JTov 6, 1897. J 
FOREST AND STREAM. 
369 
Worn Salmon Files. 
It was at a New York club, and I was faking luncbeon 
with my frienH. Mr. Hetiry P. Wellp, author of the "Ameri- 
^ cm Salmon Fisherman." We had arrived at coflPee and 
dinars when 1 spoke of my experience with a ?almon that 
rose short to a worn and bedraffffled Jack Scctt, and tben re- 
fused several other flies of different patterns and different 
siz s only to rise again and take the oriainal disreputable- 
lookiog Jack Scott. Mr. Wells said that 'his expe-iecce led 
him to believe that not over three or four types of flies were 
necessary to be successful in salmon fishinar. Each type to 
be provided In different sizes. That when a fly became 
worn and tattered it was treasured above any new, brieht 
fly. for when a fish rose short, and after resting refused 
■.f>thpr sizes of^ the same type, the worn and tattered fly was 
. brought out and presented to the fish and, in a ffreat major- 
-lly of cases, it killed, when the new and perfect flies would 
not do the business. 
Golden Trout at Sunapee. 
A. few days ago I wrote to a cnrrefpondent, who asked 
when the Sunapee trout spawned, that they spawned the 
last of October. My corresoondent is a ?pecial State fish 
and game protector, and he desires to watch for the appear- 
ance of the fish which were jilanted in Lake George last 
year in Kovember. I have not the date at hand, but I think 
I went to New Hampshire with the New York Stale fish 
car Nov. 3 or 4 and returned the 8th or 9lh. and forty-two 
adult trout were planted the day the cnr returned to the 
State. Returning home after a few days' absence, T find a 
letter from Dr Qaackenbos, dated at Sunapee Lake Oct 23. 
He has been watching for the front to arrive on the .^hoals, 
where they spawn, and bis letter fixes the date beyond q les- 
fion When the fish appear on the shoals they are caught 
by the hatching men with honk and line, or with nets, and 
confined in the cars in the stream below the hatchery until 
their eggs are taken . Dr Quackenbos's letter reads in part 
as follows : 
"The aureolus charr appeared on the lighthouse shoal 
this morning About 20G males came up from the deep 
water and spread themselves expectantly dver th's reef My 
little daughter Carrie promptly repaired to the sacred pre- 
cincts with a washtub in her boat, the Day Dream and her 
first fish was a 6-pounder It would have done your siul 
good to see the child stand up to the rushes and Imps of that 
big charr, and finally bring him to net in exnuisite style. No 
buck fever; no excitement; no givinff .slack I saw her fake 
several others with a cast Skinner's fluted spoon No. 1. The 
Only remark T heard her make was: 'This beats all the 
monkeys,' and she presented to the Fish Cmiraission, with 
becoming pride, these first fruits of the October rise. One 
peculiarity I noted especially, viz , as soon as she struck the 
aureolus fi?h they leap id into the air and continued jumping 
after the manner of salmon. It required not a httle mrve 
and skill to check the run of a large chirr without splinter- 
ing the rod." 
Miss Carrie has my warmest congratulations, and I wish 
that I might have been there to see the battle royal and to 
lake a part in it, too. I have never taken the Suiaap e trout 
except in summer, and have never seen them leap when 
hooked, so the peculi .rity ]s here noted for the first time. 
, At the breeding season the golden trout is the most beautiful 
of the charrs, and to see one leap from the water in the 
sunlight is worth going far to see. That they fight well 
on the hook, with their big fins extended, I know 
from experienc% and to all their other g >od qual- 
ities the leap bang added, tlu-y are kingly fi*h on the 
hook. In another letter Dr. Quackenbos speaks of the 
work at the State hatchery, now in charge of two young 
men, Messrs James and Edwin Wentworth. Over lOl) 
breeding landlocked salmon from 6 to liilbs. each have been 
-taken and placed m the breeding tank, and 135 brook trout 
from 1 to 51b3. in weight, These young men, by honest at- 
tention to the business intrusted to them, have far exceeded 
the work of thsir predei^essors in taking slack fish, and thty 
are confident of taking 500 breeding eolden trout, and there 
will naturally be a corresponding increase in the number of 
eggs laid down in the Ijatchery. The possibilities at Sunapee 
Beein as great in the way of obtaining eggs of the best of the 
Salmonidm that it has been matter for comment that the field 
has not been worked more vigorously. It is to be hoped 
that this is the turn of the tide. A. N. Cheney. 
MARYLAND TtRRAPlNS. 
Dr. Geo, W. MAssA>fORE, secretary and treasurer of the 
Maryland Game and Fish Protective Association, .sends us 
the following report of investigation of the Maryland dia- 
mond-back terrapin supply: 
"1 recently visited Cri^field, Somerset county, and spent 
several days investigating the causes that have made dia- 
mond-back terrapin so scarce in Maryland waters. More 
terrapins are shipped from Crisfield than from all other 
points in the Slate combined, 1 believe. At Crisflski are 
located the two largest terrapin pords in the Slate, and per- 
haps the only ones of any size in Maryland. The impound- 
ing of terrapin h unquestionably doing more toward exter- 
minating them than all other causes combined. Terrapins 
will not grow in confinement, or at least but very slowly 
nor will they propagate. Tue largest terrapin dealer in this 
country is A. R. Riggin, Crisfidld, whose pound at this time 
contains 20,000 diamond-back terrapins The sisht was 
novel. I visited Mr. Riggia's pound just after the terrapins 
were fed. The scrambling after mashed hard crabs, upon 
which they were fed, was an interesting sight. The terra 
pins were so thick that they were crawling over each other; 
the pound was a moying mass that filled me with wonder 
and amazement. Think of 20,000 diamond back terrapins 
on the move at the same time, within an iaclosure of about 
an acre. The time was low tide, att'ording a go jd view. 
The ditches, grass tussocks aud mud puddhs all seemeci like 
a living, moving, conglomerate mass, struggling for life. 
"The other pound in Crisfield is owned by A. L La- 
Vallettc, who is also an extensive dealer in diamond-back 
terrapins. Mr, LaVallette was the first man to introduce ihu 
impounding of terrapins as a business. The enterprise has, 
no doubt, proven profitable, and others have embarked in 
the same business. All terrapins caught near Crisfield arc 
sold to these two dealers. Mr. LaVallette, I am told, has 
agents at ditferent places in Maryland, who buy up terra- 
pins for him. Mr. Riggin buys considerable of his stock in 
North CaroUna. They are the exact counterpart of the 
Maryland terrapin, aud it is claimed they are as fine in flavor. 
The pounds in which the terrapins are confined are inclosed 
with a tight board fence, tOft. nigh, with wire ecreens across 
the openings where the water floods and ebbs in and out. The 
pounds are watched day and night by armed men to protect 
the terrapins from being stolen. 
From all the information obtained during my stay in Cris- 
field, I am thoroughly convinced that the impounding of 
terrapins must necessarily result in their final extermination. 
It is a well established fact that terrapins will not propagate 
confined in pounds. Females lay from 12 to 20 eggs twice 
during the sea on for incubation. A fair estimate for each 
female would be 30 eggs. Take 20,000 female terrapins now 
held in confinement in the pounds at Crisfield (this number 
I am told is a modest e.ttin:ate), and the result figures up the 
destruction of 600,000 young terrapins. These figures de- 
monstrate very clearly the necessity for a strict enforcement 
of the laws against having in posses.sion t rrapins out of 
season. 
"The impounding of terrapin is clearly a violation of the 
law, both of the general Stale law and the local laws of 
the several terrapin counties. The laws have been allowed 
to go by default, as had the game and fish liws, until the 
Game Warden, through his. deputies has been rigidly en- 
forcing them Ihroughcut the State during the past year. An 
enforcement of the laws at this time against parties who have 
thouEands of terrapin impounded would be ruinous from a 
monetary stand p-^int, It would only be just to notify par- 
ties having terrapin impounded to get rid of their stock dur- 
ing the coming season, and at the same time inform them 
that after the expiration of the open ?eason the laws will be 
strictly enforced. This will be my recommendation to the 
game warelen, Mr. J. Olney Nori-is, and to the executive 
committee of the Maryland Game and Fish Protective Asso- 
ciation. 
"A new general law is much needed in this S'ate, making 
the season for taking and having in possess-ion diamond- 
back terrapins uniform. The State Jaw permits taking ter- 
rapins fi'om Nov 1 to Ap'il 1 The oossession of terrapin 
at any other time is prima facie evidence of a violation of 
the la iv; penalty $5 to $10 for each terrapin. In Charles, 
Calvert and St. Mary's counties the open season is from 
Sept. 1 to May 1, Somerset, Oct. 1 to Aprfl 1. Penalty for 
having in possession terrapin at any other time from $5 to 
|25, varying in the different counties 
"The Stale law is undoubtedly the best law, as five mouths 
(Nov. 1 to April 1) is 1 ng enough season for taking terra- 
pins. It is hoped that all the counties having local laws that 
conflict with the State law, will agree to a uniform season. 
It will be 'neiter to repeal all laws and have a new one passed, 
making the season uniform, regulating the size of terrapins 
allowed to be caught the same in all cenmlies, and impo&irg 
a uniform fine for violations of the law. The Maryland 
Game and Fish Protective Association will be glad to hear 
from parties throughout the terrapin districts of the State, 
giving their views on the sutject, as the AsFOciaticn is 
anxious to assist in having a law passed that will redound to 
the best interests of all patties interested in the protection of 
diamond- back terrapins in Maryland waters " 
THOMAS G ALVORD. 
Editor Fareat and Stream' 
Hon Thomas G Alvokd, one of the oldest and most de- 
voted disciples of Iziak Walton in New York Slate, died at 
his home in Syracuse Oct. 26. in his eighty-sixth year. He was 
widely known, and his excellent qualities of heart and mind, 
his genial, kindly nature and unassuming manner, endeared 
him to all who were fortunate enough to form his acquaint- 
ance. 
His last public service was as vice-president of the Con- 
stitutional Convention three yeais ago. His record of fifteen 
terms in the Assembly is one thai is ran ly equalled. His 
activity in behalf of the suit interest earned for him the so- 
briquet of Old Salt. 
For nearly four-score years Mr. Alvord devoted much of his 
leisure time to arigling, and he was both proficient aud success- 
ful in the art. He first began his piscatorial career in the 
waters of the Hudson River, nine miles above Albany, when 
young enough to be without great discretion, but old enough 
to hook a sunfish; and consequently came near, at one time, 
being drowned by falling from the dock into the water. 
His love for the sport followed him in his college hfe, and as 
frequently as possible he explored the waters of Long Island 
Sound for its blackfisb, porgie.«, etc. He carried the taste 
with him to the Berkshire Hills, and in a sojourn of two 
years explored all of the trout streams and pickerel and bass 
ponds within a day's journey from Pittsfield, Mass. He 
elivided his time for two years between Blackstone and his 
trout rod, on the edge and over the line between wilderness 
and semi- civilization at Keeseville, in Clinton county, N. Y. ; 
and when a full fledged lawyer he had a right to stick out 
his sign, "Attorne3f-at-Law," there was quite often added at 
the bottom a temporary postscript: "P. S. — Gone fishing " 
In 1852, Mr. Alvord, accompanied by his brother-in-law 
from Indiana, paid his first visit to the St. Lawrence River 
and the Thousand Islands, going to Alexandria Bay via 
Oswego. He was charmed with the river, and in after years 
passed a great deal of time there. In writing of his experi- 
ence al the islands, Mr. Alvord once said: "lam a natural 
fisherman; given intensely, whenever opportunity permits, 
to entice and ensnare the cunning water dwellers, i have 
been a visitor to the St. Lawrence with but two exceptions 
(this was written in 1895) each returning season for over 
forty years, and during that period I have again and again 
traversed in its widest extent every nook and corner, islet 
and island, and mainland as well, every shoal and deep of 
the St. Lawrence from Chippewa on the north to the deep 
indentation at the head of Long or Wolfe Island, stretching 
up into Lake Ontario, called Reed's Bay. I have never been 
any day upon the water when my line has not been neglected 
for hours in order to di ink in the invigorating and health- 
laden air, and the wondrous, indescribable beauty and sub- 
limity of diversified island and encirchng water. I generally 
captured all the fish I was entitled to, but, what was far 
better, 1 took in annually a load of health which has pro- 
longed my life and made me retain the feelings of youth in 
spite of the increasing number of years added to my roll- 
call. 
In an article which Mr. Alvord wrote two years ago, en- 
titled, "The Men I Have Met Upon the Great River," he 
mentions the following as some of those with whom he came 
in contact during his visit to the Thousand Islands: Rev. 
Ur. Bethune. Seth Green, Hon. Roscoe Conkling, Presi- 
dent Chester A. Arthur. Wm. J. Skinner, Gen, Benjamin 
F. Bruce. Franklin A. Alberger, Nathaniel S. Benton, Hon. 
E. Kirk Hart, K. H. Park. Hon. Wm D^-wey, Hon. Wm. 
But-terfleld, James Johnston, Col. W. W. Eaos, Hon. Geo. 
E Yoist, Hon. Chas. R. Skinner, Hon. Henry Spicer, Hon. 
Wm. M. Thomson, Hon, John D. Ellis, ex-Assemblymen 
Van Horn, Van Valkenburgh, I "^ w, Burns, Duguid, Baker, 
Chicljerine'. Cougdon. Mooers, Kern. A. X Parker, and A. 
B. Hep'wn: Hon. Warner Miller, Theodore 8 Faxtnn. A. 
D. Berber. Chief Judees Andrews and Riiger. Judges Calvin 
E. Pratt. Daniel Pratt. G"". N. Kennedy, Charles Maeon, 
Pardon C. Wi'liams, Charlp<< L Kennrdy, Peter B McL'n- 
nan. Homer A. Nelson, Jerome Fu'lpr, and .Tndges Van 
Vorst and Smith. Charles G. Emery Rev. Dr. Ropse, Rev. 
Dr. Calthrop. Hon David Gray G^n. Slocum Gen. Gus- 
ta.viis Sninpr, Gen. Davies, Gen. N. M. Curtis. Gen. Wylie, 
Wm. H Vanderbilt. Webster Wagner, Chris. Wolf, Messrs. 
Hickp and Sullecli, Dr. J. G Holland. Hon James J Bel- 
den, Wm. C. Browninff. E R. Holder. C H. and W B. 
Hayden, G^o. M. Pullman. Messr.s. Wicks. Penn, L^e, 
Soraeue. Grirnell. Haves, V«»n Waa'o-nen. Ru^h. Sf'ott, 
Morgan, Lovell. .lames Story, John H. Quimby, Chas. Gay, 
Wm. B Kirk. Lucius Moses and others. 
Mr. Alvord atone time purchased Governor's Island, op- 
posite Clayton, for $170, and it was subsequently sold to C. 
G. Empiy for |5,000. and the former would cite thi.'J as an 
instance showing the increase in the value of property at the 
Thousand Islands during his acquaintance with them. 
Two years ago last summer, while conversing with tb^ 
writer of this article, Mr. Alvord said that he once captured 
three muskallonge in one day near Sabbath Day Point. St. 
L°wrenoR River, which weighed 35, 29 and 171bs. respect- 
ively. He said he had caught larse number.^! of them at 
different times weighing from 17 to 851bs. The largest mus- 
kallonge he ever caught weiffhed 401bs. There were two of 
this size, one being taken in 1889 and the other abont 1883. 
One of them measured 54in. in length. He said he once 
caught 312' b=!. of fi''h in one day and 157 of them were 
black bass. When he first visited the St. Lawrence River 
the only hotel at Alexandria Bay was kept by Mr. Grossman, 
and the only island summer residence was a camp owned by 
Seth Green on what is now known as Manhattan Tslanel. 
Mr Alvord was one of the charter members of the once 
famous Walton Club, the first organization of anglers 
formed for visiting the Adirondacks. W. E, Wolcott. 
THE BANKERS OF NORTH CAROLINA. 
The people and ponie.t which live on the isolated sea 
beaches of eastern North Carolina are locally termed "bank- 
ers," though the term has a significance quite elifferent from 
that of Wall street. Mr Hallook has procured for us, 
through an intelligent local school teacher, a very interesting 
description of them and their habits and it dust ries, which 
will he new to most of our readers. The community of pious 
snuff-dippers which the correspondent describes afford a 
subject for contemplation. 
"Bogue Banks," in Carteret county, N. C. comprise a 
strip of land between Bneue Inlet,' opposite Swansboro, 
Onslow county, and Fort Macon, opposite Beaufort, Carte- 
ret county These banks are like all other banks lands on 
the seacoast, high and rolling, covered with immense forests of 
trees of various kinds, of which the pine and cedar are the 
most valuable. They are twenty-five miles long from inlet 
to inlet, owned by parties on the mainland, so said. They 
are from a half-mile to one and one half miles wide abound- 
ing in various kinds of same, such as deer, coons, opossums, 
squirrels, rabbits, etc.. but no foxes; and wild ducks are 
numerous in the ponds, of which there are many. 
The Sound between the banks and main land is narrow 
and shallow in places, and abounds in geese, .<iwans, a few, 
and ducks, brant, etc., plentifully. The redhead raft duck is 
most prominent or valuable. The Sound is filled with small 
islands, uninhabited save one, Long Island. On this lives one 
man only, with his chickens, ducks, hogs. etc. He is a 
Northern man, from New Jersey, he says. He has been liv- 
ing on this island for three or four years, all alone. Fish, 
clams, crabs, conchs, shrimp and oysters are in plenty all the 
year round, and are caught and shipped to the Northern 
markets by fish and clam hucksters. The citizens on these 
bank.'' are all good, nice people, so far as they know how to 
be. Nearly all belong to the M. E Church, of which there 
are two, and two school houses also. The citizens live in 
two clusters five miles apart. They number 192. They are 
very sociable and kind, but almost entirely ignorant of things 
in the outside world, so to speak; have no education at all; 
not more than a dozen can read, and 75 per cent, don't know 
a letter in the book, as the saying is, although they have been 
having schools here for ages. They don't seem, or won't 
seem, to understand that eelucation is useful. They won't 
allow their children to be corrected or taught right by a 
school teacher or preacher. They believe they know as 
much as you do and act accordingly, hence they are ig- 
norant in many things. They fish, hunt and clam 
for a living. The women tend the gardens, corn and potato 
patches. They all go barefooted, women, men, children, anei 
all, except in cold winter time; go to church and school bare- 
footed, when they go at all. All use tobacco and snuff, the 
women and girls too. The smallest girls chew tobacco and 
smoke pipes. Out of the 190 persons here, there are two 
only, r think, who don't chew and smoke (both); one of these 
chews, and the other dips snuff. Their mode of living is 
simple. Bread and coffee are their principal diet twice a day; 
for dinner they have meat, clams, oysters, fish, etc., if they 
have them, and vegetablesin season; if not, bread and coffee. 
Their mode of fishing is simple, also, with nets and seines. 
They use the plank skiff, from 12 to 20ft. long, to fish with, 
and a sharpie on the same order, only larger, to carry their 
fish and clams to market. The time to fish is all the year, 
but the principal time for making their money is in the fall, 
from September to Nov. 15 for mullets, and from December 
to April 15 for sea trout. Sometimes they fish outside in the 
ocean with seines and large sharp-ended boats calleel surf 
boats; this is done in October mostly. Their seines (for out- 
side) are l^in. mesh, about 200yds. long, generally. Inside 
(Sound), they use different sizes of meshes, from 1^ to 21-in.: 
join several nets together, aud go, as they call it, "snooks" 
all round. 
The general lay of the banks is from east to west, twenty- 
five miles from Bogue to Beaufort inlets. I think this 
would be a great place for pleasure-seekers in the summer- 
time, and as it is very healthy and few insects to bother, I 
should not be surprised if in time Northern and Western 
tourists and pleasure-seekers would find eastern Carolina 
suited to their occasion and minds for rest, pleasure and 
recreation, especially Bogue Banks and vicinity. These 
good people have hogs, cattle and chickens, but no draught 
horses; what farming they do is with the hoe, except now 
and then one acts as horse to pull the plow, while another 
holds the plow handles. Tame Bank ponies roam over the 
islands and sounds extensively, and cattle by the hundreeis 
are driven yearly on and off from the mainland for pas- 
turage, Shooting sea loons is another sport ; thousands of 
these large birds fly oyer here on thejr way aorth 
