Aug. 30, 1891.1 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



SB 



twig. The oaks still held their flaming red foliage, the 

 green of the hemlock showed here and ihere, and the 

 white birches caught up the strong light in dazzling 

 whiteness. The woodpeckers are working noisily close 

 by, and away below a hawK is sailing in slow concentric 

 circles. The hound slept at the feet of his master, who, 

 with back against a log and cap well back, between the 

 puffs on his short pipe told of a deer run in yonder ravine 

 and of bear hunting further up, years ago, when this was 

 well nigh a wilderness. Fax out over the valley of farms 

 and woods the eye rests on the blue ridges of the Green 

 Mountains. 



With new energy the second ridge is sought. Scarcely 

 is it reached before the dog gives voice and leads us 

 straight to the summit. Beneath a hickory he sits with 

 upturned nose, and before the tree is reached a silvery 

 body springs out for a neighboring tree, A j^'irn rings 

 out and the second squirrel is brought to bag. Off a.gain 

 ■went the hound, soon to give noisy tongue, and down to 

 the foot of the ridge we hurry. This time beside a brook 

 that purled along, an oak with a hole high up showed 

 where the game was hidden. At the foot of the tree 

 numerous little particles of bark gave evidence that it 

 was a family tree. Ot¥ came Stephen's coat and an extra 

 hitch is taken in his leather belt. Then the keen axe falls 

 with a vigor into the hard wood. Up and down flashes 

 the bright steel; right and left fly the white chips as 

 the gash sinks deeper into the trunk and the blows ring 

 out through the forest. The end is neariug, the tree 

 slowly quivers, then sinks, then falls with a mighty crash. 

 Out from its hollow irunk near the top comes a jumping 

 mass of gray that instantly separates. Bang, banf , bang, 

 bang, sound the guns, yelp, yelp, the dog, and the keen 

 shouts of the old man as stick in hand he jumps after a 

 wounded squirrel. Fresh shells are jammed in before 

 the smoke drifts away. A flash of gray through the 

 trees, I Are, a miss, again and down the squirrel comes, 

 but only to scramble over a log. I crash through the 

 bushes and as he jumps for a knotty chestnut the third 

 shot lays him still. We gather round the fallen tree and five 

 grays have been added to the now filling game bags. With 

 lighted pipes we rest waiting for the new trail to be found. 

 Soon it comes and then another as the afternoon wears 

 on. At sunset on the far side of the ridge the hound 

 treed the sixteenth squirrel in some saplings. Our ap- 

 proach starts him out, and as he jumped right across the 

 glowing sky of the west the shot turns him in midair. 

 We shoulder our guns and set out through the still gray 

 woods for the wagon. The old hunter leads the way, 

 eiecL with his axe on his shoulder and the hound sedately 

 at his heels. As we descend the full moon pours its light 

 down into the valley with here and there a glittering 

 light. 



My eye catches the rug again. Ah, poor little grays, 

 you lived but to satisfy man's desire for sport. Is it not 

 true of the killing of all animals what Frank Forrester 

 said of Bob White? "It is a singular proof how strong 

 is the passion for the chase and the love of pursuit im- 

 planted in the heart of man. that however much, when 

 not influenced by the direct heat of sport, we depi-ecate 

 the killing of these little birds and pity the individual 

 sufferers, the moment the dog points and the bevy springs, 

 or the propitious morning promises good sport, all com- 

 punction is forgotten in the eaeerness and emulation 

 which are natural to our race." Yes, little grays, while I 

 regret your killing I fear my love of sport would draw 

 me again in pursuit of you and other game, and to wish 

 all days were as happy as those with dog in wood and 

 field. And from yonder fireside Bets wags her tail in 

 assent as my reverie aloud wakes her from dreams, ijer- 

 haps, of whirling quail or wily grouse. N. B. W. 



CHICAGO AND THE WEST. 



CHICAGO, III., Aug. 14.— There never was any fly- 

 wheel so big it couldn't be stopped and made to run 

 the other way, though sometimes that may be a long 

 operation. The continuance of any evil which does not 

 affect directly the general public's convenience is much 

 the same way. It runs of its own weight. But it can be 

 stopped also. 



For years the sportsmen of the country have been 

 talking a great deal and working a little, about the kill- 

 ing and selling of illegal game. They have not stopped 

 the abuse. The fight has been a considerable one. No- 

 where has this fight been so hard to carry on as in the 

 big game selling cities. A little actual work in a rural 

 district will stop illegal shooting. To stop illegal selling 

 in a great city is more difficult. Nevertheless, that can 

 probably, be done. In all these years of talk the proba- 

 iiility never looked as probable as now. 



Now is the time, and this is the year,- to increase the 

 fight on illegal game. I don't know how or why this is, 

 but the fact is unmistakable. For some reason the fly- 

 wheel of this iniquitous machine is slowing up. The 

 sentiment in favor of game protection has changed 

 notably. Much of the evil lay in ignorance or apathy. 

 Agitation has informed the public, and even those who 

 are not sportsmen are beginning to see the evil of the old 

 destructive ways. I am speaking now safely for this 

 region at least. I believe Chicago has done more in 

 actual game protection this year than any other city or 

 section of the country. To-day the sportsmen here feel 

 that things are coming their way. The organization of 

 the Possum Club, the work of the Fox River Association, 

 the organization and highly satisfactory work of the 

 Kankakee Association, the passage of the bill stopping 

 the abominable ice flsheries — all this was a good year's 

 work alone, but it is not all. 



It may be remembered that FOEEST AND STREAM was 

 the first to show up Brusewitz, appointed last year as a 

 game warden for this city, and to move for his dismissal. 

 This fellow's conduct finally got to such a point that the 

 petition printed away last spring in Forest and Stream 

 was taken up and, with a heavy list of signatures, placed 

 before the governor of the State, the meeting for this 

 purpose heing held at Mr. Low's office, as was duly re- 

 ported. The sportsmen prayed the appointment of M. R. 

 Bortree, of this city, a^s warden. The result was long in 

 doubt, but this week the good news came that Brusewitz 

 was deposed and Mr. Bortree appointed. This is one of 

 the best things of the peason. and is not less than a triumph 

 for the sportsmen. Gov. Filer did well. 



Mr. Bortree received his commission this morning, and 

 less than an hour thereafter had a warrant in his pocket 

 for a noted South Water street lavr-breaker, The result 

 will be given later, 



I have akeady spoken, in the three preceding issues of 

 the paper, of the cases inaugurated against the restaurants 

 and hotf-'ls here by the sportsmen. In these the course of 

 victory has thus far been unbroken. Mr, Abner Price, 

 the quiet, faithful and conscientious president for this 

 year of the State Sportsmen's Association, has been patient 

 in getting the matter in trim, and is to be congratulated 

 upon his administration already. It bids fair to be the 

 most distinguished administration of them all in the 

 matter of stopping illegal handling of game. If only he 

 shall keep on, he has the chance now to make a record for 

 all other associations, as well as this one. The popular 

 sentiment now is with him. The tide has turned, and for 

 once it is safe to say that things are coming our way. The 

 iron is hot now, and I only hope that the striking ^vill be 

 incessant. 



Thus far the restaurant cases have gone by default, 

 Mr, Kern, county treasurer of Cook county, president of 

 the Audubon Club, ex-ijresident of the State Sportsmen's 

 Association, etc., etc , has paid |33 for the good of the 

 cause. He has, liowever, failed to inform the Associa- 

 tion where his six prairie chickens Avere bought. As a 

 prominent sportsman, and more especially as one who 

 has rushed into print and been ru&lied there, to the effect 

 that he was ignorant and innocent, and only his new 

 steward at fault, it now behooves him certainly to attest 

 his ignorance by bringing up his steward and causing 

 him to give the desired information. We want the South 

 Water street merchant as well as Mr. Kern. There are 

 two more straight cases against Mr. Kern, and it is now 

 the sentiment of even some of the more conservative that 

 the.-ie cases should be pushed at once unless he will so far 

 conserve the interests of the Association as to locate the 

 game dealer who sold these birds. We all know now who 

 that dealer is, but have not testimony to prove it. It is 

 certainly not unreasonable to ask Mr. Kern to show his 

 hands if they are clean, and if they are not clean they 

 need a little more washing. 



The cases against the McGarigle Catering Co., the 

 Leland Hotel, the Wellington Hotel and Rector's restaur- 

 ant were not allowed to come to trial, defendants plead- 

 ing guilty and paying the fine and costs. Justice Ran- 

 dall H. White, before whom the suits were brought, 

 thought that $'25 and costs, or about $30, was about right. 

 This morning Billy Boyle's case was to have been tried, 

 but his attorney said his wife was sick in bed and prayed 

 a continuance for a week. When the case comes off the 

 attorney himself will be sick in bed. 



Last night, just to see what eft'ect the late fines had 

 had. I went down to Rector's for supper. 



"You're not serving much prairie chicken nowadays, 

 are you?" I said to the waiter. 



"Well, not since the other day," said he smiling. 



"How much did those fellows stick the old man?" I 

 asked. 



"Twenty-five^" said tlie waiter. "But, Lord! he don't 

 mind that." 



"Well," I said, "it's a shame they can't let a man alone. 

 Can't a fellow get a little prairie chicken on the quiet, 

 without their making such a fuss about it? I used to get 

 a bird here once in a while, and here now I can't do it, 

 all because of this foolishness." 



"Oh, well, you see," said the waiter, "that $25 fine 's 

 all right. We don't want it thought we're serving too 

 much of that sort of thing. But we haven't got any 

 prairie chicken to-night, but then, you see — " 



"Have you got any teal duck?" 



"Oh, yes, a nice teal." 



I had before this ordered my supper, and so could not 

 well order duck. I, however, tried to find some one to 

 send down, and to-night Billy Farmer and a friend will 

 try for some duck there. I hope they will get it. I think 

 Justice White would stick a good heavy fine and a repri- 

 mand, too, on Mr. Rector if he were caught so soon again. 

 There ought to be new men sent around again to all these 

 Ijlaces which have just been fined. I have always said 

 that a fine for one bird was a bagatelle to them. They 

 should be fined the limit on every individual bird, and as 

 many cases brought as possible. They will quit selling 

 when they find it is costing them too mitch to sell, and 

 not before. Mercy is ill-placed with such men. The 

 rougher this Association is the better, Mr. Low, the 

 attorney for these cases, thinks the Association will get 

 pubjic sentiment against it if it is too severe, I do not 

 agree with this in the least. It isn't a question of public 

 Fentiment, but a question of illegal game; and the men 

 who sell it ought to be jerked as early and often and as 

 thoroughly as that can be done. This talk at Rector's 

 place ought to be proof enough of that. 



At the close of the little gathering which attended the 

 continued Boyle case this morning. State Fish Warden F. 

 L. Buck, the same who has done the fish way work for 

 the Kankakee Association, accompanied Mr. M, R. Bor- 

 tree, the new Chicago warden, to the justice's desk, and 

 there swore out a search wai^rant for the commission 

 house of Fred W. Smith. Buck had been informed of 

 150 dozen prairie chickens now hanging in Smith's 

 coolers, and had been promised a diagram of the store- 

 rooms, so that these birds could be located at once. I 

 wanted to see some of this, and so accompanied the two 

 above to Mr. F, S. Baird's office. Here the statutes were 

 examined carefully and all madej^eady. Mr. Buck then 

 stepped out to get his diagram. He was gone about three 

 hours, and came back without any diagram. He had 

 traced his clue to the buyer for the Union Restaurant, 

 Henry Erbe, who had said he bought a dozen chickens 

 there last week. Mr. Erbe referred Mr. Buck to a gentle- 

 man who was lately in j)artnership with Fred Smith, 

 This gentleman promptly declined with thanks to tell 

 what he knew, though there was where the story of the 

 150- dozen chickens started. He said later, after Mr. 

 Bixck had left, that Fred Smith had no chickens in his 

 place on Dearborn street, but that all his stuff was in the 

 big cold storage warehouse down on Sixteenth street. So 

 the 150 dozen chickens looked dim. At this stage of the 

 game, b P. M. to-day, I left. It was then thought that 

 on Mr. B'lrtree's return from home the search would be 

 made of Smith's place at any rate. Of that I will learn 

 later. Under the circumstances Mr. Smith will probably 

 have been warned before the searchers get there. I see 

 no reason why all the frpezers on South Water street 

 should not be examined, and also certainly the great cold 

 storage houses. Many commission dealers have their 

 stuff in the cold storage houses, and if they were thrown 

 open it is likely that a terrible sight would be shown to 

 sportsmen's eyes. As to the right of search the law pro- 

 tects the warden well, the clause permitting search read- 



ing, "If he have reason' to believe" that illegal game is 

 concealed. He can not be proceeded against. It is safe 

 to say that some of these "reasons for belief" will be 

 sifted before long now. Brusewitz is gone. We've got 

 a warden in Chicago now. Congratulate us. 



Mr, Price, president of the Illinois State Sportsmen's 

 Association, announces his appointments for the ensuing 

 year as follows: Board of Directors, Dr. N. Rowe, Fred. 

 C. Donald, B. B, Organ, 0. S, Burton and F. A. Place; 

 Law Committee, Wolfred N. Low, .John Lyle King and 

 F, S, Baird. 



I should correct the types of last week's paper, which 

 say that Mr. Low is "not at jjresent a member of the 

 Kankakee Association, I wished to say he was not at 

 present a member of the board of directors of that As- 

 sociation. 



An interesting question of insurance comes up. A cer- 

 tain game dealer on South Water street carries $50,000 

 insurance on game the year round. Suppose he burns 

 out in the close season, could he collect? This has been 

 asked here lately. He is wasting his money. A thing 

 illegal does not exist in law. He ought to call in some of 

 his insurance. 



A deplorable affair is reported from Daytoi*, O,, Aug. 

 9, as follows: 



"State Deputy Game Warden L. K. Buntain of this 

 city fatally shot David Mcllvain, who he caught with 

 four others seining in Mad River, near Harshmanville, 

 about midnight. Bimtain had heard that a party had 

 gone up the river to seine contrary to the State law, and 

 at the request of Ben F. Seitner, member of the County 

 Fish and Game Protective Society, accompanied him to 

 the spot, both being disguised. They came upon the 

 party in the act of drawing the seine. A fight ensued, 

 and Mcllvain was shot." 



In the above case the outcome is to be regretted, though 

 the fault was doubtless the victim's, both in doing an 

 illegal act and resisting the legal means of correcting 

 that act. 



Capt. J. W. Eddy, Capt. W. C. De Remer and Mr. 

 James Brooks, last week again proved the virtue of the 

 Dea Plaines River, which runs right at the edge of Chi- 

 cago. They caught 16 bass and H pickerel at Willow 

 Springs, This point can be reached via Alton or Santa 

 Fe Railway. Mrs. Nash has the only stopping place there. 



Warden Buck reports all the fish ways in on Rock River, 

 all in on the Fox River, and all just as good as in on the 

 Kankakee River. 



The Illinois Valley Protective Association will soon be ■« 

 organized, on lines similar to the Fox and Kankakee 

 River associations. The world do move. 



Later, Evening, Aug. 9. — You can get a lot of courtesy 

 and a whole broiled teal at Rector's Restaurant right now 

 for .f 1.50. As I was going home from my office to-night 

 I passed by that corner, and could not resist the tempta- 

 tion to go in and see personally whether, in the face of 

 the late conviction, he would actually continue to seU 

 illegal game. I was alone. The waiter of last night was 

 not at hand, but I found another, and gave him an order 

 for a good supper, of which a broiled blue-wing teal was 

 a part. The latter was listed at (iO cents on the bill of 

 fare, and no discounts off. It came all right. The bird 

 was three-quarters grown. Mistake was not possible. 

 The odor of wild duck is not to be confused with any 

 other, the more especially if the bird be a trifle "high," 

 as this one was. I have killed and eaten too many teal 

 not to know one, though it is not yet certain whether the 

 Justice will accept my unsupported testimony to that 

 effect. There will be a chance for that to be decided, as 

 this case will be brought. I hope that Billy Farmer and 

 his friend will also locate their cases there to night. This 

 ought to cost Mr. Rector .$75 and costs, not less. Is not 

 this proof sufficient that a fine for one bird, a mere com- 

 plimentary fine, is of no avail to stop this nuisance? 

 Ought not the other Kern cases to be prosecuted? Ought 

 not the Boyle cases to be argued for three birds, and the 

 full penalty for each, and ought not the Hotel Richelieu . 

 case, which is yet to be tried, be laid for two birds, and 

 argued for a $50 tine? I say mercy is ill-placed with these 

 men, and to-night I have proved it. If the Illinois State 

 Sportsmen's Association had three men who were willing 

 to get out and do a little steady bustling, it could prove 

 this again and again in the majority of the cases in which 

 action has already been brought. 1 venture to say this: 

 The first fines amount to nothing in the bulk of these 

 cases. 



I must compliment Mr. Rector upon the quality of his 

 service. When I first went in, tirfd and a trifle dusty, 

 the waiter, before I ordered, brought me a glass of water 

 with no ice in it and a section of butter also iceless. He, 

 however, looked at my hat and umbrella and they seemed 

 to please him. When I ordered a good supper, including 

 the teal, his estimate continued to improve. He took 

 away the iceless water and butter and brought a glass of 

 water with ice in it and two "pats" of butter nicely iced 

 and trimmed with parsley branches. I expanded the 

 order yet a little, and presently he whisked away my cup 

 of coft'ee and brought me another. "You'll find this 

 nice and warm, sir," said he. Then he stood and fanned 

 me and kept things in good running order. There were 

 no flies about that table. I never enjoyed a supper more 

 and never gave a waiter a half dollar with greater pleas- 

 ure. He was such a, good, pleasant, revised edition 

 waiter. And besides he was doing me a favor. I should 

 say in passing that two fi-iends who tasted of Mr. Rector's 

 teal, a portion of which was pocketed, agreed unhesita- 

 ingly to its character. Mr. Rector runs a good fence. He 

 says he has teal and he does have teal. 



No other newspaper has collected a jot of evidence in 

 this work here. They may come trailing in after a while. 

 By watching FoBEST and Stream they may be able to 

 get a story about it. I just say this a sort of off hand. 

 News in a newspaper is great stuff', but some papers don't 

 think so. 



Aug. 13. — After so much racket about protecting game, 

 I presume a good many shooters would like to think 

 about shooting a little game for themselves, legally of 

 course. The prairie chicken season will now soon be 

 open, and inquu-ies are constant for good shooting 

 grounds. Unfortunately the bulk of our Western prairie 

 chickens are now reposing in Chicago freezers, or local 

 freezers throughout the shooting country, but I s'nould 

 like to help some gentleman to a day after these fine 

 game birds on their natural cover. I still think north- 

 west Nebraska, north of the North Loup, is the best place 

 to go to, though I have not heard personally from thn 

 season there, the amount of rain, etc. Last year that 



