Sei*t. 18, 1891.} 
FOREST AND STREAM, 
227 
Minnesota Alrtlfirht. 
Minnesota is foremost in the spread of the doctrine of de- 
<jency. From the St. Paul Pioneer Press of Aug. 39 I take 
the synopsis of the test case brought to see whether or not 
the State wardens would be upheld in destroying nets, and 
weapons belonging to illeeal shooters: 
"Red Wing. Minn., Aug. 28 —Judge Williston filed a de- 
cision to-day finding for the defendant in the case of H. 
Saupe and B. Wagner against B F. Seiz, whereby he sus- 
tains the validity of the section of the State game and fish 
law under which is authorized the seizure and destruction 
of property used illegally in fishing or hunting. Last sum- 
mer Seiz, as deputy game warden, arrested Saupe and Wag- 
ner on a charge of illegal fishing and confiscated and de- 
stroyed a net used by them. Saupe and Wagner sued Seiz 
to recover the value of the net, claiming that the law which 
authorized its seizure and confiscation was unconstitutional. 
Judge Williston holds that the law is constitutional, being 
only a legitimate exercise of police power; that the plaintiffs 
are not entitled to the relief demanded nor to any relief 
whatever, and that the defendant is entitled to judgment and 
the action is dismissed." 
Fresh News From the Chicken Fields. 
St. Paul, Minn., Sept. 10. — The general report of abun- 
dance of prairie chickens in Minnesota a,nd Dakota is only 
partially true. In lower Minnesota it is>not true at all. In 
upper Minnesota the shooting is better. In all flat lands, and 
over much of the prairie country, the crop is poor. There 
are more birds in rough and hilly regions, and more espe- 
cially in country partially timbered. Not only the sharp- 
tailed grouse, but also the pinnated, has this year, more than 
ever, been found in timbered sections; and some shooters 
predict a change of habits in the prairie chicken in this res- 
pect, the result of continual hunting in the open. 
At Bird Island, lower Minnesota, some chickens are re- 
ported, but no abundance. At Atwater, lower Minnesota, 
the crop was below expectation. At Graceville, a much ex- 
ploited point, the results were bad. The Merrill brothers, of 
Milwaukee, hunted here, and saw only twenty three birds, 
bagging sixteen. Disappointed, they at once pulled on up to 
North Dakota, near the Turtle Mountains. Near Hutchin- 
son, Glencoe, Stuart and other points west of here in lower 
Minnesota, but meager bags have been made, and it is cer- 
tain that the crop was poor. 
Upon the other hand, the shooting has been much better in 
Ottertail county, in Clay county and other sections further 
north in Minnesota, one tag of 120 in two days to four 
guns having been made, the top bag yet heard of for Minne- 
sota this year. 
At Morris, Man., as I am advised by Mr. B. Waters, the 
chickens are scarce, only 100 seen in the course of an entire 
field trial. 
At Fargo, N. !>,, so shooters interviewed here to-day ad- 
vise me, the chickens are gone. The Red River Valley has 
no sport to offer near there. In the sandhills, a day's jour- 
ney south of Fargo, upon the contrary, the shooting at cliick- 
ens was good in opening week 
At Dawson, N. D., the chickens were not disturbed, and 
the shooting is fair. 
At Webster, S. D., the chicken crop is reported good. 
To any non-residents unacquainted in Minnesota, I would 
advise for chickens to go to Ottertail county, and to go 
quick. 
Put ducks are plentiful, although the estimate of the 
chicken crop was quite too large, it has not been large 
enough on the duck crop. Not for ten years have there 
been so many of ducks all over Minnesota at this season. 
They have bred in thousands in countless sloughs, swales, 
water-holes and new-made lakes. All shooters now back 
from trips in this State agree that the duck crop is an im- 
mense one. 
The prairie chicken is a departing bird. We should not 
expect ever again to see what we once called "good shoot- 
ing" at these birds. 
Yet there are chickens enough in some sections to offer 
reasonable sport. 
Ducks are not yet shot out over the lake-dotted prairies of 
the Northwest to so great an extent that a trip will not offer 
l)ig reward in sport. 
Forest and Stream wiU have, in due course, a resume of 
the season's prospects and results in Minnesota and the Da- 
kotas. Early next week I am to meet State Warden Bow- 
ers,, of North Dakota, and have a small shoot and a big talk 
Vith him. Then I am to have a small shoot and a big talk 
with Executive Agent Fullerton, of Minnesota. Both these 
gentlemen are in town to-day. There is plenty of news from 
the shooting fields to be had in this interesting corner of the 
land, where shooting and protection are beginning to try to 
walk hand in hand together. There is not time to catch 
Forest and Stream this week with more than a fraction of 
this. E. HoTjen. 
1206 BoTOB Building, Chicas-o. 
A BOAT AND BOAT-WAGON. 
Takes Their Heads Off. 
Oroville, Okanogan County, Wash., Aug. 39.— Our 
grouse season opened for shooting the 15th inst. That is ac- 
cording to law, but in reality it has never been closed unless 
Lt is near some of the large towns. There they may pay 
some attention to the law, but here on the reservation miners 
and prospectors begin killing as soon as the grouse come 
down from their winter quarters, and the result is there are 
very few to kill this fall 
It is the same with deer. Two years ago the country 
around Mount Bonaparte was thought to be the best place to 
find big game. Last week some Indians came to the mill 
and wanted some grub They had been out four days, and 
had been clear around Mount Bonaparte, and had not seen a 
leer nor killed a grouse. 
I went out a few evenings ago and after three hours' hunt- 
ing with a good dog I got three nice young grouse. They 
were the first 1 have shot at since last fall. I had to use my 
telescope rifle, as my eyes are changed so much that 1 can no 
longer use open sights. However, I did not score a miss; I 
took the heads off from each, and whenever I cannot do that 
well with our modern appliances it will be a sorry day for 
Lew Wilmot. 
Pennsylvania Quail Whistles. 
Allentown, Pa., Sept. 8.— The indications are that we 
are going to have lots of quail this fall. While driving 
through the country this summer they could be heard whis- 
;ling OB every side. E. e, W. 
iJf a country like this, where ponds and lakes are plentiful 
and good boats are scarce, it is often convenient for the 
angler to have a light boat of his own, and to have also some 
means of transporting it readily from olace to place. 
With a view to meeting these indications I had built the 
nicest fishing boat I have ever seen. It is 16ft. long, i2in, 
beam, canvas-covered, with cedar ribs and planking, and has 
a cane seat in the stern. It weighs about 125lbs. It is steady 
enough to stand up and walk around in, yet so well modeled 
and finely finished outside that it is a very easy boat to row. 
It has been universally admired by those who have seen it, 
and has been a constant source of comfort to me during the 
three seasons that it has been in use. It^cost $65, and I do 
not believe anything better or better- 
looking can be made for the money. 
To carry this boat from place to 
place I had made a boat wagon, which, 
so far as I know, is original in design. 
This wairon consists essentially of two 
well seasoned spruce boards, lift, long 
and 8m, wide, fastened together in the ^ 
shape of a letter A, and mounted on a . 
pair of wheels and axle. The axle 
crosses the boards at such a point that 
the boat when loaded is almost bal- 
anced, the front end of the load being 
a little heavier than the hind end. The 
boat is immediately supported bottom 
side up by two perches, of a height 
sufficient to clear it entirely from the 
boards and axle, and is held in position 
by a cleat on each end of each perch, 
and by straps passing from one of 
these cleats to the other over the bottom 
of the boat. Thus mounted, it is obvi- 
ous that the jar produced by jolting 
over rocks and other inequalities in 
the road is distributed along the elastic 
boards instead of being transmitted 
directly to the boat, as would be the 
case if the load rested immediately on the axle. The perches 
and cleats are well padded to prevent the gunwales 
of the boat from being rubbed by -the slight motion between 
them and the cleat. The boat wagon and its load Is fast- 
ened to the rear axle of the riding wagon or buckboard by 
straps which pass underneath staples in the front of the 
boat wagon. At this point the spring boards are reinforced 
by a transverse cleat. The details of this arrangement may 
be seen from the accompanying diagrams and photographs. 
F. T. Bunker, M.D. 
Mainb. 
Middlesex Association. 
The annual meeting of the Game and Fish Protective and 
Propagating Association of Union, Somerset and Middlesex 
counties, N. J , was held last week in Plainfield. The Asso- 
ciation is in a flourishing condition, in spite of many draw- 
bracks, and during the year twenty-five active members have 
been added to the membership roll, in addition to a large 
number of land holders. 
The report of the finance committee showed a balance of 
$83 95 on hand. The committee on game laws reported no 
material change having been made by the last Legislature. 
The committee on slander, to whom had been referred the 
matter of suing certain farmers for slanderous attacks upon 
the Association, reported the matter laid over for the 
present. 
A number of land-owners were accepted as members, and 
the following committee was appointed to secure the names 
of the land-owners and to post their grounds : F. Day, R. H. 
McCuUough, Henry Haurand, W. H. Carman, of Dunellen, 
and J. J. Goff. 
Votes of thanks were tendered to the retiring officers and 
to Counsellor William Newcorn, for their work, and to W. 
H. Carman, of Dunellen, Dr. Nelson, of Newmarket, and 
Percy C. Ohl, for liberating a dozen quail each on the 
grounds of the Association. Thanks were also extended Peter 
Weaver for aiding the officers in protecting game on the 
preserves of the Association at Greenbrook, and to the 
Courier-News and Press for their notices and good-will dur- 
ing the past year. The secretary was instructed to send a 
letter of condolence to the family of Edward W. Hawes, of 
Newark, a member of the Association, who died a short 
time ago. 
The election of officers and directors resulted as follows : 
President, John J. Goff; Vice-President, James Stamfield; 
Secretary, Henry Haurand; Treasurer, R. H. McCullough; 
Counsel, William Newcorn. Board of Directors: F. Day, 
W. H. Carman, Andrew Lutkins, J. J. Goff, Henry Hau- 
rand, George Fielding, R. H. McCullough, Louis Van Dyke, 
August A. Warden. 
The report of the secretary, which was read and accepted 
with thanks, showed that there were forty-eight active mem- 
bers and forty-three land-owners on the roll, making a total 
membership of ninety-three. In the early part of the year 
ten dozen quail were liberated on the game preserves by the 
Association in addition to a dozen each by W. H. Carman, 
of Dunellen, and Dr. Nelson, of New Market. It was in- 
tended to liberate 100 rabbits, but only two dozen could be 
secured. These were liberated at various points and have 
done well, reports show that notwithstanding the loss suf- 
fered by the floods and vermin game is plentiful on the pre- 
serves, and the prospects are that the members wilb Jhave 
plenty of good sport the coming season. Two hundred rab- 
bits for next season have been ordered. 
Besides the regular preserves of the Association at New 
Market, Feltville and WarrenviUe, the secretary reported 
that there were a number of private preserves controlled by 
the Association, some of which have been stocked by their 
owners, while others are used as breeding grounds. No 
shooting is allowed on the latter. The Rothcap farm along 
Greenbrook and the Percy Ohl farm is included in this Ust, 
Contrary to the efforts of the Association, no changes in 
the game laws were made by the last Legislature. The As- 
sociation's committee consisted of Percy C. Ohl and Secre- 
tary Haurand, and their efforts were recorded by the Legis- 
lative Committee on Game and Fisheries, which consisted of 
Messrs. Scovel, Litteret, Hutchinson. Wilder, Stokes and 
Hopkins, and to them many thanks are due. The game 
laws in this section are particularly weU observed, and the 
game warden and his deputies find nothing to do. 
The secretary reported that he had received for initiation 
fees and dues $219. The expenditures had been $136..Q5. 
leaving a balance of $83.95 on hand. A tribute of respec.t 
was paid by him to the family of |ldward W. Hawes, of 
Newark, a member of the association, who died early in the 
summer, and in conclusion he expressed his hope that all 
members may have much fine sport the coming season. 
The Way of the Transgressor. 
Sometimes Ws Hard. 
Haverhedl, Mass.. Sept. 4. — Editor Forest and Stream: 
I copy the following from the columns of our local evening 
paper, the RaverhiU Gazette: "Harry W. Spaulding, of this 
city, pleaded guilty to killing a calf moose when arraigned 
b°fore Judge Durgin in the Dover. Me., Municipal Court, 
Wednesday, and paid a fine of $100 and costs, which the 
judge imposed. 
"Last September a party composed of W. W. Spaulding 
and Harry W. Spaulding (his son), with George Leath, 
Frank Defoe and Amos Thibido as guides, left Kineo for 
Allegash Lake via. Mud Pond Carry. 
"On Oct. 3, while one of the guides was paddling, Harry 
ran across a cow moose with a bull calf. Spaulding was 
sitting in the bow and first flred a shot at the cow and then 
shot the calf. It is not known whether he killed the cow. 
but one was found not far from the spot dead a few days 
after. The guides used a part of the calf for food. The 
charge of killing the cow was not pressed." 
Mr. Spaulding is not a member of our club, I am happy 
to say. 
Geo, F. Stevens, Sec'y-Treas. Haverhill Gun Club. 
And then Again not so Hard, 
ALLENTOvra, Pa., Sept. 8.— Editor Forest and 81/ream: 
Milton Tetter, president of the East Stroudsburg National 
Bank, and Chas. Warman, superintendent of the glass man- 
ufactory at Stroudsburg, were convicted yesterday of illegal 
fishing and each fined $100 and costs, the full penalty. 
Their defense was that the lessee of the land had invited 
them to fish. 
After the decision, Messrs. Tetter and Warner caused the 
arrest of Charles Peters, Charles Dolan and Richard Miller 
for the same offense, and they have been held for trial. A 
peculiar part of the affair is that half the fines go to the in- 
former, and though Messrs. Tetter and Warman were fined 
$100 each, they will receive back $150 for furnishing the in- 
formation for the arrest of the other three. W. 
And Sometimes iVs Harder. 
A decision handed down by .Judge Williston in the dis- 
trict court at Red Wing, Minn., fully sustains the new rule 
of the Game and Fish Commission, looking to the confisca- 
tion of guns and ammunition found in the handg of sports- 
men who are hunting out of season. Last spring the game 
warden at Red Wing seized a large lot of nets and seines in 
the river near Red Wing, and the owner of them brought 
suit to recover possession, claiming that the State had no 
right to confiscate his property. He admitted the right to 
arrest him and impose a fine if guilt were proved, but insisted 
that his nets were his property and that the State had no 
right to take them. The case was fought very earnestly by 
the State, and Judge Williston has decided' in the State's 
favor. He lays down the broad principle that the State has 
the right, as a police regulation, to enact laws looking to the 
confiscation of all property of this sort, whether nets or seines, 
or guns and ammunition, and that the courts have no right 
to grant redress to any party caught red-handed in a viola- 
tion of the fish and game laws and fined in a court of record. 
This decision has braced up the general office in St. Paul, 
and made Executive Agent Fullerton very proud indeed of 
the fifteen handsome guns which his deputies have taken 
hold of since Aug. 1. 
Florida Protective Clubs. 
The Marion County Game Protective Association offers a 
reward for evidence sufficient to convict any person or per- 
sons found shooting, or otherwise destroying deer, quad or 
wild turkey during'the close season. The penalty affixed by 
law is $25 for each quail, $35 for each wild turkey, $50 for 
each deer shot out of season. 
The illegal shooting of quail close to the town limits of 
Titusville has been reported, and will lead to an investiga- 
tion by members of the Titusville Gun Club, which, it is 
hoped, will bring the offenders within the pale of the law. 
Dr. Webb's Hunting' Party. 
Tellowstone Lake, Wyo., Sept. 9.— Dr. Seward Webb, 
of New Tork, and a party, including his two brothers, have 
arrived here en route to the Jackson Hole country on a 
month's hunting trip. There they will be met by Gen. Cop- 
pinger. Sir Ross Price, of London, and a number of army 
men. It will be the largest hunting party ever seen in this 
section of the country, comprising about 100 men. They 
will have a couple of hundred mules and horses with which 
to pack provisions. - 
The Sportsmen's Exposition of 1898. 
New Tork, Sept. 10. — Editor Forest and Stream: The 
next Exposition of the Sportsmen's Association will be held 
at the Madison Square Garden, March 12 to 19, 1898. At a 
very sarly date we shall give all further particulars. 
J. A. H. Drbssel, Sec'y-Treas. 
