June 23, 1898.] 



FOREST AND STREAM, 



891 



answer to this question can be found in the report of the 

 Commissioners of Inland Fisheries for the year ending 

 Jan. 1, 1869, which is in substance as follows: That by so 

 doing they would be a thousand times compensated by 

 the large amount of food fishes which these private 

 riparian owners would raise for the benefit of the general 

 public. But how can they ever derive any benefit as 

 long as the present laws remain debarring them" the 

 privilege of buying these trout during the most desirable 

 part of the year, and the few establishments which are 

 raising trout on an extensive scale, and have been true to 

 the people, are thus handicapped so that they cannot do 

 justice to the people for the great sacrifice which they 

 made. 



The law which was intended to encourage and estab- 

 lish the industry of raising trout and other food fishes on 

 an extensive scale has been perverted, and wealthy men 

 and clubs have bought the land bordering on nearly all 

 the trout streams, and thus become riparian owners, and 

 are now holding the streams, for their own pleasure and 

 the public are deriving no benefit whatever. Fellow cit- 

 izens, rise up and demand either the right to buy these 

 trout, which we are raising, whenever they are in the 

 best condition, and if that is denied you, as it now is, de- 

 mand the repeal of the law of 1869 and these private wa- 

 ters again become public for you to fish in. You are en- 

 titled to one or the other. 



I fully agree with you, Mr. Editor, that the sale of trout 

 should be prohibited during the spawning season and de- 

 velopment of eggs. If you were better posted on the 

 habits of trout you would not have made the mistake of 

 criticising the bill in that direction, as the bill did not 

 allow the sale at that time. 



Trout are all through spawning in New England and 

 southeastern New York on the 15th of December, and 

 the bill which you condemn provided for the sale after 

 Jan. 15, thirty days after the spawning season is all 

 passed. I ask why is the close season kept on trout until 

 April 1, three and a half months after the spawning sea- 

 son is over, while on all other kind of fish the law is 

 taken off within thirty days or less after the spawning is 

 passed? Is it for the protection of the trout? Does it 

 make any difference whether a trout is caught in Febru- 

 ary or April? In either case she has performed her office 

 of reproduction and will do no more until the following 

 October or November. No, Mr. Editor, the law is not 

 held on until April for the protection of the trout, but 

 rather to accommodate the angler and sportsmen, who 

 do not care to fish until warm weather, and the law is 

 made for their accommodation. 



It would be far better for the protection of the trout to 

 make the close season from July 1 to Feb. 1, for in July 

 and August the eggs are developing very fast, while in 

 February and March they have just passed the spawning 

 season, and have no eggs in them. We are however per- 

 fectly willing to leave to the angler to say when the law 

 shall come off of the wild trout if there are any, provided 

 that a law can be passed to allow the sale of artificially 

 raised trout after Jan. 15, thirty days after the spawning 

 is all over. If this is still opposed as special legislation 

 we shall go to have the law taken off of all trout after 

 Jan. 15. 



The question to be decided is, shall trout be raised for 

 a food product for the benefit of all the people or only to 

 furnish sport for a few exclusive sportsmen. If for the 

 former then all laws which prevent the development of 

 the industry should be repealed. If for the latter then 

 the business is already overdone. 



Gov. Russell vetoed a just bill, carefully drawn to 

 guard all interest, public and private, did not interfere 

 with the spawning season and restricted the sale of trout 

 less than 9in. in length, and if it had become a law, the 

 ultimate result would have been to make trout plenty 

 and cheap. I think Gfov. Russell will live to see his 

 mistake. W. L. Gilbert, 



Plymouth, June 18. 



"PODGERS'S" COMMENTARIES. 



Your editorial on the subject of a national park for 

 the preservation of salmon and trout is timely, as at the 

 rate of the present destruction of salmon by the canneries 

 there will follow, as you say, utter annihilation of this 

 noble fish. 



It is not an uncommon thing to see at Sah Francisco 

 big ships loaded entirely with canned salmon. And when 

 it is considered how many thousands and thousands of 

 fish are required to constitute a cargo for a big ship, it is 

 evident that the supply must soon be exhausted. Already 

 the Columbia River, once swarming with them, now 

 furnishes but a meagre supply, and soon those waters will 

 know them no more. 



Some legislation or the reservation of some portion of 

 the northern Pacific coast has become a necessity to pre- 

 vent the utter extinction of the salmon. 



In the early days of California the Sacramento River 

 was then considered as an almost inexhaustible source, and 

 no one dreamed that in a few years the supply would 

 fail, but the canneries are now all, if not quite all, closed 

 for want of a sufficient supply to pay expenses, and this 

 is but an example of what will soon follow the destruc- 

 tion going on in the rivers of Alaska. 



In 1850 and for a long time subsequent the retail price 

 of salmon in the San Francisco markets was two cents 

 per pound, and the salmon was called "poor man's beef;" 

 and I have seen cart loads carted off from the markets 

 unsold and dumped into the bay. The price now is twenty- 

 five cents, and will soon be higher. 



Personally I have not so much sympathy for "Lo, the 

 poor Indian" in the case, although* I suppose he must be 

 fed, as great a nuisance as he is, and in Alaska, as the 

 agricultural resources and capabilities are "nil,'' there is 

 little else for him to fall back on, so we must reserve the 

 toothsome salmon for this epicure, or as a dernier resort 

 we may have to "can" him to solve the question of what 

 is to be done with him. 



By all means agitate and advocate the subject proposed, 

 of a reservation and prohibitory line beyond which the 

 canneries shall not exist, and also restrict the "catch" 

 in all rivers below the line. The entire coast of Alaska 

 should be closed to the canneries. It would then furnish 

 a prolific source of supply for propagation and restocking 

 the rivers below. The time has come for the canneries 

 to go. Let the Forest and Stream continue the good 

 work it has begun. 



The wisdom manifested by the Fish and Game Com- 



missioners of Maine in the appointment of Mr. J. Darling 

 as game warden is too apparent to pass without commen- 

 dation. His very sensible letter in last week's Forest 

 and Stream giving a history of what he has been able to 

 accomplish, is evidence of the good results of the appoint- 

 ment, and all true sportsmen should have a good word 

 for Mr. Darling and recognize his zeal and conscientious 

 efforts in the cause and the prompt manner in which he 

 is executing the duties intrusted to' him. A few more 

 such appointments will have a visible effect on the pre- 

 servation of game and inspire a wholesome respect for 

 the laws. If there are anv more copies of this Mr. Dar- 

 ling let them be found and appointed game wardens. 



"Cynic," in his "Dogmatics of Dogdom," last week, 

 says, "The modesty of dogmen is their greatest virtue." 

 Is this not a little rough on the dogmen, a little ironical, 

 as it were? "Cynic" could not have read the dog columns 

 of the Forest and Stream, for it strikes me the modesty 

 of many things they claim is open to criticism, and what 

 they say of their dogs and then* boasts hardly illustrate 

 their claims as specimens of modesty. I have often 

 wanted to ask a dog what his real opinion was of his 

 master. That dogs have views and opinions of their own 

 can hardly be denied: but they show more wisdom than 

 do their masters hy keeping them to themselves. 



Boasting of a dog's qualities, however, is nothing com- 

 pared to "horse talk." I was down on Long Island once 

 of a Sunday morning, and half a dozen fellows were 

 sitting on the top rail of the fence after breakfast talking 

 about their horses in the stable just at hand. By their 

 own account there was not a horse there that could not 

 trot in 2:40. One old chap who did not own a horse but 

 sat complacently chewing a straw finally remarked, "I 

 say, you fellows, what sort of an opinion do you suppose 

 those horses standing there have of you, listening to your 

 infernal lies about their speed when there isn't a horse 

 there that don't know he couldn't trot in four minutes to 

 save his life." Just at that moment one horse stuck his 

 head out of the open window in front and gave a tre- 

 mendous long drawn out snort, looking at the man mean- 

 while with a comical expression perfectly human that 

 plainly said, "Correct, old man!" There was not a fel- 

 low on the rail that did not fully believe the horses had 

 heard every lie they had been telling. That snort busted 

 up any further horse talk for that morning. Podgers. 



TOM'S CREEK. 



Listening to the plaints which swell upon the air from 

 Pike county, anent the failure of the trout streams of 

 that famous region to yield their usual toll this spring, 

 causes me to wonder if the most famous of all, Tom's 

 Creek, of blessed memory, has also been found wanting. 

 Perish the thought. That noble stream could never 

 betray confidence. For many years Mac, John and I 

 made annual pilgrimages thither, and never was our 

 journey fruitless. Other streams might fail the angler, 

 and in other waters the trout might sulk, but at Tom's 

 Creek disappointment never lay in wait for us upon its 

 banks. It mattered little to us what the weather might 

 be, although the chill of winter "lingered in the lap of 

 spring," or the waters ran swollen with snow or rain, the 

 singing reel and fast filling creel afforded ample proof 

 that Tom's Creek would not deceive. 



Some years have sped since my last cast upon its spark- 

 ling rifts and deep solemn pools, but the heart ever beats 

 quicker with the emotions the name awakens, as 



"Fond memory brings the light 

 Of other days around me." 

 and I think of the stream, with its beauty and peace-giv- 

 ing rest, and see upon the banks the forms of my two 

 loved companions of the years that have gone. 



Not the least of the pleasures of our annual trips was 

 that ride which never lost its charm, down the beautiful 

 Delaware Valley from Port Jervis. Behind a good team 

 we would bowl over a road of such rare smoothness that 

 riding became truly a luxury, while dull indeed to the 

 beauties of nature was the eye that drank not in with 

 delight the loveliness of the scene.^On the left, sparkling 

 in the sunlight, ran the Delaware, deep-fringed with the 

 dark green of the rich lowlands, on the right rose the 

 mighty hills, reveling in the full glory of their spring 

 foliage, whose varied hues were so thickly splashed with 

 the luxuriant flowers of the dogwood as to present all the 

 appearance of rifts of snow, which had blown in and 

 nestled lovingly among the branches. The melody of 

 many birds rang out upon the air, the fragrance of the 

 flowers was borne upon the breeze, and ever and anon a 

 graceful pair of doves flew gently by, the whole scene 

 rendering the drive one of unalloyed delight. Ana then 

 the dinners at Fouchere's! Such dinners as only a true 

 angler is worthy to enjoy. Surely never man lived who 

 could cook a trout as that old Frenchman would set 

 before us in the days of auld lang syne. And last, but 

 not least, when we had left the valley and climbed the 

 hills, how merrily would we rattle up to the hospitable 

 house of the good widow Depuy, who was always stand- 

 ing in the doorway, with smiles of hearty greeting dimp- 

 ling her dear old face. 



As yesterday do I remember that last day at Tom's 

 Creek, when we three silently unjointed our rods and 

 packed them away, then casting long lingering looks 

 upon that stream so endeared to us all from the associa- 

 tion of years, we sadly turned our backs upon the spot 

 so pregnant with the memories of the happy past. We 

 had troubled its limpid pools for the last time; no more 

 should we wet our lines in its waters, and the stream 

 which had been free to all lovers of the angle since first 

 it came from the .Creator's hand was to be evermore as 

 a sealed book, save to the privileged few who had leased 

 its waters. It was bard to realize that we were to be 

 henceforth shut out from those familiar scenes. So long 

 and regularly had been our visits that it seemed all 

 nature regarded us with a friendly eye. The very birds 

 appeared to chirp a cheery greeting at our annual com- 

 ing; the scarlet tanager looked kindly on us; the red- 

 headed woodpecker nodded recognition, and even that 

 arrant poacher, the kingfisher, hung around us as if to 

 say: "I'm glad you've come. You were long expected." 



And thus we left Tom's Creek in the gloaming, and on 

 other waters I now cast my flies, but no stream has ever 

 displaced it in my affections, and oft in memory I again 

 whip its surface, or with my old companion wend toward 

 home with light hearts and heavy creels, when the hush 



of evening falls over the land and waters, unbroken save 

 by the musical and gentle sound of Tom's Creek rippling 

 among the boulders. 

 It has been said 



"That the memory of the past will stay 

 Aud half our joys renew." 



And yet that same jade memory also brings sad and 

 bitter thoughts. As I sit to-night letting my mind run 

 back to the past, the bitter and the sweet are strangely 

 mingled. Gone for me is Tom's Creek, and gone also 

 those true comrades with whom I whiled so many happy 

 hours away. Increasing family cares and engrossment 

 in a large practice have weaned John from stream and 

 wildwood, and his rod lies neglected upon the shelf. 

 Mac, in far off India dwells, and thus I am forced with 

 other friends to seek other scenes when sport I wish. 

 Tom's Creek and the friends of the; past still live in mem- 

 ory, and always will, and I often take such pleasure as is 

 now alone afforded by letting my thoughts run over the 

 many enjoyable and frequently humorous incidents 

 which occurred during those years when we three roamed 

 together and merrily flogged the streams of grand old 

 Pike. Harry Hudson. 



CHAT BY THE WAY. 



Landlocked Salmon in Connecticut Lakes. 



Charlestown, N. H., June 11.— Your correspondent 

 "Rob" is correct about my introduction of landlocked 

 salmon in Connecticut lakes. I took them up in 1880, 

 j ust twelve years ago, and have only heard of them once 

 before this year. Capt. Tom Chester told me in '84 that 

 one had been taken in the river between First and Second 

 lakes. They were from eggs from Grand Stream, and 

 have attained the full size of their parents — 3 to 41bs. 



If they had landlocked smelt to feed on I have no doubt 

 they would reach 12 to 151bs., as those in Squam, New- 

 found and Sunapee have. I hope my friend Commis- 

 sioner Hodge will plant smelt up there next year; but the 

 difficulty is this, that when the smelt are spawning in 

 Winnipesaukee and Sunapee the Connecticut Lakes~are 

 usually frozen solid. 



Winninish vs. Ouananiche. 



Let me say another word on the winninish vs. ouana- 

 niche question, and remind Mr. Chambers, who asserts 

 the latter spelling to be correct because the Montagnais 

 Indians use it, that the Montagnais have no written lan 

 guage of their own. They merely use the French inter- 

 pretation of the vocal language of the old Algonquins, 

 who had no alphabet and whose name for "fish" was 

 written by the English "winne." The French having no 

 "w" in their alphabet, used "ou" to express the sound. 

 From the English mode of pronunciation comes Winni- 

 peg and "Winnepesaukee, the latter meaning "great fish- 

 ing place," from "winne," fish, and "auke." place. From 

 the latter word comes also "Moosilauke," or the place of 

 moose, now properly spelt, but formerly called "Moose- 

 hillock"! It is anything but a "hillock." 



This I got years ago from an old Penobscot Indian doc- 

 tor, who also unravelled a name which bad puzzled me 

 for years. A couple of miles above this village, on the 

 Vermont side of the river, rises for 800 or 400ft. a rocky 

 precipice a mile or more long and almost perpendicular 

 right up from the meadows, and the home of the only 

 rattlesnakes known in this region. 



It goes, locally, by the name of "Skitchewog," but 

 nobody here could interpret it. I asked my old Indian 

 friend one day if he could make it out, and after thinking 

 of it over night he told me that the only interpretation he 

 could give me was this, "Skitsi-wauke," "the place of 

 swift waters." He had never seen the mountain, but his 

 answer filled the bill exactly, for before the dam at Bel- 

 lows Falls, S miles below, was built many years since, 

 there was a long, shallow, gravelly rapid in the Connecti- 

 cut for a mile at the base of this mountain. It is now 

 checked by the back-water from the dam, but when the 

 dam was made lower, 50 years ago, I well remember the 

 swift water we struck, in rowing up the river, when 

 opposite the mountain. Why we, an English-speaking 

 people, should use a bastard French-Canadian etymolygy 

 when we have a simpler one of our own, I do not see, and 

 from the first it was only an interpretation of sound. 



Over the Hills for Trout. 



I had a delightful excursion yesterday with a friend 

 from Boston, Mr. D., an old subscriber to Forest and 

 Stream. We went out eight miles over the hills for 

 trout, but found very few, and those very small, but it 

 was one of those perfect June days the poets sing of, and 

 we enjoyed the drive out over the hills, the tramps 

 through the woods and the meadows, the trees, the birds, 

 and the flowers, and the longer but more level drive 

 home at sunset, down the well-wooded and picturesque 

 valley of Little Sugar River. 



Our waters are fished to death, and nothing seems able 

 to stop the "small-boy" and some of the bigger ones, 

 from slaughtering the fingerlings. I cannot get my eyes 

 or hands hold of any of these law breakers, but I hear of 

 them every week, but always too late to act. It has got 

 so now that the only one to get a "string" of trout in our 

 brooks is the fellow who happens to be lucky enough to 

 be the first one on the brook opening day, and he is very 

 likely to be cheated of his sport by some boy who went 

 the night before, or slept on the bank so as to start at 

 daylight. I must get into the wilderness for a week if I 

 can possibly manage it this year, for I cannot do it many 

 years more. " Von W. 



Pitchforking- Buffalo Fish in Pastures. 



Ottawa, Kan., June 9. — The late high water has 

 greatly improved the fishing in the Marias des Cygnes 

 and its branches, and a number of large catches have 

 been made this week. Croppie fishing is good, and some 

 bass may be caught, but the greatest interest centers in 

 the catfish. A number of large ones have been taken 

 here lately, and the river is lined with fishermen from 

 morning till night, each one expecting to catch a small 

 whale at least. • A boy by the name of Ben Mott has the 

 best record for an afternoon's fishing. He landed, two 

 last Monday, one of which weighed 44 Jibs, and the other 

 521bs. During the recent flood the farmers living along 

 the river participated in the most novel method of fish- 

 ing I ever heard of. The water had overflowed the 

 meadows and pastures bordering on the river, and in the 

 shallow places could be seen numbers of buffalo fish. 

 These the farmers caught by riding in on horses and 

 spearing the fish with pitchforks, F. B. 



