444 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



[May IS, 1892. 



Irish deer within the human period has yet to be learned, 

 as we can scarcely believe that it was effected by the 

 early inhabitants of Ireland, armed with nothing better 

 than stone hatchets.— Land and Water. 



Recent Arrivals at the Philadelphia Zoological Gab- 

 dsn.— Purchased— Two redbirds (Cardinalis vtrginianus), one dia- 

 mond rattlesnake (Crotalm adamanteus), two ground rattlesnakes 

 (Grotalophorm miliarius), one common hog-nosed snake (Hetero- 

 dcm platyrliimis), four black hog-nnsed snakes (Betwodnn'piatiy- 

 rhinus niger) eitrht kintr snakes [Ophi bolus getulus), one scarlet 

 Hug snake (Ovliibrilus dolialm mccineus), one pearler, snake (Om- 

 ophnra cnccinca), nine common black snakes (Tkw-anvmn constric- 

 tor), eight onnoh-whip snakes (Bascanium flagdllformc). one pine 

 snake (Pi-tyo/jlm Ynelanaleucus), one corn sn*ke (Coluber gultatus), 

 two green snakes (Cyclophis ixrnalis), one indigo snake (SpVotes 

 erebennus), one glass snake (Ophiosaurus vcvtraiis) and one mitred 

 i-nske (Contia pygaea). Presented— One woodcock (Philokcla 

 minor), one mockingbird H'urdus polyalollus), o^e hsld eagle (HaU 

 idStus leucocephahis), one turtle dove (Turtur rimrim), one span ow 

 hswk (Falco xparvcriusi, one leather-back turtle (Tlialassochclys 

 caouava). one alligator (Alligator mississippir.mis) an'i four bull- 

 frogs (Raiia caicxliiaim). Born— Three prairie wolves (Canis 

 lalrans). 



§mne §xg and §m\. 



NEW YORK GAME LAW. 



The New York grame law bill was signed by 

 Gov. Flower last Thursday. The full text of 

 the new law has been put into type toy the 

 Forest and Stream Publishing Co., and will toe 

 ready for mailing; on Saturday next. )Price, 25 

 cents per copy. 



A special edition will toe printed for the use 

 of clutos and associations, who may order in 

 lots of too or more. These will toe £ supplied at 

 a normal price. "Write for terms, stating- the 

 number wanted. 



NEW YORK ASSOCIATION. 



AT the Syracuse Convention of New York sportsmen 

 the chairman of the convention was instructed to 

 name four persons who, with himself as chairman, should 

 constitute a committee of five to present to the Associa- 

 tion at its June convention recommendations as to 

 amendments of the constitution, and a scheme of more 

 efficient protective service. In accordance with such in- 

 structions the undersigned has named as members of the 

 committee Messrs. D. H. Bruce, of Syracuse; F. J. Ams- 

 den, of Rochester; J. C. Van Cleef, of Poughkeepsie, and 

 Rob*-.. B. Lawrence, of Flushing. 



The committee will be pleased to receive suggestions 

 and communications from all who are interested in the 

 work of game and fish protection in this State. 



Chables B. Reynolds. 



Office Forest .and Stream, 31 S Broadway. New York. 



HOW TO CAMP OUT. 



HOW to camp out ? "Well, this is a great, big subject. 

 A book could easily be written upon it and still 

 leave unspoken much that should be said. 



Just no the question with me is not so much "how to 

 camp out," as how to get away from business, a thing I 

 have thus far been unable to do this summer. Horace 

 Greeley, poor fellow, used'to say that he had been going 

 fishing for twenty-five years, but had never gotten off. 

 That is the way with too many of us, but it is all wrong. 

 There is no doubt about it, the American man is the most 

 persistent grubber in his business of any on earth. He 

 delves and delves and never lets up, until the first thing 

 he knows crow's feet appear under his eyes, the hair slips 

 off the top of his head, a patch of gray appears upon each 

 temple and his wife begins to call him "old man." 



It won't do. The vertebrate mammal, man, is so con- 

 structed that his spine and the gray matter in his alleged 

 brain absolutely require rest. If he does not take it vol- 

 untarily nature comes along and enforces it with chills, 

 or grippe, or dyspepsia, or some other fiend of equally 

 reprehensible character, and the worst of it is that the 

 time lost with these is twice as great and forty times as 

 uncomfortable as would have been necessary for a health- 

 restoring, blood-invigorating, life-giving outing down on 

 Big Piney or Current River. 



Then see what an imposition it is on the woman for a 

 man never to go fishing or hunting. Keeping hip ugly 

 phiz so constantly Jiefore his dear little wife that she does 

 not have a chance to wish he would come, because he is 

 always there, and instead of presenting his features 

 wreathed in smiles, bringing them home at night elon- 

 gated like a yard-stick because of his periodical attacks 

 of mulligrubs. 



Hie thee to the fields and the woods and the streams, O 

 man! that thou mayest get a little tan on thy cheeks and 

 sufficient muscle in thine arm to hug thy wife with seemly 

 and becoming vigor. Of what use is a pale jellyfish of a 

 creature to any woman on the top of the earth? 



Then, what do you know about the world ? Your view 

 of it is a one-sided affair— it is of bricks and mortar, 

 smoke and grime, money -chasing; recreation taken among 

 the rustling of siJksand satins, perhaps, or tinsel, amid 

 fetid odors from gas and all other abominations. 



There is more than this on earth, and better. There 

 are the green fields, the grizzled mountain side, the lovely 

 river and the placid lake. There are God's free creatures, 

 the birds of many colored plumage and sweet throated 

 melody; there the furred denizens of the prairies and the 

 woods; for the contemplative angler there are the fishes 

 of various hues and habits; the American forests in their 

 grandeur and magnificence; and lowly and humble, but 

 none the less beautiful and sweet, the flowers and ferns 

 which nestle close to mother earth. 



Go study these. Drink inspiration from the breast of 

 nature, and breathe in health at every pore from the 

 wholesome, balsam-laden breezes. 



But how to camp out? That is what we are to get at, 

 There are several ways of doing it, but whichever way 

 you undertake be sure to think of it carefully beforehand. 

 The less you take with you the more thought you should 

 give to your preparation. I am not of those who go to 

 the woods to "rough it." I go to enjoy myself, and queer 

 as it may seem, I have never been able to be very happy 

 when I was uncomfortable. We are all familiar with 

 the observation that much of the pleasure of life lies in 

 anticipation. In nothing is this truer than in the prepara- 

 tion for fishing, hunting and camping out. To the 

 genuine lover of these sports the recounting of one set of 

 experiences is closelyfollowed by the preparation for new 



ones, and the man who would the most thoroughly enjoy 

 them will learn to load his own shells, to sew his own 

 tents, knit his own nets, tie his own flies, mend his own 

 rods and tackle, patch his own boat, and so on. These 

 are simple things, easily learned, and the knowledge of 

 how to do them is necessary to the true sportsman. 



There is a good deal said "nowadays in sportsman's lit- 

 erature about "going light;" that is, carrying into the 

 woods as little baggage and impedimenta generally as is 

 possible. As a Frenchman would say, cela depend— that 

 depends on circumstances. I have spent several years of 

 my life under canvas, and there, as at home, a roof that 

 does not leak, a yielding, warm bed, a comfortable place 

 to sit and a good cuisine are enjoyable and conducive to 

 a peaceful frame of mind. 



Of course a man can live in the woods with what ap- 

 pliances for shelter and cooking he can carry on bis back, 

 and live with some degree of comfort, too, if he knows 

 how; but if he is to be in a permanent camp while he is 

 out, there is no reason why he should do so. I would 

 divide ways to camp out into three general heads: * 



1. The permanent camp. 



2. The movable camp, where there is a boat or wagon 

 to transport a reasonable amount of baggage. 



3. The movable camp, where from day to day the 

 camper must carry his tent, firearms, fishing tackle, 

 cooking utensils and provisions. 



There are degrees between these, but this division is 

 sufficient for practical purposes. 



The most important thing toward a pleasant outing is 

 the selection of your company. 



In no other place is the human nature in a man so 

 thoroughly developed as in camp. The gourmand, the 

 grumbler, the egotist, the selfish man, the lazy one, all 

 of these may bide their faults at home, where occupa- 

 tions and habits separate and soften, but throw them to- 

 gether under one tent, and cause them to rely more or 

 less upon their own efforts for comfort, and if there is 

 "dog hair," so to speak, it will get between the teeth. 

 Make your parties small (four is a good number) for 

 various reasons; there is not so much chance of dis- 

 agreement, transportation and provisions are easier 

 found, much crowding and discomfort are obviated, and 

 it is generally more desirable. 



Make one man the paymaster, let him settle all the 

 bills, keeping an account thereof, and at the end of the 

 trip square up, each man promptly paying his share. 

 The haphazard way of one man paying here and another 

 one there is never satisfactory, and frequently leaves 

 the impression on every man in the party that he has 

 paid more than he should have done. Gentlemen may 

 never allude to these things afterward, but the right way 

 is for each to meet his proportion of the expense. 



Don't grumble! By all means, don't grumble! People 

 don't go camping to be made miserable by carping fault- 

 finding. If you can't keep from grumbling stay at home 

 and grumble with your wife. Poor thing, she is, no 

 doubt, used to it, but your camping companions are not 

 married to you for better or worse, and if the only side 

 of your character you can show them is the grumbling 

 one be sure that the room you cumber is much better 

 than your company. 



Go out to have a good time. Throw care and physic 

 to the dogs. Bat coarse corn bread for your liver and be 

 jolly. 



By the way, the subject of eating is touched upon, let 

 me dwell upon it a moment. There is so much written 

 and said about the splendid appetite that follows out-of- 

 door life that many persons as soon as they get into camp 

 begin to stuff themselves to repletion, eating twice as 

 much as they could assimilate even though they were 

 camped out in three or four different places at once. The 

 next thing is indigestion, cholera mixture and misery for 

 themselves and everybody about them. Temperance in 

 diet is just as commendable in the woods as in the city. 

 Of course you ean eat more, and will eat more in camp; 

 that is all right and as it should be, but still be careful 

 and don't stuff. Another thing, don't go out in nature's 

 bowers and sanctuaries to fill yourself with "bug juice." 

 If you must befuddle yourself befuddle yourself in the 

 town it is generally accustomed to it. Take a little bit of 

 pure whisky with you for proper purposes-to use when you 

 have received a wetting, or on damp and foggy mornings, 

 for snake bites, etc., but don't turn a camping excursion 

 into a debauch; the two things are incongruous. 



You intend to start out camping, say in two or three 

 weeks. Well, get ready; begin at once; do not defer it. 

 You will enjoy the preparation nearly as much as the 

 outing. The first thing to think of is shelter. The best 

 article for this purpose is a first-rate wall tent covered 

 with fly. "A" tents are not good for ventilation, and the 

 persons on the sides have not sufficient head-room. Get 

 your tent of ample size and heavy duck. It may be a 

 little more bulky and heavy, but we are preparing for a 

 permanent camp now where your "duffle" is hauled in a 

 wagon, and a few pounds more or less do not count for 

 much against the solid comfort of keeping dry in a down- 

 pour, e pluvius ivethim. In addition to your principal 

 tent take with you two or three flies— not the kind that 

 tickle your bald place, but good, honest cotton ones, 

 which may be converted into shelters for your kitchen, 

 servant, extra baggage, etc. , so that when all are stretched 

 and the camp made you will have a picturesque little 

 village near the spring or clear-water stream you have 

 chosen for your temporary home. 



For all your paraphernalia make a memorandum in a 

 small book, which carry in your pocket, and jot down in 

 it items as they occur to you. You will be astonished to 

 find what a long list there will be, many of the articles 

 small and inexpensive, but of great comfort when -they 

 are needed. First, there is the bed. Think well upon 

 that point, for if you do not rest well at night you can- 

 not enjoy yourself much in the daytime. There are so 

 many devices for camp beds that I cannot stop here to 

 expatiate upon them, but whether you take a simple 

 piece of strong canvas, with hems, to be converted into a 

 cot, a fixed cot, a semi-mattress, or depend upon leaves 

 and browse, be sure to have a soft and comfortable bed. 

 For clothing take some of your old suits, of substantial, 

 warm goods. Special hunting clothes are expensive, un- 

 necessary and frequently cumbersome. 



If you must have a lot of extra pockets buy a dollar 

 cotton sleeveless coat of a brown or a dead-leaf color. It 

 will be as useful to you as would a $25 affair. You will 

 need a change of under and outer clothing, an overcoat, 

 a waterproof coat, rubber boots, a pair of slippers and a 

 pillow. Provide plenty of warm bed clothing, and if 



later than May or earlier than October be sure to have a 

 mosquito bar so fashioned that you can easily hang it 

 upon a simple frame, which can be constructed of small 

 poles. No matter what part of the country you live in 

 you are apt to think you have the finest climate in the 

 world except for its sudden changes. These changes oc- 

 cur in the woods as well as in the cities, and you should 

 be prepared for them. A few camp stools, either a fold- 

 ing table or some planks to make one, and your tent out- 

 fit is complete. 



For cooking utensils you should have a cast iron baker, 

 a frying pan, water pail, camp kettle, smaller kettles, the 

 latter made of tin, three or four deep pans, coffee pot, tin 

 plates and tin cups that nest, common knives, forks and 

 spoons, all constructed so they will nest in the space 

 occupied by the camp kettle, which should be about 

 the size of an ordinary three-hoop bucket. These utensils 

 should be easily sufficient to cook for ten men. Properly 

 made, there will be quite a number of vessels, and yet 

 they will weigh but a little, and in their snug canvas bag 

 will be a small lift for one hand. The frying pan, of 

 course, must have a removable handle, and the loops and 

 bails must be so contrived as not to interfere with nest- 

 ing. My set cost about $6; it has been out time and time 

 again, and is still as good as new. The secret of that is 

 that it has been kept clean. The men who do not wash 

 up their dishes and utensils in hot water and with eoap 

 after each meal are not expert campers. 



It is a mistake to take into the woods a great supply of 

 preserves and condiments. The fresh air and exercise 

 will prove to be a sauce piquante for plain, substantial 

 fare. But it is also an error to stint the larder of euch 

 things as should be taken. My list is about as follows: 

 A boiled ham for use the first day or two while you are 

 preparing camp, a bag of beaten biscuit, a few pounds of 

 hard tack, corn meal, flour, breakfast bacon, lard (a plen- 

 tiful supply), salt (about half of what is usually taken will 

 still leave half to be brought back or thrown away), bak- 

 ing powder (the supply of this article is generally short), 

 coffee, tea, a small quantity of beans and rice, potatoes 

 and onions, butter (in tin vessel with close-fitting tcp that 

 will not leak under any circumstances of tumblification). 

 strong black bottle of vinegar, ditto of molasses and ditto 

 of lucifer matches (these bottles to have first-rate rubber 

 stoppers). As some of the newspapers say, this last par- 

 enthesis is official and important. Mustard, pepper, 

 granulated sugar, baking soda, coarse soap and a few 

 other knicknacks that are not mentioned here, though the 

 above should be sufficient, as very few parties will fail to 

 add to them enough fish and game to render the table epi- 

 curean. 



To what has already been hinted at, for that is all that 

 is attempted here, should be added a miscellaneous list, 

 for instance: A ditty bag containing a "housewife," 

 supplied with needles, pins, thread, button*, buckles, etc.; 

 court plaster, Sun cholera mixture, cathartic pills, quinine, 

 etc. Besides the contents of this little bag there should 

 be a sharp ax and hatchet, small wrench, nippers, a sup- 

 ply of tacks and nails, some pieces of leather, an awl, 

 spade with removable handle, two thicknesses of wire, a 

 good lantern (very necessary), rifle, shotgun, ammunition, 

 fishing rods and tackle, coal oil (to be purchased at the 

 last store you pass going toward camp), two or three 

 candles for emergencies, plenty of small chanpe (very 

 useful in the woods, but does not grow on trees), a ham- 

 mock or two, perhaps, twine and rope in rathn- liberal 

 quantities, vial of neat's-foot oil for shoes, shaviog ap- 

 paratus, comb and brush, toilet soap, towels, lobs ceo, 

 books, writing material, blacking and brush, etc. Please 

 observe the and-so-forths in these lists, and do not neglect 

 the consideration of small things, for very often in camp 

 when you want a thing you "want it bad." 



There are a few other observations which occur to me: 

 First, the woman question, and then the servant question. 

 I see no reason why a man should not occasionally take bis 

 sweetheart, wife or daughter out camping. The ladiep, 

 God bless 'em, enjoy an outing fully as much as the men, 

 and I know one tow-headed girl that always beats me 

 catching fish when I give her the chance, and, some way, 

 when there are ladies in the party I can stay out longer 

 without bothering about the office work than when the 

 charm of their presence is lacking. 



To gentlemen who do not care to swear or to drink 

 more than is good for them, ladies who know how to bo 

 considerate are no restraint. Being a Missourian, and 

 not a Kentuckian, I think a fresh, graceful woman the 

 most beautiful of all nature's handiworks, aDd 1 have 

 found their musical, rippling voices and merry laugh to 

 add to the pleasure of the camp as well as the home. As 

 to taking servants with you the answer seems to be this: 

 If you can get a good one— a good cook-a quick and 

 handy fellow, take him. If not, do without. There is a 

 great deal of satisfaction in being independent of sei- 

 vants. If there are three or four persons in the party, 

 one to cook, one to bring wood and water, one to 

 straighten up camp, etc., the labor can be made light and 

 pleasant. And such fried fish, and such burgoos! Ob, 

 my! Don't talk! Where does food ever taste so well? 



If you are going to a place where boats will be needed , 

 be sure to think of and provide them beforehand. Don't 

 trust to luck in this matter, as carelessness regarding it 

 may spoil your whole trip. I use an Acme canvas boat 

 everywhere with great satisfaction. It may hardly b i 

 safe enough for novices. Err on the side of safety every 

 time in this respect, but be sure that you are provided 

 with good boats. You should prepare for your trip well 

 in advance and Bbip your "duffle" to where you are to 

 take wagons several days beforehand by freight, and 

 thus save considerable expense, unless you have a pfr- 

 manent outfit in boxes with handles that can go checked 

 as baggage. I have done this for some years with suc- 

 cess. Expensive trunks are unnecessary, as poplar boxes 

 with strong hinges, handles and locks answer as well as 

 Murphy's best. 



When you drive into your camp-ground and John, Dick 

 or Tom makes a break for his gun or rod to be the first to 

 kill something, take him gently but firmly by the scruff 

 of the neck and tell him that the first thing in order, and 

 the only thing until it is done, is to make camp. Pitch 

 your tent in the most cheerful place you can find, away 

 from the possibility of falling limbs of trees. See that it 

 is square and ship-shape— every rope drawing just as it 

 ought. It Bhould, if practicable, be on a piece of ground 

 that sheds water in every direction, never in a depress- 

 ion. Ditch it thoroughly, at once. Make your ditches 

 deep, and leading away from the spot occupied by the 

 fire. The neglect of this precaution, just because the 



