148 
FOREST AND STREAM. 
[Aug. 25, rgoo. 
hard to disttng.uisli the ducks at times in the dazzle, and 
after the sun had made some westering it was utterly' 
impossible to see those which came out of the west 
straight down a blazing path which made the eyes ache 
to look into. I never saw ducks decoy so well, and our 
guns got too hot to hold. Under the prevailing condi- 
tions we were wretchedly ofiE in judgment and killed 
but few. After firing all our ammunition we had just 
nine ducks— all old squaws and coots. Then the distance 
to the nearest decoy was measured, and it was just 45 
yards. It looked not an inch over 20 yards. No won- 
der we missed so many. 
I went after ammunition, and when 1 returned the tide 
had receded so that it was possible to get 10 yards nearer 
the decoys. This atTorded better opportunity, too, for 
concealment: but as the sun nearest the horizon a breeze 
sprang up and the ducks stopped decoying. • 
Next day broke chilly, with rain. So exceedingly mis- 
erable was it that we decided not to go out. As the 
Major had a lecture on for Friday night and would be 
compelled to leave next da}^ at the latest, we voted to 
end the trip. Then, at 12:15 P. M., we bundled our 
belongings into the deacon-veteran's grocery wagon and 
after a three-mile drive through rain and mud we boarded 
the train for home. The last thing T heard the Major 
ask our driver ran like this: "Comrade, does it partic- 
ularly benefit your horse when you squirt tobacco juice 
&\\ over his gambrel joints?" 
Blunt, jovial Major Fred Mather! The last T saw of 
him was as he wended his way to the lunch counter in 
the New Haven depot, after a farewell handshake. He 
had a wait of forty minutes for the express. He, Dr. 
Dean and myself had arranged for a trip through China- 
town after New Year's, and I anticipated a I'oyal time. 
The Major,, however, was subpoenaed as an expert wit- 
ness in a trout brook case at the last moment and the 
Doctor and T were comjiellcd to make the trip without 
him. I was sorry, for the ATajor missed a capital time 
and we missed him. 
I received a number of letters from Wisconsin from 
him and cordial invitations to visit h-m. He seemed 
to enjoy mj^ discomfiture over the premature discharge 
of my gun and usnally mentioned it whenever he wrote. 
In one of his last letters he said: "When near Duluth. 
Minn., pull my latchstring. but don't shoot off your gun 
when a flock of bears is coming in." 
His letters suddenlj^ ceased and I wondered over it. 
for he was always prompt about answering. There came 
a ride home from the city with Fok-est and Stream in 
my pocket. The horse stopi)ed at a wayside trough to 
drink and I opened the paper. Two heavy black words 
nearly took my breath away — '"Fred Mather." Hv would 
never write again, inore's the pity. 
Personally I had Icnown thi? Major but a short while, 
but through his writings Jic had been a friend from my 
boyhood days. SomehoU' I contracted a deep liking for 
this man. who was old in years but not in spir-it. Like 
wine, with years this liking will improve. 
In one of my first letters to him I expressed admira- 
tion for his writings. His answer was characteristic. 
He said: "You have said that you read my articles in 
FoRKST AND Stream and that you admire them, I am 
glad to know this. They are what I have observed in a 
lifetime of fishing, and there is a heap we all have to 
learn. Y''ou will be disappointed when you meet the 
writer." "Disappointed" should have read "delighted." 
I quote what appeals to ?ne as a beautiful pen picture: 
"On the wall of my den hangs a pair of buffalo horns 
saved from the slaughter of that day. Below them are 
a pair of sttowshoes and the sword of an officer of the 
line. Sometimes an old man rests his eyes upon these 
relics until the ijresent is forgotten. The rushing bison 
with their thundering tr.amp and grunting snort go by 
in cotmtless herds, which somehow change into battalions 
of armed men with glistening bayonets and ragged col- 
ors,, which afterward fade into the lirown of the forest 
and the stillness only broken by the fall of the snowshoe, 
until he is aroused by a soft hand cm his shotilder and a 
soft voice by his side says: "Hadn't you better get 
ready for dinner? You've been asleep." 
Perhaps the great hereafter holds as delectable a region 
as the beautiful Indian belief, and that the author of the 
l)eautiful pen picture above has found that place. Who 
knows but that an "old man" has found perpetual youth 
and his "comrades of the rod and line" on shaded shores 
by mystic waters where spirit zephyrs softly sing? 
William H. Avis. 
Nebraska Prairie Chickens. 
Omaha_, Neb., Aitg. 20. — The lovers ef sports afield are 
just at present having a serious time of it in this State 
as a result of their vigorous efforts to preserve the prairie 
chicken and quail from extinction. The market-hunter 
has made such inroads through Nebraska in the past few 
years that sportsmen fear that the birds will totally dis- 
appear if severe measures are not resorted to. But the 
market-hunter is not easy to curb, and as he has a certain 
sort of following in the northwestern section of the 
State, he is making a fight for existence that is surprising 
the opposition. Agents of the State Associaton are ma- 
kng arrests in different parts of the State daily, and a 
very vigorous campaign is being carried on to stop illegal 
shooting. C. H. Curtis, of Omaha, is the State agent who 
has charge of the prosecutions." The State Association 
has found systematic work necessary, as the authorities 
in the western counties appear to be in sympathy with 
the market-hunters and do nothing against them, except 
in a perfttnctory way that is not effective. Governor 
Poynter last week sent an open letter to all Nebraska 
sheriffs, recounting the charges that prairie chickens are 
being slaughtered in open violation of the law and 
threatening to have somt; ofificials impeached if they did 
not enforce the law. Following this us, Mr. Curtis, ma- 
king his headqttarters at O'Neil, the center of the finest 
cliic.ken grounds in the world, has begun to make arrests. 
It is against the law to ship birds by express or freight 
during the closed season, but a common trick is to shiii 
I he birds in trunks and boxes under cover of merchandise, 
but when the game is to go to New York. Chicago or 
some other remote point this trick cantiot be resorted to 
m hot weather. Mr. Curtis last week caused the arrest 
of a nmnber of Northwestern trainmen at O'Neil for 
participatiiig in a ?ie,w tricJi.. The mf^rk^t-huntefs fi?c up 
a deal with certain trainmen, and when a train runs into 
the town where they have brought their supplies the big 
box with ice is loaded on the end of a train like the news- 
boy's box of stock. The trainmen see to it that the box 
is delivered at its destination. Thus, if a game inspector 
suspects that birds are being shipped Dy express or 
freight from a given point, he can only watch the offices 
of the company, and thus the game is shipped otit under 
his very nose without danger of detection. Sigce the 
State Association has discovered the new trick, how- 
ever, thotisands of chickens have been confiscated. 
The market-hunter in Nebraska has been shooting 
chickens since June 15. At that time the chicken is not 
fully feathered and cannot fiy very far at a time. He is 
not protected and thus is ea.sily exterminated. Market- 
hunters who are unable to ship their stock otit as fast as 
killed, place them in cold storage until Sept. i. Last 
year 1,200 chickens were found in one house at Alliance, 
Neb., by the State agents and confiscated. 
The market-hunters find the business very profitable. 
On the Omaha market a dozen young prairie chickens 
were worth five dollars. If they can be gotten to Chicago 
or St. Louis the price is just doubled, and if they can 
be gotten into the New Y^ork market the chicken is very 
nearthly worth its weight in gold. The market-hunter 
himself gets about 40 cents each for the chickens, and 
his expenses are very light. Even as scarce as chickens 
are in Nebraska to-day, a market-hunter can get ten to 
fifteen daily. This means twice as much money as can be 
THE ORIGINAL SHIRT WAIST MAN. 
earned at any other vocation during July. August and 
September. By that time the fields through Nebraska 
have been swept so clean that it ceases to be profitable 
to hunt for the market. The birds Jiave been thinned 
out so and so badly scattered that a htinter must cover 
many miles in a day to get a few birds. Ten years ago 
when the market-hunter began his work in Nebraska it 
was no trick for a man with a single gun to get a hundred 
chickens a day. 
In 1893 the writer visited Holt county. Nebraska, with 
a party of Chicago sportsmen. In a single afternoon's 
shoot each gitnner killed more than a dozen chickens. 
This is the center of the chicken country and the birds 
are plentiful there if anywhere. Two j'ears ago T went 
back there with the same company of Chicago shooters. 
After a hard day's work seven chickens were secured, 
divided between six guns. This was the record. Where 
covies were to be found in every stubble field to the 
number of t\<'enty-five in 1893, single birds were to be 
found last year. These were Iiadly scared and would 
hurdle off into the brush a mile ahead of the dogs. 
Chicago and Eastern gunners might as Avell stay at 
home this year. Two years later, if the present campaign 
succeeds, perhaps some sport may again be had on 
Nebraska's flower-studded prairies, but not now. Even 
the lobelia, the bright, blue prairie flower txpon the seed 
of which the pinnated grous(r feeds, seems to be disap- 
pearing from the prairie of western Nebraska as if in 
syivpathy with the birds that once regaled themselves 
beneath its cooling leaves. This bright blue blossom was 
at one time as common to the prairies of Nebra.ska as the 
goldenrod. and wherever it was to be found near the open 
stubble the chickens were sure to be. G. C. P. 
Longf Island Snipe. 
Massapequa, L. I,, Aug. 21, — It may interest sortie of 
your many readers to learn of the .snipe shooting to be 
had in this section. The snipe are with us now, and some 
good bags are being made. The outlook is very good. 
Mr. W. K. Benedict and friend, of New York, spent 
the day with the snipe yesterday, killing forty-two large 
ones, including plovers, yellowlegs. robins and willets,, algo 
a basketful of smaller snipe. 
The guides report an unusually large quantity of 
meadow hens this season also. E. M. B. 
Bay Birds at Barnegat, 
Barnkgat City, N. J., Aug. ^q,— Bay birds are flying in 
far greater mimbers now. and out on .Sea Dog Shoal They 
are killed by the score and the hundred daily. Samuel 
Hufty, City Controller of Camden, has a record of 72, 
38 and 60 in three successive days, many of them bittern 
and wjllet, Elasi?, 
.^(?f ihf luf of good ihings in WQQdcraft in our adv. 
CHICAGO AND THE WEST. 
Chicken Coontry. 
Chicago, III., Aug. 19.— From very trustworthy sources 
1 have to-day the following information regarding good 
prairie chicken country in Mininesota and North Dakota: 
"With reference to your verbal request regarding in- 
formation as to points where there is pretty fair chicken 
shooting, please note the following list : 
"Bellingham, Halstad. Thief River Falls, Warren, 
.A.rgyle, Stephen and Hallock, in Minnesota, and points 
on the Ellendale line, Hankinson, Rutland, Ellendale. etc., 
and others in North Dakota. In the vicinity of Willmar, 
Atwater and Litchfield on the Willmar line. 
"These are a few points from which I have I'eceived 
good reports of the numbers of chickens. There are 
other localities which I have no doubt are equally as 
good, but these, I have reason to believe, will prove very 
favorable for the first two wrecks of the season." 
Protection in Ohio. 
Hon. O. C. Brown, Judge of the Cotlrt of Common 
Pleas, Dayton, O., has issued the following call to the 
farmers and sportsmen of that State to join in a pro- 
tective movement for the game birds: 
"The present unsatisfactory and contradictory laws 
enacted by the last Legislature, ostensibly for the pur- 
pose of better protecting the birds, fish and game of our 
State, furnish ample proof that there is a great lack of 
accurate information as to what measures will best 
accomplish the purpose aimed at. 
"Some of the most useful and beautiful song and in- 
sectivorotis birds are not protected at all. Certain mi- 
gratory game birds, useful only as food, which breed in 
Ohio, are lost to us entirely, by being protected so late 
in the season that none remain when the hunting season 
opens. 
"In accordance, therefore, with the resolutions adopted 
and the instructiotis given me at and by the convention 
of fish and game protective clubs, held in the city of 
Columbus, February last, I hereby give notice that a 
meeting will be held in said city at 10 o'clock A- M., Tues- 
day, Sept. 4. 1900, at the Chittenden Hotel, for the pur- 
pose of organizing" and forming a .State Fish and Game 
Protective Association, and all farmers' clubs, fish and 
game protective associations, gun clubs, fishing clubs and 
all organizations having as one of their objects the pro- 
tection and preservation of birds, fi.sh and game are 
hereby earnestly invited to attend, to unite in and form 
a State organization for the object above stated. 
"The State fair will be in progress from Sept. 3 to 7. 
Half-fare rates will doubtless prevail Upon all railroads 
runnmg into Columbus. 
"Let us have a strong turn-out, as the importance of the 
subject should command the attention and , support of all 
thoughtful men- ' 
"By direction of the committee. 
"O. C. Brown, Chairman. 
"R. T. DoBSON, Akron, O., Secretary.'' 
Back from Alaska, 
Mr. Flarry Lee, well known as a big-game hunter in 
the West, whose successful Alaska hunts have been 
chrf)nicled^in the Forest and Stream, called at this office 
to-day with Mr. Crane, of the Savage rifle, to pass the 
time of day. Mr. Lee is just back from a two months' 
trip in the West, this time to the Yellowstone National 
Park and other parts of the Rockies. He reports a 
splendid time, and Mr. Crane reports a splendid business. 
E. Hough. 
TIautfort) Building, Chicago, III. 
Massachusetts Shore Birds. 
C. A, Brown, who is summering at Plymouth, says that 
the boys, mostly local gtinners, are getting a good many 
graybacks, yellowlegs and peep of the shore side at 
Plymouth. He continues to have good luck bass fishing 
in Great East Pond in that town, taking six good.- ones 
on a trip the other day. L. J. DePass, son of L. W. 
DePass, a boy of only twelve years, has spent a week 
gunning at a camp owned by his father and another 
gentleman, on an island off Ipswich Bay. He has a little 
j6-gauge gun, and loads his own shells with two drams 
of powder and half an ounce of shot, or thereabouts. On 
the present trip he has killed eighty shore birds, the 
most of them game of good size, including yellowlegs 
and snipe. His anmtunition gave out for his little gun, 
but the .shooting was too good to leave, and he took the 
hig TO-gauge of his father's partner and used ^ it with 
good success. He said: "I had to hold her pretty sohd 
or she would kick me over." 
Aug. 20. — Two. Boston gunners brought up a good bag 
of shore birds from the vicinity of Essex Bay and Aimis- 
quam Saturday. They disposed of their game ,in the 
nrarket. although they would scarcely like to be termed 
market-hunters. They say that some good flights of gray- 
backs, yellowlegs and other snipe have gone along. Sev- 
eral gunners went down to Plum Lsland Saturday, and 
several started for the vicinity of Monomoy. They say 
that they do not intend to shoot Sunday, for there is no 
Sunday down there. All the summer guests, at eve)-y 
point a:long the beaches, are sailing, playing golf, or at 
some other amusement, every Stinday : not the slightest 
difference can be noted from any other day. "Why 
should we not .shoot?" Special. 
Game m the Indian "lemtory. 
Velma, I. T.— In the Indian Territory August finds us 
\vith quite an unusual supply of game. The heavy floods 
which last year destroyed our quail crop have missed us 
this year, and the result is, I believe, twice as many 
quail as I ever saw here before, The woods and fields 
are just simply teeming with them, t think. T am safe 
in saying I could easily kill \OQ in a single day within a 
r;idius of one mile. "The prairies now 'are covered with 
upland plover, as they are every summer in this locality, 
and although there is hardly any game law here, very few 
quail are shot before October — it's boo hot I guess for the 
market-hunter to keep his game, and the netter waits un- 
iij tl)^ weather is gooier so l^e. can shiii lijij "^r^ss^cl 
