May 16, 1896 ] 
FOREST AND STREAM, 
397 
. "Oh!" said L 
"Yes," said he. 
But he couldn't say why I got the room next to theirs. 
Neither could the night clerk, whom I woke up and asked 
about it. "They's no kick comin' to you." he said. 
"That's one of the best rooms in the house." Then I asked 
him about breakfast. 
"Why, man, you can't get no breakfast here for three 
hours yet. They ain't anyone to cook, and nothin' to cook 
nohow. Maybe I can gpt you a glass of milk." 
I wanted a cup of coffee, and told the clerk I could 
make plenty good coffee if he could find the raw ingredi- 
ents. But though we searched for over half an hour 
through the dungeons of the kitchen, we never did find 
where that cook kept her coffee can. I never went 
through a house before where 1 couldn't find the ccffee, 
but I couldn't there, and had to set forth grumbling and 
uncomforted, after loss of much valuable time. 
A Glorious Morning. 
But the morning in the country was glorious, The air 
was sweet and fresh and the birds sang ecstatically, and 
all the fields and hedge rows were vivid green and fair to 
look upon. I felt repaid already, and went bowling along 
at a good gait in spite of my hunger, congratulating my- 
self on a pleasant journey and a quick arrival. Alas! the 
evil luck attended me. I had traveled only six miles 
when I ran into the rain belt. Here the shower of the 
previous evening had been a furious downpour, and the 
black gumbo was bottomless. I pushed on as far as I 
could, but had to dismount and push the bicycle. Then 
the mud rolled up on it till the wheels el >gged and refused 
to move. I tried to carry it, but it weighed 1001 bs. with 
the mud on. My leet were wet, and I was hungry. I 
realized finally that I was engaged in another one of the 
divers fool things I have occupied my life with doing. 
Still I was sure I was going fishing, and when going fish- 
ing one must never lose bis temper, or he won't catch any 
fish. I picked out a likely looking farmhouse, fought the 
dog for a chance to knock at the door, and at last un- 
earthed a German woman who said her husband had gone 
to town with a load of milk, and who concluded she could 
boil me some eggs and make a cup of coffee while I was 
waiting for the sun to come up. This was before 6 o'clock 
in the morning. 
My new hostess told me that I was now arrived at the 
pillage of Elmhurst, and told me that if I would go a half 
mile to the south I would strike a road with more gravel 
in it, and could perhaps ride a little and certainly walk a 
great deal better than I could on the gumbo road I had 
been trying. I took her advice and found it good. In- 
deed, I rode for a mile, but unfortunately it was not in 
the right direction, and I got in the mud again. Then a 
farmer who came along with a load of milk took me back 
to Elmhurst again in his wagon and headed me right for 
what he said was the Sc. Charles road. This I followed 
as best I could till I came to Lombard, and thence I went 
on to Glen E.lyn, and thence north of Wbeaton. The roads 
were awful. A few teams had passed that morning after 
the rain, and the only place to ride was right in the ruts 
of the wheels. I had a good chance to try the bicycle as 
a road machine in bad weather. I found that about half 
the distance I had to walk and push the wheel, appreci- 
ating very much the rare stretches where I could use the 
speed of the wheel. To make it all short, I held on, 
walking and riding, on my solitary fishing trip, until at 
exactly noon I arrived at St. Charles, having been eight 
hours in doing twenty-eight miles. This is one way you 
can go fishing to St. Charles on the Fjx. There are others. 
At the little village on the Fox I found everything 
charming indeed to a man from the city. The river is 
beautiful at that epit, falling in a wide cascade over a big 
dam, and it was at just Buch a stage of clearness and yet 
of fullness as one would ask if he were going to fish. Of 
course, my fishing trip was more of a bluff than any- 
thing else, but I went down to the river and watched 
other people fish. Pretty soon a young man, the fore- 
man of the file works there, came out at bis noon hour 
j and tried a line for a time near the corner of the mill. 
J With him I struck up acquaintance, with the result that 
I he soon offered me his stock of minnows and his tackle to 
I have and to hold, and to enjjy the profits and usufruct 
I thereof while he was in the mill at work. "I like to see 
a fellow have a good time," said he, and so I knew I had 
struck one of that brotherhood of- sportsmen which exists 
all over this big country. I fished and caught a lone- 
some rock basB or so, and a little rock bass that I threw 
back, and one a little larger which I looked at a while 
and didn't throw back, he looked so fat and sleek and 
good to eat. Then some boys came along who had some 
"grampuses," "water devils," or helgramites, whatever 
title suit them, with which th°y would n jt part for love 
or money, though I knew, as did they, that this was the 
best bait to use at that time. I was forced to sit at the 
Barmecide entertainment of watching them catch bass 
under my nose — no large ones, none above fibs., and 
none with spawn so far as I could see. A hair dczjn of 
these bass I was further lorced to purcoase at the 
sum of 5 cents apiece of the stern young anglers, for I 
really couldn't resist the tempting loot of their shiny 
aides. I found that for once appearances were not deceit- 
ful, and have never eaten any bass in this country so good 
as these little ones. Late in the season, when the weeds 
have come in the streams, the bass are sure to have more 
or less of a muddy taste, even the small-mouths, and the 
bass of the lakes, especially the big- mouths, are not fit 
to eat, bo musky or muddy do they become. But these 
sweet little small-mouths, fresh from the cold water of 
the swift river — they were divine. They tempt to go out 
there again soon. It is a lovely and an easy locality to 
reach, and boats are to be had, possibly with guides, if 
one cares for such encumbrances in so easy a country. 
I The best place to go to is up the river about three or four 
I miles, toward Clintonville Rapids, near the mouths of the 
I creeks, and I should think that at any time within the 
I next two weeks one might he sure of a decent day's sport 
I and of a fine table delicacy if he cooked his catch. These 
I Pox River bass just now are fine performers in the water 
1 or on the table. 
Sc. Charles is by rail (Chicago Great Northern Road) 
I only about tbirty-two miles from Chicago, and the trains 
I run very nicely for a trip. A good way is to take a train 
I out at 1 P. M. or later, have that evening's fishing, fish 
I the next day and come in at 8:45 P. M., reaching th« city 
I at 10 P. M. I found the fare to be $1.07. I also found 
I that the bicycle man is going to charge me just $1 50 to 
I clean up my wheel for me. The friends wno didn't go 
with me when they said they would are saying now that 
they knew all along what was going to happen, and that 
I am the biggest fool on earth for going out on the road 
after such a r iin, etc., etc. Still my conscience gives an 
approving throb once in a while, and I still rememb- r how 
good the se little bass were. And when these friends of 
mine go out there with me in a couple of weeks I shall 
find revenge in not telling them of a good hole I found 
when I was there. They will feel bad when they see me 
come in at evening with my fish. 
Bass. 
Chicago, 111., May 9.— The weather for the past few 
days has been fit for treason, stratagem and ice cream — so 
hot that there was no comfort even in going fishing. The 
sudden advpnt of the warm wave stopped the biting of 
the bass in Fox River at once, as I had occasion to learn. 
On the day I was out the wind was high and the waters 
troubled and coffee- colored, so that nine fish were all two 
men, Mr. H. L. Stanton and myself, could do by patient 
effort, and of these only three were black bass. Tae bass 
fishing is now betwixt and between, the time being too 
early and too late. I think the bass are spawning two or 
three weeks ahead of time, and believe that most of the 
spawning is over, even in the rivers. At least there are 
many beds reported seen in Fux and Kankakee rivers last 
week by those who were out on those streams. Lake 
fishing at Fox L »,ke continufs good, and the bass are said 
to be well on with the season's spawning there. 
The Kankakee River is doing well this spring. Points 
to be recommended on that stream are Momence, Hanna 
and Koutts, the latter two better later in the summer, I 
fiad the Fox River at St. Charles a very beautiful and 
easily accessible stream, the trains running exceptionally 
well for Chicago anglers who have only a day to spare. 
The best way to do on this trip is to rua out to St. Charles, 
thirty- two miles, in the evening, then take boat six miles 
up stream to Cedar Rjck, abovp the second creek about 
three miles, staying there over night and fishing the next 
day. In June this is a flue fly fishing trip, for the Fox 
River bass are very obliging about taking the fly, and 
there are also many rock bass to offer a moment's fun. 
The rock bass may not have quite the same gaudium cer- 
taminis (as we say in Chicago) about him that a black 
bass has, but he is more regular in his habits, which is 
something in his favor. 
Trout. 
No very large takes of trout are reported as yet from 
the woods country to our north, but a few gentlemen 
have been out and had sport enough to repay them. The 
Prairie River, nearDudley, Wis,, is about as good astream 
as I can direct one to at this writing. This stream was 
stocked heavily by the Wisconsin Fish Commission some 
years ago, and the fact was kept quiet. There have been 
5 lb trout taken out of it since. The big brook trout at 
the World's Fair came from this stream. The Paint, the 
Pine and the Fence, to say nothing of the Pike, will 
no doubt produce their quota of trout later; but these 
streams, like all others, do not have trout on tap, so that 
whosoever drops a line mi+y pull them out. Trout fishing 
remains there the same mystifying and alluring pastime, 
with one good day to remember and twenty to forget; but 
the trout are there. They are in the Brule too, but you 
can't always get them out. 
Grayling'. 
It is all a mistake to think the grayling is "extinct" in 
Michigan, though of late it has attracted little a tention in 
print. I am told on good authority that the Little Manis- 
tee this spring will be well worth a visit, and B-ar Creek 
last year was described to me by an expert who fished it 
as being productive of some very flue grayling. Tae boat 
trips across the lake to the south peninsula points have 
never been much appreciated by Chicago anglers, most 
of that traffic being of the holiday and summer resort 
order, but there are several points, as Petoskey, Ludington, 
etc., which are good enter points for some very fine 
fishing country for bass, trout or grayling, and I wonder 
our anglers do not more frequently take advantage of 
them. 
Wlsh-I-nlnne Club. 
There will be a meeting to-night of the Wish-i-ninne 
Club, of Chicago, for the purpose of making arrangements 
for the annual camping trip of the club, which this year 
will be held on Minitowish waters in Wisconsin about 
June. This club is composed of Messrs. Gjo. E Cole, J. 
V. Clark. Lou Clark, C S. D?nnis, Frank Wells and 
brother, John Flanders, Gjo. B. Walker and W. L Wells. 
These gentlemen have had many pleasant camps together, 
moBtly duck hunting in Minnesota, and their annual trip 
has become a fixture Of interest. The club is na med after 
Chief Wish-i-ninne, a Chippewa once of repute in Minne- 
sota. This red gentleman waB about 7ft. tall, and bad all 
the way up and down. For an act of a criminal nature 
he was arrested by local officers, or rather several of them 
attempted to arrest him, and he laid most of t h em out in 
order of arrival. An Irishman by name of 0'R?agan ex- 
claimed, "I'll hold ye now, me man," and drawing up his 
Winchester shot Wish-i-ninne square in the side of the' 
head. It was said at the time that his whole skull was 
blown cff, and O'R^agan was tried for that. Anyhow, 
Wish-i-ninne was buried, and nearly twenty years after- 
ward his body was dug up and his skull passed into the 
possession of Mr. W. L. Wells, who now has it in his 
studio, next door to the For&st and Stream i ffije here. 
The truth about Wish-i-ninne's skull is that it was not 
blown off at all. It shows not ev^n a hole through it, 
merely a deep dent in the side above the ear, not making 
a fracture, but causing a shock sufficient to cause the 
death of Wish-i-ninne, and so to give the club which be- 
came lawful owner of his head a name of unique and 
gruesome interest. 
In Doubt. 
Mr. Albert Bruning and Mrs. Bruning (Lulu Klein), of 
the Salvini company, have passed more than a week in 
Chicago, the company playing handsomely to handsome 
businees and concluding its engagement here last Satur- 
day. Mr. BruDing is a Forest and Stream man and 
very fond of the camp, the stream and the forest himself, 
so it was natural that he should pay the Forest and 
Stream fold here a visit during his stay. He and Mrs. 
Bruning are in the habit each year of taking a camping 
trip of some months together at the end of the dramatic 
season, usually going to Canada or Maine. This year 
they are in doubt whether to go to the woods on their 
camping trip, or go to Europe for a journey. They came 
to me for expert advice on such matters, and I told them 
to go camping, because they can go to Europe any time, 
and so can anybody, but they may not always be young 
and hearty enough to eat as manv trout as they can now. 
Mr. Bruning is the leading gentleman of the company, 
after the star, and as such, for instance in the part of the 
Duke of Buckingham, has to do a lot of fencing, because 
the Duke of Buckingham's habits, as I understand it, 
were such that he was always getting into trouble. Mr. 
Bruning has contracted a fine case of rheumatism in the 
glorious climate of Chicago, and was for some days 
obliged to fence left handed; although it seems to me 
this would only add vraisartiblance, as we say in Chicago, 
to the part of the gallant Duke, who must have been a 
good two-handed fighter. But what I wanted to say is 
that a camping trip is the best cure on earth for rheu- 
matism. Yet no one pretends that a trip to Europe cures 
rheumatism. 
Slightly Disfigured, but Recognizable. 
Messrs. Sampson Low, Marston & Co., of London, Eng- 
land, are good enough to send the writer a very pretty 
little book on a very pretty theme, named "The Amateur 
Angler," the same being a series of English angling 
sketches written by a gentleman who signs himself The 
Amateur Angler. Any Jbook on angling must labor to 
escape being charming, and this book is charming in its 
quiet little way, though I fear it will not replace the Wal- 
ton which it distantly imitates. One thing which at- 
tracted my attention in this book was the expression 
"hackneyed in business," which was quoted, being used 
in connection with the idea of being able to go fishing. 
It was really unnecessary to use the quotation marks; for 
the Fishing Gazette, of London, for which The Amateur 
Angler writeB. stole the whole idea, picture and all, from 
the Forest and Stream, and came out with the "chained 
to business" warning verbatim and without quotation 
marks or credit of any kiad. The author of this pleasant 
and pretty little book on a guileless and clear-con^cienced 
sport need not have disfigured the expression, which is 
BCill recognizable and was much more effective as firat 
written by the editor of Forest and Stream. 
Classified Bears. 
It was with a feeling of exultation that I read in a late 
issue of Forest and Stream of the new classification of 
the American bears, wnich is put forth by Dr. C Hart 
Merriam, who divides the grizzly bear into five equal 
parts, and even the black bear into four species, as against 
the old arrangement, under which scientists insisted there 
were only two species of bears in the United States, the 
black and the grizzly. All the old bear hunters have 
time out of mind set apart several sorts of long- toed bears, 
as the columns of the sporting pre&s for years back have 
recorded, and they have uniformly been told that they 
didn't know anything about bears any how. And now 
comes Df. Merriam and tears the whole thing down and 
begins over again. Science, it seems, can't very wel I get 
these bears to "justify" in the make-up sometimes, as this 
new classification shows. It is a good classification, and 
will be popular; but I notice Dr. Mtrriam has omitted 
one specits, the pine nut bear, cold and hard. I suppose 
it was received too late to classify. But I still have hopes 
of seeing this kind of bear obtain the recognition for 
which it has long struggled in vain in the hands of myself 
and the other two men who believe in it. E. Hough. 
1206 Boyce Building, Chicago. 
Forest and Stream Fishing Postals. 
Drop us a line about the fishing. 
Harrisville, N. Y., May 5 — Trout fishing is better at 
present in the vicinity of Forest H jmo than it has been 
for years. Last week about 200 were caught, weighing 
from Jib. to 2ibs. 
Streams are now getting in condition for good fish- 
ing. W. E. Humes. 
Pine Point, N. H., May 4 —Here is some of the catch at 
Lake Webb to-day: Withumand Maisttrman, 10 trout and 
8 salmon; S>vett and Houghton, 10 trjut; Rollins and 
Courier, 12 trout; Payne Bros., 8 trout; Schodeld and 
Son, 82 trout; L Newman and Holt, 3li trout; F Phillips 
and wife, 7 trout and 2 salmon. Tnese trout weighed 
from 1 to 4lbs. ; the salmon were small, weight of 2ibs. 
each. Our fishing is opening fine, and the fisht rmen are 
beginning to arrive at Pine Point. W. K. C. 
St Cloud, Minn., May 4 — Pike fishing has been suc- 
cessful here since the opening of the season on the first. 
C. C. C. 
Mr, J. Halpen sends us a copy of the Kennebec Journal 
of May 6, in which it is reported that trout fismng is 
proving capital in Lake Coboosseecontee, near Augusta. 
The fish run large and are in good supply. 
Michipicoteu River Trout. 
Port Arthur, Canada, — In your paper dated April 25 
I read one article by S R. Clark, of Toronto, on the 
rivers of the north shore of Lake Superior. I agree with 
him that the trout caught in Micuipicjteu River are 
much superior to those caught in the other rivers men- 
tioned. I have fished this river many times. The trout 
will average about 2 or Sibs. each, and they have rich 
colored finn, deep red bellies, and rich deep pink-colored 
flesh of such a delicate fl ivor aa is seldom found in the 
Nipigon trout. The river is good to fidh with the fly; 
you can wade almost any part, and the stream is about 
30 to 60ft. wide, with a continuation of pools that are the 
favorite haunts of the trout. The best time for fishing 
are the months of July and August, the water being 
too high in the month of June, There will be a small 
steam launch on Lake Missanabie this season to convey 
tourists from Misaanabie station on the C. P. Railway to 
the headwaters of Michipicoteu River, a distance of ten 
miles, where the sportsman can commence fishing the 
stream, and continue on to its mouth on Lake Superior, 
which will take from one week to one month, just us you 
please. The sportsman will require a canoe and guide 
to descend the stream. The scenery is beautiful, and a 
trip down the Michipicoteu River to Lake Superior will 
never be forgotten. J. E. N. 
The Forest and Stream is put to press each week on Tuesday 
Correspondent*, intended for publication should reach us at th 
atest by Ms* iay andasmuch earlier as practicable. 
