4 24 
FOREST AND STREAM. 
,SlAT 29, 1897. 
Mississippi. Fastened to the lop of the gin house was a large 
beli. It had been the custom on this plantation, even before 
the war and up to the present tinae, for all the hands to go to 
work and quit work bv the sound of this bell. The bell 
rang at 6 A. M., 12 M , 1 P. M. and 6 P. M. There was on 
the plantation a mule, who had constituted in himself a self- 
ordained and independent "labor organization." This cuss 
of a mule would not go to work until the bell rang. At 12 
o'clock he would quit work at the first stroke of the bell, 
would not go to work again until the bell rang, and would 
quit in the afternoon the moment the bell sounded. This 
may seem strange, but it is true as gospel. The mule woultj 
not tighten his traces after the bell sounded at noon. No 
matter if he was in the middle of a cotton row in the field or 
pulling in a wagon, he struck the moment the bell sounded. 
All the whipping and abuse you could heap upon him only 
made him more determined. He would stand and bray and 
kick at you as fast a,s his hindfeet could fly, and finally 
wind up by kicking himself out of harness. 
One day his regular driver was sick, and the owner of tte 
plantation put old Uncle Sam, a new hand, who had only 
gone to work on this place the day before, to drive this team 
and haul seed cotton out of the field to the gin house. At 
noon the bell rang and Pete struck for grub, as usual half- 
way between the field and gin house. Uncle Sam wanted to 
come on to the gin house with the load before he unhar- 
nessed for dinner, but Pete differed with him on this point. 
The old negro and the mule took up the whole noon hour 
trying to see which would have his way, and finally the mule 
came out victor. Uncle Sam had to give in, and unhar- 
nessed out in the field and came leading the mule to the 
house. The owner of the place and myself were watching 
the whole show and were enjoying it hugely. Uncle Sam 
led the mule up to where we stood in the barnyard, and said : 
"Mars Bob, dis 'ere rectified mule are dun struck fer higher 
wages." The owner said- "Sam, that mule has been strik- 
ing for higher wages for the last twenty years, but he has 
never got an advance yet." Alfred B. WiKGriELD. 
Editor Forest and Stream: 
: in your issue of May 8 I notice a short article on the 
sagacity of a tortoise-shell cat, by Vcm W. I wonder it all 
wise cats are of the tortoise-shell variety. For several years 
one of my nearest neighbors owned a tortoise-shell ca^ blind 
in one eye, that seemed to possess reasoning powers. If she 
didn't, it was a close shave. 
These people lived ia a large, old-fashioned brick house, 
the front door of which was adorned with, an old-style door 
bell that turned with a crank. This crank or handle worked 
very easily, and after ringing the bell always dropped down 
and hung from the bottom. 
When or how the shrewd feline first learned to ring the 
door bell no one knows, but it developed that when pussy 
was outside and wanted to come in she simply went around 
to the front door and rang the bell, as any sensible cat 
should, instead of yowling and mewing for half an hour and 
disturbing the family. 
The first discovery my neighbors made of the cat's accom- 
plishment was one day when one of them answered a ring, 
when, upon her opening the door to welcome the expected 
visitor, in walked the old cat, looking as wise and important 
as a judge. At first they supposed that some mischievous 
urchin had rung the bell and scampered away, and that the 
old cat had taken advantage of the open door to slip in. In 
a short time the same thing occurred again; ia fact, it became 
quite frequent. They were greatly mystified, as it never 
occurred to them that the cat could ring the door bell. 
Finally, one of the members hid in a convenient place and 
watched. Patience was soon rewarded. Pussy came trot- 
ting up on the porch and walked under the door bell. After 
looking around a moment, apparently to see that her actions 
were not observed, she crouched and sprang straight up to 
the bell handle, at tbe same time giving it a hard side slap 
with her paw. The concussion whirled the handle around 
and rang the bell. In a few moments one of the family 
opened the door and puss walked in. 
At first she did it evidently to gain admission in cold 
weather. Afterward it became a pastime Of course, the 
folks were obliged to answer the bell, as frequently they 
found an actual visitor. So the old cat always kept them 
gnessuisj Perhaps they would answer the bell a dozen 
times to find puss the only visitor. This, of course, grew 
monotonous, and at the next ring of the bell some member 
of the family would go to tbe door wearing an ominous 
frown and loaded with suppressed wrath and a mop, only to 
find a lady caller. 
In the course of time, among the numerous progeny this 
old cat brought into the world was a tortoise-shell kitten 
which the family took a fancy to and decided to raise, in- 
stead of consigning to a waterjr grave. When the kitten 
was well grown tbe old cat used to take it around to the 
front door and amuse herself by giving it lessons in ringing 
the- bell, and in a short time the younger cat could ring the 
bell as well as its wise old mamma. 
Aqpther accomplishment the old cat acquired was her 
manner of eating raw oysters, of which she was very fond. 
She was taught to take an oyster from the dish with her 
paw and carry it to her mouth as decorously as a person 
would with a fork. The name of the family was Cooley, 
and this city was their home for many years. 
Fkahk E. Kellogg. 
Savannah, Illinois. 
Mr. Kellogg also sends some ' 'Lines to Grandma Cooley's 
Cat," written by him for the local paper on the occasion of 
the intelligent creature's demise. We quote in part : 
Only a cat with a tortoise shell. 
Minus an eye and dumb as well. 
Dead as the nail in the old lime door. 
Her life-work done and her troubles Q'pr. 
A humble mission was hers to flU, 
This old she-cat that lived on the hill- 
To eat, drink, sleep and catch the rats 
(And never forgetting to raise more cats). 
And other things she did as well, 
Among them was riogiog the front-door bell 
And eating oysters with either paw, 
As cute a thins' as' yoa ever saw. 
A liumble mission was hers, 'tis true, 
Yet who shall say that her feline mew 
Was not as important as the clack of men, 
Who utter wise Ihiags with tongue or pen ? 
Every thiag her.^ on this old. round earth 
Has a niche to fill from the date of its birth; 
Tlie great "Mrst Cause" has some hidden plan, 
, .i^d. a cat mas' help as much as a maE— 
Possibly more, for aught we know, 
For we amount to but little here below, 
And none may know till we reach the shore 
Whether the end is a wall— or a door. 
The Philadelphia Zoo. 
The report of the Board of Directors of the Philadelphia 
Zoological Society was made at its annual meeting held in 
Philadelphia last month. 
From the financial standpoint the year has not been a suc- 
cessful one for the Society, the hard times and the unp'oduct- 
iveness of all forms of industry during this period having 
greatly affected the attendance at the Garden, so that a 
diminution of 30,000 is seen for the year. This, of course, 
means a corresponding decrease in receipts of gate money. 
The Board has made every effort to meet the reduced in- 
come, and so successfully that tlie present cost of operating 
the Garden is no greater than it was twenty years ago, 
although several buildings and many outdoor inelosures 
have been added, and the cultivated area of the ground much 
increased. 
The collections during the year have been enlarged by 16C 
mammals, 168 birds, and 294 reptiles and batrachians, a total 
of 628 animals. Among the interesting additions are a rac- 
coon dog, a sable antelope, several other antelopes from 
Africa, a wild sheep from the Himalaya Mountains, two toed 
sloth, and a female orang. 
The birds perhaps of most interest are a pair of young 
California vultures {Otogyps californicus). This vulture, 
which is almost as large as the condor, is limited in its 
range to a part of the Pacific coast, and is believed to be 
near extinction. Probably not more than two or three liv- 
ing examples of this species have ever been placed on exhi- 
bition, and it is known that there are at present no other 
specimens in captivity. The two at Philadelphia were ob- 
tained through the efforts of the late Capt. Charles Bendire, 
> of the National Museum. 
It is interesting to note that the Philadelphia Garden 
has received four beavers by exchange from the National 
Zoological Park, It is also interesting to observe that the 
Philadelphia Garden now has sixteen American buffalo, of 
which nine are ff males, all of which except two were bred 
in the Garden. Mr. Brown, very wisely, is endeavoring to 
infuse new blood into this herd by exchange, and last year 
made such an exchange with Mr. .John A. Starin, of Glen 
Island, New York, for a four-year old bull. We feel certain 
that so long as the Philadelphia collections are under the 
charge of Mr. Brown every possible effort which care, 
knowledge and intelligence can insure will be expended for 
the collections. 
The Woodcock's Night Song. 
Editor Forest o,nd Stream: 
A communication from Mr. William HoUiday, in your 
last issue, comes home to me with much force. I should be 
pleased to take him by the hand, for he seems to be a man 
after my own heart He wiites of the song of the wood- 
cock at night, in mating time. 
1 well remember an experience of my boyhood days in my 
New Hampshire home. I was shooting muskrats at twilight 
in the spring of the year, and was stationed on the bank of 
a river near a broad alder run, and I should say that on the 
space of about two acres of ground, there were four or five 
woodcock, and as they were continually ascending and 
descending in their spiral flights, each gave his sharp clean- 
cut whistle, together with the peculiar, "spate, spate, spate." 
So charmed was I, that it was nearly midnight before I 
could break away from the fascinating play. I never knew 
before that woodcock possessed this singular habit, nor ilid 
my father, who was an expert bird shooter, and quite a nat- 
uralist in his way. Taking him to the place the next 
evening, he was as much surprised and delighted as was I, 
at my discovery. I also agree with your correspondent in 
thinking the whistle produced by the wings, 
_ This incident happened about forty years ago, but it is as 
distinct in my memory to-day, as though it occurred but 
yesterday; the freshness of the springtime, the crisp, bracing 
air of the evening, together with the strange, wtird voices 
of the night, left an impression not easily effaced. 
Chas. Wheeleb. 
Northern Wildfowl in Florida Waters. 
Jacksonville, Pla. — In the winter of 1894-5 I shot two 
female surf ducks {Pelionetta perspiciUata) in Nassau Sound, 
Fla., and last winter I shot two young red throated divers, 
ot loons {Colpnb us sej)tentrionalis) in Ft George Kiver, Fla. 
A fine male fu'l-plumaged surf duck was shot last winter in 
the St. John's Eiver, near Jacksonville, and the skin is now 
mounted and on exhibition in the window of a store on Bay 
street. Inl 896 1 saw a beautiful live specimen of the great north- 
ern diver, or loon {Colymbns iorquatus), in Jacksonville that 
was caught by one of tbe coast pilots at Caryford's reef on the 
East Coast of Florida, near Miami. The same year I saw 
in Jacksonville two trumpeter swans {Oygnus bueinata?') that 
wtre shot at Daigo, on the sea coast near Jacksonville, and 
sent to the Jacksonville market. They were very poor, and 
there were only two of them in the flock. The gunner that 
shot them had never seen any before, and he called them 
geese, as did also the marketman. The great northern diver 
also had never been seen by any of the local pilots or boat- 
men before. No one knew what it was. 
It would seam that these Northern species are extending 
their range. J. Fras. Le Baron, C. E. 
Bird Specimens at Rouse's Point. 
Rouse's Poust, N. Y., May 18.— On Saturday, May 15, 
Alex. Noel, a Canadian fisherman, shot and killed a splendid 
specimen of the great egret heron in the marsh just north of 
Fort Montgomery. He presented the bird to the Y. M. C. A. 
rooms, and it now ornaments one of the windows, adding 
one more bird to the already large collection that has been 
made by Mr. Glazier during his work here as secretary of 
the Y. M. C. A,, some of them being very rare. Mr. Glazier 
is a taxidermist and has used his art ta'ad vantage in orna- 
menting the rooms here. Parties interested in the study of 
birds will find themselves well repaid for the time spent in 
visiting Mr. Glazier and his collection. The rooms are but 
a step from the D. & H. depot at this place. 
W. McCoMB, Jr. 
The FoBEST ANB Stbeam is put to press each week on Tuesday. 
Correspondenee intended far publication should reach us at the 
latest by Monday, and as much earlier as practicably. 
'nnie md $utu 
THEN AND NOW. 
Portland, Ind. — Editor Forest and Stream: A few weeks 
ago I had a call from my friend George Hedrick, of Ohio, 
with whom I have camped several seasons in the Lake Supe- 
rior region. He was carrying a cane made from an oak tree 
cut by Genera] Anthony Wayne's soldiers in the summer of 
1794, during his 90-day campaign against the Indians of the 
Northwest. General Wayne, after marching to the scene of 
S *. Clair's defeat and erecting Fort Recovery, took a north- 
easterly direction, and in crossing a boggy stream called 
Beaver felled trees into the stream. These bogs became 
buried in muck and were recently removed by a dredge 
boat from a depth of 4ft., in a perfect state of preservation. 
An enterprising mechanic hauled' one of these oak logs 
home and worked it into canes. As I handled that cane, 
mounted with the foot of a small deer taken near Republic, 
in the Michigan Northern Peninsula, 1 reflected that my 
father's family settled in 1828 on that historic spot where 
General St. Clair was ambushed, and that from the plains of 
eastern Ohio to the prairies of western Indiana there was a 
continuous growth of magnificent oak forest interspersed 
with walnut, ash, hickory, elm, sycamore, sugar, beech and 
other woods ; and that this large tract of giant trees, tower- 
ing so hieh as to test the marksman's skill m picking a squir- 
rel from a topmost bough, was now no more. Therefore my 
text. 
As late as 1873 there were some deer near the head of the 
Wabash River, between Fort Recovery and Greenville, O., 
old Fort Washington, and I hunted there with a long- bar- 
reled muzzleloading rifle a part of four days in October of 
that year. I saw eight deer, which was more than I have 
seen on some hunts 1 have taken in Wisconsin. They were 
mostly lying among the whitetop that grew thick in places 
where the forest was open, and grew lall enough to conceal 
a deer standing. One would arise from its bed, spread its 
tail like a peafowl, and with a few mighty bounds high 
above the tops of the weeds disappear around a convenient 
thicket. I might have hit some of them with clubs, but I 
could not get a bead on one with that fishpole of a rifle- 
Finally I caught one walking and doubled him up, and I 
was mighty proud over my first deer. 
I had learned some things on a former trip, on which 
occasion I saw a deer standing broadside directly in front of 
me and about 150yds. distant. When I saw this deer I was 
so close to a tree that I could have touched the trunk with 
my gun. I instantly stepped sideways and behind the tree 
impelled by a desire to shoot with a rest, a thing that had 
become a habit from shooting a gun before I had the strength 
to hold it off-hand. How foolish I felt when 1 pushed my 
gun past the tree and looked for my deer to find that it had 
disappeared. 
Another day near 10 A. M., as I was going due west and 
the sun was shining brightly, 1 saw a small deer standing 
about 100yds. distant in front of me, and looking northward. 
As I drew up my rifle, I saw a twig seemingly the size of a 
rye straw just back of the deer's foreleg, and so near the deer 
it looked like a safe center to shoot at. I drew on this twig 
and fired The deer gave a bound and disappeared. Keep- 
ing the twig in sight, I approached the spot; but as I drew 
near the twig grew in size very rapidly, and I found it to be 
a tough, knotty swamp ash fully lin. in diameter. I bad 
seen only the shaded portion, or about one-fourth of the 
bush. My ball had struck to the left of the center, gone 
half way through the bush, and then deflected to the left. 
1 vowed then and there to shoot shy of twigs thereafter. 
At this date the oak trees were being split into staves, and 
hauled to the railroad stations. Prior to that the finest trees 
were cut and split into rails, clapboards, lath and fencing 
posts for yard and garden fences. Then came men who 
paid from $ 10 to $15 for the best trees on the stump. These 
were split into oft. stave blocks, or squared their full length 
into ship timber. Now very little r<>mains, and that is going 
like a June frost. 
I banded the cane back to my friend, but I could not 
banish the recollections of my childhood. After he went 
away, I became restless. I have a sister living on the old 
home, and I concluded she wanted to see me. There were 
surely some rabbits on the old farm, and I could not abuse 
my mind of the thought that it would do me good to wander 
over the fields again. Fortunately a morning came with a 
light tracking snow, and 8 o'clock found me tying Dolly to 
the fence some two miles from town, for here were rabbit 
tracks Bunny was at home in the fence corner, snugly 
tucked away beneath a leaning rail covered with weeds; but 
my little Smith & Wesson six-shooter brought him out and 
into the buggy, and Dolly and I trotted on. Two miles 
further up the gravel road were more rabbit tracks. This 
was easy, hunting rabbits in a buggy, with a sensible mare 
like Dolly. And now which way did this one go last? On 
one side of the road is a meadow ; on the other a cornfield, 
with a brushy pond, and a fence separating this field from a 
meadow. I tie Dolly, climb the fence, and make a circle in 
the meadow first named. My rabbit baa gone into tbe corn- 
field and returned, as the tracks indicate, though snow lies 
lightly on the timothy, and tracking here is difficult. I car- 
ried a double-barreled breeehloading shotgun and shells 
loaded with No. 7s. The tricky rabbit led me in a circle, 
and at the mokt convenient moment bounded off for the 
fence at the highway, and was out uf reach by the time I 
had snapped my first and emptied my second barrel at him. 
From the time of leaving home I had reproached myself f or 
bringing a shotgun, but now I vowed to kill that rabbit with 
shotgun. So into the cornfield I went, but was surprised to 
find more rabbit tracks. The pond was alive with rabbits, to 
judge from the tracks. But I remembered what the old In- 
dian said, "One deer make heep many tracks," and I did 
not expect to find a rabbit in every tuft of grass. I did not 
find any until I got over the fence and into the meadow, 
where I saw one sitting, and made its eye a target for my 
little six-shooter. But I knew it was not the one that ran 
away from me, and therefore circled further in my efforts to 
locate that one. Presently I saw its ears further out in the 
meadow. I recognized it by its scared look and took it with 
the ghotgun. 
Then Dolly and I continued our journey. Presently w . 
came to the Salamonie River, and yonder t® my left wa 
once a sawmill run by water power. I hauled from tha 
mill the finest walnut lumber I ever saw, great boards 40in 
wide. They were ripped by hand into casings for our house 
The miUrace was fed from a great pond among the trees 
