March 2, 1895. 
FOREST AND STREAM. 
169 
ed by local gun clubs. In this, Wilkin County, last fall 
it was almost impossible to hunt without first obtaining 
permission of the owner of the land. The Wilkin County 
Game Protective Association last fall had scouts em- 
ployed six weeks before the open season, and the effect 
of this on the chicken murderers was astonishing. One 
party attempted to establish a refrigerator to store this 
class of game for market, but was given to understand 
that if he attempted to kill for market he would find him- 
self behind bars, and he didn't put his scheme into prac- 
tice. That's the way to protect game. It beats laws, 
unless they are enforced by local sportsmen. F. J. S. 
Breckinridge, Minn., Feb. 12. 
GEN. SHERMAN'S WOODS LIFE. 
Prom the Utica Herald. 
During the session of 1876 General Sherman originated 
the idea of having a committee on game laws in the As- 
sembly. Although his party was in a minority in that 
body, the committee was appointed with Mr. Sherman as 
its chairman. This is the only instance in which a mem- 
ber of an opposition party has been made chairman of an 
important committee in the New York Assembly. 
_ On April 2, 1879, he was appointed one of the commis- 
sioners of fisheries of the State of New York in place of 
ex-Governor Seymour. The general held the position un- 
til 1890, when he resigned. As a member of the fish com- 
mission, General Sherman was certainly the right man in 
the right place. His long experience, gained while hunt- 
ing and fishing in the Adirondacks, and his superior 
knowledge of the habits of fish and game admirably 
qualified him for the position. His peculiar fitness for 
the place and his active, zealous and intelligent labors 
speedily won for him the confidence and respect of his 
associates on the commission, and in their plans for work 
and in the management of affairs generally great reliance 
was placed on his judgment. He devoted a good share 
of his time to the duties of the office while he held it, and 
the commission and the force of State game protectors 
subordinate thereto never did more efficient work than 
during that period. General Sherman was considered 
authority on fish and game matters by all who knew him, 
and the State has produced few men whose opinion was 
entitled to greater respect. 
He was an ardent lover of nature, and it had been his 
custom for inany years to annually spend from one to 
three months in the Adirondacks, which he was wont to 
call "The Promised Land." Although familiar with all 
sections of .the wilderness, his ^favorite resort was the 
Bisby Lake region, and he had a beautiful summer home 
on the First Bisby. He was one of the charter members 
of the Bisby Lake Club, and held the office of president 
from the date of its organization to the time of his death. 
This club was the first one in the Adirondacks to have a 
preserve of its own. He was also a member of the Adiron- 
dack League Club. 
He enjoyed life in the woods exceedingly, and to him 
nature unfolded many interesting secrets which are re- 
vealed only to the keen and appreciative observer and the 
apt and sympathetic student. He loved the grand old 
mountains, the placid liquid gems with which the wilder- 
ness is so freely adorned, the rushing streams, the ma- 
jestic forest trees, the red granite rocks and the ferns and 
sedges growing beside the solitary foot-path, over which 
he passed when following a blazed line from one favorite 
haunt to another. With child-like pleasure he noted the 
advent of the hepaticas and trilliums in the spring-time, 
admired the orchids and pond lilies of mid-summer, and - 
the golden rods and asters of early fall. He watched 
with interest the development of the vernal foliage and 
loved to see the forest clad in tender green. The deeper 
hues of maturer months were equally pleasing to his eye, 
and he gloried in the gorgeous tints with which artistic 
autumn paints the later landscapes. He loved the birds, 
both large and small, the robins, white-throated spar- 
rows, hermit thrushes, partridges, king fishers, loons and 
gulls and they never had a truer friend. He delighted 
to study the habits of the speckled trout, lake trout and 
other denizens of Adirondack waters, and it was largely 
through his personal efforts that the Bisbys and neighbor- 
ing lakes were kept liberally stocked with fish. The hid- 
ing-places and favorite runways of the deer were known 
to him, and he was always a great admirer of this noble 
game and an earnest advocate of measures calculated for 
their protection. All other animals, which are not de- 
structive, found in him a defender, and he knew their 
ways and. habits better than most men. He was an en- 
thusiastic angler, and could handle a trolling line when 
lake fishing or a fiy rod when whipping a stream for brook 
trout with a dexterity equaled by few. He enjoyed the 
sport of hunting, and was formerly expert with both rifle 
and shot gun. In fact, he was a true woodsman in every 
sense of the term, and in his younger days could follow a 
line of marked trees, carry a pack, build a bark camp, 
cut wood for the fire, cook a meal, row or paddle a boat 
as occasion might require. He did not need the help of 
guides, although for convenience he employed them. 
The subject of Adirondack forest protection was one in 
which he manifested a deep and abiding interest. 
FRESH-WATER SHRIMP. 
The sea horses and pipe fish in the Fish Commission 
Aquarium, in Washington, are fed upon river shrimp or 
water fleas. They have steadily refused all other food, 
but are very fond of the diet now provided for them. 
Desiring to know the scientific name of the animal 
some specimens were sent to Mr. J. E. Benedict at the 
National Museum, who pronounced them probably the 
Gammarus fasciatus Say. That species is exceedingly 
abundant, and ranges in fresh waters from Virginia, 
northward and westward to Michigan. 
It seems likely that the shrimp of Caledonia Creek, 
which is so famous as a natural food of trout, belongs to 
a different species, as it is much larger than the Potomac 
River fleas and more nearly red in color. These little 
animals are scarcely more than one-half inch long, but 
they constitute the best food for trout of suitable age. 
If the proper examination were made in trout regions 
no doubt the water shrimp would be found present in 
abundance. A singular name for it comes from Bed- 
ford, Pa., the euphonious name of "curly jukes." 
T. H. B. 
md «gmh grotection. 
CHICAGO AND THE WEST. 
FATAL ILLNESS OP THE BLOW BILL. 
Chicago, 111., Feb. 16.— For two weeks or more, Chicago and 
Illinois liave been much torn up over the proposed measure 
known as the Blow Bill. Not much news is lelt o£ it all this 
week, and the gist of that is that the bill is doubtless dead. It 
will never get out of the House Committee, even if the Senate 
should pass it, and even should it ever come to a vote it would 
probably be killed in the House. A surprising development of 
affairs at Springfield is a glowing sentiment among the legisla- 
tors against longer seasons or an easier destruction of the game. 
THE JOINT LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE. 
At the joint committee meeting of the legislators last "Wed- 
nesday, there were present lor ttie sportsmen Mr. R. S. Mott, 
of the law committee of the Illinois Association, Mr, \\ . L. 
Shepard, President, and Mr. H. M. Meyer, Secretary; Mr. L. 
MacFariane, and Mr. C. S. Wilcox, of the Executive Commit- 
tee also were of the paity. Mr. 'J. S. Baird and Mr. M. B. 
Bortree represented "the citizens of Illinois." There were 7 
South Water street representatives on hand, then- spokesman 
being as usual Mr. G. W. Barnett. Warden Blow was also 
there. The joint committee arranged to hear the speeches of 
the representatives of the above interests, giving the leading 
speakers 15 minutes each. 
It was at first arrauged that the sportsmen should open the 
ball, but Mr. Mott, who has very ably all along handled the 
legal case for the sportsmen, i-brewUly suggested that as the 
sportsmen had no measure to put or propose, but simply said 
tUey did not want a new law, the burden of proof lay with 
those who did want a new one, and that the latter should first 
state their case. 
Mr. Barnett opened for the game dealers and made a good 
talk, dealing as much as possible in generalities, and using the 
same old specious argumeut about tne right to handle game 
once killed. He kept very silent about the game shipments 
from other States, but offered the inestimable privilege to 
Illinois' shooters of making laws for Illinois, which has fittle 
game left. This little the dealers wanted the privilege of sell- 
ing lor four months. 
Mr. Barnett was careful, but he had a bad quarter of an hour 
before he sat down. Senator Berry, of the committee, ex- 
tracted from him many admissions as to the real workings of 
the Blow bill should it become a law. He forced Mr. Barnett 
to admit that the law would open the market for the sale of the 
game of other States the year round, that it would endanger 
Illinois game, wnich could not be detected from foreign game, 
and that it would throw the burden of proof on tne State, 
whereas, under the old law, the burden of proof was on tne 
dealer. Mr. Burnett's case was none the better for Senator 
Berry's questioning. 
Mr. Mott took tue floor for the sportsmen, and made a clean, 
telhng speech, subjecting the Blow bill to the criticisms which 
have already appeared in Forest and Stream. He took up the 
question of the burden of proof, and showed what the change 
of this onus would mean. He showed how tne Blow billl 
could be used to create a demand for summer sale of game 
to clubs, hotels etc., and pointed out what he called the natural 
selling season of game. He touched on the constitutionality of 
the laws lately construed as forbidding the importation of game 
from other States, citing the excellent recent cases of Ohio and 
Minnesota. He then showed many errors, omissions and 
cancelments of the Blow bill, aud in fact in every word of his 
telling speech did valuable service to the cause of sportsmanship 
in Illinois. Mr. Mott's ideas are incisive aud direct, and his 
method of presenting them clear and foicible. He took up 
nothing in tne way of generalities, and attacked only the bill in 
hand, showing how sorry a suostitute it was for the present 
law. Mi-. Mott's speech was one of value to the Illinois Asso- 
ciation, on whose law committee he serves. 
Mr. F. S. Baird was then given the floor, and stated that he 
represented no body of sportsmen, but stood by the citizens and 
of his own right. Mr. Baird showed the inwardness and the 
animus of the Blow bill, and tUeu launched into an arraign- 
ment of the record and the motives of Warden Blow, whom he 
ripped up the back in red hot shape. Probably no game warden 
ever before sat in front of a body gathered for such purposes . 
and listened to such charges brought in such a manner. 
Warden Blow was allowed the floor in reply. He said that 
he had framed the bill, "in the interest of the whole people," 
though it wasn't turning out just the way he thought it would. 
He replied as best he could to Mr. Baird's charges, and then 
swung into his same old speech, which some of us have heard 
before, how he was great and good as they made 'em; how he 
had slept under haystacks to arrest violators; how he had 1,207 
or 1,21b letters of endorsement, which he would file with the 
committee. 
Mr. Baird was given Ave minutes to rebut Mr. Blow, and he 
asked the latter some hard questions. Mr. Mott developed 
from Mr. Blow that undei his bill there could exist in Illinois a 
traffic in the eggs of game birds. Mr. Moto got out of Mr. 
Sloane, the South Water street dealer, the information that 
Montreal, Can., was one of the greatest purchasers of Chicago 
game. Turning to the committee he said: "And by this law 
our game can go to Canada the year round. But how much 
game can be shipped from Canada here? They legislate against 
us, and tax us to shoot there. Shall we legislate in their 
especial benefit?" Mr. Blow stood cross-examination very 
badly. 
Mr. M. R. Bortree, of the N. G. B. and F. 1 '. Association, 
was then gi ven 5 minutes to talk on game protection and legis- 
lation and filled the time well, devoting part of it to arguments 
in favor of the idea of a tax on guns for the purpose of creating 
a protective fund. Mr. Barnett followed this in a 5 minutes 
closing speech. 
Members of both committees said after the adjournment, 
that neither this nor any other Blow bill could pass the com- 
mittee rooms. The sportsmen have every reason to believe 
their work has been well done, and that the Blow bill is in its 
last and fatal illness. The sportsmen were gratified at the 
courteous treatment accorded them and at the unexpected and 
intelligent interest which seems to have arisen in game pro- 
tective matters among the legislators from the lower part of 
the State. 
A LUCKY BLUNDER. 
Much has been said about the blunder made by the sportsmen 
in their quasi-endorseinent of a Blow bill at an earlier date in 
these complications, and it is called to mind that the bill had 
been published long before. It may have been published, but it 
had no publicity. It came to the Executive Committee un- 
heralded and unknown, but said to be endorsed by lawyers. If 
in their hurried action that committee made any blunder, it 
was the luckiest blunder ever made m the history of sportsman- 
ship. The result has been the greatest stir over protective 
matters ever known in this country. The daily papers have 
been full of this fight, and the Legislature is full of it, and there 
has been more talk aud more growth of good game sentiment 
over it than has occurred in the last ten years. The most fatal 
foes sportsmen meet in their efforts of legislation are indiffer- 
ence and ignorance on game matters. These have never broken 
down so fast and generally in Illinois as they have in the past 
two weeks. We are open for a few more blunders whose 
results shall be so valuable. 
THE NOBLE ART OF HEDGING. 
£ Seeing that its measure is all wrong and doomed to defeat, or 
perhaps realizing that defeat is the only possibility it can win 
in either event, tne. Chicago alleged sporting periodical now 
known as the Came Dealers' Friend, is trying to hedge and get 
back into line. Its cry is now for "compromise." I should 
think it had already compromised itself enouarh. Just now its 
idea of sportsmen's journalism is to hold conclaves with the 
game dealers and the renegade Warden Blow. It held one of 
these sessions last Saturday, and announced one for to-day. On 
the latter there was a sad, cold frost. The game dealers, realiz- 
ing that their newspaper ally was no good, forgot to attend the 
meedng. Mr. R. S. Mott, attorney for the sportsmen, was on 
hand to see what was going on, and so was Warden Blow, and 
so was the representative of the Game Healers' Friend, whose 
officiousness has just gotten him into such serious trouble, and 
who now is anxious to get back under cover. To Mr. Mott, the 
latter admitted, that its pet, the Blow bill, wab dead. 
blow's FLOP. 
Warden Blow also admitted that his bill could not pass, and 
admitted that he had made a mistake. The details of his 
private conversation with a certain gentleman come to me 
under the seal of confidence, and as such must be respected by 
tnis paper, as communications of like nature always are. The 
Game Dealers' Friend speaks untruthfully, or more plainly, 
. lies when it states that any Forest and Stream representative 
ever said he would publish confidential matter. What was said 
was that if excluded from a committeo meeting the newspaper 
men present "would get the news anyhow." Forest and Stream 
printed the committee's criticisms on the Blow bill a week 
ahead of the Game Dealers' Friend, and hence the latter sneaks 
behind the first possible coat tail. It need not worry over so 
small a "scoop" as that. Forest and Stream has beaten it 
worse in the past and will beat it worse in the future, and will 
beat it on the Blow bill issue, which is dead to-day. 
I can, then, only say that I have the most damaging admis- 
sions from Blow. On my own responsibility, without giving 
any reasons for it, I can say that Blow has flopped. He realizes 
that his egotism and love of notoriety have misled him. To- 
day he wants to get back into line. 
To Mr. Mott, Blow said that he would now try to get passed 
any bill that he, Mr. Mott, would draft. Mr. Mott at. once 
framed a red hot sportsmen's bill, prohibiting the sale of any 
Illinois game at any season, limiting the sale of foreign game to 
Oct. 15 to Feb. 1, and providing for arrest without warrant and 
seizure of illegal game on sight. Blow meekly said ne would 
try and get this bill passed. If he does, he will be a warden 
without a "theory," and will have to fight his old friends, the 
game dealers. If the Game Dealers' Friend supports this meas- 
ure, there will be in evidence one of the most ludicrous in- 
stances of the crawfish act on record in the history of mis- 
guided journalism. This act is now due, and is foreshadowed 
in certain long and visionary utterances — which one finds one- 
self not quite able to read through — in this week's issue of the 
Game Dealers' Friend. It really makes small difference at any 
time, and no difference whatever now, what measure the un- 
fortunate Chicago journal supports or does not support. The 
sportsmen's interests have proved too strong for it to kill. It is 
hardly likely, however, that any new bill will receive much 
consideration at Springfield. It could not pass the Senate com- 
mittee at best. Tne likelihood now is that the old law will be 
left unchanged. If there be any change it will be in the 
interest of the sportsmen. Mr. Mott stated the case to me 
exactly this afternoon. 
"They asked me what I was willing to do 'by way of com- 
promise?" 'Compromise?' I said, 'What have .we to compro- 
mise on? We've got you fellows licked, and you know it. I 
don't believe in compromising with a man after I have got him 
licked.' " 
TBE DEALERS ET."AL. BEATEN. 
The vote at Springfield is not yet in, but it certainly seems 
that the game dealers and their friends, who were so bumptious 
, and eager to fight the sportsmen, have been "licked" in fair 
fight. The Blow bill is a dead bill. If he brings in a new bill, 
he may make a sounding of trumpets, and so may the Game 
Dealers' Friend; but it will be over a bill framed by Robins S. 
Mott, of the law committee of the Illinois State Sportsmen's 
Association. In view of Blow's record in the past, it will be 
very well to watch closely that he does not tamper or tinker 
with even a straight sportsmen's measure. Blow is a dangerous 
man to trust. If the sportsmen want to introduce a new meas- 
ure, the best thing to do is to introduce it themselves. The last 
thing to do is to trust the man Blow, who has done all he could 
to sell out the sportsmen of the State. 
At any rate, the fight is over and the flop of the opposition is 
over. The sportsmen have won. Let the renegade warden any 
the renegade dealers' organ hustle to get back into line. Thed 
have had a good drubbing, both of them. 
In his speech at Springfield game dealer Barnett said that at the 
close of the selling season this winter, §30,000 of game went East 
from Chicago at one consignment, also 40,000 pounds of other 
game. At hearing these figures, which the dealers advanced as 
proof of the loss sustained by the Chicago trade, Col. C. E. 
Pelton, of Chicago, a prominent sportsman who has had a lean- 
iug toward the idea of commercial property in game, legally 
acquired, was dumbfounded. "If that is so," said he," "if 
there was so much game in Chicago markets, then I must change 
my former beliefs. We must certainly limit this selling 
season," 
At Springfield, the representative who has been^getting the 
Chicago paper above referred to into such a tangle, went to 
Mr. M. R. Bortree, and said: "What am I going to do? I'm in 
trouble. On one side they are crying to close the markets, and 
on the other, to open them. What am I going to do?" 
"Do!" said Mr. Bortree, "Why, do what any real sports- 
men's paper ought to do. Coma out and define yourself. Come 
out and declare yourself against the sale of game under any 
circumstances! If you don't, in live years there won't be any 
need for your paper." 
Some day the Chicago paper will do this, perhaps. To me, 
Mr. Bortree said that in one year the Forest and Stream doc- 
trine, "Stop the sale of game," would be acknowledged as the 
light doctrine, and in ten years it will be the accepted doctrine, 
if.not the accomplished fact of the sportsmanship of America. 
SUMMARY. 
To-day, F. M. Smith, the heaviest game dealer in Chieaog, 
said that the Blow bill would not pass. 
To-day the Game Dealers' Friend admitted its belief that the 
Blow bill was dead. 
To-day, Warden Charles H. Blow admitted that the bill 
would not pass, said he wanted to get back with the sportsmen, 
and would now advocate any bill they would get up. 
To-day Warden Blow and all those who aided him in his 
attempt to sell out and clean out this State deserve to be taken 
by the ear and gently led to the outside of the door of honest 
and rational sportsmanship. 
Look out next week for a new Blow bill, not drafted by him- 
self and colleagues. 
s Look out next week for a repentant whoop of "compromise." 
1' Look out for the triumph in 1895 of the sportsmen of Illinois 
and the greatest victory they ever won. 
Look out next week and all the time, every week, for 
Forest and Stream when it comes to a question of honest and 
genuine sportsmanship. 
And incidentally, gentlemen, let us stop the sale of game. If 
not entirely, then every inch and iota that we can, in Illinois, 
Dakota. New York, everywhere. 
909 Security Building, Chicago. E. HOUGH. 
