Forest and Stream 
A Weekly Journal of the Rod and Gun. 
Terms, $4 a Yeab. 10 Cts. a Copy. 
Six Months, $2. 
NEW YORK, SATURDAY, MAY 1, 1897. 
VOL, XLYin.— No. 18, 
No. 348 Beoadway, New YojiKi 
NOTICE TO SUBSCRIBERS. 
Attkntion is directed to the new foi-m of address labels on the 
wrappers of subscribers' copies. The label shows the date of the 
close of the term for which the subscription is paid. 
The receipt ot the paper with such dated address label constitutes 
the subscriber's receipt for money sent to us for a new or renewed 
subscription. Unless specially requested to do so, we do not send 
separate receipts. 
Subscribers are asked to note on the wrapper the date of expira- 
tion of subscription ; and to remit promptly for renewal, that delays 
may be avoided. 
For prospectus and advertising rates see page iii. 
A true angler is generally a modest man, unob- 
trusively commtinicative when he can impart a 
new icjea ; and is ever ready to let a pretentious 
tyro have his say, and good-naturedly (as if mere- 
ly suggesting how it should be done) repairs his 
tackle, or gets him out of- a scrape. Thad. Norris. 
YACHTING UmON. 
The advantages of union and cooperation among men 
who have certain common interests are quite as generally 
recognized in the domain of sport as in the more serious 
affairs of life, religion, business, politics, scientific work, 
etc. In all branches of sport and in all parts of the world, 
unions and associations of clubs and individuals within 
some extended area are to be found. In this country in 
particular is this the rule; almost every form of sport 
boasts of one national or at least of several large divisional 
associations, whose influence, be it said, both locally and 
on the sport at large, is uniformly beneficial. So much is 
this matter of union the accepted rule, even among the 
minor sports, that the case of yachting, one of the most 
important, presents a remarkable exception. Great Britain 
has boasted of a strong and influential association of yachts- 
men for a quarter of a century; France has had a similar 
organization for half a dozen years, and even Germany, 
with its comparatively limited facilities for yachting, also 
has its national union. 
In this county, in spite of its proud claims for a foremost 
place among the yachting nations of the world, nothing of 
the kind is to be found; the rowing men long ago came to- 
gether and formed associations in diflferent sections of the 
country; in the very infancy of canoeing its enthusiastic 
devotees succeeded in organizing a strong national associa- 
tion, which for seventeen years has maintained and en- 
forced one uniform code of measurement and sailing rules, 
recognized in all parts of the United States and Canada. 
That nothing of the kind has been achieved in yachting is 
not for want of example or of enthusiasts to start the work; 
for nearly twenty years the project of a national association 
of American yachtsmen has been discussed, plans have 
been devised, and preliminary steps toward organization 
have been repeatedly made, but always with the same 
result. 
The reasons for these many failures need not be re- 
counted now, suffice it to say that up to a dozen years ago 
the lack of harmony and sympathy — and, -in too many 
cases, actual hostility, open or hidden, between diff^erent 
localities, and even the clubs within certain localities — 
made a national union an impos8ibihtj\ That such a 
condition should have prevailed in yachting and not in 
other sister sports is a matter of regret, but the facts are 
too well known to be concealed or denied. 
Happily enough, a great change has come about of late 
years, the increase of racing in the smaller classes has re- 
sulted in the production of a large number of what may 
be called "small" clubs, that are to-day strong, healthy and 
prosperous. With the growth of these clubs, and the great 
increase in the numbers of yacht owners and yachts which 
has been seen since the international races in which Puri- 
tan and Mayflower were the victors, inter-club racing has 
increased to a wonderful extent. The formal regattas and 
closed club races of former days have given place to a con- 
nected and lengthy series of races, extending throughout 
the entire season, and participated in by the Ml racing 
fleet. 
The intercourse thus engendered between yachtsmen of 
different clubs and localities, has borne good fruit in the 
formation and successful growth of such local bodies as 
the racing associations of Massachusetts Bay and Long Is- 
land Sound. Looking at the condition ol yachting in 
these localities five years ago, it is difiicult to realize that 
such organizations, with twenty to twenty-five clubs en- 
rolled in each, and with practically perfect systems 
of conducting races, have been established and placed 
upon permanent foundations. That go much has been 
accomplished in apparently so short a time is due solely 
to the earnest and continued efforts of a small number of 
yachtsmen in each locality. These efforts, begun long ago, 
were for a time apparently fruitless; they failed in the face 
of many adverse conditions, such as local jealousies and 
prejudices, conflicting rules made to foster special local 
types, vested interests in one form or another. This labor^ 
though apparently ineffective, was not lost, as is now evi- 
dent, but it served to pave the way gradually for the pro- 
gressive adoption of practically uniform rules and racing 
methods, and for the obliteration of all hostile feeling. 
The final efforts which have resulted in the formation of 
the two organizations mentioned, though both well man- 
aged, were probably no stronger at the outset and no bet- 
ter planned than some former attempts in the same direc- 
tions, but now the time was ripe for them, and they met 
with success in place of failure. 
The conditions in these local associations about Boston 
and New York are practically the same as throughout the 
country at large. The necessity for a national association 
has long been evident to some yachtsmen, and positive 
efforts toward its organization have been made at different 
times with absolute failure. To-day, however, the realiza- 
tion of this necessity is no longer confined to a few, but is 
accepted by yachtsmen in all parts of the country. The 
way to it is paved through the existence of a number of 
local associations, with comparatively little conflict in the 
matter of rules. The same motives which have impelled 
yachtsmen to form their local unions are acting to carry 
the work a step further, in the formation of one national 
union; and the experience gained in the former work may 
be relied upon to aid in the latter. 
The meeting this week in New York is likely to mark 
the beginning of a notable era in American yachting, it is 
too soon yet to speak confidently of its immediate success 
in a task which presents not a few difficulties; but the con- 
ditions have never before been so favorable, nor the out- 
look so promising. Looking at the matter in a general 
way, there should be no reason why American yachtsmen 
can not do what others abroad have done, or, in fact, why 
these same yachtsmen are not quite as competent to estab- 
lish and support a national association as American pars- 
men and canoeists have proved themselves to be. 
The chief difficulty in all unions, whether large or small 
of yacht clubs, has always been consideicd to lie in the 
measurement rule, this is the iete noir that has wrecked so 
many promising schemes, local and general, in the past, 
but, in our opinion, it is by no means a serious matter to- 
day. The conditions of the case are that no yachting or- 
ganization in the world to-day has a measurement rule 
which will stand the test of steady building and racing 
under it alone without supplementary restrictions; that 
will penalize the fin-keel and the lightly-built racing-ma- 
chine, and encourage something other than the extreme 
machine. In Canada and the United States, with the 
exception of the vicinity of Boston, all yacht-racing 
is carried on under one rule, with some trivial differences 
of details. Where the racing is very keen, as in some 
places on the coast, this rule has proved inadequate; but, 
with but a moderate amount of building and racing, it still 
works very well. - 
There being thus far no proposition whatever for a bet 
ter rule, there is no good reason to abandon the present 
one, and the question of a common rule for the national 
association, if formed, to be used by all affiliated clubs, 
need not be discussed at present. All that need be done 
in this matter is to inaugurate a systematic attempt to 
formulate a better rule that will meet the exigencies of 
modern designing and racing. This investigation of the 
question may demonstrate the necessity for two rules, one 
for the smaller craft, of 30ft. or under, such as are general- 
ly designed for racing, without attention to general utility 
or cruising qualities, and another for the larger yachts, 
which, in the opinion of many yachtsmen, should possess 
certain qualities, such as seaworthiness and accommoda- 
tion, however much they may be raced. We see no 
grounds for objection to such a double rule, in fact, it is 
quite in harmony with the assumed differences of use in 
the two classes of yachts, the smaller, of necessity with 
hmited accommodation; and the larger, which may and 
should have some of the qualities of a sea-going vessel and 
a floating home for the owner. 
The question of the difficulty of enforcing the universal 
adoption of such a rule when found in all localities 
pland, on the lakes and on the seacoasts, in the face of 
vested interests, is of far less importance than usually as- 
sumed; it might not be possible to force its adoption in 3, 
single season, but no necessity for such a course exists. 
Let the rule be found, and if generally acceptable it can be 
adopted by every club in the country in the course of two 
or three seasons. It must be remembered that '^vested in- 
terests" to-day mean almost nothing, such interests often 
vanishing through force of circumstances in a single sea- 
son. The racing life of a modern yacht is at most limited 
to two or three seasons, and it may be abruptly terminated 
in the first year by some unforeseen and radical advance 
in design or construction. The experiences of last year in 
the 15ft, class, the success of Glencairn and El Heirie, are 
such as to call for a totally new type of yacht in this and 
the 20ft. class, and to destroy the chances of all existing 
boats save the two named in both classes. 
The real trouble in the measurement question is to find 
a good rule, and this may prove no easy matter; but it is 
self-evident that the work can be better done by the con- 
certed action of all American yachtsmen than if left hap^ 
hazard to such clubs or individuals as feel moved to con- 
sider it. 
The difficulty in the path of the proposed movement, as 
we consider it, is in no way connected with the measure- 
ment rule, but lies in the question of the constitution of 
the new organization. It must be an association either of 
individual yachtsmen, of clubs, or of existing and future 
local associations, and certain objections rest against each 
of the three methods. The plan which presents the few- 
est objections is that of an organization of clubs, with divi- 
sions based upon the present associations, about New York 
Boston and the Great Lakes and the Pacific. 
THE MAINE QULDE LAW. 
The reports from Maine, in respect to the new lawapply- 
ing to the guides, indicate that it is received with earnest 
disfavor by many of those concerned; and that some 
of them purpose ignoring it entirely, while others have 
agreed with their fellow-guides to defy it and violate it. 
However obnoxious a law may be in itself or however 
great a hardship it may work on a class, a cure is not 
effected by contumaciously violating it or conspiring de^ 
fiantly to break it. There are orderly legal measures 
which afford the needed relief, and though they may be 
slower than what might be desired, they have the merit 
of being efficacious and final. To defy a law is but to be- 
come entangled in the meshes of other laws which govern 
law-breakers and conspirators, and this without making 
anj'^ progress whatever in the true course. Indeed, public 
opinion is often prejudiced against a good cause when its 
promoters adopt illegal measures to express their resent- 
ment or to further their ends. 
If the law is unconstitutional, it is an easy matter to 
make a test case through the established legal channels, 
and such single case would serve as well to establish 
legality or illegality of the objectionable law, as if all who 
were interested were to challenge prosecution. 
If the law is constitutional, it is within the power of the 
majority to repeal it by the legal means provided for the 
repeal of all objectionable laws, namely, the ballot. No 
man or group of men can arrogate to himself or themselves 
the power to disobey such laws as are found displeasing; 
for if that were so, it is self-evident that all law would be 
at an end. 
Our law-makers, in their wisdom, have provided 
legal channels of relief when a law has proved to be ille- 
gal, unjust or undesired, and these channels are open to 
all alike, the majority always deciding the question. 
Our remarks are not to be construed as passing on the 
merits or demerits of the law itself. We deal with it as a 
law which, being a law, is the same as all other laws in 
their forces and penalties. We desire to point out that 
if the law is obnoxious to the guides, they should 
make their resistance in an 'orderly legal manner, and 
to this we call their attention. Their vocation is such 
that they should display the naoat punctilious observ- 
ance of legal exactions, for there is no vocation in which 
the temptations and opportunities to violate certain 
laws are so constant and so numerous as in the vo- 
cation of guide. If a class of men openly defy one 
law which they declare to be inimical to their inter- 
ests, it is an easy matter for the public to infer that they 
would violate any other law which in any way affected 
their interests. Thus, for the better conduct of the case 
and the general reputation of the guild, there is every 
reason for a conscientious observance of the law, and every 
reason in opposing it to pursue only legal procedure. 
