Dec, 2, iBgg.] 
FOREST AND STREAM. 
447 
Massachusetts Game Interests, 
A CONFERENCE of the Massachusetts Fish and Game 
Commission and representative sportsmen was held in 
Boston last week. The meeting was entirely successful, 
says the Boston Herald, in point of numbers and sugges- 
tions made. The gradual extinction of game was com- 
mented upon, and the market-hunters, so called, were 
scored severely, but were not .entirely without defenders. 
The fisheries played an unimportant part in the con- 
ference. A few allusions to the necessity of protecting 
mackerel and the prohibition of seining within certain 
limits constituted practically all the talk on fish. 
The attention of the board was mainly directed by the 
speakers to the necessity of preserving game in the State, 
especially partridges. By some the depletion of the par- 
tridge ranks was ascribed to the success of those who hunt 
for "the market," by others to the inroads made by the 
sly fox and other partridge-loving animals. 
B, C. Clark, ex-president of the Massachusetts Fish and 
Game Protective Association, dwelt briefly oh the 
mackerel question, suggesting that the period of prohibi- 
tion for the importation of mackerel, other than Spanish 
mackerel, should be made twenty years, instead of five, 
by Congressional enactment. If it should come to pass that 
his Association should take the matter to Washington it 
was almost essential that it should have the indorsement 
of the Fish and Game Commission. Mr. Clark then pre- 
sented to the conference the draft of a bill for the better 
protection of game birds. 
This bill, with its clause in reference to marketmen 
and provision dealers, formed the basis of debate and sug- 
gestion. It read as follows: 
"Section i. — Whoever sells or has in possession, with 
the intention of selling, for a period of ten years from the 
passage of this act, any ruffed grouse (commonly called 
partridge), quail, woodcock, rabbit or gray squirrel, taken 
or killed in this commonwealth, and whoever takes, kills 
or has in his possession, except for breeding purposes, for 
a period of five years from the passage of this act, any 
English or Mongolian pheasant, shall be fined $20 for each 
and every above named bird, rabbit or squirrel so taken, 
killed, held, kept or offered for sale. Provided, that any 
person may keep Belgian hares for breeding, and may sell 
them between the first day of December and the first day 
of March. , 
"Sec. 2. — All marketmen or provision dealers having in 
possession or purchasing any of the above-named birds 
or game, and all railroad corporations, express companies 
or any person acting as a common carrier, having any of 
the above named birds or game in possession, shall keep 
a record in a separate book of the name and address of the 
person from whom the said birds and game were re- 
ceived, and said book shall be, at all times, open to the 
inspection of the Commissioners on Inland Fisheries and 
Game, and their deputies, and to the State police. 
"Any person violating any of the provisions of this sec- 
tion shall he punished by a fine of not less than $100 nor 
more than $200." 
Mr. Clark was succeeded by M. E. Hawes, appearing 
for the. East Weymouth Fish and Game Club. Mr. Hawes 
would fix the close season for black duck at March i, in- 
stead of April 15, as at present. He saw the necessitj'' of 
further legislation and the proper enforcement of the 
same, and that co-operation with the State Commission 
was necessary to that end. 
At this point Fish Commissioner Brackett said: "The 
board is ready and willing to do anything for the preserva- 
tion of game in this State. But the board needs co-opera- 
tion, winch should be given even at the sacrifice of per- 
sonal feelings for the public good. The passing of the 
game is rapid. Perhaps some better laws are needed. 
The hands of the Commission should be strengthened. 
It is for the sportsmen to decide whether the game is to 
go or not. 
"I see no objection in the passage of a law to prohibit 
the sale of game. That would relieve the situation of the 
present drain because the commercial character would then 
be removed. It was to discover along just what line this 
board should act that this first meeting has been called." 
Secre'tary H. H. Kimball, of the Massachusetts Fish 
and Game Protective Association, indorsed the spirit 
manifested in the Commissioner's remarks. 
Remarks were made by E. H.i Palmer, of New Bedford; 
President A. B. F. Kinijey, of the Worcester County 
Game Protective Association; N. W. Gardner, of Wey- 
mouth ; H. A. Estabrook, of the Fitchburg Rifle and Gun 
Club ; Dr. Spalding, of the Hingham Gun Club ; William 
E. Weaver, of the Webster Rod and Gun Club ; C. J. Rus- 
sell and others. Among those present at the conference, 
which will now be an annual affair, were the following: 
John F. Gumming, Worcester; William E. Weaver, Web- 
ster ; Otis Thayer and C. N. Hunt, Quincy ; C. L. Russell, 
Colerain; A. B. F. Kinney. Worcester; G. H. Palmer, 
New Bedford; H. Ware Lincoln, Boston; B. C. Clark, 
Boston; H. A. Estabrook, Fitchburg; H. H. Kimball, 
Boston; I. O. Converse, Fitchburg; E, J. George, Haver- 
hill; R. V. Joyce, Somerville; H. A. Mower, A. T. 
Canterbury, L. Crocker, G. H. Mackay, F. R. Skinner, 
Boston; M. E. Hawes and N. W. Gardner, East Wey- 
mouth; C. H. Moulton, Waltham; F. J. Manly, North 
Brookfield ; John Goulding and J. H. Eaton, South Sud- 
bury, and Henry Hanson, Fall River. 
Worcester. Mass., Nov. 24 — Editor Forest and Stream: 
I send vou clipping from this morning's Worcester Tele- 
gram. 'This is in line of what you advocate, and there is 
no middle grounds to be taken. We have been tinkering 
the game laws in this State for the last twenty years, and 
the birds have been growing less and less each year, till 
there is hardly one to be found. The market-hunter has 
done it. I know we shall, have your support. 
A. B. F. Kinney. 
Commissioner Elisha D. Buffington. Deputy Warden 
Henry A. Mower and President A. B. F. Kinney, of 
Worcester Countv Game Protective Association, attended 
a conference called by the Commissioners of Inland 
Fisheries and Game at the State House, Boston, yester- 
day morning. There were present delegates from sports- 
men's clubs in nearly all sections of the State, and the 
meeting was for the purpose of ascertaining the sentiment 
of sportsmen generally on the proper course to secure 
better protection for game and game birds. 
After a prolonged informal discussion, it was unan- 
imously voted to introduce a bill in the next session of the 
Legislature recommending that the sale of game be pro- 
hibited in the State of Massachusetts for ten years. It 
was also decided to recommend to the lawmakers of the 
commonwealth that the open season on game and game 
birds be limited to October and November. The latter 
bill, if passed, would shorten the season practically six 
weeks. 
A. B. F. Kinney was one of the principal speakers, and 
his rernarks were to the point and carried great weight. 
Mr. Kinney is one of the increasing number of sportsmen 
who believe that unless strenuous measures are soon 
adopted looking to the preservation of game birds it will 
not be many years before there will be no game birds to 
protect and legislation will be too late. 
Mr. Kinney especially advocated the absolute prohibition 
of the sale of game, on the ground that such a measure 
would strike at the root of existing evils. Massachusetts, 
he said, is the dumping ground of illegally killed birds 
from all parts of the country. In many States during a 
season when birds are not allowed to be sold or ex- 
ported, the market of this State is open for violators of 
the law, and large quantities of illegally killed and illegally 
shipped birds are unloaded in the Boston market which 
cannot be marketed elsewhere in New England. 
In • Connecticut there is a law against exporting game 
birds. In Maine they cannot be legally offered for sale, 
and in New Hampshire the laws have been so rigidly en- 
forced against the illegal shipment of birds that the supply 
for the Boston market from that State has been shut off 
to such an extent as to materially raise prices in the 
Boston markets. 
Mr. Kinney advocated the prohibition of the sale of 
game altogether, and a shortening of the season for shoot- 
ing. He emphasized the necessity of doing something 
by way of bettering game conditions, or sportsmen would 
shortly find it too late to do anything, for there would be 
no game to protect. His words were received with ap- 
proval, carrying as they did the added authority of Mr. 
Kinney's position as president of Worcester County Game 
Protective Association, and vice-president of the Massa- 
chusetts Fish and Game Protective Association. 
On hi's return from the meeting last night. Commis- 
sioner E. D. Buffington said the conference was significant 
in that it was the first attempt ever madgpin the State to 
learn the sentiment of sportsmen geneil(lly, and to at- 
tempt to unify sportsmen to work together for a common 
end. For this reason the meeting was unique. 
Heretofore almost annually little quotas of sportsmen 
in various parts of the State have sharpened axes and set 
out to hew down obstacles to obtain the passage of one or 
another insignificant measure. Some have labored for a 
law making Sunday close season, others to have the first 
two weeks of September added to close season, while a 
third set has been at work to have shooting prohibited in 
December, or perhaps to have the law on black duck or 
that on quail changed. 
These efforts have been well directed and are believed 
to be along the right line, but sportsmen have been 
divided, while the dealers in cold storage birds and the 
marketmen have presented an unbroken front in opposi- 
tion to any and all measures which were directed toward 
their tills and profits. 
The conference yesterday is only the first of its kind, 
and others are to be held in the hope of massing sports- 
men for furtherance of the passage of adequate protective 
measures. Among Worcester sportsmen the significance 
of the meeting is appreciated, and it is believed it is of 
prime importance as showing the disposition of the new 
chairman of the Commission of Inland Fisheries and 
Game. Capt. Collins made a favorable impression on the 
Worcester men. 
Henry A. Mower, who for many years has-been at the 
State House at hearings and meetings to consider game 
measures, says Capt. Collins impressed him as a gentle- 
man and a business man thoroughly interested in game 
protection. In a brief opening speech he set forth the 
object of the meeting, and appealed to the sportsmen to 
throw aside prejudice and work together for a common 
end. 
To the strong appeal of Capt. Collins, Mr. Mower at- 
tributes the willingness of representatives of the western 
part . of the State to forego a part of their woodcock 
shooting and of sportsmen from the Caoe to give over 
their superb December quail shooting, in favor of an open 
season, which shall include onlv the two months of 
October and November, if such a law can be obtained. 
The impression of the Worcester men who attended the 
meeting is that at last something is to be done on the 
subject on which snortsmen have been talking much and 
doing little for a dozen years. 
Moose on the ToKque. 
We recorded last week the return to New York of Mr. 
Maximilian Foster with a 65-inch moose head from the 
Tobique River country, in New Brunswick. Mr. Foster's 
companions were Messrs. P. Chauncey Anderson, of New 
York, and Robt. Boyd, of Montclair, N. J. Their guides 
were George Green and Henry Lewis, of St. Elmo, N. B., 
of whose abilities and character Mr. Foster speaks in 
terms of high commendation. While very many moose 
were seen, and Mr. Anderson secured a head, no rival 
was discovered to match the mammoth brought down by 
Mr. Foster. 
On the Gulf Coast. 
M.\RC0, Fla., Nov. 20. — Arrived here 12 M. to-day. All 
well. Have got a bear story growing. Leave here to- 
day, bound for Panther Key, to see Old John. 
Tarpon. 
An Old Hunter writes to the Rochester Democrat and 
Chronicle: I noticed in Sunday's issue that Frank 
Biegle, of Charlotte, has just returned from the North 
Woods with an 800-pound deer. Mr. Biegle is certainly 
a very fortunate man, for no doubt when he comes to 
dissect this wonderful animal he will find several smaller 
deer swallowed by the larger one. The railroads missed 
a golden opportunity by not running excuri^ions Sunday 
to see this great curiosity 
The FoEEST AND Stream is put to press each week on Tuesday. 
Correspondence intended for publication should reach us at the 
latest by Monday and as much earlier as practicable. 
Maine Big Game. 
Boston, Nov. 24. — ^Mf. G. B. Lehy, of Boston, with his 
hunting companion, Mr. R. B. Andrews, of Leominster, 
are just out of the woods from a Maine moose hunt. 
They went to the Katahdin Iron Works, and thence to 
G. H. Randall's camps, twenty miles into the woods, by 
tote team, In tlie siunmer this trip can be made in part 
by canoe, which somewhat relieves the labor of getting 
there. The camps are on the borders of a pond at the 
foot of Baker Mountain, where they did their moose 
hunting. There was plenty of snow for tracking and 
moose were soon located. Tracking them only a couple 
of days, they came upon two bulls and shot them both. 
Still Mr. Lehy thinks that the moose shot were not the 
ones they first tracked. He feels very sure that moose are 
increasing in that part of Maine. The game was killed 
four or five miles up the mountain from camp, With the 
great beasts shot their troubles had but just begun. The 
woods were pretty dense, with only a partly grown-up 
lumber road to follow, full of windfalls and blow-downs. 
A horse, used to such work, was got up to the game and 
a rude sled improvised. The men cut trees and bushed 
out the road, while the hunters sawed off logs with a 
crosscut saw to be moved out of the way of the sled. It 
took two days to get the moose to camp, and then they 
had to be toted twenty miles to the railroad. The hunters 
got their full quota of deer and consider themselves very 
lucky. Mr. Lehy's 'moose weighed 700 pounds — about as 
large as they grow, all stories to the contrary. The ant- 
lers spread 52 inches, with eight or nine points. 
The Maine wardens and Commissioners seem deter- 
mined to stop the sending of deer out of Maine into the 
Boston markets illegally. Prominent commission re- 
ceivers have been met by the wardens from Maine this 
week and urged to give the names of the game shippers. 
This they claim they have no right to do, though willmgthat 
the illegal shipping of game shall be stopped. It is pretty 
certain that thev have given the wardens some points, 
however, and the shippers of game by underground rail- 
way may look to find themselves in hot water almost any 
day. Still there is one sort of shipping of game out of 
Maine and directly into the Boston markets that it is not ' 
in the power of the Commissioners to stop, and that kind 
of shipping is being done more than ever this season. 
The whole svstem is explained in a shipment received . at 
a prominent" commission house yesterday. It consisted 
of four deer, a moose and a bear, a list of game that the 
two hunters who came with it had a right to ship where 
they pleased. The men who sold the game tell me that 
the deer came to about $60. The moose brought almost 
as much, while the hunters sold the bear, a small one, tor 
$2^. Here is nearlv $i,SO the -hunters received lor the 
game they brought' out of Maine. They were from 
somewhere in New York State. Almost all of the big 
o'ame being received in Boston this fall cornes via the 
American Express Company, which gets a big revenue 
for forwarding it directly into Boston markets. _ 
Nov. 27.— Deer in New Hampshire are showing up 
better than a year ago, and local gunners seem to be^get- 
ting the most of them. Reports mention about thirty 
deer taken within a week or two, by local gunners, m the 
northern wooded regions of that State, or since the snow 
of a couple of weeks ago. Last Wednesday the snow 
was replenished by another light fall, and better hunting 
was the result. Twelve deer have beeii shot around 
Crampton during the past two weeks. Colebrook, Strat- 
ford and the Diamond region seem to be the best locations 
this vear. 
Maine gunners are now shooting more deer than out- 
side sportsmen. Another fall of snow came on Wednes- 
day and made much better tracking, the former snow hav- 
incr been literally "worn out with tracks" m the best deer 
sections. The week showed a record of about thirty 
deer to Boston hunters, recorded at Bangor, a smaller . 
number than for several weeks previous. This decrease 
is accounted for on the theory that outside sportsmen 
have generally gone home. Bangor reports suggest that 
the number of deer killed is still running a good deal 
ahead of last year. The big game season closes in that 
State Dec 15. three weeks earlier than m 1898, and still 
it is figured out that the total kill of deer will be ahead 
of last year. The Bangor record now promises to be . 
from 30b to 400 more than last year, while other sec- 
tions also report an increase. Still much will depend on 
the weather and other hunting conditions for_ the com- 
ing- three weeks. The number of moose killed is runnmg 
behind a year ago. This is accounted for in various ways 
by writers and talkers who are only anxious to make it 
appear that this noble game is not being extinguished. 
They claim that more moose are seen, but that they are 
yearlings and cows, which cannot legally be shot. 
T^he record of bears killed in Maine this fall and 
brought out by the hunters, so far as reported, is fifteen, 
with the claim that thev are of larger size than ever 
before. This scarcely tallies with the reports of Boston 
marketmen— and a great many of the bears killed m Maine 
find their way to this market; they say that the bears 
thev have handled have generally been small. 
New Brunswick gunners are returning every day or 
two, and they are bringing good accounts of deer, with 
occasionally a moose. Reports on partridges continue 
better from that section than a year ago. Mr. George 
Loud, with several hunting friends, is out from his camps- 
on Lake Magaguadavic. They bring several deer, \vith 
accounts of bears, and all the partridges they cared for. 
Duck shooting was also good. H, G. Smith comes home 
from the Tobique region with a moose. Partridges and 
small game he also found in fair abundance. The only 
drawback to Boston sportsmen complained of is the 
shooting license. _ 
L T. Carleton, chairman of the Maine Fish and Game 
Commission, has recently returned from^ a hunting trip 
of a week in the Spider Lake region. Augusta, reports 
say that Mr. Carleton got a big deer, which some of his 
friends jokingly call "Carleton's moose." It was generally 
understood that he had gone for a moose. He says that 
he never saw deer so plentiful as this fall, but moose are 
very scarce. The whole time that he spent in the woods 
he did not come upon the tracks of a bull moose. The 
reason for this, the Commissioner thinks, is that the Dig 
bulls have been killed off. There were a good many cows 
and young bulls in the woods, but no big fellows. 
Special. 
