Feb. 9, 1893.] 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



113 



search for the missing Mi-. Verhoeff. was useless, and a 

 longer stay in that region was perilous on account of the 

 rapid approach of ^rinter and the fast forming young ice, 

 we took Mr. Peary's party on Itoard, togetlier'witb their 

 efiFects, bade good-by<5 to the honest, good-natured Eski- 

 mos of North. Greenland, who A\-ept at the ixirting, and 

 began our homeward , Jon i-ney . In time we entered once 

 more the dangerous Melville Bay. hut with none of the 

 trepida,tion we had felt on the first occasion. Indeed, our 

 progress thron.gh the icy waste of \vater,s was altogether 

 too gi'eat too plea.se most of us. 



For this condition of affairs Second Mate Dunphy was 

 the cause. Withiii an liour after the Kite had passed 

 Oape York, the nortliern abutment of Melville Bay, his 

 sharp eyes detected polar bear tracks on the vast broken 

 fields of mushy ice and j)ointed them out. As the veissel 

 Avorkcd her way across the bay these tracks became more 

 and more frecj^uent, but strain our eyes as we might we 

 could see uothmg more tangible than these tracks, and 

 we began to fear lest we should, after all, not have an op- 

 portunity of shooting one of the great animals. How- 

 ever, fortune was with us. On the evening of the second 

 day in the bay, just one hour before getting through, 

 wliile we were at supper, one of the sailors rushed down 

 hito our little saloon with eyes distended and shouted: 

 "Mr. Dunphy says, sirs, bear on pan o' ice ahead, sirs." 



Every man bounded to his feet as though shot, and 

 seizing handy rifles rushed on deck, all except the Pro- 

 fessor and Mr. Peary, wlio armed themselves with tlieir 

 harmless Kodaks. On deck we found great excitement. 

 (Japt. Pike was on the bridge issuing orders m a sup- 

 pressed voice, and the men were running silently to and 

 fro executing them. Under the direction of Mr. Dunphy 

 we posted ourselves in the how, rifles cocked and ready, 

 and looked for the bear. It was not hard to see him. lie 

 Avas not more than 500yds. away, sitting on his hams on a 

 small ice floe looking curiously at tlie great vessel ap- 

 proaching huu slowly and without noise. He could easily 

 have made his escape had he taken to hLs heels when he 

 first saw the Kite, but it is a characteristic of the polar, or 

 more properly speaking, water bear, that he possesses an 

 overpowering curiosity— in this case fatal. He sat there 

 looking wonderingly at our approach, his long nose work- 

 ing up and down as though endeavoring to smell the ap- 

 jiroaching object. 



At length we got so close that we could see Iris small 

 twinkhng eyes, and our excitement was at fever height 

 and we unpatiently awaited the word to fire. Still the 

 bear sat apparently without fear of harm, but when 

 wthin fifty or sixty feet the vessel's bow strack a sunken 

 piece of the ice on which he was. That settled the beai-'s 

 curiosity. He was suddenly aroused to a sense of danger, 

 and dropping on aU fours he started to make oft'. On the 

 instant Mr. Dunphy gave the command to fire and eight 

 rifles rang out. The animal gave a loud cry. almost himian 

 in its pathos, a.nd fell on the ice, pierced by several balls. 

 But such was his vitahty that he scrambled to his feet and 

 tried once more to reach the water, but with a cheer 

 some of the boys sprang over the side of the vessel and 

 gave chase, wMle others remained on deck and delivered 

 another volley wliich resulted in the poor brute tumbled 

 over, when, after throwing his head about a moment or 

 two comoiLsively, and a few ti-emors of his limbs, he died. 



It seems now almost like murder when Ave look hack on 

 the mean advantage we took of this innocent cub, for he 

 was only two years old. His ghost doubtless has the 

 satisfaction of knowing that the skin of his material body 

 noAV adorns the Museum of the Academy of Natural 

 Sciences in Philadelphia, where it is admired by thousands. 



Half p,n horn- after this exciting incident Ave came upon 

 a hood seal, the only fierce member of the seal tribe, 

 asleep on a floating cake of ice, and with the characteri.s- 

 tic greediness of the hunter and natiiralist, Ave gathered 

 him in, In'a carcass for eating and his skhi for scientific 

 purposes. 



These two were our last hunts in Arctic Avaters, fitting 

 ending to a glorious and successful expedition, in Avhich 

 we not only accomplished the humane mission on Avhich 

 we had been sent by the Academy of Natm-al Sciences, 

 but had the most splendid hunting experiences that man 

 could want, a,nd been to a land which few liave seen, a 

 la.nd the most Avonderful in this grand Avorld. 



In less than four Aveeks fi-om the day on which Ave 

 killed til is Avater bear , the gallant but cUrty httle Kite car- 

 ried us up the DelaA^ are, after three months' absence from 

 home, and we Avere locked once more in the embraces of 

 our loved ones, whose joy at our safe return Avas the 

 greater because of the falsity of stories of disaster to us, 

 which some miserable scoundrel of a skipper had invent- 

 ed, to gain for himself a Httle cheap notoriety. 



THE "NESSMUK" MEMORIAL. 



Among the many contributoi-s to Forest and Stream 

 ' "Nessmnk" held an unique j)laoc. 



In him were combined the practical Avoodsman and the 

 poet, and in his writings are foimd mingled tJie simple 

 Avisdom of the one with the sensitiveness of the other to 

 the l^eauties and subtle influences of nature. These quaU- 

 ties extended his sympathetic audience and endeared him 

 to Avidely different personahties by which he is not Hkely 

 to be forgotten. 



His Avas an example that the novitiate who aspri-es to 

 become a sportsman in the best sense of the term may 

 AveU foUow. 



Possessing that complete mastery of weapons and 

 knoAvledge of the habits and habitation of game that en- 

 abled him to make large scores Avherever an v one might 

 do so, he never abused those powers. Game" that he did 

 not need was never slain for the mere sake of killing; it 

 was Avorth more to liim alive than dead. He even spared 

 the outlaAvs of the woods when he had no use for their 

 hide or carcass. 



Ever alert to the business of the hunter and the craft of 

 the Avoodsman, he stiU had as quick an ej^e for natm-e's 

 beauties, a soul sensitive to her subtlest charms. As keen 

 as a hound on the trail of game, as Avise as an Indian in 

 Avoodcraft, yet he had a childhlce love for the humblest 

 Avild flower that bloomed beside his mimai-ked pathAvay 

 in the primeval Avoods. 



To the ryoung sportsman of like tendencies he wfil, 

 througli his writings, become as dear as lie is to us older 

 ones, Avho liave been priA-ileged wit1:i closer intimacy, and 

 in whose memories be already lias an assured place. 



Though no monument built by hnuds m-^.rks Die burial- 

 place of the body AvJiich he held in such light esteem, if it 

 might moulder to dust where lie desired, there could he no 



fitter one than nature has reared for ^him in his beloved 

 hemlocks, nor Avordd he wish a costlier nor a more appro- 

 priate tribute laid upon his grave than such wild flowers 

 as he crept forth to gather in the April sunshine of his last 

 days. 



But as tins camiot be, it is eminently befitting that the 

 admirers of "Nessmuk" si lould mark his final resting-place 

 with a suitable memorial. It is not proposed to make it 

 costly or imposing; such an one Avould be inappropriate 

 to the simple life whose memory it is not so much desired 

 to perpetuate as to memorialize our loving regard for 

 him. 



I am sure tliat the resjjonso to the call of Forest and 

 Stke.aji AviU be sucli us might he e,\pected from those 

 whose love of wild nature found such apt expression in 

 the life and words of "Nessmuk." Awahsoose. 



From "Tarpon" comes this note of "Nessmuk's" Florida 

 campground: I took a long walk to-day. Saw several 

 flocks of quail and one bimch of Avell gTOAvn turkeys. I 

 came home past the old camp gromids of "Nessmuk," 

 Oak Pomt, and the Oak and Pine. I stopped at the latter 

 for a smoke on our old council log. There is a something 

 about an old camp ground that attracts and repels at the 

 same time — a, pleasure in contemplation, but the pleasure 

 is a painful one. Who has not exjjerienced that complex 

 feeling as they approached tlie spot Avherc they had spent 

 happy hours Avith congenial company? And when the 

 one who .shared those happy hours with us has gone on 

 the long trail, then pleasure'becomes pain and Ave are lost 

 in a sea of regretfid memories. 



Genial old "Nessmidc!" As I sat on the old familiar 

 seat Avhat Advsions rose in the blue smoke from my jjipe — 



GEO. ^V. SEARS (''•NESSMUK"). 



scene after scene, story gfter story; and I soon find nij'self 

 confronting the fact that I too am groAving old. Soon 

 my old companions avIU be recalling memories of me. 

 Well, if they Avill only remember me as kindh' as Ave all 

 remember "Nessmuk," I shall be content. Tarpon. 



I have been very much interested in all of "Nessmuk's" 

 Avritings, and especially his contributions to Forest and 

 Stream; also his "Woodcraft" and "Forest Kimes." His 

 originality and matter-of-fact descriptions Avon my ad- 

 miration at once and alAvays. I had a correspondence 

 Avith "Nessmuk," and have scA-eral of his letters, written 

 during tlie two or three last years of his life, Ax hicli I keej) 

 as mementos of the most remarkable man I haA e had any 

 knoAvledge of. The ncAVs of his death Avas not unexpected, 

 as I Avas kept informed of his fading health by his occa- 

 sional letters. His last note on a postal card ran thus: 



Wkllsboiw. Pa., Marcli 10, 1890.— Frieud Stratton: \ouv letter is 

 before me, and should have been answered sooner: ljur I must write 

 Avhen and as I can. It is not every day I can ^vi-ite even my name A 

 constant cough, heai-t failm-e and great weakness are telling on me. 

 and I shall probably never get a mile from home. I ha\ e not been be- 

 yond the front yard since last October. I should like to see the birds 

 and apple blooms once more, if it may be, but am quite resigned to 

 what fate may have in store for me. George AV. Sears. 



I am glad to send you something toAvard the memorial 

 fund. Antler. 



I am very much pleased to see by your paper that a me- 

 morial to "Nessmuk" is in contemplation. And why not? 

 He was a remarkable man, of a type scarce possible out- 

 side of the United States; and we sliall not see his like 

 again. If those avIjo h,aA'e found pleasure and profit in 

 his discourse would each contribute but a very few slfil- 

 linga for this memorial, it AvouJd a.s.sume marvelous pro- 

 portions. 



Was it not pathetic, when having mended the fire, the 

 old Avoodsman surA'^eyed the .slumbering forms of the ten- 

 derf eet in his camp, and Avondering if they would do as he 

 had done, hoping the while that they would not resign the 

 advantages of civihzed life for the seductions of the forest. 

 Yet hiAvhatwalk of life could "Nessmuk" have done 

 more to benefit his fellows than that he chose? 



If I might offer a suggestion it Avould be that the me- 

 morial, when completed, should be placed in full vicAv, in 

 the busiest street of the busiest city of our land, that 



"Haply, in some lull of life. 

 Some trace of God which breaks its sjtrife, 

 The worldling's eyes shaJI gather dew, 

 Dreaming in throngf id city ways 

 Of -ninter joys his boyhood knew," 



of the leap of the trout, the fragrance of the freshly 

 streAvn couch of hemlock tips, and the roar of the forests 

 on the moimtain side. Kelpie. 



I noted your inquiry for those especially interested in 

 the Avritings of Mr. Geo. H. Sears, "Nessmuk." You can 

 put me down as one. The subject of a memorial to him 

 must have frectuently occupied the thoughts of many of 

 his admirers. L. I, Flower. 



THE HERMIT' IN HIS HOME. 



When I Av^as a little boy my parents allowed me to 

 make a long visit at the home of an old friend, a Mr. 

 Nevin, Avho had Iavo or thi-ee farms adjoining or nearly 

 adjoining each other, about fiA^e miles from town. He 

 liA^ed in a commodious brick farm-house, with his un- 

 married children, and a married son lived up the road in 

 a smaller house. Besides numerous outbuildings of other 

 .sorts, he had a barn that Avas the delight of a small boy, 

 with its high hay moAvs, its mysterious "gxanary" that I 

 did not know it contained until one day when they were, 

 going to mill and the men opened a door, and" there, 

 spreading back from the barn floor was a vista of bins 

 filled with Avheat, oats, rye, clover seed, and perhaps 

 something else that I have forgotten. In the lower part 

 of this barn there Avere a good many horses, one of which 

 was named Laumix. He Avas a very awkward hox'se, but 

 a good puller. Also a mule, named Jeff Davis. It Avas 

 just after the Avar, and feeling ran high in that latitude, 

 and I suppose the reason they called him that was be- 

 cause he could throAV almost anybody who Avas jjartisan 

 enough to tiy to ride him. They had a spring-house, and 

 the spring ran into the stone trough in the spring-house 

 by Avay of a stone trough outside that had been sculptured 

 out mto a basin — a wasla-basin always fuU of clean water. 

 And I heard Mr. Nevin say that he had washed his face 

 and hands in that basin eA^ery morning, winter and sum- 

 mer, for twenty or thirty years, unless aAvay from home. 

 It was so cold that it was ail I could do to go it in summer. 

 There were over 600 sheep on the various farms, divided 

 into smaU flocks, knoAvn as the wethers, the old CAves, the 

 ewes, the lambs, the scallawags and so on; each name 

 being descriptive, even to me, except one small bunch, 

 that seemed to be ahvaps kept in a more or less isolated 

 place, called the rams. They had very big horns and 

 fought nearly all the time. Their field was across a 

 meadow from the house, and I have often heard them 

 fighting from the front porch, after dark. As I staid on 

 there I came to know more about them. I innocently en- 

 tered their inclosure, by way of a stake and rider fence. 

 They didn't catch me, but I knew why they were called 

 rams after that. 



On the way to the upper farm, just beyond the farm- 

 house of a small intervening farm, but on the land of 

 Mr. NeAun, and situated in a partial hickory clearing, was 

 a little log cabin, daubed with mud, ha\dng one very 

 sjuall Avindow, and a stick and mud chimney. There 

 Avere some grape Aunes and an old cherry tree or so in 

 front of it, as nearly as I can recoUect, which obscured it 

 from a very close in,spection; hence the hazy impression 

 I liaA^e of it. 



It "^vas the home of a hermit. 



Here and there, in my small journeyings about the 

 country in the manj^ years that liaA'e elapsed since then, 

 I have run across, or heard of, or caught a rare glimpse 

 of one of these hermits. I believe the hermit numerous 

 enough to have a distinct typical feature made out of him, 

 if any one knoAvs what that means — I don't. The many 

 traveled and observant readers, nay, ivriters of Forest 

 and STREA3I must have seen him time and again. This 

 sflent being, once a boy baby, then a youth, then— a 

 hermit. A man witliout a coimtry, Avithout a human 

 tie, perhaps without any human attributes, or with abnor- 

 mal human attributes. Perhaps Avithout any human 

 affection, or with too much. Perhaps a fugitive from 

 justice, or a fugitive from injustice. 



These tAvo old men, one a man of promuience in the 

 commxmity, respected for his sterling qualities, not a 

 man Avho Avatched and prayed, but a man Avho Avorked 

 and prayed, as Dr. Eggleston says, a Jesusite; the other as 

 I have described him, seemed to understand each other, 

 at least to the extent that on certain set days they met at 

 the fence in front of tlie cabin and a few words Avere ex- 

 changed of inquiry about each otlier's health. Then the 

 hermit turned about into his solitude, carrying the chip 

 basket that I cannot help feeling grateful to for standing- 

 out so finely in my memory , filled, as I had a f oreknoAvl- 

 edge of, by dear old IMrs. NcAun, with doughnuts, pies, 

 butter and things that one of God's Avomen knoAvs hoAv to 

 remember and no one else does. These days Avere Thanks- 

 giving, Christmas and the Fourth of July. 



This is all I know about him. I search my memory 

 in vain to knoAV if he had a name, an occupation or a 

 story. 



Many of the men who are busiest in this comrtry Avith 

 the most important Avork, rest themselves on a Saturday 

 night with the Forest and Stream in their hands. Some- 

 times they are moA^ed somehoAv to take their pens and 

 Avrite about Avhat they have seen. If these men of work 

 a,nd thought and accomplishment would but tell us about 

 the hermit I feel sure that we yoimger and less observant 

 readers Avoidd he delighted with almost a complete litera- 

 ture on an almost xmexploited subject. 



George Kennedy. 



From the Side Not Often Heard. 



We are quite accustomed to having good words spokeir 

 by sportsmen of their friends in the country who enter- 

 tain them; but it is not often that the sentiments of their 

 hosts are so happily expressed as in a note from a Sears- 

 burg, N. Y., correspondent, Avho writes: 



Editor Forest and Stream: Past sea.sons have been 

 made pleasant to the Avriter (city bred, but living in the 

 coimtry), by the annual visit of "the boys" from the city, 

 Avho always are out for a hunt, and appreciate the efforts 

 of their countrj^ host to entei tain them, and Avho, if fcAV 

 birds are found where many were expected, accept the 

 inevitable Avith a smile and some allusion to the tricks of 

 that "king of game birds," the lordly ruffed grouse. 



HoAv pleasant to the wife, who is so afraid that the beef 

 AviU not be just right, to hear the common pancakes 

 praised to the echo. And Avhen their staA^ is over, and the 

 difil life that has been broken by their presence settles 

 down once more, we read in the Stream how "Dr. So and 

 So and his companion had a most enjoyable time him ting 

 on a recent trip, thanks to the efforts r^f mine host Y." 



I think it is about time to let tlic boA-s who come to 

 hunt Avith us know that the pleasure lias not been all 

 theirs. 



Let us hope that the seed left over Avill survive the 

 rigors of AA-inter and bring forth an abundance of good 

 strong flying grouse. Hector. 



A num iu Hazletmi, Pa., has ju.st rwcelved §75 damages for 

 the kdlmg of his bird dog by another man. This is a hefiltby 

 .sign of the times. " 



