9^ 
FOREST AND STREAM. 
A Melange. 
BY FRED MATHER, 
Black Bass. 
There is quite a demand for black bass for stocking 
private waters, and no source of supply. There are a 
ifew dollars in this trade for a man who has facilities 
tfor breeding them, but no one seems to take hold of it. 
If I were permanently settled by a suitable pond I 
■would grow bass for stocking waters. Each year I 
!have letters asking where they can be had. and "I 
odon't know " is the answer. The State of New York 
ifills a few applications for these fish, but I think they 
are mostly yearlings which are sent out, and in small 
lots. A man in Sullivan countj^ N. Y., says: "I want 
a lot of 200 black bass, some of each species, which will 
spawn next spring. A man got twenty little fish some 
three or four years ago to stock five ponds with, and he 
has no bass fishing yet. A few small ones have been 
seen, but that's all." 
To this man I say: Your friend scattered his seed 
too much. He should have put the twenty into the best 
pond, and from that stocked the others. As he received 
them when young, he could not distinguish sex, and he 
might mismate them badly with only four in a pond. 
With twenty fish there is small chance that all, or most 
all, will be of one sex. Brains must be used in fishcul- 
ture as well as in other things. 
I have three other inquiries for black bass, and all 
want fish that will spawn next May or June, and that 
means fish from 8 to I2in. or more extreme length. All 
these inquiries are outside the State of New York, and 
'two want only the small-mouth, while the other wants 
both species. He is wise; put them both in and let 
the fittest survive. A bad name, given to the big- 
mouth when black bass first began to attract the atten- 
tion of anglers, has stuck. It may interest a younger 
.generation of anglers to know that forty years ago these 
gamy fishes were hardly known to anglers, and as soon 
as they began to attract attention some persons, to 
show their exquisite discrimination, began to praise one 
to the detriment of the other. Dr. Henshall and I have 
had the courage to fight this, and to say that in game 
qualities there^is little difference, and that what there is 
depends on the weight of the fish, albs, being its fight- 
ing weight. Further than to say that the big-mouth is 
not so capricious about taking the fly as his brother — 
i. e., will usually take it more freely — I have not room 
to go into this subject here. I have written all this be- 
fore and intend to keep at it until justice is done to a 
noble game fish. 
What is wanted is a supply of black bass of both 
species, of a size fit to breed from each coming spring. 
Such fish, being comparatively large, are expensive to 
transport, as but few may be carried in a ten-gallon_ can, 
but there are men willing to pay for them and for delivery 
at their ponds. 
That Frog Farm. 
In Forest and Stream of Jan. 14 the frog farm of 
Miss Mona Selden, Friendship, N. J., was noticed, and 
her remarkable results were commented on in a spirit of 
unbelief. I sent a copy of the paper to Miss Selden 
and wrote her. The letter was returned stamped "No 
such office in State named." This was not a great sur- 
prise, for an experience of nearly thirty years in run- 
ning mythical frog farms out into the fog forecast such 
a result. Her name Avas analyzed for a catch, as once a 
brilliant reporter told about a Mr. Gorfon, who raised 
frogs in Indiana; btit taking his name in reverse saved 
time and trouble. 
A gentleman in Plainfield, N. J., writes that he has 
been unable to find Friendship on the map, and wants 
to know where it is. He will find it near the land where 
the bong tree grows, which is south of the mountains 
of Hepsidam, where the lion roareth and the whang- 
doodle mourneth for her first born, and close by the 
great mines of Limburger cheese and the inexhaustible 
quarries of soft soap. 
Death from Fright. 
A correspondent, who forbids the use of his naiiie. 
which by the way would give his letter the stamp ot 
authority, writes: 
"In one of your entertaining and instructive papers 
in Forest and Stream, in the "Louisiana Lowlands 
series, you refer to an instance in which the death of a 
squirrel could be attributed to no cause but fright, and 
invite communications upon that line of phenomena, 
The paper in question appeared within a few days after 
the occurrence of a very similar thing, which was to 
me at the time a puzzle, and is still unexplained save 
on the theory of death from fright. While shooting 
quail this fall my dog came to a point at a small brush 
heap; there were six of us standing near when the pomt, 
was made, and no one had suspected the presence of any 
birds. One of the boys stepped up to take the shot, and 
I ordered the dog to flush the bird. The dog was re- 
luctant about obeying, and I could see from the slight 
motion of his head that he was watching a bird skulking 
in the grass. After two or three orders to flush he 
jumped '^into the brush, and as the bird did not flush 
promptly he grabbed it and dolivered it to me. The bird 
seemed to be entirely unharmed, and the whole party 
gathered around- to look at it. Its eyes were bright, and 
there were no marks on it of any kind. I held it rather 
loosely in my hand, and as we were looking at it the bird 
gave a few convulsive flutters and was dead. I pre- 
served it, and when picked it showed no shot marks, nor 
was it apparently injured in any way. The dog is very 
soft-mouthed, and there is no probabilty that he m any 
way injured the bird. There were six of us gathered 
around as we examined the bird, and its eyes bespoke 
its terror I am firralv impressed with the belief that 
that little bird died of'fright as I held it in my hand. 
I can account for it in no other way." 
No doubt animals may die from fright, and men alsQ. 
Here is a very recent, case taken from a newspaper: 
Northampton, Mass., Jan. 23.-:-Gertr«de Walsh seventeen years 
old ewDloved in the Nonotuck silk mill, died from fnght to- 
flav While dressing to go to work she upset a lamp and set 
fire to her room. She fainted mi never recovered conscious- 
ness. She was not burned. 
Terror paralyzes the brain, and may stop the heart 
action. Men have been found dead on the battlefield 
with no mark of injury upon them; and amid the crash 
and shriek of shot and shell and the "ping" of rifle 
balls the man who says he never felt fear should be 
eligible to the liars' club. 
Let me relate a personal incident in the Civil War, 
where by the way the enemy were very uncivil in annoy- 
ing us in every way. We had been in a few such en- 
gagements as the Wilderness, Spottsylvania and others 
when we halted at Milford Station, Va., for dinner. Capt. 
Kennedy had gone off to gossip, and I was the senior 
officer of the company present. We were gnawing hard 
tack, softened by good coffee, and chewing "beef dried' 
on the hoof," not the "embalmed" article which Gen. 
Miles has recently described, when from a hill about 
half a mile away half a dozen of the enemy appeared 
with a light field piece, unlimbered and let us have 
three shells. I jumped up to form my men, but could 
not speak. The suddenness of the attack paralyzed the 
vocal organs for a moment, but the danger was not as 
great as in the engagements named, for a squadron of 
cavalry put the enemy, with their one gun, down the 
road in great haste. 
That same day I was detailed to take a message to 
Lieut. O'Hare, commanding the picket line. It was 
near sundown, and the line lay through a swamp. The 
orders were not to challenge a man approaching our 
lines, but to shoot. There was no "countersign" in 
the immediate front. I found O'Hare and delivered 
the orders and started back, believing that I was within 
our lines. There was a bright flash and the song of a 
bullet. My heart seemed to stop and my tongue again 
clove to the roof of my mouth, and I dropped to the 
ground for safety and to learn the situation. Conver- 
sation between the pickets developed the fact that I had 
somehow got between the lines and was in front of my 
own men. Speech was then restored, and after that it 
was never lost if my comrades were correct in saying 
that when I was in command of the Color Company 
the colors could be located by my expletives. 
This is instanced merely to show the effect of terror 
on the brain and heart. In early life I used language 
which I regard as ungentlemanly to-day, as it was the 
current conversation in the lead mines and on the 
frontiers, and in the excitement of battle I must have 
used improper epithets, for our Chaplain called me to 
task for it. In the cases above related the unexpected 
attack produced an effect Avhich an expected one did not. 
T have been told of rabbits dying from coming sud- 
denly upon a man who yelled at them, and I can see how 
such a thing is possible. It is the shock of suddenness 
which paralyzes the heart and stops its action. This 
never happens with young birds or animals when 
taken in the hand; their sense of fear has not been 
fully developed, but with birds or animals of a highly 
nervous organization it is easy to believe that it may 
occur, and both the quail and the rabbit have delicate 
nerves. Such a death seems impossible in such fighting 
animals as foxes and hawks. 
Pickerel Fishing. 
CHICAGO AND THE WEST. 
What Ails Wisconsin? 
Our friend. Mr. John Stevens, of Oshkosh, Wis., con- 
tinues his exploitation of the prevailing methods in- game 
and fish matters in the State of Wisconsin. Not wishing 
to make any specific criticism, he none the less has many 
facts to produce as to the violation of the fish laws, as 
well as the game laws. He has just returned from a trip 
over the muscallonge lakes of Wisconsin, and he tells 
.my friend, Mr. Bortree. that the muscallonge are being 
shamefully destroyed in that region, and without any show 
of hindrance. He says that the spearing of muscallonge 
through the ice is a regular industry. Dynamiting is also 
regularly practiced. He addsathird and novel item of news 
in the statement that the muscallonge are in some locali- 
ties baited with liver or other food which has been treated 
with a certain drug, probably Indian cockle (obtained 
from a Philadelphia firm), which stupefies them and 
causes them to come to the top of the water, although 
it does not render their flesh unfit for food, or at least for 
sale. He says that the guides and woods people are 
making a regular industry of this winter shipping of 
muscallonge. One ice fisherman shipped to the Pabst 
Brewing Co., of Milwaukee, according to Mr. 
Stevens' assertion, 105 muscallonge, for which he re- 
ceived $105. It is a big and wild country, this lake region 
of Wisconsin, as I well know, for I have tramped over 200 
or 300 miles of it in the winter time. Yet none the less 
these shipments of muscallonge all come out over two or 
three lines of railroads, and they can be traced to their 
source. What ails Wisconsin? 
Minnesota Ice Fishers. 
Major Jewel, of Wabasha, Minn., on the banks of 
Lake Pepin, sends me some news about ice fishing which 
seems to me to have a better ring to it than the item last 
above printed. It is as follows: . 
"Sunday, Game Warden Fullerton came down with 
five deputies and burned all the fish houses and nets from 
above Red Wing to Reads Landing on this side and also 
all fishing paraphernalia they could find. This is a niove 
in the right direction, and it is to be hoped it will be 
followed up until there is not an illegel net or fishing 
outfit on the lake. If the fishermen were satisfied to use 
the sized mesh required by law and take only the coarse 
fish it would be different, but they will not do that, an-l 
continue to take the small game fish as well. There are 
^ome of them that abide by the law and do not rob the 
lake of the game specimen. This matter has been al- 
lowed to run until it is almost impossible for a man to 
go out and catch a mess of fish in a sportsmanlike man- 
ner Warden Fullerton and his party were well armed, 
and while they were not looking for trouble, yet they 
were ready for it if it came. They stopped at Hotel Lyon 
Saturday night, and Mr. Fullerton said this illegal fish- 
ing must be stopped, and he intended to keep right after 
them until there is not a net on the lak.e. ..Wiscorisiri.in-. 
tends passing a law that will protect their side of the 
river and lake, and if that is done there will be some fun 
m the near future." E, Hough. 
1200 BoYca BOTLPiNQi CUicago, iii. _ 
Boston, Jan. 28. — Pickerel fishing through the ice is in _ 
order, and live bait is at a premium. Generally there is 
very little snow to trouble in the vicinity of Massachusetts 
waters, and the ice is not specially thick. A remark- 
able catch was made from the Charles River the other 
day. Wallace E. Cobb, Stephen P. Hurd, Richard De- 
laney and Alexander Gordon, of Dedham, with Robert 
and Al. Reiley, of Boston, were the lucky captors of 
seventy-five picketel. They fished Hattingtoh Cove, oti 
the Charles, a short distance from Dedham Village. They 
had to cut holes in the ice and get the lines in. It vvas 
one of those peculiar days for winter fishing — warm, with 
the wind just right. They fished four hours, with the re- 
sults just mentioned. The string was weighed and made 
the fish average i^lbs. each, or about loSlbs. of pickerel. 
Naturally, the fishermen are proud of their success, and 
were photographed with their catch. It would seem that 
the Charles is not yet "all fished out," as has so often 
been declared of late years, though how long it can stand 
such catches as the above is the question. 
Good reports come from the pickerel fishermen in 
Maine. The ponds in Wayne are yielding some good 
strings to Lewiston and Auburn fishermen. Winthrop 
and Monmouth ponds are also being fished with good re- 
sults. Pretty good pickerel fishing has been found at 
several points along the Androscoggin River during the 
recent warm days. 
Jan. 30, — The weather was not kind even to good Dr. 
McAleer on Saturday. His fishing friends met him for 
the celebrated pickerel party on W. R. Albertson's pri- 
vate pond on that day, in spite of the weather. But with 
the mercury almost down to zero, and the wind blowing 
almost a gale, even pickerel fishing through the ice loses 
some of its charm. There were present Arthur W. Rob- 
inson, George C. Ainsworth, W. A. McLeod, F. L. 
Brown, Charles E. Lewis, C. A. Barney, Dr. A. R. 
Brown, Dr. D. M. Clapp. S. F. Johnson, H. W. San- 
born and W. T. Farley. These went from Boston on a 
special car. The Worcester contingent was composed 
of Mayor Rufus B. Dodge, Jr., ex-Mayor A. B. R. 
Sprague, Moses D. Gilman, Chief of Pohce J. M. Dren- 
nan. Sheriff Robert H. Chamberiain, John N. Akerman, 
Richard Healy, License Commissioner James Early, _S. 
Hamilton Coe, E. H. Vatighan, John B. Ratigan, Daliiel 
Downey, R. J. McKay, A. H. Stone, Fish and Game 
Commissioner E. D. Bufiinton, George Richardson, 
George A. Burtis, C. W. Bowker and William R. Albert- 
son. To these names must also be added the genial Dr. 
McAleer, the life of the party. Holes were cut. and the 
tilts set before the party arrived, and for a time there was 
fair fishing. But the noise of so big a party on the ice. 
in addition to the extremely cold weather, rendered the 
pickerel hard to lure. The results of the dav's fishing 
were not large, but everybody was pleased. Continuous 
refreshments were served at the little fishing lodge on 
the shore of the pond. 
Senator Chariie Baily and C. H. Tarbox have made a 
day's fishing for pickerel at Stetson's Pond, in Boxtord. 
The day was comfortable and suitable for the sport. But 
the perch were more interested than the pickerel. It took 
nearly half a day to get the lines in, in fact, for no sooner 
than a line was in when the flag would be up, and the 
fishermen had to run to see what they had got. Pulling 
up the minnow, it would be found to be scared and pos- 
sibly dead; or occasionally a small perch would be taken. 
It was evident that the perch had the floor, or rather the 
water. The bovs succeeded in getting fifteen pickerel 
with the day's fishing, and any amount of perch, some 
really big ones being taken. Tarbox says that he was 
never more tired in his life when night came, from the 
constant running from line to line, the flags being up. 
Boys in the neighborhood have made some good strings 
of pickerel from the same pond, and bigger strings of 
perch. Special. 
A Dream of the Night, 
How true to life a dream is. Last night, while the ther- 
mometer was several degrees below zero, I saw myself 
with a fish pole standing on the shore of a beautiful sun- 
lit lake. I was standing ankle deep in green grass. The 
trees that skirted the shore were loaded with verdure. 
Blackbird.s were flying back and forth across the corner 
of the bay. and singing and clinging to the tulles. Not 
a breath of air was moving. The blue sky was unmarred 
by a sinde cloud. All was filled with a flood of sunlight, 
and the reflected heat in unsteady waves was dancing 
upward. Two strange men were a short distance away 
watching me. For a moment I looked at the pleasing sur- 
roundings and studied the water. A good throw from the 
shore was an old log. I stepped close to the water's edge 
and put a good sized chub on the hook and tossed it just; 
over the log. Some one back of me said: "If there is 
a fish in this lake it is just there." There were a couple 
of waves on the water. I moved the bait a little, and then 
it plunged out of sight, and when the line tightened I 
pulled. The pole doubled up, and the fish hung right 
back. Said I, "Boys, come down here, I have got a good 
one," and as a man on each side of me was giving all 
kinds and any amount of advice, it commenced to come 
to me that I had had just such bites before, and I said 
that perhaps the darned thing might be a mud-turtle. 
Just then there was a wake on the water and a big paw 
swiped the air, and while the haw, haw, haws were being 
poured into either ear I gave a jerk which tore the hook 
from the turtle, and the chewed up bait came back and 
struck me in the face. Then I said something, I do not 
rem.ember what. Now my happiness was gone. The 
pleasing view of the lake was fast going in the fading sun- 
light and with the haw! haws! still ringing in my ears I 
rose 'up in bed. The cold air was sweeping through the 
north wall. -I swept the frost from my moustache and 
jumped out of bed to shake down the stove— while the 
cold northwest wind whistled around the corner of the 
house. Mount Tom. 
A dispatch from Bucharest, Ronmania, says that a pack 
of wolves, emboldened by hunger, recently attacked a 
monastery at Lopqvean, in l;he Moldavian Mountains. an4 
killed si iv'm 
