8 
FOREST AND STREAM. 
[July i, 1899, 
■ * Exterminatory Peregrinations/' 
New York, June 24.— Editor Forest and Stream: Just 
a word to Didymus in response to his elongated if ilot 
symmetrical Jetter in the last issue of Forest akd 
Stream. If vituperaton were sound argument Didymus 
Avould liave tlie best of it, and his chaste simile of the 
mud geyser would suggest an application which he never 
intended. 
In a certain book, with which Didymus may or may 
not be familiar, these terse words occur: '"Let him who 
is witJiout sin among you cast the first .stone." For the 
benefit of those who have listened to the virtuous howls 
of Didymus over the slaughter of game, let me quote 
from a letter of the anonymous gentleman himself which 
appeared in Forest and Stream June 10, entitled, "The 
Wild Pigeon." Mark the consistency of this man who 
sheds crocodile tears over a dead alligator and whom 
the smoking out of a possum throws into convulsions: 
"The pigeons were flying over in such vast numbers that 
people got so tired of them that it was difficult to give 
them away, so my friend and I stopped shooting thcni. 
They flew very low, and on the glorious Fourth we 
thought we'd make our powder do double duty: so we 
took our chairs out under a tree and shot single ones out 
of the flocks as they passed over. By rioon we had 
dropped about 100, and as we found it difficult to give 
them away we quit the business." 
Virtuous Didymus! O rare and sportsmanlike Didy- 
mus! You dip your pen in gall to write of a man who 
took shots at coots and cormorants with a rifle from a 
boat going fifteen miles an hour; but j-our gentle and 
sensitive spirit suffered you to kill pigeons by the hun- 
dred when "they flew very low" over your back yard ; and 
with a scatter gun at that! Verily, Didymus, we could 
not spare you. There is in you a vein of htmior entirely 
unsuspected by yourself. Write more and oftener, Didy- 
mus, of "the attitude we have taken in Florida toward 
game butchers." Tell us again, in your classic and inim- 
itable way, of "the killing of plumed birds" (when they 
fly very low) ! Let jom fervid imagination run riot, and 
quote again, as only you have the right to quote: "We 
shot a few of them" merely for pastime." Didymus, life 
can never be dull and insipid so long as we have you 
with us, and if only you would write a book our cup of 
Joy would be full. You are entitled to the first prize. 
O. Didvmus, as the most unique of game protectors, and 
I hope" the L. A. S. will recognize your merits and, 
through its president, send vou that prize in the form of a 
"pigeon-blood ruby." Arthur F. Rice. 
[We print Mr. Rice's rejoinder, in conformity with our 
rule to give both sides; but it would not profit to have 
this correspondence prolonged by a discussion of the new 
issue he introduces, as to wild pigeon shooting. In the 
wild pigeon notes referred to, our correspondent, Didy- 
mus, related that in the days of the birds' .abui-uiance he 
and a friend had shot 100 (or 50 each) on a tourth of 
July morning, and then had stopped because they could 
not -make use of any more of the game. This was in 
' every way proper; in fact the spirit of temperance and 
good sportsmanship which controlled these shooters was. 
"if anything, in advance of their day. Had all those who 
pursued the wild pigeon then and afterward been con- 
trolled by a like rule we should possibly have had the 
bird with us still. But to discuss the killing of game birds 
when the game which is taken is used for food, would 
have no bearing on the subject which has been under 
discussion, namely,' the indiscriminate shooting of wild 
creatures to gratify a morbid satisfaction in wounding, 
maiming or killing' them, without regard to whether they 
are game or not. or whether they are utilized or wasted. 
We may as well straighten this out once for all. The 
shooting of wild pigeons for food is one thing; the shoot- 
ing of "blue herons, white egrets, blue and white ibeses, 
ducks, cormorants, coot, etc.," from a moving steamer 
and leaving them to rot. is quite another thing. To con- 
found them is to befog the issue. Mr. Rice evidently does 
not perceive the distinction which exists here; but his 
conchiding paragraph is not for that reason any the less 
illogical and irrelevant. 
The Forest and Stream does not make itself a vehicle 
for vituperation. That the letters of our Florida corre- 
.spondent in our issues of June 10 and 24 had to do with 
what he termed the "exterminatory peregrinations" o£ 
Mr. Geo. O. Shields in Florida, was, as he explained, due 
to the circumstances that Mr. Shields had left in his 
book "Hunting in the Great West" a disgusting account 
of his Florida butchery; the letters did thus have a 
personal application; but no candid reader can find in 
them anything of "vituperation" nor anj^thing suggestive 
of a "pen dipped in gall." to warrant Mr. Rice's use of 
these terms. On the contrary, a review of what our St, 
Augustine correspondent wrote will show that in handling 
an unpleasant theme he neither compromised his own 
dignity, nor sacrificed that good taste which should always 
characterize a sportsmen's discussion.] 
Providence, R. I., Jtme -24.— Editor Forest and Stream: 
Our Legislature enacted Senator Reiner's game commis- 
sion bill, which reads: 
"Section i. The Governor shall, in the month of Junp. 
1899, and every three years thereafter, appoint five Com- 
missioners to serve without compensation, one from each 
county in the- State, to be known as Commissioners of 
Birds, who shall hold office for three yeafs, or until their 
successors are appointed. 
"Sec. 2. The Commissioners of Birds shall protect 
birds throughout the State, and shall prosecute every 
person that shall violate any of the laws of this State 
relating to birds. Whenever complaint is made by said 
Commissioners, or either of them, or by their deputies, of 
any violation of any of the laws of this State relating to 
birds, they shall not be required, either by themselves or 
by their deputies, to furnish surety for costs, or be liabfe 
for costs on such complaint 
"Sec. 3. Said Commissioners in their discretion may 
appoint deputies not to exceed five in number in any 
county, and shall issue commissions under their hands to 
said deputies empowering them to execute the duties pi 
Inch office, and shall record the names of said deputies vyith 
the Secretary of State. It shall be the duty of every Com- 
missioner and deputy to enforce the laws of this State 
relating to birds, and they shall have power to arrest, 
without warrant, every person whom they shall find pur- 
suing with intent to kill, taking or killing birds, or who 
shall have birds in his possession contrary to the laws 
of this State relating to birds. Provided, that any person 
.so arrested without warrant shall not be detained longer 
than twelve hours. 
"Sec. 4. Any Commissioner or deputy may seize, with- 
out warrant, anj' bird found in the possession of any 
person, at any time when the killing of such birds is pro- 
hibited by law." 
The Governor has named as Commissioners under the 
act: For Providence county. Dr. Fenner H. Peckham, 
Jr., of this city : Kent county, Thomas W. Penney : Wash- 
ington county, Dr. E. R. Lewis ; Bristol county, William 
H. Thayer ; Newport county, A. O'D. Taylor. 
The National Park. 
Mammou-k Hot Springs^ Yellowstone National Park, 
June 21. — Editor Forest and Stream: We had several 
warm days, and now everything is afloat in parts of the 
Park, The Yellowstone had reached high water mark 
at Gardiner without imich assistance from the Upper 
River. The Yellowstone Lake is not full yet, although it 
is pretty clear of ice. There is ice in the bays and shel- 
tered coves. Mr. M. W. Pettigrew, U. S. Commissioner 
in Jackson's Hole, who has resided there for six years, 
informs me that the past has been a very easy winter in 
that section. At no time was the snow deep ; from i to 
ift. was the average. A horse could be used all winter 
in traveling about the Hole. Fie says there was so little 
snow that the elk remained well back in the hills and 
mountains, ver3' few coming down to the valley; and that 
very few died, none from starvation. He came up as far 
as he could horseback, a mile or so north of Crawfish 
Creek, then tqok it afoot over the snow, which he found 
from 5 to 6ft. deep through the timber, until he got to the 
crossing of Lewis Creek below Aster Creek. From there 
on there was but little snow, except in drifts. Lewis 
Lake was frozen over yet; this was on the i8th day of 
June. 
The soldiers at the Snake River Station report having 
seen several moose, two cows with two calves each ; and 
the two buffalo bulls were often seen. The past has been 
the mildest winter known in the Hole for years. Some 
of the 300 settlers there think the mild weather is caused 
by the settlement of the country. The Union Pass has 
been open to travel for tlirec weeks. Teton Pass has 
been used all winter, not having been closed once to 
travel. Mr. Pettigrew estimates the number of elk in 
that country (south of the Park) as close to 20,000. AH 
the antelope go out of the Flole early in the season (in 
October) and come back every spring as soon as the snow 
will hold them up. Every year less come back than go 
out. This year Mr. Pettigrew thinks possibly 5,000 may 
return. I have my doubts about that number getting 
back. Deer remain in the Hole and did very well the 
past winter. 
The high water in the Y'ellowstone is carrying off some 
of the dead elk from the Park. Now and then the car- 
cass of an elk or other animal has been seen floating down 
the river past Gardiner. 
To-day the baggage of the two troop.<? cif the Fourth 
Cavalrj^ was sent to Cinnabar, where the troop are to 
take a train for San Francisco by Friday or Saturday 
for Manila. Travel commenced on the T4th inst. 
E. HOFER. 
CHICAGO AND THE WEST. 
Death of G, M. Holt. 
Chicago, 111., June 21. — ^A Arery sad affair ocurred last 
night in this city, which leaves vacant the place of one 
of the most popular and best-known figures in the sport- 
ing goods trade of the West. Mr. Granville M. Holt, 
for many years the manager of the sporting goods de- 
partment of Montgomery Ward & Co., died by his own 
hand at his residence, 5316 Lexington avenue, this city, 
under the final stress of an attack of insanity which had 
been impending for months, perhaps years. For a long 
• time Mr. Holt had been in bad health, and his employers 
and business associates had noticed increasing mental 
aberration. Most faithful to his duty, he declined the 
\ acation offered and indeed urged upon him by his house 
and held to his work. A bluff, big, gruff-spoken, kind- 
hearted man,, there are few department managers who 
loive a better reputation or who had a wider circle of 
friends. 
Illinois Birds. 
The new lUinois game law goes into effect July I, and 
the State legal department has ruled that it is not in any 
sense retroactive, and hence will not aft'ect the property 
rights in song birds taken or purchased legally prior to 
that date. Local birds dealers have been somewhat dis- 
turbed over a rumor that they would be brought into 
trouble over birds bought in the course o! trade hith- 
erto. The war on our native birds will, however, have to 
be stopped after date of July i- 
From Chicago. 
Chicago business men are known all ov^r the -(vorld for 
energy and progressiAX methods, and this city has fur- 
nished hustlers for a great many big concerns East and 
West. Our former Chicago shooter, Mr. C. E. Willard, 
was called East for a connection of some ye^rs with the 
Colt's Patent Firearms Manufacturing Company, and 
onlv recently severed his relations with that large house 
to form others in the city of New York. Mr. Willard's 
card shows him to be now general sales agent of the 
International Smokeless Powder and Dynamite Com- 
pany, of New York city. The powder people have se- 
cured a good man. As Mr. Willard is to make an early 
trip West, I presume he will tell his Western friends all 
about what he is doing in the matter of popularizing a 
new article. 
Bass. 
It seems likely that the bass fishing season this surn= 
iner will be very short. The spring was very slow and 
backward, ^nd now hot weather has come with a rush. 
It will not be long before the bass quit feeding in th'; 
shallow water and retire to the deep water, where it i 
iiard to induce them to bite. Seeing that the sport i' 
now about as good as it is apt to be, the Chicago anglen' 
are improving the shining hours of late June in bait-cast, 
ing for the big-mouths. Nothing very startling transi 
p ires- as yet this week in the way of weights, but I lear," 
there has been very generally good success in the Fo; 
Lake chain and waters of lower Wisconsin. ; 
E, Hough. . 
480 jGaktok Building, Chieago, 111, 
Mongfolian Pheasants in Ohio. 
Mansfield, O., June 14.— Editor Forest and Stream: 
have seen many articles in Forest and Stream thsm 
gave me the impression that Mongolian pheasants alfl 
hard to raise. On the contrary, my short experiendl 
with them has been verj' satisfactory. We were presenteil 
with eight birds from the State hatchery last fall, arm 
succeeded in keeping them through the winter, w™| 
the loss of only one. This spring, as soon as the fdH 
hens commenced to lay, I secured domestic hens and sM 
four with from twelve to sixteen eggs apiece. I havl 
twenty-five chicks now. Half of them are a month ol 
and are almost as large as quail. Eight got out throud 
the wife netting around the cage, but the rest have nev(| 
shown the least sign of sickness, and are as active ari 
pretty as can be. 1 
The State turned out a great number of pheasanij 
throughout the dift'erent counties last fall, but I canna 
say for my part how they stood the hard winter, 
should think they ought to be kept shut up' the fir) 
winter, and then turned out the following spring. Th6 
they would have the summer before them to learn (! 
hustle for themselves. I hope the time will come thj 
I can bring home a mixed bag of quail and pheasant 
I know they will get along together in my coat pocki 
without quarreling after the5^ are dead; but the questicl 
is will they do as well in life. They have more goqm 
points in their favor than the carp or English sparroAwi 
so I guess there is nothing to fear and lots to H 
thankful for if the State is successful in introducing thaH 
H, S.T 
Pheasants in Tennessee. 
The Cedars, Shelby County, Tenn., June 20. — Editt 
Forest and Stream: You will probably recollect my cal 
ing on you in February last and our talking over old tim 
and the discussion we had on English pheasants and sk; 
larks. That conversation induced me to make arrang 
mcnts for taking a hand at the pheasants, and I had sej 
to me fifty eggs, forty-six of which reached me in gOQ 
condition. I placed them under two hens — one a game ar 
the other a common fowl. These eggs came over a thoi 
sand miles, and I was perfectly astonished to have forb 
one strong, healthy young pheasants hatched, forty 
Avhich are still living. They are over two weeks old at 
are commencing to fiy a little. I am now making n 
arrangements for breeding and preserving them, on tt 
1.300-acre farm, which is well adapted for the purpoi 
having a few small coverts of several acres' each, clo 
to the house, that stands in about the center of n 
estate. EuMtT^-n Orgile. 
Eastern Massachusetts. 
Danvers,, Mass., June 23. — Editor Forest and Strea 
We had a social shoot at our gun club range on the ij 
and the genial Dr. Niles was high man, with 18 out of i 
When he gets after them with his Remington we have 
look out for our scalps. The foxes have been livii 
high on the Middleton poultiw, and the farmers ha' 
been going for them tooth and n,ail. tracking the old on 
to their dens and digging out the young ones and killij 
them. It is causing dismay with our fox hunters. Ca", 
Martin, a fox hunter and poultry raiser, says he woilld n 
dig one out if they were to eat up all his hens. He m 
be overstating himself, but he is enthusiastic over \ 
only sport. 
Mr. John Wallace it is reported killed an opossum ye, 
terday with a stone, the first one I have heard of in tl' 
vicinity. Think a person with a good coon dog could g 
animals up in Middleton and adjoining Andover woo; 
this fall. We don't have any dogs trained to trail al 
tree them in this country. _ . 
They are catching more pickerel in Ipswich Riv 
than for many years. One fisherman had an otter cor 
out on the bank where he was sitting within 15ft, 
him. By the way, where is our old friend Fred Mathe: 
Has the earth or sea swallowed him up? He has ma, 
hosts of friends through the Forest and Stream, and 
seems as if half of the paper were missing with him o' 
Stir him up in his wild West home and tell him we Wfl 
to hear from him. John W. Babbitt. 
Baltimofe Game Sale Cases. 
The Maryland Court of Appeals has rendered its ol 
cision in the Baltimore game selling cases. The Bal 
more Sun correspondent summarizes them, writing frc 
Annapolis, June 22: ' 
Judge Schmucker filed the opinion of the court in t 
case of Robert N. Stevens against the State of Marylai 
affirming the Criminal Court of Baltimore, which fon 
Stevens guilty of violating the game law. The appella 
was indicted for having in his possession and exposi 
for sale in Baltimore city during the closed season certs 
dead rabbits, contrary to the provisions of Section 15, 
of Chapter 206, Acts of 1898. He first filed a demurr. 
which was overruled. At the trial he offered to pro; 
that the rabbits had been lawfully killed in another Sti 
and had been shipped to him from that State in an origii 
package, and that he had received and exposed them -f, 
sale in that condition without breaking the package. T 
State objected to this evidence and the court sustain 
the objection, and the verdict heipig .against the appo 
lant, he appealed. 1 
Judge Schmucker said in delivering the opinion ; "T 
right of the State to regulate and control the killing, p(. 
session and sale of game within its borders is held 
rest upon its police power,^ and, if the provisions of t\ 
laws by which such regulation is made are reasonable f 
the accomplishment of the md sought to be obtained, t 
Rhode Island Game Commission, 
