88 
FOREST . AND * STREAM. 
[May ig^ tgeo. 
and I went ahead on foot and Dan followed with the 
animals. 
Next day we left for Portland, traveling as before, ex- 
cept that we took the steamer down the river for a 
change. 
Our outing had been a disappointment as far as large 
game was concerned. We had bagged notliing except a 
few mountain grouse, the heads of which we shot off 
Avith our rifles, and a couple of whistling marraoLs, which 
were killed by my brother. However; as we had put in 
only two half-days in actual hunting, we could not 
grumble. We would have been lucky if we had got, or 
even seen, any goats in that time, but I have no doubt 
that had we been there a little earlier, while the berries 
were ripe, we would have seen bears. We hope to go 
back and give Dan another chance and a little more time, 
and have been corresponding with him with that object in 
view. We want no better guide than Dan, and doubt 
whether there is another as good in Iiis neighborhood. A 
letter addressed to him at Lakeside, Wash., will find him. 
. W. P. 
CHICAGO AND THE WEST. 
Good Outlook for Ihe Minnesota National Park. 
Chicago, 111., May 12. — If there is a happy man in 
Chicago to-day it is Col. John S. Cooper, leader of th • 
movement for the Minnesota National Park. All th 
friends of Col. Cooper and of the proposed park have 
reason to be happy with him. Day before yesterday the 
U. S. Senate in regular session passed the Davis resolu- 
tion, authorizing the appointment of a commission from 
Congress to examine into the question of establishing 
this park in northern Minnesota. By this resolution 
authority is given to the presiding officers of the respective 
Houses to appoint seven member.s of each House. The in- 
adequate sum of $1,000 is made available to bear the ex- 
penses of the proposed commission. 
It now remains to be seen what will be done in the 
House. The park matter in the House is in the hands of 
Mr. Tawney, of Minnesota, This week Mr. Tawney had 
two or three interviews with Speaker Henderson, who 
assured him that in due time he would recognize him on 
the floor of the House in support of this resolution. The 
House Committee has reported back the resolutions with 
the number of the commissioners reduced to seA'cnj and 
the appropriation for expenses cut down to $5,000, 
It is an open secret that Mr, Tawney wilf be fortified 
with full array of facts and figures regarding the parks 
and forest reservations of the United States. He will be 
able to show that among the many million acres of public 
lands set aside for the public benefit, there is not one 
acre devoted to park purposes by the United States in the 
entire Mississippi Valley. 
There will be no sentiment in the brief Mr. Tawney will 
submit. He will talk business and nothing but business 
from the start. He will shoM' to members of Congress 
.some things in the way of forestry and industrial statistics 
of which they have heretofore been ignorant. There is a 
very good leaven in the House already of members who 
are acquainted with the region in question, and the 
matter has been so well put forward through dilTerent 
channels tliat the members of Congress will know what 
Mr. Tawney means when he puts the resolution before 
them. There is good reason to hope that this resolution 
will carry in the House, as it has now carried in the 
Senate. 
It is generally conceded even hy the enemies of the 
Minnesota park that if the commission is appointed to 
investigate the matter, the park is the same as assured. It 
ivill be a happy day for the people of the West should 
this turn out to be the case. 
The resolution creates a commission to investigate 
whether it is practical for the United States to create a 
national park upon and within the lands knowjj as the 
leservations of the Mississippi, Chippewa, Leech Lake, 
Winnebigoshish and Cass Lake Indians. The acreage in- 
volved is about 830,000 acres, including Leech Lake, Cass 
Lake, manj^ smaller lakes and parts of the Mssissippi and 
other rivers. Lucky is the commissioner who will be sent 
into this beautiful region next summer to investigate its 
fitness as a playgrnimd for the plain people of America. 
Appalachian National Park Association, 
Away down South there is going on a movement foi 
the establishment of yet another national park, the Appala- 
chian National Park, whose executive oflice is at Ashe- 
ville, N. C. The Appalachian Mountain Club is composed 
of 1,200 members, most of them residents of Boston and 
other New England cities, and was organized Januarj . 
1876, This club indorses the proposed park in Nort' 
Carolina, and the same finds many other friends and put '. 
up a strong case. The memorial of the Association ws ' 
referred to the Senate Committee on Forest Reservatior '• 
Jan, 4, 1900, the resolution being introduced by M.. 
Pritchard. This would provide a park suitable for winter 
travel, just as the Minnesota park is most desirable for 
summer travel. It is earnestly to be hoped that both 
movements may succeed. 
Arkansas Bass and Turkeys. 
Mr. Jos. Irwin writes from Little Rock, Ark., ^. I ■ 
low. regarding fishing and shooting in his part of < < 
world : 
"Our Old River Club members are having grand bassi 
fishing this spring. They use waders and fly-rods, anc! 
cast around the logs and stumps with great success, 
.Some of the bass have weighed over 4 pounds. I hope tc 
try them next week, but so far have not struck it just 
right. I am going to try the Taylor system on troUt in 
Colorado "next August. By the wav, I saw a man usina 
a bob for bass recently— arid it is the most killing way 1 
have ever seen. It makes the bass wild. I saw three at 
one time Jump for the bob T do not consider this sport, 
but if one wants fish the bob will g^t them nearly as fast 
■as a net Turkey shooting has been good in the St. 
Francis country. I heard at least eight gobblers the other 
morning gobbling at one time. There was a stream 
between me and them, but I found a fine gobbler on my 
side and carried him into camp. The Choctaw Railway 
opens a new ^me and fisli cotratry to us this year, and 
T hope to MTite you about It some time this yean" 
T!-!2t Chcctmv Railway !s well worth watching. The 
first year of the railroad is the time to strike a new wild 
country. After that it is the same old story of destruc- 
tion and depletion. 
Illinois Quail and Catfish, 
Mr. W. A, Powel, of Taylorville, 111., is an inde- 
fatigable hunter. When the quail season is over he hunts 
coons, then switches off to ducks. After the duck season 
closes he puts in his time until the chicken season, hunt- 
ing musrhooms. Mr, Powel says that lower Illinois 
lias the best prospect for a quail crop it has had for years. 
He also remarks seductively that his family will be 
through housecleaning this week, and that the catfish are 
biting mighty well. 
OH for the Peace River. 
Mention has several times been made in these cohnnns 
of the experiences of Charlie Norris, of Chicago, in the 
British Northwest, where he made a perilous journey 
alone on a raft down nearly a thousand miles of the Peace 
River. It seems that though Mr, Norris and his coni- 
pqnions were unsuccessful in their attempt to reach the 
headwaters of the Pelly River, by the overland route of 
the so-called Edmonton train, Mr. Norris did not alto- 
gether waste his time while in that country. At a point 
some distance from Ft. Graham he and a friend located a 
mica mine. It is said there is pi-actically a mountain of 
this valuable mineral so situated as to he easily mined. 
A Dr. Nichols, of Indiana, brought out some of this 
mineral by way of the Ashcroft trail, on pack horses. 
Knowing that the mica supply is but limited and feeling 
as.sured that they have valuable property, Mr. Norris. Dr. 
Nichols and their friend Mr. F. B. Vrooman, of Chicago, 
have this winter been quietly making plans for a grand 
mica expedition. They have orders for two or three 
hundred thousand dollars' worth of mica, and they ex- 
pect to be able to float the mineral on rafts down the 
Peace River to Peace River Landing, and thence bring 
it out to Edmonton, either by way of the Lesser Slave 
Lake or by wagon overland. The party, as above com- 
posed, left for Edmonton Tuesday night of this week, and 
will be gone all summer and late into the fall. They will 
go from Edmonton by horseback up the Peace River 
■trail. They expect to be able to get out the mica and 
raft down large quantities of it before the close of the 
season. I should be delighted to see Mr. Norris and his 
friends make a .success of this undertaking, and if the 
difiiculties of transportation do not prove too great they 
probably will make a success of it. Mica is valuable in 
4 or 5 inch squares. I have seen pieces from this mica 
mine more than a foot square. As this party w*ill go 
through one of the best game countries of the North 
American Continent, and will be thrown entirely on their 
own resomces in outdoor life for some months, the 
experience ahead of them bids fair to be an enviable one. 
E. Hough, 
Hahtfori) Building, Chicago, Illt 
Rhode Island Game Interests. 
, Providence, R. I., May 13. — Editor Forest and Stream: 
'Wc have been experiencing during the past week, or in 
fact, all this month, extremely cold weather for this 
time of the year. Last week there were heavy frosts at 
least two nights that have damaged fruit buds and 
flowers. It is considerable of an anomalism to walk out 
in the morning with a heavy overcoat buttoned up round 
your throat, the mercury in the thermometer dancing 
about the freezing point, and find thin edgings of ice 
upoB the shallow iwnds ; while upon every hand are to be 
seen our early summer songsters and opening buds. Yet 
such has been the situation here. 
I am pleased to note that in the district vi^here I reside 
there appears to be a greater abundance of bird life than 
in several years past. This is particularly the case with 
robins, bluebirds, summer yellowbirds, warblers of various 
kinds and orchard orioles. The latter have been very rare 
for some years past, but this year I have noted several 
pairs. With this increase in song birds I cannot help but 
remark the apparent increase in our raptorials. 
James P. Welch, of Central Falls, at Diamond Hill, last 
Monday night caught six pickerel, which weighed 15 
pounds. One of the fish weighed 3li pounds and was 23 
inches long. 
The session of the General Assembly, which recently 
closed, was productive of more than usual good toward 
the protection of game, birds and fish. In addition to the 
amended bird laws, which I shall refer to below, the fol- 
lowing matters were passed : An amendment to Chapter 
171 of the General Laws, "Of Certain Fisheries,*' which ' 
prohibits the setting of troll lines; an amendment to 
Chapter 174 of the General Laws, "Of Inland Fisheries," 
limiting the time of taking black bass, provision being 
made that none shall be caught between March i and 
July r, except in Sneach Pond and Moswanisicut Pond. 
The following from the Providence Journal of to-day in 
relation to the latest measures of protection to the birds in 
this State is of great interest at this time, and briefly ex- 
plains the recent enactments by the Legislature: 
"It is provided in the amended law that partridges may 
je snared only on one's own land; the proposed amend- 
ment forbade partridge snaring altogether. 
"The close season for most game birds is lengthened. 
The aim of this measure was, of course, to give the birds 
a longer period in which to grow and to breed. It is 
believed that the true sportsmen approve this action, for 
whereas the number of days of their sport is curtailed, the 
sport will be better while it is allowed. Hereafter, wood- 
cock, partridge and quail may be killed only from Oct. 
15 to Dec. IS, inclusive; black duck, wood duck, teal, 
coot, scoters or any of the so-called duck species, wild 
geese and brant, from Oct. 15 to Feb. 28, inclusive; peep, 
plover, snipe, sandpiper, sanderling, greater and lesser 
yellowlegs, curlew and rarls, from Jtlly 15 to Dec. 15, in- 
clusive. 
"English sparrows, hawks (except fish hawks), owls, 
crows and crow blackbirds may be killed at any season 
of the year by any person on his own land. 
"Wild birds, excepting those mentioned above, are, in 
the amended law, protected the entire year. This means 
that there must be no more cruel slaughtering of robins, 
■^wallows, bo.x . .martins rmd the other prettily feathered 
und aiveet voiced fl3'ers. Every month and every day is a 
close season for them. Their nests, and eggs likewise, 
must not be disturbed except by certified students of 
ornithology, as provided for in a section of the amended 
law. 
"A fine of $20 and costs will be imposed upon any 
one convicted of killing, destroying, etc., pheasants before 
Oct. I, 1905. 
"Here is an interesting section put into the amended 
law: 'Whoever at any time takes, or sends beyond the 
limits of this State, any woodcock, quail or ruffed grouse 
(commonly called partridge) shall be punished by a fine 
of $20 for each and every bird.' 
"This is a direct slap at the sportsmen and bird raiders 
who reside over the State line in Massachusetts and Con- 
necticut. In Massachusetts, particularly, the close season, 
is lengthened out much more than it is here, and, conse- 
quently, many a hunter from the Bay State takes advan- 
tage of our easy laws. 
"The above noted changes and additions are the chief 
features of the ornithological victory^ — for the adoption' 
of so many rather radical changes may properly be called 
such. Of course, there are other protective measures 
which the Commissioners, the Audubon Society and 
sportsmen hope to see adopted before long, but all are, 
satisfied with the success met with so far. It is desired 
by the Commissioners to make every Sunday a close 
season in this State. The reason advanced for this 
radical measure is the raids on all species of birds by 
boys and men of certain mill villages on the first day of 
the week. 
"The State Bird Commission includes one appointee 
from each county, as follows: Providence — Dr. F. H. 
Peckham, President of the Board; Kent — Thomas W.' 
Penny; Washington — Dr. E. R. Lewis; Bristol — WilliamI 
H. Thayer; Newport — A. O. D. Taylor. The Commis- 
sioners have the enforcement of the laws relating to|; 
birds in charge, but they are allowed no pay or remunera- 
tion for expenses incurred, Last year they secured six 
convictions— four for snaring birds, one for shooting a 
fish hawk, and one for shooting a robin. 
"It cost the Commissioners and their sympathizers last 
year $170 to enforce the statutes relating to birds." 
W. H. M. 
Maine Guide Law Constitutional. 
Boston, May 9. — At last the Maine Law Court has 
handed down its decision on the celebrated guide law, as 
to its constitutionality. The decision sustains the indict- 
ment against Elmer Snowman, a Franklin county guide, 
who refused to take out a license, believing that the laW 
requiring him to do so interfered with his constitutional 
right to labor as a guide. The indictment is held sufficieni 
the court overruling the defendant Snowman's exceptions 
as to sufficiency of the indictment, and as to the con- 
stitutionality of the statute under which the indictment 
was found ; but the exceptions as to certain instructions 
of the presiding justice arc sustained — minor points in the 
question of the validity of the law, but of some importancf 
to Snowman as to costs. It is understood that the Range- 
ley Lakes Guides' Association had been behind Snow- 
man. 
The court's rescript says, in part ; "When the Legis-i 
lature may require a license for carrying on any business 
or engaging in any vocation, it may exact the payment ol 
a reasonable fee therefor. 
"The fish in the waters of the State and the game ir 
its forests are the property of the people in their coUectivr 
sovereign capacity, who may permit or prohibit the taking 
thereof. When such taking is permitted, the Legislature 
may impose upon such taking such limitations, restric- 
tions and regulations as it may deem necessary for thf 
public welfare." 
Snowman has long been considered one of the has* 
guides in Maine. Boston sportsmen who have employed 
him speak in the highest terms of his efficiency and char 
acter. He has told me himself that he refused to take oui 
a license because he believed the guide license law to b<= 
unjust and oppressive. Now the question is. Will the 
Commissioners grant him a license if he applies for it? 
From the Maine papers I learn that Judge Foster, whfJ 
was attorney for Elmer Snowman in the celebrated inf rac 1 
tion of the guide law case, and carried his case up to thf 
law court on the question of constitutionalit'j', says thai 
he is not done j^et: that the public will hear more about 
the case. He says that a new trial will be granted, and 
that exceptions will be allowed. It is also reported thati 
the Commissioners will refuse Snowman a licpnse if he 
now applies for it, SpF.rtAt.. 
Hotels for Sportsmen. 
Persons who are conducting hotels or caimps in region^ 
where there is good shooting or fishing should under-, 
stand that the best way to make their places known to, 
persons interested in these sports is by advertising in the 
Forest and Stream. Sportsmen have come to depend 
on the hotels which are advertised in Forest and Stream,. 
and registered in its Information Bureau, and the hotel 
keepers who patronize these columns are unanimous i« 
declaring that they receive most satisfactory returns for 
t-he money inveateJ. . »>«»i^ 
For the second time within six months the Sturtevant 
Blower Works on Saturday last had the water supply 
shut off without forewarning on the part of the city., 
Investigation traced the stoppage at the joint where a 
2-inch pipe enters a 4-inch, between the works and the 
Green street main, and the cause of the whole trouble 
lay in an eel having become wedged in the entrance of, 
the pipe with the smaller bore. When the water supply 
of Saturday was cut off from the works and the water 
department telephoned that they were not responsible, the 
pipes in the same locality were disjointed and another 
eel was proved to be the cause. This latter fish measured 
in length 39 inches, and weighed s pounds. — ^Jarnaic-Ji 
Plain. Mass., News, 
Game Laws in Brief. 
'I he tiew number of tlie Game Laws m Brief and Woouw/af* ■ 
Magazine coiitflin^i an attractive list af cont<!fl,ts and several hovti 
of good reading. 
