March 16, 1895. 
FOREST AND STREAM, 
207 
the last preceding Legislature left us with a very choice 
lot of inconsistent, irreconcilable game laws that seriously 
etnbarassed our game protector, and drove Editor Rey- 
nolds nearly daft. Doubtless we've got another invoice 
of the same kind of stuff, at least that is the general im- 
pression among the sportsmen. 
Among the many brilliant things that the Legislature 
did not do was its failure to elect a game protector. They 
didn't elect a U. S. senator until the clock was striking 
the hour of adjournment, and the matter of electing a 
game protector was entirely overlooked. 
PROTECTOR MEAD. 
Somebody has been perpetrating a joke on my good 
friend, J. Roberts Mead. Recently, a prominent Chicago 
sporting paper contained a lengthy and laudatory article 
regarding his candidacy for the office of Fish and Game 
Protector for the State of Oregon. If half that was there- 
in stated about him is true (and I guess it is) he is a 
" dandy." Yes, the article referred to stated that he was 
a candi late for the high office of protector and went on to 
say: "than whom there is not a more enthusiastic sports- 
man in the State, at all times having the interest of game 
a nd fish at heart, a good shot himself and an angler par 
excellence, and a man of great executive ability , and a 
gentleman always, etc." until the catalogue of superla- 
tives was nearly or quite exhausted. No one who knows 
Mead, would for a moment doubt the truth of everything 
said about him in that article, except the one fact that he 
was a candidate. He is not, ne^er has been nor never will 
be a candidate for that or anyother office, and evidently 
the man who wrote that article intended it for a joke, for 
his apparent knowledge of Mead's characteristics and fit- 
ness for almost any position requiring a high sense of 
honor and executive ability, warrants the belief that he 
is aware that Mead's private interests require all his time 
and energy. But the published statement works a hard" 
. ship, not only on Mead, but many of his iriends. Where- 
ever Mead goes, whether on business or socially, too 
much of his time must necessarily be taken up with ex- 
planations, while those friends who might have influence 
with him are constantly appealed to by those willing to 
do a whole lot of hard work in protecting fish and game 
for a reasonable consideration. 
Mr. McGuire, the present incumbent, will doubtless 
hold the fort aeainst all comers, as the Legislative As- 
sembly failed to elect. Mead will do as much or more 
than any other man in aid of the good cause of fish and 
game protection if called upon, but his political aspira- 
tions, if he has any, are not in the direction suggested by 
the publication referred to. 
Portland, Ore., March 1. S. H. Greene. 
TEXAS AND THE SOUTHWEST. 
"I had the good fortune last week to make one of a party 
of gentlemen who spent a delightful day among the 
bluebills on Nueces Bay. As to the game, I will simply 
say that it was one of those duck cyclones that comes but 
a very few times during the mortal life of man. All day 
long, from the early gray of dawn until the closing shades 
of evening, there was a pouring in of ducks such as is 
seldom seen. It was one of those rare days which sorely 
tempt one to forget that he is a sportsman. I could easily 
have fired my 200 shells before 10 o'clock, but by dint of 
fraternizing with a gay and convivial companion — one of 
those men whose presence cleaves ones miseries like a ray 
of warm sunshine penetrates a dark corner — I managed to 
hold an active shooting existence until noon. 
It simply rained ducks, and I played a cool game; I 
killed rather regularly for a green hand. Presently Mr. 
Claimer came along and took his stand close by and at a 
point where he had a slight advantage by reason of his 
being able t© shoot before my trigger could be pressed. 
A flock came in. I picked out an incomer and nudged 
ahead as I pulled trigger. The bird was stone dead in the 
air, and as I opened my gun for a fresh shell, my neighbor 
sang out: "Aha! I killed my bird; did you shoot?" As I 
had only seen one bird fall, I looked at him and said, point- 
ing where the bird fell, and asked: "This bird?" "Yes," 
he answered, "didn't I make a good shot?" "Yes," I re- 
plied, between my teeth, "an excellent shot." 
This happened three times more in less than ten min- 
utes. Not only were my birds gathered in. tut those of 
my companion were as promptly claimed by the Claimer. 
I passed the word to my companions to yield in every 
instance, and it was perfectly wonderful to perceive the 
great and growing gall of the Claimer. He shot right and 
left at everything that came over him or anybody else, 
and as sure as a bird fell out of the flock the same refrain 
could be heard smashing the fragrant ozone: "I killed 
my bird; did you get yours?" 
When a pair or more fell out it would vary thus: "I got 
my pair. Did you all shoot?" 
Sometimes someone would kill a bird, and his fire would 
palpably be behind and after the bird was killed, but the 
phenomenal gall was in it that day, and it flourished in 
the bay breeze like a shamrock on Celtic soil. 
THAT GRASS SUIT. 
A gentleman who li w es in San Antonio, and generally 
buys everything new in the sporting goods line, had a 
novel and exciting experience the other day. 
He is an inveterate duck-hunter, and spends most of his 
time putting up jobs on the ducks that feed on the bottom 
of Geo. Fulton's ponds. When he is not vpry busy, he 
sells Seth Thomas clocks and repairs a few uncut dia- 
monds. One day he "saw an advertisement of the new 
grass suit, and immediately took the bait, sinker, float 
and all and ordered one to come by special delivery pos- 
tage. It eame. So (fid an invitation from Geo, Fulton, 
the Prince of the Southwest, to spend a few months in 
search of geese on Mud Flats, and he went. 
He took his stand where the geese were thickest, and 
awaited the onslaught of the enemy, feehng secure m the 
full envelopment of counterfeit prairie hay. Pretty soon 
the faithful canine began to show signs of distress, and 
upon looking backward, his horrified gaze fell athwart 
several tall and muscular full grown steers — Geo. Ful- 
ton's fattest — that were, uttering lugubrious sounds and 
pawing dirt with their fore feet. 
Roar after roar filled the air, and the steers pawed up 
more dirt as they advanced on our hitherto gay but now 
discomfited hunter, Be stood the pressure for a few mo- 
ments only, but finally broke for heavy co^er, and then 
and there divested himself of his verdant habiliment. He 
can't tell to this'day whether it was a desire to eat" him 
that prompted Fulton's cattle to act in such inhospitable 
manner or whether it was his grotesque appearance. I 
suggested to the Prince that his cattle keep off the grass. 
A TURKEY JOKE ON HUNTER. 
I struck a garrulous conductor of the Aransas Pass 
Railway who is responsible for the story I am about to 
relate. On St. Joseph's Island, owner and monarch of all 
he surveys, lives Sam Allen, regarded as one of the aris- 
tocracy of the Southwest. 
In an unguarded moment, and with the recklessness of 
a Don Quixote, Mayor Allen issued an invitation to a few 
friends to come down to his castle and hunt and fish on 
his broad domain. The lucky gentlemen were the Hon. 
Bryan Callaghan, ex-Mayor of San Antonio. Tim. H. 
Michelnjohn, the terror of black bass, and Jimmy New- 
comb and Chas. Miller, all of San Antonio. 
The jolly Mayor took them over to his castle in his 
yacht, and' the whole business went in search of the game 
of the island, which was very plentiful. Mick was in the 
lead, and the time of day about dark, when he suddenly 
stopped and waved his hand to the rest, telling them in 
mute hunters' parlance not to advance — that he had seen 
something of importance. He crept back to where the 
rotund Mayor and Miller were crouching, and softly 
breathed to them that |he had seen a large flock of fat 
turkeys. 
They immediately concluded to wait until old Sol had 
descended away down before attacking the birds. When 
the time came, the little army crept up, and at a com- 
mand given by Mick, all fired into the birds, loading and 
firing as they fled in all directions. They found that they 
had killed 47 birds. The trio, intoxicated at the sight, 
swaggered arm in aim to the house, where Mick grandilo- 
quently informed their host that they wanted him to 
hitch up a wagon to carry in the product of their bows 
and spears. 
"What did you get?" inquired the Mayor. 
"Forty-seven big fat turkeys," replied Mick, as he 
fondly tapped his gun. "You bet, when our Irish blood 
is aroused, we can kill 'em, eh, Bryan!" 
His Honor merely nodded 'and smote himself on the 
ch»st as he remarked: "I killed a few myself." 
"But where could you kill 47 turkeys," anxiously in- 
quired the Mayor. 
"About a half mile from here," replied Mick, "just 
around that little freshwater pond on the other side of the 
beef yard." 
"Great tScott!" cried the Mayor, "you scoundrels have 
killed my tame turkeys!" Texas Field. 
ADIRONDACK GUIDES' CONVENTION 
Saranac Lake, N. Y., March 4.— Without doubt the 
most representative Adirondack gathering that ever 
occurred was the Guides' Convention which met at the 
Opera House, Saranac Lake, on Februaiy 27 last, pur- 
suant to the call of Secretary John H. Miller, of the Adi- 
rondack Guides' Association. 
As Forest and Stream has so often said with all truth, 
each year at Albany there appears a number of tinkerers 
who propose to make changes in the game laws, but 
whose knowledge of facts and what is best for the State 
in general and the Adirondack region in particular, is 
ver3 r limited. Heretofore there has been no expressed 
Adirondack sentiment in any one direction, and only 
desultory views have been received by the Legislature. 
This, however, is all changed by the action of the recent 
convention, whose resolutions are strong and to the point, 
and well calculated to make themselves felt by the State's 
law-makers. 
Two hundred guides filled the seats allotted to them in 
the Opera House on the evening of the 27th, when Vice- 
President Duley called the convention to order. An ad- 
ditional number of guides, not members of the Associa- 
tion, and sportsmen in sympathy with the proposed ac- 
tion, swelled the entire number to about 500. 
Hon. Wm. F. Rathbone, of Albany, made an exceed- 
ingly pleasing and forcible address upon the question of 
deer hounding. Mr. Rathbone was in favor of the hound- 
ing of deer. It was" without question the most sports- 
manlike method of .hunting. But he was against jack- 
hunting, believing, as he said, that more deer were wan- 
tonly slaughtered in that way than in all others com- 
bined. He made a vigorous attack upon the Wilks' bill 
now pending in the Assembly, allowing the sale of game 
in New York State at all seasons of the year, providing it 
was proven that such game was killed outside the State. 
He characterized this measure as "damnable, and the 
most iniquitous ever introduced in the State Legislature. " 
The speaker went on: "There are many reasons why this 
section should not be male a part of the law, but two are 
so urgent that they should impel every guide, every 
sportsman and every association to speak in no uncertain 
tones against its passage. The first is that the bill means 
an open game market the year around, or in other words, 
the sale all the year around of game killed in New York 
State, and the second is that it means also the sale all 
the year of game killed in other States." 
Secretary Miller read letters received from Hon. Ver- 
planck Colvin, Hon. Warner Miller, Col. Wm. F. Fox, 
Superintendent of State Forests; J. Warren Pond, Chief 
Game and Fish Protector; A. G. Mills, President of the 
Adirondack League Club; G. O. Shields, R. C. Alex- 
ander, of the Mail and Express; Hon. A.. B. Parmelee, D. 
W, Riddle, S. R. Stoddard, A. R. Fuller and others. 
A. N. Cheney, of Glens Falls, the principal speaker of 
the evening, thanking the Association for their kindness, 
took for his subject, "The Origin and Growth of Fish 
Culture," and for nearly an hour discussed it in an ad- 
mirable way. He told the guides many things concerning 
the fin tribe that they had never dreamt of, and his many 
historical facts were highly entertaining. The address 
was frequently applauded, and upon the close a vote of 
thanks was tendered Mr. Cheney by the convention. 
In a second address later in the eveniug, Mr. Cheney 
devoted his time to a review of the Guides' Association, 
dwelling at considerable length upon the good to be ob- 
tained by thorough organization and unity. 
Secretary Miller followed with the introduction of a 
series of resolutions, inviting open discussion of the same 
by the convention. Guides from every section of the 
mountains spoke heartily in favor of them, and when the 
resolutions were put to a vote, a unanimous "aye" filled 
the convention hall. Here they are: 
"Whereas, There have been numerous measures intro- 
duced in the Legislature to amend the present fish and 
game laws of the State of New York, and intended for the 
protection of fish and game in the Adirondacks and 
other sections of the State, and the Senate Committee on 
Fish and Game Laws, which was duly authorized and 
empowered^by the Senate, did meet during the year 1894 at 
various places in the State for the purpose of taking testi- 
mony and making inquiry as to the needed changes or 
modifications of the existing fish and game law, and said 
committee did duly report its recommendations and con- 
clusions thereon, now therefore be it 
Resolved, That this association heartily endorses and 
recommends the compromise measure as recommended by 
said commission in its said report, wherein it recommends 
that still-hunting of deer shall be continued to be allowed 
from August 15 to October 20, and the open hounding sea- 
son from September 1 to October 20, inclusive, at which 
date the hounding or killing of deer by any method shall 
be prohibited. We also believe as recommended by said 
commission that no material changes are needed as to the 
open season for trout fishing. It is further 
"Resolved, That it is the sense of this association and 
we do hereby petition the Legislature to enact such meas- 
ures as will give the Forest Commission authority to 
grant leases of State lands for a period of at least twenty 
years at moderate rentals, for camping purposes of plots 
of not over five acres to any one person, with proper re- 
strictions. Large tracts of land belonging to the State 
which surround some of our most beautiful lakes would 
thus be opened for the enjoyment of citizens. Substan- 
tial camps and summer cottages would be erected thereon, 
giving occupation and employment to a large number of 
guides and other persons, a revenue to the State, besides 
each camper would make an excellent fire warden over a 
large tract of forest adjacent to his camp. Thus the forest 
would be preserved for which it was created. It is further 
Resolved, "That copies of these resolutions be for- 
warded to our Senator and representative in the Legisla- 
ture and that they berequested to use their utmost en- 
deavors to push forward measures in sympathy with 
these resolutions." 
J ohn Harding, proprietor of the Algonquin, and Rev. 
R, G McCarthy, associate members, then made brief ad- 
dresses. Mr. McCarthy, in his usually eloquent manner, 
roused the convention to high enthusiasm, and his tell- 
ing words fell upon soil that was not barren. He urged 
that it was the duty of every guide of the wilderness to 
become a live working member of the association; to take 
hold of the questions involving the welfare of the region 
and to oppose tooth and nail those who were levelling 
blows at the head of our prosperity — or in other words, 
attempting the destruction of our fish and game. 
John H. Miller followed Mr. McCarthy. He spoke Of 
the forests, fish and game as the Adirondack guide's stock 
in trade. "We gain our livelihood," saidMr. Miller,"from 
the hundreds of sportsmen who annually visit our region. 
They come to shoot and to fish. We must have the game 
and the fish for them. If we do not they will go to 
Canada or elsewhere. Therefore, it is the duty of every 
guide especially, and every citizen of this region to guard 
zealously the deer of our forests and the fish of our 
streams. Every guide should appoint himself a game con- 
stable and see also that he does his duty." 
Mr. Miller's remarks were greeted with applause. H. A. 
Benham then introduced the following resolutions 
"Resolved, That it is the sense of the Adirondack 
Guides' Association that it is to the benefit of this region 
and the people of the State in general, that each member 
nf this Association be appointed by the Chief Game Pro- 
tector a special game constable, without pay. 
The resolution was unanimously carried. 
The convention then endorsed A. N. Chenev, of Glens 
Falls, for Chief Fish Culturist, and J. Warren Pond, of 
Malone. to succeed himself as Chief Fish and Game 
Protector. 
Forest and Stream and the Saranac Lake Herald were 
given a vote of thanks for their unremitting efforts 
toward the better protection of the forests, fish and game. 
Next followed one of the most important resolutions of 
the convention, as follows: 
"Resolved, That it is the sen«e of this Association that 
no brook or lake trout, or venison, be sold or offered for 
sale in any of the counties comprising the forest preserve 
at any season of the year, and resolved that the legislature 
be and is hereby petitioned to enact a measure in con- 
iormity with the above." 
The constitution of the association was then read by 
the Secretary, and with slight variations was adopted. 
It says, among other things, that the object of the asso- 
ciaton "shall be to promote and facilitate travel in the 
Adirondacks; to secure to the public competent and re- 
liable guides, thus assuring the welfare of tourists and 
sportsmen; to aid in the enforcement of the forest and 
game laws of the State; to secure wise and practical leg- 
islation on all subjects affecting the interests of the Adi- 
rondack region; to maintain a uniform rate of wages of 
guides; and to render financial assistance to its members 
in case of sickness or other disability or to then families 
in case of the death of such members." 
Qualifications for membership are stated in . sec. 1 as 
follows: 
"Sec. Any person to become "a member of this asso- 
ciation must be (First) a citizen of the United States of 
America and have a permanent residence within the State 
of New York; (Second) be at least 21 years of age and 
have been known as a resident of the Adirondacks for 
fifteen years; (Third) an Adirondack guide having at 
least three years' experience as such; (Fourth) be a well- 
equipped, competent and in every way reliable guide." 
Following the reading and adopting of the constitution, 
the contention took a recess, and the delegates retired to 
the camp-fire and banquet-room below, where coders for 
200 were laid. A splendid collation was served, and around 
the camp-fire stories and songs of woodland life were told 
and sung. 
Returning to the convention hall, unfinished business 
was taken up. and officers for the coming year elected: 
Honorary President, Hon. Verplanck Colvin; Active 
President, O. A. Covill; Vice-Presidents, Peter Solomon, 
