Feb. 9, 1898.] 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



121 



TOLD ON THE WAY. 



A TENERABLE but chance acquaintance and I had been 

 coloring our coracobs and silently watching the swift- 

 moving, fleecy clouds drift over the full round silvery 

 moon, but the tobacco got low^, my friend thumped his 

 pipe on his boot and asked, "Which way are you tramp- 

 ing in the morning?" 



"Thought I would try that little stream off east of here." 



"Well, if that's yer lay. 1 can give yer a lift if yer'll git 

 up au-ly and don'i; object to lidlng on a road cart, but yer 

 must roust out afore 8 o'clocii:, as I mean to start at 6 

 sure." 



"Thanks, my dear su', that will suit my complexion to 

 a dot and match my walking apparatus to a charm. As 

 for the road cart, if it is not one of my make I'd chance 

 it." 



Five minutes past 6 the next morning we Avere on the 

 road. The old man was a trifle criss cross at first, the 

 mare was a bit frisky, his l^rierwood a trifle stubborn. 

 However, the sandy road soon dampened the ardor of one 

 and a lO-pound suction drew the obstructions from the 

 stem of the other, then the old man's face beamed; he 

 was himself again. 



"See that house over yonder jest agin that bunch of 

 pines?" 



"If you mean that one where half of the chimney top 

 is gone, I do certainly." 



"WeU, the meanest man I ever heard tell on used to 

 live thare. Folks said he was so condensed mean tliat 

 shingles on his roof wouldn't .shed rain and his one winder 

 let in no light. He used to go to meeting up in the 

 village and to git rid of paymg anything he'd make his 

 folks sit iu the wagon, or, if it was cold or stormy, make 

 'em stand up in the entry during tlio Av hole sarvice. 

 Never went into a pe^v for years. Wiiy, lilast him. he 

 uaed to water the skim and sour milk he fed to his hogs. 



■'The man that jined farms with liim on the east lost a 

 barn and a lot of gTain and feed, barn -svas struck by 

 lightning and aU burned up. The liull neighborhood 

 turned out and lielped him git out new timbtir. Eaising 

 day we all went to help. Somehow or other that an- cuss 

 was there. He ate three good meals and carried home 

 • his pockets fuU of grub, then tlie very next day put in a 

 biU dollar and a half for his work. 



"He'd a lot of bees onct. Somehow lie got it into his 

 Ie_etle head that they didn't work hours enough, so he'd 

 git up afore it Avere dajdight. take a club and pound on 

 the hives to wake 'em up and make 'em git out and git 

 to work. He got 'em larnt arter awhile so as he didn't 

 -have to wake 'em up; then the leetle cuss weren't satis- 

 fied; darned ef he didn't try to cross 'em with a lightning 

 bug so as they'd work nights. See that air cow-patli over 

 that little rise? That leads into an old logging road and 

 tli.at road crosses yer stream 'bout half a mile from here. 

 Hope you'll have good luck. Grit up, IMaria." A. W. 



Grand Rapids, Mich. 



GRAVES MEADOW. 



It is only a small green spot in the woods of southern 

 Vermont, in the town of Stratton, lying on the eastern 

 slope of the Green Mountains. Perhaps it is forty rods 

 long by fifteen or twenty in width. A clear mountain 

 stream rans through it," fringed part of the way with 

 alders. Its name even is known to onlv a fe\sMi'Lmdred 

 in that thinly settled region; but it is to a hmited tew a 

 famous iilace. For the last half a century or more, in- 

 deed smce the days of the early settlers, it has probablv 

 yielded the fishermen more trout than any other place of 

 its size in all New England. It has pecuhar natural ad- 

 vantages in this respect. Above it and below it for half a 

 mde in either direction are alder swamps, so dense and 

 tangled as to bid defiance to any but the most persistent 

 .angler. There the ti'out lay and breed in comparative 

 security, and from them the little meadow is constantly 

 stocked. In my yoiuiger days, long, long ago, it Avas no 

 unusual thing to take a hundred fine trout from tliis place. 

 The supply seemed inexliaustilile. The next day after be- 

 ing thoroughly fished it would swarm with a ueAv lot. I 

 remember once taking foity-four from a small "hole" in 

 half an hour. They Avould probably average over Tin. in 

 length. 



Even at this day, when most of the trout streams in 

 that Adcmity are depleted by constant fishing. Graves 

 Meadow is making a Ix-roic elt'ort to maintain its old rep- 

 utation. Last May I tooli aljout thirty trout of legal size 

 (Oin.) from its Avaters. HaA'ing during a long life enjoyed 

 jnany pleasant hours in this beautiful spot, I think the 

 least I can do is to endeavor to preserve its memory be- 

 fore the greedy lumbermen shall have destroyed this old 

 landmark. Feed L. Ballard. 



Springfield, Mass., .Jaii. 30- 



BASS OF LEWISTOWN RESERVOIR. 



CiNClN-NATt, Jan. 10.— In the issue of Jan. 5 I see an 

 article, "The Lewistown Reservoir," by Nathaniel R. 

 Piper. I spent seven Aveeks there in July and August and 

 about a Aveek the latter part of October and can say the 

 same as Mr. Piper, that it is the best black bass fishing 

 groimd I have ever been at. I found that the best side of 

 the pond to stop at was the bulkhead side (Robinson post 

 otilce, Logan county, O.). Mr. NorAdel, Avhose card I in- 

 close, has the post olfice, also a store and small hotel, or 

 rather, private houses, where there is very good accom- 

 modation. He has three minnow pools fed by a flowing 

 Avell 83 feet deep of the A^ery finest water. Minnows are 

 3.1. cents per dozen a,nd always ]ilenty on hand. His 

 charges are $1 per day board and sleeping. His boats are 

 free of charge, also the ice that may be used. By drop- 

 ping 3Ii-. Norviel a postal he will get sportsmen free of 

 cliarge from HuntsA'-ille, on the Sandusky branch of the 

 Big Four Railroad and five and one-half miles from the 

 bulkhead. This side o£ the pond is nearest to the fishing 

 grounds. Parties wishing to camp wiU find a xevy nice 

 place at Mr. Russell's, aliout one mile from the bulkhead 

 and within iifreeii miuutes of the fishing grounds by roAv- 

 boat. There are eight or ten guides Uving at the" bulk- 

 head. The charges are .$2 per day for guides, but it is not 

 nece.ssary to have one, although it is better, at least in the 

 beginning. This is the headquarters for sportsmen and is 

 as near to the railroad as any otlier jjlace. 



I send you to-day a photograph of a black bass that I 

 caught there weighing 7=flhs. Four dav.s after and before 

 l.>eing frozen in the cuke of ice it weighed 7 Albs. I sent 

 the fish to W. H. liiiglies, chief of our fire department, 

 tvho in turn had it frozen and photograjjlied. .1 have seen 



larger fish than this one caught at tlus place. I caught 

 714 while fishing there, ranging from fib. up. The best 

 time for large bass is the latter part of August and in 

 September, although there are large ones caught at most 

 any time of the year. 



The above I give for the information of sportsmen and 

 wdlgladhy give .an}' other data they may ask for, and if 

 any decide to visit the Abaters this next season they will 

 find me there. T also iuclose card of Mr. Blatt CoAangton, 

 whii is always at Huntsville ready to take parties to the 

 fishing grounds at -"iO cents per per.son. Peter Renner. 



Eastern Massachusetts. 



Wellesley, Mass., Jan, 27.— We had a good deal'of 

 sport fisliing for white perch and black bass in Morse's 

 Pond last smnmer. The perch Avere very gamy and many 

 of them of good size. I caught severa l aud put them 

 alive in Lake Waban, hoping to stock the lake AAdth them. 

 During the summer I Avanted to get one or two large 

 sua pping-tur ties and set several lines attached to blocks of 

 wood with good-sized hooks baited with fish, I caught 

 several big turtles— one th,at weighed 261bs., one of 311bs. 

 and one of 84 II is. They are ugly fellows to handle and 

 three or four big ones loose in a boat are hable to make 

 things hA^ely. A good nurny pickerel have been taken in 

 Charles River this winter through the ice not more than 

 a mile or two from Wellesley. One imrty took 751bs. in a 

 da.y, Avhde others carried home good strings. Two or 

 three persons are trying to introduce the white perch into 

 Charles River, and it they t>rove successful there Avill be 

 good sport m three or four years. The Avhite perch grows 

 A^ery large here, averaging lib., Avhile specimens weigh- 

 ing 2+lbs. or even more are not rare. S. F. Denton. 



Missouri Notes. 



We learn from Mr. W, F. Page that fishing in the im- 

 mediate vicinity of Neosho, Mo., has not yet opened. 

 There Avas good fishing for small-mouth blacic bass in 

 Current River, Carter Co., about the end of January. He 

 Avas informed tliat the deer shooting there had been" above 

 the usual average this season. 



When at Sa.n JIarcos, Texas, in the early part of Jan- 

 uary, ho saw a great many fine strings of large-mouth 

 black bass, and was su]-[iiised to notice that the ba.ss were 

 actiA-ely engaged in making theii' nests. Evidently the 

 prospects are bright for the new fish commission station 

 which is to be established at San Marcos. Mr. Page had 

 taken ujiward of 500,000 rainbow trout eggs at Neosho at 

 the close of Jjinuary. 



Minnesota Commission Report. 



Minneapolis, Mlim., Feb. 4.— The second annual report of 

 the Minnesota Game and Fish Commission has just been 

 presented. President Robert O. Sweeney, Sr., requcits the 

 making of better laws aud enforcing the present laAv, by for- 

 bidding the selling and shlppmg of all game killed and fish 

 caught in Minnesota. Also restrict the use of dogs in hunt- 

 ing and use of dynamite for catching fish in large quantities. 

 The Game Warden reports that .30 complaints A\ ere made 

 during the year, AAdth 13 convictions. Notices were served 

 upon 30 owners of dams to provide fishways, and 21 ways 

 have been built. The Willowbrook hatchery distributed fry 

 as follows: Brook trout 514,500, Loch Leven trout 234,000 

 California trout 49,000, lake trout 165,000, landlocked salmon 

 15,000; wall-eved pike 15.000.000 (estimated). W F D 



Sowing "Wild Oats. 



We have been asked Avhere the seed of water oats (Zizania 

 aquatU'n) can be obtained for introduction into fish ponds. 

 Mr. E. D. .Sturtevant. of Bordeutown, N. J., can furni.sh it 

 and give directions for planting. Dr. Hessel has used it at 

 Washington, where it grew so luxuriantly that he had to de- 

 stroy it. He first soaked the seed and then so^-ed it in water 

 from two to four inches deep. 



Colorado Commission. 



It is reported that W. R. CaUicotte, Esq., of Denver, has 

 been appointed Commissioner of Fisheries for Colorado, his 

 term to begin April 1. 



Attractive Tours to the Near South via the 

 Pennsylvania Railroad. 



Tbb advantageous season of the year and the attractive destinations 

 fixed for the tour to the near South on Feb. 9 malre it one of the most 

 desirable of pleasure trips. The territory traversed is the most attrac- 

 tive and historical portion of the Union, embracing- as it does a pictur- 



FIXTURES* 



DOG SHOWS. 



. 21 to 24.— Westminster Kennel Olub, JSiew York city. .Jame.s 

 ner, Supt. Entries close Feb. 0, 



Feb. ! 

 aiortimer, ^ 



Feb. 28 to March 3.— Keystone Kennel Club, at Philadelphia, Pa. 

 .lames Watsou, Sec'y. Entries close Psb. 17'. 



March 7 to 10.— Maryland Kennel Club, at Baltimore Md W .S 

 Diffenderffer, Sec'y. Entries close Feb. 25. ' ' ' 



March 14 to 17.- Washington. D. C. F. S. AVebster, .Sec'y 



March 31 to 24.— CUty ol' tlie Straits Kennel C\uh, at Detroit Mich 

 Guy D. AVehon, Sec' v. 



March to 2.5.— Kimira, N. Y. C. A. Bowman, Sec'y. 



M.arcli to HI.— ninidio Kennel Club, first show, at Indianapolis, 

 Ind. ( 'ha.s. K. Farmer, Soc'y. 



April 4 to 7.— New England Kennel Chib, at Boston, Mass. J. W. 

 Newman. Sec'y. 



A|_)ril 19 to 22.— Fifth Annual Dog Show, at fjos Angeles, Gal. 0. A 

 Sumner, See\y. 



May 5 to 6 —Pacific Kennel Club, at San Francisco, Cal. Horace W 



Oi-eai-, See\y. 



June 13 to 17.— World's Fair, Chicago, W. I. Buchanan, Chief Dept. 

 of Agriculture. 

 Sept. 7 to 10.— Hamilton, Ont. A. D. Stewart, Sec'3'. 



FIELD TELALS. 



Feb. 13.— United States F. T. Club Trials, New Albany, Ind. P T 

 Madison, Sec^y-Treas., Indianapolis, Ind. 



842.50 from Philadelphia cover 



radroad tare, hotel accommodations, and all necessary expenses dur- 

 ing the entire time of nine days spent on the tour. For an extended 

 toui- to AVashingtou an exceptional opportunity is offered on Feb 16 

 Seven days wdl be spent on the trip. The rates, including transporta- 

 tion, hotel acconmiodations, transfers, carriage ride, and a trip to Mt. 

 A'ernon, are very low. Tltis tour affords amfile time for thoroughly 

 vie^vmg aud resting at tlie Nation's handsomest city. Further inform- 

 ation furnished on application to Touiist Agents. 849 Broadway, New 

 \ ork, 8G0 Fulton street, Brooklj^u, and 23.3 South Fourth street, Pliila- 

 delphia, or Ticket Agents, Pennsylvania Railroad Company.— ^4dr. 



Hundreds and Hundreds. 



The New York Central's transactions are assuming large propor- 

 tions. The. company recently orderetl 100 new locomotives. They are 

 adding to tlieir pasHeni;,.-r eiiuijiiiietit this siunmer 100 new sleeping 

 cai's and now It is stated oi: aiuhi,iity l luit they are laying 100-pound 

 steel rails m then; superb tract. S>i;-e)> Anieriea's Greatest Railroad" 

 IS not doing anything by hah es,— Jf/c. 



We call the attention of our readers to the advertisement of Wm. 

 Wood, 2a AVest ISSth street, New Y'ork, manufacturer and importer of 

 high grade sporting, athletic, gymnastic and boathig goods aud sup- 

 plies. A u<>.w and complete catalogue will he mailed free on applica- 

 tion. 'Acl.r. 



A New-Subscriber Offer. 



A bona fide new suljseriber setiding us will receive for that sum 

 the Forest and SfHEAit one yetir (price Bij and a set of Zimmerman's 

 famous "Ducking Scenes" (advertised on another page, price go)— a 

 §9 value for $5. 



This offer is to new subscribers only. It does not apply to renewals 

 For S;i a /('(/(■ new subscriber for six months will receive th 

 Foi;nsT a;;ij Stream during that time and a copy of Dr. Van Fleet's 

 bandsoiue work, ^-Bird Portraits for the Young" ("the price or which 

 is S3j. 



THE HEALTH OF DOGS AT SHQWS. 



Now that the show season is coming on it may be well to 

 draw greater attention to the veterinary department. It is 

 to be hoped that the different bench show committees will 

 exercise every precatrtion that will insure the health of their 

 temporary charges, not only in appointing a qualified vet- 

 erinarian to examine the dogs at the entrance but to see that 

 he is attending to his duties, and so arrange the en- 

 trance that but one dog can pass througli at one time. 

 Many dogs arrive at unreasonable hours and are benched by 

 the \vatchman at all hours of the night. These dogs may be 

 all right and they may not, and should they be diseased in 

 any \yay the damage is done and it is superfluous to ask the 

 "vet." to look the dog over in the morning. The vet. should 

 be instructed to remain at the show entrance till 11 P. M. the 

 night before the show opens. After that hour the watchman 

 should be instructed that under uo circtimstances must he 

 allow later comers to bench their dogs. This may work a 

 hardship hi some cases, but the benefit to the few must be 

 sacrificed to the good of the many. Let there be no sentiment 

 in this veterinary appointment; hold the appointee to a 

 strict acceptance of his duties. It is not enough for a "vet." 

 after he has examined the dogs at the door to put iu appear- 

 ance for an hour or two in the evening during the rest of the 

 .show to see how things are getting along. Every "vet." 

 should be paid such a price that he can afford to be ou call at 

 any moment; also to perodieally make a round of the benches 

 and see that the health of his charges continues good. To 

 him should also be intrusted the regulating of the ventila- 

 tion so that it be equable as far as the convenience.? admit. 

 That the ventilation be not so disposed as to cause undue 

 draughts on certain dogs totally unable to stand it, so that 

 the careful owner has to so protect his dog's stall or cage 

 with blankets and so forth, that effectually conceal the dogs 

 the public pay money at the door to see. 



Some dogs develop a cold or diarrhoea very quickly at 

 shows, and a careful, conscientious "vet" will remove the 

 animal at once from public gaze, and to a room set apart for 

 such purposes. 



In many shows iu the past the "vet" has been conspicuous 

 by his absence after the first day, and when present is un- 

 known to any but his immediate acquaintances. He should 

 wear a badge at all times when on duty; whatever his feel- 

 ings in this respect, he owes it to his position to conform to 

 the latter requirement, so that any exhibitor may command 

 his services and find him without difficulty. All these sug- 

 gestions may seem trivial, but their importance is the growth 

 of past negligence of an important office. Under the new 

 rules of the A. K. C. regarding veterinarians, the "vet" at 

 the smallest show cannot afford to neglect them. He should 

 also give a look to dogs that are shipped home by the club, 

 for often dogs arrive home more by good luck than througli 

 good management. If a dog is sick when shipped to his 

 owner, the latter should be notified by wire of the fact, and 

 so be prepared to receive the dog at the earliest moment and 

 attend to its wants. Any owner who loves his dog will thank 

 a committee for this kind attention, and that club may be 

 sure of the owner's entry another vear. 



Mr. Everett Millais makes a very pertinent remark in a re- 

 cent letter to the London Field, in which he says: "Thorp- 

 Hincks very justly remarks, regarding distemper, that he is 

 not quite sure that it does not rest iu a great measure with 

 the doers themselves. With this sentiment I cordially agree, 

 for in our striving after type— a goal we can only reach by- 

 inbreeding of a peculiarly narrow character— we unfortun- 

 ately lower the immunity of the dog, and produce animals 

 of a more susceptible nature to disease than outbred animals 

 are from the other extreme. If this is the case— and I hardly 

 think any person iu a position to judge will attempt to con- 

 trovert my .statement— how great, how perfect, and how sys- 

 tematic ought not our precautions to be in the locale where 

 we bring the product of years of thought, judgment and ex- 

 periment together, in order that we may influence the produce 

 of the future? My experiments alone show that distemper 

 is a bacterial disease, not only of the most destructive char- 

 acter in inbred dogs, but itnder the same regulations as 

 other diseases of a like nature." 



SARATOGA KENNEL CLUB. 



Editnr Forest and St rxa m: 



At a meeting of poultry and dog fanciers, held at the 

 Commercial Hotel on Wednesday evening, Jan. 25, the 

 Saratoga Poultry and Kennel Club was organized. 



A great deal of enthtisiasm was manifested by those 

 present and all felt confident that a successful show could 

 be held here next winter. 



The club will join the American Kennel Club and hold its 

 bench show under them mles. It was decided to hold a show 

 sometime in January, 1894. Exact dates will be announced 

 later. 



Curtis, John E. Hodgman and Erwin A. Hall, of Saratoga 

 Springs; A. E. Bluck, of- John.stown; Edward Rosa, of 

 Schenectady; W. A. Fuller, of Fultonville; T. B. Zimmer, 

 of (.lloversviUe, and C. E. Rockeustyre. of Albany Treas- 

 urer, John J. Wandell; Secretaries, WUham D. Eddy, for 

 poultry departiuent, and Lyman W. Clute, for keunei de- 

 partment; Directors, Daniel Eddy, Erank Sherman, J. A 

 WUhs, P. W. Gaylor, W. T. Rockwood and W. A. Coster of 

 Saratoga Springs; H. R. T. Coffin, of Glens Falls; C. A 

 Houck, of Albany, and James R. Draper, of Troy. Dele- 

 gates to American Kennel Club, H. R. T. Coffin, of Glens 

 Falls; Alternate, C. Rathbone. of Albany; Veterinary Sur- 

 geon, Dr. T. H. Childs. 



Tin- first Tuesday in each month, excepting July and 

 list, were determined upon for holding' the re'^'ular 

 meetiugs at the Commercial Hotel. W. D.'Eddt, Sec'y, 



SARATpsA Springs, N. Y,, Jan. ST. 



