8 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



[Jan. 5, 1893, 



CHICAGO AND THE WEST. 



. . [From a Staff Correspondent.] 

 Chicago, 111., Dec. 24.— Mr. J. F. Eandall, of Alton. 

 III., writes me tmder date of Dec. 16 a letter of great in- 

 terest to shooters of this and other sections of the country. 

 It is very gratifying to hear of the success of Mr. Randall 

 and liis friends with the Mongolian pheasants thus far. 

 and their ultimate success would be a triumph for the 

 whole State. Every experiment of this :kind makes all 

 game birds, imported or local, creatures of more import- 

 ance, more consideration and value in the minds of the 

 shooters who have so long held the native birds so lightly. 

 Thei-efore, each experiment of the sort ma,kes easier the 

 frainiiig and enforcement of proper laws for both the im- 

 ported and the local birds, and so renders the cause of 

 sportsiuaiisMp moral and practical help. Mr, EandalVs 

 letter is as follows: 



It may interest jow to laiow that tbi-oug»-h the kindness of .Turls'e 

 B. H. Greene and the eflk-ient service of Mr. R. B. Hiljbe of McMiuu- 

 vilie, Oi'e., we have secured a small consignment of Mongolian 

 pheastwits. A pair of old bn-ds and a bi'ood of this year's chicles were 

 collected for us by 3Ir. Hibbe during the summer. 'with the intention 

 of keeping them until strong enough to bear transportution. There 

 were sixteen of them, but they are slippery things, and some of them 

 got away just before the time of sliipment. ' Eleven were finaUy crated 

 and shipped— four cocks and seven iicns- -and of the eleven wo i'eceived 

 tan in fairly good condition. Considering the length oT tlio journey 

 ■we think this a vei-y favorable record for both the shipper and the 

 Express Uo. We did uot buy them just to look at. but intend to give 

 them a good, careful trial, to see if by propaeation a hue game bird 

 cannot be added to our duniiiishing supply. If others are trying the 

 same experiment we should be glad to exchange experiences. 



\V e have the birds in confinement ou our preserve about nine miles 

 from Alton, placing them in large and high basement under a bai'n 

 standing on a hillside, open to the south, bottom of basement being on 

 a level with a rear yard fenced ten feet liigh and covered with wire net. 

 As a protection a.gainst vermin we placed .swnigrng pprches hung on 

 wires, but the birds are not inclined to --roost liigli.'' preferring to 

 huddle in a brush pile and a pine top wluch are placed in the back 

 coriier. Here we intend to keep them until April, when we shall give 

 them the chance to pick for themselves. When received they were 

 a little battered about the heads, but are now in inV-i- -^Ilipm fpedhiu- 

 well and growing. They want of course plenf ■ - ' i i li , i • <i^m\ 

 and gravel. Up to tlie present they have not ■ : r^at 



corn bk-ds, btit take well to wheat and other s;j;. i - , n h - , ^ innd 

 of cabbage. Apples arc highly spoken of as a, reed, imi, dolliir and a 

 half a bushel has taken all the apples out of that section, ami we have 

 only had a few windfails. gathered iu from ueighborme- farmers. 



Our preserve is a beautiful piece of country, being 'in the valley of 

 the Piaso,.a delightful complex of bluff and winding valley, high 

 prairie and low bottom. weU timbered hills and in parts thickets that 

 would fairly balk a fox or a weasel. Here one of our party owns a 

 340-acre piece, and we have secured the exclusive privilege 'of alir.ut 

 1,000 acres of ad.-joining lands up and down the valley. Tlie ncighlim-. 

 ing farmers are all interested aud gi\'e us tlieir hearty co-o|ipratioii in 

 protecting the birds, and we hope to s(>cure .all neeessar.y pj-otf>cf ivi^ 

 legislation this winter. 



Our "club" is only mi informal association of friends as follows: JI. 

 J. IBowman. of Alton: E. W. Bowman, ffeo. K. Hopkins. .1. Uruni- 

 mond aud J. F. Randall, all of Alton and St. Louis. The number is 

 small, but unanimous. "\Vc get our heads tf)getlief as wh. ride to and 

 from our daily liusiness and concoct sucli schemes as the foregoing 

 and it is easy io cnri-y tliem out. all pulling together. 



Alton. 111.. Dec. Hi. 



"Forest and Stream's" Charity. 



A recent issue of -'Sports and Amitsements." a pappi 

 devoted to prize fighting, theatricals, bicycling and piracy- 

 is very complimentary to Forest and Stream, althougli 

 a trifle careless in its methods of being comijlimentarv- 

 It manages to credit one half -column articlti, "Playing t 

 Trout," taken from Forest and Stream, but forgets- tlu 

 journalistic courtesy of credit on the page or so of re- 

 vamped items ,such as the one ou "Match Shooting." etc 

 taken from "Chicago and the AVest." A paragraph from 

 the "DriA-ers and Twisters'' of the Forest and Stream 

 trap department it prints entire without credit. In an 

 article it prints in tliis same issue, headed "Rabbit Shoot- 

 ing," I sttw sometliing that looked familiar, and found tlr i1 

 an enthe column had been taken direct and \Adtliout th^ 

 slightest credit, from the Tiine.H of this city. This I kno^^^ 

 because I know Avho wrote the article."^ On the whok 

 Forest and Stream should feel much flattered hy a paper 

 whicli makes ui^ tlie )>ulk of its material from tlie FORESl 

 AND STRBA.M coluums. But M'lmt is the use buying such a. 

 paper when you (-an buy Foiiest and Stream' a week or 

 so earlier, and get much else l iesiile'.' What, mdeed, is the 

 use of such a paper? I'm sure I don't know. It ought to 

 succeed, for it has discovered a new and cheap method oi 

 collecting news. I imagine a man might give willingly 

 for charity whtit he would spare grudgingly when taken 

 unbeknownst from his henroost. Hem-oost pai>ers mav 

 quote the Avords of the French beggar, who said, "But- 

 monsieur. I cannot starve!" Talleyrand's reply, it may he 

 remembered, Avas "My friend, I am willing to' debate that 

 question with you," 



Halcyon Days. 



The Daily News, of this city, in its bright '-Story of the 

 Day" for Dec. '31, hps the following on "halcyoii days. 

 Avhich may be interesting to manj^ sporting A\'riters who 

 are in the habit of placing ' -lialcyon" days in the sprin^ 

 faU, or any place else in their copy Avhere they bappen to 

 feel particularly good: 



"Halcyon days av as the name giA'en by the ancients to 

 the seven days preceding and the seA-en days following 

 the 21st of December, the shortest day of the year. It Avas 

 supposed that during this peiiod, while the halcyon bh-d 

 or kingfisher Avas breeding, the saa was calm and" naAng, i 

 tion perfectly safe. The bird vrus represented hatching 

 her eggs on a floating nest on the ocean. From this oltl 

 fable the phrase halcyon days came to be a synonym f(ji- 

 a time of tranqtiillity and peace. There are niher curioii- 

 legends concerning the kingfisher, one of Avhiclt is that it-, 

 color Avas changed from plain gray to blue-green and rich 

 chestnut by flying toward the stm'after its hberationfrom 

 Noah's ark. Its back then took on the hues of the skv 

 above and its breast the tints of tlie setting sun. In some 

 countries the people tliought tlu3 di ied body of the king- 

 fisher cotdd avert thunderbolts and that if kept in a Avard- 

 robe it would prevent destructicn by moths. Ovid teUs a 

 story about Ceyx and Alcyone, Avho were clianged into 

 kingfishers, or bu-ds AvMch bred at the Avinter solstice, 

 when tlu-ough the infltrence of Aeolus, the Aviud god. all 

 gales were stilled and the sea calmed so their nests could 

 float uninjured on the AvaA^es." 



Tlie Draining of Lake Angelina. 



Last summer the editor of Forest xnvi Streasi asked 

 me to locate a rtunor of a lake out in Wisconsm or Mchi- 

 gan which Avas being drained or pumped out. I could 

 never get at the facts untn the past week, when Mi-. C. 

 Norris, travehng agent of the Big Four Railroad, secured 

 them for me tlu-ough the kindness of his friend, Mr. J. H. 

 Molloy, of the NorthAvestern RafiAvay's office at Ishpem- 

 ing, Mich. From this source I learn that Lake Angeline 

 Q-^rerlies'a ^eat bed of iron ore, a»d &at ojje.of :tihe grea* 



iron mining concerns of the North Peninsttla determined 

 to prmip the lake over the tlivide and dram it to the bot- 

 tom—an undertaking of a stupendous natu)-e. The lake 

 originaUy covered 153 acres and was from lUft. to 50ft. 

 deep, its fluid contents being estimated at 800,000,000 

 gallons. At this Avork a vast pump (a C. B. PIoAvells cen- 

 trifugal) was set in motion in July last. This pump has a, 

 30ui. suction and 33in. discliarge. It has done its work so 

 well that on Dec. 16 the lake Avas about pumped out. al- 

 though it is spring fed. A deposit of silt on the bottom 

 of nearly 3ft. has interfered with the work materially of 

 late. 



NaturaUy the heavy stream carried by this colossal 

 pump would let a good-sized fish throu.gh the vah-es. The 

 engineer in charge Avrites that many tons of suckers Itave 

 been pumped out. These all Avent into Carp Riv-er. whicli 

 receiA'Ks the draina.ge. He snys further, "Several tons of 

 hisko^\-it (lake trout) also went through the pumps, of 

 which many Avere caughi alive. They Avere not often 

 injured by tlie puniix though (n-c.-isionally one Avould come 

 through Avhich had had its head cut off by the fans of the 

 ])ura]). A great mtmy brook trout also co"me through, and 

 M.1-. Norris tohl me ot one that u'cighed Sllbs. 



17T) Monroe streist. Chicago. E. HoUGH. 



IN PENNSYLVANIA COVERS. 



Wyalusfno. Pa.. Dec. 7.~Rufl"ed grouse have not been 

 as plentiful in the vicinity of this place as during the past 

 thrt^e or four year>. and' tho,se av ho ImA^e made a practice 

 f)f liuntmg this -'whirlwind'' of the American forests liaA'e 

 all made lighter bags t han u.sual. Young birds esjiecially 

 ha.ve been sc;ir(!e. old ones lieing brought in mostly. 

 Whether this is caused h\ \hv past season being tmfavor- 

 ahle to the i-(;a,ring oL broods or to the dein-edation of 

 ftixes, coons, owls. (!tc.. upon sitting and young gxouse is 

 ii ()ue,Mion. Fox'e^ and coons a re esx^eciaU}' plenty, and 

 early last sininncr I came ni.ion the remains of several 

 grouse left by some animals on the ground. 



Coon.s are inuisttally plenl.x. This fall one man killed 

 nine in a, week, and fn'(jiien.lly four or five have been 

 killed befortj midnigiit bv ;t iwrrv of two Avith a dog. 

 Tiiev are hunted but little, and the same can be .said of 

 lo.xes. 



riie liest \n\ix ol grouse lor one dav I liiivci heard ol this 

 vear was marie by James FmorA'. of Beaver pond. niMiui 

 lour miles Irom liere. and thtit was only seven liirds. hut 

 (hen ihetH is ten times the satislaction m getting one 

 grouse tiifir therti is m .shooting a quail, so you see Eino)-v 

 had a pretty good tune. 



There are two distinct kinds ot shots on ^Touse- The 

 cool, deliljerate tellow. ^vhi) wants a choke gnu anti lets 

 his bird u'o m- -iOyiLs. while he is aiming at it. generallv 

 pots a y-ood nianw but he iie('ds open shooting. 1 hen 

 tiiere is the nervous man. who cannot iiold liunseU when 

 a lard, rises. lie iieis somewhat. rattleil. and it he has 

 a short scatter mm he will down tjuite it lew grou.se. and 

 il lit follows himtiiu, <t r,()od he il, bttomes a i ii(lin_ _,o( d 

 brush shot. 



Oroiise shootmg and quail shootmg call for entirelv dtt- 

 lerent kinds ot work. With !i uood dog m tiie open lields 

 whei'e quail abomid. when thev get up von can take cdol 

 tnd delibeiatc aim and a t.in -hoi n nnki i^oollii^ 

 But most ot the .shooting ot grou.se is done m close (-over, 

 whfve one has to get Ins bird Avithm a tew yards it he gets 

 it. at all. I hen is the time the lightening shot gets m lus 

 work; L)ut. as 1 said before, he Avants a scatter gun. as 

 most o I his lurds w^ill lie dovv'iied Avithm t,A\'eiit\' vards. A 

 doy that will hunt \'erv close helps the t!;roiise hunter. 



j\lr. Tucker is j-ight m his remtirks on tlie Milwaukee 

 shoot Ilu ANohts'-t ut iw IV most ol tin tin ih ui shol^ 

 that would go to tournaments toi- the tun ol the tiiiiii:. 

 This will tit; little sidi^-show tournaments as w ell as luu- 

 on(\s. and it has to be stoi)i)ed or trap-shool ihl: w Hi de- 

 cline. Mieie are lots of fair shooters who w oidd attend 

 tournainenls and iioti mmd a nioderati' expense, but they 

 do not pi-opose to make eontnlintions lo ihi' wolveS- 



Penn. 



PENNSYLVANIA ASSOCIATION. 



H\KKlsi[K(. I'l l)e( -3(1 l'-^'»^> - \t till innual nu ( tin,, 

 ot the PennsAdvania State Sportsmen s Assoeiation. hold at 

 Reading. Pa.. August. lsy3. the follow ma- res(^]utiou w;is 

 oftered and adopted: '■That the presid.etvt apjuant a 

 standing committee ot seA'en niember.s. ol winch lie shall 

 be (diaii'iiian. said committee to lie stvled the ■•eomnnttee 

 of legislation, and Avhose duty it shall be to seenre needed 

 revision ot the game laws now existmt;'. and the recoi^iii- 

 ti<m liA' the State Lrovernment ot the Pennsylvania State 

 SportsuKMi s Association as tlu- propei- liodv to luuc (•harg(\ 

 ol tlu jaop u ition and piott ( tion ot ill wild g iin< buds 

 and animals in our State. 



In (•omplutnci! with the above 1 herobv appoint a.s inem- 

 beis ot su( h (olnnntt^e Chas C Alatton Potts\ iUh Pa 

 Plmei E SImiui Pittsbuigh Pa f i-. WoNten. lolt 

 iianktoid Pluladelphi.i R L shiaiLi,< nlish i'l I 

 11 Millsj)augh WiUidijispnit Pri , J A W lUon I i ink 

 hn. Pa. 



The protection ot the ganje birds and anhtials of our 

 St i1( hisu(V(i b< I n ^lAiii the it1(n1ion w hu h its mi- 



portance desei-vcs. The State Association, with its pertwt 

 orgamzatioii and niembershqj ot uijward ol a thousand 

 sp(a-tsnien. is the onlv comi)ete.iit bodA" to take charge of 

 tins important work. It is deemed essenrial tliat tlie 

 State Legislature shoidd. bv the passage of the necessary 

 h^uislation. conler upon our association tht; .rights ami 

 ))ower deemed iiecessarv. and grant it similar i-ights. 

 pii\il( ^(.^ and assibtantt as ih noA\ giAdi to the State J ish 

 ( ommission. 



'VVe believe that the next Legislature Avill readily grant 

 Avhat Ave ask if the matter is properly placed before them, 

 and it is especially desired that each member of this com- 

 mittee shall do his utmost to secure the legislation needed. 

 The members of all the clubs foi-ming this association are 

 earnestly urged to exert their influence with the repre- 

 sentatiy^e from their district, and witli all otliers Avhere 

 possible, and endeavor to create a sentunent generally in 

 favor of game protection and propagation. 



A meeting of this committee yvill be caUed by the chair- 

 man prior to the assembling of the next Legislature, and 

 each member is earnestly requested to prepare himself 

 Avith the best information he can gain as to the best 

 methods to pui-sue to fiu-ther om- object, as success Avill 

 depend entirely on the committee, backed by the associ- 

 ated clubs, C. E. H. Brelsfoed, Pres. . 



THE ADIRONDACK PARK. 



[From Gfovvrnor Floirer's Messaffe.] 



The pre-servation of its forests, and tliereby the protec- 

 tion of its water courses, has become the established 

 V)olicy of the State. It is a, moA'ement which is heartily 

 approved by the people. It is of Aatal importance to the 

 future of the State. The practical Avorking out of the 

 policy, hoAvever, is full of difliculties, and the State has 

 taken A-aryiiig attitudes as to modes ot laocedure. It 

 must be confessed that the results to-day. after nearly 

 seven years' etfort. to establish an Ailirondack Park, are 

 disappointhig. AVhile much good has lieen accoinplislied, 

 there has been a lack of well-defined ] M;)licy and busineBS- 

 like management which has preA-ented a 1;ull measure of 

 success. Part of this has been due to the layv and pait to 

 its administration. 



Last year the Legislature passed an act Avliich defined 

 the limits of the proposed park and authorized sales of all 

 State forest lands outside of those limits, and with the 

 proceeds, the pufchase of m.'w lands witViiu the limits. It 

 Avas estimated that the State oAvnerl ihen aljout 900,000 

 acres, half of Avhich ^vas located in detached pieces around 

 the edge of the forest and could be sold at a price per acre 

 sufficient to liuy a larger nundier of acres within the limits 

 of the projjosed park, Tins is well enough so far as it 

 goes, prttyided the sales and subsequent ]jurchases are con- 

 ducted on a busine.ss-like basis. But . the trouble witli this 

 pohcy is that it puts the Government in' the market as a 

 buyer and seller, and opens the Avay to all kinds of imposi- 

 tions and frauds. AVhile it must answer the temporary 

 purpose of getting rid of lands useless for a, forest preserve 

 and acquiring other lands needed, so ftir as the proceeds of 

 the sales Avill )iermit. it Avill nof do for a permanent and 

 exclusive State pohcy. 



If it is the de.sh e of tlie people that tlie State should ab- 

 solutely OAvn^two^or ^three inilhon acres of the forest pre- 

 serA^e the land should be acciuu-ed at once V,y right of emi- , 

 nent donuiin. The operation should be •:■( imjirehensive 

 and decisive, and performed ui this Avay it would be vastly 

 more economical in tlie long run than the present poliqy 

 of pui-chase by driblets. 



U. on the other hand, the peojile are mditlerent as to 

 whefhci th( o\\ n( i -.lup ol tlu bulk t ili _i i -.i is ni 

 private persons or m the State, so loir^ as lue loresi rs jire- 

 sei-A ed perpetually from destruction, then hv a new de- 

 pai Lute the |iin-pose ot |a-eservation can ]irobabIy lie ac- 

 comphslied w it lioitt an v great expenditure of public money- 

 It IS Avell kiioivu that vast tracts ot the Achrondack 

 forest are iiovs- oAvued )ja' mdiA-iduals oi- by jirivate asso- 

 ciations. ;ind ai-e used mainly tor pur])oses of recreation - 

 Ihese larui' priA-ate presex-ves. I venture to sav. could be 

 toieA ei ii iiariletl against the danger ot denudation by a 

 sulhcientlv liberal contract betA^-een the owners and the 

 State, and would thus serve the main ])UTpose ot tlie pul)- 

 hc preserve. These priyate owners, at present- .'ii'e as 

 much interested 111 the presei-\-ation ol ttieir tracts as the 

 State could ]jossiblA- be. and some of them. I knoAV from 

 jiei-sontil iissurance. would be. willing to enter into an 

 airaiiKi-^tiieiit Avitli the Stati'. whereby, in consideration of 

 forest iiroLection turn islied (iv the State and exemjition 

 from State taxation, they and their grantees would re- 

 frain forever from removing the timber, exceiit under 

 ceitam conditions imposed liv the State. 1 teel contulent 

 that hundreds ol thousands ot acres coiilo thus he prac- 

 ti( ilh added to flu '^i iw pn seixe at toni] o ii\ l\ hftU 

 exjiense. 'Whatever land might be necessai-N' to buy out- 

 right could be liought iindei- piroiier sa ti'-iiards. Such a 

 I)ohcA^ it seems tome, n it could be c;irried out. would 

 gi\ i? jii eater stitislaction to the peo].)le. lor it Avould save 

 large expense and. Avhat is worse, srreat ]D0Ssibi]xtv ot 

 st-andal. 



It this siiL;,u('stion should meet the .approval of the Legis- 

 lature, the iiecessarA" legislation to carry if mto effect 

 should ))(■ liui'-ted w'ttliout delay, for ea.ch year s devasta- 

 ticms (it tLirest hind is makiiej,' more difhcult the attainments 

 ot the State s cib]ect. \\ itli such legislafioti 1 recommend 

 the reorganization ot the Fon^st f ommission. It does not 

 seem to me wise that this should be a permanent commis- 

 sion, as at ])resent. I think that much mr.re satistactoi-A' 

 restdts could b(^ obtained AV'ere the commission created for 

 a. fixed tune and tor the detinife purpos*-' ot estal ilishing 

 tlie proposetl park AA^itlun that time. Energy. ]ir<uiq)tiie.ss 

 and intelligence are o-i-ea.f 1 \- needed. A special comirnssion 

 appomted tor a definite purpose would brmt-- aspiration 

 and pride to the perfoi-mance ot its great imssioti. The 

 commission should consist ol at least live peisons. nomi- 

 nated by^tbe GoA^ernor and confirme<l by the Senate, and 

 should be composed ol actn e, ca|)al)ie and honest men, 

 selected tor then peeubar litness to discharge this task 

 creditabh^ to tliemseKes and to the State. After such 

 a commission has i/onqileted its labors its services 

 .should lie discontinued, and the detail work or maiuteil- 

 ance. oversight and protection ot the forests should be 

 left t(i trnstwortliA^ and (xmipetent othcei's uufler the du-ec- 

 tion ot the ComptroUer or State Engineer, or iiniler a. 

 I omruissioner o± Atriiciilture. should such an ofiiccr be 

 establislied. -\ bureau of Forestry, as a i^art of a well 

 organized Uepai-tmem ot Atiricultiire. ^vould Ije the most 

 natural and most desirable disiiositiou. aud should acconi- 

 jihsh much, good, not iiierelv m guardmi; the Jore.st pre- 

 sorxe. but in subserving the agnculftiral iiiLerests (jt thfi 

 State. 



Tlie establishment ot a. great forest preserve could be 

 made to pay all or a lai-fie part of its cost under intelli- 

 gent and wise leeislation and supei\ision. Wlthfait 

 miuiw. lint rather wd:h benefit, the State could acqture 

 coiLsiderable revenue h\ graQtma- permission to tell trees 

 above a ('ertain diameter on State ];uids. Ailtlitioual rev- 

 enue could be obtained from leases of small parcels ot 

 land to iniliNidnais tor the establishment ot suiiuner 

 homes under proper regiilations. as is proA'ided in the ex- 

 isting statute. 



I Avould also call the attention of the Legih-lature U i 

 needed amendments in the laAvs goA^erning the cancella- 

 tions of tax sales. LTpon flimsy pi-etexts of one kind or 

 another the State has lost nearly 100,000 acres of forest 

 land smce 1886 through these cancellations. The State 

 liaATiiig legitimately come into possession of large tracts 

 of Adirondack land through failure on the part of the 

 owners to pay taxes, it should not be exposed to the loss 

 of this noAv valuable possession by technical defects in 

 legislation or administration Avhioli are taken advantage 

 of by Adirondack speculators. Not another acre of State 

 land should thus be yielded up. The present laws are 

 defective and should be promptly amended before there is 

 any further loss of tkahered land. 



