June 9, 1894.] 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



498 



"Well, I hit 'em with an oar." 



"White man stand around with hands in his pocket? 

 Bah, you crazy!" 



"If I am crazy, you are a fool!" 



At this exasperating rejoinder the hot blood flushed in 

 Kenosh's face, and rising up he showed indication of 

 climbing over both Ned and me to get at the irascible 

 Peter with his huge fists. Peter, at this warlike demon- 

 stration, took an extra grip on the rudder handle, as if he 

 intended withdrawing it to use as a cudgel of defense. 

 Seeing it about time to interfere, I good-naturedly said, 

 "Boys, you are both wrong and both right, and are mak- 

 ing fools of yourselves. Stop your silly quarrel, or we 

 will be compelled to put you both overboard." 



This bit of pleasantry somewhat quieted him, but 

 Kenosh, as he took his seat, had anything but a pleasant 

 face, white Peter remained in the sulks quite a while. 



Nearing the shore, Ned suggested as we had caught no 

 trout that day that we try for a few to the west of the 

 camp. Cheerfully assenting, the boat was at once headed 

 for the fishing grounds, where we soon arrived, and be- 

 gan whipping the water in a very industrious manner. 

 Ned got the first i*esponse and the first fish, and I soon 

 followed with number two, both being about two pounds 

 each. Coming to a choice place, an ideal home for a 

 trout, Ned aroused an old patriarch, but failed to connect- 

 with him. He tried again and again, but could not draw 

 him to the surface. When he had given up in despair of 

 coaxing him from his creviced haunt, I tried my hand as 

 a persuader and was rewarded with a baby trout, which I 

 indignantly tossed back to the icy water. I wanted no 

 such representative of the scarlet tribe after having seen 

 Ned's ponderous trout break water. He said it was a case 

 of extremes and that he would have been extremely glad 

 to have secured his end of it. 



After going a mile further we succeeded in getting two 

 more, scoring evenly. The last one that Ned captured 

 was much handsomer than any trout we had yet cap- 

 tured. I did think some of the others were matchless in 

 their tinted robes, but in gazing at this one I fervently 

 exclaimed perfectio. 



The dark brown ribbon on this beauty's back faded into 

 flames of a bright, and delicate vermilion, which in its 

 turn blended into orange and silver and lustrous opaline 

 hues, while the mottling was in periodic dashes like 

 glories of gleaming iridescence, the whole forming a rare 

 composition in colors and tints infinitely lovely, really 

 a masterpiece of celestial painting from the sapphired 

 fount of purling brook 1 'rolling in orient pearl and sands 

 of gold." Ned said its tints were lovelier than those on a 

 baby's heel or a butterfly's wing, and of course as I could 

 add nothing further to this perfected painting I humbly 

 capitulated to his masterly comparison. It was more 

 than I had expected from him in this line, but then when 

 one is always dallying with feathers of varied hues, from 

 the bird of paradise to the tiny "hummer" in hopes of 

 achieving his ideal of a perfect fly, the wonder ceases. He 

 was evidently not color-blind, but simply stood alone as 

 an original, and in that role a Rubens or a Raphael 

 could not have given him a point that he would have ac- 

 cepted when deep in the architecture of a fly. 



As the shades of evening were now falling we reeled 

 up and gave the word for a rapid advance to camp. The 

 sails were hoisted and with a beam wind then prevailing 

 we went plunging, turning rainbows to the windward 

 sun, and snow storms to the leeward, with a radiant 

 dazzle in our wake. 



On our way we passed two canoes, each having a family 

 and a large one at that. One of them contained a wee bit 

 of a papoose strapped to its cradle, and as we neared it 

 asked the mother to hold it aloft. She smilingly complied, 

 and as the sunlight played around its bronzed and serene 

 face we gave it three rousing cheers which threw them all 

 into hearty peals of laughter, with a few barks from the 

 accompanying dogs. Indian mothers are devotedly at- 

 tached to their children, although they may possess no 

 attraction for the pale face. They prepare in their wooden 

 cradles such an exquisitely soft and well arranged bed 

 that it is plain they must have thought attentively on the 

 subject. 



The principal factor in this infant's house is aflat board. 

 For this purpose poplar wood is selected; in the first place, 

 because it is light, and secondly, because it does not crack 

 and splinter. On this board a small frame of thin peeled 

 wood is fastened, much after the shape of the child's body, 

 and. stands up from the board like the sides of a violin 

 from the sounding board. It is fastened on with bast, 

 because the Indians never use nails, screws or glue. The 

 cavity is filled and stuffed with very soft substances for 

 the reception of the child. In this bed the little beings 

 nestle up to the armpits; so far they are wrapped up 

 tightly with bandages and coverings, but the head and 

 arms are free. At a convenient distance above the head 

 is a stiff circle of wood, also fastened to the cradle with 

 bast. It serves as a protection to the head, and if the 

 cradle happens to fall over it rests on this arch. In fact, 

 you may roll over an Indian tikinagan — so the cradle is 

 called in Indian — as much as you please, but the child 

 cannot be injured. 



There is a special name for every part, however small, 

 of the cradle: thus, for instance, the bow over the head is 

 called agwin-gweon. It also serves as a receptacle for all 

 the playthings and presents, which hang down from it 

 and are within reach of the infant's hands. One can 

 understand a rattle or bells, but what is an infant to do 

 with carefully worked little moccasins hanging down over 

 its nose; or a miniature imitation of a bow and arrows; 

 or a wooden ring, over which leathern thongs are drawn; 

 or a round piece of caribou leather, from which small 

 pieces of stags' horn are suspended? But I suspect that 

 all these things are placed there more for a good omen 

 than as playthings; the moccasins, that the boy may be a 

 good runner; the bow, arrows and bones, that he may 

 become a famous hunter; that strange ring, with net- 

 work of leather, I am told is good against illness. 



The squaws at times display extraordinary luxury in the 

 gaily embroidered coverlid which they throw over the 

 whole cradle. I saw one woman use as a covering a wide 

 sky-blue cloth, on which glistened at least a couple of 

 pounds of pearl beads. She told me she had paid $10 for 

 it, a sum of no insignificance to the mother. The apikan 

 or band, on which the mother carries the infant and 

 cradle, is also often richly ornamented. 



While we were within hearing of this voyaging party 

 our boys chatted in Chippewa with them quite a while. 

 They stated that they were going to Aguawa to await the 

 arrival of the paymaster, who, early in July, comes along 



with his pension money for each Indian, who is entitled 

 to an amount according to the size of his family. As 

 high as twenty or thirty families gather at this point, and 

 when they are all together, dogs included, it is really a 

 motley collection. The dogs generally outnumber, as they 

 are indispensable to them on their hunting trips during 

 the fall and winter. 



We were not long in reaching camp, for the boat 

 skimmed o'er the water as swiftly as a swallow on wing, 

 or, to be more literal, nearly so. Our elwf, on landing, 

 soon had us a very nourishing meal, two of the trout we 

 had just taken forming part of the repast. 



I noticed when the boys were taking their meal, after 

 we had finished, that they were in a highly animated 

 conversation, and soon their voices became so loud and 

 earnest that- it developed they were renewing the quarrel 

 they had in the boat. As Ned advised letting them fight 

 it out, we did so, much to our amusement, although it 

 looked, in the vicious way they used their knives and 

 forks on their food, that they would soon serve as scalp- 

 ing knives and 'spears. Both were as defiant as aroused 

 Spartans, and it only required one blow to see the gore 

 freely flow. We stood ready to interfere should it come 

 to battle, but with the ending of the meal the quarrel also 

 ended, and dove-like peace once more spread its gentle 

 wings o'er the entire camp. 



The evening was not a promising one, for the western 

 horizon displayed a dark drapery of clouds that was omin- 

 ous for the approaching morn. As night spread her sul- 

 len wings to shade the earth, the lonely character of our 

 surroundings was doubly apparent. Even the heavens in 

 solemn silence slept, no shifting clouds, nor sailing moon, 

 nor twinkling stars. The woods were as quiet as if de- 

 serted, and one almost felt as if he had been transported 

 to the early ages when the mosses and ferns had just 

 begun to cover the primeval rock and the animals as yet 

 ventured timidly forth into the new world. We retired 

 that night somewhat depressed, but with a hope that the 

 new day would be ushered in from the east with gleaming 

 radiance. Alex. Starbuck. 



[to be continued.] 



CHICAGO AND THE WEST. 



[From a Staff Correspondent] 

 They Broke the Law. 



Chicago, 111., June 1. — Some Chicago man. who hasn't 

 got sand enough to sign his name, sends me a marked 

 copy of Forest and Stream, announcing catches of fish 

 taken against the law of Wisconsin. Just for once I am 

 going to break the honorable rule of journalism which 

 refuses to notice anonymous letters and quote the sub- 

 stance of this, because the data have already been pub- 

 lished in Forest and Stream. The para .raphs referred to 

 follow: 



Ret; olds, via Woodruff, Wis., Vay 15,— Mr. Q. Henry High, of 

 Chicago, caught in Trout Lake, May 14, 12 landlocked salmon averag- 

 ing 3 to 61bs. May 15, caugnt 5 muskalionge weighing from 5 to 201bs. 

 May 16.— Mr. J. Frank Lawrence, of Chicago, caught to-day, 8 muskal- 

 ionge and a 9ibs. bass; muskalionge weighed from 5 to 121 bs. Mr. 

 Robinson, of Savanna, HI., caught to-day 24 muskalionge weighing 

 from 4 to 121bs. Mr. Joseph Downey, of Chicago, caught to-day 24 

 salmon trout, one weighing I61bs. John B. Mann. 



Three Lakes Wis., May 14.— Joe Swedesky and the writer caught 

 last week 426 pike, largest 9}41bs.; 29 bass, one 4}^lbs. ; 57 pickerel, one 

 141bs. ; 2 muskalionge, one 24}^lbs. The prospects look good, the 

 water is low, and the season is much earlier than usual. 



F. R. Frknch. 



The writer says: "The marked paragraphs explain 

 themselves. Why not call the attention of the 'sportsmen' 

 to the fact that the fishing laws of Wisconsin prohibit 

 pike or bass fishing before the first of June? Mr. French 

 says 'The season is much earlier than usual,' but the 

 criminal laws of the State are probably not governed by 

 the weather, and the game warden of the district, it 

 would seem, has a cinch' in prosecuting and convicting 

 these hogs." 



I have personally almight little respect or sympathy for 

 the fisherman who will own up to killing 514 fish in one 

 week. I know these great catches have been made in 

 these magnificent Wisconsin waters, and it seems they 

 can still be made by the industrious. But how long can it 

 last? The railroads and the hotel men should discourage 

 such work. 



Destruction on the Mississippi. 



Mr. L. N. Converse, of Dubuque, Iowa, writes me con- 

 cerning the depredations of the market-fishers along the 

 Mississippi River, as follows: 



"You have not the least idea the extent the seining is 

 carried on in this vicinity or from the State line down to 

 Muscatine. The Illinois Fish Warden, Chas. H. Blow, has 

 done good work in Jo Davies county, 111., and if the Fish 

 Warden of Wisconsin would do the same along the shore 

 of Grant county, Wis., it would do more good for fish 

 protection. I wish you would stir up the Wisconsin offi- 

 cials. Whatever the Forest and Stream says does good. 



"If you ever take a try down the Mississippi, you will 

 find the fish pirate on top and a state of affairs that will 

 surprise you. The conditions of fish protection as you 

 found them on Fox and Kankakee and other rivers near 

 you, which you wrote up, are not a patch to what you 

 would find them above Lansing, la., and this place." 



Fortunately one can report the most satisfactory re- 

 sults of the work of the active Chicago warden, Mr. Blow, 

 assisted by State Warden Albert Lenk. I am told that 

 these men have secured over seventy convictions of net- 

 ters and seiners. On May 29 alone, Mr. Blow destroyed 

 fifty-two nets. On the same day he made four arrests 

 and got three convictions. When he gets around to sec- 

 ond offenses he is going to insist on the limit, $200, and 

 not be satisfied with the usual $10 and costs. On May 17 

 he and Warden Lenk convicted four illegal fishers, at Han- 

 over, 111. At Savanna, 111., the week before, they made 

 eleven prosecutions. On May 21 they caught four fishers 

 in the very act of using their nets. Since then they have 

 landed four more that I know of, and, praise Heaven, 

 they are whooping it up all along the line, and more 

 power to them. Now, if Iowa will get a law (it has none 

 and every stream running in the Mississippi is bare of fish 

 to-day, because the nets cat them off from going up — wit- 

 ness the once famous Skunk River, now absolutely de- 

 populated), and if the Wisconsin warden will shake 

 things up one-half, one-third, one-tenth as well as Messrs. 

 Blow and Lenk have been doing for the Illinois shore, it 

 won't be long till the fishing is good again in these fruitful 

 waters. The few have been robbing the many, and with 

 the same old fatuous American indifference we have been 



letting the robbery go on minindered. It is time to call a 

 halt on this. Messrs. Blow and Lenk have called it. All 

 honor to them and their record-breaking work, and f ul 1 

 credit, too, to the men who have assisted them. 



Tarpon. 



1 tMy young Texas friend, Johnnie Bludworth, writes me 

 May 26 from Rockport, that the. tarpon prospect for the 

 season is very good. "Two tarpon have been taken that 

 I know of, and maybe more, over at the Pass. They are 

 very thick in there now, and I wish you could come 

 down and go after one." 



In Wisconsin. 

 Fishing is good in Wisconsin. Gogebic opens June 1 

 and will be prime soon. The mascallonge waters are 

 about at their best now for the spring season. From my 

 old grounds at Phantom Lake I hear of one string of bass 

 and pickerel, 12 fish, weighing 841bs. , and a number of 

 large pickerel. Late heavy rains have hurt the trout fish- 

 ing in the streams. At Hudson the Willow River trout 

 preserve, belonging to H. J. Drake, of St. Paul, over- 

 flowed; 70,000 yearlings and 50,000 fry were lost. A local 

 hatchery lost 300,000 fry and 20,000 yearlings. 



In the North Woods. 



Messrs. W. P. Mussey, T. Benton Leiter, William and 

 J. Haskell, Frank Gray and George Holden, all of Chicago, 

 all left last night for a two or three weeks' trip after large, 

 long lunge fishes and a few bass and salmon trout in the 

 Wisconsin North Woods. They will go to Plum Lake for 

 the most of their fishing. Any fish weighing less than 

 501bs. will be contemptuously returned to the water, I am 

 assured. Anyhow, this party will have a large time, cer- 

 tainly. E. Hough. 



909 Skcurity Building, Chicago. 



MORE ABOUT THE WHITEFISH. 



" Detroit, May 31. — Editor Forest and Stream: Your 

 notes on the Lake Miltona whitefish and the other species 

 of the genus Coregonus, will interest every person who 

 has had the pleasure of reading them and the thousands 

 who have made the acquaintance of this splendid fish. 

 There are some points, however, in which the obser- 

 vations of some of your correspondents, and the reports 

 quoted in your article differ from the experience and ob- 

 servation of fishermen who have taken the fish in the 

 lakes which make of the State of Michigan two penin- 

 sulas. You say, ' 'It might be supposed that the second 

 group, to which belongs the lake herring, the Miltona 

 whitefish, the long- jaw and several others, would take 

 the hook rather than the common whitefish if any of 

 them could be captured in that way; but, singularly 

 enough most of the reports of taking whitefish on a hook 

 relate to the small-mouth form — the common lake white- 

 fish." This is not the experience along the waters of any 

 of the Great Lakes. "On the contrary," as Sam Weller 

 would say — "quite the reverse," as was stated in my lettei 

 from Alpena, published in the current issue of Forest 

 and Stream. There is no doubt in my mind that these 

 conflicting reports are due to the errors of anglers who 

 have taken the alleged whitefish in misnaming the fish 

 they caught — it is a common one, and perhaps natural 

 enough under the circumstances. The illustration of the 

 Miltona whitefish is a very lifelike picture of a long-jaw, 

 and in this case a very fair picture, except as to the for- 

 mation of mouth, of the lake whitefish of Michigan. 



The ciscos of the Wisconsin and Minnesota lakes are 

 not to be compared to the whitefish of the Great Lakes, 

 in their size or flavor, or richness of flesh. The quotation 

 from j Mr. Van Cleave, that "the whitefish of the lake 

 region referred to are taken altogether in nets," and that 

 they "run from If lbs. to as high as 61bs. ," is true of the 

 Michigan whitefish except- as to maximum weight. I 

 have seen whitefish taken from pound nets that weighed 

 from 5 to 14lbs., and indeed rare specimens that reached 

 2711bs. Your readers will perhaps remember that I 

 sent (in 1888, I think) Forest and Stream a note on the 

 capture at Monroe, Mich., in the nets of Duclo & Co., 

 a whitefish which pulled the scales at the figures just 

 quoted. 



The long-jaw whitefish, in the opinion of fishermen 

 who are thoroughly familiar with the two groups, is the 

 only one which takes the hook and it is the only one hav- 

 ing a mouth that would hold the hook when caught. 



Keuka. 



The Trout of I t he Gunnison. 



Salida, Colo., May 29. — Our trout fishing season opens 

 J une 1 and we are making preparations for a great season 

 The snow is about out of the mountains, and the fly-fish- 

 ing will begin about 15 days earlier than usual. The bes 

 waters in our State for trout are in Gunnison county, of 

 which Gunnison City is the county seat. The Gunnison 

 River and its tributaries are the only streams which are 

 easily reached, and never fail to give the lover of rod and 

 reel a day of enjoyment from June until November. The 

 Gunnison is a stream of pure crystal, with an average 

 width of 100ft., and is a paradise for the fly-caster. The 

 trout average about lib. in weight, although there have 

 been trout of 71bs. weight caught within a few miles of 

 Gunnison City, and Messrs. Skinner & Herrick, of the 

 La Veta Hotel, have two mounted specimens of over 71bs. 

 each, which were caught last season, and trout of 2 to 31bs. 

 are plentiful. At Kezar post office, 12 miles west of Gun- 

 nison City, can be found as fine waters as can be wished 

 for, and Mr. A. Pomel, the genial postmaster, and his sons, 

 take pleasure in entertaining all who may stop off or call 

 to take the trains. Mr. Pomel is one of the old timers who 

 settled in the Gunnison Valley "when Pike's Peak was a 

 hole in the ground," as the saying is, and while he has not 

 made a business of catering to sportsmen in the past, he 

 says that he is going to see that all who stop off there this 

 season are treated just about right, and that his rates will 

 be $1 . 50 per day. Within 12 or 15 miles of his house black- 

 tail deer, elk, antelope and grouse can be seen from July 

 until January, and for the benefit of any Eastern sports- 

 men who may come to Colorado this season, I take pleas- 

 ure in recommending Gunnison and its hospitable people. 

 I have lived in Colorado 15 years, and have failed to find 

 a section which heats Gunnison for trout fishing and hunt- 

 ing. Pike's Peak. 



A271ds. halibut was caught at Monterey, Cal., recently in rather a 

 novel manner. A fisherman was unloading his catch at the wharf 

 when the halibut swam up alongside the boat, and the man seized his 

 spear and with a dexterous thrust secured the prize.— Evening Post. 



