March i6, igbo.i 
f^ORg^T Ant) STREAM. 
1§8 
my recently arrived Kaffirs very closely, and I took 
Giraffe into my confidence, but he reportied, after several 
weeks of sharp vigilance, that he was unable to detect 
the slightest dishonesty. 
Matters had gone along quietly for so long a time that 
1 began to fancy the lawsuit threats would prove to be 
bluster, when I was enlightened one afternoon by an 
official serving me with an injunction to cease work on 
the claim until the title was properly established by the 
judicial authorities. Taking the notification to the lawyer 
who had been consulted by the boys, he laughed and said 
that he had been expecting such a proceeding and was 
prepared to meet it. In three or four days he handed 
me a paper which lifted the injunction, and I started to 
pick, shovel, sift and sort again. Within a fortnight a 
second decree was handed to me, which, on being passed 
to the lawyer, he enjoyed another laugh over it and said 
that it was one of the tricks of the trade, which he would 
undo in a trice. He was as good as his Avord, and I 
again went to work after a short lapse of time. I was 
allowed to labor for about a month when I received a 
third notice to quit, which I took from the officer's hand, 
struck a match, set it in a blaze and Hghted my pipe with 
He laughed and said that he had merely done his 
luty, to which I agreed, and continued shoveling. That 
nded my troubles about working on the claim, but I 
50on received papers ordering me to appear at Klip Drift, 
duly provided with legal vouchers, witnesses, etc., to 
Drove my title to a half claim at Kimberley. This forced 
ne to call on my legal adviser, who said that as he was 
jnly an attorney his business would be to collect all the 
ividence, etc., while the pleading would have to be done 
3y a counselor. This was a new wrinkle to me, but bow- 
ng to the inevitable, I told him to engage one to suit 
limself, while I would scurry around and hunt up tlie 
vitnesses who had given evidence for the boys before the 
jiggers' committee. Fortunately, none of them had left 
he camp, and on the day before the one appointed for 
he trial I carted them all down to Klip Drift in a make- 
vhift four-in-hand. On the next morning, at the hour 
n' opening, I was promptly at the court house; and to 
ny dismay the judge announced that on account of the 
ndisposition of my attorney the case was postponed 
mtil the following day. Investigation proved that the 
llness was simply intoxication, and before the day ended 
learned that on account of the delay I was charged one 
uinea by each lawyer as a refreshing fee. I had to stand 
he jokes of the attendant crowd and the unpleasant 
pwledge of having to put up two guineas each morning, 
lesides witnesses' expenses for three days. Finally the 
ttorney managed to sober up, and on the fourth morn- 
ng the case was opened. As it was the first one which 
questioned the title granted by the diggers' committee, 
here was a large attendance, and great interest was mani- 
ested. I was the last witness examined, and it was late 
n the afternoon when my evidence was concluded. Just 
hen a dispute sprang up between the two counselors 
ibout some law point, and I was left standing in the wit- 
less box, while they bandied words. Feeling worn out, 
leaned over the rail and addressed the attorney opposed 
o me, who sat just under me, ahd said: "Won't you 
dlow me to go out and have a refresher?'" The judge 
n'eihead me and said; "Certainly, Mr. Thompson. Go 
jn and get what j'ou must surely need. These gentle- 
nen should never have allowed 3'ou to stand and suffer as 
i^ou have done." I stepped down, amid a universal titter, 
md took one of my opponents out to a bottle of wine. 
3n our return we found court adjourning, the judge 
postponing giving a verdict until the next morning. The 
ollowing day every portion of the court house was crowd- 
id, and a summary of the judge's decision was that the 
;ommittee had simply acted as arbitrators, and he always 
nade a rule never to reopen a case which had been set- 
Jed in this manner. Therefore my title to 31 feet hy 15 
eet 6 inches in the Kimberley mine was absolute and in- 
;ontestible. After receiving a mass of congratulations, 
which had to be wet, I lost no time in getting off for 
kimberley, where I had to undergo a like experience. 
There seemed to be a general feeling of satisfaction with 
he judge's verdict, as the titles to a very large number of 
daims had been decided by the diggers' committee. Con- 
equently, if I had been ousted, it would have thrown a 
'ery large number of claims into litigation. A few days 
ubsequent the Diamond News came out with a leading 
:ditorial, topped by a cut of the American flag, and the 
lead lines, "The American Flag Triumphant." About ten 
lays subsequent I met the opposition attorney, who 
itopped me with the remark: 
"I'm very sorry, old fellow, but our client has run away, 
md we shall be forced to come on you for our costs, etc." 
"AH right. 1 did not know much about law when you 
•ommenced at me, but since I've managed to learn some 
)f it. That case had not been decided in my favor twent}'- 
our hours before I sold everything belonging to me 
ixcept what T have on my back. Now, if you can make 
rour costs out of that you are perfectly welcome to do so." 
"That's a devilish good joke, and as I had the last re- 
resher at your expense, come and have one at mine." 
I did so, and thus ended my first and only lawsuit. 
Frank J. Thompson. 
Elbert S. Cafman. 
The death of Elbert S. Carman removes one who many 
■ears ago was well known as a correspondent of Forest 
\.\D Stream. 
Mr, Carman died in New York city Feb, 28, after a 
diort illness. He was born in Hempstead, L. I., in 1838, 
ind after graduating from Brown University in 1858, went 
nto business in New York. For a number of years he 
Dccupied his leisure time in writing for the daily papers 
md other periodicals, and was a frequent contributor to 
Forest and Stream. Mr. Carman had, however, had a 
decided bent toward horticulture, and he gradually de- 
voted himself more and more to this until he became asso- 
ciate editor of Moore's Rural New Yorker, and subse- 
quently its editor-in-chief. . . , 
Mr. Carman's work in recent years was altogether in 
horticulture, and he was weU known as an experimenter 
I and voluminous writer on this topic, but he will be kindly 
Sf remembered by an earlier generation of sportsmen for 
his attractive writings relating to dog and gun. 
The Hardman Alaska Expedition. 
III. — Big Game Htmters* 
^ There were big game hunters on the George W. 
Elder. Quite without intention, and in fact much against 
their own will, they developed as a body into rather 
amusing persons, and their adventures and misadven- 
tures afforded as much entertainment to the other mem- 
bers of the party as any group of individuals on the ship. 
Their leader, officially and in fact, was one whom 
all delighted to honor and to follow; a man of mighty 
frame, prodigious strength, deep voice and unflagging 
energy. When arrayed in his hunting costume, and 
armed with his .577 rifle, it would have been a bold bear 
that would have faced him without a sinking heart. 
The others of the committee, with one or two exceptions, 
were relatively unimportant, and were chiefly cooks, 
camp followers and parlor boarders. 
On this expedition the big game committee and its 
members did a variety of things. Its first trip was made 
over the Muir Glacier, to a hunting ground strongly 
recommended by the glacier's owner, who declared that 
in years past he had seen there the fresh tracks of bears, 
wolves, caribou, mountain goats and other desirable 
animals. 
"It's a fine place," declared the proprietor, "and it's 
so easy to get at; that's the beauty of it. Ye just saunter 
up to the crest of the glacier, a matter of seven or eight 
oi- ten miles, and then ye saunter down into the Howl- 
mg Valley about half as far. When ye're there, all ye 
have to do is to hunt." 
This sounded well. It was but June 8, and bear and 
wolf hides would be in splendid condition. It would 
hardly do to shoot any of the hoofed game, but if they 
killed a bear or two apiece, none of them would care to 
traveling, it was hoped that some extended view might 
be had, but when that crest was reached, it was seen 
that beyond was another, still higher, toward which they 
plodded with renewed hope. Toward the left was a 
great nunatak, or mountain of rock, rising out of the 
glacier; to the right, but several miles away, the barren 
moraine. 
Not long after starting it began to rain hard, and 
before long the surface of the ice had a covering of 
snow, which grew constantly deeper. By 8 o'clock it 
was up to one's knees, and the walking became laborious. 
Some of the packers began to lag behind, and from time 
to time it was necessary to stop in order to let them 
come up. As the snow covered the ice everywhere, and 
concealed the crevasses, it was thought best to rope 
the six leading men together and to sound the ice with 
poles. The snow grew deeper and deeper, and the 
going harder and harder, and at length the packers were 
halted on a crest of the ice and told to wait there while 
the hunters went forward to the next ridge. This proved 
to be really the summit of the glacier, and from it the 
looked-for valley could be seen. It was all white with 
snow— still winter there — and as the prospects for hunting 
in this snow were poor, and the chance of the packers 
getting through with their loads was very doubtful, it 
was determined to give up the trip and to turn back. 
They consoled themselves perhaps with the thought 
that after all their achievement was at least that of a 
certain royal personage of France, who once, but with 
a larger company, did precisely the same thing. 
The retreat began, but soon they stopped for an 
hour in the rain to cook and rest. Again the Chair- 
man of the big game committee presided over the camo, 
and turned out some delicious pea soup, but the halt 
had chilled everybody and they were glad to take up their 
loads and the return march again. As they went on the 
weather improved— the rain stopped and the sun came 
the GEO. W. ELDER. 
Photo by E. S. Curtis. Copyright, 1899, by E. H. Harrinian. 
wade in the blood of caribou or of goats. So, after 
dinner, say about 7:30 in the evening on June 8, six 
members of the party, with seven packers to carry tents, 
blankets, cooking utensils and food, were landed at the 
foot of the glacier. Besides his gun and ammunition, 
each member of the party carried a pack containing three 
days' provisions. For an hour or two before reaching 
the ice, they clambered over the steep slopes of the 
morainal detritus and the Dirt Glacier, but when the 
smoother surface of the ice was reached, they marched 
steadily along. The packers had been sent forward two 
or three hours earlier on the theory that being loaded 
they would go more slowly than the hunting con- 
tingent. 
The surface of the glacier, where the party reached it, 
was smooth and fairly good walking. Now and then 
a crevasse would appear, around which a detour must 
be made, but on the whole it was straight and easy 
going, the slope of the ice being very gradual. The 
surface of the glacier was not white, as had been ex- 
pected, for it was everywhere covered with a very thin 
la3^er of mud. This mud, no doubt, was the accumulation 
of dust deposited by the wind on the glacier's surface 
during a long period of time. When once deposited on 
the moist surface of the melting ice it is never carried 
away by the wind, and its only loss is the small quantity 
swept away by rivulets which run over the glacier's 
surface, and at last pour into some crevasse. Thus this 
thin coating of mud is the accumulation of many cen- 
turies. 
It was about 1 1 o'clock at night when we overtook the 
packers, Avho,_ instead of having made camp as they had 
been told to do, were calmly sitting on their packs wait- 
ing for orders. Not far from here was a little lake of 
ice water, and near this the tents were put up, tea was 
cooked over a lamp, a little food was eaten, and at mid- 
night all spread their blankets on the ice and lay down 
to sleep. 
The night was a short one. Although all slept fairly 
well at first, before long the chill of the ice penetrated 
the sleeping bags, and made hips and shoulders cold, 
so that the last hour or two in bed was not restful. By 
3 o'clock in the morning people were walking and talk- 
ing about the camp, and sleep was no longer possible, 
so that after a breakfast of bacon, hardtack and tea, at 
which the Chairman of the big game committee pre- 
sided most efficiently, the march was taken up at 4:30. 
The morning air was cold and raw, but the exercise 
soon warmed all hands, and they walked steadily toward 
the crest of the ice. The march was somewhat de- 
ceptive, and reminded one of traveling over the rolling 
prairie. The glacier flowed in a series of great waves. 
From the crest of ice, towarcl^which they were always 
oiit. By this time all were pretty tired, and the party was 
widely scattered over the ice, each man going at his 
own pace without regard to the others. 
Though the slopes of the glacier were very easy, and 
the crevasses narrow, and in no respect dangerous, the 
walking, even on the return march, where it was all 
down hill, after a while became very laborious. The 
unequal rnelting of the ice made its surface rough, v.fith 
small projections or pinnacles, which were felt through 
the soles of the shoes, and at length became very tire- 
some to the feet. On the return trip one of the party, 
who years before had hurt his knee, quite gave out, and 
got in with great difficulty, helped by a man on either 
side. 
The different men reached the beach opposite the 
ship by ones and twos between 2 and 6 o'clock in the 
afternoon, and each one acknowledged that he was about 
as tired as he ever had been. As they came on board 
they were received with derisive shouts and laughter, 
and for days afterward the ship's company made them- 
selves merry at the expense of the hunters. 
Better success than this met another member of the 
big game committee, who was not of the glacier party, 
on her first hunting trip. The place of the hunt 
was on Biorka Island, near Sitka, and the game — needed 
as a natural history specimen — was the Sitka deer. With 
half a dozen of the men she landed on the island to try 
to secure the desired specimen. One of the party had 
gone along as an assistant, not canying a gun, and he 
remained with her to watch a narrow neck of land which 
joined two portions of the island. 
After watching for a couple of hours, about noon an 
old doe walked into view, about 40 yards from the man 
and 30 from his companion. The deer's head, neck and 
shoulders were visible to him, and he whistled to call 
ner attention to it, but it walked away without being 
shot at. for a great standing dead tree hid the deer from 
her. She changed her position, and came up to where 
her companion had been sitting, a point which com- 
manded a better view of the whole neck. An hour later 
a deer was seen sneaking by on the beach to the east 
of them. She shot at it and missed, and the deer did 
not heed the report. A second shot caused the deer to 
raise its head and look about. Then a watcher, stationed 
southeast of them, fired a shot and the deer turned and 
ran, quartering toward the girl, who fired again, and 
the deer dropped to the report. On looking it over 
it was clear that the animal had been hit only once, the 
ball breaking its shoulder and killing it instantly.' It 
had been untouched by the previous shots. 
_ Soon after this all the hunters came in, having seen 
eight or ten deer, but secured none. Two or three plea%- 
