FOREST AND STREAM. 
[Nov. 4, iSggi. 
CHICAGO ANDSTHE WEST. 
; LWotfe of. the lUkiois Fi£ti;[Ctnimjsdoo. 
The annual report of the Illinois State Fish Commis- 
sion, or rather the report from Oct. i, 1896, to Sept. 30, 
1898, which was printed this year, has been sent to me by 
President N. H. Cohen, of Urbana, 111. It is a work of 
considerable interest. It would appear that the Commis- 
sion feels itself rather put upon the defensive, more 
especially in the matter of the gi'and, noble, delightful and 
overwhelmingly beautiful and useful work of animate 
nature known as the German carp. President Cohen goes 
on to write on these two points: 
"We have been very severely criticised by a great many, 
in that they claim we are neglecting proper protection for 
the game fish and are to a great extent overlooking the 
interests of the angler, some going far enough to under- 
take to maintain the position that the use of the seine 
should be prohibited entirely in all the waters of the State, 
that it was the cause of great destruction and would in 
time wholly deplete the river. This position is true in 
part, but only when applied to the smaller streams and 
inland lakes of the State, and in that matter is fully 
covered by the laws upon our statute books now, but when 
applied to greater rivers is entirely at fault. 
"We have frequently received severe criticism as to the 
practicability of the introduction of the German _ carp. 
Perhaps we do not need to go to any greater length in the 
discussion of the subject than to give here letters from the 
largest fish dealers on the Illinois River. Carp are ac- 
cused of driving out all of the game fish and destroying 
the young of all other fish. The best argument to refute 
that theory will be a plain statement of the conditions that 
exist. 
"On the Illinois River carp are more plentiful than ever, 
growing to immense size and the increase in numbers 
wonderful, while there are more black bass and croppie on 
the Illinois River this season than for many years before, 
and we cite many instances in lakes along the Illinois 
River where very large hauls of carp have been made, one 
in particular aggregating 30,ooolbs., and yet that lake has 
furnished the best bass fishing on the Illinois River. This 
instance is not an exception, but repeated many hundreds 
of times in greater or less degree along the whole length of 
the river. Here it may be well to note one very particular 
and unusual phase of the fish business this season to show 
the relative supply: Carp at some times has brought a 
better price on the fish boats than the best table fish we 
have, viz. : the black croppie or strawberry bass. Croppie 
were so plentiful that the local demand would not take 
them up, while carp, equally plentiful, found a quick 
market at i cent per pound higher price; most of the 
carp being bought, however, for Eastern markets." 
I beg to call attention to the fact that these carp are 
sent to the Eastern market. We do not eat them in the 
West. And I beg also to say that the carp situation in 
other streams is not what is on the Illinois River. 
T am disposed to think that the Fish Commission of 
Illinois has done the most expensive and the most practical 
work in distributing and multiplying native fish that has 
been done anywhere in the West, if not in the entire 
United States. For Dr. Bartlett and Mr. Cohen no one 
can have anything but the warmest personal regard, but as 
I .have often told them both, the sportsmen of Illinois 
have never appreciated their labors in the cdrp proposition. 
Both these gentlemen say that they "find it necessary in 
their work to be on good terms with the market fishermen, 
and this brings up again the old talk about short fish found 
in the hands of Chicago wholesale dealers. This is what 
the Commission has to say on the short fish question, 
which is really a very important one from the standpoint 
of the angler: 
"We have had a great deal of trouble in Chicago, and 
at times both the wardens and ourselves have been placed 
in a very peculiar position, with positive evidence of viola- 
tion of the law, and yet fully convinced that no intent of 
such violation existed. For instance, a fisherman at some 
of the rivers or lakes makes a catch or purchases fish, 
packs them in a box or barrel and ships them to the 
Chicago market. Of this shipment some of the fish will 
probably be under the prescribed size, and can not lawfully 
be sold or offered for sale. The commission merchant or 
wholesale dealer takes off the top of box or barrel and 
exposes them for sale, the retail dealer buys them in 
bulk, and removing them from their shipping case at his 
own place of business openly offers them for sale, regard- 
less of size. Now if a warden comes along and inspects 
the fish, he finds the small fish, and the dealer is arrested 
and probably fined for offering undersized fish for sale, 
when so far as knowledge and intention is concerned he 
may be innocent. 
"Your Commissioners, with their attorney, have had 
several meetings with the wholesale dealers of Chicago, 
and have canvassed the matter with them very thoroughly, 
and while a large proportion of them seem to be perfectly 
willing, not only to obey the law but to assist us in enforc- 
ing it, there have been quite a number who have objected 
and given us a great deal of trouble, by getting the retail 
dealers into offering undersized fish for sale. 
"This would seem easy to overcome by reaching the 
wholesale dealers directly, but unfortunately we have 
found that in the majority of cases the retail dealer would 
rather fight a case against himself than to risk the enmity 
of the wholesale dealers and the possibility of cutting off 
the supply by appearing against them." 
Naturally the report of the Fish Commission includes 
the yearly statement of the deputy wardens all over the 
State. I am pleased to observe that our friend, George 
Kleinman, of South Chicago, Cook county, seems to have 
as good a record as any warden. He has a record of 
thirty- three arrests, thirty- three convictions, eight dis- 
charges and two jail sentences. Close in the same class ?s 
J, R. Ratto, also of Cook county, who made thirty-five 
arrests, had thirtj^-one convictions and four jail sentences. 
The Age of Small-Mouth Bktck Bass. 
Col. James A. B. Van Cleave, -'of Springfield. 111., in a 
letter to the Illinois Fish Commission, has given some 
rather interesting data in regard to the age of small-mouth 
black bass. Col, Van Cleave is one of the most ardent 
anglers we have in the West, 'and his favorite • fishing 
grouRa^g'were long at Miltona, Douglas county, Mifiti, 
Here for some time Col. Van Cleave made a practice of 
tagging and returning ,to water numbers of the bass which 
he had taken, and from his experience in these matters he 
adds the following: 
"During nine years I placed my German silver badge on 
nineteen hundred and thirty-five bass, sixteen hundred 
and seventy-six of which are of the small-mouth, the rest 
being the large-mouth variety. Of the whole number 
captured and recorded, one hundred and nine have been 
retaken and re-recorded, a great many of them having 
been through my hands twice, many of them three times, 
while one was five times captured, three times in one 
season, being caught twice in one day by a guest who 
shared the boat with me. 
"I prepared German silver oblong plates ^in. long with 
a hole in one end. Upon one side my name was stamped 
and upon the other the serial number of the plate. Each 
plate was numbered consecutively, as were the pages of 
the book in which the record was kept. Immediately 
after catching and carefully weighing the bass it was 
placed in the large live-box of my boat, and when con- 
venient a small hole was made in the point of the heavy 
cheek piece or gill covering of the bass and the plate at- 
tached with a short copper wire, the ends of which were 
carefully clipped off and the fish returned to the water." 
Col. Van Cleave concludes that bass are quite migratory 
in their habits, especially after the spawning season is 
over. He has retaken the same bass 354 miles 
away from the place where it was first taken. Once he 
captured a 2141b. bass in Lake Miltona which he had taken 
the season before in Lake Ida. This lake is six miles dis- 
tant, the two bodies of water being connected by a river 
about two miles in length. 
Col. Van Cleave does not agree with Dr. Henshall in his 
conclusions on the weights and ages of the black bass, and 
thinks that Dr. Henshall overestimates the rapidity of 
growth of that fish at least under environment like that of 
the Northern waters. He states; 
"I conclude that when a bass gets to weigh albs, he does 
not gain to exceed 30Z. a year, and that after he gets to 
weigh 3lbs. he does not gain more than an ounce a-^year, 
and almost ceases to gain in weight. A 4lb. bass in Lake 
Miltona does not gain perceptibly in weight, and consumes 
years of time to gain each additional ounce, having reached 
absolute maturity. I believe that a 4;^lb. bass in Lake 
Miltona and its contiguous waters to be not less than 
twenty-five years old, and I believe that if I had sufficient 
time to properly digest the records I have made I 
could conclusively prove that it is nearer fifty years old. 
"While fishing with Governor Tanner, of Illinois, in 
Vermont Lake, two miles north of Lake Miltona, in the 
summer of 1897, I caught with hook and line a small- 
mouth bass that weighed 45'4lbs. When baked and on the 
table it proved to be so old that the flesh, though fat. was 
absolutely strong, sinuous and unpalatable, and all its 
bones, especially the rib bones, instead of being round 
with sauare sides, were flat, heavy and strong, and re- 
sembled a sheen's ribs in shape and condition. I believe 
that bass was forty or fifty years of age." 
E. Hough. 
480 Caxton Buildikg, Chicago, 111. 
Bass fof the Potomac. 
Wtsdnesday of this week was a great day for anglers at 
Occoquan "Creek, as a result of the diligent labors of the 
United States Fish Commission in stocking the Potomac 
River with big-mouthed black bass. Not only the main 
stream, it is said, but all of its tributaries, from the falls 
to-lower tide water, are swarming with these magnificent 
game fish. The weather was typical of ah Indian summer 
day, and the bags were biting well and running from 
^2 to 3'>41bs. in Aveight. 
Within the distance of half a mile no less than thirty 
anglers, male and female, chiefly from Alexandria and 
the District, were out in boats and upon the gray rocks 
which margin that romantic stream, and every one had a 
string. 
As many as 200 fine fish were basketed, it being the ac- 
cepted code of the *craft to return to the water all cap- 
tures under loin. long. Messrs. Henry Talbott, Kent, 
Middleton, Murphy, Grimes, Hamill and other known 
experts were participants, Mr. Talbott having a repre- 
sentative of the New York Forest and Stream as his 
guest. Mr. Talbott has devoted a good deal of time to 
promoting the work of stocking the streams, and it was an 
occasion of pride to him to be able to point to such gratify- 
ing results. No such sight was ever witnessed at Occo- 
quan on any week day before. — Washington Star, Oct. 27. 
A Big Mtiscalong^e. 
Appleton, Wis. — On Sept. 30 at Big Lake, Wis., in 
the Manitowish waters. Will Stoppenbach, of Appleton, 
Wis., hooked a lilb. mascalonge in the back, and after a 
deal of struggling landed the fish. The fish struck a 
fellow angler's spoon, leaped, struggled free, only to be 
impaled on Stoppenbach's hook. The motions of the 
fish in the water, hooked midway between head and 
tail, were, as may be imagined, very curious. 
John Parmalee, of Chicago, on Sept. 23 hooked and 
landed a Big Lake, Wis., mascalonge, which weighed 
4ilbs., length 54in. I saw and lifted the fish — a beautiful 
speciman. S. J. R. 
The passengers on the steamer Mohican, on Lake 
George, witnessed an interesting spectacle on the trip up 
to Caldwell yesterday morning. Near Black Mountain 
a moving object was seen some distance ahead crossing 
the lake. As the boat drew nearer it was found to be a 
splendid specimen of the deer family. The ,deer did not 
appear to be frightened in the least, and passed within a 
few feet of the bow of the boat. Had Capt. Finkle been 
so disposed he might have captured the deer without much 
difficulty. — Glens Falls Star. 
1 DON'T SHOOT | 
g until you SEE your deer — and sec ^ 
§ ■ ■ that it is 1 deer and not a sian, ^ 
Flstttfes. 
BENCH SHOWS. 
Nov. 15-18.— Philadelphia, Pa.— The Philadelphia Dog Show As- 
sociation's first annual bench show. Marcel A. Viti, Sec'y. 
Nov. 29-Dec. 1.— New York.— American Pet Dog Club s show. 
S. C. Hodge, Supt. 
FIELD TRIALS. 
Nov. 7.— Washington C. H., O.— Ohio Field Trial Club's trials. 
C. E. Baughn, Sec'y. 
Nov. 8-9. — Lakeview, Mich. — Michigan Field Trials Association's 
second annual trials. E. Rice. Sec'y. 
Nov. 12.— Bicknell Ind.— Independent Field Trial Club's first 
annual trials. George D. Maxfield, Sec'y. 
Nov. 13.— Egg Harbor, N. J.— New York State Field Ttrial As- 
sociation's inaugural trials. F. F. Rick, Sec'y. 
Nov. 14.— Chatham, Ont.— International Field Wial Club's tenth 
annual trials. W. B. Wells, Hon. Sec'y. 
Nov. 14-17.— Carmichaels, Pa.— Central Beagle Club's fourth an- 
nual trials. T. W. Simpson, Sec'y. 
Nov. 17.— Newton, N. C— Eastern Field Trial Club's twenty 
first annual trials. Simon C. Bradley, Sec'y. 
Nov. 21. — Lawrenceville, 111. — Illinois Field Trial Association's 
inaugural trials. O. W, Ferguson, Sec'y. 
Nov. 28.— Paris, Mo.— Missouri Field Trial Association's third 
annual trials. L. S. Eddins, Sec'y. 
Dec. 8.— Newton, N. C— Continental Field Trial Club's trials. 
Theo. Sturges, Sec'y. 
1900. 
Jan. 22.— West Point, Miss.— United States Field TriaJ Club's 
annual trials. W. B. Stafford, Sec'y. 
Feb. 5, — Greenville, Ala. — ^Alabama Field Trial Club's fourth an- 
nual trials. T. H. Spencer, Sec'y. 
Philadelphia Dog Show Association. 
The Philadelphia Dog Show Association has received 
the following special prizes since their prize list went to 
press: Mr. J. A. Caldwell, Jr., offers a silver cup for the 
best brace of smooth-coated American-bred fo^ terriers 
owned by a member of the American Fox Terrier Club, 
and also a mug for the best brace of fox terriers, smooth 
or wire, owned within a radius of twenty miles of Phila- 
delphia. Mr. George S. Mott offers a silver cup for the 
best kennel of four pointers owned by a member of the 
Pointer Club. Mr. L. A. Klein offers a silver medal to 
the breeder of the best Dachshund in the show, and also 
a silver medal for the best Dachshund, dog or bitch, 
mider eighteen months of age. These medals are open to 
all. 
A selling class has been added to the prize list, open to 
dogs of any breed. The prizes are $15, $10, and $5, the 
price of the dog not to be over $75. This class is known 
MONK OF 2I0N. 
as 203 A. A Pomeranian puppy class has also been added. 
This class is 192 A, and has prizes of $10 and $5. 
A very large number of prize lists were mailed, but the 
demand for copies still continues, and there is every in- 
dication that the number of entries will be decidedly 
large. 
The judge of French bull dogs was not announced in 
the prize lists, owing to the uncertainty of Mr. Foxhall 
Keene's presence in this country at the date of the show, 
and he having sailed for Europe, the breed will be judged 
by Mr. Chas. H. Mason, 
Exhibitors who desire classes added or divided by sex 
should communicate with the committee at once, as it is 
quite likely a number of new classes will be added. The 
committee are desirous of doing all they can in the way 
of adding classes, and if exhibitors will avail themselves 
of the provision of the rule on page 4 of the prize list, the 
committee will be glad to open any number of additional 
classes. 
This is the only show in America, barring the West- 
minster Kennel Club, where prizes of $iS, $10 and $5 have 
been oft'ered in limit and open classes, and $10 and $5 
in puppy and novice classes. 
;The club medal is an exquisite piece of workmanship, 
very unique and artistic in design, and entirely different 
from any medal that has ever been offered before. These 
medals will be offered for the best four dogs of every 
breed, and no additional fee will be charged for competing 
for kennel prizes. 
The. hall in which the show is to be held is one of the 
handsomest in America, and has been used exclusively 
for private balls, dinners and lectures, and it is a decided 
concession to have secured it for a dog show, It is, with- 
out question, the most magnificent hall in wliich a dog 
show has ever been held. It is centrally located, and is as 
wejl known locally as. any building in Philadelphia; which 
fcicts, together with the large E^mount of local advertising 
