540 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



[Deg. S8, 1898. 



A TIME WITH A LEOPARD. 



[Being the conclusion of the paper "Some Triclcy Leopards," in 

 Issue o£ Nov. 18.] 



I ONCE had under my care a leopard called Lucy, and 

 she was one of the most singular animals that I ever saw. 

 Lucy knew no one but the party who fed her, and he 

 could do about as he wished with her. In order to test 

 her I changed keepers, and Lucy invariably transferred 

 her allegiance, taking every opportunity to try and claw 

 her former boon companion. On returning to his old post 

 the original keeper hadn't the slightest difficulty with 

 her after the first meal had been received from his hands. 

 I was so fortunate as to breed from her, and in the adjoin- 

 ing den a lioness had two whelps, which she refused to 

 suckle any longer when they were about two weeks old. 

 I ransacked the entire neighborhood trying to find a bitch 

 in milk, but was unsuccessful, and while standing in 

 front of the cage worrying and fretting, I ordered the 

 keeper to take one of the whelps and hold it in front of 

 Lucy, to see how she would act. He picked it up and 

 held it far enough away to be out of her reach. She 

 walked up to the grating, gazed fixedly at it, but made no 

 attempt to reach for or harm it. I then directed him to 

 advance it slowly toward her; when it reached the grating 

 she gently thrust her nose through the bars and began to 

 lick it. Giving a gulp of relief, I ordered it placed inside 

 the cage, when she'picked it up and softly placed it along- 

 side the two youngsters belonging to herself. The second 

 young lion was treated in precisely the same manner, and 

 henceforth she acted as their foster mother, giving them 

 the same care and attention as her own whelps. 



Daring my connection with the Zoological Garden, 

 Philadelphia, I received the following telegram from the 

 city office: "Leopard loose on one of boats of the Clyde 

 Line from New York. Send head keeper down to catch 

 it." I obeyed the order literally by sending the head 

 keeper, while I remained in the garden, From my pre- 

 vious experiences with leopards, I was perfectly willing 

 that the head keeper, or anybody else, might catch the 

 animal, and was delighted that the task had been passed 

 to another party. But my self-gratulation did not last 

 long, for later in the day a second dispatch arrived say- 

 ing: "Come down, as Nash can't catch the leopard." 

 On getting down on the river front. I found the pier- 

 heads filled with people looking out at the barge Chesa- 

 peake anchored in mid-stream. Taking a small boat, I 

 wasjsoon alongside, and found that Nash, the head keeper, 

 was completely at his wits' end and unable even to locate 

 the brute's whereabouts on the craft. All that he knew 

 was that on the night previous, while the longshoremen 

 were unloading the barge, they came across an empty 

 cage, and shortly afterward a leopard appeared in the 

 midst of them. There was an instant stampede, hatches 

 closed, and the craft towed out and anchored in the mid- 

 dle of the river. As it was late, I determined to make no 

 attempt at a capture until the next day, and returned to 

 the Garden, where I ordered the carpenter to transform a 

 shifting-den into a trap-cage. Tlie next morning I or- 

 dered a little Alsatian to follow me as soon as he had 

 completed his forenoon's work. I had picked him up in 

 Batavia, Java, as a deserter from a Yankee whaler, and 

 selected him, as I was sure from previous experience, that 

 dependence could be placed on him if matters came to a 

 tight pinch. 



Calling at the city ofiice before going on board the 

 barge, I found a tlioroughly demoralized board of direc- 

 tors, every one of whom had a plan for capturing the 

 animal, a major portion of which had been suggested by 

 some acquaintance. All were anxious to know what 

 course I intended to follow, and seemed much disappointed 

 when they were informed that I had no fixed plan, but 

 intended to watch and take advantage of the first op- 

 portunity that might present itself, and sooner than run 

 the slightest risk of injury to any one, would shoot the 

 creature. Finally, I managed to get away, but not until 

 the society's actuary had been ordered by a member, who 

 generally carried things with a high hand, to purchase a 

 large jar of chloroform, and accompany me. On arriving 

 on board of the barge, I ordered some holes chopped 

 through the hurricane deck, so as to try and locate the 

 beast's position belovs^. After several trials we managed 

 to make one directly over him, lying well aft, on a mat- 

 trass, among a lot of furniture. Gently covering the hole, 

 my plan for capture was instantly formed, and to under- 

 stand it one must recollect that the hurricane deck only 

 reached from the stern to about three-fourths of the 

 length of the barge, leaving the forward portion of the 

 main deck entirely open. The main hatch ran completely 

 across the boat and I knew that all the cargo on the 

 main deck forward the hatches had been removed, with 

 the exception of one or two hogsheads. Sending on shore 

 I procured a lot of large tarpaulins and long strips of 

 plank. Just as my arrangements were about completed 

 for the first move, a chap with a fire annihilator strapped 

 to his back made his appearance, and announced that the 

 directors had sent him to capture the leopard. On asking 

 how he intended to do it, replied: 



"You just drive him into a corner, place some pack- 

 ages around him, so that he can't get at me, and I will 

 turn on the gas, which wiU partly asphyxiate him, and 

 then you can haul him into a cage." 



"You just get him into a corner, as you describe, and I 

 will catch him without any asphyxiation." 



Whereupon the asphyxiator retired in a high dudgeon, 

 and I prepared to go on with my own plan. Gently lift- 

 ing back the hatches, so as to leave a slight opening for 

 their entire length across the deck, I lay down on one 

 side with the Alsatian on the other, both watching to 

 detect the animal's move forward, when he would be 

 disturbed, as I had planned. At a signal from myself a 

 pole was thrust into every hole which had been cut 

 through the deck, causing the leopard to spring forward, 

 with an angry snai'l, and seek refuge behind one of the 

 hogsheads. Instantly the opening of the hatches was in- 

 creased, the tarpaulins lowered as so many curtains, while 

 the Alsatian and myself quietly dropped down and 

 secm-ely fastened them at the bottom and sides by nailing 

 on the strips of board, while the parties on the hurricane 

 deck secured the upper edges in a like manner. Climbing 

 back on to the hurricane deck, I drew a long breath and 

 mentally concluded that my spotted friend had allowed 

 himself to be outgeneraled in the opening of hostilities. 



I now began to watch for the arrival of the carpenter 

 with the altered shifting den, when my attention was 

 attracted to a boat coming alongside, containing a party 

 with a terrier in his arms, who responded that he had 

 been sept by the bo3,rd to patch the leopard, His idea 



was that the leopard, being a male, would go into a trap, 

 in which was placed his dog, which was a female. I told 

 him to go down below and set a trap, with the bitch for a 

 bait, but he declined, saying that was my business and 

 not his, and he went ashore threatening to report my 

 stubborness to the board. In the meanwhile the carpenter 

 arrived, and taking him down on the main deck forward, 

 I showed him a door which opened directly into the 

 division occupied by the leopard. It hung on T hinges 

 and swung outwardly, making an easy job to loosen the 

 hinges, hoist it suflficiently for an entrance into the trap 

 cage and then refasten it. So soon as the hinges were 

 unscrewed and the door hoisted high enough to let the 

 light flash in, the brute charged, and it took all of my 

 strength to hold it against him. The carpenter clambered 

 up the hurricane deck, and it was some time before I 

 could induce him to return and complete the job. I then 

 sent a messenger ashore to the agent's office, requesting 

 the attendance of one of the tugs for a short time. 



While waiting for it I received two more visitors, who 

 had been sent by the board to catch the animal. They 

 belonged to some wandering menagerie and professed to 

 know all about capturing escaped leopards. They were to 

 go down alongside the tarpaulins, and by carefully pulling 

 aside the laps could see jiist the position of the animal, 

 and lay their plans accordingly. Just as I expected, s* 

 soon as a ray of light showed through the opening there 

 was an angry roar and a charge,which tested the strength 

 of the tarpaulin partition, and the would-be catchers 

 never stopped until they dropped into their boat along- 

 side. I then warned them that if they attempted to come 

 on board again they would be pitched into the river, and 

 I immediately wrote a note to the directors saying that if 

 I was bothered any more I would exercise tny prerogative 

 and shoot the animal. 



On the arrival of the tug I got the engineer to rig his 

 steam pumj) and pass me the hose pipe, which was in- 

 serted in the laps of the tarpaulins and the entire apart- 

 ment thoroughly wetted, so as to make it as uncomfort- 

 able as possible for its occupant. During the operation 

 he. again charged, but catching the full force of the 

 stream in his mouth, darted behind the hogsheads. So 

 soon as the head keeper came from the garden for the 

 purpose of remaining on board all night, I went ashore 

 and informed the agents tha,t the leopard was secured 

 forward, so that the barge could be hauled in and the 

 balance of the cargo discharged without danger. This 

 was immediately done and the barge again towed out and 

 anchored. 



During the night the keeper did not lack for company, 

 as nearly every newspaper had a reporter on board. They 

 made the pilot house their headquarters, and shortly after 

 midnight a dull thud was heard, when there was a rush 

 down the ladder to the main deck forward, where they 

 soon saw the eyes of the captive flashing behind the bars 

 of the trap cage. The next morning on stepping into the 

 agent's office I learned of my success and that the keeper 

 had loaded the animal on a cart and started for the 

 garden. 



On going to the office of the Society to report and re- 

 ceive expected congratulations, I found only one director 

 present, who gave me a fearful blowing up because the 

 chloroform party would not be present at the transfer in 

 the garden. It seemed that he had expressed such a 

 wish, and was apt "to lay down the law" if matters did 

 not go just as he wished. Inwardly chuckling at my suc- 

 cess and the expected war of words, I hurried back to the 

 garden and found that the animal had been shifted before 

 my ax'rival. The day after the cai^tiu-e was Sunday, and 

 the Society's receipts were lai'gely increased by the noto- 

 riety given to the escape by all the city papers. 



Feank J. Thompson. 



WASHINGTON NOTES. 



Squirrel shooting in the woods around Washington 

 fxxrnished recreation for quite a number of gunners dur- 

 ing October and November. Two boys were out in the 

 woods near Woodley very early one October morning, 

 and it was not quite day when they were met by a gen- 

 tleman, who asked them how they were making out. 

 The reply was, "Oh, very well, sir." The gentleman, 

 gun in hand, walked with the boys to a corner of the 

 woods. On the way he received much advice on the sub- 

 ject of shooting squirrels, which was taken very good- 

 naturedly from the youthful wiseacres. 



The corner of the woods was barely reached, when the 

 gentleman shot a squirrel, which one of the boys stopped 

 to pick up. Just as he was stooping over, the light fell 

 upon the gentleman's face, and the boy, still in a stooping 

 posture, was fairly paralyzed on recognizing the Presi- 

 dent of the United States. He seemed quite unable to re- 

 gain his perpendicular, and the President noticing the 

 boy's embarrassment, cheered him up, said the advice he 

 had been given was good, and wishing the boys a most 

 successful hunt bade them good-morning. 



Hundreds of gunners from this city spent Thanksgiving 

 Day in the country, some going to Virginia, Manassas 

 being one of the principal points — others into Maryland. 

 Quite a number of turkeys were killed. Grouse (pheas- 

 ants) were scarce. Quail unusually scarce. More rabbits 

 were bagged than anything else. 



One of om- younger friends secured his bird in a very 

 unusual, though not unheard of, way a few days since, 

 just north of the city. With gnon and Sport, this name- 

 sake of the father of ornithology in America started out. 

 The dog got up some birds and the shooter missed. Pres- 

 ently more birds were gotten up, and notwithstanding 

 the bad aim of our nimrod, one came to bag. It was one 

 of the plumpest quail of the season, and was taken by the 

 hand fi-om the briers and tall grasses in which its feet 

 had become badly entangled. Bart. 



A White Deer. 



A SHORT tim^ ago mention was made that a white deer 

 was seen by hunters in the vicinity of President, this 

 county, and afterward at Clough's Dam, near Marionville, 

 Forest county. What is thought to have been the same 

 deer was shot near Foxburg, Forest county, Wednesday 

 morning by H. A. Gilson of that village. It is the first 

 albino deer that has been shot in this vicinity for the past 

 quarter of a century, and visitors from all parts of the 

 country have called at the DuBois House to get a sight of 

 the freak of nature, — Oil City (Pa.) Derrick, Dec. 11, 



[COPYBIGHTED.] 



MODERN SPORTING GUNPOWDERS 



In the Light of the Public Powder and 

 Primer Tests Carried out at Chi- 

 cago and Carney's Point, 

 New Jersey. 



BY ASMIN TENNER, 

 Expert In Gunpowder, Guns and Ammunttlon. 



[Concluded from page SSh,} 

 The Summary of the Powder Tests. 

 Although the various tables embodied in this report 

 and their annexed explanations afl:ord to every gunner 

 an opportunity to draw correct conclusions as to what 

 powder made the best showing, it can nevertheless be 

 assumed that a great number of sportsmen, who are not 

 thoroughly versed on the subject at issue, and who are' 

 not sufficiently acquainted with all ballistic questions, 

 may still not be able to follow these figures in all direc- 

 tions, and, therefore, expect me to express an opinion on 

 this subject. 



I am fully aware that this is not an easy task and that 

 such an attempt is coupled with a great deal of responsi- 

 bility, Y^'et, I must admit, that although I have tried to 

 make my report as comprehensible as possible, the aver- 

 age reader can hardly be expected to digest all the figures 

 as readily as those who have conducted the experiments 

 and were thus able to follow the behavior of the different 

 powders in every particular. 



In performing this duty I shall endeavor to exercise 

 the same impartiality and good will toward all interested, 

 which have marked the powder and primer tests from be- 

 ginning to end, and wherein every step could be and has 

 been witnessed and controlled by disinterested, compe- 

 tent persons. 



I am far from intending to wound any one's feelings or to 

 harm any persons, from a business point of view; this the 

 more so, since I am convinced that all directly concerned 

 in the outcome of these tests are, without exception, en- 

 deavoring hard to impai-t to their article of manufacture 

 the highest possible degree of perfection. 



But if I wish to remain true to my original intention to 

 serve the cause of my American fellow-sporting men, I can 

 hardly avoid awarding, in view of the result of these testa, 

 a higher figure of merit to one powder than to another, 

 because it is but natural that in such a comparative trial 

 one kind of powder should display properties not possessed 

 in such a high degree by others. 



In judging a powder from a strictly ballistic standpoint, 

 one is compelled to pass an opinion frequently not ia 

 accord with the taste and opinion of a particular indi- 

 vidual or a cex'tain class of gunners, of whom many have 

 their hobbies, and among them the force of habit and 

 theory, unfortunately, still reigns supreme. I am further 

 aware that my deductions will likely find opposition here 

 and there, and that one possessing a greater degree of 

 ballistic knowledge and experience on matters of shot 

 shooting than I can claim for myself, even if he should 

 speak with angel's tongue, would hardly succeed in re- 

 moving with one stroke the confused ideas prevailing now 

 in regard to what a propelling agent can do and should 

 do, and on the point of the best method of loading cart- 

 ridges, etc. But I hope I shall meet with the concurrence 

 of all intelligent gunners if I a.dopt for judging the ballistic 

 qualities of a gunpowder the following basis: 



The bursting strain of a powder should be in proportion 

 to the effect achieved; that is, when the penetration is 

 satisfactory, the gun should not be subjected to an ex- 

 traordinaiy strain. The bursting strain should, under all 

 conditions, be as uniform as possible; it should be about 

 the same in wet as well as dry weather. The velocities 

 should always conform to a certain degree of uniformity 

 and should move between the limits representing on one 

 side a sufficient penetrative power, and on the other a ' 

 guarantee against wild shots or bad j)attern. The pattern, 

 too, ought to be quite uniform. The powder should not 

 be susceptible to moisture in the air or dry heat; it should 

 not foul the barrel to a great extent nor cause corrosion if 

 the gun is not cleaned immediately after use; it should 

 produce a light recoil only; should develop little or no 

 smoke; should not react too violently to highly increased 

 charges; and ought not to heat the barrel too quickly in 

 case of rapid and continuous shooting. 



Translating these several qualities into figures or points 

 of merit, they should be valued as follows: 



Points of merit. 



Comparative lowest bursting strain 30 



Evenness of the bursting strain 15 



Highest velucity (penetration) 20 



Evenness of velocities , 14 



Best pattern with a sufflcient corresponding velocity S5 



Evenness ol: pattern if accompanied by a sufflcient velocity. 14 



Non-susceptibility to moisture 15 



Non-susceptibility to dry heat 1,5 



Least f ouhng of barrels 8 



Least recoil , 8 



Least smoke 8 



Least heating of barrels 5 



Least liability of causing a corrosion of gun barrel 15 



Least degree of reaction to bighly iucreased charges 8 



Total loo 



By awarding the corresponding figures in every division 

 on the face of the result of the tests, we obtain a pretty 

 correct and just gauge of values. 



In the comparing and judging the qualities of the sev- 

 eral powders in regard to bursting strain, velocity or 

 penetration, and pattern in direct conjunction with one 

 another, all velocities of less than 750ft. have been thrown 

 out. 



To place all powders on an equal footing, only the 

 results obtained from the Smokeless and Nitro Club shells 

 have been taken in consideration, for the E. C, American 

 wood, S, S., DuPont's smokeless, both of the Schultze 

 powders, and for the Walsrode powders only these ob- 

 tained with the special shells adapted for these powders. 

 As basis for comparing the velocities and patterns, the 

 mean values obtained with the standard (Sdrs. powder, 

 l^oz. shot) and the increased charges— rs. of j)0wder 

 and l\oz. of shot, of the Walsrode powders 39 and 31 and 

 81 and 32grs, , have been taken, with due consideration of 

 the behavior of the several powders in general. 



The relation of the strain upon the gun to the effect 

 achieved is, with the different powders — taking the rrean 

 values in both cases as a basis for comparison — as follows: 



