Feb. iq, iSpo.J 
FOREST AND STREAM. 
Ill 
is too ticklish to have much to do with, and of course it 
does not pay. Still, I don't see that we are any worse 
than the men who ritn the eating houses at Saratoga, par- 
ticularly those along the shore of the lake that have 
such a reputation for their petite suppers for two. I was 
there during the racing last August, and had the most 
delicious chicken partridge I ever ate in my life. It 
was out of season, of course, and it was all wrong to 
serve the half-grown birds. But the patrons of the places, 
demand that sort of fare and are willing to pay for it, and 
the partridges have to suffer. Eating one of those birds, 
and asking no question, I happened to see a gentleman 
from this city who is one of the most ardent advocates of 
the enforcement of the game laws of the State. I have no 
doubt he would prosecute us here if he knew where the 
game we have in winter came from. But he was with a 
jolly party then, and it would have been awkward to ask 
qitestions. I will say this in my own defense, that I 
will not buy and serve chicken partridges, though we 
have customers in the early fall who do not hesitate to 
ask for them, even though they know the law is on. And 
they say they are sportsmen, too." 
DaN'l M. SllVWSON. 
Deer In Rhode Island. 
Providence, R: I,, Feb. 3. — Editor Forest and Stream: 
At the session of the General Assembly on Thursday, 
Senator Kenyon, of Richmond, introduced an act that 
occasioned some surprise among the legislators at its first 
reading, but a short discussion by Senator Kenj-^on and. 
others interested in its passage soon convinced them that 
it was not so nonsensical as at first appeared. The act 
provides that a penalty of $500 be imposed for the killing 
of any deer, except a tamed or pet deer, in this State prior 
to Feb. I, 1905, thus establishing a close season for five: 
years. Senator Kenyon explained that in Washington 
county it was known that there were a number of deer, 
and several have been killed there within a few years. It 
was thought that if these deer were not molested they 
might increase and multiply, hence the introduction of the 
act. 
Senator Litther, of Johnston, inquired what redress the 
farmer was to have if these deer invaded his farm and 
did damage to the crops. 
Senator Kenyon replied that he had talked with a 
number of farmers, and they had favored the act, and 
asked him to introduce it. He said that the deer had been 
known to mingle with the cattle on the farm, and the 
farmers rather liked to see them. 
The act was passed by the Senate without opposition. 
Ice is good and firm on all the ponds throughout the 
State, and from all sections come reports of good catches 
of pickerel tlirough the ice. 
The Legislature now in session has been asked to make: 
an appropriation of $S,ooo for the use of the Commis- 
sioners of Inland Fisheries during the fiscal year ensuing. 
An effort is being made for a passage bj^ the Legisla- 
ture of an act prohibiting the taking of quahaugs that are 
less than an inch and a half across. A quahaug was re- 
cently dug near Warren that measured 5^ inches in diam- 
eter and weighed nearly 28 ounces. 
Herbert Weeden recently caught a pickerel in Brown's 
Pond, North Kingston, that measured 25 inches in length, 
and upon opening the fish it was found that it had swal- 
lowed a 12-inch pickerel, which so filled up its interior 
that the tail of the second fish was lodged just back of the 
jaws of the captured pickerel. W. H. M. 
The Boston Market. 
Boston, Feb. 3. — The receivers of game and game 
dealers in the markets here are a good deal wrought up. 
concerning a bill just presented to the Legislature. It 
proposes to stop the sale of all game killed in this State 
The Fish and Game Association has the bill in hand, and 
it has been presented to the Committee on Fisheries and 
Game. A hearing will be granted, when the game dealers 
will appear in full force. Money will not be spared to kill 
the measure, though it is whispered that some of the more 
reasonable of them have agreed that they will not work 
against the measure, provided no attempt is made to 
prevent their selling game from other States at any and 
all times. The hearing promises to be a very interesting 
one. 
Of all ways to beat the game wardens, one of the most 
curious has just cropped out. It is well known that the 
Maine game wardens have been doing better work than 
ever before m the way of stopping the shipment of game 
out of that State. No deer are coming into the Boston 
markets, neither from Maine nor any other State, and 
venison is at a decided premium, against a flood of poor 
and worthless stufif a year ago, shipped in b}^ underground 
railway. It seems that the commissions have made it a 
point involving the commission of the wardens that they 
must stop the shipment of deer out of Maine in close 
season, as well as partridges. As for the latter, there are 
none in the market, beyond a very few in cold storage, 
and very few are coming. But the other day one of the 
wardens had his attention called to a jug in the express 
office at Cherryfield. The jug did not smell just right, 
having stayed in the warm office for a number of days 
for want of a revenue stamp on the bill. He examined the 
jug more closely. Ah ! The bottom had been nicely 
broken olJ and cemented on. It came off again without 
particular trouble. Behold a lot of partridges— the jug 
was a large one — directed to Boston. How long such 
shipments have been going on the wardens have no 
means of knowing, but hereafter even jugs will be sharply 
criticized, if going out of Maine. If coming in? Well, 
another set of officers will have to look after them. 
Special. 
Colorado Big Game. 
Editor Forest and Stream: 
The Denver Republican, 'of Denver, Cola, recently 
says: "In ten years the elk will be but a memory in 
Colorado, so far as hunting is concerned. In twenty years 
the deer will be unknown in this State as a game animal. 
Mountain lion hunting will soon do away with those 
animals also." EmersoV Carnev. 
' New Jersey Squirrels. 
AsBURY Park, N. J., Feb. 2. — The prospect for game, 
that is, for quail and rabbits, for next fall's shooting seems 
to be very poor. According to ray own observations, 
coupled with those of local gunners and others, both quail 
and rabbits are very scarce. I have seen but one rabbit 
since the season closed, and only two or three quail. 
But I have seen a goodly number of gray squirrels. Last 
Saturday, while trying to get a shot at cro%ys in the 
woods, I came across a big squirrel's nest up in a small 
tree, and wishing to ascertain whether they were nesting 
outside, or were living in hollow trees, I took my pocket 
axe — which I often carry in my hunting coat pocket — and 
hit the tree a few smart whacks and out came four big 
squirrels,_ all looking fat and sleek. They stayed on the 
surrounding trees for a few moments and then jumped 
back into the nest as soon as I had got a short distance 
away. Many other times since the season closed have I 
seen them, often one alone, and sometimes two or three 
playing on the trees together. 
As there are yet many hickory nuts on the ground in 
the woods, the squirrels have had the best of feeding so 
far this winter, so it seems that the prospect for squirrel 
shooting next fall around here was never better. 
A. L. L. 
"When the Dtjcks Flew." 
Fayetteville, N. C, Feb. 2. — ^That is a great duck 
article of Yo's this week! Wing motions, flights, checks 
and curves beautifully described. He tells it all. Must 
have been ideal weather for sport with comfort ! Don't 
like raw, windy days myself. That was very funny about 
the little grebes sliding on the ice, and the ruddy stopping 
himself so suddenly that he fell on his back. I have seen 
the little prairie owls fall on their nose when they alighted, 
more blame to them. C. Hallock. 
In the Sapphire Country, 
AsHEViLLE, N. C— Editor Forest and Stream: It is 
not generally known, but nevertheless is a fact, that in 
the region of Sapphire, about sixty-five miles southeast 
of Asheville, N. C, one of the best trout fishing regions 
of the whole Eastern country exists. There are any 
number of small streams here where the speckled moun- 
tain trotit are found in large numbers. 
Particularly is this true of the Horsepasture River, 
Indian Creek and Toxaway Creek- These streams, all on 
The stream fishing, of course, ofTers the most attraction 
to the sportsman, and truly he will find plenty here to try 
his mettle. 
The streams are always overhung with laurel, rhodo- 
dendron, and other forest growth, and as the streams 
only average from 20 to 30 feet across, considerable skill 
is required in handling the flies. 
The stream beds are entirely of rock, with boulders 
galore, while waterfalls, cascades, ripples and deep pools 
follow one another in rapid succession. The only way 
the streams can be fished is to take the water and expect 
to go into the waist line at least, watching out not only 
for shelving rocks and deep pools, but also for a pecu- 
liarity of this region called "pot holes." 
These holes vary in size from a few inches up to 2 
feet in diameter, are generally almost perfectly round, 
with well-defined, sharp edges, and anywhere from a few 
inches to several feet in depth. One can easily avoid 
them where there is no water, but they offer a delightful 
trip for the unwary, when met in the bed of the stream. 
I have seen these same circular holes in the rocks on 
the tops of some of the highest mountains of this region, 
and recall how, many times after climbing up the famous 
Chimney Rock on Broad River, a perpendicular needle 
60 feet in diameter and 500 feet high on the precipice 
side, I have had a refreshing drink of sweet water from 
the holes found there. These holes probably mean soft 
places in the rocks worn out by the action of the water, 
and in the case of the mountain top, by the rain. 
One of the most enjoyable trips I have ever made to 
Sapphire was made last January in company with Judge 
. The Judge was a new hand at trout fishing, 
and was skeptical as to his ability to catch any, but sur- 
prised himself as well as the rest of us by catching several 
fine trout on Indian Creek, where we stopped for dinner 
on the way up from Brevard. 
It is a drive of 35 miles from Brevard (the railroad 
terminal) to Sapphire, and requires about six and a half 
hours going up, as the road is almost entirely up hill; but 
if the trip is made in June one does not tire of the drive, 
as the mountain scenery at this time of the year is be- 
yond my description. To a lover of nature, the bound- 
less view of the mountains at your feet, range upon 
range, valley after valley, all covered with forests never 
touched by man, is something, once seen, never to be 
forgotten. 
To the botanist at this time of the year, the drive of 
thirty-three miles is one endless delight, as he is never 
out of sight of the bloom of the rhododendron, the 
laurel, the azealia and a thousand other mountain flowers. 
To the geologist is oft'ered a country where every 
known mineral has been found, while mica and corundum 
outcrop along the road. 
To the amateur photographer — well, go see it, but be 
sure you take plenty of plates or films, for such a pro- 
A TROUT OF the S.\PPHISE COUNTRY. 
the property of the Toxaway Company, are well stocked, 
patrolled and reserA^ed for the use of the guests of the 
hotels of the Compan}^ Besides these streams, there are 
two lakes as fine as any one could wish; the lakes are 
artificial, but, on account of the clear mountain streams 
feeding them, are ideal for fishing ground. 
The lower lake, or Sapphire Lake as it is called, is 
in a narrow valley between the mountains and is about 
three miles long. The upper lake, or Lake Fairfield, is 
about one mile and a half mile wide. These two lakes 
are the only ones worthy the name in this whole range 
of mountains, and are peculiar in that, while they present 
a large surface of water, no fish are present except the 
speckled mountain trout. 
The shores are lined with timber, and the original 
bed_ of the stream offers holes and pools where the water 
varies in depth up to 30 feet and in a few places over 60 
feet, while the mountains for a background give a charm 
to the place that would be hard to beat anywhere. The 
great Hogback Mountain rises out of Lake Fairfield 
in a sheer precipice of 1,500 feet, while directly across 
the lake is situated Fairfield Inn. 
The trout in these lakes grow much larger than in the 
streams, but are much less active and do not take rhe fly 
as readily. Many fishermen, however, .prefer to fish in. 
the lakes from the fact that it does not necessitate 
"taking the water," as there is an ample number of boats. 
fusion of waterfalls, mountain views, picturesque cabins, 
flowers, clift's, shady dells, immense timber, trails, preci- 
pices, cloud effects, thunder showers below you, and 
finally good roads it will rarely fall to your lot to see. 
But I wanted to tell you about the fishing. The morn- 
ing after our arrival I got up early and proceeded to the 
lake immediately below the inn. Was out two hours — 
j'OU will see my catch hanging on the fence in the ac- 
companying photograph, averaged about 11 inches long. 
The trout shown on the plate in another photograph 
was caught the same day by a lady. It measured 14^^ 
inches in length and weighed 17 ounces. 
The next morning we went down Horsepasture River, 
and in three hours' fishing every one of us caught his 
quota, viz., twenty-five for one day, keeping none under 
7 inches. 
"Old Man" Marshall accompanied us on this day, and 
if. ever a perfect fly-caster lived he must have coached 
Marshall. The old man is a native, and fish — well, he 
can fish ! Fond of the sport as I am myself, T enjoy even 
more to watch him standing in the water well up his 
legs, his old head bent down, his old back bent up, and 
with that simple wrist motion, every other muscle im- 
movable, his flies fall gently on the water away off there 
just where he wants them, how far aAvay, I would not 
dare say. And when he gefs a, strike, his . old head a 
little lower, his old back 'a little higher, he bends his 
