Nov. 19, 1898.] 
FOREST AND STREAM. 
41! 
line over two days later I was • not a little surprised 
to find one very large raccoon crouching in under the 
trap as natural as life, so natural indeed that I could not 
believe him to be dead until T touched his rigid body. 
The heavily weighted fall had killed him so quickly that 
there was not a sign of a struggle. 
During the season I caught a skunk in the same trap, 
and he too was killed so instantaneously that he had not 
been given time to fire a parting salute: and his fur 
was as scentless as a lady's muff. From this experience 
T always thought that if I were to trap skunks T would 
set only deadfalls for them. 
For the benefit of young trappers I will add that T 
did not catch mink in all my deadfalls, but caught sev- 
eral in steel traps set along the same line, and four in one. 
set in the lucky place where the raccoon and the skunk 
were taken. 
I know old coon trappers trap this animal success- 
fully in the entrance to the dens in made places with 
bait under water, and that they do not consider them by 
any means the most wary of fur bearers. 
Awahsoose. 
A Virginia Game Country. 
South Boston, Va.. Nov. 5. — Editor Forest and 
Stream: Under the heading of "Why Plantations are 
Posted" Mr. Chas. J. Means said some very good things, 
and some that, every true sportsman should make note 
of, but which I venture to say too few will ever think 
of again. But, my dear shooting friends, that sort of 
treatment is not the only reason we have for posting 
our plantations. If our lands were not posted we would 
not have anything to hunt, nor would we be able to get 
any work done here during the open season, for the negro 
is a very persistent market-hunter, and will kill more 
birds in one day than will one of our Northern friends 
in three. I do not mean to reflect on the ability of our 
visitors, but as they are out for sport and not for slaugh- 
ter they do not exterminate the game like our oavh pot- 
hunters. We have here in Halifax county some very 
good hunting, and if the birds are not hunted too late 
next spring will have a splendid supply next year. Tur- 
keys are also on the increase here, as are woodcock. 
Should any one wish to try their luck in this locality, T 
feel assured that they can have all the quail shooting they 
are looking for. There are good hotel accommodations 
and three liveries; but our dogs are few and scarce, for 
there was an epidemic here last summer which killed the 
best of them. Some very large bags have been made in 
this locality, all full grown and well developed birds. 
H. P. Wilder. 
A Rifle Sight. 
I stood the rifle against a tree for a moment, -a gust 
of wind caused it to fall, and when I took it up T found 
that the Lyman sight had lost its bead, and was as un- 
satisfactory to use as could be imagined. On reaching 
camp I knocked it out and put in a sight of my own 
make fashioned from a silver half-dollar. I have never 
used any other sight that proved so good in all lights. 
The under bevel, A, is always in shadow, and the upper, 
B, always in the light. Almost any German silver sight 
can be cut into the same shape easily. The upper edge 
can be thinned down as much' as desired. . Ktaadn. 
"That reminds me." 
An Old, Old Story. 
The Philadelphia Saturday Post printed last week 
this story, ostensibly as an original anecdotes 
Ole Hanson had trouble with a bellicose dog belonging 
to his neighbor — a Russian by the name of Havva Dren- 
kovitskey. The Swede shot the dog as soon as he dis- 
covered that_ he was not friendly to him, and the sequel 
found him in a justice's court. 
When Ole was propounded interrogatories by the 
attorney for the prosecution, he evidenced a sense of 
justice in framing replies that is rarely witnessed. "What 
sort of a gun did you have, Mr. Hanson?" inquired the 
attorney. "Es var two-hole shotgun." "Don't you think 
you could have scared him away?" "Aye might ef aye 
had not bane scare so lak deckens maesal." "Why didn't 
you take the other end of the gun and scare him away?" 
"Vat, master lawyer, vy dedn' de dog com for mae oder 
end first ef hae vant to hav' mae do det vay vid him vid 
de gun?" 
The Post is, we believe, entitled to the claim of being 
the oldest paper in the United States, but about 200 years 
before Ben. Franklin started the Post this story was 
told, or another one having the same point, in a book 
entitled "Pasquil's Jests, with the Merriment of Mother 
Bunch," printed at London in 1650; and- nobody knows 
how long it had been current before Mother Bunch got. 
hold of it: 
A Country Tanner that was running hastily through 
Eastcheape and having a long Pike-Staffe on his shoul- 
der, one of the Butchers dogs caught him by the breech. 
The fellow got loose, and ramie his pike into the Dogs 
throat, and killed him. The Butcher seeing that his 
Dog was killed tooke hold of the Tanner, and carried 
him before the Deputy, who asked him. What reason 
he had to kill the dogge? For mine owne defence (quoth 
the Tanner). Why, quoth the Deputy, has! thou lln 
other defence but present death? Sir, quoth the Tanner. 
London fashions are not like the Countries, for here the 
stapes are fast in the street, and the degrs are loose, but 
in the Country,, the dogs arc last tied, and the stones are 
loose .to throw at them; and what should a man do in this 
extremity, but use his stafl'c for his own defence? Marry 
(quoth the Deputy) if a man will needs use his staffe, he 
might use his blunt end, and not the sharp spike. True, 
Master Deputy, quoth the Tanner, but you must con- 
sider, if the Dog had used his blunt end, and runne his 
tail at me, then had there good reason for me to do the 
like; but 1 vow Master Deputy, the Dogge came sharp 
at me. and fastened his teeth in my breech, and T again 
ramie sharp at ban, and thrust my pike into his belly. 
By my faith a crafty knave, quoth the Deputy, if you 
will both stand to my verdict, send for a quart of wine, 
be friends, and so you are both discharged. 
Sea Hijd Miner 
tng. 
Proprietors of fishing and hunting resorts will find it profitable 
to advertise them in Forest anp Stream. 1 
New Jersey Pound Nets. 
From the forthcoming report of the New Jersey Fish and Game 
Commission. 
Your commission has on previous occasions called at- 
tention to the existence along the coast of this State of 
large numbers of pound nets, and has urged the pas- 
sage of some legislation restrictive of the operation of 
these nets. It is but a few years ago since hundreds of 
hardy fishermen earned their living either by taking 
fish with hook and line or by sweeping the sea with 
seines. The many residents along the shore, especially 
during the summer time, were thus supplied with an 
abundance of fresh fish. The same was true of some of 
the larger inland waters, estuaries of the ocean. As 
early as 1842 the Legislature passed a law restricting 
the size of net and mesh used in Barnegat Bay, the 
argument used to secure the passage of. the law being 
that the fish were being so reduced in number in con- 
sequence of continual netting, that their practical ex- 
termination was a question of only a very short time. 
The law then passed was in force for a number of years, 
and the benefits derived therefrom were recognized by 
all. so much so that in later years when, despite the 
limited size of net and mesh, the number of fish were 
again on the decrease, the Legislature passed a law still 
further restricting the operations of the netters. The 
protection afforded the fish in Barnegat Bay worked 
excellently, and none would now care to see the law re- 
pealed, and a mere suggestion of such a proceeding 
would cause an uprising which would quickly indi- 
cate the feelings of all persons interested. The protec- 
tion afforded brought to Barnegat Bay hundreds of 
wealthy people from other States, and the income de- 
rived by Jerseymen from these now equals in a week 
more than the tot^il value of the product of the netting 
formerly would have aggregated in a year. 
The fish that came to Barnegat Bay came from the 
ocean, where the high surf prevented the operation of 
destructive nets. It was while the fishermen along the 
coast were supplying the hotels and residents with fish 
that the pound net was devised. * At first one was con- 
structed, and the profits arising therefrom soon at- 
tracted other men of means, and soon our coast was 
lined" with these nets. The individual fisherman had 
been driven to secure other employment, for he could 
not begin to compete with the huge nets, for not only 
did these nets take fish in enormous quantities, but they 
prevented the fish from coming in shore near enough 
to be within reach of the angler or the user of the 
seine. The pound nets wepe supplying fish at a lower 
price, and the benefit to large numbers of consumers 
of fish was offset against the hardships of the individual 
fisherman. But it was soon apparent that the supply 
far .exceeded the demand, and it was necessary to 
.jdevise other means of disposing of the fish taken. It 
was then that fish began to be used for fertilizing pur- 
poses, and the question arose whether the ocean, large 
as it is, could withstand any such drain. Not satisfied 
with their profits from the sale of fish for both food and 
'fertilizing material, the pound net owners increased the 
size of their nets until they reached so far into the 
ocean that it was impossible to raise the pockets except- 
ing when the water was comparatively calm. The 
construction of these nets precludes the possibility of 
any fish getting out after they have once been imprisoned 
in the pockets. The result of the increased size of the 
nets was that annually thousands of tons of fish died in 
the pockets; when the latter were raised these fish were 
dumped into the ocean, and many tons of them were 
washed ashore by the tide, creating not only serious de- 
triment to the seaside resorts, but in some cases nuis- 
ances injurious to health. So great had this nuisance 
become two years ago that a bill was introduced in the 
lower house prohibiting the use of pound nets alto- 
gether; 'the measure was opposed by the lobbyists of 
the trust which to-day controls all the pound nets, but 
it came within one vote of passing. 
Your commission had the previous year advocated the 
passage of restrictive measures, but the pound net own- 
ers argued that they had inv sted thousands of dollars 
in nets, and all they asked for was the privilege of using 
up these nets, which would be done in one year's time. 
The elements then came to the assistance of the people 
living along the shore, and last year every net was swept 
away by a storm. The same has taken place this year, 
and consequently the present seems to be a very good 
time in which to pass some restrictive measure, which, 
while not interfering with the supply of cheap fish, will 
effectually prevent the abuse of the right to net. Fish 
come to the shores for the purpose of seeking the estu- 
aries for spawning purposes, and your commission be- 
lieves that restrictive legislation something like that 
passed in 1842 for the benefit of Barnegat Bay would 
result in similar benefit for the thousands who crowd 
1 nr ocean shores during ihe warm weather, 
"I he statute recominc -id'H 'by the commission reqAareb even' 
pound net to be licensed, iee $100; forbids erection of pounds with 
!eader t nearer shore than 1,000ft. at low water mark, or with leader 
cf I??? than Btyin- mesh, cr with cccktt of less than Sin. mesh: for 
violation of these provisions license -itl be revoked atai] nc rc 
moved. The commissioners may refuse to license any net, hf 
cause of unsuitable location or of applicant's previous c utviction 
for law violation. 
Cuvier Club. 
The Cuviers are still bagging new game, and adding 
largely every day to their ranks of membership. Only 
a few days ago a list of eighteen new members un- 
made public, and yesterday twenty-six more prominent 
citizens were elected members of the famous organiza 
tion. 
President Starbuck predicts that all records will be 
broken this year in membership, and would no- lie sur- 
prised to see other clubs in the city outranked in num- 
ber of members. The club possesses a meritorious ob- 
ject — the preservation of fish and game — and is deserv- 
ing of the popularity it has achieved. The annual ban- 
quet, which is scheduled for Tuesday evening, Nov. 22, 
will be a triumph of the culinary art. It will be under 
care of Chef Max Basse, who has similarly presided 
'for years. All the toothsome game that is then in sea- 
son will be on the menu, as well as the delicious salmon 
and muscalonge that cleave the cold waters of Lake 
Superior and the St. Lawrence River. 
Mr. Washington van Hamm, through Dr. T, C. Minor, 
has presented to the Cuvier Club a beautiful case of hum- 
mingbirds, once the property of Dr. N. B. Wolfe. These 
tiny birds are an admirable creation from almost every 
point of view — as delicate as the cobweb that can cause 
its death, of such emotional intensity that even terror 
alone may quench its life, of ethereal mold and resplen- 
dent color, this tropical atom is, notwithstanding, lion- 
hearted to attack even a man in defense of its nest. 
Valor and grace ne'er found a more unique companion- 
ship. And what a great little traveler the humming- 
bird is, darting like an electric span< from torrid climes 
far up into the arctic regions with each returning spring, 
and back in the fall — the merest mote in the vast blue 
expanse. They are gems of infinite beauty and are. in 
consequence of their brilliant plumage, used in my lady's 
hat with pleasing effect. — Cincinnati Commercial-Tri- 
bune, Oct. 30. 
The annual banquet of the Cuviers will be held next 
Tuesday evening, Nov. 22. when the reception committee 
of seventy members appointed by President Starbtiek 
will give a characteristically cordial welcome to the 
favored guests. 
A Salmon Freak. 
St. Johns, N. B.. Nov. 5— Editor Forest and Stream: 
I enclose a clipping which I cut out of last night's Si. 
Johns Globe. It may.be interesting to some of the 
readers of Forest and Stream; the slip will give all in- 
formation. The salmon are caught and put in this. pond, 
then stripped and let go again into the salt water, and the 
eggs are sent to the hatcheries. 
"An exceedingly interesting fact came under the no- 
tice of the men employed in stripping the salmon ;ii the 
Carleton Pond. One fine looking salmon was provided 
with both roe and milt, and thus was practically of both 
sexes. There could be no doubt whatever of the fac.t, and 
the men say that such a thing never before came, under 
their notice. The fish was .carefully, saved and will be 
kept as a curiosity for Prof. Prince, of the Fisheries De- 
partment, who may come here at any day. The fish in 
its exterior appearance was not different from the others 
in the pond. The work of stripping the salmon has been 
completed and the experts left to-day for their homes. 
Something more than a million eggs were secured, and 
these have been sent to the hatcheries at' Grand Falls and 
Bedford." . H. H. H, 
A Fly and Mosquito Dope. 
Boston, Nov. 8. — Editor Forest and Stream: • I have 
noticed recently several allusions by Mr. Hough to a 
lly and- mosquito dope. To get a good one, nay. to' get 
the best, is the desire of all who go into the woods where 
these "pesky critters" abound. But nearly all these 
formulas have tar as the leading ingredient; Now, tar 
is villainous stuff at best, and I used it for many years 
until I found a better thing. 
Many years ago — it was on my first trip to Amasa 
Ward's camps at Hellgate Falls, Dead Diamond River, 
that Ward gave me a trial of a mixture that he had used 
for years, and here it is: A 6oz. vial is made up of oil 
of pennyroyal, ioz.; ammonia, ioz.; sweet oil, 2oz.: 
glycerine, 2oz. ; larger or smaller quantities in the same 
proportion. It is the best, as well as the cleanest, prepar- 
ation I have ever used, and I have given it to many 
friends, who have used it with great satisfaction. The 
pests of the woods don't like it a little bit, and I con- 
fidently recommend all sportsmen to give it a trial. 
Wm. B. Smart. 
Mr. Robert Graham, of New York, told the Mer- 
chants' Association of the commercial fisher}'- opportu- 
nities in Porto Rico: "The consumption of codfish on 
the island is simply enormous. I should think it is a 
very large factor in the ordinary diet of all classes. 
While the adjacent waters teem with fish, there is very 
little caught, only small lots, which are sold in the 
market places by local fishermen for immediate con- 
sumption, as there are no means of keeping it for trans- 
portation. The salt fish is shipped from Nova Scotian 
provinces; it was formerly shinped from the United 
States, but changes in the tariff and other laws have 
destroyed that business for us." 
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