230 
FOREST AND STREAM. 
[Sept* 26, 1898. 
carry his rifle and equipmente. I've beard you say you'd 
like to go and here is your chance, I'll go if you will." 
"Steve," said I, "there is much doubt if my score 
would pass; you know that I do not see well at a distance, 
and besides this my family affairs forbid my going. That's 
a queer story about the enlisted men ranking as commis- 
sioned oflBicers, where did you get that?'' 
"Why, that's the arrangement between Col, Berdan 
and the War D-partment; the men will all be commis- 
sioned after they are mustered into the TJ. S. service, at 
least that is what they tell me." 
While it was out of the question for me to think of 
going at that time, and as there was then no doubt but 
the trouble would all be over in a few months and my 
seirvices would not be needed, still this story of the rank 
of enlisted men seemed strange. 1 knew little of military 
matters, but I had friends who were well posted. I met 
Col. Michael K. Bryan, of the 25th State Militia, after- 
ward Colonel 175ih New York Volunteers, who was 
killed at Port Hudson on June 14, 1863, and spz I to Col. 
Mike, sez I: "Col. Bryan, our friend Steve Martin tells 
me that in the regiment of sharpshooters which Col. Ber- 
dan is raising every enlisted man will be a second lieu- 
tenant after his muster into the U. S. service. How is 
this?" 
"Steve proposed to you to enlist?" 
"Yes, said he would if I would." 
Then Col. Mike sez he to me, sez he: "That's a beau- 
tiful bit of gossamer from Steve's workshop, sptm to 
catch such green bottles as you. A regiment of second 
lieutenants! I suppose the corporals must be captains 
and the sergeants field officers, and just how they would 
find rank enough for the drum major only Steve could 
tell. Did he tell you that he had authority to raise a com- 
pany for this regiment and already had his commission as 
captain?" 
"No, that's all news to me. Is it so?" 
"Yes, he has the company partly filled and his commis- 
sion has been issued," 
"Thank you very much. Colonel; I think I understand 
the situation now. Good morning." 
This was some time in late July, and I talked with Steve 
often and he appeared anxious to enlist if I would. 
Nearly six years among men who were simple in their 
ways had shown its effect. I was very green 1 The fact 
was painfully evident, and after a month or more of 
listening to Steve and doing a little thinking, I said: "I 
heard yesterday that the Governor had given you a cap- 
tain's commission in Berdan's sharp3hooters." 
"Yes, I got it last week. You see, I had been at work 
for the regiment becatiae I was bound to go out with it, 
and my friends Mid this to the Governor, and he said that 
I deserved a captaincy and issued the commission at once. 
Now I'm in a position to make you a definite proposition. 
The other company officers have not been appointed, and 
will not be until the company is full, and if you will en- 
list with me I will have you appointed first lieutenant 
before we leave the State." 
"Thank you very much, Steve, old boyl I'll think it 
over. Somehow it doesn't seem much to be a first lieu- 
tenant in a regiment wholly composed of second lieuten- 
ants; but you know that I know nothing of these things, 
and if I should decide to go with you of course I trust all 
this detail to you as an old chum, for 1 am ignorant of 
all that pertains to soldiering." 
"All right, old boyl If you will go with me I'll fix you 
all right and look after your interests as I would my own. 
That story about the privates being all second lieutenants 
is not true; it came from some fellow in the Adjutant- 
General's office, but that's all right between us. I'll fix 
it right for you." 
I went home that night and in a dream John Atwood 
and I were snaring suckers with a fine copper wire on the 
end of a pole. We were landing them bravely for a 
while, and then things got into one of those queer mix- 
tures that dreams are only capable of and wnich never 
untangle, John Atwood disappeared and Steve Martin 
stood where he had been, and as he lifted an unusually 
large sucker to the bank I felt that I was being choked — 
and awoke. 
The rush of awakening thoughts brought Longfellow's 
lines: 
" 'Twas but a dream; let It pass, Jet itvanieh like so many others 1 
"What I thought was a floww is only a weed, aid ie worthless." 
And then the reply of Clarence to Brakenbury came 
up: 
"Oh 1 1 have pass' J a miserable night, 
So full of fearful dreams, of ugly slghtH, 
That, as I am a Christian faithful man, 
I would not spend another sueh a night. 
Though 'twere to buy a world of happy days." 
After this I never heard of Stephen. I looked for him 
in the army, but never could find any who knew him. 
When we lay in the trenches of Cold Harbor for ten days 
vsdthin 500yds, of the enemy a detachment of Berdan's 
sharpshooters was our picket as well as skirmish line, 
and as they could not leave their pits in daytime and live 
I used to ask after Steve when a man came over to our 
works at night for rations or ammunition, but none of 
them knew him. After the war none of the boys seemed 
to know what "got" Steve. Phisterer's "New York in 
the Rebellion," p. 517, says of this regiment: "Co. B, 
Capt. Stephen Martin, * * * waa organized at Albany, 
and mustered into the U. S, service for three years, Nov. 
29, 1861," The offi jial register of volunteer officers gives 
his resignation as Nov. 15, 1861. Tnerefore I am not now 
surprised that I could not fiud him in the field, when he 
resigned his commission fourteen days before his com- 
pany was mustered into the service. 
Looking all this over in the light of riper years, I have 
been impressed with the high-minded and honorable way 
in which John Atwood snared suckers. There was no 
false pretense by John. He did not take the sucker into 
his confidence, Not he! The loop was lowered in plain 
sight, drifted down behind his gills in broad daylight — 
the pole jerked, and there is your fish. 
Aa I recall the things which happened years ago I have 
great respect for John's honest, straightforward methods. 
Fee!dMathee. 
Game Lawa in Brief. 
Th» Game Laws in Brief, current edition, sold everywhere, bu 
new game and flah laws for more than thirty of the States. It covers 
the entire country, is carefully prepared, and give* &U that shootera 
and aoglera reaulre. See adverUsememt. 
EARLY HISTORY OF BAIRD STATION. 
From the McCloud River Salmon Fly, Aug. S9. ■ 
About a quarter of a century ago the United States 
Commission of Fish and Fisheries was created, and the 
attention of the Commission was very early called to the 
great opportunities which the Pacific coast offered for the 
work of salmon breeding. 
Up to this time, with the exception of a private hatch- 
ery established by the writer in Canada, in 1868, no at- 
tempt had been made in America to obtain and hatch 
salmon eggs on a large scale. 
In 1872, however, the United States Fish Commission 
sent the writer to the Pacific coast to select a suitable 
place for collecting a.nd hatching salmon eggs, with in- 
structions, if successful, to build and operate a salmon 
hatching station. 
Just twenty -four years ago to-morrow the writer 
arrived on the McCloud, and after examining this locality 
decided that tlws was the place of all others in California 
for a salmon breeding station. The McCloud location 
was a most fortunate discovery. In all the twenty-four 
years since the finding of this place no other location has 
been discovered that begins to approach this station, in 
efficiency in procuring eggs of the summer run of sal- 
mon, although the whole basins of the Columbia and of 
the Sacramento have been searched for that purpose, and 
here it should be added, by way of explanation, that it is 
the summer run salmon that are so highly va4ued for 
canning, for marketing fresh, and indeed for all com- 
mercial uses. 
The early history of the station is very interesting. 
The untried character of the work, the strangeness of the 
country, the scarcity of white men, and the abundance 
of Indians all contributed to make the experience of the 
poineers unique, and in no small degree exciting. Added 
to this, the country itself was almost in its primitive 
wildness. There was no town of Redding then, not a 
house where Redding now stands. The nearest railroad 
town was Red Bluff, fifty miles distant. The California 
and Oregon stage, with its six horses, tore through the 
settlement on its fast time schedule twice a day — once 
going north and once going south — but no locomotive 
whistle or rumbling of trains had then disturbed the 
wild beasts of the forest, and bears and panthers, and 
even grizz'ies, came and went as they pleased along the 
banks of the river, almost unmolested. 
The Indians, at that time, were much more interesting 
than they are now. Many of them still wore the primi- 
tive costumes of the tribe. The possession of firearms was 
almost unknown among them, and they seldom appeared 
anywhere away from their "rancherees" without their 
powerful bows of yew and their quiver of arrows slung 
over their shoulders, which always gave them a certain 
picturesque appearance. They seemed to be everywhere 
also. Tney were very numerous on the river. Every 
favorable hUlsite or natural clearing on the river was 
dotted with their driftwood houses, and wherever we 
went, through the woods or over the hills, we were sure 
to meet and see the red-skmned natives in every di- 
rection. With only one or two exceptions, none of the 
Indians spoke English, which, while it made life among 
them all the more strange, somehow seemed to make 
them objects of greater interest. 
Living among them was not wholly free from danger 
at that time. Indeed, we had the pleasing thought to 
refiect upon that every white man who had settled on the 
river before us had been murdered by the Indians, and 
when we came they made no concealment of their hope 
of killing us off also. Two considerations probably in- 
fluenced them to postpone this disagreeable denouement. 
One was the terrible punishment they had received from 
white men for their last wholesale indulgence in murder- 
ing settlers, and the other was that we gave them all the 
salmon after we had secured their eggs. This last cer- 
tainly went a great way toward pacifying them and rec- 
onciling them to our encroachment on their hitherto 
sacred river. The writer remembers one old Indian say- 
ing to him the second year: '^Mut chinney wooroos, 
mut dooya Wintoon noolh—challa" (You take eggs, you 
give Indian the salmon, — all right). 
Alas! the good old Indian times on the McCloud have 
passed away forever. No longer are seen the old squaws 
weaving their grass baskets, and the young women 
pounding acorns and making manzanita bread. No 
longer are seen the winneru-codies around their waists, 
ana the grass baskets on their heaos. No longer are seen 
the quivers of arrows and bows of yew. Tin lard 
buckets have taken the place of the baskets of grasses, 
and Pioneer flour and Royal Baking Powder have sup- 
planted acorn soup and manzanita bread. The old arrow 
maker's occupation is gone, and Winchester rifles put the 
old bows and arfows to shame. Alas! again, for the In- 
dians themselves. They see the last days of their race 
approaching. It is a pitiful prospect. May heaven have 
mercy on them ! 
Some incidents connected with the first attempts at 
taking salmon eggs at this station were rather amusing. 
The station, which is now a Government reservation, 
with a store, post-offioe, superintendent's residence, fore- 
man's residence and several other buildings, consisted 
then of only a 12X 14ft. pine cabin and a few hatching 
troughs in the open air. The pine shanty had but one 
room, which was at once office, reception room, kitchen, 
dining room and bedroom for aJl hands. 
Last year (1895) 10,000,000 salmon eggs were taken here. 
The first year (1872) the whole season's yield was 30,000. 
When the first lot of eggs had been taken and placed in 
the hatching troughs, the chief of the McClouds, then in 
the prime of life, rode up haughtily on horseback and look ed 
at the eggs. Then, turning away disdainfully, remarked 
in scornful tones that they would all die. He came again 
and again, always with the same disdainful air and the 
same scornful remark. On the other hand, we white 
men thought we knew what we were about, and that the 
salmon eggs would not die. By a strange freak of for- 
tune, however, it so happened that the hatching water, 
having become too warm for the eggs one day, they did 
all die. The next time the chief called he rode off more 
disdainfully than ever, but with a look also of supreme 
satisfaction on his face. The next lot of eggs did hatch 
out all right, and then our turn came, and the chief was 
dipcomfited. 
If opportunity offered many pages might be filled with 
ir cidents, more or less interesting, of the early history of 
"The Fishery," as it always used to be called, but the in- 
exorable limits of the space allowed by the editor compel 
these! rem irks to be brought to an abrupt conclusion; but 
we must add that, whatever may befall this station in the 
future, the labors, the trials and the dangers of the early 
days of "The Fishery" will always have a deep interest — 
for the writer. Livinoston Stone. 
QHICAOO AND THE WEST. 
A CleVeland'-WisconsIn Fish Story. 
Chicago, III. — An interesting question in angling hoh- 
ors comes up in the following description, sent me by 
Paul North, of the Cleveland Target Co., of the capture 
of a 71b. small-mouth black bass, which is without doubt 
the record small mouth of the season. It is quite suscep- 
tible of proof that the glory of the capture belongs to Mr. 
North. I remember I had quite a scrap with another boy 
over this same legal point when I was a boy. He cau^t 
a bullhead on my outfit while I was away hunting froga, 
and had the nerve to claim the fish as his. As I recall 
the issue now, I think that Mr. North may safely cite this; 
question as res adjudieata, for I licked the other kid over 
it years ago. Should Mr. Stevens argue too much over 
the matter, I should advise Mr. North to cite the prece- 
dent to him, and then he will probably admit the justice 
of Mr. North's claim. The description of the case at bar 
is given graphically in Mr. North's own words, as below: 
"Cleveland, O , Sept. 9.— Inclosed please find photo 
of the big bass I was telling you about when I met you at 
St, Paul. You will see that he measured 22i^in. in length 
and was 17iin. in girth. His weight was Tibs, full, and I 
think, without much stretch of the imagination, lie would 
have weighed 71bs. 2oz,, which I believe is the record for 
small-mouth bass. He was caught on a No. li (Nautch- 
aug) silk line with an Enterprise kidney spoon, and a live 
chub and a Bristol steel bass rod weighing 8oz. 
"Mr. Will Stevens, of Marquette, Mich., was the lucky 
man that was handling the rod, but there is quite a < dis- 
pute between the gentleman and myself as to just Who 
caught the fish, and we have, or rather I have, decided to 
leave it to you as to who did.the act. 
"The facts in the case are as follows: Mr. Stevens, Mr. 
Spear and myself started out for the bass grounds and 
decided that on the way down the lake we would troll 
for bass or pickerel or any old fish that might come along, 
and as Stevens would rather row than fish any time. 
Spear and I reluctantly allowed him to row while we did 
the trolling. In a short time I had a strike that I thought 
at first was the bottom of the lake, but which proved to 
be a very large and lusty bass. 
"After a long and exhausting catch as catch can 
wrestle with him, I finally decided that we did not want 
any bass, especially such big ones as he was, as you know 
they are not as good eating as the smaller ones, and con- 
cluded to let him go, and I had no sooner made up my 
mind to that effect than he went, but not tiU we had a 
full view of him, and I can assure you on the honor of a 
fisherman that he weighed at least 8 or Olbs. and was the 
biggest bass ever hooked. 
"There were some remarks made about that time by 
others that were in the boat about some people knowing 
more about rowing than they did fishing, and as a result I 
took the paddle and Stevens took my rod. 
"Asa direct result of my skillful paddling and knowing 
just where bass were liable to habitate, it waa but a short 
time before Stevens had a strike, and after a prolonged 
struggle, during which he followed to the letter all my 
instructions as to just what to do, he, or rather we, finally 
landed him with the assistance of Spear and the landing 
net. 
"Now Stevens claims he caught the bass because he 
handled the rod, and I claim I caught him because it was 
my rod, line and reel; because I told him just what to do 
in the critical moments of the fight, and because I paddled 
the boat, and Spear, under my instructions, handled the 
landing net with neatness and dispatch. 
"Now of course if you can possibly decide that he 
caught the bass I will submit to your decision and retain 
a poor impression of your judgment, but of course you 
cannot for a moment think but that I was the man. 
"Stevens was so puffed up over catching the bass, which 
was not nearly so large as the one I let go, that he wan^d 
us to take the fish to Marquette and put in a window with 
his name in capital letters as the sole and only catcheif of 
same. He would have done it himself, only he was going 
to stay at the Anna River Club at Munissing to finish Bis 
vacation. So we took the fish with us, and reaching home 
about midnight put it in the ice box and went to bed. 
Not getting up when called and delaying breakfast on 
that account about half an hour, the cook took advantage 
of the time on her hands and cleaned the bass for dinner. 
"When we found it out more things were said that 
would not look just right in print, and half the people in 
Marquette looked upon us in a sort of pitying way when 
we told of the 71b. bass we caught. 
"The photograph and our well-known veracity, how- 
ever, convinced them that we were truthful and had 
really caught a bass that beat the record for that neck of 
the woods at least. 
"Am going up there next year after the one I let go, 
and will send you his photograph also. Will formulate a 
code of rules governing bass fishing before we start in 
and do away with any disputes that may come up in 
regard as to who is the catchee of any fish that may be 
landed. 
"Would tell you just where this lake is, but you would 
put it in your paper and then some one would start a big 
hotel there to accommodate the crowd that would go, 
and some one would catch my 91b. bass, which would be 
disappointing to me, as I want him myself. 
"If you know of any one getting a larger bass than this 
one this year, let me know, Paul Noeth." 
Sept. 19. —The fall fishing is now good in the West, and 
the cold weather following hard upon the heavy rain of 
the present week should set the bass and pike to bit- 
ing merrily on the autumn run of feeding in this part 
of the country. Mr. O. von Lengerke, of this city, de- 
parts to-night for Oconomowoc, Wis., to test the truth of 
this theory. 
. Mr. H. B. Jewell, mayor of Wabasha, Minn., writes 
that the unprecedented run of very large wall-eyed pike 
continues in Lake Pepin and the river below. A friend 
of his took one this week weighing lllbs. Such a fish is 
a beauty, and moreover a treasure upon the table. 
Mr. C. H. Keough, of Chicago, is lately back from 
Canada, where he was after trout on the Canada side not 
far from the Sault Ste. Marie. He says they get a trout 
there called the "gray trout." This is a new one for me, 
E. HotraH. 
