166 



f^OHEST AND STREAM. 



[SEtar, l*?, 1891. 



bay, not a little concerned as to our record for bluefiah. 

 But at length the deep blue strip betokening a breeze on 

 the sea far to the southwest, began to widen, then spread 

 out toward us, the sails filled, trolling lines stiffened, and 

 quickly we were all busy hauling in large bluefish. 

 Didn't Cleveland look like a winamill in a gale as he 

 stood at the rail working in that monster? Off Beach 

 Haven, seven miles ©ff shore, we caught forty-six blue- 

 fish, averaging about lOlbs. apiece, and several large 

 bonitos. We could tell which we had on soon after they 

 struck, for the bluefish made their fight on the surface, 

 ■while the bonitos never broke water, but swam as deep 

 as possible. We made Barnegat Inlet at 4:30 P. M., and 

 came to anchor just inside the north hook, close to the 

 steep shore. All the party went ashore, some to cast for 

 bass in the Inlet, the boys in search of curiosities, and all 

 to be photographed by Roubaud on an old wreck whose 

 storm-battered ribs, projecting from the sand, offered a 

 picturesque setting for the group of cruisers and their 

 display of fresh-caught fish. Our artist immediately 

 afterward took a picture of the Playful as she lay at 

 anchor near the shore. On board again the party held a 

 meeting on deck and formed themselves into the Newark 

 Cruising Club, with Estelle as commodore, and with the 

 plan of making a cruise eastward next year. At night 

 we were regaled by a brilliant meteoric display, and 

 many a bright ball with its long train of glimmering haze 

 seemed headed for Barnegat Bay. 



Tuesday, Aug. 11.— At daylight, with S. W, wind and 

 outgoing tide, we worked our way slowly out of Barne- 

 gat Inlet, somewhat annoyed by being thrown up on the 

 shore for half an hour. The temperance element in our 

 company were particularly scandalized by the yacht's 

 tendency to tarry at bars, but what more natural place 

 for a "schooner" than at a bar! We have discovered that 

 yachts have a positively immoral tendency, for while our 

 skipper would be lying about her never stopping at bars, 

 suddenly the yacht would lie to! Once outside the inlet, 

 a strong breeze and a boiling sea furnished the requisites 

 for bluefishing. From Barnegat to Sandy Hook the Play- 

 ful bounded like a racer over the high blue waves. Our 

 course was laid 7 miles off shore where the fish were 



Slentiful and very large, and were being pulled in stead- 

 y, sometimes three at once. But this was bonito day. 

 A dozen of these beautiful and gamy fish were caught 

 on our way to the Hook. Among these large bluefish and 

 bonitos the boys who had hitherto caught their share 

 gave up fishing, as they could not j)ull in the big fellows 

 on 200ft. of line, with the boat flying at such a pace 

 through the tumbling surges. 



Reaching Sandy Hook at night the Playful again 

 dropped anchor in the Horseshoe, and the boys again 

 began their sport with the dogfish, sharks and skates in- 

 festing these waters. 



Wednesdayj Aug. At dayhxesk the Playful sailed 

 from the Horseshoe and her course was laid for the Fish- 

 ing Banks, off Seabright, about ten miles S.W. of the 

 Hook, that we might try the flukes, sea bass and also 

 bluefish chumming. Half a dozen large flukes were the 

 only reward of this trip. Chumming is fine sport, especi- 

 ally if you have no nose for macerated bunkers, no eyes 

 to "view the remains as groxind out of the chumming mill, 

 and don't have to lie at anchor at midday on a glassy 

 ground swell. We had all these things, and came near 

 losing our sea legs again on account of them; so got away 

 Boon and gladly from Seabright and headed for Rock- 

 away. 



Again a calm, tugs ran up one after another to offer us 

 a tow, the empty barrels we threw overboard seemed to 

 be gaining on us, and it looked as if our last leg was to 

 be the most tedious of the voyage, when suddenly clouds 

 gathered in the north, a strong breeze set in, the skipper 

 was busy as a hornet in hay time taking in sail, batten- 

 ing hatches and generally getting ready for a blow. 



The gale struck us just as we were off Rockaway Inlet, 

 forcing the Playful ahead at a meixy pace; then came a 

 heavy rain and a thunder storm that flashed and rever- 

 berated all around us, compelling us to heave anchor and 

 lie-to, playing skipjack and souse bucket on deck for half 

 an hour, for none could stay in the cabin. One bolt 

 struck so near us that those who had their hands on the 

 wet masts or spars felt a sharp shock. At length the 

 western sky grew brighter, the wind quickly slackened, 

 anchors were weighed, and on a light breeze we made 

 Hummel's dock at Rockaway at 7 o'clock. 



In eight days we had sailed, log measurement, between 

 three and four hundred miles, mostly from five to eight 

 miles off shore, been on land but two hours, caught over 

 a quarter of a ton of bluefish, bonitos and weakfish, had 

 favorable winds, tides and weather most of the time, and 

 picked up vigor enough to brace us* through another 

 winter, eagerly expecting the day when we may duplicate 

 the rugged pleasures of our first shore cruise. 



From the start to the parting not a word or act had 

 marred the good fellowship of our company. Good oars- 

 men, good swimmers, good anglers, with jokers, jolly 

 fellows all. The expense was only $15.50 per man and 

 one-third the amount for each boy, and those boys must 

 be praised as of rarely good stuff. They picked up material 

 enough for a year's composition at school. In bluefishing 

 we found that the red-cedar squids, fish-shaped, did the 

 best execution, and a bit of scarlet flannel as big as a half- 

 dollar on the hook added to their efficiency. The tarred, 

 close- wound cotton lines we found the best for trolling. 



Newark, n. J. H, F. B. 



A Sheepshead Bonanza. — On her last cruise to the 

 southward the U. S. S. Yantic blew up the remaias of a 

 wreck that lay on the bottom in about eight fathoms of 

 water, with spar attached and reaching above water. 

 Just after the explosion of the dynamite used by Lieut. 

 Richman, who had charge of the work, there were 

 picked up dead floating on the surface of the water by 

 the boat's crew, 109 sheepshead that would average Gibs, 

 each, while the surface of the water was literally covered 

 with sea bass. This took place near Five Fathom Bank, 

 between the bank and Cape May. — Ex. 



Spobtsmen Atiention ! -If yoTi want fine sport and. plenty of 

 feathered game, go to uortliern Iowa. Tbe stiooting is excellent 

 and you cannot fail to enjoy the trip. Or if you desire to go a 

 little further, the prairie and lake region of Minnesota is equally 

 good for both fish anrl game, and the distance not much greater. 

 Both are reached by the Chicago, St. Paul & Kansas Guy Railway, 

 the leading line for sportsmen and tourists between Chicago and 

 the Northwest, as well as the West and Sotithwest, and a favorite 

 route with all wiio iiave traveled over it. Tourist tickets now on 

 sale. For any further information call on or address F. H. Lohd, 

 General Passenger and Ticket Agent, Phenix Building, Chicago, 



ILLINOIS RIVER WORK. 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



Considerable work has been done here in the interests of 

 fishing, which now is becoming the only sport to be had. 

 In former years the sloughs and bayous along the Illinois 

 River, and they are very numerous, were, together with 

 the river, the homes and nesting places for thousands of 

 ducks, geese and other water fowl, and the sportsmen 

 found but little enjoyment in spending a whole day in 

 hunting, owing to the large number of birds they could 

 kill and find no market for. Now this is all changed, and 

 game of all kinds is very scarce, and especially the ducks 

 and geese, and it is seldom that more than a few dozen of 

 these birds can be brought down during the open season 

 by the large number of hunters who go in search of them. 

 As the country becomes more densely populated the less 

 the amount of game of this kind — and in fact all kinds — 

 there is, and the more people there are who hunt them. 

 This is true in any country. Take for instance the 

 Beaver Lake section in Indiana, through which the Kan- 

 kakee River runs for many miles. Ten or twelve years 

 ago wild game of all kinds could be killed by the 

 thousands each fall and spring, but now a few hundred 

 at such times are the result of weeks' hard hunting. 



Now the sport which is more than ever thought of is 

 that of fishing, and from the recent work done along this 

 river to bring illegal netters to justice, or to repent their 

 acts of indiscretion in breaking the law, there is a con- 

 siderable amount of fishing done and the sport is daily 

 becoming greater. The people have awakened to the 

 fact that some means must be adoijted to check the 

 wholesale slaughter of fish, which has been going on 

 for the past few years. 



No one seemed willing to place themselves in the lead 

 to form an association, and to accept the responsibility 

 of incurring the displeasure of the fishermen, more 

 especially the netters, who will stop at nothing when 

 one meddles with them in fishing. 



Mr. O. M, Harlan, one of those gentlemen who are 

 alvvays ready for the furtherance of anything that is 

 for the best interests of the public, took the matter into 

 his own hands and secured the names of tbirty gentle- 

 men of good standing and irreproachable character, in 

 fact the foremost citizens of La Salle, Peru, Utica and 

 Princeton, to become members of an association. 



A meeting was called in this city Wednesday evening, 

 Aug. 12, to form the Illinois Valley Game and Fish Pro- 

 tective Association. The following gentlemen were 

 chosen as directors: Messrs, J. V. Coughlin, N, W, Dan- 

 can, T. Donoghue, N, S. Rigden, W. E. Birkenbeuel, 

 Bedford Fisher, H. L, Watlington, O. M. Harlan, H, 

 Linnig, Sr., J. D. CahiU, J, W. Henshaw, W, G, Reeve 

 and Geo. S. Skinner. A committee, consisting of Messrs. 

 H. L. Corwin, O. M. Harlan and M. D. Green, was ap- 

 pointed to secure the appointment of a deputy State 

 game warden in this city. The needs of a deputy is 

 greatly felt here, as the game is quite scarce and is being 

 indiscriminately killed a month or two before the season. 

 This game is smuggled into the Chicago and St. Louis 

 markets, and there disposed of at a handsome profit. 

 But the formation of this association will, in a great 

 measure, stop much open killing of birds out of season. 



There is little doubt that a strong association wdl be the 

 result, and that the territory covered will reach from 

 Morris to the Copperas Creek dam, a distance by the river 

 of about 200 miles. Seining and netting have been 

 allowed above this Copperas Creek dam with meshes of 

 2in. square; but the fishermen persist in using smaller 

 meshes, and it is the intention of this association now to 

 stop all fishing with nets or seines above that dam, re- 

 gardless of the mesh. The parties who own the land ad- 

 joining the river are becoming disgusted with the fisher- 

 men, who tie their boats to the shore and claim their 

 rights to be the same as the property owners. They are a 

 floating population, owning nothing except probably a 

 cabin boat and nets; therefore, they cannot be termed 

 citizens in the true meaning of the word. 



Another raid has been made on the illegal fishermen, 

 this time at De Pue, The Henry George party of two 

 were caught seining with a l|in, mesh on Sunday, Aug. 

 9. They were brought to Spring Valley, where they were 

 given a hearing on Aug, 13, before Esquire Larmouth, 

 who, not according to the evidence presented, but to the 

 influence of the roughs and tottghs who formed the crowd 

 that represented the fishermen and others who swarmed 

 into the court room, and to whom justice should be dealt 

 out, gave his decision in favor of the defendants. Some 

 of the justice's rulings were good, but he aepmed to ignore 

 the prosecuting evidence, and gave way to the thought of 

 a reappointment to some petty office at a near future. 

 This is the first snag I have met with, and the proof, clear 

 to any man of justice, was for the State. Upon the con- 

 clusion of the trial the State took an appeal, and the men 

 will be given another hearing in the circuit court at 

 Princeton soon. 



The association work now being done is that of secur- 

 ing membership, and Messrs. Reeve, Linnig, Duncan and 

 Harlan, of the association, are a committee to accom- 

 plish it. The following officers were elected: President, 

 W. G. Reeve, Peru; Vice-President, W. E, Birkenbi-uel, 

 La Salle; Si-cretary, H. L, Watlington, La Salle; Treas- 

 urer, H, Ream, Peru. The annual meeting will be held 

 on the fourth Monday in August of each year. 



The association will be governed by by-laws similar to 

 those of the Fox and Kankakee River associations. It 

 will work on the same lines and to the same ends. A 

 membership certificate for one year will be issued upon 

 payment of $3. The membership is as yet small, but the 

 secretary and myself are in receipt of letters from many 

 of the gun and rod clubs along the river and from private 

 individuals in the cities of adjoining counties who wish 

 to have their names placed on the list. The committee 

 are doing well, and in a short time the list will contain 

 over a hundred names. 



Information reaches me to the effect that several of 

 the larger fishermen at De Pue are selling out their effects 

 and will soon go out of the business. Several of these 

 parties have recently been to see me in regard to the pro- 

 posed stopping of netting and seining above the Copperas 

 Creek Dam. I have informed them that such is the in- 

 tention of the new association, and that it was my inten- 

 tion to carry out the wishes of that body. The fisher- 

 men are considerably worked up over the turn of affairs, 

 and say if the law is to the effect that no seining or net- 

 ting is allowed above that point they must either quit 

 altogether or go below the dam, Such ia just what ia 

 wanted, TheBe fishermen are of po ua© to any com- 



munity, and the sooner the river is rid of them the sooner 

 their illegal acts will be over and good fishing with rod 

 and line the result. 



One of the letters received reads: "I want to thank 

 you for your promptness in enforcing the fish laws of our 

 State. The lawlessness in that direction has been a sur- 

 prise to me for years. I have talked to the citizens of 

 Henry about it often, but they seemed afraid to do any- 

 thing for fear of depredations by these lawless fishermen. 

 They had threatened to shoot the former warden, who 

 lived at Lacon, if he came up, and he never came. Now, 

 since you have prosecuted them they seem to respect you. 

 I am very glad you intend stopping all seining and netting 

 above Copperas Creek. There is a great deal of work to 

 be done in the way of prosecutions for violations of the 

 game laws. Chickens are now being shot in many places, 

 hunters claiming that the season commences Aug, 15 

 — some jack-leg lawyer has told them so — when the law 

 explicitly says Sept, 15, I understand the better class of 

 citizens of La Salle are arranging an organization to 

 enforce the law. I do hope they will extent their terri- 

 tory over this way, I am with them," 



This is the spirit in which all write, and shows that tlie 

 better class of citizens, even in the towns remote from the 

 rivers, are taking a deep interest in the enforcement of 

 the so long neglected fish and game laws. 



One of the main purposes of the association is to pro- 

 tect song birds. The source of trouble lies in the small 

 boys, who, armed with rifles, invade fields and woods, 

 killing the birds and endangering the lives of man and 

 beast. One of the most prosperous farmers of this vicin- 

 ity recently called upon me to ascertain what could be 

 done to keep these youthful sportsmen (?) from his prem- 

 ises. They have already shot two of his cows, so badly 

 wounding them as to render them unfit for use, and the 

 owner was obliged to kill them to put them out of their 

 misery and end their suffering. Thinking his last resource 

 was to prohibit trespassing by posting notices to that 

 effect, he did so, with the usual result. The true hunter 

 is compelled to suffer the consequences for the indiscre- 

 tion of the boys by being kept out, Avhile they are in no 

 way at fault for the shooting of animals. 



Report having reached the ears of Fish Warden Schau- 

 lin, of Morris, 111., that certain parties were illegally 

 hunting near Mazon, that gentleman started for that 

 place on Thursday, Aug. 37, and succeeded in arresting 

 Frank Hewitt, of Mazon, who has been entertaining a 

 hunting party of four persons from Chicago. They had 

 been out all day and succeeded in bagging one lone prairie 

 chicken, when Warden Schaulin pounced upon them. 

 Hewitt was brought before Justice Dewey, of Morris, and 

 plead guilty, wherupon he was fined $5 and costs, amount- 

 ing in all to $7.60. This was rather an expensive chicken, 

 but not quite so expensive as the duck that was shot a 

 few days before near Morris, when the same gentleman 

 had the offender arrested and fined $15.50. A few like 

 arrests will have a tendency toward stopping illegal 

 shooting in that vicinity. 



Hewitt was at one time a member of the Momence Gun 

 and Rod Club, and is now a member of the Shabbona Gun 

 and Rod Club, of Seneca, 111. 



M. D. Geeen, Fish Warden. 



La Salt,e, III., Aug. 31. 



CHICAGO AND THE WEST. 



CHICAGO, Sept. 9.— State Warden Buck has made hia 

 trip through the Fox Lake country, warning the 

 natives against ice fishing next winter and posting all the 

 prominent localities about the lakes. He reports small 

 opposition, except from the man Geo. E. Clark, who was 

 visited last winter by the little party of four who started 

 the protest which ended in the law being passed prohibit- 

 ing this ice fishing. Clark says he will fish "all he d — n 

 pleases." I sincerely hope he will. A good example is 

 needed, and he is just the man who ought to furnish it, 

 Let him fish. We will have him fined as surely as he 

 cuts a hole in the ice. The ice law is a beauty. You can 

 enforce it. 



At La Salle, on the Illinois River, a most active and 

 flattering interest is manifesting itself in protective 

 matters. We had the Fox River Association, and then the 

 Kankakee, and now, thanks be to the spirit of the times, 

 we have another, whose field is still larger, and though 

 more difficult, all the better for a few decisive battles. 

 All three of these associations can work together, as well 

 as independently, and will be of the utmost service to 

 each other, Mr, Watlington, secretary, writes to Mr. 

 Mussey, secretary of the Kankakee Association, undet 

 date of Aug, 26, as follows: 



"It is with much pleasure I inform you that our organiza- 

 tion, the Illinois Valley Fish and Game Protective Associa- 

 tioB, was fully organized on last Monday evening. We 

 intend and trust that we shall form a link in the organiza- 

 tions formed for the preservation of game and fish, prosecu- 

 tion of offenders and amendment of the laws so as to enable 

 fish and game wardens to enforce the laws without doubt of 

 danger or suit for damages. We expect to have that section 

 of the law enforced relative to illegal seining or netting 

 above corporate and private dams. This would entirely shut 

 out seming or netting above Copperas Creek Dam and in 

 this vicinity On behalf of our association, I ask the co- 

 operation of your association as well as of those kindred in 

 the State.— H. L. Watlikgton," 



That "corporate dam" clause in the law is the one on 

 which the market seiners hang their hopes. The law in- 

 tended to cut off all seining above Copperas Creek Dam 

 on the Illinois River, and in all the bayous and streams 

 above that dam, thus giving the market fishers a right to 

 all of the Illinois River below the dam, certainly all they 

 ought to claim. They take advantage of the looseness of 

 Section 6 of the law, which permits seining with 2-inch 

 mesh "in navigable rivers wholly in the State," and "not 

 above or beyond any private or corporate dams on said 

 rivers and streams, and also in the navigable bays or 

 lakes connected with such navigable streams, wholly 

 within the State and not extending beyond the over- 

 flowed bottoms of such rivers and streams." Such lan- 

 guage conceals thought, and is a specimen of legislative 

 English. The construction all hangs on that word "also, " 

 The fishermen try to force the construction that, while 

 they cannot seine the Illinois River above a dam, they 

 can seine all the bayous above and below the dam. This 

 ia an absurd construction. It permits them to cut off in 

 the bayous the whole run of the spawning fish. The 

 law never intended that, no matter how puerile or asinine 

 the man who framed the seining compromise for it. 



It wUl be remembered that M, D. Green, the La Salle 

 warden, raided the Woods boys' outfit on Lake Senach- 



