FOREST AND STREAM. 



[Feb. 18, 1892. 



HIRAM AND THE BULL. 



r P"EN years ago the hunter ambitious to secure a buffalo 

 JL could still go to a region where he could kill 

 hundreds of them. Then there was a western "town" 

 into which the buffalo often came down at night, and it 

 was not unusual for the residents when they arose in the 

 morning to see a bunch within rifle range of the houses. 

 Among the dwellers in this town was one who, although 

 he had lived on the frontier since the early '603, had never 

 killed a buffalo. One morning when Hiram looked, out 

 of his door, he saw. not far away, a great buffalo bull 

 rubbing his ragged sides against the bole of an old cotton- 

 wood tree. Here was a chance such as had never before 

 presented itself. "''Such an opportunity might not occur 

 again,'" and he was rilled with a great longing to kill this 

 bull. Seizing a gun, he crept out, and stealing through 

 the sage brash and among the trees, was soon quite near 

 the bull. Its immense size — for he had never before been 

 close to a buffalo — somewhat startled the huuter, but he 

 had gone too far to retreat now. Feeling a little nervous, 

 he leveled his gun and fired. At the report the bull 

 jumped a little and then glared slowly about with an air 

 of the utmost ferocity, as if eager to pulverize whoever 

 had fired the shot. This slow- searching gaze and the 

 brute's fierce aspect were too much for Hi's nerves. They 

 gave way, and, droprjing his gun. he ran nimbly to the 

 nearest tree and eliin bed into it with tbe activity of a boy. 

 The bull meantime was thundering off in the opposite 

 direction, while, some of his companions, who had been 

 looking on, were shouting with laughter. OLD Max. 



Sport in Texas. — Mr. Robert B. Roosevelt, who was 

 making his arrangements to visit the neighborhood of 

 Corpus Christi and Texas for relaxation by sport with rod 

 and gun, has just received a letter from one of his 

 friends which states that green turtles are so plentiful 

 there that they are actually given away by the dozen, 

 there being no market for them. The boarding houses, 

 which it is the habit to ridicule for the nature of the food 

 they furnish, especially the famous hash, are now sup- 

 plying their guests with turtle steaks and soup, as the 

 cheapest food they can give them. His correspondent 

 further says that he weut driving in the neighborhood of 

 the hotel, and saw quail in such numbers that he could 

 have reached many of them with his whip. Texas bids 

 fair to be the best State of the Union for sport, as the fish- 

 ing in the vicinity of Corpus Christi, and, indeed, ail 

 along its coast, is better even than in Florida, tarpon be- 

 ing so plentiful that hardly a day pa-sacs but the sports- 

 man can catch three or four of them. 



m[A Jjfit'fr 



A New Pennsylvania Association.— We had a very 

 well attended meeting of the sportsmen of Wilkes-Birre 

 and vicinity last night at the court house, and organiz-d 

 a sport8men"s club for the protection of game and fish. 

 The poachers and pot-hunters and fishers have been 

 hunting and fishing out of season, and paying no regard 

 to our laws. Only last week pheasants and rabbits were 

 known to be killed, and hunting is done here at all times 

 of the year. We propose to stop this, and ask the co- 

 operation of all lovers of game and fish to try and bring 

 some of these law breakers to justice. 1 hope our brother 

 sportsmen will fall in line and help us in our good work. 

 The writer has been putting trout fry in the streams for 

 the last ten years in Luzarne county, and have known 

 them to be caught and sold here in our market the next 

 spring. Our markets have game such as woodcock, quail 

 and pheasants on sale even at this late day. Is there no 

 law to reach them V— H. L. M. (Wilkes Barre, Pa.). 



Massachusetts Fish and Game Protective Asso- 

 ciation. — Hon. Geo. W. Wiggin presided at the monthly 

 dinner and meeting at the American House, Boston, 

 Thursday evening, Feb. 11, 150 being present. Seven- 

 teen applications for membership were presented and 

 referred to the committee. Messrs. D. Currie Dolemau, 

 Geo. Ellis, Col. Chas. E Fuller, Sumner Paine, Nathl. C. 

 Nash, Victor J, Loring, Eugene E. Patridge, Alfred A. 

 Pocock, Walter C. Bailies, Charles S. Bird, W. M. Pit- 

 man, Geo. W. Foster and Lee Hammond were elected 

 members. Mr. Emj C. Clirk, chairman of fuud com- 

 msttee, reported the depositing of $234.17 toward the per- 

 manent fund, making a total of £1,190 5S as the associa- 

 tion fund. It was voted to oppose the passage of the bill 

 presented by W, L. Gilbert, of Plymouth, Mass., asking 

 that domestic raised trout be allowed to be sold during 

 the close season or part thereof. — Richard O. H.vKnrxo. 

 Secretary. 



W. J. Gidley, the manager of the stage line between Gil- 

 lette and Buffalo, in Nv'yomiug, has had many exciting ad- 

 ventures on the box. Perhaps the worst— the one that left 

 him gray- haired, he says — was a battle with wolves in the 

 Bad Lands of Dakota.' He was driving six horses and had 

 a full load of passengers. It was raid- winter, intensely cold, 

 and with two feet or more of snow everywhere. A pack of 

 wolves made a determined assault on the outfit. For three 

 hours it was a desperate battle for life. No less than thirty 

 wolves were shot down. Finding destruction was almost 

 certain, Gidley tied the lines to the brake, and walking out 

 on the tongue leaped on the back of one of the "swing"' 

 horses. From this peiilous position, with the wolves snap- 

 ping at him, he managed to loose the team of leaders. The 

 wolves took after the liberated horses and the coach was 

 brought into a station safely.— Salt Lake Trihuac. 



•'Memory is a great thing, a food of which we never weary, 

 appetizing and strengthening. So as firelight flashes on 

 spear blade and tusk, or skin, antlers and trophies of shikar, 

 gained when youth, strength and energy were yet ours, 

 it brings back the days of long ago, with all their charm, 

 fresh and distinct, and once more we live in the past, once 

 more feel the bounding stride of the game horse under us, 

 once more hear the shouts of the beaters, feel the hot air of 

 an Indian morn, once more feel our blood surge up as we 

 embark in the mad rivalry of a race for first spear, and 

 hear the boar's gruff grunt of defiance as he charges home, 

 and are once more — young again. So, is not memory a 

 friend? Surely it is, a true and trusty one, one to be hugged 

 to our bosom and clung to, for when other friends desert us 

 memory will help us through many an hour of trouble and 

 sorrow*"— ThougJds of a Sportsman; 



A Truth fho.m "Tecth. 1 — The New York Central is really 

 first-class in all its appointments. Think of it, it has four tracks 

 laid with the heaviest of steel rails in the most substantial man- 

 ner, and when yon are sleeping or lounging aronnd in one- of their 

 soperb Wasner cars, and ilying along at the rate of nearly a mile 

 a minute, is some of their last; expresses do, you will hardly real- 

 ize that you are moving, so excellent is the permanent way. A 

 ■ y-ort lime ago a special train made the run from New York to 

 Buffalo at the rate of a mile a minute the entire distance,— Adv. 



Angling Talks. By George Dawsoii. Price 50 cents. Fly- 

 Rods mid Fly-TacMe. By H. P. Wells. Price si. 50. Fly- 

 Mshinff and Fly-Making for Trout. By J. H. Eeene. 

 Price $1.50. American Angler's Book. By Tiiad. Norris. 

 Price $5.50. 



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

 Territories and British Provinces are given in tbe Book of 

 the Game Laws. 



TROUTING IN THE CASCADES.-X. 



THE. molalla country. 



EARLY in the forenoon of the 5th we were landed on 

 the east bank of the Molalla above the upper ford. 

 The tents were pitched on a level, smooth, grassy sward, 

 surrounded and protected from the August sun by wide- 

 spreading alders and tall cotton trees. A little spring 

 trickled out from the base of an adjacent bluff and ap- 

 parently we were supplied with all the necessaries for a 

 comfortable camp that nature, in an exceedingly wild 

 state, could furnish. 



Moody said that cither he or Fay would come over 

 every day or two and bring us fresh milk and eggs, 

 although he had heard that an old Dulchman had lately 

 settled somewhere thereabout and, as the Dutch were 

 great people for cows and hens, he had no doubt that if 

 we could find the cabm of the German family we could 

 get plenty of everything, including garden stuff. If 

 there was garden stuff to be had I knew that Billy would 

 find the Dutchman, if he had to go to Germany to do it, 

 so I let the matter drop for the present, 



Fay had counted on staying with us awhile, but as 

 there was a little more harvesting to do Ira informed 

 him that he would have to wait a few days. 



At Billy's suggestion we resolved to take it very easy, 

 fishing and hunting only mornings and evenings, and 

 lounging in the shade during the heat of the day. Our 

 experience the evening before seemed, however, to have 

 awakened in Billy a new interest in fishing and to have 

 touched a responsive chord somewhere in his breast; but 

 his disposition to have everything about camp in ship- 

 shape called forth the suggestion that we had better put 

 in this first day making things comfortable and not be in 

 too much of a hurry to catch all the fish and kill all the 

 game in the country. Besides, my wife manifested a 

 disposition to avoid being left alone. I could not blame 

 her much. Harry Beal and George Yanderbeck had 

 promised to pay us a visit and spend a week with us, 

 and, as they ' were both expert and tireless fisher- 

 men as well as crack shots, I about half resolved to hus- 

 band my strength and give them a benefit when they 

 arrived." 



They would probably be with us by the evening of the 

 following day, and, as we wanted to give them a cordial 

 reception, we proceeded to clear a pretty spot for their 

 tent and lay our plans for a genuine surprise, in the shape 

 of a nice trout and game supper. Then, feeling that I had 

 performed all that duty required of me, I walked over to 

 the Molalla and sat down on a rock, to survey the new 

 fishing waters. 



As far as I could see in either direction, up and down 

 stream, it seemed to be a succession of foaming rapids 

 and purling swirls, coming from a dark, mysterious canon 

 above a,nd lost in a leafy bower below. But. of course, I 

 could not see far, because of the windings of the stream , 

 and was left to my own imagination about its character 

 on and above the dark chasm, among the gray mountains 

 where 



"Deep the sunless glens are scoop'd between. 

 And brawl o'er shallow beds the streams unseen." 



I had left my tackle at camp, out of respect for Billy's 

 feelings and the solemn asseverations about mid-day rest 

 and recuperation. So I returned to camp and pretended 

 to lazily lounge in a hammock while I impatiently 

 awaited the coming of the shadows that announce trout- 

 ing time. 



Billy put on his hat and started up the trail in a busi- 

 ness sort of way, and I imagined that I knew what he 

 wa3 after. Ho. must have been gone a full hour, and, as 

 I had anticipated, he had been in search of the Dutchman. 

 Evidently he had found him, for here he came loaded to 

 tbe guards with onions, radishes, peas, berries, new 

 potatoes, etc. He dumped his cargo down with a signifi- 

 cant toss of the head, as ruucb as to say, • , Ii' it wasn't for 

 me what would become of this camp, anj-kowV" 



Yes, he had found the lost Dutchman, and right here 

 permit me to say that he was not a Dutchman at all, but 

 a perfect German gentleman, with an interesting f amily 

 t.onsistiug of a splendid intelligent wife and three bright 

 youngsters, the eldest of whom was about five years old. 

 It was indeed lucky that Billy had found them, for very 

 much of the pleasure and comfort of our second trip to 

 the Molalla country must be attributed to the kindness 

 and generosity of this good, honest German family, of 

 whom more anon. 



The blazing August sun hung low over the coast moun- 

 tains before 1 took up my rod for the evening. I had 

 waited for Billy to make the first move, but now he an- 

 nounced that he had promised Mrs. Fyrer to bring us all 

 up there for supper: and Billy's word once given, you 

 must know, was as binding as the statute law and could 

 not be tampered with, and I saw that I must do the fish- 

 ing act alone that evening. Informing them that I would 

 not return in time for supper at the Dutchman's, 1 struck 

 out for the Molalla. 



The early evening shadows were lengthening back into 

 the oblivious retreats of the silent mountains before I 

 reached the stream, and the hackles and alder fiies were 

 flitting temptingly over the shadow-streaked pools, while 

 an occasional smack told with what interest the trout 

 were watching the aerial dance of their unsuspecting 

 victims. 



'"When insect wiugs are glittering in the beam 

 Of tbe low sun, and mountain tops are bright, 

 Oh, let me by tbe crystal valley stream 

 Wander amid the mild and mellow light." 



I love to fish in the evening. It is then that the big 

 fellows come forth from their dark retreats to feast and 

 frolic. On, and until the last glimmering ray of light 

 dissolves: until, in fact, the white- winged miller is no 

 longer discernible on the breast of the placid pool, the 

 big fellows are seeking the festive ^fly. Nature never 



made a prettier trout stream than the Molalla, and I 

 wooed the wild stream that tsvenmg in my most artful 

 style. 



My favorite whip is made up of royal-coachman, ginger- 

 hackle and professor, with the royal for stretcher, and I 

 used this combination on this occasion. There seemed to 

 be no small trout, all big fellows. If there were any 

 small ones they were forced to wait for tbe second table 

 by their uncles and big brothers. The grown people pro- 

 posed to monopolize the luscious tid-bits that dangled 

 from my leader. 



Twilight had deepened into night before 1 turned to- 

 ward camp, and 



"The sun 



Deelin'd, was hasting now with prone career 

 To th' oceau isles, and in th' ascending scale 

 Of heaven the stars that ushered darkness rose," 

 I had taken but eighteen trout but had been busy all 

 the time. They were of the kind that demand time and 

 patience in their capture, and I was perfectly satisfied 

 with my evening's catch. On my arrival at camp I met. 

 and was introduced to, Mrs. Fyrer, the young and comely 

 wife of the Molalla Dutchman, of whom I bad heard bo 

 much of late, and proprietress of Bill's new-found garden 

 patch, She greeted me pleasantly and informed me that 

 she had kept supper hot for me and I must come up and 

 eat or Gottlieb would think that I was not friendly. They 

 lived only about four hundred yards away, on the second 

 shelf of "the Molalla Yalley, and we all walked up to- 

 gether and I sat down to such a supper as only a country- 

 bred German woman can prepare. Intentionally I had 

 brought my creel of trout, and now offered them to the 

 good people. Strange as it may seem, they had never 

 tasted trout, but it was only after our solemn promise to 

 all come up to breakfast that the generous-hearted woman 

 would take them. The old gentleman could not speak a 

 word of English and seemed very much chagrined be- 

 cause he could not entertain me, but his wife, being 

 American born, adroitly filled the double position of 

 hostess and interpreter and everything went smoothly. 

 Gottlieb would help us to move our camp right up by the 

 house in the morning and we must stay a month, and 

 must come earlier next summer and stay until fail and 

 bring Mr. Billy with us. It beats all how agreeably such 

 people can entertain, and make one feel at home. Then 

 the old man, through his wife, informed me that there 

 was a crab apple bottom on the creek above, that was 

 two miles long and half a mile wide and full of wild 

 chickens. He. had never killed any of them because he 

 had no gun, and they were very tame. Aside from this 

 he knew little about the Molalla country for they had 

 been there less than a. year, and he had stuck pretty" close 

 to his pre-emption. 



In twenty minutes after we reached camp I was sound 

 asleep, dreaming of pools and trout and grouse, but it 

 seems that my wife's slumbers were somewhat more dis- 

 turbed. A sharp dig in my side from her elbow brought 

 me to an awakening sense that there was something 

 wrong in camp. We had left the cracker box outside 

 and evidently some animal was there, trying to get into 

 it. Now and then the lid would come down with a slam 

 that was loud enough to awaken even Billy in his tent 

 over by the spring, had he not been Billy. I arose and 

 stepped cautiously to the tent door. Nothing could be 

 seen except the lonely cracker box, and I went back to 

 bed and to sleep. Shortly I was awakened again in the 

 same way to listen to a repetition of the same perform- 

 ance outside. This was getting monotonous, and after 

 vainly peering into the darkness for some sign of the 

 marauder, I tried to get my old setter to go out and in- 

 vestigate: but, as Frank had said, "he wasn't that kind 

 of a dog," and absolutely refused to go outside of the 

 tent. So I took my shotgun and laid down by the tent 

 door to await the third coming of the intruder. I had 

 almost concluded that the animal had taken the hint and 

 left for good, when I discerned his dim outlines standing 

 on a log ten or twelve feet the other side of the cracker 

 box. I let go both barrels at once, but am satisfied that 

 I overshot him. 



After a short explanation to Billy I again went back to 

 bed and slept soundly, but my wife patiently listened all 

 night. I tried, next day, to convince her that it had only 

 been a lost hound, but when Fay arrived with the intelli- 

 gence that he had met a bear down the trail, arguments 

 were of no avail, and so the records show that we were 

 visited by a bear. 



The camp was duly moved up to Fyrer's. and the tents 

 pitched upon the most lovely spot for a camp I have ever 

 seen. Near the house a huge spring poured out from 

 under the mountain, divided, and again united 50yds. 

 away, forming an island about 20yds. wide at its widest. 

 This island was gently rolling and covered with velvety 

 grass, and surrounded with a healthy growth of young 

 alders, while further back the giant firs towered to the 

 sky. Upon thisisland we pitched our camp. Then, down 

 into the crab-apple orchard went Billy and I after "wild 

 chickens.'' Such a place for pheasants and grouse I never 

 saw before. In a few minutes the dog had fiu6hed five 

 distinct coveys. Billy, armed only with a Winchester 

 rifle, left the birds to me and in less than an hour we 

 were back at camp with fifteen fine birds. Then we went 

 over to the Molalla and caught a big mess of trout and 

 patiently awaited the coming of George and Harry. 

 They arrived via the Moody Express about sundown, and 

 after a magnificent supper we lit our pipes, stirred the 

 fire and sat down on the grass to plot against the trout 

 and grouse of the Molalla country. S, H. Greene. 

 Portland, Or egon. 



Brook Troct in Northern Ohio.— Columbus, Feb. 

 13. — Editor Forest and Stream: During the past two or 

 three months one of your correspondents has attempted 

 on two or three occasions to controvert my statements 

 that the brook trout was a native of northern Ohio waters 

 discharging into Lake Erie, including the Castalia stream. 

 There is a member of the present Ohio Legislature who 

 was born and raised in that region, who informs me that 

 old people who were also raised in the region, inform him 

 that the "speckled trout*' were always in that stream as 

 far back as they can remember. Henry Howe and son , the 

 eminent Ohio historians, have recently informed me that 

 most of the early historical records of northern Ohio 

 refer to the "speckled trout" in the' waters of different 

 counties bordering on the lake. A few days ago I had 

 occasion to refer to an eaTly Geological Report of Ohio, 

 and found therein reference to the brook trout in two 

 streams in Ashtabula county.— Mtlton P. Peirce. 



