Jan. 6, 1894. J 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



7 



"Is that so? Well, was I on your land when you called 

 to rne?" 

 "Nope." 



"Why, I thought you ordered me off." 

 "Did." 



"Well, don't you own any of this land?" 

 "Nope." 



"Where is your land?" 



"Haint got none. D' ye take me fer a millionaire?" 



"Oh, perhays your neighbors own that land?" 



' No they don't neither. Don't none o' us own no land. 

 On'y man 'at owns any land hyur is Jedge Jinkins, an' he 

 lives in Injunaperlis." 



"Oh, then you rent'that land across the road?" 



"No I don't, neither. What makes ye think thet?" 



"Why. you ordered me off." 



"Seems like you take a good deal fer granted. So you 

 thought I owned that land?" 

 "It looked that way." 

 "Er rented it?" 

 "Well, yes." 



"Humph. Don't none of us own no land 'round hyur, 

 'n I don't rent thet land ercrost the road, 'n I don't rent 

 this neither. I just live hyur, don't never pay no rent." 



"Well, then, what in the world do you mean by order- 

 ing me off that land?" 



"Oh, I was jest a-hollerin'." 



"Oh, you were?" 



"Yep. I was jest a-hollerin' to be a-hollerin'. Seems 

 like a feller ought to hev some rights in this world." 



"Well, you haven't any right to order me off from land 

 you don't own or control." 



"Haint, eh?" 



"No, you haven't." 



"Humph! Say?" 



"Well." 



"I've just come out of jail." 

 "You have?" 



"Yep. Was in jail six months. Tuk a shote, V they 

 proved it on me. Was you ever in jail?" 

 "No, I can't say I ever was." 

 "Then you don't know a blame thing erbout it?" 

 "No." 



"You liable to be in jail soon?" 

 "I hope not." 



"Then you a'mt liable ter know nothin' erbout et?" 

 "No, I guess not." 

 "Lemme tell you." 

 "Well." 



"It's mighty lonesome in jail." 

 "That so?" 



"Yep. Nothin' to do, you know." 

 "I suppose not." 



"Nope. 'N then everybody's bossin' ye round all the 

 time." 

 "Yes?" 



"Seems like they kind o' look down on a feller 'ts in 

 jail." 

 "Well, yes." 



"Like they wus bettern he wus." 

 "Yes?" 



"So a feller kaint have no good times at all, not in jail, 

 et's so lonesome, you see." 

 "Yes, I see." 



"He kaint boss nobody round, not in jail." 

 "No, I presifme not." 



"Humph! Well, now, when a feller gits out o' jail, 

 when he hez been in fer stealin' a shote, fust thing he 

 thinks of is whur he kin find ernuther shote." 



"Yes?" 



"Yep. 'N next thing is, whur he kin find some one to 

 boss erround." 

 "Oh, I see. ' 



"Yep, You see, my wife she left me when I went to 

 jail." 

 "Too bad." 



"Oh, I don't know erbout that. But ye see, me a-bein' 

 hyur all erlone, cookin' fer merself, cuttin' all the wood 

 alone, you see — now, hyur I am, 'n I sees you over thur, 

 en thinks I, I'll just holler at thet feller, 'n maybe he'll 

 thiuk I'm boss." 



"Oh, I see now very well." 



"Yep. Well, why in blank didn't you fall inter line, 

 then?" 



"Well, you see, that is — " 



"Oh, it is, eh? Say, you, you know what I'd do, if I 

 c'd see my way cl'ar to et?" 

 "No." 



"Well, I'd lick you, right now, ef 'twasn't fer goin' to 

 jail agin." 

 "You would, eh? Well—" 



"Yes, thet's what I would. But you see, et's so lone- 

 some in jail." 

 "Yes, I see." 



"Er I'd show you who was boss." 

 "I think I'd better be going." 



"Well, good mornin'. Sorry you got to go. Seems like 

 some fellers kain't git no sort o' chaince on earth. 

 Reckon I'll go over to Bill Johuson's this afternoon. You 

 know why?" 



"No." 



"He's got a boy 'at hes the rickets so' s 't he kaint 

 hardly walk. I 'low I'll lick that boy. I'll shorely show 

 these yer folks erround hyur who's boss." E. Hough. 



900 Security Building, Chicago. 



Preserving the Quail. 



Mr, S. N. Ayers of Blue Mountain, Misr,., writes as fol- 

 lows concerning the manner in which he induces the 

 negroes to refrain from robbing the nests of quail. It is 

 well known that they are very fond of the eggs. He says: 

 "I promised some time ago to give my plan of keeping 

 negroes from robbing quail's nests. I give them a doz n 

 and a half of hen eggs tor every nest they find and report 

 to me, providing the shells are left as proof of the hatch- 

 ing. I have been doing this for two years, and I have had 

 nine nests reported, three last year and six this year. All 

 hatched except one. If every shooter would offer some 

 reward, I am satisfied that there would be twice as many 

 quail left every year where darkies are numerous. Quail 

 plentiful here this season. There are twice as many as 

 there were last year. The hatching season was just right 

 — dry. I have seen some bevies numbering between thirty 

 and forty. * * * One day this season a friend and I 

 killed forty -two quail, though we shot poorly." 



B. Waters. 



BOSTON AND MAINE. 



Nature does not always favor the game, and it is 

 pretty certain that the last of the open season in Maine is 

 proving disastrous for moose, deer and caribou in the 

 New England woods. Reports speak of snow 2$ and even 

 3ft. deep in northern Maine, and covered with a crust in 

 some sections. Will the deer suffer? Ask thelumbermen 

 who are disposed to have a supply of venison. Happily 

 they are not all so disposed. Ask the native who has a pair 

 of snowshoes and knows where there is a herd of deer. 

 There are several reports in the air that the snow is so 

 deep and crusted that the deer cannot run through it; 

 that "they give right up!" Alas, for the herd of deer 

 that some men get into! All the reasonable hunters are 

 declaring that the law ought to cover crusting and 

 slaughtering deer in the deep snow at any time. But 

 who is going to be there to enforce it? The Maine papers 

 are complaining of the shooting of fawns this season. 

 One paper remarks that "the hunters ought to be ashamed 

 of shooting the little deer calves. Many of these little 

 deer— not larger than sheep— are seen on board the railway 

 trains that lead out of the hunting regions." They ought 

 to be ashamed. But are they? Burglars ought to be 

 ashamed of breaking into houses and frightening innocent 

 women and children. Massachusetts hunters who will go 

 down the South Shore gunning, and in the absence of 

 ducks and other large game birds, come back with their 

 belts dangling with the smallest of the woods sparrow 

 family, cannot be trusted in the Maine woods where there 

 are fawns, even if they are not a month old. Alas, for 

 the desire to kill something! The open season on Maine 

 big game ends Jan. 1, and who is not glad of it? It has 

 been a season most remarkable for the amount of game 

 killed, and it is to be hoped that the breeding stock has 

 not been reduced. Reports indicate that in some sections 

 there are deer enough left, while other sections have been 

 most severely hunted. To look at the matter reasonably, 

 it would seem that only the extreme southern or south- 

 eastern range of the deer in Maine had been severely 

 hunted this season, though the number taken has been 

 remarkably large. Estimates vary, while there is little 

 doubt but what 4,000 deer have been taken during the 

 open season in Maine this fall. As for moose, following 

 the reports would indicate at least 100 taken, though the 

 killing of a moose is told of so many times that the 

 reports are a good deal mixed. Of caribou, the number 

 taken must be at least 200, and it would seem that this 

 noble game is on the increase in the wilds of Maine. One 

 has recently been taken by a party of Boston hunters, 

 stopping at Billy Soule's beautiful camps up the Cup- 

 suptic. Tnis is explained by a gentleman well aquainted 

 in the section to be the first instance of the taking of a 

 caribou on the Cupsuptic for several years. One or two 

 have also been taken north of Andover, according to 

 reports. The lucky hunters to get the caribou at Billy 

 Soule's were R. C. McQuillen, J. S. Clark, Jr., R. A. Davis 

 and H. B. Callender, members of the Massachusetts 

 Yacht Club. It seems that the caribou was shot on the 

 ice in front of the camp3, several members taking part in 

 the shooting. The distance fired, the first shots, was 

 700yds. by measurement. At this long distance the 

 caribou was wounded, and afterwards finished in the 

 woods. It was a tine buck, and the head will be mounted 

 for the club. The party is also reported to have killed 

 twelve deer. Another most remarkable record, and one 

 that speaks volumes for what protection of game has 

 done in that State. 



It is hoped that game protection will again be alive in 

 Maine this winter. Game Commissioner Wentworth, of 

 Bangor, is highly spoken of, and he is reported to be 

 greatly interested in continuing the work so ably begun 

 hy Commissioner S til well, now deceased. Commissioner 

 Stanley says that the border will be carefully looked after 

 this winter. This border is looked upon as one of the 

 best sources of game supply; a great breeding ground, 

 from which the game will gradually drift south and 

 toward the settlements. It is a section that cannot be 

 much injured by sportsmen, on account of its remoteness, 

 but it is the paradise of the skin hunters from over the 

 Canadian border, who operate during the deep snows of 

 winter. It is proposed to cover with extra service a 

 fifty mile section of the border in the Allegash region; 

 another of equal length in the region of Baker Lake and 

 also another at Moose River. During the deep snows of 

 February, and earlier if need be, two wardens will be put 

 on guard in each of these sections. Beside this protection 

 the Megantic Club will take Care of a large section with 

 its own men. It now looks like a winter of remarkably 

 deep snows, such as have not prevailed for several years, 

 and it is not proposed to allow Canadian or other skin 

 hunters to destroy the moose, caribou and deer when the 

 snows are so deep that they cannot escape. Indeed it is 

 mentioned as undoubtedly one reason that big game has 

 been so plenty the past season, that the past two or three 

 winters have been noted for light depths of snow, and 

 hence the game has wintered safely. It is not proposed to 

 allow this good feature to be destroyed by the greed of a 

 few hunters who care for nothing but pelts. 



A curiosity in Boston market during the Christmas 

 trade was the carcass of an immense bear. The meat 

 alone weighed 250lbs., and it is estimated by Mr. Wheeler, 

 of the firm of Hyde & Wheeler, where the fellow was 

 shown, that alive he must have weighed 3001bs. He was 

 as fat as a hog, and as long as a good-sized steer. He was 

 shipped from Anson, Me. Bears have also been remark- 

 abJy plenty in Maine this fall. A gentleman, Mr. Charlie 

 Keyo, who has a brother in the Rangeley region, who has 

 lately been on a visit to some of the lumber camps, says 

 that his brother writes that it is the common remark of 

 hunters and lumbermen that on the first snows the follow- 

 ing of deer tracks was almost sure to end in the finding of 

 a big bear track. This latter track has usually set the 

 hunters wild, and they have taken up the following of 

 bruin, seeking his winter quarters. A hunter is reported 

 to have come upon the tracks of a big bear in the Cup- 

 suptic region, some days ago, which he decided to follow. 

 He kept on a while, though it was drawing near night- 

 fall. Soon he came upon the bear and shot him. It was 

 a big one. Standing over his fallen game and meditating 

 what to do next, as there was but little time in which to 

 get back to camp before dark, he suddenly saw another 

 hunter coming on the trail in hot pursuit. Soon he saw 

 that it was the indefatigable Billy Soule. When Billy saw 

 the fallen bear he exclaimed, "I'm glad you've shot him; 

 it has saved me a night in the woods. I had made up my 

 mind to camp on the old fellow's tracks. You will find 



where I hit him, I think. Sure enough; examination 

 showed that the bear had already been hard hit by Billy, 

 who had taken a running shot. Now Billy will pardon 

 me if this yarn is not exactly as it happened, since it was 

 given to me second-hand, and all I care about is the fact 

 that they got the bear. Special. 



THAT ,22 QUESTION. 



Providence, R. I, Dec. 23.— Editor Forest and Stream; 

 "Diamond Walt" wants to know where "Tode" is. Right 

 on deck with both ears open, and saving up his pocket 

 money for his bets on that coming match between our 

 Western brother and Mr. Fellows. I am "not in it" with 

 the experience of others who have given their testimony 

 in regard to the .22 short, and hardly thought my few 

 notes would bring forth such a torrent of recommendation 

 and comdemnation in reference to the little cartridge. 



My little Stevens has been lying idle for the past few 

 weeks, and if the experiences of those who so highly laud, 

 the range and penetration of the .22 short are true, I shall 

 hardly dare to use the little gun on the practice range, let 

 alone taking it out "into the open air" as "Diamond 

 Walt" suggests, in this thickly populated State. 



However, I acknowledge to a certain extent, that I am 

 somewhat surprised at the range of the .22 short. Thanks- 

 giving Day several of us went out for target practice, and 

 I took along both a .38 and ,22. At 100yds. good shooting 

 could be done with the . 22 short, with no wind blowing, 

 but as for its penetration, some of those wonderful stories 

 must he discounted. In several instances the upright 

 posts that held our targets, were hit, but not penetrated. 

 These were of hemlock stuff, about 2iin. through. 



A short time ago two gentlemen went squirrel shooting, 

 one using a .22 and the other a .32-40. In several instances 

 squirrels were hit hard with the .21 several times, but lived 

 until brought down by another shot, while those hit with 

 the .32-40 came down at once. Of course, in such shoot- 

 ing a smaller caliber is the best, for if the ball does not 

 strike in the head or shoulders the game is practically 

 worthless, as the larger bullet tears the flesh so badly, 

 still if I were after game and wanted to get it, a larger 

 caliber rifle would be more to my style. 



There is no doubt but that if one should hold a .22 high, 

 that the ball would travel several hundred yards, as was 

 shown in the account of Mr. Von Iffland, but this will not 

 do for accurate work. 



If "Diamond Walt" comes east to settle his account 

 with Mr. Fellows, I think that silk hat will get the best of 

 it. Of course we know nothing about "Diamond Walt's" 

 ability with a rifle, but are simply discussing the accuracy, 

 range and penetration of the .22 cartridge. 



"Diamond Walt's" prairie dog must have been an 

 exceedingly slow one. Those who have tried to kill them 

 with guns that get there quicker than a .22 know that the 

 dogs will dodge at the flash of the rifle, and a .22 ball with 

 so little powder behind it travels pretty slowly as com- 

 pared with the larger bores. When we were using the 

 Stevens in practice at 1 00yds., as cited above, we could 

 distinctly hear the "spat" of the ball against the paper 

 target, while in using the Winchester .38 we could not 

 hear the ball strike. 



A prairie dog sitting up at 303yds. is a pretty small 

 mark for a rifle with the rear sight thrown up to the last 

 notch, with coarse open sights, and with a charge so 

 light as the .22 short, with a ball traveling so slowly, I 

 should be inclined to think that prairie dog in ninety-nine 

 cases out of a hundred would be perfectly secure. Are 

 you sure, "Diamond Walt" that it was not such a case as 

 was illustrated some few months ago, where one of our 

 correspondents made a rattling good shot on a wood- 

 chuck, only to find that he had been stuffed and set up 

 by some of the shooter's friends? Why I wouldn't risk 

 a .22 short on our stupid bull-headed Rhode Island wood- 

 chucks here, let alone I could hit one at such a distance. 



Citing the instance of the man from the East who 

 went out after grizzly with a .22, which I referred to in 

 my first notes, "Diamond Walt" says he wouldn't take 

 back water if he should run foul of a bear with a . 22. 

 Excuse me. I doubt il a man could "hold a gun right" 

 with such odds against him. A bear has got to have a 

 pretty big hole bored through him to make him sick. A 

 number of years ago Jim B. had a sheep ranch out in the 

 Western country and for a number of weeks the bears 

 had taken it into their heads to dine on lamb at the ex- 

 pense of my friend Jim and his partner. They built up 

 a big corral of heavy stuff, but one big fellow climbed the 

 stockade several times, until Jim got mad and said he 

 would get him. He and old Jack (the hunter I mentioned 

 in my first batch of notes) took up their station one night 

 and waited for his highness. He came. Jim's .44 and 

 Jack's big .45 Winchester opened the ball, but the grizzly 

 grabbed a lamb and started over the stockade. It was so 

 dark they hardly dared go after him, but the next morn- 

 ing tracked him up and found him full of holes. On the 

 inside of the corral where he had climbed over Jim 

 swears there was a trail of blood and matter a yard wide. 

 Now what would a man with a .22 do? Probably climb a 

 tree if he coidd get to one, same as our friend from the 

 East did. 



No, sir. Oive me the little .22 for home practice, a .38 

 for target work and deer, and that's as far as I want to go. 

 We took a .45 down in Maine a few years ago, thinking 

 possibly we might come across bear; if we had taken 

 down a .22 the boys would have left us at the last settle- 

 ment. 



Now I trust our Western brother will take no offense 

 at my remarks. I want to see that match between him 

 and Mr. Fellows in the near future, but I don't know, 

 after all this talk, whether it will be safe for me to appear 

 or not. Tode. 



Game Notes from Illinois.! 



J erse Y VTLiiE , 111., Dec, 18. — A party of our sportsmen, 

 consisting of Judge P. D. Cheney, Hon. T. S. Ferns, J. 

 D. Perrings, Moses Collenberger and J. A. Davis, are 

 down on Red River, Arkansas, in quest of game. Word 

 just received from there announces the fact that game is 

 plenty, such as geese, ducks and turkeys, while a few 

 miles from their camp deer and bear can be found in fair 

 numbers. Quail have been quite plenty with us in this 

 vicinity this season and fair bags have been made. The 

 season now closed leaves plenty of birds, in fact more 

 than for several years, for next season's stock, if the win- 

 ter is anything like favorable for them. From some un- 

 known cause, rabbits are scarce. L. S. Hansell. 



