314 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



LOct. 13, IBS^. 



HUNTING RIFLES AGAIN. 



The writer ventures to continue the discussion of cali- 

 bres, though it may be beating over old straw so far as 

 the veterans are concerned. He at least has learned some 

 things, and is quite willing to expose his ignorance again. 

 I objected to the large bores on account of weight, of 

 tearing the game, danger to stock, &c. The observa- 

 tions of Mr. Meyrick seem to effectually dispose of two of 

 these objections. Of course nobody minds a weight of 

 8 or 91bs,, which he declares sufficient for the heavier 

 charges, and the hollow bullet may undoubtedly be less 

 liable to long flights than much smaller solid cones. As 

 to the destruction of the meat X referred chiefly to the 

 blood-shot condition in which a haunch or shoulder re- 

 mains even after the passage of a small bullet, my opinion 

 being that such shots should be avoided with any calibre. 

 But one of the correspondents— I have mislaid the paper 

 and CHunot recall his name — says thatjthe meat wUl not be 

 blood-shot if the animal drops to the shot. That looks 

 reasonable, but I never heard it before. Is it so? 



It seems after all that to get any special advantage 

 from a .45 or .50 calibre one must use the hollow ball. 

 What is the "Keene bullet", by the way? (I am liberal 

 with my ignorance, as wiU. be seen). The .45 solid ball 

 f an only pass through a deer, and as a .38-40 will do that 

 nearly every time, the heavy powder charge comes to 

 nothing, and the difference in diameter of the bullets is 

 certainly of but little moment. A friend of mine here 

 recently shot a small deer in about four different places 

 with a .45-90 solid ball, and then had to cut its throat. On 

 the same trip he shot a large buck through the body, 

 knocking him down, but he afterwards struggled to his 

 feet and escaped, traveling perhaps a mile at a fair gait. 

 On a trip we took together the other day he killed another 

 with the same gun, breaking its neck. But as a .32-20 

 would have done the same nothing is proved. 



On the same trip I tried splitting the bullets of my .38-40. 

 A fair sized buck, shot at rather short range behind the 

 shoulder, ran over a hundred yards before falling. On 

 d ressing him it was found that the bullet had gone through 

 the upper part of the lungs, the split points chipping off 

 and spreading about 2in., while the heel passed through 

 and out on the other side. In theory he ought to have 

 "drapped", but he didn't. Would the result have been 

 different with a .45-90? Only vsdth the hollow bullet, I 

 should say. 



But I am disposed to change my gun and try the heavy 

 chai-ge. I find it weighs about Sf-lbs. , and that a .45-90, 

 single shot can be had of about the same weight. I will 

 try the big chai'ges awhile. I rarely want to shoot any- 

 thing but deer, unless it is hares. Could not a light 

 charge both of powder and lead be used in this carti'idge 

 for that purijose? What should be the proportion, the 

 same as in the heavier charges? What is the twist of 

 that rifle as made by the Winchester Company? I can't 

 get the hang of this twist business, anyhow, there seems 

 to be an infinite variety. 



The thing that chiefly decides me, however, is the tra- 

 jectory of the heavier charge. Elevating your sights is 

 all pretty enough to talk about, but it is usually out of 

 the question in the field with a .38-40. I managed while 

 out last time to wound one deer at something over 200yds. 

 range, and to miss two others at about the same distance. 



I see I have to mix in several questions. They ai"e 

 directed to the fraternity in general, especially to the 

 veterans, who like "J. J. M." and ''Iron Ramrod" speak 

 from experience. They never fail to tell us something 

 worth knowing. Azteo. 



SHOT VELOCITY TESTS. 



Washington, D. C, Oct. 1— Editor Forest and Stream: 

 A few weeks ago there appeared a letter from Capt. 

 Money, in regard to the velocities of shot. The Captain 

 is in error as to the absolute accuracy of the Boulange 

 chronogi-aph when used to measure the time of flight of 

 small shot. While it is considered very accurate for 

 measuring the mean time of flight of a heavy cannon 

 ball, it is only fairly so when the ordinary small arms' 

 conical bullet is used, which owing to their light weight 

 are almost invariably slightly deflected by the wires of 

 the fii-st screen — thus presenting more surface to the 

 direct resistance of the air than the actual diameter of 

 the bullet— but for a short range this is of no great import- 

 ance. The circumstances are quite different, however, 

 when trying to measure the time of flight of a charge of 

 small shot. If a screen be used then we do not know which 

 portion of the charge cuts the wires; if a plate be used 

 several pellets may travel together and thus arrive first, 

 so that their time of flight would not at all represent the 

 time of flight of a single pellet. Many shooters would 

 like to have a reliable table of muzzle A^elocities of shot 

 guns, but I am at a loss to see how they may be arrived 

 at. Neither Mr. Bashforth's nor any other method of 

 calculation will be correct. If we knew the mean velocity 

 of a single pellet, then it would be a simple matter, but 

 the mean velocity of the charge cannot be used to cal- 

 culate the muzzle velocity, for the pellets ti-avel close 

 together for some distance, thus overcoming the resist- 

 ance much better than would a single pellet starting with 

 the same muzzle velocity. 



It would be very interesting if after a thorough dis- 

 cussion, the FoEEST AND STREAM would institute a trial, 

 on some new and fairly accurate method, to find the mean 

 velocities and the muzzle velocities. 



If my memory serves me con-ectly, Prof. Mayer used a 

 chi-onograph of his own, having a vibrating fork and a 

 rotating cylinder; the instrument was carefully tested by 

 an astronomer's clock, the effect of temperature was 

 allowed for— instead, however, of taking the time of flight 

 from the muzxle of the gun to the plate, it was taken 

 from the falling of the hammer; this would of course be 

 quite a different case from Capt. Money's experiments; 

 then again the velocities given were not the velocities at 

 the ranges, hut the mean velocities over the ranges, e., 

 the actual velocity at about half the range. 



Of course we understand that if a single pellet of No. 3 

 and one of BB start with the same velocity, the peUet of 

 BB must arrive lirst at all ranges. But that the charge 

 of smaller shot may have given the remarkable results 

 spoken of is quite possible. A single shot may have 

 greatly increased the average velocity of No. 3 or de- 

 creased the velocity of BB by the difference of a primer 

 or loading; or the gun may have scattered BB badly and 

 perhaps several pellets of No. 3 struck the plate in a 

 bimch: thus having traveled together they increased the 

 average considerably: and again the gun may have been 



so held that the front pellets of No. 3 struck the plate, 

 whereas some of the rear pellets of BB marked the plate. 

 It does not seem to me that the error lies in the chrono- 

 graph so much as in some of the things above mentioned. 

 If we could only get at the separate shots made by Prof. 

 Mayer at the short ranges, we might be able to arrive at 

 the source of the error, Chelan. 



THE LOST PARK BUFFALO. 



Persons interested in the buffalo knew that long after 

 the extinction of the species upon the plains one or two 

 little herds of mountain bison survived, hidden away 

 among the rough fastnesses of the Colorado Peaks, One 

 of these herdj was known as the Lost Park herd, which 

 ranged in Park county, Col. Six or seven years ago there 

 were twenty-nine of these buffalo, but a raid made on 

 them soon after this greatly reduced their numbers. Five 

 years ago, we are told by Mr. T. H, Loomis, two hunters 

 set out to find this herd, and after a couple of weeks' 

 search found them, killing a bull and a cow. Great in- 

 dignation was felt in Colorado over this act, and the Den- 

 ver newspapers were unsparing in their condemnation of 

 it. The papers of last week contained the following 

 Associated Press dispatch: 



Denver, Ool., Oct. 4.— Gordon Land, State Game Warden, who 

 has been with one of the parties which are in purstiit of hunters 

 who have been killing buffalo in Lost Pa.rk, returned here to- 

 day. 



He reported that about half of the lierd of thirty buffalo have 

 been killed and the hunters have not yet been captured by the 

 officers of the law. He savs the settlers near the Park are wild 

 with excitement and have joined in pursuit of the hunters. 



Tlie punishment provided by the law for killing these animals 

 is so very lenient that tlie settlers have determined to take the 

 matter in their own hands and swear that they will kill the hunt- 

 ers if they capture them. 



The details of the affair so far as they have been ob- 

 tained from our Denver correspondent are as follows: 



Gov. Routt and State Game "Warden Gordon Land lately re- 

 ceived I he information that a party of hunters were killing off all 

 the buffalo in Lost Park, a national reservation, in Park county. 

 The news was confirmed by reliable Information from Kenosha, 

 and the two offloial« immediately started off a party from Buffalo 

 Creek in charge of J. P. Lower, of Denver, with John Higginson 

 as a guide, to investigate the charge and arrest the parties, if 

 found. Higginson is an old-timer and well; acquainted witti the 

 country around Lost Park, and it is hoped will be able to locate 

 the vandals. 



Subsequently another party left Denver for Lost Park 

 by way of Kenosha, Efforts have been made to notify 

 all the law officers in the neighborhood of the Park and 

 along the lines of the Denver & Rio Grande and Midland 

 railroads to look out for the scoundrels. 



A dispatch dated Kenosha, Col., Oct. 1, gives fm-ther 

 details of the killing: 



A prospector by the name of Boeher, just in from Lost Park, 

 reports meeting a party of hunters in that place who are slaugh- 

 tering the few remaining bison in the State. He knew one of the 

 hunters named Foley, with whom he had hunted bultalo on the 

 plains years ago, and from him learned that the party consisted 

 of several hunters and two taxidermists, who were to prepare the 

 frames for future mounting, and that they had so far killed 13 

 bison, and it was their intention to remain long enough to load a 

 pack train of 35 or 40 jacks, which they had hired for the occa- 

 sion. Boeher saw evidence of their work, but was unable to 

 locate their camp, but offered to go back with any one and hunt 

 them up. 



On the 3d inst. Game Warden Land returned from 

 Lost Park and reported that his arrangements for the 

 capture of the butTalo butchers were complete, and that 

 he expected before long to take the seven poachers. He 

 has two or three pai-ties out and believes that before long 

 they will find the camp. There is great cmplaint by the 

 warden and by citizens of the State of the leniency of 

 the Colorado law protecting the buffalo. It reads as fol- 

 lows: 



No person shall kill, wound, ensnare or trap any bison or buffalo 

 within the State for the period of ten years from and after the 

 approval of this act. Any person or persons offending against the 

 provisions of this section sliall be deemed guilty of a misde- 

 meanor, and upon conviction thereof, as in proceedings in case of 

 assault and battery, before anyljustice of the ppac, shall be fined 

 in any sum not less than $50 nor niore than $200 for the first 

 offence, and each subsequent offence shall be fined in any sum 

 not less than $50 nor more than $200. and be imprisoned in the 

 county jail not less than thiriy nor more than ninety days. * * 

 * One-half of the fine inall such cases shall be paid to the person 

 informing against such oB'ender and the other half of said fine 

 shall go to the school fund of the county wliere such fine is col- 

 lected. 



The Denver RepuhUcan says on this subject: 

 The herd in Lost Park is probably tlie largest now running wild 

 in the United States, outai'^e the Yellowstone National Park. It 

 consists of about twenty-five mature animals, which have been 

 slowly increasing, as evidenced by the number of calves seen dur- 

 ing the past summer. If, as reported, these hunters have already 

 killed thirteen, they have, no doubt, made the species almost ex- 

 tinct, as numbers would be wounded and wander away and die. 



Lost Park was set aside as a national reservation, bttt no pro- 

 vision has been made for protecting the gome in it from such men 

 as these hunters appear to be. Four years ago a buffalo was killed 

 there and the authorities endeavored tor weeks to catch the 

 offender, but failed to do so. He was supposed to be an Eastern 

 man. 



Big Park, comprising aboitt 100,000 acres in Rio Blanco and Gar- 

 field counties, has also been set aside as a national reservation, 

 but its limits have not been accurately defined. Depredations 

 against protected game there have been so common that as ii last 

 refuge a petition has been placed in circulation to send troops 

 from Fnrt Logan there to secure federal protection. This petition 

 has received the signature of nearly every promiuent man in the 

 State. Should this petition be favorably considered at Washing- 

 ton the governor could use his influence to send a company of 

 soldiers to Lost Park. 



Governor Routt says it is his intention to make such an example 

 of the men now devastating the Lost Park herd'ithat will be an ef- 

 fectual warning to such vandals in the future. Game Warden 

 Land is taking the deepest interest in the case and will use all the 

 power and authority of his office to pnnish the men. 



NORTH DAKOTA GAME. 



Cando, N. D,, Oct. 4. — Game has never been so plenty 

 in this section as it is now and has been all the fall. 

 Prairie shooting has been very good, on both pinnated 

 and sharptail grouse, about equally divided. In the 

 Moose River country, sixty miles west of here, I know of 

 two men shooting 135 in one day, and another of three 

 men bagging 250 in two and one-half days. Ducks are 

 everywhere, all varieties known to be in this faunal 

 area'being represented. O wing to there being so much 

 water they are scattered, and no unusually large flocks 

 are seen, as was the case a year ago. Canada geese are 

 quite common but very wary. Snow geese are now 

 flying in some numbers, but the main flight is not ex- 

 pected until about the lOth. The flrst flock seen this 

 year- was about ten days earher than has been noted the 

 past three years. A few white-fronted and Hutchin's 

 geese have also been seen, and a few swan. Crane did 

 not fly in such large numbers as usual, and have gone on 

 south. Pinnated grouse are also flocking for the south- 

 ward inovement, E, T, J, 



THE YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK. 



REPORT OF THE SUPERINTENDENT. 



Department of the Interior, Office of Superinten- 

 dent of Yellowstone National Park, Mammoth Hot 

 Springs, Wyo., August 15, 1893. — Sir: Complying with 

 your request of the 31st ultimo, I respectfully submit the 

 following report of operations and events in the Yellow- 

 stone National Park during the past year. 



The tourist season, that opened so well in June, 1891, 

 fell off greatly in July, probably owing to the long cou' 

 tinned wet weather. Rains occurred almost daily until 

 July 15, and many people were deterred from entering 

 the park by cold and wet and the condition of the roads 

 incident thereto. In August the records show an increase 

 of travel again, but this was partly due to several large 

 excursion parties. The season continued good until 

 about the 30th of September, when an early fall of snow 

 abruptly terminated travel. 



The winter was very severe and much snow fell; a 

 backward spring made it almost impossible to open the 

 park at the advertised time— Jime 1. 



The roads were very bad from washouts and mud, and 

 several coaches were overturned, but fortunately with no 

 serious results. All the new road from the Canyon to the 

 Upper Basin, via the lake, was impassable, and I was 

 obliged to put on a large force to open it. 



That road was completed last autumn, about the close 

 of the season, and was not well settled when the snow 

 fell. In consequence it washed badly and became very 

 boggy when the snow melted. It is one of the most 

 picturesque drives in the park and will become very pop- 

 ular. By its use all doubling of route is avoided, except 

 between here and Norris. To derive from it the fullest 

 and greatest advantage, a new hotel on the site of the 

 present one at the Upper Basin is an essential. As the 

 law stands that site is forbidden, and were it not so, I 

 don't believe the necessary capital can be obtained to 

 erect it under existing conditions. 



This spring the June travel was good, with a slight 

 falling off in Jaly, and an xrpward tendency again in 

 August. I doubt not many people are waiting to make 

 this trip in conjunction with a visit to the World's Fair 

 in 1893. 



BOUNDARY LINES OF THE PARK. 



The subject of park boundaries has long been in agita- 

 tation. As now fixed by the President's proclamation of 

 last year, they seem to be thoroughly satisfactory. There 

 is little or no wealth, vegetable or mineral, within the 

 park limits, and nothing that should tempt man's cupid- 

 ity. Oq the west, the boundary should be made coinci- 

 cident with the Wyoming line. On the south, the new 

 addition takes in one of the best game preserves in the 

 world, and it should be permanently retained and pro- 

 tected. 



On the east the addition may include mineral deposits 

 on the head of the Stinking Water. If so, a modification 

 of this line might be made, so as to throw the mineral belt 

 outside the park. The more recent reports, however, in- 

 dicate very little wealth in this section. 



Continued observation has convinced me that the north 

 line should remain exactly where it is. To cut off' all 

 down to the AVyoming line would allow very undesirable i 

 settlements in the vallej'- of the Gardiner within two i 

 miles of this place, and destroy the great mountain sheep, i 

 elk and antelope range on Mount Everts. To make the i 

 Yellowstone, Lamar, and Soda Butte rivers the line ! 

 would be to destroy 25 and perhaps 50 per cent, of the I 

 game in the park, as this valley is their most extended i 

 winter range. 



If access to Cooke City by rail is imperative, I believe 

 it will be had from the east or north, without crossing or^ 

 interfering with the park. If a line through the park is 

 essential, then a right of way confined to the north bank 

 of the streams is unquestionably preferable to a cut-off . 

 Should liberal appropriations be made for the construc- 

 tion of roads in the park, I advise that enough of it be 

 used on the Cooke City road to put it in the condition ot 

 a first-class commercial thoroughfare. This, I believe,, 

 will quiet the agitation that has been; going on for soj 

 many years. . j 



PROTECTION OF FORESTS. - ,| 



Since my last report there have been a great many fires i 

 started within the park, but by great good fortune all 

 have been extinguished before any damage has been J 

 done. A ceaseless and numerous system of jjatrols has. 

 found men ever present to extinguish fires before they 

 have obtained headway. One south of Shoshone Lake 

 this present month assumed greater proportions than any 

 previotis one, and was extinguished with difficulty, but 

 it was kept confined to fallen, dead timber, and really 

 did no damage. 



Many of these fires are set by lightning, but some are 

 the work of careless campers. In these cases I exact a 

 rigid enforcement of the regulations, and expulsion in- 

 evitably follows detection. 



OUTPOSTS IN THE PARK. , 



I have continued the same system of outposts that 

 proved effective last year, and added to it one at the 

 Thumb, and have established one near the south boun- 

 dary, on Polecat Creek, that I shall occupy when the 

 hunting season opens. This one I shall keep garrisoned 

 by a dismounted party, with snowshoes, all winter. I 

 fully realize that poaching in that vicinity needs in- 

 creased attention, and I shall look to it the coming fall. 



MILITAEY QUARTERS. 



The new post, on the plateau facing the Mammoth Plot 

 Springs Hotel, was occupied last autumn after the close 

 of the season. A system of water sitpply and sewerage, 

 has just been completed, and small works of improve- 

 ment are constantly going forward. The post makes a 

 sightly and attractive addition to the place. Another 

 company in garrison is much needed. The single cavalry 

 troop here is kept constantly occupied with its patrol 

 work. A company of infantry should be added, from 

 which details could be made to watch the "formations'' 

 and occupy the outposts in winter with snowshoe parties. 



I asked of the War Department an allottment sufficieiM 

 to add accommodations tor another company, and it wa9 

 disapproved on the ground that there was not moneyj 

 enough available. In view of the great necessity for 

 this extra company, I venture to suggest that barracks, 

 kitchen, and outhouses for an infantry company, and 

 stables for quartermasters animals be added now, and' 

 the balance of the buildings be added afterwards. I 



