Forest and Stream 
A Weekly Journal of the Rod and Gun. 
Tkem8, $4 a Year. 10 Cts. a Copt. I 
Six Months, $2. ( 
NEW YORK, SATURDAY, MAY 11, 1895. 
i VOL XLIV.— No. 19 
I No. 818 Broadway New York. 
For Prospectus and Advertising Rates see Page iii. 
The Forest and Stream is put to press 
on Tuesdays. Correspondence intended for 
publication should reach us by Mondays and 
as much earlier as may be practicable. 
THE SPORTSMAN'S EXPOSITION. 
Everything promises that the Sportsman's Exposition, 
which will open in Madison Square Garden , in this city, 
next Monday, will be a most successful affair. In scope 
the display will be comprehensive; all that pertains to 
the rod and the gun will there have a place. The exhibits 
made by manufacturers and dealers will be varied and 
complete, and will afford a striking exposition of the 
variety and perfection of the sporting goods of the day. 
The collections of trophies and pictures and other acces- 
sories of the craft will be numerous, interesting and 
worth travelling a thousand miles to see. "We need not 
urge every sportsman in the land, who can possibly visit 
New York next week, to attend the Exposition for his 
own sake. It will prove not only beautiful, interesting 
and attractive, but educational as well. 
Membership in the Sportsman's Association (which 
costs $1) will entitle the holder of a member's card to re- 
turn transportation from New York to his home at one- 
third of the regular rate. 
New York city is just now in the glory of fresh spring 
verdure; the sun shines bright, sparrows chatter merrily 
in the parks, and the streets are not dug out in trenches 
and pitfalls so much as usual. If the sportsman comes in 
force he shall own the town. 
The Forest and Stream will welcome its friends in the 
two spaces, Nos. 73 and 74, which will be found on 
the south of the main aisle, near the center of the build- 
ing. "While shrinking from any appearance of egotism 
or of an undue magnifying of self, we may suggest that 
the Forest and Stream exhibit will in itself be worth 
your visit to New York. The large oil painting, "Chained 
to Business," will be certain to awaken a responsive sym- 
pathy in the breast of every beholder. 
Our issue of May 25 will contain an illustrated descrip- 
tion of the Exposition, and we shall provide for an in- 
creased demand for that number. 
A. H. OESNER. 
Many readers of Forest and Stream will regret to 
learn of the death of Rev. A. H. G-esner (better known to 
them as "Stillaboy"), which occurred at his home in Sing 
Sing, N. Y., on April 30. 
Mr. Gesner was a retired clergyman of the Episcopal 
Church; but besides his love for his Master, he had an 
added love for God as revealed in the beauty and the 
creatures of His universe. 
During the latter years of his life, and after a premoni- 
tion of paralysis, which showed itself two years ago and 
incapacitated him for active work, he engaged himself in 
writing for Forest and Stream, hoping by degrees to 
regain the facility of speech which characterized him as 
a preacher and worker in the Church. He was regaining 
these powers slowly, but his physical strength gradually 
declined. 
When his last illness came upon him he was at work 
upon a story for this paper describing a trip into the 
woods in the month of May in company with the Indian, 
Nuel. 
Our readers will remember his delightful series of 
papers on "The Prescription," "The Museum Moose," etc., 
which elicited so much praise and happy comment. 
There is in manuscript another story, of the "Museum 
Caribou," which is designed for early publication. 
Mr. Gesner was a close and sympathetic observer of in- 
sect, bird and animal life, and delighted in the varied 
revelations of nature as the seasons circled in ceaseless 
course. 
Some time before his death he had suspended from a 
twig in his study— upon which sat three stuffed owls— a 
cocoon. On the evening of t<he day of his funeral, his 
daughter-in-law heard a rustling, and looking up saw a 
large moth slowly evolve itself and crawl out upon the 
twig. 
Mr. Gesner always used to hold this up as a type of the 
Resurrection, and would beautifully describe the various 
changes from larvaa to gorgeous butterfly. Occurring at 
such a time when the last sad rites had been said over his 
grave, it spoke in words of comfort of the triumph of his 
faith, symbolizing his love for the Risen Master and the 
hew life of creation as displayed in the insect world. 
Mr. Gesner died in the full possession of his faculties, 
and only the night before his departure spoke of the com- 
ing of the birds with the May-tide: "I hoped to hear them 
sing here, but now I shall hear them in Paradise. Won't 
it be lovely?" 
Like one who turns his face homeward after a long 
journey, so he went out into that fair country "whither 
Christ has gone before." 
ONE-MAN POWER. 
In nearly every branch of sportsmanship there have 
been complaints of cliquism and one-man power, and 
the instances have been few indeed when these honest, 
yet thoughtless, complaints have had any just grounds 
to rest upon. 
In every special interest in the realm of sport, the care 
of affairs seems to devolve naturally sooner or later upon 
the care of a few men, and not infrequently one man will 
be dominant over his fellows. 
To the unthinking, the mere fact of the preeminence 
of the individual is accepted as his unwarranted arroga- 
tion of power and importance. They do not consider that 
the incentives of sportsmanship are distinctly different 
from those of business life, wherein the really serious and 
earnest work is in incessant action. In matters of busi- 
ness, competition is ceaseless. To struggle is a necessity. 
But, above the necessities, men long for more importance. 
The desire for wealth, the ambition to shine in higher 
positions above his fellows, are incentives to men to strive 
constantly in professional and industrial life. When they 
devote their energies to certain lines of thought or effort, 
it is not an unfair inference that they are seeking an 
ultimate and just profit. But the standards of the indus- 
trial world are not always just standards for the measure- 
ment of values in the realm of sportsmanship, though 
they are not infrequently the data of many warranted in- 
ferences and conclusions. By far the greater number of 
men engage in sport for its own sake. They have an in- 
born passion for it. Unlike action in the business world, 
in sportsmanship there is seldom an ulterior mercenary 
motive. 
In their love of sport, many men are unselfishly enthu- 
siastic. Their fancies may take distinctly different chan- 
nels — some may be fond of yachts, of guns, of dogs, of 
sports of land or water, and it is well that it is so. 
The sportsman perceives that there is a community in 
nature distinctly apart from the selfish competition of 
the workaday world. It has under proper conditions no 
limitations. The rich and poor alike can enjoy its bene- 
fits and beauties. 
But there are some features which must be properly 
conserved and promoted. There are contingent interests 
which must be organized and encouraged. There is 
much to teach and much work to do. There are men 
who assume the task. Thus there is the enthusiast who 
advocates and works for the protection of game and 
fish; the one who organizes trap-shooting and rifle clubs, 
field trial clubs, or canoe and yachting associations, and 
who devotes his time, energies, and often his means, in 
promoting and perpetuating the sport of his fancy. He 
begins the work that few would attempt, and in which 
still fewer would persist after beginning. But the worldly 
standard of value is too often applied to his efforts, and 
the complaint of one-man power is made. The unselfish 
efforts of the enthusiast for the benefit of his guild are 
too often rewarded with ingratitude. Even if the efforts 
of the enthusiast are not wholly unselfish, they confer 
benefits so general that they are a public gain. 
Betimes, when the criticisms and complaints are intol- 
erably unjust, the enthusiast abandons his fancy and par- 
ticipation in sport. Then the malcontents learn his real 
value. They were, more or less, beneficiaries of his 
efforts. Few of them did more than grumble or rebuke. 
When the enthusiast, the one-man power, retires, action 
ceases. If there is no direct monetary profit, it fre- 
quently happens that there is no one to act in his stead. 
If a body have force, character and action, there must 
be a power which can act promptly and intelligently. If 
the one-man power, who is managing successfully, is de- 
posed, what is offered to fill his place? Another man,- 
who, if he succeeds, must necessarily be a one-man 
power. If the managing power be more than one man, 
which malcontents are disposed to term a clique, and is 
deposed, who is there to fill its place? When a man is 
unselfishly striving for the public good, or when he is giv- 
ing a just return for a consideration, the complaints of 
the disgruntled have no value. 
In such instances as men engage in sport and its con- 
tingencies from motives wholly mercenary, the com- 
plaints were just. Such mercenary purposes bring their 
own correction. It is of the good and true men of which 
we speak. 
The one-man power is a necessity in the affairs of 
sportsmanship. Were the one-man power removed , the 
interests of game and fish protection, trap-shooting clubs, 
rifle clubs, yachting clubs and field trial clubs would 
languish and perhaps would die. 
Had there been no one-man power in action, the in- 
terests of sportsmanship never would have attained their 
present greatness. 
THE WILKS BILL. 
Here is the text of the Wilks bill in the New York As- 
sembly, where it has been ordered a third reading, is 
likely to come up at an early day, and to be passed and 
sent to the Senate: "§ 249. No person shall be deemed to 
have violated any law or ordinance by reason of his selling, 
exposing for sale, transporting or possessing, or attempt- 
ing so to do, the body, or a part of the body of any wild 
animal or bird in the close season for sucharimal or bird, 
provided it be proved by him that said wild animal or 
bird was killed outside this State." 
This would open the sale of game the year around. It 
would mean not only that New York city would be, like 
Boston, a dumping ground for Western and Eastern game, 
but that the market slaughter of game in this State would 
be vastly increased and would go on the year through. 
The measure is one that has not a single redeeming 
feature. It should not be allowed to become a law. We 
cannot afford open markets for the twelve months 
through. 
This is something which concerns every sportsman of 
New York, and every sportsman concerned should send 
his protest against the Wilks bill to Senator Donaldson 
chairman of the Senate Committee on Game and Fish. 
GAME IN PARKS. 
We print to-day the first installment of the "Forest 
and Stream's Second Annual Report on Game in Pre- 
serves." The conclusion of the report, including notes 
on the Litchfield Preserve and a number of others, will 
follow in our next issue. 
SNAP SHOTS. 
We understand that the members of the Game Commit- 
tee of the New York Assembly, after having promised 
both verbally and -in writing to report favorably Mr. 
Niles's bill to prohibit deer hounding, at the next meeting 
of the committee promptly forgot these pledges and voted 
against the report. One man only remained true to his 
pledge — Mr. La Fetra. The value of the word of the 
average New York legislator is well known, and it now 
appears that his bond is worth no more than his word. 
The game law committees of both Senate and Assembly 
have done as much harm at this session as they could, 
and apparently with malice aforethought. 
The appointment of Mr. A. C. Collins, of Hartford, to 
the new Connecticut Fish and Game Commission is in 
every way admirable. Mr. Collins has done more than 
any ten other men in the State to protect game and fish 
and to bring offenders to justice. He has for the most 
part been obliged to work single-handed. Now that he is 
in a position of increased responsibility and with enlarged 
powers, he may be depended upon to do good public ser- 
vice. His appointment was vigorously opposed by the 
pound fishermen, who have in the past found in this 
active and determined individual the only obstacle to their 
unrestrained violations of the statutes. The other Com- 
missioners are Mr. N. Williams, of Salisbury, and Mr. J, 
A. Bill, of Lyme, reappointed. 
