Ava. 13, 1891.1 



FOREST AND STREAM. 6S 



CHICAGO AND THE WEST. 



CHICAGO, III., Aug. 6.— The fliirry of excitement has 

 not yet died out here over the restaurant cases, of 

 ' which mention was made last week and earlier. The 

 first of the cases was brought against Chas. Kern, county 

 treasurer of Cook county, ex-president of the State 

 Sportsmen's Association, president of the Audubon 

 Shooting Club, restaurant keeper, etc, etc. The hearing 

 was to have been next Monday, but Mr. Kern was wise 

 enough to forestall that. T)iy before yesterday he 

 dropped into Justice White's office and threw himself on 

 the mercy of the court, pleading ignorance, youth, inex- 

 perience, first offense and an alibi. The court promptly 

 fined him the limit, $25, with costs, total $32. This was 

 in the case of the bird ordered by myself and tasted of 

 and examined by Messrs. Mussey, Low and Dicks. On 

 the evening before Mr. Mussey had obtained another 

 prairie chicken at this restaurant, and three evenings 

 ■ before that another gentleman had still another praine 

 cliicken. Beyond that, Mr. Kern is reported in the 

 columns of a friendly paper to have admitted that his 

 steward had purchased six prairie chickens for purpose 

 of sale, I see no reason on earth why Mr. Kern may 

 not and should not be fined not only twice $32. but three 

 times $32. and more than that, six times $33, always 

 provided that his steward told the truth in owning up to 

 . only six birds. As one paper laere pvits it. County 

 " Treasurer Kern as a sportsman heartily approves of the 

 action of his fellow sportsmen in fining restaurant keeper 

 Kern for violating the game laws, while restaurant 

 keeper Kern is angry at sportsman Kern for getting into 

 any such a fix. Now, I would like to ask County Treas- 

 - urer and sportsman Kern if he sees any good reason why 

 restaurant Ireeper Kern should not be fined six times $32 

 or $1 92? And I would like to ask restaurant keeper Kern 

 if such a line as that would not be a powerful jog to a 

 man's memory? And I would like to ask both Bi>orcsman 

 ' and restaurant-keeper Kern if a good round fine like that 

 would not be six times as good an incentive as $32 to in- 

 duce sportsman Kern and restaurant-keeper Kern to get 

 a little closer together next year, when this dangerous 

 season again comes round, and each is again going his 

 way apart. Why should we remit on a single bird when 

 7 we can get a case on it? Is it not the full severity of 

 I these lessons which gives them their usefulness ? If we 

 get a light fine or a stayed fine, of what use is that for a 

 public lesson ? We intend to hold all these other cases 

 for every bird we can, and why should we treat Mr. Kern, 

 either one of him, any better than anyone else? Mr. 

 Kern, both of him, has this recourse left in face of a crit- 

 icism like this, and that is exactly what would be only a 

 wise, tactful thing for him to do. He can step into Justice 

 White's coiu-t, he can inform against his own restaurant, 

 he can say, "Here, I'm done with this; my restaurant did 

 sell six birds, and I know every one of them was as illegal 

 as any other one. Here's $192. Does that square it ?" 

 - That would square it. Half the fine would be paid into 

 the treasury of the Illinois State Sportsman's Association, 

 and at the next spring's meeting of that body he could 

 come forward with clean hands and vote for its disposi- 

 tion for the prosecution of other violators of the law. 

 Clean bands in sportsmanship are what we ought to have, 

 and the mere formality of washing them does not always 

 make them clean. Mr. Kern's friends now hesitate to 

 prosecute him any further, but he ought not to hesitate 

 for a moment to prosecute himself, and if only as a 

 measure of self -protection. He ought to pay $192 and 

 not $32. 



1 do not insinuate that Mr. Kern will need a lesson to 

 keep him from selling any more illegal game, but I do say 

 that all these other restaurants need a lesson, and a sharp 

 and severe one, to keep them from selling such game 

 right along. I see no reason why we or Mr. Kern, as 

 sportsmen, should pass upon the wisdom of the law, and 

 no reason why we should distinguish between violations 

 of that law. Merciless this may be, but mercy is not 

 what is wanted, if we mean that we really want to see 

 this sale of illegal birds stopped. If we are only out for 

 a talking-bee, very well; then fine them all one bird 

 around, and go away and let them get back to selling 

 again as quick as possible, as most of them, barring Mr, 

 Kern of course, will do. Mr, Kern should not wish to 

 see justice tempered with mercy in his own case, because 

 he is a level-headed sportsmen. Now, he can spend $192 

 better and more wisely and more tactfully than he ever 

 spent that amount before in his life. Will he do it? Eead 

 the answer in the stars; there are no restaurants there. 

 But I hope he will. It would be such a nice thing for 

 him to do. Won't you do this, Mr. Kern? Come, let us 

 have some of that oft-quoted poetry of justice. 



I don't seem to be able to quit writing about this, for I 

 have been thoroughly indignant at seeing these little 

 young birds so commonly off ered on sale all through this 

 city. When will the time come when game will no 

 longer be legal merchandise, at any season? Not until 

 the fields and covers are bare of it, I presume. This fall 

 men will write me asking where they can find some 

 prairie chickens. I shall direct them to South Water 

 street freezers. 



At present one freezer in Chicago market is said to be 

 empty. Fred Smith has shipped his game to Boston, 

 about 2,0001 bs. of venison and a lot of quail, At least, 

 so says the well known shooter here who, truer to his 

 friendship for Mr, Smith than to his friends the prosecut- 

 ing sportsman, warned him to be on the lookout. 



In this work it was hard to get sportsmen who would 

 go out after evidence, though plenty could be found who 

 would stand around and holler. "It's a shame!" the 

 prominent sportsmen would exclaim, and tears would 

 stand in their eyes, "Oh, these wicked men, to sell ille- 



fal game!" they would say. But would they hustle? 

 lay, verUy. "If you will go to the Stock Exchange res- 

 taurant, corner of Dearborn and Monroe sti'eets," said I 

 to one of a firm of sporting goods dealers in this city, "you 

 wiU find on the bill of fare 'Teal duck, whole, 45 cents.' I 

 saw it there when I happened in with a lady. Can't you 

 get a friend to go and locate that?" 



"I would like to go — it's a shame — but I don'b dare to, 

 on account of my business," was the reply. And so it goes. 

 I wish to offer a letter from Mr. A, C. Collins, the well 

 known violator- jerker of Connecticut, president of the 

 Connecticut Association of Farmers and Sportsmen for 

 the Protection of Game and Fish. This I would do not 

 as a rebuke to any one, but as an incentive to all by way 

 of a word from a live, active man. The letter runs; 



HABTFORC, Conn., July 31— I have just read the exploit at 

 Kern's. Go for '.hiw. Those xnilk-and-water-shaky-afrald.of- 



their-shadovv persons who wish i o be called sportsmen malce me 

 weapy. You are going at 'em (game law-violators) right. . I sin- 

 cerely wish you and vour friends succeai?. I have no particular 

 use for no "sand" sportsmen. Down with game law violators 

 should he ttie war-cry of every honest sportsman. 



A. C. Collins. 



Aug. /.—The merchandise of game made possible para- 

 graphs like the following, which I find: "Jamestown, 

 N. D,,July 25.— Two Imffaloes were seen some thirty 

 miles southwest of this place last Sunday, A ranchman 

 gave them chase, but being poorly mounted failed to cap- 

 ture either animal. These buffaloes are doubtless the last 

 of the race that is at large. A few years ago a small 

 band were discovered feeding in the hills a short distance 

 from this city, and one big bull was killed. How these 

 two managed to escape slaughter for so long is a mystery, 

 as they have been persisteiitly hunted by both whites and 

 Indians for two or three years." 



Mr, E. D. Graham and Mr. Walter Waddington, a 

 young Englishman, have inquired for some place along 

 the Milwaukee & Northern line to spend two weeks of 

 outing, and I have sent them to Thunder Lake and river 

 for a first camp, with advice about Ellis .Junction and 

 Middle Iidet country, and a bint about the Little Oconto 

 country. They should be well located if they get any 

 sort of a guide for a teaimster. 



I am very often asked to direct parties wishing to go 

 into Wisconsin for a summer trouting or mascallonge 

 trip. The other day a gentleman surprised me by stating 

 that "last summer they killed a good many grouse with 

 the rifle," Nearly every party that goe s in takes a rifle. 

 Why? I was prepared for the question which followed, 

 as with a confidential smile the gentleman asked, "Do 

 you believe it's all right to kill a deer for provender when 

 you're camping out in the suromei?" 



"No, I don't," I replied to him, "and I don't believe in 

 taking a rifle along in there in the summer time, and I 

 don't believe, moreover, in directing or aiding or advising 

 men who believe that is all right." A large number of 

 deer are killed every eummer in Wisconsin by fellows 

 who try to justify themselves by such speciotis excuses as 

 the above. " It makes me tired. If I wanted to rob, I'd 

 just come right out and say, "Here, I'm a robber; I'll 

 steal, I will. Get on to me, see?" But I wouldn't try to 

 steal behind my own back. The man that kills a summer 

 deer simply steals from the people. It isn't honest. 

 Leave the rifle home. 



Mr. Hud, Jones and Mr, Percy LeRoy start soon on a 

 delightful canoe voyage in the North Peninsula of 

 Michigan, of indefinite duration. Mr. Jones will stay in 

 till cold weather. They will try the Brule, the Meno- 

 minee and the Michigami. I advised Mr. Jones to try 

 the Ontonagon, as he would be almo4 certain to get good 

 trout fishing there, and this he will probably do, although 



1 can personally testify that the Brule has abundance of 



2 and 31b. trout left this summer, for I saw them. 



Mr. R. B, Organ, and for that matter Mrs, Organ also, 

 is mourning a loss which they will never see repaired. 

 Their dog Cleaver is dead, having finally yielded to old 

 age and rheumatism, after long months of helplessfiess. 

 I have mentioned Cleaver before. He was one of the 

 best known dogs in Chicago, and I doubt if there ever 

 was a more intelligent. His sire was an Irish setter, not 

 quite full bred, and his dam a Chesapeake Bay. Cleaver 

 looked more like a Gordon, of which strain he had about 

 one- thirty-second, through his sire. Human companion- 

 ship had made this dog almost more than brute. At 10:30 

 every night he went to bed, on his own motion, at that 

 time going into another room and carrying in bis own 

 bed, which he arranged at the side of the fire. Cleaver 

 could count up to 7 and he could connect sound with 

 ideas up to that number. Mr. Organ would tell him to 

 get up in a chair and would then throw a number of 

 objects on the floor, his collar, chain, a glove, etc., etc, 

 Wnen he said, "Cleaver, go get your collar" (or glove, 

 chain, etc.), Cleaver would at once go to the heap of 

 articles and pick out the one designated. He always did 

 this without the least hesitation. Some dogs learn to do 

 this trick to some extent, but are uncertain or puzzled at 

 times, nosing over the articles, but Cleaver'smind always 

 seemed clear and he knew how to associate the command 

 with the right article at once, I have seen a dog pick out 

 his master's watch or pocket knife from among a dozen 

 by scent, but this would not account for Cleavers feat. 

 He simply heard and understood human speech up to the 

 extent of those seven articles. For Mrs. Organ he would 

 fight, even if Mr, Organ himFclf raised a hand against 

 her in pretended rudeness. They will not see his like 

 again. 



Mr. E. C. J. Cleaver (It is a mere coincidence that Mr. 

 Cleaver's name follows that of Mr. Organ's pet) is just 

 back from a two weeks' trip on Delavan Like, Wis. 

 This lake I have already mentioned as one of the very 

 most beautiful around Chicago, and it is full of interest 

 and fish. Mr. Cleaver, as manv know, is an ardent 

 yachtsman, and he returns to Delavan to-morrow to 

 participate in a little twelve miles race which was 

 recently postponed. The lake is about five miles long. 

 It is much frequented by summer people, but I do not 

 hear of many expert anglers who have tried it, and so do 

 not depend upon reported fishing. Two gentlemen last 

 week caught twenty-five wall-eyes, pickerel and bass, 

 just plain minnow fishing and not casting, in one day. 

 Neither fisher nor summer man need fear to risk it at 

 Delavan Lake. 



Fox Lake hotels, and all the places, farmhouses and all, 

 along Lake Marie,' Camp Lake, Loon Lake, Silver Lake, 

 and dozens of others, are now crowded. The Mak-saw- 

 ba Club boys, on the Kankakee, however, are the only 

 ones of whom I hear who are doing any steadfast angling, 

 a,nd they are catching good strings of bass every Satur- 

 day. E. Hough. 



Virginia. Bat Bikds.— Norfolk, Va., Aug. 4.— The bay 

 bird shooting at Currituck is very good now. I took 

 some friends from Pittsburgh, Pa,, down on July 23. Our 

 party bagged 250 yellowlegs, graybacks, willets and cur- 

 lew in one day's shooting. Some other members of the 

 Martin's Point Club bagged about 250 on Friday of last 

 week. Should any of your readers or friends desire to 

 join a club where they are certain of always making a 

 good bag, I heartily recommend this one. Any informa- 

 tion deS'ired may be obtained by addressing J. B. White, 

 Norfolk, Va. Tarpon (silver king) are still being caught 

 off the Princess Anne Hotel, Our party found a very 

 large one on the beach on our way down to the club in 

 July. Oiu- bay bird shooting was never better than now; 

 all will last through August, September and up to Oct, 



15.~YELL0WLEa. 



NEW YORK STATE ASSOCIATION. 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



Oneida county sportsmen have been greatly interested 

 in the articles published in the Forest and Stream re- 

 cently regarding "The New York Association," The 

 letter of Gen. D. H, Bruce, of Syracuse, met with the 

 warmest approval, and a number of associations would 

 be glad to enlist in the work he so admirably outlines. 

 The subsequent letter of Horace White, jjresident of the 

 Sportsmen's Association, was also commended, but there 

 are serious objections to the plan he suggests. The For- 

 est AND Stream editorially hits the nailon the head. If 

 the sportsmen of the State are to form an association that 

 is to be protective not only to fish and game but to the 

 forests, not a moment should be lost. It is high time to 

 act. There has been and still is too much apathy among 

 sportsmen, although there has been a great awakening 

 during the past twelvemonth. Many wbo scarcely gave 

 the matter a thought before are now emphatic in their 

 expressious that something should be done to preserve om* 

 grand old forests and that a State park should be estab- 

 lished in the Adirondacks at once. This awakening of 

 public sentiment has been brought about by the vast pur- 

 chases of Adirondack lands by syndicates and the estab- 

 lishment of private fish and game j)reserves, by the 

 wholesale devastation of the forests by lumbermen and 

 the invasion of the wilderness by new railroads. Sports- 

 men who are not identified with the clubs owning the 

 preserves are shut out from the resorts they have so long 

 frequented in the southern and western portion of the 

 Adirondacks, tourists are debarred from many privileges 

 they formerly enjoyed, and those who seek the wilder- 

 ness with the hope of regaining impaired health find 

 themselves restricted to a few resorts by no means as de- 

 sirable as those monopolized by the syntUcates. Central 

 New York sportsmen are anxious that some action shall 

 betaken speedily. If it is desirable or advisable to en- 

 deavor to bring about the desired ends through the medium 

 of the existing State Association, the urgency of the case 

 ought io be sufficient to warrant President White in call- 

 ing a special meeting at an early date to consider the 

 matter. There is no shadow of an excuse for delaying 

 action until the regular meeting of the Association next 

 spring. There has been too much delay already, and if 

 anything is done it should be done with a view to map- 

 ping out a plan of action before the next session of the 

 Legislature. W. E. Woi.cott. 



Utica. N. Y., Aug. 4. 



IOWA DUCK SHOOTING GROUNDS. 



IF the readers of Forest and Stream will look over 

 the map of North America they will find almost 

 directly north of Minnesota and Iowa in the British 

 possessions the greatest breeding grounds for ducks and 

 geese in the Northwest. There are thousands of lakes 

 and sloughs, in which grow great quantities of wild rice, 

 Thei-e is nothing that clucks and geese like to eat as well. 

 They will find it wherever it grows. South of the lake 

 country in the British possessions is almost a continuous 

 chain of lakes running through Minnesota and the north- 

 ern part of Iowa. When the northern ducks and geese 

 are on their way south in the fall they drop into these 

 Iowa and Minnesota lakes and feed on the wild celery 

 and rice which grows in many of them. In the northern 

 part of Buena Vista and Pocahontas counties, Iowa, are 

 located many of these lakes and sloughs, and there is 

 also considerable flat land which is not very well settled. 

 Here may be found fine shooting. In and around the 

 lakes and' sloughs may be round ducks and geese, and on 

 the higher lands good chicken shooting may be had. 



There is good prairie chicken shooting almost any- 

 where west of Eigle Grove, a division station on the C. 

 & N. W. R. R. Eagle Grove is a fine town for sportsmen 

 to stay in. There are many local sportsmen, and they 

 are very gentlemanly to visiting sportsmen. Mr. 

 Young, of the Railroad House, takes great delight in 

 making sportsmen as comfortable as possible. Nothing' 

 is left undone by him. He is always at their service. 



West from Eagle Grove is located a nice little town 

 called Rubens. It is on the open prairie, and the shooter 

 will have to go but a sliort distance to be on the chicken 

 grounds. 



West of Rubens, about 10 or 15 miles, we come to the 

 town of Laurens, This town is also located on the open 

 prairie, and is one of the best points in Iowa for shooting. 

 Northeast and southeast of the town is a fine duck 

 country. At times, I think, the mallard duck shooting 

 cannot be surpassed in the west. The town of Marathon, 

 west of Laurens, is located a few miles east of the Little 

 Sioux River. It is a fair shooting point for ducks, good 

 for chickens, but too near the Little Sioux River for the 

 best duck shooting. Where the river runs through that 

 part of the country the land is quite rough. As we go 

 west, towai-d Sioux Rapids, we find high "river bluffs," 

 some of them more than 100ft. above the river. Good 

 shooting may be had in the spring at river ducks, but 

 I am not able to say what the fall shooting is, but would 

 not think it would be first-rate, as the country is so rough. 



At Sutherland we are out of the valley of the Little 

 Sioux. Good chicken shooting may be found any- 

 where in the southern part of O'Brien county. J. G. S. 



Massachusetts Shore Birds.— Boston, Aug. 6.— As 

 near as can be learned no big bags of shore birds have 

 yet been made by the Massachusetts gunners, though the 

 law was off on July 15. It is in the midst of the mid- ■- 

 summer vacations, and everybody is more interested in 

 vacations of some other sort than with gun and dog, 

 though some of the boys are getting ready their decoys 

 and practicing with the bird-call whistle. But the 

 weather is hot and the sport starts slowly. Grouse have 

 not yet been seen in any considerable numbers in this 

 State, in fact those who take notice of the young broods 

 report them scarce. In Maine the hope is that there is to 

 be a fair supply of grouse for the g-unners. In May and 

 June a good many broods were reported, but later the 

 weather has been cold and wet at times, and the fear is 

 that the broods have suffered,— Special, 



The hest harness dressing is that which has heen tried and ap- 

 proved hy the largest numher of practical men. The test of half 

 a century places Frank Miller's celehrated harness dressing at 

 the head of all American preparaiions of this kind, and its popu- 

 larity Is such that moet otuers have been dietanQed. in the race.— 

 Adv. 



