224 
tissPT. i6, 1899. 
'dttiB ^ag md ^nUf 
CHICAGO AND THE WEST. 
Movements of Western Sportsmen, 
Chicago, 111., Sept. '7.^Dr, Amos W. Barber, of 
Cheyenne, Wyo., who was Governor of Wyoming 
ai ihe time of the much-exploited cattle disturbances 
known as the Rustler war, was in the city this week 
outfitting- for an extended mountain trip. He will start 
in from Red Lodge, Mont., work down to the south on 
the east side of the National Park, and. cross over below 
the Park, coming out at Montpelier, Idaho. His com- 
panions will be Hon. Willis Van Devanter, Assistant At- 
torney-General of the United States; Hon. W. A. Rich- 
ards, Commissioner-General of the United States Land 
Office, and perhaps other friends whose coming is less 
certain. Dr. Barber tells me that he Jia*' sent out guides 
over most of the country which he intends to iraA^erse, 
and the guides report that there is plenty of game. One 
guide reports an abundance of elk and a few moose located. 
It is almost sure that the party will get all the game they 
want. As an instance of the popularity of the small- 
bore rifles for big game, I might state that all of this 
party will be armed with small bores, the Winchester .30- 
40 and the Savage being favorites. Dr. Barber tliinks the 
party will probably meet with some bear, and he does 
not wish to take any chances, for he says that in his 
wanderings about in the Western country he has seen 
three men who had been badly mutilated in fights with 
grizzlies. 
Dr. Charles Penrose, of Philadelphia, is out from a 
trip in the country east and southeast of the Yellowstone 
Park. He reports killing two elk, one moose and one 
big-horn, and eight bears. Three of the bears were 
trapped. 
Among other callers at the Forest and Stream 
office this week was Kid Gabriel, sometimes known as 
Jimmie Tough, a straight-up rider and pure cbwpuncher, 
who hails at present from Malta, Mont. The Kid came 
in vv-ith some cattle, and will spend some time in the 
Sta:es, having a contract to break some hoi'ses down 
in Indiana. I need hardly state that we passed a very 
pleasant hour in talking over^ Western men and things. 
Oddly enough this cowpuncher is here almost at the 
same time with ex- Gov. Barber, of Wyoming, and both 
these men were in Wyoming during the Rustler war. Of 
course Gov. Barber was not supposed to be on either 
bide in that war, but Kid Gabriel was on one side or 
Ihe other, I forget just which! 
Mr. W. B. Mershon, of Saginaw, Mich., passed through 
'tiiis cit}'- this week with his special car, bound for Arizona. 
He says it is business this time, and not sport; but it will 
be a cold day in Arizona if Mr. Mershon gets no fun 
diut of the trip. 
Mr. Charles Christador, of St. Paul, was in Chicago 
last Wednesday, attenditig a committee meeting of the 
Minnesota National Park and Forestry Association. 
Mr. H. G. McCartney, of Kabekona Camp, Mninesota, 
returned to his residence in Chicago this week. Mr. 
McCartney reports heavy rain and high water and the 
fishing temporarily disfigured. 
Mr. Rolla O. Heikes, of Da/ton, O., one of the best 
wing shots the world ever saw, paid the Forest and 
Stream ofince a call this week. Mr. Heikes found me out 
of the city, and leaves a note in which he says he sup- 
poses I am out fishing. Such was very far from the case. 
I was only out chicken shooting. I wonder if Mr. 
Heikes thmks I do nothing but go fishing? 
Mr. H. K. Wilson, of Chicago, left this week for a 
sojourn at Crooked Lake, Wis., where he will fish for 
bass. 
Mr. E. A. Featherstone, of Chicago, this week went 
to Squirrel Lake, near Minocqua, Wis., where he should 
•meet good luck with the rauscallunge at this season. 
Capt. Maus, of the U. S. Army, with his friend Maj. 
Maitland Kirwin, stopped for a time in Chicago this 
w t-'ek on their way to Laramie, Wyo. 
Mr. A. B. Eaton, of Chicago, left this week for St, 
Marie and the Nepigon country. 
Mr. J. E. Williamson, of Evansville, Ind., is in town 
this week and visiting the sporting goods houses. 
Mr. C. F. Wilcox, of Chicago, was up on the Horicon 
Marsh on opening day and bagged twenty-five birds, the 
iiittit, with no difficulty. He says that ducks were -fairly 
abundant, and that eight other shooters, mostly from 
Horicon and Milwaukee, also killed twenty-five birds 
apiece. 
Mr. John Whiting, of this city, was up on Grass Lake, 
of the Fox Lake Chain, on the morning of opening day. 
He saj-s that the marsh was full of shooters. Mr. 
Whiting succeeded in killing four ducks, and he was shot 
four times himself. One fellow shot him twice, and this 
made Mr. Whiting mad, so he left the marsh and came 
home. From all I can learn, a duck hunt on Fox Lake 
is beginning to resemble a deer hunt on Long Island. 
One of the most remarkable records of which I have 
heard this fall was that made by Mr. J. D. Adams, at 
Woman Lake, Minn. Ducks are very abundant there this 
fall, and one day Mr. Adams fired 241 shots.. I should 
add that he killed one duck. 
Speaking of the above reminds me of a similar in- 
cident which is historic in the annals of the Maksawba 
Club, of Indiana. Mr. Chamberlin, one of the club 
members, was out snipe shooting one day, and apparently 
having very good sport. Later in the day Mr. Roll 
Organ went out on the marsh, and chancing to see a snipe 
pitch close in front of him, started off to put it up. , His 
attention was called by loud cries from one side, and he 
turned to see Mr. Chamberlin gesticulating at him. 
"You, Organ!" cried the latter, "leave that bird alone! 
Don't kill that snipe!" Naturally, being thus admonished, 
Mr. Organ put the bird up and killed it just for the fun 
of the thing. This act nearly broke his fellow shooter's 
heart. Mr. Chamberlin sat down, and putting his head 
between his hands sobbed bitterly. "That's the meanest 
thing a man ever did, Organ," said he. "I have been 
chasing that bird and shooting at him all the morning, 
and T was having such a good time. Now, you have 
killed Wm, and spooiled all my fun!" 
Mr. William Werner, 'Possum Bill, wais out chicken 
shooting this week near Clinton, 111., and the three guns 
of the party bagged over forty birds. I am glad Mr. 
Werner had a good time, for no man enjoys a day afield 
more keenly. 
From time to time I have spoken in these columns of 
the fact that prairie chickens are sometimes seen within 
the city limits of Chicago. On Wednesday of this week 
Mr. Ira Eberheart, of Chicago Lawn, killed five prairie 
chickens. These birds were shot within twelve and a half 
miles of the city hall. On Tuesday morning the same 
gentleman killed two prairie chickens within ten miles of 
the city hall, and actually within the city limits. There 
is a certain town called Paris, which is putting on some 
airs about holding an exposition next year, but I have 
money to wager that the chicken shooting near Paris will 
not compare with that near Chicago, which is something 
of a World's Fair town herself. 
Rather a pleasant angling experience was that of Mr. 
Harry Hascall, of this city, who fished the Pere Mar- 
quette River of Michigan in company with John Wad- 
dell, of Grand Rapids, a couple of weeks ago. Mr. Wad- 
dell killed one rainbow trout of 4lbs-., and Mr. Llascall 
one of 3>^lbs., and they had ten other fish, ranging from 
1^2 to aj^lbs. 
Messrs. W. C. Gillespie and T. N. Jackson, both of 
Chicago, are now absent at Kabekona camp, in Minne- 
sota. They will meet high waters, .bttt the fish dre bitiijg 
a little now. 
Mr. Geo; W. Davey, of Englewood, Chicago, has to 
his credit the largest muscallonge reported from the 
Wo!T:m Lake Chain of Minnesota this season. This 
muscallonge weighed 381bs,, and was a beautiful fish. On 
the same day Mr. Davey took another muscallonge 
weiHiing iglbs.. Both were caught in Little Boy Lake. 
In the past ten days at Kabekona Camp there have been 
six muscallonge taken, whose total weight wa.s i5olbs. 
Chickens. 
Sept., 9. — ^Rather to the surprise 6t most folks, the 
prairie chicken season this year seems to be a pretty 
good one. I hear in general terms that Dakota is pan- 
ning- out especially well, the crop being better than for 
several years. There is necessarily more or less inac- 
curacy in all this, for if a man gets pretty good shoot- 
ing at one point he is apt to think it is good all over 
the State, and vice versa, yet the general consensus seems 
that the prairie chickens are holding out better than 
was expected. In Minnesota I presume much the same 
situation obtains as in Dakota. There has been good 
shooting in some localities and others have been disap- 
pointing. At Redwood Falls, Minn., the report is that 
results were not satisfactory; yet I learn that one party 
of four killed sixty chickens on opening day; that others 
brought in three dozen to a dozen and a half, and that 
very few came in without some birds. It is stated that 
people at Redwood Falls think the birds have migrated 
over into Dakota. It is more likely that they have mi- 
grated to the happier hunting grounds. 
I cannot discover that the chicken crop in Illinois has 
been seriously cut down, and indeed am rather disposed to 
believe that these birds are more than holding their own. 
The fact is that the whole prairie chicken situation has 
undergone a great change. There is no great tract of 
country in the West over all of which the shooter is sure 
to get fairly good sport. Here and there there are bits 
of country where the birds have been fully overlooked 
or fully protected, and wherever they have been left alone 
they have shown their ability to take care of themselves. 
There is one thing certain, the prairie chicken is more 
and more respected every year. In the old seasons of 
abundance it was not prized as it deserved, but nowadays 
you hear more and more talk of it as a factor in shooting 
plans, and a bag of these birds is spoken of with great 
pride. Elsewhere I have reverted to the fact that some 
Chicago men have been so lucky as to get shooting this 
week in upper Illinois. In this district — as indeed all over 
the West — the best sport was had on the first day of the 
season. On opening day the birds are not broken up in 
their habits, and are comparatively easy to find. After 
their first day of experience in sporting life they hide 
out and lie close, not moving very much until obliged 
to feed. I have often noticed this to be the fact with 
the ducks on Horicon Marsh, which hardly fly at all on 
the second day of the season. 
Progress of the Minnesota Park Movement, 
Sept. 7. — An important committee meeting was held at 
the library rooms of the C. A. A. last evening, that of the 
invitation committee of the Minnesota National Park and 
Forestry Association, there being a full representation 
of the different sections concerned. This action practi- 
ally completes the preparations for the Congressional 
trip, sets the date and arranges the details, so that the news 
of the matter is now pending until it may be determined 
how many of the members of Congress will actually 
take part in the trip. The date of the Admiral Dewey re- 
ception exercises at New York city unfortunately clashes 
with that set for the start on this expedition, and it is 
possible that the time of the start may at a later hour 
be changed, so that the party may leave the first week 
in October instead of the last week of Septernber, Fol- 
lowing is a synopsis of the proceedings of last night: 
The chairman, John S. Cooper, presided. 
Remarks were made by Mr. Cooper, Mr. Henry S. 
Fitch, Mr. Charles Cristadoro, Mr. John Whitbeck, Mr. 
Theodore P. Shonts, Capt. J. B. Clow and Mr. H. G. 
McCartney, relative to the various resolutions and rno- 
tions introduced and open for debate. The following- 
resolutions were unanimously passed : 
Resolved. That the representatives of the Government of Min- 
nesota and other gentlemen to be invited to gro as guests from 
that State upon the expedition to the headwaters of the Missis- 
sippi be selected by members of the committee on invitation 
from that State. 
Resolved further, That the invitations to be given to gentlemen 
outside the State of Minnesota to go as guests upon the ex- 
pedition shall include the President of the United States and 
his Cabinet, the Senate and Members of Congress elect of the 
United States, together with such members of the Associated 
Press and the newspaper press as can be accommodated on the 
expedition, and also such other gentlemen prominently interested 
in forestry and national parks, not to exceed five in number,_ who 
shall be selected by the chairman of the committee on expedition. 
Resolved further. That a chairman for each of the following 
ccimmittees shall be appointed by the chairman of the committee 
on expedition; each chairman of the respective committees so 
appointed being authorized to appoint other members of the 
committee to act with himself, viz.: 1, A committee on transpor- 
tation. 2. A committee on finance. 3. A committee on caftips, 
boats and guides. 4. A committee on camping parties. 
Resolved further, That the committee on camping parties shall 
have the exclusive charge, and it shall be its duty to select 
line gentleman of approved experience for each camping or 
exploring party, such gentleman to go on the expedition and to 
be in charge _ of the respective camping pr exploring party 
in hia care during the expedition. 
Resolved further. That the chairman of the committee on ex- 
pedition shall take charge of the commissary department required 
for the expedition, with power to add such members to the com- 
mittee as ho may desire. 
The chairman thereupon appointed Theodore P. 
Shonts chairman of the committee on transportation; 
Charles Cristadoro, chairman of the committee on camps, 
boats and guides; Henry S. Fitch, chairman of the com- 
mittee on camping parties. The chairman announced 
that he would appoint the chairman of the committee 
on finance later and notify this committee of such ap- 
pointment. 
The following gentlemen were selected by the chairman 
of the committee on expedition as members of the commit- 
tee on invitation thereto, such selections unanimously ap- 
proved, the names of the members being as follows : 
Thomas Lowry and Thomas LI. Shevlin, of Minneapolis; 
Gilbert G. Hartley, of Duluth; Channing Seabury, of St. 
Paul; Christian C. Kohlsaat, W. C. Brown, Henry S. 
Fitch, OHver W. Nixon, Paul Morton, Theodore P. 
Shonts, George E. Cole, John C. McNulta, Benjamin 
Thomas, and J. B. Clow, of Chicago. 
The form of invitation already engraved, together with 
the other printed matter, including maps prepared to be 
sent to each invited guest, was duly approved by the 
committee. 
The invitations, handsomely engrossed on heavy card- 
boards, read as follows: "The Minnesota National Park 
and Forestry Association requests the honor of your 
company upon an expedition from the cities of Chicago, 
St. Paul and Minenapolis to the headwaters of the Missis- 
sippi River in northern .Minnesota, leaving the city of 
Chicago Sept. 28, and the cities of St. Paul and Min- 
neapolis Sept. . 29, and returning on or before Oct. 7, 
1899." 
The invitation will go out to-morrow, so that by next 
week there should be some idea as to the replies from 
the recipients. With these inclosures go also a taste- 
fully printed folder descriptive of the purposes of the 
expedition and details governing the trip: ■ 
If you accept the invitation you will of course be our guest, 
and will need bring nothing more than for ordinary travel, except 
your rod and gun. Sleeping and dining cars will be provided, and 
can be used by all such guests during the entire expedition, who 
may not desire to camp out. All guests will be within reach of the 
telegraph, and can return by the regular trains at any time. _ _ 
The guests upon their arrival in the wilderness to be visited 
will be divided into small camping parties, composed of such 
gentlemen as may be mutually agreeable, for exploration, fishing 
and hunting, each party to be under the care of a member of our 
organization, whose experience in the woods and on the waters 
will be an assurance of the pleasure, comfort and safety of the 
gue.sts in his care. 
Most of the region to be visited has been made accessible 
by rail only within the past year, and it is confidently believed 
that the gentlemen who form this expedition -yrall have a most 
enjoyable outing, 
A Compromise in Limits. 
The Minnesota park project has been a chief topic of 
discussion all over Minnesota for the past two months, 
and public opinion has been much divided. Gradually 
there has arisen a feeling that it was unlikely a park so 
large as that originally suggested could be secured. Du- 
luth and Grand Rapids were especially bitter against the 
first large draft of the plans. Moreover, there has come 
into play the conservative, common-sense side of the 
American citizen, and the safe, middle-ground position has 
grown in strength. Some of the leading men of Minne- 
sota, among them Mr. Thomas Shevlin, one of the leading 
Western lumbermen, have thought that a smaller park 
could be put through, where a big one wotdd fail and kill 
the whole enterprise. Not wishing to be stubborn or un- 
yielding to the voice of public opinion from the region 
most interested, the members of the Association have con- 
. ceded mile by mile of their coveted territory, until this 
past week they came out with a map, marked "Com- 
promise Site for a National Park," which shows a region 
very much smaller than that first desired, and so modest in 
its demands that even Duluth and Grand Rapids are dis- 
armed. Mr. Shevlin says that this region can absolutely 
be secured, and can be set apart by Congress without 
private opposition, and indeed this should go without say- 
ing, for every foot of the land thus marked belongs to the 
Indian reservations, four of which lie within the bounds — 
the Winnebigoshish, Cass Lake, Chippewa and Leech 
Lake reservations. This tract is irregular in its outline, 
and roughly speaking is about 40 by 32 miles in mean 
dimensions, giving an area of about one million acres, or in 
the neighborhood of 1,200 square miles, a reserve compar- 
ing very favorably in size with the Yellowstone National 
Park. These lines include some of the best of the tipper 
Minnesota forest region, the Cass Lake country being con- 
sidered about the cream of that region. There is some 
pine on this Indian land, and on this pine the lumbermen 
have set their eyes, but the Government can save this 
timber by setting it ottt of sale arbitrarily or giving the 
Indians an annuity which shall represent a fair interest on 
what they would receive were it sold under acts which 
now partially control it. Even this so-called compromise 
park will be a grand body of wilderness land, and it ought 
to be preserved forever, Indians and all, and that under 
the immediate supervision of the bluecoats of Uncle Sam. 
There is variety of scenery and diversity of topography 
sufficient to leave a record of what the Minnesota pine 
■woods once were. Of the entire acreage about six or 
eight townships are covered by lakes or streams, and the 
sporting resources of the tract are as yet practically un- 
impaired. Should the Concessional trip be confined to 
this section alone there would be plenty to give the party 
the most delightful outing that even g. Congressman ever 
had. 
Itinerary. 
At this writing the itinerary of the trip is not complete, 
as changes may necessarily come up at the eleventh hour. 
No less a person than Mr. Henry B. Fuller, the dis- 
tinguished novelist, is writing the scenario of the trio for 
Col. Cooper. .Mi*. Chas. Cristadoro, of St. Paul, will ar- 
range camp sites, and Mr. Henry Fitch, of Chicago, will 
have the pleasure of making up the several camping parties 
and putting them in charge of suitable persons experienced 
in outdoor life. It may be possible that only a few mem- 
