294 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



[Oct. 7, 1898. 



'^wf^ ^dg md 0ntf. 



The Forest and Steeam isjru.t to press each vmeknn Tues- 

 day. Oorresjiondence intended for pvMication should reach 

 us at the latest by Monday, and as much earlier as practicable, 



MORE PROSE ABOUT BARNEGAT. 



To ME, and doubtless to thousands of other sportsmen 

 in the East, the name "Barnegat" has always appeared 

 synonymous with the very cream of shooting and fishing, 

 and often did I promise myself a trip to that sporting 

 Utopia, where weakfish, striped bass, immense drum and 

 bluefish could be caught until the fishermen became tired 

 from pulling them in, and would have to stop from very 

 exhaustion and surfeit; where curlew, willet and other 

 bay birds filled, every bar and sandspit, and where we 

 would meet with none of the disappointments which 

 unfortunately fall too often to the lot of the devotee of 

 rod and gtm. 



The long desired opportunity came this summer, I 

 was to get a couple of weeks in the latter part of August, 

 when snipe shooting should be good, and my brother 

 decided to accompany me. I corresponded with hotels 

 both on the main shore and on the narrow neck of land 

 facing the sea, and to do the hotel people justice, must 

 say that they wrote that snipe shooting wa.s merely fair 

 and that bay fishing was not anything extra, but that 

 the bluefishing was vei-y good. We reasoned that even 

 if the fishing was only fair, we could fiU in the time very 

 nicely by fishing for the fighting blues; and accordingly 

 the afternoon of Saturday, Aug. 19, saw us seated in a 

 train of the Pennsylvania R. R. en route to Barnegat City, 

 at which place we arrived at 6:30 that evening. From 

 what we could see as we roUed along in the train, after 

 leaving Barnegat City Junction, I somehow felt that we 

 had come to the wrong place, as the different settle- 

 ments all along that part of the beach bore a deserted 

 air, and when we reached our destination it reaUy seemed 

 as though we had struck the "Deserted Village." The 

 many pretty cottages that'^were located here and there 

 were all closed up tight; most of them were badly in 

 need of paint. The balconies of the hotel were empty 

 and there was none of the crowd such as can be seen at 

 the arrival of the evening trains at all of the resorts along 

 the New Jersey and Long Island shores. This did not 

 trouble us, however, as we had come for the fishing and 

 shooting, and did not care whether or not we had any 

 other company. 



After eating our supper we consulted some of the "cap- 

 tains," who all made the hotel a sort of rendezvous, about 

 engaging a small sailboat by the week, as we intended to 

 do our own shooting without the assistance of a profes- 

 sional gunner. We learned of a boat that would probably 

 answer our purpose, and arranged to go down to the bay 

 next morning to look at it. We made many inquiries as 

 to the prospects of shooting and fishing, and were told 

 there were but few weakfish on our side, but that along 

 the main shore they were very plentiful; and that there 

 were not may bay birds flying, though peeps were plen- 

 tiful. 



Sunday morning we engaged the boat we had been told 

 about, which proved to be a small, flat-bottomed one, with 

 a sprit sail, and took a short spin across the bay to see how 

 the land lay. A dip in the surf followed, and we settled 

 down to take things easy for the afternoon, keeping our 

 weather open for snipe, but we saw none. 



Toward evening ominous black clouds began to pile up 

 in the northwest, then in the southeast and all around the 

 horizon. Fitful flashes of lightning, followed by the rum- 

 ble of thunder, showed that heavy rain must be falling 

 all around us, but we escaped the rain until late at night, 

 when the wind shifted to the northeast and blew a half 



fale, accompanied by heavy rain, which lasted until about 

 aylight. 



Believing that the storm might have started a flight of 

 snipe, we got up early ilonday morning and sailed to Sea 

 Dog Shoal, located about a mile out in the bay, which we 

 had been told was the best place to make our blind. Here 

 we kept watch until one o'clock, but nothing came along 

 but a few peeps and ringnecks, none of which we shot. 

 Having nothing to do in the afternoon we decided to try 

 the shoal again, and sailed across about three o'clock. 

 Upon sailing up to the landing place at the shoal, which 

 was now nearly covered with water, it being high tide, 

 we saw several turnstones, a couple of black-breast plover 

 and several hundred peeps, surf-snipe and ringnecks. 

 Hastily putting my gun together I succeeded in bringing 

 down a black-breast plover and a turnstone, the other 

 birds scattering all over the bay. We put out our decoys 

 and settled down to wait for the birds, but other than the 

 peeps, etc. , nothing came until we were about to go home, 

 when a solitary willet flew in and was promptly brought 

 down. A dowitch then came in, but alighted pretty well 

 out of gunshot. After watching him for ten or fifteen 

 minutes John tried a pot shot, but without success, and 

 the dowitch took his departure, followed in a few minutes 

 by ourselves. 



Tuesday morning we started early so as to get possession 

 of the bUnd on Sea Dog Shoal, which is, by the way, a 

 sandbar all but covered at high tide, but at low water 

 showing a surface of half a mfle or more in area. The 

 wind was southwest and we thought there should be some 

 birds flying, but a couple of "jacks," flying very high, 

 were all we saw in the way of game. 



In the afternoon we decided to try the fishing and 

 anchored in deep water, where we were informed we 

 could catch some sea bass and flounders. A couple of 

 hours' fishing were rewarded with one light nibble and we 

 gave it up. A boy fishing near us, caught a couple of 

 sea bass about 3in. long and seemed to think he had done 

 fairly well. 



Wednesday morning the wind was in the northeast; 

 the sky was overcast and tliere were occasional light 

 showers, a perfect day, we thought, for snipe. Risking a 

 wetting, we sailed out ix3 Sea Dog Shoal and set out our 

 decoys in tempting array, with their heads pointed up 

 wind, where we expected the birds to come from. After 

 quite a while a solitary big yellowleg came along and we 

 succeeded in calling him toward us, but he evidently 

 knew the blind and could not be coaxed within gunshot. 

 We returned to the hotel with an empty bag and spent 

 the afternoon reading. Wednesday night the big storm 

 that did so much damage along the coast set in, and all 

 night .the wind blew as though it were a fiend incarnate 



and bent upon blowing the hotel into the bay. At 4 A.M. 

 Thursday morning the wind shifted to the northwest and 

 blew almost as hard from that quarter as it had from the 

 northeast. We went down to the bay, but found too 

 heavy a sea running to admit of our going out, and be- 

 sides Sea Dog Shoal was a couple of feet under water. 

 We tried it along the shore for a while, but there were no 

 birds flying, except peeps and siirf snipe. In the after- 

 noon we tried to get to Sea Dog, but after going about a 

 half mile off shore and getting thoroughly drenched from 

 the water that broke over our little boat in solid sheets, 

 getting down our necks and into our boots, we decided to 

 put back, thus making the fourth day practically wasted. 



While we had been fooling away our time trying to 

 shoot snipe, a party of ten gentlemen from Germantown, 

 Pa. , had been after bluefish every day, but there was a 

 heavy sea at the inlet and their captains were afraid to 

 venture outside, so they did not get a fish. Thursday's 

 heavy northwesterly wind beat down the sea consider- 

 ably, and Friday morning we induced Captain Morse to 

 take us outside, which he did, after seeing Captain 

 Mitchell's boat, with the Germantown party aboard, get 

 out the North Way. We found a heavy sea outside and 

 the water very muddy. We trolled for a couple of hours 

 without getting a bite, then Capt. Morse said that the 

 stiff southwest wind that had sprung up would make the 

 sea so heavy in an hour or so that we could not get across 

 the bar, and there was, therefore, nothing left for us to 

 do but to get in. 



Captain 'Morse and others had been telling us that there 

 was first-class fishing along the main shore, big strings of 

 weakfish and striped bass being caught daily, and that 

 yellowlegs were plentiful in the salt ponds adjoining the 

 shore of the bay. We had him take us over there, so that 

 we could see for ourselves whether there was anything in 

 these reports. We saw the salt ponds, but did not see a 

 snipe around them, which was the experience of another 

 pai-ty from the hotel who had been there the previous 

 day. 



We were now thoroughly tired of the pla,ce and decided 

 to go home, but here another diiflculty arose. The big 

 storm bad washed away a large portion of the railroad 

 tracks between Barnegat Junction and Barnegat City, the 

 telegraph wires were all down, and all communication 

 with the main shore had to be by boat. The hotel people 

 found it difficult to get supplies and their table siiffered 

 accordingly, likewise the few guests left, fifteen in all. 

 aU the others having gone home during the early part of 

 the week. 



Everybody was disappointed and disgusted with the 

 fishing* and shooting and general dullness of the place, 

 and the entire fifteen guests, including ourselves, de- 

 cided to go home Saturday morning, going across the bay 

 to Waretown and from there to the railroad station. The 

 usual charge for a boat for a half day was $2.50, but when 

 we spoke of being conveyed across the bay, $5 was de- 

 manded (the distance being from five to six miles). The 

 ten gentlemen from GJermantown had made their own 

 arrangements to be taken across the bay and to the rail- 

 road station. Two of the other ^lests, a gentleman and 

 wife from Trenton, were not decided as to whether to go 

 or not; but as it was certain that the other gentleman, my 

 brother and I would go, I spoke to the captain about tak- 

 ing us across, for which he asked |5. I told him this was 

 rather steep for a party of three, but finally agreed that if 

 only three went we would pay him $1 each, and if five 

 went the rate would also be $1 each, giving the captain 

 the berr-dt of the exti-a passengers. 



Saturday morning there was a very light southeast wind 

 and indications of a fog, so we decided that if we would 

 be sure of catching the 3:45 train at Waretown we should 

 start at one o'clock. Therefore at 12:30 we left the hotel 

 and were off shortly after one. The wind was still very 

 light and it took about an hour and a half to reach Ware- 

 town. The railroad station was about two miles from the 

 dock and we had to look up a conveyance to take the 

 party and their baggage. The proprietor of the hotel near 

 the dock agreed to take us at a reasonable rate, but said ho 

 had not room enough for the three trunks and other bag- 

 gage. As we could not leave the baggage behind it was 

 incumbent upon us to hustle around and get some one 

 else to take it. The hotel man referred us to another hotel 

 a short distance up the road. The profjrietor there said 

 his man was down the road somewhere and he could not 

 leave his business. I offered to drive the team to the sta- 

 tion if he would send a boy to take them back. He said 

 no man or boy in that town except himself and his hired 

 man could drive his team, and referred us to the store 

 across the street. 1 thought the hotel man's team must be 

 something extra, but found upon inquiry that they were 

 the regulation country hotel and livery stable breed that 

 must be whipped to make them go faster than a walk. 

 The storekeeper across the street thought his horse would 

 be bvisy that afternoon, but referred us to another store 

 up the street. There we found a boy in charge, who told 

 us that in an hour or so he would have to call for a lady 

 to take her to the station. I asked if he could not hitch 

 up. take our trvmks to the station and then call for the 

 lady, but he thought he couldn't. We then went back to 

 the hotel, but with no better success than before. 



We were by this time getting desperate and ready to 

 pay almost any price in reason to get our trunks to the 

 station, but as the natives seemed indisposed to either ac- 

 commodate strangers or to earn a couple of dollars, we 

 saw nothing in prospect but to wait over until Monday, 

 as no trains run on Sunday. Going back to the hotel at 

 the dock, we met a teamster who had taken a boat down 

 to the bay on a wagon frame. We told him our plight, 

 and asked if he could not in some way manage to take 

 our trunks to the depot. He proved to be a "white man" 

 and said he would hurry home, get a suitable rig and 

 come back. Considerable time had elapsed since we 

 reached this inhospitable town and we had but forty-five 

 minutes left. The teamster, however, proved to be as 

 white as he talked, and in a few minutes was back with 

 a box wagon, into which we hurriedly pitched our bag- 

 gage, jumped in ourselves, hot, tired and mentally swear- 

 ing at the "Jersey pirates," as we dubbed the people who 

 seemed bent on making aU they could out of us and put- 

 ting themselves out of their way as little as possible. The 

 drive to the station proved to be through pine woods and 

 was very heavy, so that when we reached the 6X10 board 

 shed used for a station of the great Pennsylvania Rail- 

 road we had but five minutes to spare. The train was a 

 few minutes late, but eventually came along, we jumped 

 aboard and bid good-bye to a place that we wiU hardly 

 care to visit again, at least not until the fishing and shoot- 



ing improve and the natives learn to have a little consid- 

 eration for visitors who are willing to pay liberally for 

 everything they get, but not to be imposed upon. 



At the station we met four gentlemen who had been to 

 Waretown fishing. They told us that the reports we had 

 heard of big strings of weakfish and striped bass (30 to 

 100 to the boat for a few hours' fishing) were fish stories, 

 as very few fish had been caught along the main shore. 

 They said they had been told there were plenty of fish 

 along the beach side of the bay and were sorry they had 

 not gone there. They also said they had heard of no 

 snipe being killed on the main shore. We saw it was 

 simply another case of ' 'You should have been here the 

 other day, etc.," that visiting fishermen are regaled 

 with when they meet with poor luck. 



The above is a perfectly true narration of our experi- 

 ences on Barnegat Bay, and is written simply to show 

 that you cannot believe all you hear about fishing and 

 shooting resorts, unless you know the source whence the 

 information springs, and that it is entirely disinterested. 

 There are too many people writing glowing accounts of 

 shooting and fishixig to be enjoyed at different places, 

 their reports being mostly drawn from their own vivid 

 imaginations and entirely without any foundation in fact. 

 I was shown clippings from different newspapers, telling 

 of big hauls of weakfish, sea bass, etc. , caught at Barne- 

 gat City by people who, I was informed, had hardly wet 

 a line this season. One article described a fishing trip of 

 two persons, with a result of 106 fine bluefish. The party 

 who wrote that item unblushingly informed me that they 

 did not get a bite that day, let alone catching any fish. 



Now, fish stories are all well enough in their place, 

 when known as such, but when any person deliberately 

 tells stories not based on fact of fine fishing or shooting 

 at any particular locality, it is simply booming that place 

 by means of false pretenses, and no reputable journal 

 should publish such stories as truth. 



For our part, it was not through any newspaper reports 

 that we visited Barnegat City, but from the well-known 

 reputation of the place. 



I would also say that gentlemen I met there, who had 

 been there in former years, told me that they had caught 

 boatloads of fish, and that the snifie shooting was all that 

 could be desired by the most exacting sportsman. I* 

 know also that the shooting and fishing all along 

 the coast is remarkably poor this year and, therefore, 

 Barnegat Bay suffers with other places and is no excep- 

 tion to the general rule. This being the case, hotel men 

 and others should refrain from publishing "Munch- 

 hausenic" stories of big hauls of fish and game, and the 

 papers should ascertain positively who their correspond- 

 ents are before publishing such "yarns." H. 



IN LOUISIANA SWAMPS. 



Point Pleasant, La., Sept. 7, — It has been a long time 

 since I have had the pleasure of writing to you, so I 

 thought I would write you and give you an account of our 

 first deer hunt of the season. 



It has always been customary for us to go on opening 

 day: but this year the cotton worms were so bad that it 

 was impossible for us to leave home. We had a hard fight 

 with the worms: the battle ended Svmday night, the 8d 

 inst. Although we won the victory, om- cotton reminded 

 me very much of what a boy once said to another who 

 had licked him, "Yes, you licked me, but I gave you all 

 you wanted while you were doing it." 



Tuesday, the 5th, was set for our hunt. We were to 

 meet at Somerset at 4 o'clock. I was the first on the 

 grounds, and by 5 o'clock they had all come up — C. B. 

 Muir, Arch, and George Douglass, Max Bland and Crab 

 (a colored man). We had 23 dogs. Of course every one 

 had the best dog, and there was a lively discussion among 

 the boys as to whose dog would lead the chase. 



We started a buck and doe at half past six o'clock. 

 They made a straight run of about a mile, then doubled. 

 Then away they went back to where they had started 

 from, with every dog in fuU cry. I headed them, but 

 failed to get a shot. The dogs were well bunched, I could 

 not tell which one led. I dropped in behind, and followed 

 as fast as I could ride. Just as the dogs struck the field, I 

 heard the report of a gun, then another. On coming up 

 I found George D. had cut the deer off, and fired the two 

 shots, one at the doe and one at the buck. He said he had 

 hit them both. The dogs were still running. We both 

 started after them as fast as we could ride, when all of a 

 sudden every dog stopped opening. "There," said I to 

 George, "They have caught one." We hurried up to the 

 dogs and fovmd the doe. Listening, I heard two dogs 

 still running. We soon got the rest of the dogs on the 

 trail of the buck, and they did not go more than a quarter 

 of a mile before they caught and xjulled him down. Both 

 of the deer were in fine condition. 



We blew our horns and the rest of the party soon came 

 up. "Whose dog led?" was the first question asked of 

 George. "I don't know," says he, "for I could not teU; 

 but Sullivan and Drive caught the buck. The buck and 

 doe were together when the doe fell, as the buck's trail 

 led off from where she fell." "Well, boys," said I, "We 

 will get these two out to the levee, and then eat our 

 lunch. Then we will start another deer, and may be we 

 will then be able to decide who has the lead-dog." It was 

 then half past seven o'clock. 



We ate our lunch, dressed the deer and were ready to 

 start by half-past 8. George and I took part of the dogs; 

 Max and my brother had the others. We took the swamp 

 in different directions, so as to go on both sides of a large 

 lake, as it could only be crossed at either end. The lake 

 is about eight miles" long. George and I did not get a 

 start until we got near the western end, there the dogs 

 got up an old buck. Away they went out of hearing. 

 They were gone for over an hour. Then I heard them 

 coming back, they were making for the lake, and I tode 

 as fast as I could to cut them off. But agaih I was too 

 late. When I got to the lake, I saw the buck about half 

 way across, with only three dogs following him. The 

 lake is about three-quarters or one mile wide, and the 

 deer often take it to shake dogs off. I tried to get the 

 other dogs to go, but the most of them being young, they 

 would only go out a piece, and then turn back. I got 

 separated from George. I had my little son with me (a 

 chap of seven summers, but who can ride with the best 

 of us). We started for the levee, for I knew the deer 

 would go in that direction. On getting there I found 

 Max, my brother, and Crab, with the biggest buck I have 

 seen for many a year. They had started his trail on the 

 northern side of the lake, and trailed him back to within 



