FOREST AND STREAM: 



44B 



weather is fine on the day you arrive, may cause you all 

 to look like a parcel of drowned rats before the next 

 morning. Prepare your beds carefully. If of leaves or 

 browse, put down a substratum of brush, large at the 

 bottom and getting finer toward the top, so as to render 

 it springy and to elevate you well above the ground in 

 case of rain. Stretch a line from pole to pole, high up, 

 to hang little things upon. Out of an old box, a few 

 pieces of board, or, lacking these, a few poles, make a 

 kind of bureau at the back tent-pole, for brushes, combs, 

 pipes, tobacco, etc. It will prove to be a great conven- 

 ience. Stretch a fly in front of and at the same angle as 

 the roof of your tent. This is to be used as a dinning and 

 sitting room Let the front be supported by two leaning 

 and interlocked poles, so that your evening fire may be 

 opposite the middle, and shining in, make everything 

 warm, cheerful and bright. Make two fireplaces, of 

 stones if they chance to be lying around, if not, of logs 

 supported by stakes driven in the ground. Burn good, 

 solid wood, that will make coals, but not sparks. If you 

 use brush you run the risk of having holes burned in 

 your canvas by falling embers. A small fire is better for 

 cooking than a large one. Coals are what you need for 

 culinary purposes. Stretch your kitchen tent and what 

 flies you intend to use. Drive big nails in a tree near 

 your kitchen fire to hang things on. Stretch two or three 

 long poles from tree to tree about 6£ft. from the ground 

 for use in airing bed clothes. Camp convenient to good 

 wood and water. Before you do anything in the way of 

 recreation finish your camp, supplying all the little con- 

 veniences that your ingenuity can suggest. 



If fishing is to be part of the sport always go prepared 

 to catch and preserve your own bait. Many a trip of this 

 kind has been rendered Ashless by a neglect of this pre- 

 caution. Take a few minnow buckets, a minnow seine, 

 and do not forget the spade to dig the little red worms. 

 Fish are as fastidious in these days as they were in those 

 of Dame Bemers and dear old Izaak. When they scorn 

 the beautiful tied fly, the glittering silver fraud, the frog 

 or the minnow, they will sometimes greedily devour the 

 fatal barb, if from its end there dangles the wriggling 

 "wum" — don't despise the "wum." 



If your camp is to be movable from day to day, by 

 wagon or boat, cut down the proportions of what you 

 take. Make your tent so that it will be easily pitched 

 and struck. Put up your various articles in a number of 

 packages, canvas-covered and with handles, none to 

 weigh more than 30 or 40lbs. The canvas will protect 

 them from rain, and the handles be unto you, every 

 time you load, a joy forever. 



No trip can be finer than a float down one of the 

 numerous lovely rivers of Missouri. The scenery is beau- 

 tiful, sometimes grand. The motion of the rapids exhil- 

 arating. Fish and game come abundantly to your hand 

 and new delights burst upon you upon rounding every 

 bend. 



And bo, your camp made, your rods and guns jointed, 

 your tackle ready, your boats lightly dancing upon the 

 laughing waves, your commissariat disposed of so that it 

 is safe from weather, vermin, then, my friends, you are 

 ready to en joy the very nectar of existence, the dolce far 

 niente of camp life. The moon will shine for you more 

 brightly, the stars will be like diamonds in the sky, the 

 birds will warble more Bweetly, the stream make music 

 more melodious, and life will be for you one continued 

 harmony and rest. Your muscles may occasionally be- 

 come weary, but there will be repose for your brain such 

 as watering places and many-peopled excurions here or 

 there can never give, 



Hie thee to the woods, O, man, renew thy youth and 

 be happy. A. A. Lesueur. 



SAN JOAQUIN MARKET-HUNTERS. 



ALHAMBRA, Calif., April 25.— Editor Forest and 

 Stream: In this State duck hunting for the market 

 is quite an extensive business, running up into the 

 thousands of dollars every winter, and affording a good 

 living to many hunters. Many thousands of ducks° are 

 shipped every winter from Tulare, on the S. P. R R. An 

 immense slough or lake a few miles from Tulare is in 

 winter the resort of innumerable wildfowl. The principal 

 shooting grounds for market-hunters in the vicinity of 

 San Francisco (and therefore the best place for sportsmen) 

 are the marshes on the San Joaquin River, the Sonoma 

 Marshes, just below Sonoma, and the Alviso, Suisun and 

 Alameda county marshes. The Alviso and Suisun are 

 controlled in large measure by gun clubs, as are also the 

 best, in fact the only half-way decent places around Los 

 Angeles. Therefore, to the sportsman wishing wildfowl 

 shooting unrestricted and with plenty of game, I would 

 recommend first Tulare Lake, and second the marshes 

 below Stockton. Most every variety of duck is here: and 

 there are snipe, curlew, plover, etc. 



The market-hunters on the San Joaquin Marshes 

 generally summer in Stockton, which lies on a back water 

 of the main river several miles distance. For many miles 

 from Stockton there is nothing but continuous sloughs 

 and marshes: and the hunters, who all, or the greater part 

 at least, live in house-boats, drift down into the marshes 

 when the season commences and do not return with their 

 floating houses for many months. With their small skiffs 

 they push out at an early hour for the day's hunt, and 

 the game that they get is shipped on tbe steamers that 

 leave Stockton for San Francisco every day. 



Along the San Joaquin and the backwaters from tbe 

 main river are many ranches that have been reclaimed 

 from the swamp. This land is protected from the river 

 by immense dirt levees and is the richest and finest land 

 in the world for fruit and vegetables. The steamers 

 make numerous landings, thus allowing the hunter to 

 ship his game and get supplies quite handily. Most of 

 these hunters are bachelors: and contrary to my expecta- 

 tions I found their homes to be models of neatness and 

 comfort. They are as a rule the best natured men in the 

 universe, and about the only thing that will make them 

 angry is to speak lightly of their favorite gun. Some of 

 these men make as much as $ 1,000 in a season. How 

 much better this than to labor in the filth and dirt of a 

 big city. The exciting outdoor life gives health and a 

 good appetite, and they are also better morally for the 

 life they lead. 



I shall never forget the last time I took the trip to 

 Stockton by the river. It was just after the late great 

 floods in that vicinity; and of the five ranches I had seen 

 before many were now scenes of desolation. Here Btood 

 a fine two-story house with the water up to the second 



story window, and long since deserted. The orchard 

 was submerged many feet, and an immense volume of 

 water, as large as some river, was pouring through 

 the broken levee a short distance below. There was 

 water as far around as the eye could see, and this dwell- 

 ing was "in it" in great shape; in fact almost "out of 

 sight." We let off here the owner of this watery farm; 

 he had a boat and several men with him and intended to 

 "angle" for a wagon, which they hoped had not floated 

 off. The sun was sinking as we moved on, and the upper 

 windows of the house shone like diamondsin the reflected 

 rays; for many miles we could see these windows shining 

 out of the vast sea of water, and I cannat say that I en- 

 vied these men staying all night at that place. 



C. B. W. 



Rod and Gun and Camera. 



r pHE Sportsman Tourist of to-day is an amateur pho- 

 X tographer. The camera has a recognized place in 

 the pportsman's outfit. The results of successful snap- 

 shots often constitute the most cherished mementoes of 

 an outing. 



From time to time we have been favored with highly 

 interesting evidences of the skill and success of those 

 who are no less adept with the camera than with rod 

 and gun; and some of the views sent us have been 

 reproduced by the marvelously faithful photo-engraving 

 half-tone process for the benefit of our readers. Notable 

 among these were the group of mule deer, in our "Boy- 

 hood Number," and on April 7 the happily successful 

 picturing of the mountain goat. There must be a rich 

 store of such photographs in the possession of those to 

 whose notice this shall come. If they could be brought 

 together for comparison the collection would supply 

 abundant interest and study. 



As a recognition of the important place of amateur 

 photography in its relation to sports of the field and 

 prairie and mountain and forest and stream, the Forest 

 and Stream offers a series of prizes for meritorious work 

 with the camera. The conditions under which these 

 prizes will be given are in brief as here set forth: 



There will be ten prizes, as follows: First $25. Second 

 $20. Third $15. Fourth $10. Six of $5 each. 



The competition will be open to amateurs only. 



The subjects must relate to Forest and Stream's field 

 — game and fish (alive or dead), shooting and fishing, the 

 camp, campers and camp life, sportsman travel by land 

 or water. 



There is no restriction as to the time when the pictures 

 may have been or may be made — whether in 1892 or in 

 previous years. 



Pictures will be received up to Dec. 31, of this year. 



All work must be original; that is to say, it must not 

 have been submitted in any other competition, nor have 

 been published. 



There are no restrictions as to the make or style of 

 camera, nor as to size of plate. 



A competitor need not be a subscriber of Forest and 

 Stream. 



All photographs will be submitted to a committee, 

 shortly to be announced. In making their awards the 

 judges will be instructed to take into consideration the 

 technical merits of the work as a photograph, its artistic 

 qualities; and other things being equal, the unique and 

 difficult nature of the subject. 



Photographs must be marked only with initials or a 

 pseudonym for identification. With each photograph 

 should be given name of sender, title of view, locality, 

 date, and name of camera. 



The photographs Bhall be the property of the Forest 

 and Stream. This applies, however, only to the par- 

 ticular prints sent us. 



From time to time we shall reproduce by the half-tone 

 process samples of the work submitted, and should the 

 interest in Forest and Stream's Amateur Photography 

 Collection prove to be what is anticipated, we may 

 ask for an expression of opinion by a vote of all our 

 readers after the manner of the successful and famous 

 "Camp Fire Flickering Vote." Such popular vote, how- 

 ever, will be quite distinct from the award by the com- 

 mittee. 



SOME CAMERA HINTS. 



IN view of the fact that Forest and Stream has of- 

 fered ten prizes for meritorious work with the cam- 

 era of subjects appropriate to its columns a few practical 

 suggestions as to how to make such photographs may be 

 read with interest by those intending to compete. 



In the first place I should strongly advise the use of a 

 hand camera with either cut films or a roll holder, as 

 pictures may be made with such an instrument which 

 are entirely out of the question^with a tripod camera. 



I will not undertake to suggest any particular hand 

 camera for the purpose, as there are so many on the mar- 

 ket, presenting so many and varying qualifications, that 

 it is almost an impossible thing to say which one, all 

 things considered, is the best instrument. In my own 

 work I have used a hand camera which may also be used 

 with a tripod when desired, and I thus command the ad- 

 vantages of a hand camera with many of those possessed 

 only by the tripod. 



Of course more exact photographs, and, technically 

 speaking, better photographs may be made with an ordi- 

 nary tripod camera and glass plates, than with a hand 

 camera and cut films. But the pictures which are of" 

 most value to a publication like Forest and Stream 

 cannot be made with a tripod camera. The groups of 

 hunters with their dogs, rifles, hunting traps, before an 

 open birchbark camp, and with game strewn in plentiful 

 profusion around it, or suspended from its roof, and pic- 

 tures of this class, which may readily be made with a 

 tripod camera, are not the only ones to be sent in for 

 winning the prizes in the Forest and Stream competi- 

 tion. 



Still life subjects are much easier to photograph, of 

 course, than living game, in its own wild country ; but 

 for that very reason there is more pleasure to be derived 

 in making photographs of the latter kind, and when such 

 photographs are made the amateur is entitled to a cor- 

 responding greater amount of credit. 



With a hand camera there is always a large element of 

 chance, even when the subject is a stationary one; for a 

 hand camera requires a quick exposure, and the slightest 

 change of position in the camera makes a great deal of 

 change in the subject. Not must only the Bght fall in a 



certain direction so as properly to illuminate the object 

 to be photographed from behind or at one side, but the 

 photographer must approach his game from the direction 

 toward which the wind is blowing, in order to prevent 

 his quarry from taking alarm. 



There is really a good deal of excitement to be exper- 

 ienced in photographing a subject of this kind, and a 

 good hunter will soon become an expert photographer, so 

 far as obtaining subjects and exposing his plate upon 

 them is concerned. The after treatment is of less im- 

 portance and may be done by the professionals after the 

 return to civilization. 



Let the amateur attempt the unusual subjects without 

 thought of the difficulty which will be experienced in the 

 development, for with our new developing agents, the 

 quickest exposures may be developed into good printing 

 negatives. It is much better of course, to do one's own 

 developing, as the amateur, knowing just the conditions 

 under which|he photographed his subjects, is better able 

 to bring out all the beauties of the original picture of 

 nature than one who is ignorant of the circumstances 

 under which it was exposed. 



There are a number of good developers recently intro- 

 duced which are capable of bringing out all there is in 

 the plate. Para-amidophenol, the new developing agent, 

 is my own favorite, as there is no staining of the film 

 with it as with eikonogen and hydrochinon when devel- 

 opment is prolonged, absolute transparency and opacity 

 may be secured, and the time of exposure is reduced 

 about thirty per cent, without injury to the half tones or 

 middle tints. 



My formula for preparing the bath is as follows: 



Para-amidophenol, hydrochlorate 100 grs. 



Carbonate of sodium (crystals) oz. 



Sulphate of sodium (crystals) 3^5 oz. 



Water..,. 32 oz. 



In making the developing bath, take one ounce of this 

 solution and add to it from three to four ounces of water, 

 according to the length of exposure. The greater amount 

 of water added the more softness of detail will be ob- 

 tained in the negative, as the developer will be diluted 

 and wet slower. The lesser the amount of water added 

 the greater will be the intensity of the resulting nega- 

 tive. 



Print in the manner best suited to the subject of the 

 picture; that is, by the process which will produce the 

 most appropriate tone, and mount on plain cardboard 

 without gilt edges, for anything which detracts from the 

 picture itself mars the effect. W. I. Lincoln Adams. 



HUNTING ON THE WEST GOAST. 



THE following extract from a private letter received 

 by a member of the Forest and Stream staff gives 

 very briefly the results of a hunting trip made last 

 autumn in Southern British Columbia. The writer was 

 the packer for the hunting party and has been out on a 

 hunting trip with his correspondent : 



Kerumeos, April 17.— We left Hope on Sept. 2. We 

 followed the Skagit River down about twenty miles 

 from the Hope trail. At the twenty-three mile post we 

 camped for four days for the fishing and had good sport. 

 We caught several trout that weighed from 6 to T^lbs. 



Messrs. and said it was the best trout ^fishing 



they had ever seen. Leaving there, we went for bear 

 near the Hussamem Mountain. We saw eight black and 

 one grizzly and some deer. There were a good many 

 shots fired with the result of only one black bear brought 

 to bag, and that the Indian guide shot. He was with 



Mr. . Something went wrong with the rifle after 



he had fired five shots, some of which, the Indian de- 

 clared, went 100yds. over the bear. He gave the rifle to 

 the Indian to fix and return to him. The Indian fixed it 

 and shot the bear. - — was as well pleased as if he 

 had shot it himself. 



Leaving there, we moved to the headwaters of the 

 South Fork of the Smilkameen. There is a chain of 

 small lakes there which support fish, duck and beaver. 

 We got nothing at that camp, and moved down the 

 South Fork, where we hunted for deer; got one buck; 

 about ten shots fired. Then we moved on to where the 

 Pasaten River empties into the South Fork, about forty 

 miles above Allisons. We crossed both rivers and struck 

 for the Ashnola. There is plenty of bighorn and goat 

 the way we came. We were not very far from the boun- 

 dary line all the way from the Skagit. The first place 

 we came to on the Ashnola that I recognized was our old 

 camp, where you got your first ewe. We were at the 

 Twin Buttes one week. Fifty-seven shots were fired and 

 one doe, one fawn and one goat were brought to camp. 

 We hunted a week at Baptistes for goat, where you got 

 your four, got five and two bucks. We then started for 

 Hope via Allisons, camped at the fifty-two mile post one 

 week and hunted for bucks and got two. We then left 

 for Hope. 



If they had been any good with their rifles every pack 

 horse would have been loaded with all it could pack, but 

 the most of them were without packs when we arrived at 

 Hope on Nov. 12. 



We had fearful weather, only about three weeks fine 

 in the whole trip, both rain and snow fell almost con- 

 stantly. Our trail was pretty rough in places. Eight 

 horses were bleeding at the nose on account of the height 

 we were up at two different times. We had good luck 

 with both men and horses until we arrived at the Lake 

 House (fourteen miles from Hope) on our return, where 

 the best horse got poisoned and died. There were four 

 different hunting parties in this vicinity last fall, and I 

 hear all had very good sport. 



We had some traps along and caught one lake beaver, 

 one wolverine, one yearling black bear, one skunk, one 

 very large golden eagle, two mountain beaver (Aplodon- 

 tia). They claimed one each, and Johnny Wirth and I 

 did our best to get one for you, but failed. Johnny was 

 our cook. If the weather had been fine it would have 

 been a pleasant trip from the Skagit to Ashnola. We 

 were the first party that has been through that way. 



R. Ryder. 



Iowa Game,— Ottumwa, la.— Quail have been in- 

 creasing here for the last three years owing to the mild 

 winters, and the former scarcity had a tendency to dis- 

 courage sportsmen from hunting them. The outlook for 

 next season is bright. Prairie chickens are gradually 

 disappearing. We have no other game here to speak of. 

 What few ducks and geese pass do not condescend to 

 squawk at us, much less to alight,— J, W, H, 



