since been broken up by gunners, and partridges are 
Said to be scarcer than for many previous years. 
Reynolds Lillibridge, the veteran trapper of Exeter, is 
reported as dangerously ill with an affection of the heart. 
Mr. Lillibridge is well, known by sportsmen of this an J 
adjoining States, who frequently make his place, near 
the West Greenwich line, their headquarters when on 
fishing and hunting expeditimis in the wilds of that por- 
tion of Rhode Island. ' W. H. M. 
The Same Theodore, 
Custer County, Idaho, Oct. 18.— Editor Forest and 
Stream: Is the Theodore Roosevelt whose name I see 
in j'our advertising columns as the author of a number of 
books on hunting in the West the same man of whom we 
heard so much during the war with Spain as the Colonel 
of the Rough Riders, and who is now. I believe, the 
Governor of the State of New York? Some of us were 
■talking about this the other night, and some thought that 
the writer was a man who had a cattle ranch out West, 
and that the Colonel of the Rough Riders was a New 
York city man. Will you please tell us which were right? 
We live a long way from the railroad and don't see many 
papers, and this is why we ask you. 
A. R. Williams. 
[There is but one adult Theodore Roosevelt — so far as 
we know — and he is Governor, Colonel, author and ranch- 
man. Mr. Roosevelt's- activities have extended in many 
directions. His books give delightful pictures of life in 
the further West.] 
The Virginia Game Fields. 
Chase City, Va., Nov. 14.— Editor Forest and Stream: 
The hunting season is now on. Quite a number of 
sportsmen from a distance have been here, and all seem 
delighted with their experience in the chase for deer, or 
in quest of turkey or quail. Among those here at present 
are Dr. R. U. Pierce, of Buffalo, N. Y., who, though 
not having hunted quail for some years, is rapidly getting 
"his hand in," bringing home from twenty to tliirty 
quail as the result of a day's hunt. A party from Can- 
nonsburg. Pa., brought in a deer last Saturday, killed 
within half a mile of this place, and another deer the 
following Monday (yesterday), a couple of miles out. 
The season for quail shooting is at its best from now till 
the middle of December. W. D. Paxton. 
Currituck Ducks. 
Currituck, N, C, Nov. ii. — Yesterday was our open- 
ing day for ducks at Currituck. The weather was very 
mild and fine, and only about 3.000 ducks were killed; but 
they were in splendid condition owing to ten days longer to 
get fat in. Our season has formerly opened Nov. 1, but 
this year it opened on the loth. More Anon. 
Christmas Books. 
With the approach of Christmas comes th^; necessity 
of buying Christmas presents, the selection of which is 
not always easy. Many people find it difFicuh to make 
up their mind what they shall purchase, and so put off 
the operation of buying until the last moment. As a re- 
cult, when the time comes they are likely to be hurried, 
confused, and at last select things that in their cooler 
moments they are not satisfied with. It is the old story 
of going through the forest looking for a straight stick 
and finally coming out with a crooked one. 
A person who is wise will purchase Christmas gifts 
long in advance of the day. There is then plenty of 
time for careful selection; one is not troubied by the 
crowding of other persons w-ho also have postponed their 
purchases until the last moment; the dealers having 
plenty of time, can ship their goods in a deliberate and 
orderly manner, so that they will reach the purchaser 
and not be mixed up with the orders of other people. 
We say nothing about the woes of the unhappy store- 
keeper, who is anxious to please every one, but who in 
the rush' of custom which comes just before Christmas 
makes mistakes which no one regrets more bitterly than 
he. 
The Forest and Stream PubHshing Co. begs its readers 
who intend to purchase from it books for Christmas 
gifts to make their selections as early as possible and to 
send in their orders without delay. There is a full month 
before Christmas — ample time for books to be ordered, 
received and put away for the great day. But if these 
orders are postponed for a month, till the Chrismas 
rush, many of the purchases may fail to reach the cus- 
tomer until after Christmas, and some part of the pleas- 
ure of the day Avill thus be lost. 
On another page will be found a list of books interest- 
ing to sportsmen. The angler has a range of choice 
among books which describe fishes, the modes of taking 
them, the tackle with which they are taken, and the 
men who take them. 
Hunters, trappers and outdoor men may choose from 
books on trapping, hunting, woodcraft, ranching, In- 
dians and travel and exploration. Especial mention may 
be made of Mr. Chas. E. Whitehead's superb volume, 
called "Camp-Fires of the Everglades," of the various 
Danvis books by that charming writer Rowland E. Rob- 
inson, and the different volumes of the Boone and Crock- 
ett Club, "American Big Game Hunting." "Hunting in 
Many Lands" and "Trail and Camp-Fire," to which 
Gov. Theodore Roosevelt so largely contributed. 
If the reader be a yachtsman or canoeist he has here a 
large choice in books which run from the splendid $10 
volume "Small Yachts" down through all the range of 
boat building, boat sailing, canoe handling, sailing and 
camping, to a half-dollar booklet which tells how to 
build a canvas canoe. 
There are no doubt many big-game hunttrs whose li- 
braries already contain_mo.st of the printed works on 
their favorite subject. 1 hese cannot fail to be interested 
in the superb artotvpe pirtun-.'; "Alert" (moose), "The 
Cliallenge (wapiti or elk), "Listen" (blacktail_ deer), and 
others, which are now being issued, and which, framed 
3nd hung on the wall, will offer to many a man stirringi 
FOREST AND STREAM, 
reminders of some fortunate hunt in past years cither in 
the East or in the West. 
For their own sakes, as well as for its own, the Forest 
and Stream Publishing Co. urges its customers who pur- 
pose to buy books within the next month to examine the 
book list in Forest and Stream — or better still to send 
lor its free illustrated catalogue — and to send in their 
orders without delay. — Adv. 
mid giv^r S^¥^S' 
Some St. Lawrence Fish. 
Editor Forest and Stream: 
There was a time not many years ago when anglers 
vied with each other to see who could kill the greatest 
number of fish. In those days there was little or no 
thought of the future, or, in fact, of present needs, the 
chief aim being to make a great catch in as short a time as 
possible. In case the angler was successful enough to 
take more fish than he could use himself or give away, it 
mattered little to him, for he had accomplished his purpose 
by making a big record as a fisherman. Fortunately, 
however, things have changed materially within the past 
few years, and there is a strong and growing tendency 
among anglers to discountenance fishing for the sole ob- 
ject of establishing a record, on the ground, that it is un- 
sportsmanlike. Of course, this does not mean that there 
has been any falling off in point of enthusiasm on the part 
of anglers or that they are less anxious than heretofore 
to make good catches. It simply means that there is an 
unwritten law among them that no one shall kill more fish 
than he can use to advantage. This laudable sentiment, 
however, does not prevent the angler from keeping a 
record of fish captured during the season, including the 
number and weight, and the one who makes a good show- 
ing while keeping within the limits of both the game 
law and the unwritten law is the one who can be justly 
proud of his achievements. 
Probably there are no public waters where the laws are 
more carefully observed and fishing is carried on in a more 
sportsmanlike manner than at the Thousand Islands or 
in what is known as the State reservation on the St. 
Lawrence River. The special provisions in the game 
laws relating to the waters of the Thousand Islands make 
the open season for black bass, Oswego bass, pickerel, 
pike, wall-eyed pike and muskallonge from June 9 to 
Jan. I. Bass less than 10 inches in length cannot be 
legally taken. No person is permitted to catch, kill or 
possess more than twelve bass in any one day, and where 
two or more persons are fishing from the same boat, they 
cannot take to exceed twenty-four bass in a day. The 
Anglers' Association of the St. Lawrence River, a large 
and influential organization composed mainly of prom- 
inent business and professional men from different parts 
of the United States who have summer homes among the 
islands, and also including many of the principal citizens 
of Clayton and Alexandria Bay, is entitled to great credit 
for the healthy sentiment regarding fishing which pre- 
vails within the reservation. It is largely due to the 
efforts of the Association that the international park 
exists, that the special protective provisions were enacted 
and are enforced, and that the sentiment in favor of 
sportsmanlike angling is so strong. 
During the first few weeks after the season opened this 
year the fishing was not very good in the river, owing 
to the great numbers of menhaden. For some time the 
bass, muskallonge and pickerel all displayed utter con- 
tempt for the angler's hook, trolling spoon and live bait 
evidently finding their wants fully supplied hy the myriads 
of little fish mentioned. About Aug. i, however, the game 
fish began to bite vigorously, and they kept it up so that 
as a whole this has been one of the best fishing seasons 
known on the St. Lawrence for many years. 
The average weight of the black bass which are caught 
in the waters of the Thousand Islands is from i and iV^ 
to 2 pounds, and a 3-pounder is considered quite a big 
one. When one is caught which tips the scales at 4 pounds 
it is an event which is worth bragging about, and every 
ounce above that weight is counted as of great importance. 
Once in a great while a specimen is taken weighing 4>4 
or 5 pounds, but such occurrences are extremely rare. 
The St. Lawrence pickerel or pike proper average from 
3 to 7 pounds in weight, and a lo-pounder is a big one. 
It is not a very uncommon thing, however, to see them 
weighing from 12 to 16 pounds, and in rare cases they 
are taken weighing 20 pounds, or even a trifle more. The 
muskallonge frequently attains great size, and while those 
which weigh from 14 to 20 pounds are counted as good 
ones, hardly a season passes without the capture of a 
specimen weighing from 30 to 40 poOnds, and once in 
a great while even the latter mark is passed. 
Following is a list of some of the noteworthy catches 
which have been made by anglers on the St. Lawrence 
River during the past season: 
About the middle of Aitgust last Charles Lavier, Jr., 
Walter Kemball and Fred Bowen, of Ogdensburg, who 
were camping near Terrace Park, captured a 22-ponnd 
muskallonge. 
On or about the same date P. Canfield, of Ogdensburg, 
with Eddie Gill as oarsman, caught near Big Island a 
muskallonge weighing 35 pounds. 
On the morning of August 28, H. C. Shafer, manager of 
the Hubbard House in Clayton, brought in a muskallonge 
weighing 19^2 pounds, which he took off Bartlett Point, 
about a mile above the village. 
During the last week in August T. W. Kingsley, of 
Potsdam, while fishing near Hamilton's Island, landed two 
muskallonge, one of which tipped the scales at 18 pounds. 
Shortly before that his brother, M. H. Kingsley, who 
also went out from Hamilton's Island, captured a 36- 
pound muskallonge. 
On Aug, 24 and 25 a party of gentlemen who were 
stopping at the head of St. John's island, made a splendid 
catch of bass. The party, which consisted of Byron A, 
Brooks. Rlessrs. Conant and Dorrance and G. B. Lyons, of 
New York, went out in the naphtha launch Sylvia, belong- 
ing to the former, early on the morning of Aug. 25, and 
v^Pifaed the following evening wit^ sixty-eight fine fe^sg, 
481 
i — I ■ ■ > - > I 
the largest weighing a little under 4 pounds, and many 
of the catch ranging from 2 to 3 pounds. 
On Aug. 30 Mrs. Thomas D. Jordan, of New York, and 
her niece. Miss C. J. Trice, of Jersey City, who spent 
tile summer at the Hubbard House, Clayton, brought in 
twenty-one pickerel, all good size, the heaviest one weigh- 
ing g pounds and the smallest 4 pounds. The catcli was 
the more remarkable in that it was the work of lady 
anglers, who were imaccompanied by a guide. 
Dr. R. W. Anjidon, of Chaumont, who has a cottage on 
Point Salubrious, on Sept. 5 caught, among other large 
black bass, one weighing 4^ pounds. 
About the middle of September a party consisting of 
Mr. and Mrs. Morgan and Mrs. F. M. Bacon, who, with 
a guide, went out from Clayton for a day's fishing, re- 
turned with 66 pounds of pickerel. 
Late in September one of the guests at the Frontenac. 
Round Island, captured a muskallonge weighing over 3C» 
pounds. 
About the same time A. E. Hume, cashier at the Cross- 
mon House, Alexandria Bay, went out with an oarsmali 
for a day's fishing near Brown's Island, and returned 
with twenty-two black bass, an 8-pound wall-eyed pike 
and a g-pound pickerel. 
C. O. Rogers, of Adams, N. Y., whitefishing with his 
brother, O. N. Rogers, near Clayton on Oct. 16, took a 
pickerel 34 inches in length and weighing 10 pounds. 
E. G. Wykoff, of Ithaca, who was stopping on Carleton 
Island, caught a muskallonge in August which measured 
3H feet in length and weighed 27 pounds. In September 
Ozman Wykoff, a lad, also one of the Carleton Island 
party, brought in one weighing i8j4 pounds. 
E. M. Knight, of Farmersville, caught two muskallonge 
in September, one weighing 9 and the other 15 pounds. 
Oarsman Jacob Putnam, of Carleton Island, while fish- 
ing near Mile Tree Point in September, took in a irms- 
kallonge which weighed iS^ pounds. 
One of Utica's most enthusiastic and successful anglers 
is ex-Supervisor William Howarth, who has a summer 
residence on Carleton Island. Mr. and Mrs. Flowarth 
went to the river on June 25 this year and remained until 
Sept. 24. They enjoyed splendid fishing, and a good deal 
of the time they had friends visiting them who shared the 
pleasure. They had two boats, and usually there were 
four persons fishing and two oarsmen. The time devoted 
to fishing would perhaps average five hours a day. 
although there were some days when it was so windy that 
no one went out. A record of the season's fishing, as kept 
at Mr. Howarth's boat house, makes this showing: 698 ' 
black bass, 1,218 perch, 35 pickerel, not one weighing less 
than 5 pounds, and from that mark up to 1314 pounds; 
4 eels and i muskallonge. The latter, which was cap- 
tured by Mr. Howarth himself, weighed ioJ-4 pounds. 
All of the fish but the pickerel were caught on rods. The 
muskallonge M'as taken on a light steel rod. It made a 
lively fight, but succumbed after a struggle which lasted 
about twenty minutes. 
In three or four hours' fishing one day during the 
latter part of their stay on the river, Mrs. Howarth 
caught sixteen black bass which weighed from 2 to ^'/j 
and 4 pounds each. 
During September David Burke, of Utica, wiio was a 
guest of Mr. and Mrs. Howarth at Carleton Island for a 
few days, captured a black bass which was 22 inches long, 
14J/2 inches in circumference and weighed 4^ pounds. 
A few days afterward Mr. Howarth had the good for- 
tune to catch one that was 21^ inches in length, 15 inches 
in circumference and weighed 4^ pounds. 
Black bass have been very numerous in the vicinity of 
Cape Vincent this season, and oarsmen have found profit- 
able employment in fishing for the market. Quantities 
of them have been sold for five cents per pound. It. is 
said that a gentleman named Wicks from New York, to- 
gether with his guide, have taken 3,500 pounds of black 
bass in the lake off from Cape Vincent and off Stony 
Island. The waters around Cape Vincent are not included 
in the State reservation of the St. Lavvrence River. 
Dr. tienry Dean, of New York, who has a cottage at 
Alexandria Bay, visited the Rideau in August and fished 
Troy and Griffin lakes. It was reported that he caught 
fifty-one black bass, all weighing over 4 pounds, besides :< 
number of excellent specimens of the Oswego trjbe. 
During the latter part of July .several very large wall- 
eyed pike were taken in the river opposite Fine View. . 
They were caught in deep water. H. R. Clark, of Jersey 
City, N. J., a guest at the Fine View House, captured a 
dozen in one day. 
Capt. W. E. Gerard, of Brooklyn, while a guest at the 
Pullman House during the summer, made some splendid 
catches of pickerel and bass. One day during the first 
week in August he took twenty-four pickerel, all of good 
size. W. E. Wolcott. 
Utic.\, N. Y., Nov. 11. 
The Landing Net Case. 
Judge Craig handed down a decision on Nov. i6 in the 
Pennsylvania case brought against Messrs. Wetherell and 
Elliott to collect a penalty for the use of a landing net 
in taking trout. The circumstances of the prosecution 
have already been related in these columns. The law 
under which the action was brought prescribes that nu 
person shall kill any trout "with any device save only 
with rod, hook and line"; and the point under considera- 
tion was whether such a provision made unlawful the 
use of the landing net. Justice Gruver, of the lower court, 
had held that the net was prohibited, and had imposed a 
fine of $100 upon the defendants, who carried the case 
up on appeal. Judge Craig's decision reverses this, and 
holds: 
"Manifestly if we interpret the words 'rod, hook and 
line' within the limitation of their literal import, then it 
would be obnoxious to this act to use a reel or fly or 
bait or bob or sinker or squid in connection with rod, 
hook and line when fishing for game fish, for these are 
appliances for catching fish in the general sese of the 
terms. Such interpretation would practically defeat all 
catching of game fish. 
"Much argument was expended on the question: W35 
the fish caught when hooked, or was it not caughc until 
it was put into the physical possession of the defendant 
by means of a landing net? The preponderating weight 
pf the evidence is that a game fish is caughtVhen hooked. 
