272 
FOREST 'AND ' STREAM^ 
[Oct. 3, 1890. 
THE ST. LAWRENCE RIVER PARK. 
Editor Forest and Stream; 
The members of the Fisheries, Game and Forest Com- 
mission of Ne«7 York State have just made their long- 
tallied-of visit to the St. Lawrence River for the purpose 
of looking over the territory igxiluded in the International 
Park, and obtaining information upon which to base a 
report to the Legislature. Last winter a law was passed 
establishing as a State reservation all that part of the St. 
Lawrence River lying and being within the State of New 
York, with the islands therein. The law also provides 
that it shall be the duty of the Board of Fisheries, Game 
and Forests to report to the next Legislature of this State 
what laws, in their opinion, should be enacted for the 
government and control of said State reservation, so as 
to make the same the most useful to the people of the 
State as a part of an international park on the St. Lawrence 
liiver. 
The members of the Commission are: President, Barnet 
H. Da.vi8, Palmyra; William R, Weed, Potsdam; Hen- 
drick S. Hadden, Syracuse; Charles H. Babcock, Roches- 
ter; Edward Thompson, Northport. And they were ac- 
companied by A. B. Strough, representing Charles A. 
Taylor, assistant secretary; Major J, W. Pond, chief 
game protector; Deputy State Comptroller W. J. Morgan, 
Buffalo ; Superintendent of Public Instruction Charles R. 
Skinner, Albany, and Assemblyman 0. J. Clark of 
Carthage. 
The Anglers' Association of the St. Lawrence River at 
its annual meeting, held last month, talked over the pro- 
posed visit of the Commissioners and appointed a recep- 
tion committee for the occasion, consisting of George C. 
Boldt and W. C. Browning, New York; G. H. Strough, 
R, P. Grant, Dr. J. E. Liddy, G. M. Skinner, Clayton; W. 
H. Thompson and A, C. Cornwall, Alexandria Bay; Henry 
R. Heath, Brooklyn. 
The Commissioners and other members of their party 
arrived in Clayton last Friday, where they were met by 
the reception committee and others from the Anglers' 
Association, who handsomely entertained the visitors 
during their stay in the island region. The steamer New 
Island Wanderer, which was in waiting at the dock in 
Clayton, took the entire party up the river on a tour of 
inspection, the first stop made being at Cape Vincent. At 
that point C. M. Clark, president of the Lake Ontario Fish 
Company; H. D. Dean, superintendent of the Cape Vin- 
cent Station of the United States Fish Commission, and 
Maj. J, H. Durham, a prominent member of the Anglers' 
Association, joined the party. The steamer then pro- 
ceeded across the foot of Lake Ontario and into Chaumont 
Bay. It is said that there are nearly 100 square miles of 
unprotected water in that vicinity, free to net fishing and 
containing the best spawning beds for black bass to be 
found in that region. The Anglers' Association is anxious 
to have this water closed to netting and the Commissioners 
were shown the necessity of it. Subsequently the party 
visited Kingston, Gananoque and Clayton, and then went 
to Alexandria Bay, where they spent the night. 
On Saturday the lower end of the State reservation was 
visited. The party first went to Brockville and thence to 
Ogdensburg, where they were entertained at dinner by the 
Board of Trade of that city. Senator George R. Malby, 
ex- Mayor E, A. Newell and other prominent citizens of 
Ogdensburg accompanied the Commissioners and their 
party in the afternoon on a trip down the river to Lotus 
Isle, nine miles distant, the excursion being made on the 
steamer Oclamena. Returning to Ogdensburg later in the 
day, the Commissioners and members of the Anglers' As- 
sociation bade adieu to their hospitable friends in the 
Maple City, and again embarking on the New Island Wan- 
derer, proceeded up the river to Clayton, where Sunday 
was spent. 
The Canadian Government has set an example in the 
work of establishing an international park on the St. 
Lawrence River which it is earnestly hoped that New York 
State will follow. Eleven islands on the Canadian side of 
the river have already been set apart for park purposes, 
and the Anglers' Association and others interested in the 
river would like to have similar action taken on the 
American side, The Canadian islands reserved are: Au- 
brey, Mermaid, Beau Rivage, Camelot, Endymion, Gor- 
don, Ninette, Georgiana, Constance, St. Katherine and 
Adelaide. 
The Commissioners appeared well pleased with their 
visit to the St. Lawrence River, and it is believed they 
will recommend an appropriation to purchase a number 
of islands for park uses. Under the present condition of 
things it is difficult to find a spot where a party can go 
for a day's outing on an island without taking a chance of 
being molested or accused of trespass. Most people dis- 
like to take the risk of being thus unpleasantly disturbed 
while out for a quiet day, and would hail with delight a 
measure providing camping sites free to all, and suitable 
spots where parties can enjoy a private picnic without 
fear of being disturbed or ordered off the premises by the 
owner or his subordinates. 
The Commissioners remained on the river until yester- 
day, and before leaving were royally entertained at din- 
ner by George C. Boldt, proprietor of the Hotel Waldorf, 
New York, at his palatial summer residence on Heart 
Island, near Alexandria Bay. 
The Anglers' Association of the St. Lawrence River, 
which has a membership of between 300 and 400, includ- 
ing many prominent and influential men from different 
parjB of the State, has accomplished a great deal toward 
advancing the interests of the Thousand Islands region 
since its organization in 1883. Its work has been mani- 
fested in the enactment of salutary laws for the protec- 
tion of game fish, in ridding the river of nets, and in 
stocking the waters with young fish. It is still continu- 
ing its labors along these lines with unabated energy, and 
in addition thereto is zealously advocating all measures 
calculated to prove beneficial in connection with the 
International Park, The Association is entitled to great 
credit for what it has done and is doing for the river, and 
every one who is in any way interested in the Thousand 
Islands should accord it cordial support. Poetsa. 
Utioa, N. Y., Sept, 22. 
Oneida Lake Muskalonge. 
The long-disputed question as to whether the so-caUed 
pickerel from Oneida Lake, which are so plentiful in the 
Syracuse market in the spring, are really pickerel or 
muskalonge, has been definitely decided by the courts, 
assisted by an array of experts on fishculture whose 
authority cannot be doubted. Fishermen throughout this 
section wiU be glad to learn that this fish, game by nature, 
is game by law, and that it will enjoy the full benefit of 
the law prohibiting capture by netting. 
On April 26 Game Protector Spencer Hawn and three 
assistants detected Joseph Epstein in the act of carrying a 
load of fish which had been caught in a net over the 
Bridgeport road in a wagon. He had between 500 and 
600 lbs. of fish, in the number being a large percentage of 
the peculiar variety known as Chautauqua muskalonge. 
The case was reported to the State game authorities and 
proceedings were commenced at North Syracuse before a 
judge and jury to compel Epstein to pay a fine of $35 im- 
posed by the law for the offense, and |10 apiece for four 
muskalonge, this number being taken to make a fair test 
case. At the trial on June 30 so much evidence was taken 
from encyclopedias and other books of science that the 
rainds of the jurymen were in a terrible jumble when the 
time came for rendering a verdict, and they came to no 
agreement. 
The case was tried a second time before Justice Reese. 
This time the people were prepared with more convincing 
evidence. The case was ably conducted by Frederick 
Kuntz3ch, of this city, and he had present as expert wit- 
nesses Jonathan Mason and Frederick Redbank,of the State 
fish hatcheries at Chautauqua, and Game Protector Potter 
from Chautauqua. These men swore that the fish in 
Oneida Lake, a specimen of which was in court, were 
muskalonge. Harrison Hawn, ex-Game Protector, a 
brother of the present Protector, swore, on the other 
hand, that they were pickerel, as did also John J. Berry 
and other fish dealers of this city. But the people made 
their coup when the culturists produced a fish in court 
and the opposition witnesses were asked to name it. It 
was a genuine Chautauqua muskalonge brought fresh 
from Chautauqua Lake. Mr. Berry and the other people 
who- called the Oneida Lake 68h pickerel unhesitatingly 
called this muskalonge a pickerel. This convinced the 
jury and they brought in a verdict in accordance with 
which Epstein will pay a fine of $65. He says he will ap- 
peal the case. 
It developed during the trial that 150,000 muskalonge 
fry from the Chautauqua hatcheries were placed in 
Oneida Lake during 1893 and 1893. This accounts read- 
ily for the appearance of this fish in these waters. — Syra- 
cuse (JV. Y.) Standard. 
A DISASTROUS OUTING. 
From the Morning Oregonian. 
H. E. STiliLWELL and James Ingram, members of a 
party of four who left Des Moines, la., something over a 
month ago for a hunting and fishing trip in the North 
west, arrived here yesterday morning and left last night 
to visit friends near Harriaburg, from which point they 
will proceed to California. The other two members of 
the party met with peculiar misadventures, and are now 
on their way home in care of relatives. One of them is 
T. A. Roberts, who is perfectly helpless and paralyzed 
from stings of hornets, and the other is William Davidson, 
with a pistol bullet buried somewhere under his left shoul- 
der blade, where the doctor has not yet been able to find it. 
The* party, soon after crossing the Oregon line, fell in 
with an old trapper and hunter named Jake Boyd, whom 
they engaged to take them into the most inaccessible part 
of the Blue Mountains, to hunt elk and mule deer. They 
camped on small streams emptying into Desolation Lake, 
and for a week enjoyed the finest hunting imaginable 
and splendid fishing in the lake and its tributaries. 
On the 2d inst, the party, with their guide, started out 
to have a final hunt at the head of the lake, as the elk and 
deer were beginning to move off down to the plains and 
the weather was getting uncomfortably cool at night* 
Roberts took along his fishing tackle, and on the way up 
the lake decided to be put out on a small jam of driftwood 
which had collected around a huge old snag, the bleached 
roots of which rose above the water about half a mile 
from the south shore of the lake, and around which he 
had noticed a great many trout rising as he had passed up 
and down the lake. 
It was just after sunrise when he was landed on the 
snag, where he proposed to stay till the return of the 
hunters. The balance of the party proceeded to the head 
of the lake, where they got on the trail of an elk, which, 
after stalking for three hours, they killed near the point 
they started from. 
While they were eating their lunch, a flock of wood 
ducks came around a bend of the shore and each of the 
party seized his revolver to take a shot at them. Davidson 
and Boyd, the guide, ran toward the shore to get a better 
shot at the ducks, and as Boyd took aim Davidson stumbled 
in front of him and the bullet entered Davidson's back, 
ranging across and remaining buried in the muscles on 
the shoulder blade, near the shoulder joint. Davidson 
was placed in the boat, the flow of blood stopped as well 
as possible, and the party returned to camp. 
When they arrived at the snag, where they left Roberts, 
they were astonished to find him in the water up to his 
chin, holding on to a root, while thousands of vicious, big, 
black hornets were circling about his head. When the 
boat approached the snag, the inmates were attacked by 
the hornets and quickly forced to retire, despite agonizing 
moans and cries of Roberts, who seemed almost uncon- 
scious. 
After considering what was best to do, the party rowed 
to the nearest shore and secured a long pole, on the butt 
end of which a hook was made by cutting off a limb. A 
lot of dry brush^nd moss was gathered and fastened to 
the end of another long pole, and the party returned to 
the snag, taking the precaution to button up their coats, 
tie handkerchiefs over their faces, and pull their hats well 
down over their ears. When they neared the snag the 
brush and moss was set on fire and pushed out ahead on 
the drift. This drew the attack of the hornets, which 
rushed into the smoke and flame in scores, and while this 
was going on Stillwell managed to fasten the hook into 
the clothing of Roberts, and the men at the oars soon pulled 
them all away to a safe distance, when Roberts was 
dragged on board, more dead than alive, and the boat was 
headed for camp. 
Roberts was able^to explain that he began fishing soon 
after he was put ashore and caught a number of fibae trout, 
but as soon as the sun was up about an hour and it began 
to get warm hornets by thousands began to issue from a 
cavity among the roots of the snag and at once assailed 
him with great fury. He had slid into the water, but, of 
course, could not keep his head under, and he had been 
stung all over his head and face till he was nearly dead 
and his head swelled to twice the natural siize. The stings 
on the back of the neck, at the base of the skull, seemed 
to have affected his spinal cord and the nerve centers, and 
rendered him completely helpless and paralyzed. 
As soon as camp was reached, the guide was sent out 
with telegraph dispatches to the relatives of the injured 
man and to procure a doctor. On the way out he found 
Dr. Brand, of Boise, in a mining camp, where he had been 
called, and sent him to the lake, where he did all in his 
power for the two sufferers. Boyd proceeded to the rail- 
road, sent the dispatches, and received replies stating 
that a brother of Roberts and one of Davidson's family 
would start West next morning, and then hastened back 
to the lake, where litters were constructed from poles and 
blankets, and Stillwell, Ingram, the guide and Dr. Brand 
started to pack the injured men out. 
It took them five days to make thirty miles through a 
country where there were no trails, and then tbey were 
met by the men's brothers, with a physician and every- 
thing necessary. They reached the railroad Tuesday 
evening, and, after seeing their unfortunate friends off 
for the East, Messrs. Stillwell and Ingram came on here. 
The physician said that Davidson would probably recover, 
but bis arm would be useless, whilo he was inclined to 
think that Roberts would remain a helpless paralytic 
during the remainder of his life, and would probably not 
survive long. 
Delaware River Salmon. 
Records ot illegal salmon catching in the East and 
West Branch of the Delaware, at Lakin's Eddy and near 
Walton, were given in the New York Times Sept. 4. Writ- 
ing from Middletown, N. Y., Sept. 25, Edward Canfield, 
General Superintendent of the Ontario & Western Rail- 
way Company, says: 
"Another salmon has been taken from the Beaverkill. 
This one on Saturday last — from an eel rack or weir 
— about a mile above Trout Brook. The salmon was 37in. 
long and weighed 14lbs. This water is inhabited by trout, 
and the eel weir is clearly a violation of Section 143 of 
game and trout laws. We might have some fine fishing 
in a year or two if the Fish Commissioners gave the sal- 
mon a fair show in these waters, and without going to 
Canada." — New York Times, Sept, S7. 
Trout of Frost Pond, M^. 
YOTJ ask for reports of rod luck. On Aug. 6 at Frost 
Pond, two miles from Ripogenus Lake, Me. , we caught 
with one rod in a little over four hours twenty-one trout 
ranging from f to 31bs. We went there again from our 
camp on Ripogenus and had almost as good luck. It is 
by far the best pond we have ever seen. 
R. K. Thorndike, 
J. C. Grew. 
A Large Channel Bass. 
New York, Sept. 28.— Editor Forest and Stream: Fred 
Saut(?r has mounted a large channel bass, or red drum, 
caught by Dr. Denhart, of New York, Sept. 23, off Bay 
Shore, L. I. This fish weighed 431bs. when received by 
Mr. Sauter, and measures 4ft. in length by 3ft. 7in. in 
girth just back of the pectoral fins. When opened a 
number of menhaden and a large skate were found in its 
stomach. J. B. B. 
A Rhode Island Snarer Taken In. 
Providence, R. I., Sept. 26.— Editor Forest and Stream: 
Inclosed find the Journal's report of the arrest of a man 
who has been one of the worst men in the business. The 
Association has spent over $100 in looking after snaring 
during the month of September. J. F, Rdssell, 
Treasurer Rhode Island Association for the Protection of 
Game and Fish. 
One of the worst violators of the game laws in the State 
is said to have at last been captured by the persistent and 
patient efforts of President Thomas W. Penney, of the 
Rhode Island Game Protective Association, assisted by 
Game Warden W. L. Plaiste J and Special Oflicer L. F. 
Doane, of Johnston. 
Allen Stone is the man whom the officers have been so 
anxious to capture. He lives in Foster, and is a big man 
physically. It has been openly declared that Mr. Penney 
would not dare to molest Stone, and it has even been 
hinted that the officials connived with Stone to permit 
him to do a big business. 
Many complaints having been made, last Saturday night 
Game Warden Plaisted and Special Officer Doane were 
sent to Foster to go into the woods, find some of the snares 
and stay in the woods watching them until they could get 
the offender in the act of collecting. Ever since, through 
the storms of Saturday and Sunday and the cold wave 
which followed, these men have been in the woods. 
Two snares were found close together, and these were 
watched continuously, day and night. No one approached 
the snares Sunday or Monday and the officers reported to 
Mr. Penney. He directed them to search the woods and 
find the hiding place where the game was kept. They 
found a box in the woods. There were no birds in it, but 
there were feathers, which indicated that the box was 
used. 
They sent word of this to Penney, and he made a mid- 
night drive to Foster, armed with warrants prepared to 
arrest Stone for having game in his possession in the 
closed season, starting at 10 o'clock Wednesday night and 
arriving there at 3 o'clock in the morning. 
Plaisted and Doane watched the box in turns. At 11:15 
o'clock Wednesday morning, they say, they saw Stone 
visit the box and deposit a number of birds. The war- 
rants had not arrived then and as this was Stone's land 
they decided to wait for further orders from Penney. 
That night they saw Stone's son, fourteen years old, visit 
the box and deposit four birds in the box. Thursday 
morning, when Penney and Russell arrived, they all took 
turns watching for the appearance of Stone. 
He was seen to pass through the woods with a dog and 
gun, and at noon return. He went directly to the box, 
dropped to his knees, and opening the box proceeded to 
pull a partridge out of the pocket of his hunting coat 
and put it with the rest in the storage box. 
