Apiiii, Id, 1897.] 
inoose was killed by Henry Wiley, of Salisbury, Herkimer 
ijoiiuty; Frank Faville, of St. Lawrence county, and_ Jed 
Tbooipeon, now dtad. It was ear'y in the winter of 1858, 
apd the ^ame was killed between the Canada lakes and 
Pleasant Lake after a long chase of two days, and the writer 
saya that a moose had not been killed m (he Adirondacka in 
twenty years. 
The fact is that Alvah Dunning killed the last Adirondack 
moose in March, 1861 I did not correct the wiiter iQ the 
^hn. altbougb disposed to do so at first 
"When I was a boy," said Alvah, "moose wa=! plenty in 
these woods. Once father an' I killed five in one day, an' 
hauled tlie most o' the meat on. sleds to the sottlemtnt an' 
§dld it " 
When the last moose was tilled Alvati avd Ben Batchelor 
were folio sving a wounded bear that the former had shot the 
day before. They found the bear and killed it and then 
fcame upon the track of two rnoose, a bull and a cow. They 
killed the hull that day and followed the cow all the next, 
aiid killed her just at nightfall. Perhaps it's just as wtllj 
for it is doubt! ul if one moose would be left a year from 
now if a hundred were turned loose in the Adirondacks. 
The size of an animal increases the desire to kill it, in most 
men, but between ourselves I would prefer to kill a wood- 
cock, or a grouse on the wing, to dropping several hundrf d 
pounds of meat in its tracks. 
t)r. Wall asked Alvah how many moose he thought he 
had killed and the old man answered : "Oh, I don't hardly 
know, never kept any count, but I guess nigh on to a 
hundred." And then he told how on one of his early moose 
hunts he had got separated from his father, killed a moose 
about nightfall on a cold night, had no matches and rolled 
himself in the warm skin and slept, to find himself frozen iu 
at daybreak. 
Writing of Alvah Dunring brings a desire to spend a 
month in his cabin, jot down his stories atd make a closer 
study of the most inier eating man now living in the Adiron- 
dacks. We all look back on wasted opportunities, and while 
enjoying his company I never thouglit of taking notes for 
the purpose of writing him up. The. man who approaches 
Alvati Dunning in the right way will'get his confidence and 
enjoy it, but his opinions of the revolution of the earth on its 
axis, and of the injustice of the game laws to woodsmen, are 
too firmly fixed to be meddled w th. Let itie old man alone, 
wink at his killing a deer when he needs "mutton," or a 
Irout when he wants to vary his diet, if he lives for twenty 
years he will never do as much h irm to the fish and game of 
ihe woods as some of the so called sportsmen. He does not 
float for deer on summer nights and kill the first thing that 
his jack-light shows has a pair of shining eyes, whether buck, 
or doe with fawn by her side. If he needs "mutton" in 
summer he prefers a buck to a nursing doe. 
Young men, some little concession — charity, If you will- 
should be extended to this man who was born in the woods 
and considers it his by right of prior discovery and settle- 
ment years before you were born I would be the last man 
to tell the stoiy of mountain mutton if Alvah cared about it. 
1 saw no hide, hoofs nor horns, and under oath I do not 
know of what I partook further than it was good meat. 
The game laws are all right, but no right-thinking man 
should use them to oppress the old hunter whose only larder 
is the woods in which he was born a steward. Sock it to me 
if you catch me, or to any other man who pretends to shoot 
or fish for sport, violating those wholesome laws which are 
madcfor our benefit and which it is a crime for us to violate, 
but the strict letter nted not be enforced on the man whose 
whole life has been spent in a struggle for existence in the 
forest, and who could not live out ot it. Put youiself in his 
p»Iace! Fked Mathek. 
FISH AND FISHING. 
This is the season when the mystic bond of sympathy 
among anglers manifests itself at every opportunity, and a 
frequent method of salutation is: "Hello! Got your fish- 
ing tackle ready?" or "How are you? Going into the woods 
this spring?" A long pre-existing friendship between 
anglers is not always requisite to bring out sucli a greeting. 
The fact that each knows the other to be a true sportsman 
is sufficient, being a guarantee that they are mutually 
worthy of recognition and that the topic introduced is one 
of common interest. 
It may be a little early yet to inspect your rod, reel, lines, 
hooks, flies and other fishing appliances; but nevertheless 
you feel like doing it, and if you yield to the impulse it is 
not strange. You may be sure "there are others who are 
experiencing similar sensatigns, and, giving up as you have 
done to inclination, are now engaged in looking over their 
tackle, at the same time allowing free play to fancy. Their 
imagination entertains them with glowing pictures of what 
is before them on their anticipated spring outing in the 
wilderness, all of which are based upon, or to a consider- 
able degree influenced by, the kinetoscopic views of past 
experience kindly fm'nlshed by memory. 
What a tempting picture memory paints for us as our 
thoughts revert to bygone days spent on our favorite trout 
brooks! There is nothing wanting in foreground, back- 
ground, perspective or tone to make a harmonious whole. 
No human artist could so truly depict on canvas the well- 
remembered scenes, or even approximately reproduce the 
beauty of those balmy spring hours. We see the distant 
Adirondack mountain summits enveloped in translucent 
blue haze, and intervening a vast, undulating expanse of 
gray tree tops. The nearer trees and shrubbery show the 
delicate green of the newl)'^ developing foliage, which in 
those more remote is lost in a preponderance of somber 
perennial tints. Above all is a cerulean sky, and the 
whole landscape is bathed in a warm, mellow light. 
Naught remains to remind one of the long winter which 
so reluctantly departed, save occasionally an isolated little 
patch of snow in some sheltered nook in the woods. The 
robins are singing among the maples while prospecting for 
a satisfactory building site for their summer home, the 
voices of bluebirds, thrushes and song sparrows are heard 
in chorus. The rattling notes of the kingfisher perched on 
the dead limb of a tree near by, the nervous cry of the 
bluejays among the balsams, and the chatter of the red 
squirrels in an adjacent thicket reach the ear. 
The open bark camp, with the fire in front eating its 
way through the big pile of birchen logs; the blue smoke 
ascending in graceful curls; the steaming coflee-pot, sus- 
pended from a pole, where the blaze will just reach the 
bottom; and the frying-pan, in which the trout are nicely 
browned — all have the old familiar look. 
We see the sparkling stream as it winds through the re- 
cesses of thie forest, babbling and laughing over rocks, and 
dashing and splashing into dark pools. And again we be- 
hold it as it emerges from the woods and flows -peacefully 
and indolently for a time, as if desirous in the broad stilf- 
water I of obtaining a little rest after its lively chase through 
the woodland. Thien, as it at length becomes more ener- 
getic, we see it, with volume augmented by that of other 
streams which have joined it, rushing swiftly through nar- 
row channels, carved by the constant wear of ages in a 
bed of granite, and anon leaping boldly from a ledge and 
tumbling in boisterous tumult in the foaming basin below. 
Thence we follow it through the gorge as it races over 
submerged boulders or plashes against and over protrud- 
ing ones, its swirling current eventually calming down as 
it enters into and passes through verdant meadows and 
pasture lands. 
We catch a glimpse of the dancing waters as they glisten 
in the sunlight on the rifts, where many a well-filled creel 
has followed the temptation of the speckled beauties. 
Once more we gaze on the placid surface of the alder- 
fringed Stillwater, which is di.sturbed only by the upward 
leap and downward plunge of its carmine-spotted denizens, 
or we recognize the deeply shadowed pool 'neath the over- 
hanging spruces, where more than one 2-pounder has suc- 
cumbed after a bravely fought battle. 
But there are some points in these pictures of memory, 
not manifest at first, which closer scrutiny will bring out, 
though by no means as strongly as the ones previously 
alluded to. Those things which we enjoy learning are 
apt to be longest remembered; and this is fortunate, for 
thus the general aspect of memory's paintings is rendered 
pleasing, and the involuntary impressions we receive from 
them are vastly more agreeable than they would be if all 
the unpleasant minutffi which analysis reveals were at 
once apparent. Jt is only by adjusting a mental opera 
glass that we bring to view the less agreeable features. 
A^ery likely, if we take the trouble and linger long 
enough over the pictures of our trouting outings, we may 
discover that there were troublesome mosquitoes or black 
flies around at those times; that the water in which we 
were compelled to wade while angling was uncomfortably 
cold; that there were slippery rocks in the creek which 
were the cause of enforced, unexpected and unwelcome 
baths; that our artificial flies had a provoking tendency to 
alight on the limb of a tree and far out of reach, and that 
the big trout, the monarch of the stream, took the prof- 
fered lure at sight, but with equal promptness parted the 
line or leader and disappeared. 
But what does it matter? The pictures are pleasing to 
look upon just the same, and perhaps after all what we 
enjoy is made more enjoyable by contrast with these less 
desirable features. A child once defined memory as "the 
thing I forget with;" but luckily this is not the case with 
everyone. Memory is a faithful artist, if provided with 
the proper materials to work with and agreeable subjects 
to paint from, and is a friend deserving of careful cultiva- 
tion. Let us strive, then, as we go along, to make the most 
and best of life, laying by a store of intellectual treasures 
and pleasant thoughts suggested by manly and kindly 
deeds, from which memory can draw in times wdien their 
cheering and wholesome influence will be helpful. 
While looking over my fly-book to-day and "reading 
between the lines," or, perhaps more properly, reading 
among the snells, hooks and feathers, as my lines are kept 
elsewhere, my eyes rested upon a 6ft. leader with three 
flies attached— a coachman, a red hackle and a Proctor. 
The flies gave evidence of having seen active service and 
the coachman looked as if he were deserving of a pension. 
The engagement in which they received their injuries oc- 
cured on a httle lake in the Adirondacks one day last sum- 
mer, and the speckled beauties lagainst whom they were 
pitted fought gamely. As a result of the encounter my 
creel was so well filled after a few hours' fishing that, hav- 
ing taken all oiu- party of four could utilize, I abruptly 
terminated the contest while the trout were still fierce 
for the attack. It does not often happen in these days 
that the angler for brook trout ceases fishing simply' 
for the reason that he has captured all he w^anfs, but such 
was my experience on this lake on two occasions last June. 
But memories suggested by tattered flies form almost too 
fruitful a topic to open up at this time. The days are com- 
ing, however, and they are not far distant, wlien anglers 
will be busying themselves trying to hit upon a combina- 
tion of flies that will prove taking to the trout. If any one 
who reads this article chances td'be puzzled to know what 
kind to use while fishing on any of the smaller Adirondack 
lakes in early summer, my advice is to give the trio men- 
tioned a fair trial. Possibly the fly known as the Eeuben 
Wood might serve the same purpo.se as the Proctor, which 
is very similar in its make-up, but not quite as well known 
as the former. The chief point of diflerence in the two is 
that, while the body of the Eeuben Wood fly is made of 
white chenille, that of the Proctor is of pale pink tipped 
with three turns of olive-brown chenille, a change sug- 
gested by T. R. Proctor, of Utica, the well-known hotel 
proprietor, who has had a good deal of experience with 
the trout in the Bisby Lake region. 
Some of the veteran fishermen in Utica and vicinity 
have an old saying upon w'hich they place much de- 
pendence, and this is that the time to go after brook trout 
is when the leaves on the alder bushes are as large as a 
mouse's ear. Others look to the butternut trees for a sig- 
nal, as it is believed that the trout bite the best just afler 
their leaves begin to show the green. One expert angler, 
who when he goes after speckled trout almost invariably 
meets with excellent success, says that for stream fishing 
there is no time like that when the lilacs are in bloom. 
The trout will usually be found on the rifts at this time. 
He claims the rule will hold good nine years out of ten. 
There is, however, once in a while a season wdien the 
streams become very low immediately after the spring 
freshets, and remain so for weeks at a time, there being no 
heavyrains to raise them. Under such conditions, or when 
there is a prolonged hot spell in May and early June, the 
trout spend but little if any time on the rifts, preferring to 
resort at once to the cold beds or spring holes, where they 
remain all summer. These of course are exceptional sea- 
sons, and at such times the stream fishing is very poor, 
even when the lilacs are in blossom. 
The brook trout occasionally acts in a manner which is 
extremely tantalizing to the" angler, and doubtless every 
lover of the rod and reel could relate some experience ip 
which he has been mystified by their peculiar behavior. I 
well remember a June afternoon spent on the rifts on the 
West Canada Creek, below Wilkinson's Hotel, in the towh 
of Wilmurfc, Herkimer county. It was a warm day, and 
the sun shone so brightly that objects in the bed of thfe 
stream where the water was not too deep were pla.inly dis- 
cernable quite a long distance ahead. After .3 P. M. the 
stream seemed literally alive with trout ranging from ^ to 
^Ib. in weight; butalthough they were jumping on all sides 
of me, oftentimes in very close proximity, and frequently 
could be seen in the water apparently on the lookout for 
food, not one could be induced to rise to my flies. I fished 
with a long leader and three flies, changing the latter sev- 
eral times in hopes of finding one that would tempt the 
speckled beauties. I tried a long cast for a while and theii 
used a short line. Finally I baited the hooks with angle- 
worms; but all in vain, not a trout would deign to take the 
lure. I noticed that there was a small brownish-white fly 
on the water, and it was these insects which the trout were 
taking. 
It was not far to Paull's boardinghouse, where our party 
was stopping, and about 5 o'clock I decided to go back, 
there and try and rig up a fly Avhich more resembled those 
on the water than any which could be found in my book. 
Accordingly I very reluctantly left the stream, and return- 
ing to the house spent half an hour in seariehing the prem- 
ises for a suitable feather. I finally found in the barnyard 
a hen's feather which I thought might answer the purpose, 
and hastily attaching this to a hook I hurried back to the 
creek. Wading into the water again, I once more began 
casting about, this time with the new fly on the lead. I 
succeeded in getting a rise now and then, and caught per- 
haps half a dozen small trout; but the speckled beauties, 
although still jumping freely, seemed reluctant to strike 
the fly which I had taken so much trouble to fit up for 
them. At length I tried the experiment casting up stream, 
and this plan proved successful; for whenever and wher- 
ever the flies struck the water and temporarily sank be- 
neath the surface they were seized by a trout, and I speed- 
ily had my creel filled. It was not an uncommon thing to 
take two or three fish at a cast, for as soon as one took the 
new fly, which was always preferred, the others were in 
demand. On one or two other occasions I have had a like 
experience, and always obtained good results by the use of 
a browish-white fly cast up stream. 
An expert angler, who for many years has frequented G 
Lake in the Adirondacks, recently told me of an incident 
in one of his trips which is quite in this line. There were 
four in his party and all went out on the lake fishing one 
afternoon, occupying two boats. It was early in the season 
and quite cold. The gentleman who told me the story said 
that he and his guide fished unsuccessfully for awhile and 
the other boat went to the further end of the lake, 
"Finally," said the narrator, "I saw a small black object on 
the water close by, and on closer inspection decided it was 
the back fin of a big trout. I cast my flies toward the fish, 
but he ignored them. Very soon after this the surface of 
the lake in that direction seemed fairly to teem with trout 
and all were headed in the same direction. For some 
time we tried to get them to take our flies, but without 
avail. Then the boat drifted over where the trout were 
and they disappeared. In course of a few minutes, how» 
ever, we pulled back toward where we had seen the fish 
and found they were up again. After repeated experi- 
ments I at length discovered that by using a very light- 
colored fly, casting as far as possible from the boat and 
allowing the flies to sink just below the surface before 
drawing them toward me, I could tempt the trout to 
seize them. This method we worked successfully for quite 
a time, and my friends in the other boat, who had re- 
turned and joined us, followed my suggestions and we 
speedily had all the speckled beauties we could dispose of. 
The fish ranged in weight from a i\b. to 21bs." 
W. E. WotiCOTT. 
Utica, N. Y., March. 
In the Blue Ridge. 
HiGtiLATOS, K, G., March 19.— Looking northward from 
the cotton fields of South Carolina one fine morning about 
two weeks ago, I saw for the first time the sky line of the 
Blue Ridge cutting the clear air some foity miles away. 
The sight of those peaks was exhilarating. I had read of 
them and of their history— their Indians and antiquities— their 
settlement by the whites, the battles which ensued ; of their 
deer, bears, quail, turkeys and trout; their minerals and 
flora, and I desired a nearer view. I came, but I have not 
seen— that is, not much. This is because of the rain and 
mist which this season seems to have a special spite against 
the sightseer, and which is so thick that I can cut it with my 
hunting-axe. 
This reminds me that in Mr. Hough's entertaining account 
of his winter expedition through the deserts between Chicago 
and Michigan City the comfort and well-being of the out- 
fit was seriously endangered because of the short handle of 
their axe. 
For many years it has been my practice to carry in the 
forest an axe weighing, with the handle, about S^lbs., and 
measuring over all 28iin. 
I inclose an outline sketch of this implement, which, though 
sometimes a little more in the way than a "pocket-axe," is 
easily carried in a suitable loop, and in my experience has paid 
for the little additional trouble It may have occasioned. 
There is no extra flummery about this axe— it is straight 
business, and anybody can get one if he chooses. 
I observe that the tracing makes the handle appear some- 
what wider than the original — perhaps fin. 
On Walden's Ridge, in Tennessee, where I passed the 
winter, there was no shotting or fishing worth the mention. 
Some gray squirrels and rabbits, a very ftw turkeys, and 
scarcely any quail or grouse, are what one may look for if he 
carts to shoot. Perhaps before 1 leave these mountains I 
may find something to write about. 
I inclose a few leaves of the galax, which is said to be 
found nowhere but on the Blue Ridge and on the mountains 
of Japan. Kelpie. 
Trout Streams in Central New York. 
Ithaca, jST. Y., April 1.— The trout streams in this pail of 
the Stale are practically free from snow water, and all the 
conditions point to a successful opening day a couple of 
weeks and as many days hence. 
The irrepressible brook trout angler, in jovful anticipa- 
don of the event, has unlimbered his tackle and daily does a 
tWO-step with becoming agility. M, Chill. 
