gS2 
FOREST AND STREAM. 
tMARca 2S, 1899, 
ship of this Association has been, in order that we of 
the present day may strive to maintain and carry forward 
that high standard which our predecessors have trans- 
mitted to us. 
Numericallv consideredj our membership has been some- 
what varied." Starling in 1S74 with 75 members, our 
numbers constantly increased until at the end of three 
vears we carried upon our rolls 512 names, divided as fol- 
lows : Honorary members, 56; life members, 16; yearly 
members. 440; whole number. 512. 
Following the year 1877, the decrease in membership 
was rapid. At the annual meeting in 1880 only eighteen 
members were present, and the following year only twen- 
ty. Twenty-two members resigned in one month, and 
meetings were frequently adjourned for want of a quorum. 
In 1880 the membership probably did not exceed 100. 
From t88o to 1885 there was a slight gain in membership, 
but the Association was in so precarious a condition that 
at the annual meeting in 1885, four different members 
Avere -^everallv elected to the office of president before 
that office could be filled. For the next five years the 
membership rapidly increased. In 1889 1O2 members 
joined the Association, 52 jointing at one meetmg. In 
1891 we carried more than 500 upon our rolls. _ _ 
Since 1891, owing to hard times, and a more rigid en- 
forcement of our by-laws as to the payment of the annual 
dues, our membership has somewhat fallen off. We now 
carry upon our rolls 230 members, and our numbers are 
again steadily increasing. 20 new members having 
joined us within the last two months. 
Our financial condition has. of course, varied some- 
what with our membership. Starting in 1874 with a bal- 
ance of $173.41 in the treasury, at the beginning of Janu- 
ary 1898, the treasury showed a balance of about $1,500 
on the 'debit side of the account. The officers of the 
Association, aided largely by the energetic efforts of one 
of our present members, Mr. Ivers W. Adams, by sub- 
scriptions and contributions, succeeded m raising enough 
money to wipe out this deficit before the annual meetmg m 
April of that year. The treasurer's report at that meet- 
ing showed a balance of $7747 in the treasury. 
From that time to this the treasurers reports present 
an unbroken series of balances in the treasury at the end 
of each fiscal j^ear. 
In 1879 our constitution was amended by inserting a 
provision that "50 per cent, of all surplus money in the 
treasurv at the end of each year shall be added annually 
to the 'Association Fund." As to the purpose of this 
fund our records are silent, and for ten years from its 
enactment, this provision of our constitution seems to have 
been overlooked, or entirely ignored, but m 1889, some 
of our members insisted upon the observance of this pro- 
vision That vear one-half of the .surplus ot $500 was set 
apart and deposited in the savings bank as a fund, t^rom 
that time to the present a similar deposit has been made 
at the end of each year, so that at the present time that 
fund amounts to $2,866.92. . . ^ 1 , 
From its beginning, the Association became actively en- 
gaged in carrving out the objects for which it had been 
chartered. The records show that the attention of ith 
members was early directed to such subjects as he 
ureservation of fish in our inland lakes and streams, the 
decrease of fish in Massachusetts Bay, >the destruction ot 
lobsters on our coast, the preservation of trout m our 
streams, and the seining of smelts in our bays. 
That there was abundant need of action on the part 
of some one is shown by the following lines, which I have 
copied from those records: "But the most important 
phase of the subject relates to the future supply of hsh. 
Last year (1874) we were nearly deprived ot smelt; tu 11- 
grown lobsters are now almost unknown ; while trout and 
ialmon have hardly yet, under the influence of stringent 
protective laws for several years, recovered from the et- 
fects of their almost total annihilation by being caught 
while in spawn, before the laws were enforced. 
From the beginning our records show an earnest, per- 
sistent and disinterested endeavor on the part ot the As- 
sociation to secure such laws as would tend to the preser- 
vation and increase of our useful food fishes for all the 
people of the Commonwealth, and to see that those laws 
are enforced. , ^ , a ■ 
At the very first meeting of the Association a com- 
mittee was appointed to secure a law prohibiting the sale 
of fish, particularly trout, during the close season. 
At that time, while we had a close season on the tak- 
ing of trout between Sept. 20 and March 20, it was law- 
ful to sell trout taken in other States, during that time 
This led to protests from other States, as well as to great 
abuses under the law of this State. 
Trout caught in this State were openly sold m 011 
markets during the close season, but it w^s impossiW^ 
to convict the seller in our courts, because of the difficu ty 
of proving that the trout sold were caught in this btate. 
The committee secured the passage of a law making 
the close season from Aug. 20 to March 20 but in other 
respects it was as defective as that of 1896. which it 
superseded. No convictions could be secured under it, 
and for the same reason as before. 
In 1876 George D. Robinson, afterward Governor, was 
a member of the Senate from the Second Hampden Dis- 
trict He drafted a law, and aided in its passage through 
the' Legislature, absolutely prohibiting the sale or pos- 
session of trout, landlocked salmon, and l^ke trout, dur- 
iiTT the close season, which was made from Oct. i to April 
I Tn each year, and made the possession of such fish during 
the close season prima facie evidence of a violation of 
the law. Many and fierce have been the contests of our 
Association over proposed modifications of this aw,- but 
its main features have remained unchanged to the pres- 
ent time, and stand as a testimony to the skill and sagacity 
of our departed Governor. a • i,-, „ 
Year after year committees from our Association have 
gone to iW Legislature and asked for wholesome legisla- 
tion for the preservation of our fish and game \ezr after 
Vear those committees have succeeded, little by little, un- 
til at last our laws are beginning to assume an effective 
condition. Those laws to-day are by no means what thejr 
should be. but theV are infinitely better than they were 
when the work of this Association began, _ 
Our record'^ abound in instances of convictions secured 
for violations of our trout laws, our smelt laws, our 
lobster laws, and other game laws. , . ^. . 
One of the cardinal principles of our Association 15 the 
(ri«seraination of informatioifi upon fish and game culture 
and fish and game protection; and the degree of unfa- 
miliarity with those subjects which we encounter when- 
ever we attempt to secure some wholesome legis'ation, 
leads to the conclusion that we have still another broad 
field for useful work. From a somewhat cursory exam- 
ination of our records, I estimate that from fifty to sev- 
enty-five lectures have been delivered before the Associa- 
tion during the twenty-five years of its existence. These 
lectures have been largely upon subjects connected with 
our work, and from them we have received and^ dissem- 
inated a large amount of useful and valuable informa- 
tion. In the dissemination of this informatiori to the 
public, the press has ever been generous in the aid which 
it has rendered to our cause. It has done more for us 
than we have had any right to expect; and I hereby take 
this occasion publicly to express to the press our hearty 
appreciation of the favors which we have received at its 
hands. 
At the second meeting of the Association, held April 
17, 1874. it was decided to have copies of the game laws 
printed for distribution throughout the State, with the 
following notice: "The executive committee of the Mas- 
sachusetts Anglers' Association hereby give notice that 
the provisions of the above law will be strictly _ enforced, 
and any person giving information of the violation of the 
same will confer a favor by addressing C. Warren Gor- 
don, 47 Bromfield street. All communications will be 
considered strictly confidential. By order executive com- 
mittee, Massachusetts Anglers' Association.' 
The practice thus begun has been followed ever .since. 
But our work has not been confined to securing and 
enforcing laws and disseminating information. In 1890 
we decided to enlarge our sphere of action, and at that 
time commenced the work of introducing into the Com- 
monwealth new species and varieties of game birds, and 
thus far we have purchased and set free in various locali- 
ties in the State more than 4,000 birds, consisting of 
pinnated grouse, sharp-tail grouse, and southern and 
western quail. In going over our records, I have been 
more and more surprised to' see how closely our aims 
and purposes have been intertwined with the polipy of the 
Commonwea'th. 
In securing advanced positions our Association has al- 
ways been found in the first ranks, and there I am sure 
it will always be found as long as it has an existence. 
For the future our prospects are bright. We_ close the 
first quarter o-f a century of our existence with an in- 
creasing membership, a full treasury and plenty of work 
before us. Let those who shall round out the next quarter 
of a century show a record as much better as they can. 
President Wiggin proposed the health of President 
McKinley. which was drank with all the honors, and 
Collector Lvman followed with a brief speech. Presi- 
dent Smith, "of the Senate, spoke for the Commonwealth, 
and Judge Barker made a capital speech from the sports- 
man's standpoint; he commented on the work of the as- 
sociation in the matter of fish and game protection. Col. 
Rockwell briefly referred to the work of the Association 
and proposed a sentiment to the memory of ex-Gov. 
Robinson, one of its stanchest friends. A letter was 
read from Gov. Rollins, of New Hampshire, regretting 
his inability to be present, and then the Rev. Dr. Little 
made a speech that placed him in the same class with the 
clergymen who haA^e been guests in former years— gen- 
tlemen of the cloth who enjoy a day in the woods and on 
the streams and know how to describe the pleasures 
thertcf. Commissioner Carleton congratulated the Asso- 
ciation upon the work it had accomplished and said that 
the Maine Association had never asked for a law relat- 
ing to fish and game that was not granted by the Legis- 
lature. There was one very important matter he wished 
to bring to the attention of the Massachusetts Associa- 
tion, and that was the urgent necessity for a law to pre- 
vent the sale in Massachusetts of deer, moose and cari- 
bou killed illegally in the State of Maine. That was a 
crying evil, and one that should be summarily stopped. 
President McLeod said the Megantic Club and the Mas- 
sachusetts Association had much in common and should, 
as they no doubt would, work together in harmony for 
the common cause. Ex-President Clark brought the ex- 
ercises to a close with a short, snappy speech, urging re- 
newed energj^ for fish and game protection. 
Wm. B. Smart. 
The Laurentian Club: 
The fir<^t annual dinner of the Laurentian Club was 
held at the Holland House, on Friday last some sixty 
members of the club participating therein. Three 01 the 
club guides from the St. Maurice district of Canada were 
brought in after dinner had been served, and enlivened 
the proceedings by giving a number of French-Caiia- 
dian songs. The unavoidable absence of Dr. vV, rt. 
Drummond. a member of the club, and a talented author 
of '-The Habitant" and other poems, was much re- 
gretted Mr. W. - H. Parker, managing director of 
the club, was present from Lac la Peche and so was 
Mr E T D Chambers, of Quebec, who responded 
to a toast in the absence of Hon. S. N. Parent and 
Mr L Y Joncas, and was invited to talk about his 
favorite fish, the ouananiche. Capital speeches were 
made bv Dr Huntingdon, by Mr. Justus Coles and 
others "but for that poetic diction so characteristic of 
the best literature of angling, the opening speech of 
the President, Mr. Joseph W. Howe, was the piece de 
resistance. In part, Mr. Howe said: , „ . . 
Gentlement of the Laurentian Club and Brother An- 
<y]ers- It is mv privilege and my very pleasant duty 
to bid you welcome, and to say thrice welcome to those 
who have come down from the Laurentian land— -the 
club house— the happy fishing ground. ^ ^ ,. 
This is a notable occasion, it being the first dmner 
of the club. We have had many "meets" at the club 
grounds, as the sportsmen say, but no meetings. It 
is our first general gathering . . ' ^ 
For the first time we have the opportunity to see that 
expert as the members are in casting flies, "there are 
no flies on the members." 
I shall not occupy vour time by trolling a long line 
of remarks. Others will follow me, and I am sure the 
click of their verbal reels will be sweet music to your 
csfs • * 
I should be glad if I could transport ydu in imagina- 
tion to-night to the clwb itseU-to the charming Lac 
la Peche and its spacious hall, with the huge granite 
chimney and the wide, hospitable fireplace, heaped with 
the blazing hemlock logs, whose crackling is. as Thoreatt 
says, "like mustard to the ear"; to the beautiful Cing,, 
nestling in its amphitheaten of mountains; across the 
forest trail to the wild, swift Mattawan; up the rocky 
gorge of the Castor Noir, to quiet Lac Dunbar, and 
its cabin, standing lonely on its shelf of sand; up to 
the Grand Castor Noir Lake, ^yith its many green- 
wooded islands — the gem of the wilderness — to the Wcs- 
soneau, with its rushing streams and its lakes, its pict- 
turesque scenery, and then down the lordly St. Maurice. 
But it is not given to man to adec|uately describe the 
beauties of the Laurentian scenery in prose— at least not 
to me. In poetry our own Dr. Drummond has charmed 
us with his descriptions. 
You will naturally expect me to speak of the club, 
but in doing that you must excuse me from telling "fish 
stories." For eleven consecutive summers I have visited 
the club. After my first visits I used to tell my ex- 
periences in my enthusiasm for the new found sports- 
man's paradise to my friends' and acquaintances in the 
city, but I soon learned by visible signs that I was im- 
perilling ray reputation for veracity. To-night I shall 
confine myself to facts, especially as I see before me 
many fishermen who could always give me odds in the 
line of "fish stories." 
I can say without fear of contradiction that the club 
is a marvel among clubs. It sprang into existence in 
the year 1886 under a charter from the Government 
of the Province of Quebec. 
The original idea was evolved from the brain of Mr. 
William H. Parker. He went through the country 
and had the good judgment to select the best location 
for such a club. His associates were gentlemen of 
the best Canadian stock. When they had secured their 
franchise, they were generous enough and hospitable 
enough, and I may say wise enough to open 
their arms and hearts to us of the States, and 
receive us to the enjoyment and the develop- 
ment of the chartered privileges. As you know, our 
lease covers the waters, with riparian rights. Sometimes 
the question is asked: How many acres are covered 
by the lease? I do not know — the land has never been 
surveyed, but in that forest-clad country land is com- 
puted in square miles. How many lakes are there? I 
do not know. Scattered among the hills in the forests, 
only the loons and wild ducks and the great birds that 
soar toward the clouds can see them all. 
The club so carefully enforces the fishing laws of the 
Province that the lakes will continue to be prolific of 
fish. The country is a land of lakes, rivers, forests 
and mountains; still in its primeval wildness'aud rugged 
beauty, with a soft summer climate, a land tempting 
to the sportsman, the lover of nature unsubdued, and 
the tired worker of civilization. 
We have a right to boast of the character of our 
membership. We have had the choice of the best club 
material in Canada, and in twelve States of the Union. 
Beside our camp-fires sit members, representative men, 
from Quebec. Three Rivers. Montreal, Toronto, Knowl- 
ton; from Houston and Dallas, in Texas; from St. Louis, 
Columbus, Washington, Baltimore, Philadelphia, New- 
ark, Pate-rson, New York, Bridgeport, Walerbury, Hart- 
ford, Stockbridge, Troy, Burlington, Providence, 
Boston, Cambridge, and many other scarcely less 
important places. The membership comprises busi- 
ness men, merchants, editors, publishers, engi- 
neers, bankers, brokers, clergymen, physicians, law- 
yers. Our rolls show the names of seven clergym.en, 
twenty-one physicians, and some twenty lawyers. 
The social life of the club accords with the character 
of its members. 
Thus established, we foresee a prosperous future. 
One of the happiest conditions of the club life is the 
perfect unanimity of feeling existing between the members 
living north and those living south of the boundary 
line, between the two countries. At the business meet- 
ings, by the camp-fires, on the fishing grounds, there is 
no Canadian member — no member from the United 
States— all are Americans, all are harmonious, recogniz- 
ing, first, always and only allegiance to the Laurentian 
Club, a happy augury we are glad to believe of the cor- 
dial relations henceforth and forever to exist between the 
Dominion and the Union. 
Among those present at the dinner were: Joseph W. 
Howe, of New. York, president of the club; W. H. 
Parker, of "Lac la Peche, the managing director; Mi\ 
E. T. D. Chambers, of Quebec; David B. Cowles and 
H. R. Wooster, directors; Dr. Geo. S. Huntington, 
Professor of Anatomy at Columbia College; Dr. L. R. 
Morris; F. H. Gibbens, treasurer of the Del. & Lac. 
R. R. Co.; Col. W. C. Church, editor ot the Army and 
Navy Gazette; Richard Butler; S P. Avery; Joseph E. 
Gray, F. C. Wagner, Jos. Bushnell, Chas. P. Frame, 
Justus Cowles, C. F. Ludington, Edwin W. Coggeshall, 
Jas. W. Cromwell, Robt. D. Farlee, A. E. Hart, of 
Hartford; Edw. Holbrook, Jos. P. Howe, W. H. Ken- 
yon, Jas. McCutcheon, L. A. Berin. 
The Pennsylvania Law* 
The regular monthly meeting of the Pennsylvania Fish 
Protective Association was held at the rooms, 1020 Arch 
street, Philadelphia, on Saturday evening, March li, an ! 
was largely attended. Many matters of importance to the 
fish and game interests were considered and acted upon. 
Messrs. M. G. Sellers, J. R. Sypher and William H. Burk- 
hardt were appointed a delegation to attend a public meet- 
ing to be held in Hatboro, Pa., March 17, 10 advi.se and 
assist in the formation of a fish and game protective asso- 
ciation at that place. 
The Legislative Committee presented a lengthy report 
and announced having appeared before the Fish and Game 
Committee of the House in behalf of bills Nos. 220 and 
227, which were favorably considered. 
Bill No. 227 aims to codify and amend the various acts 
now on the statute books ; to strengthen those Avliich are 
weak- to correct palpable injustices both to the angling 
and commercial fisheries interests which now admittedly 
exist; to strengthen and make more understandable cer- 
tairi acts now notoriously obscure, and to so protect the 
fish that there \\ill be a greater abundance for the use of 
th^ people. As a whole the act is much more hbi^ral in. 
