Aug. 4, 1894.] 
FOREST AND STREAM. 
95 
Buffalo, Wild Pigeons and Flume Birds. 
St. Augustine, Fla., July 22. — Editor Forest and 
Stream: On account of the devilish doings of that soul- 
less fiend of Yellowstone Park, Howells, my blood for 
weeks was like the boiling springs of that beautiful place, 
and 1 regret that he could not have been served up for a 
coyote feast. I have just been reading "Netting Wild 
Pigeons," by "F. E. S.," of Wisconsin, and "Wisconsin 
Ducks and Deer," by "Spike Horn," and now the question 
is being inwardly deba.ted as to whether it would not be 
better for my peace of mind to stop reading altogether. 
I am one of those who many years ago have seen the 
air about Cleveland almost darkened with wild pigeons, 
and now they seem about to be classed with the dodo and 
great auk, because "the fools are not all dead." 
Why it is that legislators have less brains than other 
men I leave for other fellows to find out, but it certainly 
seems to be the case. Only a few years ago one of the 
great attractions of Florida was the myriads of beautiful 
plumaged birds throughout the State, and now, on ac- 
count of legislative stupidity, they are on the ragged edge 
of extermination, and half the charm of Florida is gone. 
Semi-barbarism still reigns here, and the natives still 
Bhoot deer in midsummer and quail in season and out, and 
not an arrest is ever made. 
Can any man who owns a soul get through this pigeon 
netting article and not feel like showering maledictions 
on the heads of legislators who have it in their power to 
stop this business and yet permit it to go on? The nar- 
rator admits that the work is done while the birds are 
searching for food to keep their young alive, and of 
course the little brood is starved to death; and all this 
brutality because a few lazy vagabonds dislike the idea of 
earning a living by honest work. 
I have heard of this pigeon butchery from other parties, 
and hope very soon to hear the last of it. This atrocious 
work has been going on for more than fifty years. 
Keep on with your good work of trying to put an end 
to market-shooting. 
As regards the open season for deer in Wisconsin, any 
schoolboy ought to know that if only one month is open 
it should be November. Didymus. 
South Dakota Prairie Chickens. 
Mitchell, S. D., July 24.— Editor Forest and Stream: 
The sportsmen of this city say "Keep off the grass" until 
the law says "Shoot prairie chicken and quail." 
At the point of revolvers last night Mike La Gregor 
and Ed. Gardiner were forced to carry two young prairie 
chickens to the office of a justice of the peace. There 
they were fined $10 each and costs for killing the two 
chickens. Not having the $10 they go to jail and the 
county pays the cash. 
As there was a doubt by some people last fall as to the 
time when prairie chickens could be lawfully killed, the 
Attorney-General has given his opinion that the law of 
1890 was not affected, and is still in full force, and that 
the open season for killing these birds will commence on 
Aug. 15. 
It having been reported that parties from Mitchell have 
been shooting prairie chickens and quail in Mitchell and 
adjoining counties, the following as well as previous state- 
ment will explain themselves. 
In order to encotirage the protection of game, sixty 
business men of this place signed a petition urgently re- 
questing any person knowing of the shooting or killing of 
any prairie chickens or quail before Aug. 15 to report the 
same to any of the sixty, and upon sufficient information 
to convict under the law, they will pay to the person giv 
ing such information the sum of $<55. Nominator. 
[We would like further information, about the decision 
of the Attorney- General that the prairie chicken season 
will open August 15, as determined by the law of 1890. 
Sec. 2366 of the Code of 1887 made the close season for 
prairie chickens Jan. 1-Sept. 1. Chap. 94, Laws of 1890, 
amended this and made the season Jan. 1-Aug. 15. But 
Chap. 94, Laws of 1893, again amended Sec. 2366 and 
made the season Jan. 1-Sept. 1. It is so given in the 
published Session Laws, and in an official copy sent us 
for the Game Laws in Brief. On what grounds does the 
Attorney-General base his opinion that this law is not in 
effect?] 
Yellowstone Park Commissioner. 
Gen. J. W. Meldrum, who was appointed Commis- 
sioner of the United States Circuit Court, of Wyoming, 
with jurisdiction in the Yellowstone National Park by 
Judge Riner, has gone to the Park and by this time no 
doubt has entered on his duties. This appointment was 
made under the authority of "An Act to protect the birds 
and animals in the Yellowstone Park, and to punish 
Grimes in said Park and for other purposes," which was 
approved May 7, 1894, at which time the full text of the 
law was printed in Forest and Stream. Under this act, 
Commissioner Meldrum has jurisdiction to hear and act 
upon all complaints made of violations of the law or of 
the rules and regulations established for the government 
of the Park. He has power to issue process for the arrest 
of persons charged with the commission of misdemeanors, 
to try such persons, and if they are found guilty to im- 
pose punishment. Appeals from his decisions may be 
made to the United States District Court of the District of 
Wyoming. 
The salary of the Commissioner is $1,000 per year, to- 
gether with fees which may aggregate as much more. His 
office will be in a building to be erected and used for a 
jail, for which the sum of $5,000 is appropriated in the 
same act. 
We have had the National Park Protective Act printed 
and are prepared to furnish copies free on application 
provided stamps for postage are inclosed with the request. 
Might Not Happen Again in a Thousand Years. 
Geneseo, N. Y., July 18.— Editor Forest and Stream: 
One day a few weeks ago the men engaged in the con- 
struction of the Lake Temiscamangue Colonization Rail- 
way exploded a heavy charge of dynamite, and a large 
chunk of rock was hurled some distance into the bush, 
landing squarely on the shoulders of a deer which was 
standing there, and killing it of course. The men did not 
know of the singular occurrence until some days later, 
when they noticedthe odor, and on investigation found the 
decaying carcass. This happened a little above La Cave, 
on the Quebec side of the Ottawa. La Caribou. 
A TALE OF WOE. 
LEttle Rock, Arkansas. — We all like to write up our 
successful trips, but in reading Forest and Stream I sel- 
dom see an account of one where everything goes wrong; 
the devil seems to be on top, and there is no convenient 
whale loafing around to give Jonah inside passage free. 
I am going to break the lule and tell of just such a trip. 
West of Little Rock in the mountains, is a beautiful 
stream called Maumelle, which ripples over the pebbles 
or sleeps in long, deep pools and was my favorite fishing 
place in younger days. We had often talked of going 
there, that is, the Parson, the Doctor and myself. So one 
fine day the Parson said he was ready; and after tying up 
some tangled ends I found I could go if they would get 
things ready and leave me the morning to wind up busi- 
ness. And here let me introduce the party. The Parson 
dispenses with the Gospel at one of the leading churches, 
is the coming man in the Western division of the Southern 
Presbyterian Church, fishes for men on Sunday and for 
fish on week days when he can get off, and is a genuine 
all-round sportsman. And here I may remark that your 
readers will have no conception of ministerial dignity 
until they see a leading preacher chasing the illusive 
minnow in his shirt-tail, I mean the preacher's shirt-tail, 
not the minnow's. The Doctor is industriously engaged 
in keeping up the average death rate in the West End. 
As for myself, the habitual modesty characteristic of all 
lawyers forbids that I should say more than that my 
transcendent abilities are recognized by all parties and 
that my eloquence has moved thousands to tears. The 
party was reinforced by the agent of the transfer com- 
pany, and two ordinary kids, one the Doctor's and the 
other my own special property. 
So at 2 P. M. they came for me in a light pre- Adamite 
wagon, engineered by a Senegambian and two mustangs 
equipped with all the cussedness and hardiness of the 
breed. In a few minutes the agent came along in a road 
cart drawn by a slow mule. And so we started in high 
good humor, but alas, for human hopes of happiness; the 
mountain road was rough and soon a tire broke on one 
wheel. We repaired that by lashing it with hay wires, 
and proceeded up one rocky hill and down the other side. 
Nearing our destination, the Parson and I walked ahead, 
selected a camping place and started a fire. Soon the 
wagon came in with another wheel knocked out of shape, 
till it described a picturesque hyperbolic curve as it re- 
volved. 
But a good supper smoothed all tempers, and early 
next morning we started to fish. The water was beauti- 
fully clear, too clear in fact, and we could see very 
tempting fish, but they were very untemptable. How- 
ever, by patient work we got fish for breakfast. After 
breakfast the Senegambian and I took the wagon ever to 
a shop for repairs. I found the blacksmith to be a 
Scandinavian of complete independence. He said he 
was going fishing and would not fix anybody's wagon that 
day. I gently remarked to him that the Parson's flock 
would be pastureless at prayer meeting, that some of the 
Doctor's patients might get well if his absence was pro- 
longed, and that there was lots of legal ability going to 
waste in the woods; but these arguments did* not move 
him. He said there were too many preachers and lawyers 
anyway, and doctors were all humbugs; and if we did 
not want to wait there was a shop at Perry ville, thirty 
miles up the road. We waited. 
After dinner the kids wanted to climb the Pinnacle 
Mountain and I agreed to go with them. This mountain 
rises a perfect crown out of the river valley, about 800ft. 
high, and is a curious geological formation. It seems to 
have been squeezed up by enormous pressure and the 
rocks are shattered and twisted in every shape. We got 
to the top after a hard scramble, and had a fine view of 
the Arkansas Valley at sunset. The mountain is in- 
habited by buzzards; and large flocks of them would fly 
down the sides to the levels of the trees in the valley and 
then come right up the side of the mountain over the top 
without a flap of the wings. Can any one tell how that is 
done? Being purely mechanical it must have an ex- 
planation. 
The next day we got our wagon and started merrily 
home. Going down a long hill, one wheel suddenly 
rolled off. The Lawyer made a few emphatic remarks, 
the Doctor being a full grown sheep of the Parson's flock, 
merely swore in a weak Presbyterian way, "Dem the 
luck," while the Parson remarked that he had learned 
not to say all he thought. So the bulk of the conver- 
sation fell on me, and after sundry remarks about Sene- 
gambians in general and that one who owned that 
wagon in particular, we proceeded to investigate the ac- 
cident. We found the threads worn out in the nut and 
to save the expense of a new nut the coon had driven a 
lagging pin into the end Of the axle and it bad worked 
out. We repaired the damage and started again, but 
over and over again that pin came out. The last time 
was after dark, and pitch dark it was too, within a mile 
of home. Then we had to look for that nut and pin by 
the light of matches and repair the damage more by 
touch than sight. 
But we finally got home safely, and to the Parson's 
credit be it said he never once fractured the Third Com- 
mandment by using a big big D, or a little one either. 
J. M. Rose. 
International Anglers' Association. 
The International Anglers' Association will meet in its 
first annual convention at the Queen's Royal Hotel, Niag- 
ara, Ont., on Friday and Saturday, Sept. 7 and 8. This 
will be an important occasion for anglers, as it will see the 
inauguration of an association with well defined and seri- 
ous objects, and one which cannot fail to do great things 
for fair angling. The gathering will be a representative 
one, and expert anglers from all parts of the States, as 
well as Canada, are expected to compete in the fly-casting 
and bait-casting competitions, for which valuable prizes 
will be given. At the meeting papers on angling topics 
will be read and discussions will be held. A fish banquet 
will also add to the pleasure of the occasion. His Excel- 
lency the Governor-General has accepted the office of an 
honorary president, and President Cleveland has also been 
invited to act in a similar capacity. 
BOSTON RODS. 
Boston, July 28.— Reports are not very full from the 
salmon fishermen. Walter M. Brackett, the salmon artist, 
is at his river the St. Marguerite, where he has been for 
many seasons. His success is not reported to be remark- 
able thus far. The fishing is reported to be good on the 
St. Johns River. A happy Boston party is there, includ- 
ing Mr. JohnFottler, Jr., Mr! George Blake, Mr. Phillip 
Nevins. In the party are also several ladies, including 
Miss Sweet and Miss Dalton. They are having rare sport 
with the trout, as well as salmon. Mr Fottler, with Mr.. 
I. W. Adams, has fished this river for many seasons. 
Senator W. P. Frye is back to Washington again, after 
a brief visit to his camps at Cupsuptic Lake in Maine. It 
is reported that the Senator did but little fishing on this 
trip, a short one made to obtain a little much needed rest 
from his arduous labors on the tariff matter in Congress. 
He is expected to return to camp later in the season for 
a longer stay. When one does not find Senator Frye, of 
Maine, in Washington, during the session of Congress, 
they may look for him at his camp, though his arrivals 
and departures are not always heralded in the papers. 
The Gillam boys are newspaper men from the start, 
and each one of them is a sportsmen. Ernest M., the 
commercial editor of the Boston Advertiser, loves his gun 
and dogs next to his home and family. His oldest brother, 
M. M. Gillam, is the author of the advertisements that 
have made Wanamaker, of Philadelphia, famous in the 
clothing trade. His brother Charles is connected with 
the Philadelphia Record. M. M. has been employed with 
that house as advertising agent for many years. He 
knows how to get the most out of a vacation, and he en- 
joys it with his wife and children. In fact he has fished 
a great deal with his oldest daughter, a bright young 
woman now about 20 years old. Mr. Gillam has found a 
spot in the mountains of Pennsylvania. He goes some 
twenty miles beyond Mauch Chunk to Mud Run. Now, 
this Mud Run is badly named, for Mr. Gillam describes it 
to his brother as one of the clearest of mountain trout 
streams. Mr. Gillam has found a deserted farmhouse up 
there, and by the aid of his ingenious wife and daughters 
it has been transformed into a beautiful summer camp. 
There they go for a number of weeks every summer. All 
hands fish, and all hands take turns at camp work. The 
two boys with a companion caught the other day 135 
trout, and the day following 88. They fish for all they 
need in camp. The camera goes with them, and Mr. 
Gillam has become expert in producing pictures of camp 
and sporting life. Some of his pictures have embellished 
the Philadelphia papers this season. At last accounts the 
Gillams were enjoying life as life can only be enjoyed in 
the woods. 
Mr. N. G. Manson. Jr., is owner of Camp Leatherstock- 
ing on Cherrytree Point, Richardson Lake, Me. He has 
put in a steam launch of his own this summer. On the 
Fourth of July week he went down to camp and at 
the same time superintended the shipment of the 
launch from Andover into the South Arm. The operation 
was a successful one and the launch stood the rough road 
well, and now floats on Richardson Lake as proudly as 
she did on the waters of Boston Harbor. Mr. Manson 
was absent but a few days, and did little or no fishing. 
He is saving his vacation for one grand outing in August 
and September. He takes a few of his best friends with 
him. 
The sportsman who goes to Maine this fall, with any 
sort of tact and skill ought to be rewarded with a deer or 
two. The accounts of deer seen by fishing parties are 
something remarkable. A year ago it was considered 
that accounts of deer seen in the summer months were in 
a measure exaggerations, but this summer they are even 
geater. Said a Boston gentleman to me the other day, 
"Here is a letter from a man who has guided me at King 
and Bartlet. He mentions seeing 27 deer in one day, with 
a party of fishermen." Other accounts are as startling. 
There is not the least doubt but what the deer in Maine 
have greatly increased within a year. Up to the present 
time there are few accounts of summer shooting, and it 
is earnestly to be hoped that little of it will be done. 
Special. 
A Rotten Abomination on the Jersey Coast. 
Asbury Park, N. J., July 28.— Editor Forest and 
Stream: Thursday, 26th inst., Senator James A. Bradley 
served a protest enjoining Larrabee & Co., the great 
pound owners, from emptying their refuse fish in the sea. 
So great has this nuisance become here that the thousands 
of bathers have been driven from this great pleasure. 
Tons of decaying, stenchful fish line the shore at every 
high tide, making it impossible at times to stay on the 
beach. That this kind-hearted, well-meaning man was 
deluded into inactivity during the fight in our Legislature 
last winter by the plausible tales of the pound owners, is 
of common knowledge. On Tuesday, the 17th of the 
present month, I was a passenger on the steamboat Pleas- 
ure Bay between Seabright and Sandy Hook, N. J., and 
for a distance of at least three miles the steamer plowed 
its way through a veritable island of floating dead fish 
which had been emptied from the pounds and was being 
carried on the incoming tide to be deposited along the 
course of the beautiful Shrewsbury, there to rot and 
menace the health of the residents. When will the proper 
authorities take the course necessary to abate this abom- 
ination to our entire State ? is the question asked by the 
conservative and enthusiastic almost alike of our entire 
State. Leonard Hulit. 
Cayuga Lake. 
Ithaca, N. Y.— July 20 I stopped a short while at Union 
Springs, and while there saw some handsome creels of 
bass, pickerel and perch. Dave DeBell, of Ithaca, in two 
days' fishing, July 19 and 20, caught a good 401bs., one of 
his bass tipping the scales at 51bs. Fred Smith was at 
Canoga, just across from Union Springs, the 20th, and 
took a basket of pickerel in two hours trolling that would 
average 21bs. each. Dr. Arthur White and Alderman 
Chas. Green, of Ithaca, in charge of Tom Holland, of 
Union Springs, were catching big pickerel the 19th, 20th 
and 21st. Twenty-five to thirty pickerel is considered a 
good day's work at that point, and a very much bigger 
day's work at any other point on Cayuga Lake. Black 
bass are being caught along the east shore all 'the way 
Ithacaward from Union Springs. M. Chill. 
