Deo. 26, 1896. J 
FOREST AND STREAM. 
613 
organization was completed. We then waited, gathering 
strength, till April 7, and later, on Aug. 14, when your 
directors believed it safe to begin work without risk of 
moving prematarely and a suitable man for warden had 
been found. 
Our club has since that time made itself felt in its work 
for sportsmen, as has not been done in Massachueetts by 
any club at any previous time — a statement not to be 
disproved. Bulletins sent members have told a story of 
our work, but the story has not been half told. 
We started with twenty-one membere; we have to-day 
ninety-one. 
One member, Elliott B, Mayo, has died. The club in 
him lost a friend. Two members have resigned, A sub- 
scription has been received from a friend who did not wish 
to be enrolled as a m mber. 
Of our work done, the North Easton case was believed 
to be the first in the State where conviction has been made 
for snaring game. We went one further in our next case, 
not only convicting for birds, but also for setting snares. 
We hop3 in the future to show there is more in the fish 
and game laws than "readin;? matter." 
Our warden, Mr William E. Quiggle, has done all that 
could be done. Our work is begun; our resources are 
ample for future work; our money has . been prudently 
spent. We ought to have, however, anotber warden. 
Report of warden (inclosed) was presented. 
Boston, Dec. 8.— The last bulletin closed with Oct. la, and our 
warden has since had all one person could attend to He has also 
been succeesful in a very difficult and discou raging case, involving 
much hardship and requiring most of the pluck usually given to one 
man. The sportsmen of Orange, Warwick, Wendell and Nortfafleld 
may owe what little sport they may have next year largely to the 
Rod and Gun Club. Over twenty-live miles of snares were found, 
eaiimated to number over 2,000 snares, one line alone being six miles 
lone;. There were shipped daily an average of 25 to 30 birds. 
Your warden reports: 
Oct. 13 to 17— Mansfield and Fosboro; not a snare tended since last' 
-visit. 19 -Went to Orange. 90— Hunting snares. 81— Bain. 28— 
Found about 1 dozen snares. 24— Moved to Warwick; found about 75 
snares. 26— Pent skelston to Boston; found new line of snares. 38— 
Found new line of snares and 1 snared partridge. 31— Rain past 3 
days; more snares found; moved to Wendell. 
Nov. 1— Snares found toward Northfield. 2— New snares found 
toward Northfield; 2 partridges in snares. 8— Eain past 2 days; 
found 3 partridges and 1 rabbit in snares; traced snares as far 
as NorLhfleld Mountain; now tending 4 lines of snares. 10— Saw hind 
setting snares. 11 to 14— Now watching 5 partridges, 2 rabbits and 1 
Equirrel in snares; zero weather. 15— Case given away. 18— Have 
laid by the snares 5 days and he has not vieitfd any. 21— Snowstorm; 
thermometer almost to zero. 23— Went to Greenfield, swore out war- 
rant and Deputy Sheriff Fowler arrested Harvey Hunter, of Orange. 
-24- Attended cou't at Orange before Judge Dana; Runter found 
•I'bund guiliy on 4 counts— for setting snares, for snaring: 3 partridges, 
tor snaring 3 partridges, for snaring 2 rabbits; fined S20 and coats nn 
fli Bt count; the other 3 held in suspense under promise to obey the 
law. 25 -Came home. 
Applications for membership were: William Lam-ence, 
Francis Skinner, Jr., William Brewster, Jr., W. B, P. 
Weeks, Oliver Ames, Andrew G. Weeks, Jr., Banjamin 
H. Dorr, W. A. McLsod, R, B. Biodgett, Dr. M. H, Rich- 
ardson, 
These bring our m-emberaMp to 101. (Under the by- 
laws any objection on the part of members should be 
made within ten days ) 
The following officers were elected for 1897: President, 
William Minot; Vice-Presidents: Edward Brooks, C P. 
Curtis, Jr,, J. Fottler, Jr ; Secretary, Henry J. Thayer; 
Trea&urer, William N, Lock wood; Membership Commit- 
tet: J. P. Reynolds, Jr., Edw. M. Weld, William C. 
Thairiwall. Henry J, Thayek, Seo'y. 
IVI.-\INS GAME IvMTSRESTS. 
AuGDSTA, Me., Dic. 12, — Editor Forest and Stream: 
Chairman Carleton, of the Inland Fish and G-ame Com- 
mission, has just issued a codification of the fish and 
game laws, with important amendments, which the com- 
ing L "gislature will be asked to consider. These amend- 
mects are asked after a most careful and personal inves- 
tigation on his part duriu;^- tbe past year m the fish and 
game country. He has given them out this early that all 
parties interested in this question, which is of such vital 
importarice to Maine, may be heard through the pr(?8a 
and private corrtspondence, with a view that all those 
intertsted in the enforcement of the fish and g^me \bjWb 
may have time to study them, and agree up'">n what is 
desirable in advance of the meeting of the L9gislature. 
If his amendments are not entirely satisEactory, he desires 
changes that will bring about a united support of all 
interested in this matter. The following are some of the 
important changes that may be of interest to those out- 
side the State who come here to enjoy the Bsh and game 
privilpges: 
A reduction fi-om Si5 to ISlba, of \rout and salmon that 
may be caught in one day, or transported at any one 
time. 
Makit>g close time on landlocked salmon and trout com- 
mence S 'pt 15 all over the State. 
The bounty on bears is recommended to be repealed. 
Absolute imprisonment of not less than thirty nor more 
than ninety days for the illegal hunting or killing of 
moose and caribou. Perpetual close time on cow and calf 
moose, and the month of November in which to hunt bull 
moose. In the transportation of moose full evidence 
attached of the sex of the bull moose shall accompany it 
during transportation. 
Guides are required to be licensed, as well as keepers of 
hunting lodges, camps, etc. 
Dogs are not to be taken to or kept in these places with- 
out special permit from the Commissioners. 
The number of partridges and woodcock that can be 
killed or had in possession at one time would be fifteen, 
and open season would begin Sept. 15 and close DcC. 1, 
CUSHNOC. 
EosTON, Mass. , Deo. 19 — The annual report of the 
Maine Fish and Game Commissioners has just been 
handed to the Gjvernor, though not quite ready for gen- 
eral distribution. More moose have been killed this year 
than ever before, and the Commissioners say that to pre- 
serve the species from extinction more stringent laws 
must be enacted and enforced for their protection. 
Hunters go into the woods in August and September, in 
the "calling season," and kill the game, They dare not 
bring out the hear.s, but leave them to be forwarded by 
the guides in legal open season. The rest of the animal 
is Itxt to rot. A.t least 10,000 deer have been killed in 
Mains this year, but the supply seems to be kept up. Deer 
are now found in every county in the State. The cariboix 
beam to be fast disappearing, and soon will be entirely ex- 
tinct, unless legislation and enforcement gives them better 
protection. The report says that Jock Darling eetiinateg 
that there are in the State 150,000 deer, 13.000 moose and 
10,000 cai-ibou, The Coramissioners think that 25 per 
cent, of this number would in e&oh case be much nearer 
the truth. 
Ten thousand persons visited the Rarigeley region this 
year, and 50,000 in all came to Maine to hunt and fish. 
More than $5,000,000 was left in the State by these visitors. 
The people of the State cannot afford to jeopard iz a this 
revenue by allowing the game to be forever destroyed 
and the fishing to subside. The report goes on to say that 
there has been a larger run of trout and landlocked 
salmon into the streams to spawn than ever before. Then 
it gives an account of what is being done in restocking 
the lakes and ponds with these fish. Forty-three lakes 
and ponds were stocked with five-months-old landlocked 
salmon in October, Tbe report is excellent reading for 
everybody interested in the protection and propagation of 
fish and game. Special, 
\m m(d §-iv^r Selling. 
SMELTING. 
"HlNGHAM SM£LT." Seeing thi? sigQ ili the window of 
a market one day reminds me of a trip which I took smelt 
fishing. SSall I tell you about it? 
My friends, Caarles and Eugene, had made all the 
arrangements, I was to meet them at the wharf in Bos- 
ton, to take one of the Nantasket boats. I was there on 
time and found Charles, but Eugene did not show up. 
His business said no, Much to our regret we left him, for 
he had boasted of how many fish he could catch and the 
many ways in which he was going to do us up, I am not 
fully convinced yet that it was businsss which kept him. 
It might have been fear that he would get beaten. These 
smelt fishermen are foxy, and Eugene will bear watch- 
ing, Charles got some shrimp for bait, and we went on 
board the steamer Mayflower bound for Bayside, 
We are off; and what a beautiful panorama opens be- 
fore us. Here comes a little bustling tug with a large 
four-master in tow, loaded to the rail. See how easily the 
little fellow guides her in and out among the vessels at 
anchor, with an ear-splitting screech to some vessel in 
front, and then the quick, sharp puff, puff, puff, as they, 
go along down the bay. 
The old Mayflower slowly steams tJong as if she would 
say: "Oh, I don't mind these little chaps. We are going 
fishing." As we go along the islands in the harbor come 
into view, and we leave them again, with the memory of 
their beauty still lingering with us. Surely a beautiful 
sail, Charles calls my attention to a very fond couple; 
they wander around tbe boat for a time and at last find 
seats in the rear of the paddle boxes; as I look he has one 
arm around her and is looking very innocently at an old 
lady beside them, If she will only look the other way. 
Our attention is called to Nip'a Mate and the old lady 
looks with the rest. It is his chance, and Willie snatches 
a kisg and then resumes his innocent look, while the guns 
on Fort Warren frown down upon us as if we were to 
blame. 
As we pass Deer Island Charles tells me in a very quiet 
tone that if I don't mend my ways I may do a turn there 
breaking rocks, The old Venetian, or what is left of her, 
we sight on the port bow, and can't help thinking of this 
once beautiful vessel now so ignominiously laid low and 
the water which she spurned so often now flowing in 
and out of her hull, which the elements and man are 
fast reducing to the scrap heap. 
Arriving at the wharf, we board the electrics for Bay- 
side, We are soon there, and after being welcomed by 
Mrs. S. we get into our fishing togs as fast as possible, 
for Charles is impatient to show us his yacht, I will not 
say that Charles is an old sea-dog, but he feels like one 
when I go aboard theWenonah. Sha ia a beauty, and he 
may well be proud of her. I had hoped to get a sail 
with Capt. Charles and Mate Eugene, but I shall not say 
anything more about Eugene. I broke one of his rods 
later, but you will not tell him. We took the small boat 
Nannie with two rods each and shrimp for bait, and here 
is where I had my second experience in smelting. The 
first time was with a friend; we used small minnows for 
bait. I put one on the hook and after fishing for a time 
I asked, "Isn't that rather lar«e for a bait?" "That's a 
smelt," said my friend. "Weil, I am done," said I, and 
taking the rod over my shoulder, fish and aii, I started 
for home, disgusted with such fishing. 
I was a little bit suspicious when I started with Charles, 
but he soon tied to the H. Y, C. buoy and it was not long 
before he had smelt in earneot, He has a beautiful bite. 
His rod bends nearly double, ' That's a dandy, Charles. 
Don't lose him." He does not answer, but landing hvxi . 
in the boat he takes the hook from his mouth, I hear a 
soft muttering and the "smelt" is dashed against the seat 
and flies off into the watsr, food for gulls. "Pollack," in 
a low tone, in all I hear, "Charles, why don't you swear? 
You acted it!" "Oh, you catch smelt, that is what you 
are here for," and as he says this I pull in two. "Double 
game, Charles." Can't help doing this. Oh, if Eugene 
were only here. We fish about two hours and find that 
we have six dozen nice ones. We shall try it a'^ain in the 
morniag, so, after making things snug on the Wenonah, 
we go to the house. 
I doubt if any of the party will forget that night very 
soon. Charles had started a fire in the fireplace, but for 
some reason the smoke came into the room, It got so 
thick we could not see from one end to the other; then 
Charles said: "Let's turn in before we get lost." We 
went up-stairs, voting Charles not much of a success as a 
fireman, 
I was awakened in the morning by the low, hoarse 
tones of a whistle down the bay. It would sound three 
times, and then from afar off would come the short, 
sharp toot, toot, toot, of a tugboat in answer. Going to 
my window, I saw the bright beacon, Boston Light, send- 
ing its rays over the water — a bright, silent guide through 
the night to the vessel whose whistle had aw akened me. 
With what pleasure the men who go down to the sea in 
ships must hail this sf^ntinel when coming into this coast 
in a thick scowstorm! How they must watch for it, and 
how the eye must brighten wlien they can make out its 
faint glimmer through the storm. Shine on, silent light, 
and may your bright beams eher-r the sailor on his 
watch and guide him safely into port. 
Charles is calling to breakfast, after which we try the 
fish again, and find on fishing about two hours we have 
nine dozen. Now for a sail. We get sail on the Weno- 
nah, and with a good wind we cruise around the bay, 
going near enough to Hough Neck to see friends on the 
stiore. Then taking our course for Hull, with wind on 
our quarter we fairly flew through the water. Another 
turn around Rainsford Island, and then forBayside. The 
Wenonah takes a sea now and then and throws it over us 
as she heels to the bretzs, and there is a smother of foam 
under her bow as she flies along. A fine sail indeed, a 
beautiful day, a nice boat, a good fellow in Capt. Charles, 
and what more could you ask. Nothing. That is what I 
said, but do I hear you say, "Take Eugene the next 4im6?" 
Yes, that is what we shall do, I managed to crowd a lot 
of fun into the short time that I had, and am now waiting 
for Charles to set the time to go again. 
Fifteen dozen smelt, and Hingham smelt too. 
F, E. WOODWABD. 
New Jersey Coast Fishing. 
AbbukyPabk, N, J,, Dec. 16,— The New Jersey coast 
has had her first taste of winter fishing. Never has there 
been such a run nf cod, ling and whiting as this season 
has produced. Nature apparently has exerted herself to 
furnish to the people in fresh supply what the paunds 
deny them in the salted article; and in consideration of 
the stringency of the times it has proven a boon to thou- 
sands of poor families, while to the angler it has been a 
season of positive delight. The extraordinary weather 
has been so greatly to his benefit that nearly every day 
and night the past four weeks our piers have been 
crowded with the enthusiastic, 
The capture of the codfish with rod and reel has in it 
the element of novelty, inasmuch as they have never be- 
fore been taken from our piers on the beach. While 
they are in no sense a game fish, still I have recently 
taken some 6 and 81b, fish which gave me fair sport. 
They take the sand lant or sand eel readily, but appar- 
ently much prefer the clam bait, When hooked with 
light tackle they stay well to the bottom, and make quite 
strong runs to the right or left, but have none of the dash 
of the striped bass, biuefish or weakfish. 
The whiting, commonly called frostfish and winter 
weakfish, are with us in incredible numbers, and their 
c-?<pture some days amounts to a veritable slaughter. 
W lien taken with light tackle they are decidedly game 
and furnish most excellent sport. I use a black bass bait- 
rod and a Mills rubber and german silver bliack bass reel, 
with nine-thread linen line, to which I fasten a 4 0 ringeti 
Carlisle hook, fitted with a section of very light wire and 
small sinkers. The whiting is a voracious feeder, and has 
formidable teeth, which play havoc with gut snells. With 
the foregoing rig the snort is of high grade. As they 
strike the hook sharply, I have frequently had them leap 
clear of the water four or five times in succession, follow- 
ing each leap with a deep plunge. They average in 
weight from f to l^lbs,, although 3 to 2ilb. specimens 
are not at all rare. I had the good fortune to kill the 
largest one I have yet seen, weighing exactly 3lbs, 
As to the ling, however, few songs can be sung in his . 
praise; there is no fight in him. When hooked he per- 
forms a series of grotesque tumbles in the water, and goes 
home with the angler to be transformed into fish cakes, 
which if properly prepared are of a most toothsome de- 
gree. Leonard Hulit. 
Massachusetts Fish and Game Protective 
Association. 
The annual banquet of the Massachusetts Fish and 
Game Protective A.SHOciation will be given at the Copley 
Square Hotel on Saturday evening, Jan. 30, 1897. 
he Mmmt 
FIXTURES. 
BENCH SHOWS. 
1897. 
Feb. 2 to 5.— New England Kennel Club's annual show, Boston. 
FIELD TKIALS. 
1897. 
Jan. 11,— Tupelo, Miss.— Continental Field Trial Club's quail trials. 
P. T. Madison, Sec'y. 
Jan. 18.— West Point, Miss.— TJ. S. F. T. 0. winter trials. W. B. 
Stafford, Seo'y, Trenton, Tenn. 
Nov. 8.— Carlisle, Ind.— Union Field Trials Club second annual 
trials. P. T. Madison, Sec'y, Indianapolis, Ind. 
JUDGING AT FIELD TRIALS. 
As the passing years with their annual field trial events 
have added constantly to the knowledge and experience 
of field trial judges, reporters, handlers and last, but 
most important, owners, it has become more and more 
apparent that field experiences alone are imperfect.quali- 
fications for good judging. There is a sharp and recog- 
nized distinction between following a dog for the purpose 
of killing birds over him and following him for the pur- 
pose of determining how his qualities compare witli those 
of some other dog or dogs, whether they are better or 
worse, or what they are intrinsically in themselves. 
There is many a good shooter who can thoroughly 
understand and profit by the use of a pointer or setter's 
point, but who cannot describe the dog's field qtiality in 
detail, nor wherein one manner of working on birds is 
better or worse than another. 
The field trial judge should have a perfect theoretical 
knowledge of what constitutes all degrees of field quality, 
each ia itself and its value compared with all others. 
Further, he should have a practical experience, sothathe 
can recognize true quality from imitation quality in every 
detail of the competition, and also a ready appreciation 
of relative values. It may seem far-fetched to mention 
the possibility of a judge being deceived by imitation 
quality, but some parts of the competition require close 
scrutiny on the part of an expert to determine whether a 
dog is really meritorious or a sham. For instance, two 
dogs may be ranging about alike in respect to speed and 
area of ground covered, yet one dog "may not be using 
his nose at all, though running with all the appearance of 
a good ranger but from effort the result of superabundant 
energy. He runs simply because he is in good spirits. . 
Again, more dogs will range well with a companion 
