May 7, 1898.] 
FOREST AND STREAM. 
369 
Jackson^s Hole and the Park. 
Jackson, Wyo., April 8. — Editor Forest and Stream: 
The pending bill, introduced by Senator Hansborough, 
extending Park control over the Teton Timber Reserve, 
seems to have caused much misapprehension and idle 
comment, generally amusing, often exasperating. 
The primary object of the measure is the acquisition 
of a winter range for the big game of the Park. There 
are "side issues," but everything else is subservient to 
the central idea of game preservation. This idea is 
timely, well founded, and deserving of encouragement. 
No sane, disinterested person will demur to any meas- 
ure calculated to benefit the national pleasure ground 
without working a hardship upon the contiguous States. 
But why should the Eastern sportsmen seek to harass 
the settlers of this valley whenever the question of Park 
extension is mooted? 
Various articles have appeared, in various journals, 
tending to calumniate our people. For instance, the 
point is frequently made that an extension of the Na- 
tional Park south would result in driving out many 
desperate and dangerous poachers — men who live by 
depredating on the Park. And Jackson's Hole is the 
"bete noir" of many advocates of a southern addition 
to the Park; they invariably refer to the matter as 
"taking in the Jackson's Hole country," thus ousting 
a set of savage centaurs, not only for. the betterment of 
the game, but for the protection of sportsmen as well. 
Now air this is not only nonsensical, but it indicates, on 
the part of the writers, ignorance or malice, or both. 
Perhaps a truthful synopsis of the situation may cause 
a better understanding all around. 
_ The name Jackson's Hole is an indefinite designa- 
tion. Locally it means the settled portion of Snake 
River Valley east of the Teton Pass and southeast of 
Teton Peak; popularly it means all of the country lying 
along Snake River from the south line of the National 
Park to the mouth of Hoback's River. The Jackson's 
Hole settlement proper, surrounding the Jackson 
post-office, embraces nearly six townships, has a vot- 
ing population of about 150, a tri-weekly mail service, 
and a class of citizens who need not fear compari- 
son with an equal number in any neighborhood in the 
Union. 
Instead of being temporarily held by a migratory band 
of poachers this country is permanently settled by a 
peaceable, prosperous and intelligent people. The ranch- 
men here are engaged in cattle raising, and some mead- 
ows yield as much as 250 tons of hay per season. 
True, many of our people act as guides, and furnish 
outfits for tourists and hunters each season; but they 
do not poach. No one but a simpleton would sneak 
into the Park to hunt, and run the risk of detection 
and punishment, when a far better game country can 
be found nearer home. Nor should the people of Jack- 
son's Hole be judged by tourists who have been no 
further south than Jackson's Lake, and have there come 
in contact with a few itinerant rumsellers. Here we 
have a regularly organized school district, a good school- 
house, and a commodious and comfortable club house. 
And have we, who live in the heart of the game coun- 
try, done nothing for game protection? 
The people of Jackson's Hole took the initiative in 
stopping the wanton slaughter of big game by the In- 
dians; it was this local action which forced the ques- 
tion upon the Federal courts, and ultimately resulted 
in the far-reaching decision of the U. S. Supreme Court 
affirming the contention of the Wyoming State authori- 
ties that Indians were amenable to the State game laws 
as well as whites. 
" At a recent mass meeting, called at the suggestion of 
our Congressman, a resolution was adopted favoring 
the addition of the Teton Timber Reserve to the Na- 
tional Park. Does this action savor of "lawless poach- 
ers" who dread the proximity of legal restraint? We 
live here among the big game, and we want it pro- 
tected — for selfish if for no higher reasons — and we know 
more about the exigency of the situation than the whole 
army of squirrel hunters, who have yet to cross the 
Mississippi. 
Extend the Park, certainly. We want this matter set 
tied soon and permanently; but no one who is familiar 
with existing conditions expects the proposed extension 
to include the Jackson's Hole community. 
There should be ample room in the National Park 
for breeding ground and winter range for the elk and 
deer, whose natural habitat it is; but it is not necessary 
to take half the State of Wyoming for this purpose. 
Enough is a good thing, and can be obtained, but an 
efifort to get too much will result in disaster to the 
whole plan. 
It is the impression of a good many people of ordi- 
nary . intelligence that a sportsman occasionally wants 
sport, and that legitimate sport is harmless and health- 
ful. Shooting big game, subject to sensible legal re- 
strictions, is by many considered the very acme of field 
sport. In order to shoot big game there must be some 
place where hunters can go with a certainty of finding 
such game. It would seem unjust and impolitic to cor- 
ral all the big game in the National Park. Let the Park 
embrace all the unoccupied territory requisite for the 
maintenance of a large and varied assortment of native 
game animals; but leave us a few hills and dales where 
the true sportsman can enjoy his brief outing, unvexed 
by the arbitrary restrictions of the national preserve. 
D. C- NOVVLIN. 
Eskimo Curlew at Curritwck, 
Knott's Island, N. C, April 28.— There has been 
the largest flight of Eskimo curlew to-day I have seen 
in thirty years. There were thousands upon thousands 
of them. I do not know how to account for it unless 
they have been blown in by the northeast storm, which 
has been blowing about fifty miles an hour for the last 
thirty-six hours. I know they are often seen on the 
Pacific coast on their way from China and Japan to 
Alaska and other northern points; but they were never 
seen in such quantities here for many, many years past. 
I placed mj^ decoys exactly in the line of flight, and ex- 
pected fine sport, but thej^ would not decoy at all. I 
only succeeded in bagging three. They were very large, 
but exceeding thin, proving, I think, that they had been 
flying a great distance. 
English snipe have not been abundant here this spring, 
forty-five being the largest bag I know of by one gun. 
But yellowlegs, especially the large size (winter yellow- 
legs), are very plentful just now. I shot fifty-one one 
afternoon this week. The small-sized yellowlegs and 
dowitchers are usually here in quantities all through 
May. It is too cold for them yet; the thermometer is 
down to almost freezing to-day. More Anon. 
Df, Massamofe. 
The Baltimore Sun gives these notes of Dr. Geo. W. 
Massamore's life: 
Dr. Geo. W. Massamore was born In Manchester, Car- 
roll county, Md., but had lived nearly all his life in Bal- 
timore. About the time he completed his studies the 
civil war broke out, and his sympathies being with the 
South, he enlisted in the Confederate army and fought 
throughout the war under Gen. Ewell. Upon several 
occasions Dr. Massamore distinguished himself for gal- 
lantry upon the field. He was in the battle at Gettysburg. 
At the close of the war Dr. Massamore ixturned to Bal- 
timore and entered the Baltimore College of Dental Sur- 
gery, where he graduated in 1867. Pie practiced here 
for a number of years until forced to give the work up 
because of ill-health. Pie was one of the best known 
numismatists in the country, and owned a costly collec- 
tion of coins and medals. In 1881 he was elected a 
member of the Numismatic and Archseological Society 
of New York and continued a member until his deatk. 
He was also an enthusiastic stamp and autograph col- 
lector. His autograph collection contained the signa- 
tures of Washington, Jeflerson, Jackson and other men 
famous in American history. 
Dr. Massamore was perhaps best known throughout 
the State as an enthusiastic sportsman. He was zealous 
in having the game laws of Maryland improved. He was 
secretary of the Maryland Game and Fish Protective As- 
sociation, and also a member of a similar association in 
the District of Columbia. Recently he was appointed 
jj,ssistant State game warden. 
About a year ago Dr. Massamore had seines hauled 
in the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal, saving in this manner 
thousands of bass, which he put back in the Potomac 
River. It was through his efiforts that the bill for a close 
season and restricting the methods of fishing in the Po- 
tomac became a law, He spent much time at Annapolis 
during the January and February sessions of the recent 
Legislature looking after the bill making game laws uni- 
form in every county in Maryland. While engaged in 
this work it was that he caught the cold that finally re- 
sulted in his death. 
John Gomez has a New House* 
The Fort Myers, Fla., Press has this story of a re- 
cent Panther Key real estate transaction: Down on 
Panther Key, on the southern end of Lee County, 
among the Ten Thousand Islands, is the home of John 
Gomez and his wife, Mr. Gomez being probably the old- 
est living man in the United States. A few days ago 
we learned of a new incident in the life of the old man, 
from Mr. J. W. Watson, who lives about eighteen miles 
from the veteran. 
Some time ago another old citizen on the Keys named 
Brown made a bargain with John Gomez to build a new 
five-room cottage for him on condition that Gomez was 
to deed him his island when he died. John Gomez is 
now 117 years old, and Brown was about 65 years old. 
Brown naturally expected that he would soon come into 
possession of the island through the death of the old 
man, but he reckoned without his host, for Brown has 
crossed over the river to that unknown land from whence 
none ever return, while old John Gomez is in posses- 
sion of the new five-i^oom cottage, in good health, and 
apparently good for a dozen years more of this life. 
John Gomez was born in Portugal in 1781, and when 
a young child moved to Bordeaux, France. At the age 
of twelve he came to the United States, and for the 
past twenty-two years has lived on Panther Key, an out- 
side island of the Ten Thousand group. He is hale 
and hearty, apparently able to take care of himself for 
some time to come. His wife is a pleasant old lady of 
seventy-five j^ears, and shows more feebleness than does 
"Old John" himself. He occasionally visits Fort Myers, 
and has many friends here who are always pleased to see 
him. 
A Camp-Fire on Jersey City Heig'hts* 
Recently between twenty-five and thirty ladies and 
gentlemen gathered at the residence of a well-known 
sportsman on "The Heights," to renew old associations 
and recall Adirondack experiences. New York and 
Brooklyn, as well as New Jersey, were represented by 
men as expert with rifle and rod as in business, medicine 
and theology. Patriotic song and excellent piano and 
harp music prepared the way for camp-fire reminiscences. 
Then a prize contest in storytelling took place under the 
following rules: 
1. Each story must be of personal experience in the 
Adirondacks. 
2. Each story must be limited to three miutes. 
3. Each story must relate strictlj' to the topic as- 
signed. 
4. Each story must tell the truth, the whole truth, 
and everything but the truth. 
Two prizes were awarded: First, for the best story, a 
paddle; second, for the poorest story, a can of powder 
(sand). The ladies of the company were the judges. 
Among the topics announced were these: Setting fire 
to water and cooking dinner over it; supper time in 
camp and rations lost in the woods, with parallel be- 
tween the sinking of the Maine and the sinking of a 
little buck in Cascade Pond, both caused by an outside 
explosion; reflections in a beech tree at midnight; 
chasing a deer with grappling irons; initiation in Adi- 
rondack life, with incidental comparison between the 
"dogs of war" and dogs of the Adirondacks; how four 
women took hold of one man, saying "iGve us a row," 
and how the speaker gallantly came to the rescue; medi- 
tations on Watch Rock. 
Much merriment attended the contests and the award- 
ing of prizes. Who won must remain a mystery as 
impenetrable as "The Lady or the Tiger?" It is suffi- 
cient to say that the programme was so eflrective that 
when the dining room was reached everybody had a 
genuine woods appetite. The favors were cedar tips 
fresh from Blue Mountain Lake. Later followed by re- 
quest a stereopticon exhibition of forest views, mainly 
photographed by gentlemen present At a late hour 
the camp-fire went out, but its cheery reflections will 
long brighten the memories of those who gathered 
around it. Juvenal. 
PRESENT AND PROPOSED PARK BOUNDARIES. 
