168 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



LSfiPTi 17, 1891, 



OUR TRIP TO THE LITTLE JO MARY. 



"T>ROWNVILLE! Brownville!" The train came to 

 l3 a standstill before the little railroad station Down 

 East, in the State of Maine— the Bl Dorado of Eastern 

 sporfcsm en. All was hurry and bustle, as passengers with 

 bundles alighted from and entered the train, the hearty 

 and. cordial greeting of reunited friends on the one hand 

 making strange contrast with the tearful, tender good- 

 byes and sad farewells on the other. So it ever is, ex- 

 tremes meet, but the pilgrims froQi the old Bay State 

 have no time to indulge sentiment as the morning is 

 well advanced and they are many miles from their des- 

 tination. 



L. M. Gerrish, our head guide and chef, is on band to 

 receive us; and quickly changing our habiliments of civ- 

 ilization for those of the woods at the little country hotel, 

 where all superfluities a,re;ieft until our return, our party, 

 consisting of Harry S. Seely , wife and little boy ; Nat, 

 the writer and his' wife and three guides, together with 

 generous supplies for the inner man and necessary camp 

 duffle, are on their way with two teams to Schoodic 

 Lake, some six miles distant. 



There wo board a rowboat and a canoe. Z. B. Knight, 

 the stalwart veteran boatman, whose residence is near 

 the lake shore, had been engaged to row the party to the 

 upper end of the lake, and right well did he perform the 

 task, rowing the eight miles in something less than two 

 hours. When we pushed off from the shore we left civ- 

 ilization behind, but what a panorama opens out before 

 us on every hand! Bold headlands jutting out into the 

 lake covered with rainbow-tinted foliage, white birches 

 like belated ghosts in broad contrast with the sombre 

 pines, whose extended branches seemed like outstretched 

 arms as if to give us welcome: hilltop and mountain vie- 

 ing with hilltop and mountain until in the dim distance 

 their outlines look like steel engravings, suggesting such 

 "A pomp of scene. 

 The noblest sure that nature in her play 

 Of power e'er shaped." 



An element of danger is the enormous rocky cliffs and 

 botdders whose dangerous heads lie concealed beneath the 

 surface of the water. We came very near to paying sad 

 tribute to their presence by the bow of our heavily laden 

 boat running uijon one, which, but for the presence of 

 mind and skill of our boatman, might have resulted in 

 serious consequences. "Keep still! don't move an inch!" 

 were his words of caution as he put forth his beat effort 

 to keep the boat from drifting around with the wind and 

 capsizing. But the stiff breeze and heavy freight were 

 too much for his strength; and the writer who was sitting 

 in the bow cautiously stepped out upon the boulder, and 

 lift and push, the craft was afloat again. A sharp look- 

 out thereafter prevented a repetition of the thrilling ex- 

 perience. Landing was made soon after midday, a hearty 

 lunch partaken of, and the procession moved onward on 

 its march of a dozen miles along an old tote road, through 

 an unbroken wilderness — a journey we were informed 

 that no lady had ever imdertaken before. 



A staunch team had been provided over which Steve 

 Thomas, a backwoods character if not a genius, held the 

 reins. Words would make but a poor showing, Avere they 

 used as they best might be, in an attempt to give an ade- 

 quate description of the voyage, fnr certainly the vehicle 

 in its tips and downs over stump and boulder, over hillock 

 and slough and rickety corduroy, more nearlj^ resembled 

 a craft on a turlnilent and tempest-tossed ocean than any 

 organization on wheels on terra fir ma. But our jehu 

 was a character; and in addition to his exceeding care in 

 the management of his team, his keen wit, droll humor 

 and skillful repartee kej^t the ladies in a roar of laughter, 

 which, combined with the novelty of the experience, ren- 

 dered this not among tlie least enjoyable features of the 

 trip. On going through an unusually bad piece of road, 

 if there was any that would justify such characterization, 

 one of the horses cast a shoe, which was lost in the mii-e; 

 but the backwoodsman let no such small things disturb 

 his equanimity. The horse liberated from his fellow, the 

 utility box is brought out, and before the lapse of many 

 minutes another shoe has replaced the lost one. 



The afternoon rapidly wears away, and the lengthened 

 shadows warn us that we cannot reach our destination 

 that night, and hurry along as best we may in the gloam- 

 ing we do not reach "Ebeme Lodge," a log camp by the 

 wayside, until 



"Night had let its curtain down 

 And pinned it witli a star." 



Here we camped for the night, and after the fatigue of 

 the day we have no inclination to prolong the evening 

 hour, but are soon lost in refreshing sleep. e had not 

 the forethought to propitiate the weather clerk before 

 retiring, and so awoke in the morning only to find our- 

 selves in a dreary, dismal downpour of rain, that pirom- 

 ised a bar to further progress that day. Our party was 

 made up of those with whom, when on an outing in the 

 woods, "everything goes;" and hence no grumbling or 

 fault-finding was openly indulged in, whatever might 

 have been the inner sentiments. 



Toward midday the rain ceased f&lling, and loading 

 the ladies and dunnage upon a. jumper, as a wagon could 

 go no further, we take our leave of the friendly roof that 

 had furnished us such welcome shelter. The skill and 

 care of the reinsman at all times, and the strength of two 

 guides were many times, called in requisition to keep the 

 craft from capsizing, as it rolled, pitched and tumbled 

 about over knoll and crag: but everything went well 

 until one runner became so firmly wedged in between 

 three boulders that snap went the great cable to which 

 the team was attached, and yet not a part of the jumper 

 broke or gave way, so well was it constructed of green 

 hornbeam, and there was not an iron bolt or brace in the 

 structure. Hastily cutting a sapling for a lever and pry- 

 ing up the runner, the draw chain meanwhile being 

 .toggled, we are again on our way with but a few minutes 

 delay. We reach camp in the early evening and find 

 everything neat and tidy, dispose of a generous supper 

 and are soon lost in pleasant dreams on our beds of fra- 

 grant spruce and hemlock, while a roaring camp-fire 

 blazes high without. 



The fatigues of the previous days contributed to a 

 lengthy morning nap, and we were aroused from our 

 slumbers by the presence of strangers in camp. Turning 

 out and making a hasty toilet, we find the genial Dr. 

 George F. Emerson, of Boston, and guide, in waiting to 

 tender the compliments of then- camp on the Middle Jo 

 Mary, some six miles distant, where some half dozen 

 professional and business men for many years have fol- ' 



lowed Thoreau's example and made their camp on its 

 romantic shores. With kindly forethought, knowing 

 that we would be fatigued after the journey, they brought 

 with them numbers of beautiful trout, that oiir feasting 

 and enjoyment of life in the woods might begin with the 

 first morning. Courtesies that were highly enjoyed by 

 us were frequently exchanged between the camps, and 

 the writer indulges the hope that he may again grasp 

 the friendly hands and share the boundless hospitality of 

 the jolly campers on the Little Jo Mary. 



Going down to the water's edge, we find an oblong lake 

 some four by five miles in extent, surrounded by dense 

 forest growth, with tier upon tier of mountains in the 

 distance, now looming up in the morning sunshine with 

 the summit of Kathadin in the background some twenty 

 miles aw8.y. As we look out upon the scene we realize 

 that— 



"High mountains are a feeling, hut the hum 

 Of human cities torture." 

 What a quiet, restful scene! How we expand our 

 lungs and drink in the health-giving ozone! There in 

 the cove yonder are a mother doe and her full-grown 

 young disporting himself in the water, here within a few 

 rods saunter about a black duck and her brood of duck- 

 lings as proud and unconcerned as if no enemy were 

 near, there a break in the water as some monster trout 

 completes his morning meal. 



Our reverie is disturbed by the advent of a canoe and a 

 cheery voice sings out: "Get aboard, and let us at them." 

 We are soon enjoying the pleasures of the sport, and pro- 

 vide an ample supply for the larder, returning to the 

 water all that could not be used, as it is our rule never to 

 waste. 



The declining sun found us at the water's edge in won- 

 derment at the play of colors in cloud and on mountain 

 top. Streamers of green and gold shot up to the zenith 

 tmtil it seemed as if the dome of heaven was decorated 

 by angel hands, and the mountain tops were clothed in a 

 living, brilliant purple that shaded into darkness with the 

 setting sun. The day ended, we gather arotmd the camp- 

 fire, with trees hoary with age for companions all around 

 us, 



" 'Tis eve, *tis nighty a holy quiet hrooAs 

 O'er the mute world; winds, waters are at peace: 

 The heasts lie couched amid unstirriug woods, 

 The fishes slumber in the sounds and seas, 

 No twit'ring bird sings farewell from the trees." 



The evening wind sings a crescendo through the sru'- 

 rounding forest, and swings its censer of incense breath- 

 ing balsam and pine; and we drop off in blissful, restful 

 slumber until again 



"The vapors rouud the mountains curled 

 Melt into morn and light awalcos the world." 



And SO go days and weeks; and who shall say that we 

 did not regret when the hour of parting came? But stern 

 duty calls, and as if from a gentle reverie aroused we re- 

 turn to the treadmill of every day life, looking forward 

 in fond anticii^ation to the time when we will again 

 make our camp on the Little .Jo Mary. Geo, McAleer. 

 WoHCES'XER, Mass. 



BLACK BASS IN WHITE OAK. 



WHITE OAK CREEK is a beautiful stream of water, 

 clear and cold. It is fed hy manj^ fine springs; it 

 is very rocky, and in places narrow and swift, thus open- 

 ing out into deep, dark pools, the ideal hiding for the 

 wary bass. AVhite Oak rises in Dickson county, Tenn,, 

 runs through Houston county and flows into the 

 Tennessee River. 



It has long been noted for its fine game fish. I don't 

 believe w^e have a better fishing stream in this State; 

 fish ranging from 1 to 7^ lbs. are caught, and they 

 are good fighters, too. White Oak is reached by the L. 

 & N. R. R., Memphis Division. Stewart Station is the 

 place to eet off, then overland four or five miles puts 

 you at White Oak. Teams at Stewart's can be had at 

 reasonable rates. 



White Oak, like a great many of our fine streams, will 

 in a short time be depleted, if it is not protected. Only a 

 few days ago I heard that some parties had been killing 

 great quantities of fish, of all kinds and sizes, by liming 

 the deep holes; they would throw a quantity of un- 

 slacked lime in the water, and it would soon kill every 

 fish in the hole. They secured all they wanted, and 

 hundreds of dead fish floated down the stream, causing 

 a sickening, disgusting sight. I think the parties are 

 known, and will be made an example of. I thought I 

 had heard of all the illegal ways of killing fish, but the 

 lime was a new one to us. Taking fish with hook and 

 line is the only legal way in this State. What we need 

 is the enforcement of the law. 



With seines, nets, traps, gigs, poison and dynamite, in 

 the hands of men who respect neither the laws of God 

 nor man, it is a wonder that our streams have any fish 

 at all. Give the fish a chance, and there will be plenty 

 of sport for all sportsmen, B, 



A MORNING ON THE CASCAPEDIA, 



I MUST tell you about my luck this year on the Cascape- 

 dia. The same as the rest of the anglers, I found the 

 salmonfishing very poor; only killed two fish in the 10 days 

 fishing. But I celebrated the Fourth of July morning in 

 great shape. Had my wife in the boat with me and she 

 was as much excited as I was. I found a spot where I 

 had taken a great many large trout, several weighing 

 from 2 to 81bs., and had a rise, the fish not showing him- 

 self, and could not make out what I was fast to. After 

 a long struggle I succeeded in landing two trout, one 

 weighing 3i and the other 4lbs.— T^lbs. at one cast. I 

 never heard of this being equalled; that is, two fish as 

 large as these at the same time. Went back and in a 

 little while had a grand fellow; came clear out of water 

 for the fly and after a fight of nearly half an hour 1 

 landed him, a trout that weighed 5ilbs. plump. He made 

 the greatest fight of any fish that I ever had hold of, not 

 excepting a salmon. I had 50yds. of line on my reel and 

 he took it all out twice; would come at full speed and 

 jump out of the water higher than your head and start 

 off again in the instant he would strike the water. My 

 guides thought I had a grilse but I knew better. My arm 

 ached when I got through and my little rod was sorely 

 taxed, I can assure you. I got 3(> trout that morning. 

 This was the last fish I had, for afterward it rained very 

 hard and the water became so discolored that the remain- 

 ing few days of my stay there was no fishing. 



W. B, Mershon. 



Cape Cod Notes.— Scup and sea bass made their ap- 

 pearance at Woods Hell in large numbers Sept, 1. A 

 party of four caught 50 scup and 22 sea bass in about two 

 hours, using cut menhaden for bait. On the following 

 day three lines took 135 fish, chiefly scup, with soft clam 

 (3iya arenaria). On Sept, 2 Wdl Goffin caught a blue- 

 fish weighing T-Jlbs,, and on the third the largest of the 

 season, a beautiful ll pound fish, w^as taken on a trailing 

 line with menhaden bait. Several smaller ones were 

 captured in the "hole" on the 4th. The first Spanish 

 mackerel seen here by us during the summer came in 

 from Buzzard's Bay Sept. 3; the largest weighed about 

 6ilbs.— all of the half dozen were prime and beautiful 

 fish, A young dolphin {Coryphcma kiprnirus) strayed 

 into one of the pools at the Fish Commission laboratory, 

 and was captured alive after a long chase. It swam at 

 the surface, frequently darting under the shelter of a 

 patch of floating sea weed, and eluded all eft'orts until 

 a long seine was set around it. The fish is now living in 

 one of the aquaria and has begun to take food. This is 

 the famous dolphin whose changes of color in dying have 

 excited the imagination and stimulated the word painting 

 of the poets. A blue-striped trigger &sh {Balistes vetuld), 

 like the one described and figured in Forest and Stream 

 of Jan. 29, 1891, was received from Buzzard's Bay on 

 Sept. 3 as a present from Capt. I. Spindel. This is ex- 

 tremely rare in the locality and attracted a great deal of 

 notice. It was found to contain the remains of spider 

 crabs.— T. H, B, (Woods Holl, Mass,, Sept. 7). 



A Bio Brule Brook Trotjt. — East Saginaw, Mich., 

 Sept. 13. — A brook trout weighing 4|lbs. was sent to me 

 the other day, caught by a fellow townsman, C. W. Wells, 

 fishing on the Brule River near Duluth. — W. B. M. 



Bluefishing off Fire Island Inlet is now in full swing 

 with the fall run of big fish. Some large strings have 

 been taken. Boats go out from Babylon and Islip. There 

 is no fishing in Great South Bay. 



MYSTERIOUS STOCKING.— EdiUrr Forest and Stream: 

 Except the big catch of suckers noted iu my last, I have 

 heard of little fishing of any kind about here. I have a pond, 

 fed by a spring, made three years ago and never stocked with 

 any fish so far as we knew. We were therefore much sur- 

 prised when some children recently made a large catch of 

 small perch from this pond. "Where got the apple in!-"' 

 [The fish may have been placed in the pond by some one 

 unknown to the owuer, or tlie eggs, which are adhesive, 

 might have been carried ou the legs of wading birds. Fish 

 are often transported long diytauces by wind storms and 

 conveyed by underground water courses. Birds sometimes 

 drop living fish into bodies of water. J 



Menmt 



FIXTU RES. 



DOG SHOWS. 



Sept. 11 to 1«.— Toronto Industrial Exhibition A isoci atioii Tlnrd 

 International Dog Show, ai Toronto. C. A. Si -nc, Sec'y aiiii S>mt. 



Seiit. ;S to 25.— Inaugural International Dos? Show of the Mon- 

 treal ExposicioTi Companv, at Montroa], Canada. Entries close 

 Sent, f*- ■'. S riaberl son, Secretary. 



Sej)i. .'-'o to :.'ti.— Inaugural Show of iho Blue tirasss Keunel Chih, 

 at LexiuRton, Ky. Rogers Williams, See'y. 



Sept. ;w'9 TO Oct. 1.— Third Annual Doa; Show, in conueetion with 

 the Central Canada Fair, at Ottawa, Oul. Alfreri Gcddes, Snpt. 



Dec. 4 to 8.— Sixth Annual Dog Siiow ol! the Northern Iliiuois 

 Poultry aud Pet Stocli A^^soeiatlon, at lloekford, lil. 



Dec. 10 to U.— Inaugural Oog Siiow nt ilie l-'n-eporfc Poultry and 

 Pel Stock Association, at Freeport, III. T. E. Taylor. Sec'y. 



Dec. ;?0 to Jan. 3.— Fourth Annual Dog Show oC the Mohawk 

 Valley Poultry and Kennel Cluh, at Gloyersville, N. Y. F. B. 

 Zitnmer, Sec'y. 



isa-j. 



.Tan. 5 to 9.— Annual Dog Show of the South Carolina Poultry 

 and Pet Stock Association, at Charleston, S. 0. Bccj. Mclnness, 

 Sec'y. 



■Ian. 13 to 16.— Second Annual Dog Show of the South Carolina 

 Kennel Association, at Columbia, S. 0, F. F. Capers, Secretary, 

 Greenville, S. C. 



Feb. 9 to 13.— Fourth Annnal Dog Show of the Mascoutah Ken- 

 nel Club, at Chicago, lU. John L. Lincoln, Jr., Sec'y. 



Feb. 28 to 26.— Sixteenth Annual Dog Show of the Westminster 

 Kennel Cluh, at New York. James Mbrtimfr, Supt. 



IVIarch 1 to 4.— Dog Show of the Philadelphia Kennel Cluh, at 

 Philadelphia, Pa. F. S. Brown, Seo'v. 



March 15 to 18.— Second Annual Dng SHow of the Duquesne 

 Kennel Clnb, at Pittsburgh, Pa. W. B, Littell, Sec'y. 



Aprill to 10.— Seventh Annual DnccShnw of the New England 

 Kennel Club, at Boston. Mass. E. tl. Moore. Sec'y.^ 



Apri 

 fornia 



May „ 



at San Francisco, Cal. H. L. Miller, Sec'y. 



FIELD TRIALS. 



Nov. 2.- Inangural Trials of the ITnited States Field Trial Club, 

 at BickncU, Ind. P. T. Madison, Indiana polin, Ind., Sec'y. 



Nov. in.— Second Annual Trials of the International Field Trial 

 Club, at Chatham, Ont. W. B Well.s, Sec'j'. 



Nov. 10.— Eastern Field Trials Club's Thirteenth Annual Trials, 

 at High Point, N. C. Members' Stake Nov. 13. W. A. Coster, 



^"Ncn'.^is.— Irish Setter Club's Field Trials, at Higli Point, N. C. 

 G. G. Davis, Secretary, Philadelphia, Pa. 



Nov. 23.— Gordon Setter Club's Field Trials, at HigU Point, N. 

 C. L. A. Van Zandt, Secretary, Yonkers, N. Y. 



Nov. 23.— Second Annnal Trials of the National Beagle Club, at 

 Nauuet, Rockland county, N. Y. F. W. Chapman, Sec'y. 



j,{,-,y. 30 —Central Field Trial Club's Third Annual Trials, at 

 LHXington, N. C. C. H. Odell, Sec'y, ii and 46 Wall street. New 



^De"c."l4-^PhiladeIphia Kennel Club's Field Trials. Charles E. 

 Connell, Secretary. 



1893. 



Jan. 10.— Second Annual Trials of the Bexar Field Trial Club, 

 at San Antonio, Texas. G. A. Ohabot, Sec'y. Amateurs only. 



Jan. IS.-Ti lals of the Pacific Field Trial Club, at Bakersfield, 

 Cah J. M. Kilgarif. Sec'y. ^ , „, , 



.—Fourth Aunuil Field Trials of the Southern Field Trials 



Club, at New Albany, Miss. T. M. Brumby, Sec'y. 



HAMILTON DOG SHOW. 



THE inaugural show of this enterprising kennel club 

 which, during the past year, has shown itself well in 

 the lead as far as an endeavor to promote the interests of 

 dog breeding in Hamilton is concerned, was brought to a 

 successful close last Friday. The entries were of excellent 

 quality aud numbered 308, which, considering puppies were 

 barred out, brings it on the level of a 400 dog exhibition. 

 The first thing that struck one when entering the Thistle 

 Rink, where the show was held, was the excellent arrange- 

 ment of the beaching and two rings. Everything seemed 

 to have been provided for, even to stretching wires ove 



