474 
FOREST AND STREAM. 
[Dec. 9, tSg9> 
dam; Chatles H. Babcock> of Rochester; Edward Thomp- 
son, of Northport, and Hendriek S. Holden, of Syracuse. 
There has been some talk of abolishing the present Com- 
mission and appointing in its stead a •single-headed Com- 
mission, but thtis far it has not got beyond the point of 
suggestion. Governor Roosevelt wants a. thoroughly ef- 
fective department for the protection of fish and game, and 
the forests, and should he- become convinced that by 
centering the authority in one official hC' could secure 
better results than are obtainable from a Commission of 
live members, he will, in all probabilityj recommend the 
change." • ' = I "i . ' " 
If we could have the car of Governor Roosevelt we 
should seek to impress on him the great advantage to 
public interests reasonably sure to result- from separation 
of the oyster planting and general sea coast fishery busi- 
ness from all connection with the Fish, Forest and Game 
Commission. This body is organized with a dominant re- 
gard to the promotion of sport ; and its propagation of 
food fishes in interior fresh waters, however useful in it- 
self, or whether its practical effects do or do not justify 
the large annual outlay under supervision of five high- 
priced Commissioners. I is rather an incident than a real 
object of the work which the Commission aims to carry 
on. Without entering on a discussion of this work, it is 
enough to say that the market value of all the fresh-water 
fish sent to New York is hardly a tenth part of the value 
of the oysters alone there marketed, to say nothing of the 
other products of salt waters. And the taking of those 
products is a matter of business, into which the element 
of sport does not enter. To manage and help develop 
these extensive business fisheries, employing a small army 
of men and yielding annual values that already run up to 
millions, there should be one man of practical" experience 
and knowledge, who should have nothing to do with the 
Forest, Fish and Game Commission. If economy be the 
watchword, as it should be, two single-head Commissions 
of competent men could do all the essential work of the 
present five, and better subserve the interests affected, 
whether of sport or business. Here is an opportunity 
to serve the people and save. money. — Greenport (Long 
Island) Watchman. 
New York State I^eague. 
The annual meeting of the New York State Fish, Game 
and Forest League was held in Syracuse on Thursday of 
this week. A report of the proceedings will be given 
in our next issue. In a notice inviting the . membership of 
clubs, Secretary Gould says : 
Seneca Falls, N. Y., Nov. 25.— You will please to take 
notice that at a regular annual meeting of the. New York 
State Fish, Game and Forest League held Dec. 8, 1898, 
it was duly resolved that the Secretary correspond with 
representatives of all associations who have been identified 
with the old State Association, and request that lif it be 
their desire to continue their connection with the present 
Association, they should send to the said Secretary the 
list of their officers and the number of their membership, 
together with the dues for the ensuing year. And further, 
that the Secretary be empowered to inform them that in 
the absence of any heretofore expressed intention on their 
part to continue their association, with the new organiza- 
tion all dues due and payable ■ prior to. Dec. i, iS^S, are 
remitted. 
Please comply with the terms of this resolution at once. 
Very truly yours, 
Ernest G, Gould, Secretary. 
Fixtures. 
FIELD TRIALS. 
1900. 
Jan. 22.— West Point, Miss.— United States Field Trial 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. 
entirely ignoring the stevedores, whom he did not know, 
-and then rushed down the companionway in search of 
the captain, who did not happen to be on board. Then 
he c^rne on deck dejected and wobegone, taking no further 
interest in any of us beyond casting about his inquiring 
looks. I expect to be believed, for I am telling the 
truth, when I say that the big tears stood in his eyes. 
The captain had gone ashore to his consignee's office in 
the city, as the chief mate knew. "Come, Nep," said he; 
"come along. Nep understood him readily enough, as 
he jumped on the stage over the other vessels' decks 
aijd followed him down to the office, where he was clasped 
in his fond master's arms. There is not a particle of 
fiction in this pathetic story. How Neptune found his 
ship was beyond our ken; we merely guessed that he had 
traveled fifty miles up the river till he came to the ferry, 
crossed over to New Orleans and then found his way 
up to Lafayette, walked over two tiers of ships and 
reached his old home again. 
How did he find it? He yearned to tell us, for he knew 
that it was in our minds to ask him. But, alas! he could 
not speak. He was denied the gift that God has given 
to so many human brutes who have immortal souls, while 
he, when ''life's fitful fever" was ended, went back to dust 
whence all of us came. But who knows if this is true? 
Why should a dog not be immortal because, although 
with two legs more than a man, he happens to have no 
voice, and why should all men be immortal because they 
can stand up on two legs and make more noise than dogs 
from their mouths? 
**Just About a Boy/^ 
Readers of this journal wiir remember the charming 
chapers "Just About a Boy," signed El Comancho. They 
will remember how much of nature, whether it was wild 
nature or human nature, appeared in these chapter, and a 
great number of them will recall that they were heartily 
in sympathy with the Boy, wHo was the simple hero of 
this pleasant story. 
Those- who at that time read the chapters in Forest 
AND Stream will be glad to have them in permanent form 
and to know that the book has been published by Her- 
bert S. Stone & Co., of Chicago and New York. As a 
specimen of book making the volume is very attractive; 
but after all it is the matter found in the volume which 
appeals to us most strongly. A good book handsomely 
gotten up is doubly good, but a poor book handsomely 
gotten up is doubly bad, for it disappoints expectations 
which have been aroused. 
The Boy was discovered fishing, by a fisherman on a 
fishing trip, and the common interest of boy and author 
then and there created a bond of sympathy which later 
took them over many miles of country, up and down 
rivers, over prairies, across deserts and to mountain tops. 
They shot, they fished, they trapped, they hunted bees; 
and "at last, after many adventures, happily because sim- 
ply told, they came to their home. 
There is much in the volume which treats of the lore 
of outdoor l^fe, and it is pleasant and profitable reading, 
not only for the profit that comes from the pleasure, but 
also for that which comes Jrom instruction pleasantly "and 
wisely given. 
The author has had a wide experience over the West, 
from fhe Missouri River tO the Pacific. The period treated 
of is fifteen or twenty years ago, dui-iii'g the transition 
betwefen the wild and unsettled West and the spread of 
population away from the railroad and into the moun- 
tains. ... 
The volume may be commended to boys of afiy; age, 
and the old boys are likely to enjoy it quite as much as 
those whose age is nearer that of the hero of the book. 
Its tone is good, and it can only do good: 
Life in Hampshire. 
A Yachting Experience, 
I WAS thinking hard the other night of last summer's 
experie'nce on Toronto Bay, of what we had done, and 
what we might have done, of this exciting incident, and 
of that flat event, until my thoughts took me back to that 
day in July when our bay was the scene of the worst 
storm that ever swept the port. 
Why the Storm God saw fit to break oiit that bright 
Saturday afternoon when the harbor was alive with craft 
of all sorts, sail and steam, skiff and canoe, when the 
steamers groaning with their living loads were leaving 
for the different resorts, and when thousands of excur- 
sionists, young, gay, jolly and thinking only of pleasure, 
each and all in their own way, took to the water for an 
afternoon's sport; why I say the Storm King let loose 
the vials of his wrath on that bright day, I do not know, 
but the result was terrible, and to me, and to us aboard of 
Vivia, a day ever to be remembered. 
It was the day of the race for the Prince of Wales' cup, 
and Canada and Vivia lay bobbing at their moorings at the 
Royal Canadian Y. C, like two graceful ducks, with main- 
sails set and club topsails aloft and jibs sent up in stops. 
I was aboard Vivia. The air was light out of the south- 
west, and to the casual observer it was an ideal day for 
yachting, but to us whose duty it was to keep "an eye to 
weather" there was an ominous look in those clouds to 
the west and north, and there was a hazy blue to the 
south'ard that made us feel conscious of coming trouble. 
Our course was from a buoy off the town club over to 
the Island, back to town and, passing all buoys to star- 
board, go out by the Eastern Channel, round the Island 
and home through the Western Gap, finishing at the town 
club. 
The start was to be made at 3 o'clock, and at 2:30, at the 
sound of the half-hour gun, we slipped our moorings, as 
did Canada, and set off for a run down the bay. 
As 3 o'clock approached those clouds were coming home 
like fun, the haze was thicker, and to the south a long 
bank of angry blue-gray clouds showed clear above the 
horizon. We all felt it was coming, and shrouds, main 
and topmast runners, stays, etc., were all given one more 
look to, and our big topsail was eyed thoughtfully. How- 
ever, when you are racing you take chances, and as we 
saw Canada stuck to hers we decided to risk ours, and to 
lick Canada or take the consequences. 
The five-minute gun saw us maneuvering for the line, 
and to save time, let me say at once we got a-way first, 
breaking out our foresail and small jib topsail as we 
crossed, then hauling our wind, stood close on starboard 
tack for the Island buoy. Canada was soon after us, and 
together we began to foot fast in the now freshening 
breeze. Vivia, no slouch at any time, found 'the weather 
to her liking, and was just walking through it, sending 
the smother flying from her bows and more than holding 
Canada. 
The clouds to the south, had become condensed, the 
whole southern sky was a mass of black, threatening 
storm, and the two yachts with decks awash were tearing 
along. As we approached the buoy and eased sheets as 
we rounded for the run back to town, we took in our fore- 
sail and set a large balloon staysail, a great drawing sail, 
and with this and everything else pulling at its best, wc 
raced on throiigh it. 
Along close in our wake came Canada, taking in her 
jib topsail and setting balloon jib. What a foreground 
she made (flying through the water like a thing of life) 
to the terrible blackness behind her.- Why were we not 
warned? Why did we carry on and put' those boats to 
the strain they were about to be subjected to? Why risk 
spars, boat, life, perhaps? Why? Because the spirit of 
adventure had got hold of us, we were ahead, and were 
going to stay there if we could, and what true yachtsman 
will blame us? And we had every confidence in our 
skipper, and he in us, and we knew our boat. 
Then came the deluge. The last thing I remember 
seeing of Canada was, upright and graceful, coming down 
on us like a race horse, and then the squall took her. 
Over she went, and over ' further ; with a crash the top- 
mast went over the side, sending the topsail in a tangle 
flying far out to leeward, and then the mast below the 
hounds, and again just above the deck. That balloon jib 
was too much for her. and when they tried to bring her 
to the wind she would not come with that great sail for- 
ward; everything went, and Canada was a wreck. 
And how about Vivia? We just had tirne to see Can- 
ada's plight when we were caught. Oh, that club topsail! 
Over went Vivia, decks awash, and almost on her beam 
ends. Fearing to- bring her up with the sail pressure we 
had aloft, helm Avas put hard up and we kept her before 
it. How she tore through it, smothered in a rush of leap- 
ing, angry water. Halyards and sheets wiere let fly, and 
=that great topsail was got imder the lee of the mainsail 
and left to hang there. Of course, as luck ' would have 
it, the sail was set to leeward of the peak halyards, and 
we could not get it in to weather. With boom eased of? 
we got her going dead, before it. Nothing gave, not a 
sheet or tack parted, .and Vivia, relieved" of topsail and 
balloon foresail, under mainsail and jib alone, was tearing 
along' covered with foam, 'flying through the heavy sea 
running, at terrible speed; ahead of us not half a mile 
away the line of city docks. We kept her full 'and let her 
scud with the topsail .stiU. hanging, doing no 'harm under 
the lee of the mainsail. 
' The next thing was to get her about and "it" off her. 
We took our time and kept cool. We must not miss 
stays with those dock's under our lee; jib sheets were let. 
fly. main sheet brought in, and up - she came, game and 
full of life. Then, as she hung in the wind, the rip 
and roar of the storm was felt to the full, and Vivia 
trembled and shook from Stem to stern, the waves break- 
ing clean over her and coming aboard clear and green. 
The jib' 'Was held 'on- to and mainsail ea-sed. and that 
big topsail, now to weather where we couW get 'at it. was 
safely lowered. Then gathering way, off we raced and 
over we went; sending uo a churfi aiid sinother of splash- 
ing^, whirling water and throwing the spray of it clean over 
the- main peak. Oh. you yachtsmen ! Is there anything 
that comes anywhere near the sensation of the "feel" of a 
well-found, well-handled yacht in a gale of wind, as you 
Speaking of Dogs/' 
Well, "speaking of dogs," here is a story Capt. John" 
Codman tells in the New York Times: ' 
Many years ago I was the second mate on the ship 
Carolina, of Boston, commanded by Capt. Stephen 
Lemist. He had ort board a fine black, shaggy New- 
foundland dog called Neptune. Nep was the pet of all 
hands as well as of his master. He had the full liberty 
of the quarterdeck and sometimes availed himself of it 
by carelessly walking about on the taffrail. W^e were 
bound to New Orleans," and were being towed up the 
Mississippi in company' -With four other vessels. Nep 
was walking on the rail, as was his occasional custom, 
when he unfortunately lost his balance and fell over- 
board. It was impossible to stop without disarranging 
the tow, which the captain of the tug would not consent 
to do. So Capt. Lemist and the grief-stricken crew were 
constrained to' leave the dog to his fate. For a while he 
swam- after the fleet, but finding that he could not keep 
up with us, he struck out for the western shore of the 
river, seeing that he was nearest to that side. The only 
satisfaction that we had was- that his life -was in no danger, 
for we were s.ure'th'at he would 'reach the land. As for 
ourselves, we mourned that we had forever parted, com- 
pany with 'our dear shipmate, and the caiptain, as 'I can 
see him now, laid his .head upon the binnacle and sobbed 
like a . child. We wei-e^ about fifty mile's below Ne-w 
Orleans at the time of the accident, and in. a few hnurs 
were berthed at the levee, where we remained for., three 
days discharging our cargo. A. freight of cotton and 
tobacco fo.f. London was ^engaged, and , we were towed 
up to Lafayette, some three or four miles above, to take 
it in, and. were berthed the third outside in a tier of ves- 
sels, the cargo being carried on planks over the decks 
of the others. One morning after we had been there two 
days, as we -were busily . engaged at our work, to our 
utter astonis'hment Nep walked on board! • 
It IS- almofjt needless to .say that our jjoy equaled -his 
0i<vn. Wagging his organ of recognition, as a dog's tail 
has be:en so aptly termed, and, crying in a dog's language 
of delight, he jumped upon every one of his old friends, 
Many of 'the angling readers of Forest and Stream 
, will r^ecall the name of Geo. A. B. Dewar, author of the 
■ book of the "Dry Fly," and will remember its pleasing 
style. T?hese will be glad to learn that J. M. Dent & Co., 
of London, have just published for Mr. Dewar a volume 
on "Wild Life in Hampshire Highlands." 
The book treats of outdoor life in England and is writ- 
ten in a very charming style. Mr. Dewar takes .his readers 
through cultivated fields and pastures, and stretches of 
woodland and along delightful trout brooks, and tells 
them what he sees there and much about the ways of the 
birds and the animals. Most interesting of all, perhaps; is 
what he says of the great bustard, a bird which has be- 
come extinct in the British Isles. He quotes from Chafin 
as having seen in Hampshire twenty-five bustards in 1751, 
and from Gilbert White's diary and that of his brother 
Henry, of seeing flocks of these birds about 1780. • , 
In Hampshire, in winter, is seen the woodcock, that 
great bird nearly twice the size of ours, though of course 
they are not abundant. The author discourses learnedly 
on the pleasing flavor of the woodcock's trail. 
Many of the mammals receive attention at Mr. Dewar*s 
hands, among them the badger, which is still fairly 
abundant. " ' . , 
The rollime is beautifully gotten up, is illustrated'witn 
seven full-page photogravures and is from -all' points -of • 
view attractive . 
AS aTchristmas gift. 
The Forest and Stream — in a year's subscription — is 
an appropriate and sure to be appreciated gift for a father, 
husband, son, brother, cousin, uncle, nephew, or one's pas- 
•tor, lawyer, pupil, teacher or friend. The giving will be for 
fifty-two weeks. And with the paper may >vell go, for this 
year's Christmas, one of the large engravings "Alert" 
f moose), "The Challenge" .(elk), "What's That?" (ante-^ . 
iope), "Listen" (blacktail deer), "Close Quarters" (Mr., 
Osthaus' painting of Rip3# on poinB. Thes'e are on 
•plates 12H X 19 inche,s on pauer 22 x 28 '("What's 't hat i*" 
is slightly smaller). Price of engravings $3 each, ur by a 
special rate the Forest and Stream for one year and any 
one of the engravings will be sent for $5.56. 
