



Chicago, May 20.— Editor Forest and Stream: Your 

 issue of May 6 over signature of E. Hough you state that 

 the members of the Cumberland Gun Club have been 

 spearing pickerel on their marsh. On behalf of the 

 members of the Cumberland Club I am authorized to 

 deny this declaration, and say that not a member of the 

 club has engaged in any such practice, and would thank 

 you to correct the statement in your next issue. — W. L, 

 Shepard, Sec'y. 



Texas G^ie Laws a Faroe.— Beeviile, Tex.— Seeing 

 the great slaughter of game going on out of season, our 

 club has ofl'ered a reward of $35 for information chat 

 will convict any one of violating the deer law. An effort 

 will be made to have the turkey law changed, as at pres- 

 ent it is worthless to southwest Texas. In a law to apply 

 properly to this section , the open season should come in 

 about Aug. 15 and close April 1. I believe the State 

 labors under another disadvantage, that is we have no 

 game wardens. The old saying, "What is everybody's 

 business is nobody's business," applies well to this case. 

 Nine times out of ten one neighbor will not repoi-t on an- 

 other, and 80 it goes; and the game laws are almost daily 

 violated. Bob White is holding his own very well, not- 

 withstanding the pot-hunter and the law-breaker, and 

 the fall shooting promises to be fine. The festive gobbler 

 was never more plentiful or boisterous than at this time. 

 -T. J. S, 



New Jersey Quail.— Smithburg, N. J., April 25.— The 

 prospect for quail shooting in this vicinity next fall is 

 very good. A good many wintered over and can be 

 heard whistling in all directions. There is quite a num- 

 ber of ruffed grouse in the pines south of this place.— B. 



Ramblers' Outing Club.— <New York, May 19.— The 

 Ramblers' Outing Club has reorganized with the following 

 oflicers: Pres., F. E. Fox; Treas., W. G. McCabej Sec'y, 

 R. 0. Russell, The club holda its weekly meetings eyery 

 Monday evening. 



"Bores and Shooting Qualities,"- My letter in your 

 paper of April 30, about large and small-bore shotguns, 

 contains so many printer's errors that I beg to draw at- 

 tention to them, fearing that the meaning of some of the 

 sentences may be misunderstood. In paragraph seven 

 "l^drs," of powder should be 2 J. In paragraph eight, 

 second line, the word "superior" should be inferior. In. 

 paragraph seventeen the charge of shot for a 20-bore is 

 printed "|^oz." instead of |oz. On page 289, paragraph 

 two, the word "larger" should be longer. In paragraph 

 five of the same page, on line fifteen, the words "with a 

 moderate cylinder" are, I think, inserted through some 

 oversight. The sentence should begin: "On the other 

 hand, both the 16-bores are splendid pprformei-s with 

 buckshot."— J. J. Meyrick (Devonsbii-e, Eng.) 



Wisconsin Wildfowl.— Appleton, Wis., May 23.— I 

 notice what your correspondent "Greenhead" has to say 

 in last issue about Wisconsin bass, and that they are to 

 be protected, etc. I also read what he says in another 

 column under the head of "The Wisconsin Flight," re- 

 ferring to water fowl. The game laws as were in force 

 this spring forbid killing at that time. If one section is 

 so readily violated, where is the virtue in any of the game 

 laws?— C, V. Y. 



A SPRINGTIME HUNT. 



"TF I can get away I'll take the boys an(1 go up to the Shanty 

 J. for a last hunt before the first of May," so sa,ld my father not 

 long aeo. I knew that it, would only be a question of life or death 

 that would keep him at home, so concluded that it would be pos- 

 sible tor him to "get away." A little later that same day brother 

 Ben confided to me that it "was the last Saturday before the law 

 wenton, and he and Harold did want to go hunting most dread- 

 fully." Then I told him of the little scheme his good father was 

 planning, and a happier boy could not be founrl. To go hunting 

 on Saturday was fun, but to stay out of Rrhool and stay over 

 night! Well, in a boy's estimation, what could be better. On Mon- 

 day active preparations were begun. Decoys hunted up, guns 

 put in order, shells loaded and all the numerous Things done that 

 are necessary for even a day's outing. All this was accomplished 

 by the boys between school hours. Tuesday an uninitiated ob- 

 server might have thought that the whole family were contem- 

 plating an immediate trip abroad from the confusion. Blankets 

 and rubber coats were strapped up, boxes of ammunition, with 

 hunting coats of various styles, adorned the chairs. Last, but 

 not least, a table filled with good things to satisfy the inner 

 man were waiting to be packed. We could hardly get any 

 one to dinner, and I think the cook was ready lo give 

 up in despair. After ringing the bell repeatedlv, the 

 family were assembled. The boys went back to school as they 

 were not to start until i o'clock. About 2 I took the horse and 

 carriage and ilrove father up to his boathouse and watched him 

 set out on his sail of five miles up the river. How I did want to 

 go and I am afraid I very often envied my brother his good times. 

 My part of the hunting expedition generally consisted in watch- 

 ing that nothing was forgotten and of remembering where caps 

 atjd coats were put and then seeing him off and being ready to 

 meet them on their return. The shanty is owned by a narty of 

 gentlemen and furnished with beds, stove and dishes. While of 

 late years the hunting has been rather poor still the business ma a 

 who can only leave for a day or few hours at a time enjoy gomg 

 up, and if they do come back with an empty bag they have had 

 the benefit of the rest from care and usually come home re- 

 freshed. Father packed the tiny craft with his share of the traps 

 —extra coats and a large bottle of milk were stowed up front— the 

 gun and shells in the middle, and putting up his sail, with paddle 

 and rope in one har.d, he pushed off and was soon out of sight. 

 When I returned to the house it was time to get the boys off. 

 They were wild as Indians and such hurrying into camp suits, 

 then the carriage was again filled with guns, etc., and we started 

 the observed of all observers, the whole neighborhood being 

 aware of the fact that the G-lovers were going hunting. The boat, 

 another tiny duck boat, with room for two and no more, was soon 

 ready to start, and with many injunctions "to be careful" the 

 boys were off and I turned old Billie homeward. The nest day 

 ou r hunters retured, tired, but happy, and brought 4 ducks and 8 

 snipe. As they sat and talked after supper I took down these 

 few notes which 1 give in father's words; 



"Well, I reached the shanty about 0 o'clock, having made 

 several stops, but didn't get any ducks. I got the kev to the shanty 

 and began to get supper. It grew late, the boys didn't come, and 

 I got so uneasy tnat I jumped in my boat and pulled down the 

 river. 1 only went a snort distance and I heard them coming— 

 the wind had died down, so they had to pull most of the way. We 

 enjoyed our supper, and about 8 o'clock were joined by Mr. H., 

 who drove up from town. We went to bed a little after 9—1 can't 

 say that any of us slept much— and at 3 o'clock we got iip, took a 

 hasty breakfast and all started for the marsh. In the first half 

 hour I did most of my shooting. I never saw ducks decoy so well; 

 In fact I almost forgot to fire my gun I was so astonished to see a 

 flock come down into the water while 1 was in plain sight— I killed 

 two as they rose and another dropped to my second shot. The 

 next one I killed at long range, Mr. H. brought down two, and that 

 ended the ducks— we saw no more, so we went over to the low 

 meadow grounds to try for snipe. Eight fell to my share, with 

 five for Mr. H. We concluded we would go back to the shanty for 

 dinner, as it was then after 10 o'clock. We found the boys had not 

 had much luck, but any amount of fun. Harold shot a'mud hen, 

 which;sunk never to rise again. Ben had two blackbirds. The 

 boys had succeeded in spearing some fish the night before, so they 

 made an agreeable addition to our supplies. It will be the last 

 hunt until September, and then, if I am alive. I hope to go out. 

 I feel as if I was about seventy-five years old to-night, but I'd go 

 again to-morrow if I could:" and so saying he rose and knocked 

 the ashes from his pipe and bade us all good night. 

 (xHAND Haven, Mich. Ellye H. Gi.over. 



^tfd §'W^r fishing. 



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

 Territories and British Provinces are given in the Boolt of 

 the Game Laws. 



WASHINGTON CITY NOTES. 



ONE of the largest rockfish or striped bass that has 

 been in the Washington market for some years 

 was Aift. in length, girth 35in., exhibited by Javins & 

 Sons; it was taken from the Potomac Eiver at Stony 

 Point, 30 miles below Washington City. The weight was 

 given at 96lbs. ; but I often think that 80lbs. would be 

 nearer the mark. It was taken in a shad seine operated 

 by Capt. Joseph Caywood. Last year, Mr. Neitzey tells 

 me, their seine took four or five large rockfish each day, 

 but this year the average has been but one a day. They 

 seldom go over SOlbs., but frequently weigh from 30 to 

 50lbs. each. A run of large rockfish is usually followed 

 by a slack in the run of shad, and, therefore, the seiners 

 do not Hke to see them come in. 



Speaking about the flavor and excellence of these large 

 fish, I hold that they are good. A 35 or 40-pounder boiled 

 and served with a good dressing or garum, is hard to beat 

 in the fish line. 



April 30 I saw the first small-mouthed black bass in 

 market from the Potomac. Only a few of them, half a 

 dozen, aggregating about 61bs. Two of these were l|llb. 

 fish, and appeared to be fuU of eggs. 



"Frank Fields hooked a lOlb, catfish in the Anacostia 

 this morning,"— /Star, April 35, 1891. We hope Frank 

 has landed it. 



You have beard of the large German earj) (34lb8.) 

 caught in the Potomac, A boy of 11 years caught an- 

 other big one weighing S31bg, from Long Bridge last 



