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FOREST AND STREAM. 



[May 18, 1892. 



THE YELLOWSTONE PARK. 



THE bill to establish the boundaries of the Yellowstone 

 National Park was taken up in the Senate on Tues- 

 day, and gave rise to considerable discussion. It was ex- 

 plained by Mr. Piatt, of Connecticut, who had reported 

 it from the Committee on Territories, as adding consider- 

 ably to the extent of the Park. It took in, on the east 

 side of the Park, the mountains and wooded country that 

 had been deemed necessary as a retreat for the game that 

 was being preserved there. The portion of the Park 

 segregated by the bill was to the north of it, and con- 

 tained little or no natural curiosities. 



Mr. Vest said that he would submit to the passage of 

 the bill, not because his judgment approved of it, but be- 

 cause he could not help himself. He did not believe, 

 however, that the persistent and unscrupulous lobby that 

 had always opposed legislation in the interest of the Park 

 would permit the passage of the bill through the House 

 of Representatives. There were no votes, he added, in 

 the Yellowstone Park, either for the Republican party, 

 the Democratic party, or the third party; and the result 

 was that, outside of those Senators who were aesthetic 

 and sentimental, in relation to the Park, there were few 

 people who cared anything about it. 



Mr. Sanders, of Montana, said that by its present boun- 

 daries the Park contained about 3,600 square miles, and 

 that under the pending measure ic would be enlarged 

 about 33 per cent., and would then contain about 5,000 

 square miles. He supported the bill, not in the interest 

 of the lobby so justly characterized by Mr. Vest, but in 

 the interest of the "New World mining district" in 

 Montana. 



This is the bill which cuts down about one-half the 

 recently established forest reserve, handing over the for- 

 est of the other half to the railways and the tie choppers. 

 The bill was passed by the Senate. 



"PODGERS" COMMENTARIES. 



IN reading the last issue of Forest and Stream I 

 missed something and could not at first think what 

 it was; but at last I discovered that it was the usual bear 

 story — what is the matter? Have bruin's scrimmages 

 given out? Have all the bears been killed off or all the 

 bear killers? It won't do to have any falling off in the 

 bear department at this late day. Are you short of ma- 

 terial or have you concluded to give us a rest? After get- 

 ting us into the habit of having bear on our regular bill 

 of fare, you should not drop it out so suddenly — should 

 have tapered down and let us up by degrees — never do in 

 the world to cheat us out of our weekly bear. 



Pretty soon you will want to cheat us out of our weekly 

 refresh ment of fish , stories and the talk of Ananias about 

 "speckled beauties" what he caught and almost caught — 

 by the way, what an interesting variation it would be to 

 start a column of statistics of what were not caught. It 

 would present a wider field for truthfulness, as there 

 could be no proof called for. Could not weigh a fish that 

 got away, could you? There could be no question of 

 veracity. 



As a fisherman I feel interested in maintaining the 

 character of the Izaaks for veracity, and when a story is 

 told of a fish that got away, what miserable skeptic can 

 prove that he did not weigh ten pounds? On the prin- 

 ciple that all are innocent until proved guilty — all fish 

 tales should stand until the improvisator is convicted of 

 romancing. Thus would we cheat the cold-blooded 

 villain who is ever ridiculing and jeering at .that noblest 

 work— a fisherman. Gunners can rear up and hurl at 

 this putting fishermen in the front rank if they 

 want to. I don't care, as long as they don't shoot this 

 way. 



Mr. Albert Bruning writes very pleasantly of his little 

 bass fishing expedition on the San Antonis. Having 

 been there and knowing the stream by sight, I am rather 

 surprised at the results of his fishing, but not so much so 

 at the ducking that followed. As the San Antonia, just 

 at the poiut where he received his bath, requires a good 

 boat and skillful handling, and I suspect that they did 

 not have the first, and possibly were not accustomed to 

 that rather treacherous craft, a canvas boat, under such 

 circumstances. I condole with him on the loss of his 

 split bamboo — a thing that makes a fisherman say bad 

 words, for no subsequent rod is ever as good as that last 

 one was. As to those bass, I think if I were going to par- 

 take of the "catch" I should rather they were taken 

 above the town than below. 



The gentleman inquiring about the teal ducks he thinks 

 hybrids is properly answered editorially. The variety 

 alluded to is very common on the Pacific coast; in fact 

 are rather more plentiful than the regular green wings; 

 and seem to fraternize and fly with them indiscrim- 

 inately. 



Mr. Heywood writes of the charms of the Dismal 

 Swamp for the hunter and of the bear, coons and pos- 

 sums (to be found there, and says there is talk of the 

 building of a hotel for sportsmen of the North presum- 

 ably: but I would not advise it. Northern sportsmen are 

 not educated to possum and coon, in fact rather look 

 down on that style of game as a specialty of the Southern 

 colored brother, If he can show us good wildfowl shoot- 

 ing, we are ready to respond with enthusiasm, and will 

 be there. By the way, his talk of bears suggests an open- 

 ing for an expedition fitted out by Forest and Stream 

 to supply the bear department systematically with blood- 

 curdling tales of bear fights. Please spell the word cor- 

 rectly as the tail of the bear is not a curdler — brevity be- 

 ing its principal feature. 



"Pigarth" writes enthusiastically of your photographic 

 pictorial proposition as a new feature in the way of en- 

 terprise; and proceeds to compliment you — to which I 

 object. Editors are generally pretty well supplied, 

 stocked, I may say, with self-appreciation and are likely, 

 to become troubled with a complaint known in the 

 Spanish as "cabasa grande," which your dictionary in 

 that language will define. 



But what "Pigarth"' says about adding new features to 

 the paper is all right as long as you confine your efforts 

 to the features of animals, and esppcially such four leg- 

 ged gentlemen as Mike, Judge Greene's Gordon setter. 



Speaking of dogs, how it would amuse them if they 

 could read the communications of their owners and fights 

 over their special qualifications, as if the fate of the 

 nation depended upon an ear, a black or brown muzzle, 



the kink of a tail, and other so-called "makings." The 

 owners do all the fighting for the dogs, doubtless, much 

 to their satisfaction. I am an admirer of dogs from way 

 back. The first recollections I have are of rolling over 

 on the big open hearth of the old kitchen fireplace with 

 our two dogs, Sport and Sym, hounds. We were all 

 pups together and raised together. So all dogs (omit- 

 ting bulldogs) are my friends; but sometimes as I look at 

 a "Great Dane" or St. Bernard being led through the 

 street, 1 cannot help thinking he would be a much hap- 

 pier dog if he did not have the dignity of such an 

 aristocratic pedigree to support. I seems to weary and 

 depress him and he looks at times as if he envied curs of 

 low degree that had no family antecedents to support, 

 and could go in for a real good fight, and roll over m the 

 ditch, get all mud and enjoy himself. There are a 

 great many people situated and afflicted just the same as 

 these dogs are, wearing their souls out in their efforts to 

 impress upon the world a sense of their importance, and 

 utterly failing to do it. 



If there is any difference, it is in favor of the dog, as 

 he has a commercial value and will sell for something — 

 whereas the other fellow, well, we won't attempt to set 

 a value on him. He has already valued himself, and his 

 price would appal Mr. Rockefeller or Mr. Vanderbilt if 

 they were in the market for that breed of pups. 



PODGERS. 



REBOUNDING LOCKS. 



IT seems as if deaths and injuries from the accidental 

 . discharge of firearms were increasing in a dispropor- 

 tionate ratio to the more general use of such weapons. 



It cannot be accounted for by the old adage s that 

 familiarity breeds contempt, for those most accustomed 

 to use the gun are most careful in handling it. 



To what then can these often recurring casualties be 

 attributed? It is my belief that they must be laid to that 

 most delusive device of modern gun- makers, the rebound- 

 ing lock, whereby the old and almost absolutely safe half- 

 cock arrangement has become nearly obsolete. 



There is no safety in the rebounding leek. A blow on 

 the back of the hammer will discharge the shell almost 

 as certainly as a like accident would occur with the 

 hammer down on the cap of a muzzleloader, and if the 

 hammer is raised almost to cock and then released, a dis- 

 charge will as surely result as if the gun was cocked and 

 the trigger pulled. 



How else do all these frightful accidents occur? I can- 

 not discover that there is anything to be said in favor of 

 the rebounding lock but its convenience as an adjunct of 

 the breechloader. 



At least one American breechloader half cocks with the 

 opening of the gun, which is then as safe as a loaded gun 

 can be. "Why should not all breechloaders be constructed 

 on this plan. 



If any one doubts the possibilities of discharge under 

 the circumstances I have stated , let him test the matter 

 with primed but unloaded shells. No breechloader should 

 be carried in a wagon without first withdrawing the 

 shells, nor a muzzleloader without first removing the 

 caps. Awahsoose. 



"OUR PAPER." 



EACH and every published word of consideration of 

 the new Forest and Stream has been merited. 

 As many others have had their say in this matter I now 

 crave the indulgence of the editor and his readers while 

 I have mine. 



Others with whom I enjoyed the pleasure and the 

 honor of contributing to the "Boyhood" number will 

 easily recollect that when we were boys together, and 

 when the love of nature and the instinct of sportsman-, 

 ship (like hidden magnets, of which none others felt or 

 knew the power) drew us toward the secret haunts of 

 game or fish, to which we alone had the clue, that we 

 were scarcely disappointed when the smile of pity was 

 detected upon the face of the chancely met acquaintance, 

 surprised into betraying his disgust for such unbusiness- 

 like proceedings. 



And the editor who would then have attempted to pub- 

 lish a paper devoted to our interests and our pleasure 

 would have met a storm of ridicule, compared with 

 which the pitying contempt poured upon our own de- 

 voted heads would have seemed a veritable benediction. 



How changed is all this in the year of grace 1892! 



"The sun do move," and our old earth appears to have 

 moved with it. 



Once a week the United States mail brings me a paper 

 which I never take the precaution to first examine in the 

 fear of detecting the filthy details of crime and general 

 hellishness all too common in the ordinary American 

 newspaper world, but toss it upon the table before my 

 wife, my sons, my daughters and the visitors who may 

 honor us with their presence, in the absolute assurance 

 that from cover to cover they will find it pure, clean and 

 white, outside and in! 



And what among earthly things can match this subtle 

 sense of communion through this medium with others 

 whom I have never seen, and whom I can never hope to 

 see on this side of the Great Divide; but who give evidence 

 of the possession of that drop of wild blood in the veins 

 which thrills us all so wondrously at times, at the 

 thought of adventures by flood and field in the long ago 

 days so well remembered. 



What a family is ours! 



It is a pleasure also to remember that while no lady or 

 gentleman expects or desires that a journal devoted to 

 sportsmanship shall champion Christianity for them; that 

 our paper at least does not go out of its way to outrage 

 the hope that is dearest of all to the A.merican sportsman 

 and hunter from the days of Daniel Boone until now. 



And we do not propose to forget either that it did not 

 require a United States law against lottery schemes to 

 keep the Forest and Stream from advertising the Louis- 

 iana lottery or any other plan of theft and robbery. This 

 much, I have felt, should be said upon this subject. 



And now for the paper as it comes to us to-day. The 

 sigh for the loss of the old time color of its cover is for- 

 gotten in our admiration of the wonderful pictures of 

 wild animals photographed in their very lairs. Although 

 the camera does not need any voucher for its fidelity to 

 fact, I want to say right here that the picture of the 

 family of mule deer in the issue of Jan 7 is a continual 

 marvel to me. 



The wide, strong limbs of these animals, so much 

 larger than those of the white-tail deer, are here sur- 



prisingly exhibited. And how the photographer man- 

 aged to creep so closely, and to work so silently as to 

 catch the standing fawn humped up and just beginning 

 to stretch himself, all untroubled by the tear of hidden 

 enemies; and the old doe in the very perfection of such 

 sleepy security that she neither sees nor hears; nor are 

 her dreams troubled with even the fancy that sbe hears, 

 for her great fan-like ears are not even pointed forward 

 toward the hidden terror. 



Surely this is a picture not to be surpassed in a life- 

 time. 



The size of the ears of the mule deer is a cause of great 

 surprise when first seen. 



Seven years ago I killed a mule deer buck, the ears of 

 which measured llin. long and 5iin. wide each. Spread 

 out straight horizontally they were just two inches 

 longer than the two-foot carpenter's square laid across 

 the buck's head. 



The other and familiar features of our dear old paper 

 need no words of commendation from any one. 



One scarcely thinks of commending the Declaration of 

 Independence or the Gettysburg oration of Lincoln. 



In common with all others of our highly favored fam- 

 ily of sportsmen I can only say my say, and, individu- 

 ally, stand ready also to throw up my hat (and moccasins 

 too) for our own incomparable Forest and Stream. 



Ortn Belknap. 



Valley, Washington. 



NEW YORK PROTECTORS. 



ALBANY, May 10.— [Special, to Forest and Stream]. 

 At a meeting of the Fish Commission the following 

 thirteen of the fifteen game and fish protectors of the old 

 staff were reappointed : 



Chief Protector, J. Warren Pond, of Malone, office in 

 the Capitol at Albany. 

 Robert Brown, Jr., Port Richmond, S. I. 

 Willett Kidd, Newburg. 

 Matthew Kennedy, Hudson. 



Sherman F. Snyder, Davenport, Delaware county. 



Harrison Hawn, Cicero. 



Isaac Campbell, Indian Lake. 



John Hunkins, Hermon. 



Joseph Northruo, Alexandria Bay. 



George Mover, Lowville. 



Henry C. Carr, Union Springs. 



Charles Ripson, Youngstown. 



George M. Schwartz, Rochester. 



State Oyster Protector, Joseph W. Mesereau. 



Seven protectors are to be named. The Commission 

 elected H. L. D. Huntington, President; and Edward P. 

 Doyle, Secretary; Commissioner Joline as the shellfish 

 commissioner. The next meeting will be held in New 

 York, May 24. 



Foxes Cijmbing} Trees.— Worcester, Mass., April 29. 

 — Editor Forest and Stream: I noticed a note in For- 

 est and Stream of April 28 from Norris, Tex., in which 

 your correspondent says that foxes climb trees. Why 

 don't he state what kind of foxes climb trees? He might 

 go to Europe and state that Americans live in tents and 

 be just as correct, for when you would ask him to define 

 his statements he would say the Indians do. Does "Rio 

 Diablo" suppose that it is any news to the readers of this 

 paper to state the fact that foxes climb trees? Why don't 

 he state what kind of foxes he has there? For I make 

 just as broad a statement that foxes do not climb trees. 

 Now where are we? It is a well-known fact that in the 

 South they have a species (a woods gray fox) that can 

 and does, when pressed, and at other times, climb a tree. 

 But the fox best known on the American continent, the 

 red fox, the great game fox of this country, does not nor 

 can it climb a tree where the branches are beyond its 

 reach, any more than can a dog that has toenails only: 

 for dogs nor the red fox neither have claws. Gentlemen, 

 define yourselves when you make a statement, then we 

 shall know where we are.— A. B. F. Kinney. 



A Panther Incident. — A friend of mine who lives in 

 one of the wildest portions of northern California, came 

 into town last week to purchase food supplies. When 

 down he always has something interesting to say about his 

 life in the wilds. He killed eleven bears and ten panthers 

 last winter, and it was not much of a season for wild 

 animals either. Once on his rounds (for he is on the 

 range looking after his Bheep every day with rifle and 

 dogs), he saw a deer acting in a queer manner. Being 

 where he could see and not be seen, my friend quietly 

 awaited developments. The deer was looking in a cer- 

 tain direction, evidently very much frightened, On 

 looking around my friend saw a panther coming from an 

 entirely different direction, but seeming to throw its voice 

 so as to deceive the frightened deer. All the time it kept 

 getting nearer and nearer. At last being near enough it 



fave a leap, landing on the deer and gave it its death 

 low. Then the time came for my friend to interfere and 

 he did so by drawing a bead and hitting his mark "dead- 

 center," thus getting two animals for one shot. I must 

 not forget to state that they were both so poor that it did 

 not pay to save their pelts.— F. P. Nye (California). 



Ducks and the Niagara Falls. — A Buffalo corre- 

 spondent wrote the other day: "Large numbers of ducks 

 are being caught in the rapids and carried over Niagara 

 Falls. They are either killed or so shocked that hunters 

 in boats below the falls easily secure them." Comment- 

 ing on this, Mr. John B. Sage writes: "I have heard 

 nothing of it, but you may be sure that it's a mistake. I 

 don't believe a duck was ever carried over the falls, unless 

 he was wounded so that he couldn't fly. It is, however, 

 a common occurrence for ducks and other birds to fly up 

 the river from Lake Ontario on dark and foggy nights 

 and fly right into the falls, and thus be killed or injured 

 so that they are picked up in the river, and this is prob- 

 ably how the story originated." 



Of the Cheat Mountain Preserve, in West Vir- 

 ginia, a visitor who spent a delightful time there last 

 autumn, writes: We found every arrangement made for 

 the comfort of the members of the club and their guests. 

 They had brought a family from Pennsylvania to keep 

 the house, and look after the preserve. The club has the 

 hunting and fishing privileges of 57,000 acres of land, 

 lying in one tract, from which none of the timber has 

 been cut. They have built a large and comf oraable clulp 



