468 



FOREST AlsrtD STREAM. 



PATTERN AND PENETRATION. 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



Some recent experiments conducted bj me, showed 

 that when two shells were loaded (one with black and 

 the other with nitro powder), so as to be equal in panetra- 

 lion,the nitro powder made a considerably closer pattern. 

 This result is accounted for by the theory that with the 

 nitro powder there was less pressure against the charge, 

 at the time it left the muzzle of the gun, than with the 

 black powder. It is doubtless a fact that the nitro pow- 

 der did not make so large a volume of gas as the black, 

 but made it instantaneously, and from the time the 

 charge began to move, the pressure began to decrease, 

 owing to increased room for expansion, and the absorp- 

 tion of heat by the gun barrel, while the black powder, 

 no doubt continued to burn and generate gas during the 

 entire passage of the charge from breech to muzzle, and 

 if the generation of gas were more rapid than the in- 

 crease of room for expansion, the pressure was greater at 

 the final exit of the charge than at any other time. The 

 theory that the pattern is very much modified by the 

 pressure at the instant the charge leaves the gun, is sup- 

 ported by the well-known fact that heavy charges of 

 powder make the shot scatter, and the scattering is partly 

 caused by the rear shot pushing against the forward ones, 

 and glancing aside from them, after they are no longer 

 confined by the sides of the barrel. If the preesure 

 ceased entirely before the charge reached the muzzle, 

 and there was no friction between the shot and the sides 

 of the barrel, would they scatter at allV No doubt they 

 would for so long as they remained in a body they would 

 compress the air in front of them, and finding less re- 

 sistance at the sides would glance away from the com- 

 pressed air in front. Can you cite me to any pressure 

 tests, where pressure gauges were used both at the breech 

 and near the muzzle, and if so, what difference in pres- 

 sure was noted? Is it supposed that the shot thrown from 

 a choke-bored gun cross their lines of flight'/ That is 

 would the pellets that came out along the right-hand side 

 of the barrel be found at the left-hand side of the pattern 

 and vica versa? It is well-known that the diff erent pel- 

 lets of a charge are thrown with irregular force. Some 

 will barely bury themselves in a board while other will 

 penetrate it a quarter of an inch. What part of the 

 charge did the weak pellets occupy and why did they not 

 travel as fast as the others when they all left the gun 

 with the same velocity? While writing the quertion it 

 occurs to me that it may be caused, if there is high pres- 

 sure at the muzzle of the gun, by the rear pellets pushing 

 against the front ones so as to impart a part of their force 

 to the front ones and lose a corresponding portion of their 

 own. This, however, is not in accordance with the theory 

 that the rear pellets glance aside from the front ones, for 

 in that case the weak pellets would be found around the 

 outside of the pattern, when as a fact they are found all 

 through it. O. H. Hampton. 



Wtlliamsbitrg, Ind. 



BOSTON AND MAINE. 



Got. W. E. RDSSBLt. is a successful sportsman, as well 

 as a politician who cannot be beaten. As soon as the 

 recent exciting campaign in the Bay State was over, and 

 it was known that the Governor had run many thousand 

 ahead of his ticket and was elected for the third time, he 

 hies himself down to Maine for rest and recuperation. 

 The Governor, with Gan. Dalton and Col. Harry Has- 

 tings, has been spending a few days at Col. .John E. 

 Thayer's new camps at B. Pond, a few miles from Um- 

 bagog Lake. Did the Governor shoot a deer? is the ques- 

 tion. If he did not he has the credit of it all the same. 



Speaking of the increase in deer in Maine, Commis- 

 sioner Henry C. Stanley says that it is a perfect wonder. 

 He never begun to see them so plenty. His son, while 

 out hunting one day this fall, actually near the village 

 of Dixfield, shot one and saw eight or nine others. 



Things are frequently put on ice, and more especially 

 those nice pieces of venison that are coming from Maine 

 now and then; the kind donations of friends. But 

 other things get on ice. Our friend B. (he would be 

 chagrined if I should give his full name to tne For- 

 est AND Steeam) left some of his wearing apparel at 

 camp last fail. The other day he wrote a letter to his 

 guide, who was going up to see if matters were all right, 

 to send so and so out to him by express. In duesea-on 

 the express brought a package. The boys in the office 

 of a friend in Boston (B, lives over in Cambridge) saw 

 where the package came from. It looked like venison, 

 it smelled like venison, and there was some blood, or 

 what looked like blood, on the package. At once they 

 carried the package to a restaurant and asked privilege 

 of putting it on ice till B. came over. Soon the owner 

 came, in answer to the telephone. The package was 

 brought and opened. It containea a pair of B.'s boots. 



B )Ston Thanksgiving gunners did not have remarkable 

 luck, so far as reported. The day was fine enough, but 

 somehow the best of the shooting in this State has been 

 absorbed, and Thanksgiving did not yield a great many 

 birds, Quail shooting, though pretty fair in some sec- 

 tions at the opening of the season, seems to have been 

 pretty badly run over, or at least so the Thanksgiving 

 gunners report. S3me of the Chamber of Commerce 

 boys were out, but they do not mention a respectable bag 

 in a single instance. T.. W. DePae?, assistant secretary 

 of that institution, and Mr. Mackintosh, doorkeeper, 

 planned a shooting trip over to Canton. They enlisted 

 the sympathies of E. M. Gillam, of the Boston Advertiser, 

 with his celebrated dog, but they brought back no birds, 

 though havintf several very poor shots at grouse. 



Mr. A. \j. Finney, with Henry Savage of the cotton 

 tr.ade, and his friend Mr. P. W. GifFo'd, with Mitcbel 

 Wing of soap fame, have been down to Eist Sandwich on 

 a hunt, and they have had an excellent time with much 

 good sport. East S-andwich lies on Cape Cod, between 

 Sandwich and Barnstable, and it is a good location for 

 shooting : that is, if one has permission to shoot. It 

 seems that of late years gunning has become such a nuis- 

 ance to the residents and farmers of East Sandwich that 

 many of them have posted their lands, and have generally 

 kept hunters away. This has been very favorable to the 

 multiplication of quail and other game. Now it happens 

 that Mr. Mitchel Wing's father owns a farm of 160 acres 

 in about the best shooting section of that town, and Mr. 

 Gilford and Mr. Finney received an invitation to shoot 

 there. They were quartered at the farmhouse for nearly 

 two weeks. They had good dogs and the quail shooting 

 was " simply fine." they say. The first day out they got 



only one. not being " on to " the hunting in that section. 

 But each day after, that they tried for quail, they got 

 from five to fifteen birds. The duck shooting was fine 

 also. There are numerous creeks there into which the 

 ducks come to feed. They got black ducks simply by ly- 

 ing in ambush near these G>-Poks and bays, shooting some 

 very fine birds— one, Mr. Fmney says, was the heaviest 

 black duck he ever saw. Tney also obtained almost ev- 

 ery sort of saltwater duck to be obtained at this «eas3n of 

 the year. They even bagged green-winged teal: though 

 unusually late for those birds. But the game that sur- 

 prised them the most was the foxps. They actually ran 

 on to'" five of these fellows at different timps during their 

 stay. The farmers say that foxes are increasing very 

 rapidly there, and are becoming a great pest; so much so 

 that they are obliged to resorc to trapping them. The 

 hunters were not armed with rifles, and the foxes were 

 careful to keep out of shotgun range, especially loaded 

 with bird shot. Mr. Frnney says that when he goes again 

 he shall take a couple of hounds and a rifle along. The 

 inhabitants tell him good stories of driving foxes down 

 on to sandy points and shooting them. Special. 



NEW YORK ASSOCIATION. 



At the Syracuse meeting of the executive committee, 

 the delegates re^jorted on tlie working of the present law 

 in their localities, the game protectors, and game and fish 

 interests, Some of these reports were given last week; 

 others follow: 



Leather Stocking Game Club, 



G. P. Mattison, of Oswego — For over forty years I 

 have taken a great deal of interest in the protection of 

 fish and game. I have studied the game laws up to the 

 present time, and in our section, in the locality of Oswego, 

 the present working of the game law is very satisfactory. 

 We have had for the past twelve months more protection 

 than ever before, and our game protector is doing good 

 work, but there is a great deal more for him to do. A 

 good deal has been said about amending the game law. 

 I think that since the game law has been understood in 

 this State it has done excellent service, and I do not ap- 

 prove of amending it. Ic has been amended and worked 

 over until I fear that th^ gentleman who introduced the 

 law would not recognize it. We have all the protection 

 we need, and I would not be in favor of offering an 

 amendment to the present law. I do not think that I 

 would be in favor, as is my friend from Lyonp, of making 

 the season closed from Jan. 1. The open season should 

 commence early in November and close about the first of 

 February. If the protectors of this State would see to 

 enforcing such an amendment, of course I would be in 

 favor of it, but it is of minor importance in my opinion. 



Our protector has done marvelous work. He has prose- 

 cuted some cases, convicted some offenders and collected 

 some fines. I sincerely believe in the prosecution of 

 violators, and making them pay a fine. 



My friend Mowry claims for the Onondaga Sportsmen's 

 Club the honor of doing the most work toward the pro- 

 tection of the game and fish in this State, or at least in 

 this part of the State. White I have alwavs had a great 

 regard for his advice, yet I beg leave to difl'er. Our club 

 was organized in 1800 and we protected game and fish long 

 before his club was organized. I myself have been to a 

 great deal of expense to have the fish and game laws 

 printed and given to the people who were interested in 

 hunting and fishing, so that they might know just what 

 the law was, and thus protect the game and fish. I am 

 willing that the Onondaga Club should have its share of 

 the credit, but I am not willing that they should go 

 ahead of us. But for all we have done much, still we 

 are going to keep on doing more. I do not think that we 

 want any more amendments, but only live up to the laws 

 we have and see that they are enforced. 



Honeoye Falls Anglers' Association. 



Aaeon JIather, of Canandaigua^ — As I do more fishing 

 than hunting, I shall speak more particularly of the fish- 

 ing. Most of my fishing is done in Hemlock Lake, 

 They commence fishing there as soon as the ice is out 

 of the lake. The fi-^hing is very extensive, and if the 

 lake was properly looked after and this early fishing 

 stopped we would have much better results, I avoided 

 taking a bass out of the lake this year. Nets are set 

 there and more protection is needed along this line. We 

 have been catching a good many pickerel there, but 

 these shotild also be more protected. 



In regard to public sentiment there, the greater part of 

 the citizens are in favor of game protection, especially 

 on rabbits. As for the protector's work, there are four 

 lakes along in a chain and the protector cannot look 

 after all of them. 



Cheaper Fish Food Association. 



F. J. Amsden, of Rochester— All that the Rochester 

 Club has done in the line of work has come from the 

 Syracuse clubs to us. We work up new organizations. 

 We have started several, at Albion and other places. 

 These organizations are determined to stop illegal fishing 

 and shooting. The State organization has helped us by 

 giving its strength and encouragement in this direction, 

 and I believe it has an interest in us. I indorse what one 

 of the speakers before me said in regard to the import- 

 ance of prohibiting the transportation of birds from one 

 county to another. 



Public sentiment with us is growing. I want to say 

 this for our game protector, Mr. Swartz, that he has been 

 a fearless protector. He has done his work constantly, 

 and in our fishing community there has not been so much 

 fishing in years as there is to-day. 



Seth Green Club. 



F.J. Benton, of Penn Yan— I have fished and shot 

 from my boyhood up. I am very much interested in the 

 locality of Keuka Lake. I have lived there and been 

 proprietor of a hotel for forty years, and I am one of 

 the oldest sportsmen in the county. For the first twenty- 

 three years that I lived there it was no trouble for an 

 amateur to catch before breakfast, one. two or three 

 dozen pickerel. One morning fifteen fishermen went out 

 from my hotel, and when they came in to breakfast they 

 had 175 salmon trout. Some weighed 12 and some 161bs 



Keuka Lake is a great lake for trout. I know of trout 

 being caught that weighed 291bs. Ten years ago they 

 ran from 15 to 161bs., and last season 13lbs., and thisyear 

 le^lbs. Ten years ago the average fish weighed lOlbs 

 while this year the average fish caught did not weigh 



31bs. After the death of Mr. Parish we had no prote c'or 

 and have had none since until the State appointed one, 



I have notified Game Protector Sheridan time and time 

 again of npt« being laid in the lake. I have lain nigh(s 

 and watched people set nets, and given him notice, but it 

 was of no use. I have gone myself and taken seven and 

 ten nct.^. People in former years would come and stop 

 at the hotel and hire some one to row them around for a 

 couple of hours and give them five dollars. Then likely 

 enough when they got back they would be so well pleased 

 that hey would give them another five. We could get 

 no protection on the lake. We finally went to work with 

 the Fish Commissioner. We called on Mr. Pond and he 

 came up to our lake. I introduced him to the parties of 

 the steamboat line, and the business men of the town and 

 people that would be interested. He wanted to know 

 what our game constable was. I said, "There is his gin 

 mill." That man has got that lake too dead to bury. 



He has cases there that he cannot prosecute. I am a 

 delegate here to obtain your help in the matter. A great 

 many people came there and formed themselves into a 

 club, and own a club house, and they come there and fish 

 for ten days and two weeks and never catch a trout. I 

 am sent here from the Seth Green Gun Club as a dele- 

 gate. We want more protpction. 



Before I go home, I would like to offer an amendment 

 for the protection of birds. I would suggest the op-^ning 

 and closing of all shooting for birds at the same time. 



Onondaga Anglers' Association. 



Walter S. MacGeegor (in Mr. Loftie'd absence)— In 

 regard to the local protector, Mr. Hawn, I have this to 

 say. Mr. Hawn has made an admirable protector. He 

 has been fearless and indefatigable in his efforts to sup 

 press all illegal fishing in this community. In the short 

 time since he was appointed protector, by his fearlessness 

 he has largely conquered the depredators on Oneida Lake, 

 He has captured a large number of the nets and caught 

 men in the act of using them; and has successfully prose- 

 cuted the depredators; and in that short period has so 

 changed public sentiment that, while at first he worked 

 at the paril of his life, to day he has substantially driven 

 out of the lake all the nets, and has caused many of the 

 former depredators to cease and become honest citizens 

 and gentlemen. The larger part of the information he 

 has received of violations of the law omes from men 

 who were once engaged in this business, but who now 

 heartily aid him in his efforts to suppress all illegal fish- 

 ing. Mr. Hawn was the first agent of the Anglers' 

 Association to do its work, and that work was so efii 

 ciently done that we x-ecommend him for an appointment 

 to the Commissioners as a protector for this district. The 

 record he has made entitles him to high honor and re- 

 spect, and we congratulate the Commissioners and the 

 Anglers' Association that so wise a choice was made, and 

 that he has proved to be what we claimed. In regard to 

 Mr, Jackson, I have this to say, he has captured a great 

 many nets in the past two years, and has caught a great 

 many persons in the illegal use of nets, and has prose- 

 cuted them and either recovered or forced judgment set- 

 tlements to be made. With the exception of one or two 

 summer resorts on Onondaga Lake, which pprsist in vio- 

 lating the laws by using nets to supply their table.*? with 

 fish, the law upon Onondaga Lake is well enforced. I 

 have this to say, that as the result of labors of the 

 Anglers' Association and through its agencies, the fishing 

 upon Onondaga Lake for the past two and three years bat 

 been vastly increased, so that almost anybody who goes 

 there now to fish acknowledges that more fish and larger 

 fish have been caught in the past few seasons than for 

 years past, and a public sentiment has been created that 

 the work has been good work and has brought golden 

 fruits. 



I hear gentlemen complain that they get no protection 

 in their vicinity. I wish to say to you, Mr. Chairman, 

 that if the shooters wish to see more game in their com- 

 munity they must organiza to assist the protector by giv 

 ing him information of violations of the law and by see- 

 ing to it that the oflVnders are prosecuted. The tlTort^ 

 of the Anglers' Association have been to aid the protector 

 with their own funds by securing evidence of illegal 

 fishing, catching the men, and prosecuting them strongly 

 and fearlessly without regard to social or business posi- 

 tion. 



It has been unfortunately true for years that the State 

 Association has devoted its time and money not to pro- 

 tection, but simply to trap-shooting, and nothing was 

 done to preserve the game* and fish in this Slate; but, I 

 tell you gentlemen, the time has come when we must be 

 united and organized to preserve both game and fish. 



I desire to call your attention to another matter. There 

 has been a sentiment throughout the country against per- 

 sons or associations acquiring exclusive rights of hunting 

 and fishing, and I believe it is the duty of this associa- 

 tion to correct this false impression and sentiment, 

 Streams cannot be stocked with fish except by the efforts 

 of individuals and club?, which provide funds for that! 

 purpose, and when they have spent that money to pre- 

 serve the game and fish they are entitled to enjiy it and 

 keep it protected. A private club acquiring the exclusive 

 right to fish and game upon a stream and which stocks it 

 with fish, not only benefits itself but the whole commu- 

 nity through the entire course of the stream and ite 

 branches, because the fish so planted do not all stay 

 within the preserve, but settle down through the whole 

 stream and its branches, so that everybody who has a 

 right to fish on that stream or upon any portion of thf 

 stream not preserved receives the benefits. If you have 

 ever observed the reports in the sporting journals for the 

 past two or three years you will have observed that there 

 has been a great increase reported both in quality and sizt 

 of fish caught, and this is proof positive of the benefits 

 received through the clubs. 



In regard to prosecutions in a great many communitief. 

 the people have not come to see the importance of pre, 

 serving our game and food fish and are reluctant to con- 

 vict offenders in criminal prosecutions. I would advis^ 

 private persons and associations therefore not to rely ou 

 criminal proceedings, but to brine civil actions to re< 

 cover penalties against the violators, force to judgment 

 and press to collect. Gat judgments against the partie;^ 

 for a full amount of the damage and costs and get then 

 to pay you right then. Do not depend too much upor 

 your district attorneys; they are as a rule politicians whc 

 care nothing for protection of game and fish ; but organ- 

 ize in your community, secure evidence, make oflendeir| 

 pay the penalty and bo aid your State authorities, ' 



