Nov, i8, iSgg.J 
1 
FOREST AND STREAM. 
418 
Fishing North of Lake Superior. 
A WISE law limits a fisherman's catch of brook trout 
to fifty in any one day within the bounds of the Province 
of Ontario. Had no such restraint been in force, I fear a 
good many more than that would have been taken by 
four rods one August afternoon in this present year of 
grace. Port Arthur is in the midst, or rather on the west- 
ern verge, of an angler's paradise, and within a few miles 
there are three excellent trout streams, so that when my 
good fortune caused me to pass a week or two there this 
summer, I was not slow to renew my acquaintance with 
my old friend Fontinalis. 
One day's sport will, I venture to think, bear relation, 
as any moderately good fisherman may do as well dur- 
ing July, August or the first fifteen days of September. 
Our party consisted of Mr. Neil McDougall, at present 
Government road inspector for a district as large as some 
petty kingdoms, an old Hudson's Bay officer and a famous 
fisherman; Dr. William H. Clark, pastor of the Immanuel 
Presbyterian Church, Detroit, who holds the 1898 reicord 
of fifty trout from one pool, and who may have dupli- 
ceated it this year for all T know to the contrary; Mr. J. 
W.. Crooks, a business man of Port Arthur, and a keen, 
successful rod, and, lastly, the writer. 
On the morning of Aug. 8, notwithstanding a very 
threatening sky, we drove six miles along the old Daw- 
son road, the same by which Lord Wolseley's troops 
marched toward the Red River in 1870, and which was 
also followed by the Canadian volunteers when they sup- 
pressed the second rebellion in the '80s — to a point distant 
but a few rods from a very trouty stream known as Six- 
Mile Creek. Here the horses were left, and a faint but 
good trail followed for some miles up stream. McDou- 
gall and Dr. Clark elected to fish the lower stretch, while 
Crooks and myself went to a place known as Silver Hill, 
five miles from the Dawson road. 
At 2 P. M. we wet our lines for the first time, and at 5 
o'clock we each had the limit, and our creels were quite 
heavy enough, considering we had to walk five miles back 
to the horses, through wet bushes, for it was now rain- 
ing heavily. All my trout were caught on the blue dun 
and cow-dung, tied on Nos. 7 and 8 Limerick hooks. 
The fish were not heavy, but of a fair size, and the fishing 
most interesting, as the stream is a difficult one to cover 
with the fly, and the trout are as game as they make them. 
McDougall and Dr; Clark had done as well as our- 
selves, and the boy had not slept all the time, either. The 
total catch was 230 trout; they made a handsome dish on 
our return, and were much appreciated by our friends. 
The accompanying photograph shows my three com- 
panions at their usual off-time practice of swapping fish 
stories. As far as I can make out, McDougall is describ- 
ing an old he-snorter he got in July on Nipigon; Dr. 
Clark is making a mental resolve to go and do likewise 
next year, while Mr. Crooks looks on condescendingly, 
preparing meanwhile to cap the climax by telling all 
about that 251b. laker he hooked one fall out in the bay. 
This, by the way, is not to be taken seriously, for I 
never expect to go out with three better fishermen, or 
more truthful ones to boot, than my companions of that 
grand day's fishing on Six-Mile Creek. 
St. Croix. 
Toronto, Sept, 3. 
The Genesis of Sportsmanship. 
The present is an iconoclastic age. The spirit of inves- 
tigation is abroad in the land. The light of the nine- 
teenth century has blotted out the myths of a less intel- 
lectual and more intolerant age. With thinking people 
fiction is no longer allowed to masquerade in the garb 
of historical fact. No longer is the Christ hidden until 
discovered by Martin Luther; nor is it now believed that 
purity was unknown and without a defender until the 
days of Henry VIII. 
Although contrary to popular belief, that branch of 
sportsmanship which revels in the handiwork of the 
Creator — that seeks Him in field and forest, by lake and 
stream — has been in and of the world since the days of 
Tubal Cain, brightening its shadows and lightening its 
burdens. It is and has been peculiar to no class, condi- 
tion or country. 
The crown of royalty may adorn his brow, the judicial 
ermine clothe his body; his voice may be heard in con- 
trol in the halls of legislation and his brilliant attainments 
may add new luster to the professions; his sword may 
carve out new nations and his iron will rule them; his 
pen may be the lever to move the world upward to bet- 
ter things, and his pencil win undying fame in the world 
of art; he may explore new fields in the domain of science 
and immortalize himself by new and brilliant discoveries 
—be these and more besides and yet be proud to claim 
and enjoy fellowship with the army of sportsmen upon 
less distinguished plane — men whose heart pulsations are 
manly beats and whose sentiments are kindly, pure and 
eimobling. 
It is well known that all the children belonging to the 
great family of sportsmanship, while clearly akin, were 
not brought forth at a single birth, nor are they the 
progeny of the same parents. 
A superficial investigation will demonstrate the fact 
that many of them were born at different times, under dif- 
ferent circumstances and in different places — some having 
direct paternitv and a particular time and place of birth, 
and others being an evolution from the necessities or 
civilization of mankind. 
The time and birthplace of angling, one of the princi- 
pal subdivisions of sportsmanship, like that of Homer, 
are lost in the twilight of fable. Good authorities claim 
it had its origin in primitive times when primitive meth- 
ods were employed merely to supply the wants of man 
with food; but in a more intellectual age it is a higher 
view to accord it a more aesthetic origin. 
Mathematics, being an exact science, came into the 
world with an advancing civilization, and there being so 
many analogies between an exact science and angling, 
and the exact truthfulness of anglers, that they seem 
clearly to stand in relation to each other as parent to 
child, if not that of twin brothers, 
A few of the many examples which readily suggest 
themselves from our schoolboy experiences are herewith 
givfin ii> support of our hypothesis. 
Geometry, like the angler, treats of lines, surfaces and 
solids. 
A demonstration is a course of reasoning which es- 
tablishes a truth. The angler is certainly a demonstra- 
tion; but if his acquaintances, who may be less intellect- 
ual, refuse to believe, why should he be blamed? And 
who will say he will not eventually triumph? 
An hypothesis is something upon which a demonstra- 
tion may be founded, and here again mathematics and the 
angler touch elbows. 
A theorem is something to be proved by demonstra- 
tion. Who will say that the angler does- not give theorem 
many a tumble? 
A problem is something proposed to be done. And 
do we not know that nearly every angler is a problem, 
and that he is often "done"? 
A proposition is something proposed to be done, or 
demonstrated, and may be a theorem or problem. The 
modern angler is all three — he proposes, does and dem- 
onstrates. 
A corollary is an obvious consequence deduced from 
something that has gone before. The angler's "full 
creel" and "biggest fish" prove his close-up relationship 
to the corollary. 
A scholium is a remark on one or more preceding 
propositions. As the angler is not slow to remark on the 
propositions which he encounters and elucidates, a very 
great harmony is seen to exist between the angler and 
the scholium. 
An axiom is a self-evident proposition. Who will be 
so rash aS' to contend that an angler is not a full-fledged 
axiom? 
But let tis put some of these principles to the test and 
further prove the striking relationship existing between 
mathematics and the angling fraternity. 
Anglers in the same camp or in the same boat, like 
the equal things of axiom i, are equal to each other. 
All worthy anglers proceed along parallel lines and they 
will not conflict or interfere with each other, however 
A fishing trip may be projected any number of times 
long the trip may be extended, 
in all directions. 
The fisherman is easily reduced to lowest terms when 
the trout refuse his fly. 
The sum of all the fish which any fisherman takes is 
not so great as the story he tells. 
A fisherman, like extension, has length, breadth and 
thickness. 
The sum total of a fisherman is equal to all his parts. 
No fisherman can prolong his trips indefinitely. 
The fisherman's story has no weight, but only magni- 
tude. 
The want of success may make the contents of the fish- 
erman's crel less without making his story smaller. 
The sum of all the angles of a worthy angler is equal 
to his circumference multiplied by his height in inches. 
No mathematician has ever succeeded in extracting the 
square root of any fisherman, and it is now an open ques- 
tion if he has any. Geo, McAleer. 
Worcester, Mass. 
Quail Shooting in Cuba. 
Havana, Nov. 6. — Editor Forest and Stream: Agreeable 
to the promise m.ade you in my last letter, I proceed to 
give you some of my experience afield in this other 
planet so near to your own that the late little unpleas- 
antness Avas sure to come, in view of the natural expan- 
sion of human populations and their material interests. 
Luckily, the expansive wave from the active north 
has not to clash with powerful counter waves of various 
national interest, as must occur in the virgin African 
continent, and the local population of this island is not 
sufficiently numerous to maintain for long their un- 
progressive habits and customs, which must ere long be 
overwhelmed by the new civilization that is beginning 
to overflow upon it, and among the new comers there 
will be some that may be interested to know something 
about opportunities for the use of gun and dog here. 
Well, from Nov. i abundance of quail are to be found 
in our fields sufficiently grown for shooting, and snipe 
begin to come to us about the same date. 
November here, I got out my shooting traps, and my 
alarm clock announcing to me S o'clock A, M,, I made 
ready for the 6 o'clock train for a half hour's ride out of 
the city in exploration of fields well known to me in 
other seasons, the uplands, interspersed with frequent 
sloughs, ,=^wam.ps and lagoons, where formerly, in high 
rubber boots and up to my knees in quagmire and soft 
irmd, I had often made good bags of snipe; but now, 
alas! judge you of my surprise to find even the lagoons 
as dry as the hillsides, and I wandered in vain, seeking 
for soft places. 
One luckless snipe alone, occupied in the same enter- 
prise, I met with, and asked him to tarry and condole 
with me this dearth of feeding grounds for snipe near 
to us. The quail, on the contrary, were at home to us 
(me and my dog, and Sancho Panza, my biped re- 
triever). We reached the field, and Dash located the 
first covey about 7 o'clock. It had been raining during 
the night, the grass and bushes were wet, the scent good 
and Dash did some good work in trailing from the next 
field. They flushed a little wild, but I scored a right and 
left as my first salutation of the new season, and I fol- 
lowed up the direction they took, and after looking 
over several fields finally struck a trail on a hillside 
where the grass was thin. The birds were running. 
Dash persisted on the trail, and at last came to a stand. 
I flushed the bird quite under my nose, and, being some- 
what flurried, shot wild, but feeling chagrined, sent 
after him from the left barrel — with negative results, how- 
ever, The bird continued its flight until out of sight, 
seemingly laughing in scorn at my lack of skill, and in 
fact Dash appeared to participate in the bird's disdain. 
But the incident indicated that we had found the field 
v.'here the covey had got dowii, and soon Dash found 
another trail, and after following it some distance the 
bird flushed and tumbled to my right barrel, to the very 
evident satisfaction of the dog, and he manifested it in 
renewed activity. He soon struck another scent and fol- 
lowed it persistently at a steady walk until the bird 
flushed a little wild, and I sent after it my compliments 
in the contents of both barrels, which it did not ap^ 
parently deign to notice in the least, but I felt so con- 
fident chat its seeming indift'erence was only assumed 
that I followed it with my sight until it alighted, and 
followed it up. Having surely fixed upon the spot, I felt 
surprised at first that it did not rise; but Dash soon 
pointed the bird, in which the life was quite extinct. 
It was now about 8:30 o'clock, and the rain of the night 
before was threatening to be renewed, A dark cloud was 
rapidly approaching upon the wind, and the thick fol- 
iage of a nearby grove of mango trees tendered us its 
shelter. Because of the. threatening aspects of the morn- 
ing I had prudently taken along an umbrella, which, to- 
gether with the foliage, shielded me from a lengthy 
shower, and when this had passed, being shod in rubber 
boots, I again took to the fields; and when far from 
shelter it came on to rain again during an hour's time, 
and I under such shelter only as an umbrella can afford. 
From my waist down to my boots I had absorbed con- 
siderable moisture. By 10 o'clock the rain had ceased, 
and I took my course in the direction of a small vil- 
lage, where I expected to breakfast. En route we struck 
another covey of quail, and I scored two more birds 
and several misses, after which, while crossing a dried- 
up slough near to the village, I was startled by the well- 
known chaiche! chaiche! and a long beak rose from the 
canebrake, and was whirling away at break-neck speed, 
but not so fast but that an ounce of lead from a 12-bore 
Parker overtook him. 
Reader, after such a tramp, under such circumstances, 
did you ever realize the real solid comfort of arriving at 
a country grocery to rest and exercise a voracious ap- 
petite upon such edibles as it is able to cook for you, 
completed by canned goods, beer or wine, according to 
taste' They are all good under such circumstances. 
After resting till i P. M., the weather had cleared, 
though still cloudy, and I again took to the fields, and 
from that hour until 4 P. M. we were able to find three 
separate coveys, that furnished us with good sport, and 
seven more birds, making a bag of thirteen quail and 
one snioe for our day's sport. 
By going further away from the city more birds can 
be found. Indeed I have brought in bags of forty and 
forty-five quail in other years. This year we shall have 
to do without snipe, as there are absolutely no feeding 
grounds i'or them; at least on this north coast of Cuba, 
although 1 presume there will be plenty of them in the 
great swamps of the south coast. 
Dr. Erastus Wilson. 
^he Rennet 
Fixtures. 
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, Sec'y. 
FIELD TRIALS. 
Nov. 14-17.— Carmichaels, Pa.— Central Beagle Club's fourth an- 
nual trials. J. 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.— Lawrenville, 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 Qub's trials. 
Theo. Sturges, Sec'y, 
1900. 
Jan. 22.— West Point, Miss.— United States Field Ti'ial Club's 
annual trials. W, B. Stafford, Sec'y. 
Feb. 5.— Greenville, Ala.— Alabama Field Trial Cliib's fourth an- 
nual trials. T, H. Spencer. Sec'y. 
North American Field Trial Club. 
The Derby, 
Windsor, Ont,, Nov. 7— Editor Forest and Stream: 
The inaugural trials of this club opened with a Derby 
w-ith an entry of nine starters and a large and enthusias- 
tic crowd of sportsmen present. Unfortunately the 
weather was not favorable for good work, as the day 
opened with a cold, strong north wind blowing. How- 
ever, the quality of work done by the puppies was of the 
highest order; with the exception of one or two dogs, 
they were fit to run in any company. 
The winner, Bella Pointer, was a phenomenal puppy, 
being very accurate in her bird work, snappy and a 
high-headed, wide, free and independent ranger. This 
puppy will be heard of again. 
The second winner, Duke of Vassar, was also a puppy 
of high quality, and did some excellent bird work; he is 
a good, high ranger, and only needs work to make him 
a dangerous competitor in any class. Both of these 
dogs are black and white. 
The third winner, Dan Thiers, is a black, white and 
tan setter (one of the large kind), a slashing good goer; 
cuts out his fields well and carries a high head. His 
work was far above the average. Kate Thiers, a black, 
white and tan setter, a litter sister of Dan Thiers, is a 
very attracti^'e bitch, having a good way of going; she 
is a persistent hunter, and only wants steadying up to 
make a good one. 
Dash Trilby ran a good race, and only needs experi- 
ence on birds to place her in a high class. Lady Vassar 
II., a puppy nine months old, made a good showing 
for her age, and bids fair to make a hot Derby entry for 
next year. Counter Mark, a litter brother of Dan and 
Kate Thiers, did not appear to be in form. 
There were thirteen bevies of quail found here this day. 
The order of running: 
Marcon & Morton's Bella Pointer (Hal Pointer— Bell 
of Hessen) with J. Baugham's Duke of Vassar (Hal 
Pointer — King Bow's Vic"). 
J. B. Dale's Dan Thiers ' (Thiers— Dido III.) with W- 
E, Warner's Lady Vassar II, (Jack Pot — Lady Vassar). 
R. Baugham's Dash Trilby (Dash Antonio — Forrest 
May) with G. M. Hendry's Dash II. (Dash Antonio- 
Forrest May). 
Dr. Wm. Revell's Bob White (Jack Pot—Lady Vas- 
sar) with Marcon & Morton's Kate Thiers (" 'ers-^ 
Dido III.). 
