876 
FOREST AND STREAM, 
[May 9, 1896. 
CHICAGO AND THE WEST. 
Fraudulent Bounties for Sparrows. 
Chicago, May 2. — The State of Illinois has a sparrow 
law, by which a bounty of 2 cents a head is offered on 
English sparrows during the months of December, Janu- 
ary and February. Some comment before now has been 
made upon the large amounts this bounty extracts from 
the treasury without a very appreciable diminution of the 
sparrow pest, but not until recently has the most interest- 
ing development in the sparrow law appeared. Reports 
from Jersey county, in the lower part of the State, indi- 
cate that extensive frauds have been carried on under 
cover of this act. For the first three years Jersey county 
bounties ran about even with those of other counties, but 
during the past two years more than doubled. This year 
Madison county paid $190 bounty, Macoupin $300, Sanga- 
mon $168, Greene $114. Against these amounts Jersey 
county had $1,050 to her credit, or discredit. It appears 
that the county clerk paid to one man, Thad. White, 
$171.16; to Thos. Coates, $158; to John W. Hayes, $125.82; 
to John B. Carroll, $113.68; to James Rhoades, $104.34; to 
James Arte, $79.42; to D. Oberlin, $76.06. These seven 
men claimed thus to have killed 46,888 sparrows. A local 
paper at Jersey ville, the Republican, instituted an inquiry, 
and an ill state of affairs was found at the clerk's office. 
At the March term of court indictments were found 
against White, Coates, Carroll and Clerk NevinB. White 
and Carroll were convicted of obtaining money on bogus 
warrants, and given one ten and the other thirty days in 
jail. Coates was acquitted and Nevins had skipped for 
Mexico. J. W. Hayes turned State's evidence and gave 
away the whole scheme, showing that Nevins got 40 per 
cent, of the orders that they cashed. This delectable state 
of things is good commentary on what' the law can do 
when it is worked aright. And 'still we have a few spar- 
rows left. 
Shooting Season Over. 
The golden plover are up in this country now. but their 
stay will be brief, and only a languid interest attends the 
flight. In fact, the natural shooting season is over, and 
sportsmen who love the gun more than the rod now have 
their eyes turned on the artificial shooting of the trap. 
The jacksnipe have gone, and only a few sandsnipe re- 
main. The next legitimate line of field shooting will be 
at woodcock along about July 1, in this region for the 
most part. Angling promises to be in great vogue this 
summer, and the fishing tackle houses here report good 
sales the past two weeks. 
Horicon Club. 
The regular annual meeting of the Horicon Shooting 
Club will be held at the Commercial Club rooms, Fond 
du Lac, Wis., May 12, at 8 P. M. 
"Forest and Stream" as an Educator. 
~ Ahmeek, the gentleman who some time ago criticised 
the moose head on the cover page of Forest and Stream 
as not being a thing of beauty, writes again in plaint of 
another ill he has discovered, claiming the right of an 
American citizen and old-time contributor to explain how 
the paper ought to be run — though I notice he doesn't 
have nerve enough to write to the editor of Forest and 
Stream about it for fear he should become a marked man. 
He says he contributes to the paper when the editor is 
away on his vacation. Ahmeek does not like the uncut 
pages of Forest and Stream, which he says display an 
artistic tendency which is to be viewed with alarm. 
"If this vicious tendency is not checked," he says, "how 
long will it be before it prints an edition de luxe with gilt 
top? When may we look for a morocco back and illu- 
minated title page? Are the illustrations to be printed 
hereafter on Japan paper? Are the horns of the alleged 
Cervus alc.es to be painted red? Well, I guess not. -Not 
if the plain, common, low-down, or'nery critters that not 
only buy the paper but believe in it have any rights left. 
Have you personally had any experience in cutting those 
cussed edges with a large, ugly knife just tainted with a 
iat, juicy ham? Have you ever grabbed the thing on its 
arrival in camp and smeared it all up with a gory dagger 
fresh from the blood of your s'ceenth deer? Have you 
ever tried to get it in a readable condition so the pages 
will number consecutively by the aid of a long steel ram- 
rod, model of 1804? Or have you ever tried the pictur- 
esque tfftct of impromptu trimming of the top with an 
old axe, well nicked along the edge? Well, I reckon not, 
not often, that is. I suppose no up-to-date periodical will 
be perfectly happy until it U printed on the inside of a 
closed bag, but when that era reaches us it will be neces- 
sary for the average citizen either to give up reading or to 
buy a trimming machine listed at about $350. This last 
would be inconvenient to take into camp. I will not say 
more on this subject now, but let the fruitful suggestions 
I have made soak in." 
I feel sure the managementof Forest and Stream will 
have Ahmeek's copy of the paper cut for him each week 
now, for it is the chief function of any leading journal to 
strive to please. He has already been promised a change 
in the head of the paper, and if there is anything else re- 
quired it will, I am sure, be looked into. There are many 
ways in which Forest and Stream can be opened with- 
out putting one's foot into it. It can be opened with a 
foot rule, or a penknife, or a young puppy, or a pair of 
scissors, or perhaps, under the ruleB of the game, with a 
pair of jacks. There is an infinite variety in all this 
which has, I am sure, been well considered by the man- 
agement in seeking for something new and interesting 
for each week's issue. Ahmeek admits that he sometimes 
uses a ham bone to cut the pages with. That is good too, 
and it shows a versatility of thought which promises 
much for later years. Does not Ahmeek begin now to see 
the real, if slightly disguised, purpose of Forest and 
Si ream in coming out with uncut pages? Can he not see 
the intent to educate the young, interest the middle- 
aged and amuse the old? Is not this better than 
advertising a $10,000 prize mystery story exclusively 
published (by a syndicate), as is the fashion of our 
aaily papers? Cannot Ahmeek now begin to discover a 
high moral purpose in this which he has sought to criti- 
cise? Let him think well ere the edict go forth that 
henceforward his paper shall go to him in the old ple- 
beian fashion of snug trimmed edges and unsuggestive top. 
Doth not one rejoice to open a package of sweets, with 
care unscrewing the top thereof? In his early days, did 
not Ahmeek's mother lay his plate at table face down- 
ward, that he might know the joy of turning it over 
Have a care, gentle sir, lest thou run foul of the great law 
of longing, which hath been subtly considered by those 
who print this the greatest paper on the earth. 
Information Wanted. 
At table sat certain ones with Omar Khayam, author of 
the "Rubaiyat of the Dog," and these sought to make 
sport with him. 
"How," said one of these, "shall I break my favorite 
dog of sucking eggs ?" 
"In truth," said Omar, "in the language of the cult, 
that is dead easy." 
"How then?" Baid yet another. 
"Break the eggs," said Omar. 
Thereupon those others rapped loudly upon the table 
and declared that he had spoken well. E. Hough. 
1206 Boych Building, Chicago. 
MY S1XTEEN-POINT BUCK. 
Portland, Me. — In response to your "Relate your 
Experiences," I send the following incident of my 1895 
trip: 
Leaving Jack and Charles in charge of camp, located in 
the Moosehead region in Maine, I started out one Saturday 
morning to visit my family, then stopping at a farm 
house ten miles away. I was obliged to turn back on ac- 
count of the rain, but as it cleared up one hour later I 
again started out. intending to remain over Sunday and 
return Monday. I had scarcely proceeded one mile on my 
journey when glancing up on the ridge I saw a fair-sized 
doe feeding. Taking hasty aim I fired. The deer made 
a jump, and followed by a larger one, which I had not 
seen, bounded up the wood road. I started after her and 
soon came across a trail of blood, following it until I 
reached a point in the road where a large tree had fallen 
across. I glanced over and saw the large doe on the side 
of the next ridge, and, thinking that the wounded one 
must be with her, I started across. Seeing nothing of the 
i 
[ 
MY SrXTKEN-POINT BUCK. 
wounded deer, I sent a shot after the large doe, but missed. 
I then went back and pioked up the trail at the fallen 
tree, and had not gone two rods before I found the doe 
stone dead. I dragged her down into the trail, dressed 
her off and hung her up, and then started on my inter- 
rupted journey. 
After proceeding about three-quarters of a mile I took 
a sharp turn to the right in order that I might visit an 
old deserted lumber camp where I had seen many signs 
of deer. Coming cautiously into the yard, I stepped out 
in front of the hovel, and glancing down a wood road I 
saw, about 75yds. away, the antlered head of a large 
buck. Raising my rifle, I took careful aim and fired. 
The buck took a step forward just at that moment, and 
the bullet passed through him a little too far back to drop 
him. He immediately wheeled away from me and dashed 
down the road, making a stand in the next turn with 
head and tail in the air, but was off again before I could 
get another shot. By examining the trail I saw that he 
was bleeding freely, so followed him across the ridge 
down into the swamp, but without getting sight of him. 
I found it easy work to keep the trail on the ridge, but 
when I reached the swamp I found it much more difficult 
and lost the trail again and again. After three hours' 
work it began to rain quite hard, and having eight miles 
to go and not much daylight for the undertaking, I had 
about decided that I would give it up, but noticing that 
the trail was headed toward the pond, I made a break in 
that direction, and upon arriving at the shore looked 
across. I saw the buck standing in the water on the op- 
posite side. I was to the windward of him; he lifted his 
head as I appeared in sight, but as I was some half a mile 
away he kept his position. Feeling assured that if I did 
not disturb him he would not leave the water, and having 
but two hours of daylight left, I struck out for my des- 
tination, arriving there just after dark. 
On returning to the pond Monday forenoon I was met 
by Jack, to whom I pointed out the position on the oppo- 
site shore where the buck was supposed to be, and upon 
approaching the spot we found him there. Having lain 
so long in the water, his carcass proved to be worthless, 
but the head was a beauty. While dressing him off we 
happened to glance behind us on the bank and there stood 
a moose which seemed as much surprised as we were. 
We grasped our rifles, but alas, it was a cow, so we let 
her escape. 
Having my limit on deer, I devoted the remainder of 
my stay in camp to the partridges until Jack and Charles 
had secured their limit also. The accompanying half- 
tone is a fair likeness of the buck. F. L. S. 
New York Legislature. 
[Special correspondence to Forest and Stream,] 
Albany, May 4. — In the closing hours of the Legislature 
Senator White's bill amending the game laws generally 
was killed because it contained a provision that shad nets 
could not be drawn in the Hudson River between Friday 
night and Monday morning. This led to the opposition 
of all the senators and members living on the Hudson 
River, and so the bill did not pass. 
The following Senate bills have become laws: 1298, 
Assemblyman Cole, allowing fishing through the ice in 
Silver Lake; 875, Guy, protecting oyster beds; 871, 
Brown, protecting Mongolian pheasants till the year 1900; 
466, Tibbits, accepting as a part of the forest preserve 
the farm of old John Brown, in Essex county. 
These Assembly bills have become laws: 2208, Mc- 
Naughton, protecting the owners of private fishing 
ponds; 1728, Messiter, allowing an incorporated game 
club to act as game protector; 1679, Rogers, providing 
for stocking private lakes; 1674, Brownell, allowing spe- 
cial counsel to the Fish Commission for prosecutions; 
1100, Hanna, extending to Ten Mile River the Hudson 
River shad law; 1010, Allds, exempting Wayne, Onon- 
daga and Oswego counties from the anti-ferret rabbit 
provision; 930, Sears, making more strict provisions as 
to the prosecution of offenders againBt the game law; 
760, Kelsey, appropriating $5,000 for a better water sup- 
ply for the Caledonia hatchery; 719, Burr, allowing the 
shooting of deer in Kings, Queens and Suffolk coun- 
ties every Wednesday in November; 482, Horton, making 
the close season for fur-bearing animals in Wayne 
county from May 1 to Oct, 81, but one month shorter 
for foxes; 193, Ives, appropriating $2,000 to improve 
Raquette River. 
The Malby-Sanger bills, allowing fifteen days each for 
jacking and hounding, have gone to the Governor. 
Maps of the Yellowstone Park Region.. 
There have recently been published by the U. S. 
Geological Survev maps showing portions of Montana 
adjacent to the Yellowstone Park, which are of great 
interest and beauty. The folio of the Livingston sheet 
shows the northern strip of the Yellowstone Park, north 
of the Wyoming line, and gives also the geology and i 
topography of the country immediately north of the Park, 
with some interesting text. The four geological maps of 
the region are of peculiar interest. The geological work of 
this sheet waB done by Mr. J. P. Iddings and Mr. Walter 
Harvey Weed, under the superintendence of Mr. Arnold : 
Hague, geologist in charge. The excellent work of all I 
these gentlemen in the National Park is well known to | 
persons interested in the reservation, and Mr. Hague's ; 
writings on and deep interest in the Park have done much \ 
toward preserving it from spoliation by its many enemies. 
Sheets of the U. S. Geological Survey map, showing a 
portion of the Yellowstone Forest Reservation, which lies : 
to the east of the Park, show part of the Clark's Fork 
drainage and that of the Stinking Water River. They are 1 
called the Crandall Creek and Ishawooa sheets. The 1 
topography is carefully worked out and the altitudes \ 
shown by contour bines for every 100ft. 
The Michigan Goose Flight. 
Monroe, Mich., April 24. — Not in many years have 
there been seen in this vicinity so many wild geese as dur- 
ing the month of April. The wheat fields north and south 
of Monroe have been regularly visited by large numbers; 
of "honkers" in the early hours of the morning, and the 1 
numbers of them which have been slain are reported to i 
have been large — some seven or eight to each gun. B. 
New York Game Protectors. 
The Fisheries, Game and Forest Commission has reap- 
pointed State Fishery, Game and Forest Protectors S. M. 
Prouty, of Whitehall; A. B, Klock, of Herkimer; George; 
B. Smith, of Horseheads, and Jos. H, Lamphere, of Weeds- 
port. Carlos Hutchins, of Indian Lake, is a new appoint- j 
ment. 
DAYS ON THE N1P1GON. 
[Continued from page 357.] 
We slept well under the ample supply of blankets pro- 
vided by Mr. McKirdy, and when morning came we felt 
most excellent. The cold night did not disturb us in the 
least, and we only arose whsn we learned that Joe had 
breakfast ready. We had some more trout, because we 
were not yet satisfied — well, we had other good things 
also that belong to camp life, and we certainly enjoyed 
them. 
The morning was foggy and we did not care to go be- 
yond the heat of the good log fire, so we watched the 
fog rise up from the waters in front of us. When the 
sun got up over the mountains in the east we could soon 
see where to go, and- bo started out. We had the two 
canoes manned with the Indians, and they took us all 
along the shores, then across and back, until we, old 
fishermen as we were, gave it up, and ordered to pro- 
ceed up the river. The narrows are perhaps about 600ft. 
wide, and the water rushes down in a mighty volume to 
the falls below and on to the lake. Naturally one would 
suppose that our fish caught would spoil, as they were 
■not salted or preserved in any way. The Indians simply 
sank them in the ice-cold water of the Nipigon River, 
and when they were taken out they would be as cold as 
if taken from an ice box. 
The shore to the west was level along the river front t 
for some fifty rods, and the shore was lined with pebbles. 
Further back it rose into high or lofty hills, covered with 
immense rock and timber, and the eastern shore was still 
more hilly from the water's edge. At places along the' 
