2S0 
FOREST AND STREAM. 
[Sept. 35, 1897. 
"Here's the Bucktail's burgee. Hail her when you meet 
her. 'Da- Whoop!' Shall I tell you how the original owner 
of this tail passed me on the yery top of Bald Hill and how 
neatly I cut him down with the old muzzle-loader? No, I 
forhear! He did pass me, without a scratch, made a rattling 
race, was watered at 'long rifle' and squelched by an army 
musket; twelve huckshot and a bare-fooled boy. I was 
glad to save a fore quarter, my hound and — the tail." 
It was not convenient to meet him on the Tiadatton that 
year, but later I ran into his camp on the Fulton Chain, and 
I would have known it was Nessmuk's camp if I had not 
heard that he was ahead of me. A little tent of very light 
duck, which was just big enough for a small man to crawl 
into, was his shelter. A gum blanket and a woolen one were 
his bed, with no leaves nor balsam boughs under it, and a 
frying-pan, small tin pail to serve as a camp kettle, another 
containing salt pork for frying, a tin box of hard tack or 
pilot bread, and a coSee pot was all that was in sight, and all 
made of the lightest materials and just sufficient for one 
man. I gave his war cry; "Da-Whoop!" and soon he came 
paddling around a point and landed. After salutation I 
looked over his boat and outfit. 
And such a boat! He had been experimenting in boat 
building with the sole idea of reducing weight, which he 
had to pack over the Adirondack carries, where the portages 
vary from a few yards to three miles or more. The Nipper 
was very light, too light for most men. it weighed about 
251bs. The Bucktail, which I never saw, he told me 
weighed 19lbs., and now I beheld the Sairy Gamp, so named 
he said: "Because she never took water." This latter 
creation of the JSTessmukian brain and hand was, as I re- 
member it, about Sift, long and weighed between 10 and 
lllbs. These figures are from memory, my volumes of 
FoBEST AST) Stream are boxed and in storage and I am 
writing at a distance. This boat formed part of the exhibit 
of Forest ajst) Stream at the World's Fair, being loaned 
for the occasion by the National Museum of Washington, 
where it has been deposited. 
In the boat lay the little double-bitted axe which he de- 
vised and which bears his name when made to-day, a two- 
piece bait rod, about 8ft. long without a reel, the line tied to 
the end of the rod, boy fashion, and a few trout. 
"I was just thinking of coming in to get dinner when I 
heard your hail, and 1 want you to stop and fish with me 
this afternoon. Oh, you needn't bother to count the trout, 
I've got some more dressed and in a tin pail in a cool spring, 
never fear about that." 
He had read my thought correctly, and his statement that 
he had a base of supplies in the woods decided the question. 
I was alone in a boat hired from a ' 'camp" for the sole pur- 
pose of getting on the trail of Nessmuk, and I would stay. 
I went for dry wood while he went for his stores. We got 
up an excellent dinner. Having but one frying-pan, he 
roasted the trout in the ashes, first wrapping them in a wet 
newspaper and putting a piece of pork inside of each fish. 
He brought out several pairs of giant frogs' legs and fried 
them in the pan. 
"Tlie trout'll take longer to cook," said he, "and we'll eat 
the frogs first while the coffee's boiUng, and then we'll try a 
few trout, not too many, because I've got a few ribs of moun- 
tain mutton to top off with." 
I began to feel that I had nnderrated the resources of this 
old woodsman when I mentally counted the trout in his boat 
and thought there was about enough for one, and he was not 
expecting company. It was late in June and the law forbade 
the killing of deer for many weeks to come. He had no 
rifle nor gun of any kind, and I knew he would not subject 
himself to suspicion by bringing a gun into the woods at that 
time of year, so I said: "The mutton is probably from 
farmer Dunning's flock; he has many head roaming these 
hills" 
"Well, yes," said the old man, "I met Alvah yesterday 
and he gave me quite a bit of a fore-quarter; in fact, all I 
would take, for he said he had more than he could keep 
fresh and was glad to find some one who wanted it and 
could keep his mouth shut. What made you think of Alvah 
Dunning?" 
"Merely this. I took dinner with the old man yesterday 
and he had a bit of 'mountain mutton' and I know, and so 
do all other men in this region, that old Alvah lives in these 
woods the year round and believes that he has a right to kill 
a deer to supply his needs. I would not partake of venison 
out of season at any table in the woods except that of Alvah 
Dunning, and I would enter a complaint against any other 
man who had venison in June, if I knew it. But the old 
trapper does not kill for sport and firmly believes that these 
woods belong to him by virtue of a residence in them of over 
half a century." 
"That's my opinion," replied Nessmuk, "he will never 
exterminate the deer by taking an odd one out of season, 
and the people here know it, but the law cannot make a dis- 
tinction between him and the so-called sportsman, who 
would come into the woods and kill 100 deer, to brag of, 
and leave them to rot." 
The fried frogs and the baked trout had preceded the 
''mutton" chops, and all had gone where they would do the 
most good to two hungry woodsmen. We lay in the shade 
and slept • for what is so good as a nap after a meal ? And 
then there is little use in fishing for any fish in midday. The 
camp was well placed on a point on the north side of the 
lake, where the summer breezes from most points of the com- 
pass kept it free from black flies and mosquitoes. Nessmuk 
had that knowledge of all those little things which enable a 
man to be comfortable where others would be miserable — 
things hardly worth mentioniug, but which separate com- 
fort from discomfort, and which only a thoughtful, observant 
man would ever learn, 
I fished with him that afternoon, and he took me to a 
spring hole where trout were plenty and we had good sport; 
he fishing with venison for bait witnin lOft. of the boat, and 
I using the fly where it did not interfere with him. He was 
the same old "snatch 'em in" pot-fisher, and enjoyed it; but 
he loved the woods and their solitude, and was perfectly 
able to take care of himself in them alone, with either rod or 
gun. He was bright, poetic and witty. His volume of 
"Forest Bunes," published by the Forest and Stream Pub- 
lishing Co., contains some of the most vigorous, manly verse 
in the English language. That is a very broad statement, 
but it is a deliberate one. The same company has also pub- 
lished a little book entitled "Woodcraft," by Nessmuk, and 
he was entirely competent to write upon the subject. 
NesBmuk was one of those self-reliant men, who are the 
only ones who ever make good woodsmen. He was jolly, 
generous and convivial. He may have been a good shoe- 
maker; of this I know nothing; but he was a good handier 
of light canoes, into which I would never trust my life, and 
I have crossed Broadway at Fourteenth street and eaten 
"goulash" in a Hungarian restaurant. I merely mention 
these things to show that I can take desperate chances if 
necessary. 
After the events recorded in this more or less veracious 
sketch, old Nessmuk came down the Hudson River, camp- 
ing all the way, until he reached New York city, when he 
beached the Sairy Gamp and pitched his tent in Central 
Park, procured wood from some source and proceeded to 
cook his supper. A gray-coated park policeman, who is 
generally known as a "sparrow cop," ran him in, and he 
spent the night in a cell at a police station. 
What if his neighbors say that he was idle and preferred 
loafing in the woods to doing anythirg else? That is noth- 
ing to me; I enjoyed his society, which, if he had been 
thrifty, would never have come my way. I only know that 
I would like to meet him in the woods and on the streams 
NKSSMoft. 
From "Woodcraft." 
again. I don't know his neighbors, and don't want to know 
them. The little village of Wellsboro, Pa., has undoubtedly 
produced many more "substantial" men than George W. 
Sears, but never a more intellectual one. Like Edgar A. 
Poe, his neighbors, in Harlem, cannot understand why peo- 
ple make pilgrimages to his cottage. To them Poe was only 
a poor victim of an^appetite, and this outweighs all his other 
qualities. 
Some day adelver in poetic lore will dig up some nuggets 
from Nessmuk, and the wonder will be that we never heard 
of this man before. I think that I have presented over a 
dozen copies of "Forest Runes" to friends who would appre- 
ciate them, and then I have had from him many verses not 
intended for publication, which I have greatly enjoyed. 
Mr. Sears died on May 1, 1890, aged sixty-nine. Readers 
of Forest and Stream showed their regard for him by a 
testimonial fund by which a handsome memorial bronze, 
designed by Mr. Geo. T, Brewster, was provided for his 
monument in the village cemetery of Wellsboro, 
Fred Mather. 
[The Central Park camping incident, while told with suT - 
stantial correctness, was of much earlier date.] 
PENNSLYVANIA COIVl M ISSION. 
At the convention of fish protective associations at Har- 
risburg, Pa., Sept. 15, to devise means foi- carrying on the 
work of the Fish Commission, there were present Gov. 
Hastings; S. B. Stillwell, of Scranton; James A. Dale, York; 
W. E. Sleehan, Howard A. Chase, William P. Thompson, 
E. H. Frishmuth, Warren G. Sellers, William H. Green, 
Charles Wetherill and Dr. Bushrod W. James, all of Phil- 
adelphia; Col. H. C. Trexler and Lewis L. Roney, Allen- 
town; John Price Wetherill, Bethlehem; Dr. Frank Mon- 
roe, Chester; John P. Austin and J. A. Smith, Renovo; 
W. 0. Soult, Lewistown; Dr.W. B. Shaner, Pottstown, and 
others. 
CoL Trexler presided, with Mr. W. G. Sellers secretary. 
Gov. Hastings addressed the meeting as follows: 
"I desire to say to you with reference to the purpose of 
your assembling" here to-day that an emergency has come 
upon us which must be met by the people of the Common- 
wealth who are interested in the continuance of the hatch- 
eries of the Slate and the propagation of our food and game 
fish. The appropriation usually made by the Legislature for 
the propagation of fish was lost purely by accident. I took 
the trouble to make a careful examination into the matter, 
and I beg to assure you and the people of the State that it 
was simply an accident — an oversight— and we are now con- 
fronted with this emergency. 
"We have Jour haicheries in the State to day. Two of 
these hatcheries are at Corry and Allentown, and I am in- 
formed by the president of the Commission that we have 
brood fish of the value of at least $40,000, and we have no 
money that we ckn get from the State to even sustain those 
brood fish, to say nething of continuing the hatcheries at 
Erie and at Bristol. Now, my judgment is that the people 
of this Commonwealth are too patriotic to permit those fish 
to be lost and om* fisheries interests in this State to collapse 
for a period of two years. I believe that if this matter is 
properly presented to the people of the State, that we can 
have by voluntary contribution as much money as will be 
reasonably necessary to continue our hatcheries and to con- 
tinue the work that this Commission is now performing so 
industriously and so intelligently. 
"I am informed by the President of the Fish Commission 
that if $30,000 is raised, that that would meet the emergency 
that is now before us; it will require about $10,000 for each 
of the two years. 1 will say to you — not as the Chief Ex- 
ecutive of the State, but as a citizen, as your fellow-citizen 
— that my judgment is that the next Legislature will prob- 
ably refund this money. I cannot give you any assurance 
of it whatever, and whoever makes any subscription to this 
$.30,000 that we propose to raise will have to make it with- 
out any guarantee from me or from the Fish Commision, 
and no promise of the return of this money has been made 
either by myself or the Fish Commission, but I would sug- 
gest to you that a proper presentation of this matter be made 
to the people of the State, and that it be spread broadcast 
through the newspapers, and that personal appeals should 
be made to any of our fellow citizens who are interested in 
the continuance of the propagation of fish. 
'^'When we come to look at it, it would take only forty 
gentlemen who would give $500 apiece to help us out, I am 
not only willing to be one of .he forty, but 1 now authorize 
your secretary to take my subscription for this amount; and 
1 will (?ay to you further, that I am authorized by the Attor- 
ney General of this State to make a subscription in his be- 
half for the same purpose, for $500. That will leave but 
$19,000 to raise. 
"If you will permit me to suggest to you, I presume that 
it would be wise to prepare the memorial to the people of the 
State and let it have the weight and influence of the Fish 
Commission and all other organizations in the State that are 
interested in the propagation of fish. Do not confine your 
subscriptions to f'iOO, but take what the good people of the 
Commonwealth can give to you, whatever the amount may 
be, and in whatever manner I can help you, either as an in- 
dividual or as the Executive of the State, I am ready to be 
commanded by you ; I am ready to help you in every pos- 
sible way, and I have no doubt — I have not the least doubt — 
that when this matter is fairly presented to the people of the 
State you will have the $20,000 without much trouble. 
"I desire to thank you most cordially, both as the Execu- 
tive of the State and as your fellow-citizen, for this very 
patriotic effort upon your part to save the fisheries interests 
of the State " 
Mr. Meehan stowed that fish to the value of |60,000 
would be destroyed if the Commission's work should not 
be continued; the value of the fish in the Corry and Allen- 
town hatcheries he put at $40,000. 
Pledges were received from various associations and 
clubs reaching the aggregate of over $11,000. All money 
is to be sent to Henry Demuth, of Lancaster, the Treas- 
urer of the State Fish Commission. 
It appeared from statements of delegates that many 
clubs had not been together during the summer, and that 
they would contribute to the fund during the fall. Dr. 
Bushrod W. James, of Philadelphia, made a motion, 
which was adopted, instructing the secretary to urge upon 
all clubs and associations prompt action. 
Mr. Austin, of Renovo, suggesteed that a form of receipt 
be prepared which would make reimbursement by the 
Legislature an easy matter. 
Dr. Dale's motion for the appointment of a committee of 
five to draft bills for the consideration of the fishermen of 
the State before the next session of the Legislature was 
adopted. On motion of Dr. Dale the drafting of a proper 
form of receipt for subscriptions was referred to the com- 
mittee on memorial. 
Mr. Thompson, of Philadelphia, suggested that each club 
and association should appoint a trustee for this fund, to 
whom all money should be payable. 
The question of legislation for the fishery interests of the 
State was discussed at some length. Mr. Sellers, of Phila- 
delphia, outlined a plan for the organization of fishculture 
associations, which will act in harmony with the State Fish. 
Protective Association. He thought in this way more ef- 
fective work can be accomplished in securing necessary 
legislation. Mr. Chase indorsed what was said by Mr. 
Sellers regarding club membership. He stated that the 
Fish Protective Association has a handsome permanent 
fund, which is used in practical work. 
Mr. Sellers said one idea of the consolidation of the vari- 
ous fishing clubs in a central organization like the State 
Fish Protective Association is to interest all in fishculture, 
and to have annual conventions alternately in Harrisburg 
and Philadelphia, meeting here during the sessions of the 
Legislature. 
Mr. Thompson suggested that the organization of clubs 
would also result in the more intelligent propagation of 
fish, in that the availability of streams for the propagation 
of certain fish would then be considered. 
Mr. Smith, of Renovo, took the same view, and it was 
generally agreed by the convention that united work on 
the part of societies and clubs interested in fishculture 
would result in better things. A State league of clubs was 
the central thought. 
The question of private fishing clubs — those that control 
leased streams — being afiiliated with the State Fish Pro- 
tective Association was discussed somewhat. Several dele- 
gates related incidents showing that these private clubs are 
doing great good, and that^they are, in a general way, help- 
ing along the work of all engaged in promoting the fishery 
interests of the State. Local associations, it was remarked 
by a half-dozen delegates, are necessary to secure effective 
legislation in the enactment of a proper general law. 
Dr. James presented very clearly the idea that there 
must be unity of action and harmony. He said there 
could be no general law until some concessions are made 
and the various elements in all the counties are brought 
together. 
Dr. Dale, of the State Fish Commission^ thought it 
would be well to have a committee to prepare a general 
law or laws and refer' them to the various clubs for re- 
vision and amendment, so that when the Legislature 
meets the bill can be presented with something like har- 
monious support. Mr. Meeban spoke in the same vein 
and asserted that there would always be bitter opposition 
to too drastic a bill. 
Mr. Charles Wetherill said the calling together of the 
sportsmen of the State to consider these matters by the 
State Fish Commission was a compliment to the sports- 
men, and the steps to be taken ought to be taken very 
carefully. He thought that the arrangements for raising 
the fund necessary having been completed, an adjourned 
meeting should be held, when the subject of legislation 
could be more carefully considered. 
On motion of Mr. Thompson, of Philadelphia, it was 
declared to be the sense of the convention that all associa- 
tions of the State should have full membership and afiilia- 
tion with the State Fish Protective Association, with the 
view of assisting in the enactment of proper laws. 
Mr. Meehan read a paper on the relations between the 
State Fish Commission and commercial fishermen. He 
suggested that if the commercial fishermen on the Susque- 
hanna and elsewhere were to send strong and reasonable 
delegations to discuss the matter with the Fish Commis- 
sion some understanding could be arrived at which would 
be satisfactory all around. He suggested, in conclusion, 
that "it is time that the strained relations which exist be- 
tween the Commission and the commercial fishermen be 
replaced by good feeling and hearty, unanimous, co- 
operation for the increase of the food fishes of the State, to 
the profit alike of the people, the fishermen and the Com- 
monwealth." 
The chair appointed the following committees: On Me- 
morial and Other Papers, Wm. E. Meehan, Philadelphia; 
