Dec. 29, 1900.] 
FOREST AND STREAM. 
513 
the proportion of "duffers" in his own river of occupa- 
tion at home, and then to carry the proportion to the 
Nipigon and apply it in obsers'ation upon the fishermen 
there. 
Tlie brook trout is a- royal game fish, and the Nipigon 
is Ins great kingdom. Any ambassador going to that 
region nui.st be a born diplomat, or he must become one, 
or he must have diplomats forced upon him, if he would 
see the best sport in trout fishing. The largest trout 
in the Nipigon are caught with the fly, and I believe that 
I can select five troiit fishermen who will catch more 
trout, and larger ones, with a fly than can be caught by 
five other selected fishermen using other rods and lures. 
Most of the fishermen on the Nipigon, as elsewhere, are 
not equipped to the best advantage. They do not study 
the situation in a painstaking way, and they do not seem 
to comprehend the nature of trout. Most of them want 
soniething easy. I have fished for trout from Labrador 
to Virginia, and have not as yet found a better stream 
for fly-fishing than the Nipigon. 
Robert T. Morris. 
he Mmttel 
Toledo and Thereabouts. 
"Why Rods Are Lifeless. 
Talking vi'ith my friend. Judge Kenyon, the o::her day 
about the last summer's casting tournament at Chicago, I 
extracted a piece of information which will be of interest 
to the fishing fraternity. We were speaking of the dis- 
appointing records of the tournament during the hot 
weather which prevailed at tliat time, results which were 
apparently inexplicable to Mr. Hough and other gentlemen 
who participated in the various contests, especially those 
of fly-casting. "At a temperature about 125 degrees," 
said the Judge, "a split bamboo rod may be bent upon 
itself, and it will be found to recover very slowly if at all. 
If it is bent at that temperature and retained in tlie 
same position while it is cooled to sixtj' or seventy, it 
will be found to have taken a permanent set. At the 
higher temperature the resin of the cane seems to lose 
its tension and elasticity, so that the fibers of the cane 
slip by each o.her and do not readily resume their former 
places. At the same time, the glue in the joints softens, 
and its temporary loss of adhesiveness adds to the weak- 
ness of the rod. During the Chicago tournament the 
thermometer ranged in the nineties in the shade, while in 
the sun it was anywdiere from twenty to twenty-five de- 
grees higher. When they were called on in this k'nd of 
weather, the rods did not respond, simply because the 
extreme heat had drawn their temper, and nothing would 
have been more effective in restoring it than a trough of 
ice water into which they might have been dipped every 
now and then during the progress of. the tournament." 
Jay Beebe. 
Tqlbdo, O , Dec. 14. 
100 ^pommen s Tinas* 
Some of Ihe Queer Discoveries Made by Those Who Are 
Looking for Game or Fish. 
35 
TJere is the title of a chap-book of the eighteenth cen- 
tury, which certainly should have place among our selec- 
tion of sportsmen's finds, for the whole "dismal rela- 
tion" grew out the fateful discovery by a "gentleman 
and his 'Man being a Hunting." The chap-book title 
pages of tho.se days appear to have resembled the scare 
heads of our up-to-date yellow journals, in that they told 
the whole story. We^presjerve the style of the original : 
THE DISTRESSED CHILD 'IN THE WOOD; 
Or, the Cruel Unkle 
Being A 
True and dismal Relation of one Esq: Solmes of Beverly 
in York.shire; who dying left an only Infant Daughter, of 
the Age of two Years, to the care of his own Brother; 
who with many Oaths. Vow^s, and Protestations promised 
to he Loving to her; but the Father was no sooner 
Dead, but out of a wicket Covetousness of the Child's 
Estate of three hundred Pounds a Year, carry'd it into 
a Wood, and there put into a Hollow Tree to Starve it to 
Death; Where a Gentleman and his Man being a Hunt- 
ing two days after, found it half Famish'd. having gnawed 
its own Flesh and Fingers end in a dreadful manner. 
With an Account how the Cruel LTnkle to hide hi-^ 
Villaiiy, had caused the Child's Effigies to be buried in 
Wax. and made a great Funeral, as if ii had been really 
Dead; with the manner of the whole Discovery by a 
Pream. and taking the Wax .Child out of the Grave; with 
the Unkle's Apprehension, Examination. Confession be- 
fore Ju.stice S'ubbs, and his Commitment to G-aol. in order 
to be Try'd the next Assizes, for the Barbarous Action 
To which is added Copy of Velrges pu tlie said Relatio^i- * 
Fixtures. 
FIELD TRIALS. 
1901. 
Jan. 1.— St Louis, Mo.— St. Louis Collie Cliib".s annual show. 
J. A. Long, Sec'y- 
Jan. 14.— New Orleans, La.— Louisiana Kennel Club's atinual 
show. /\. E. Shaw, Sec'y. , 
Jan. 14-19.— Pontiac, Mich.— Pontiac Poultry and Pet' Stock £x- 
liibition's dog show. Daniel Thomas, Sec'y- 
Jan. 23-26.— Chicago.— Chicago Pet Dog Club's annual" show. 
Mrs. J. T. Buhrer, Sec'y. - 
Feb. 19-22.— New York.— Westniinster Kennel Club's twenty-fifth 
annual show. James Mortimer, Supt. 
March 6-9,— Pittsburg, Pa.— Duquesne Kennel Club's annual 
berch show. F. S. Stedman, Sec'y. 
March 13-16.— Chicago.— Mascoutah Kennel Club's eleventh an- 
nual show. John L. Lincoln, Sec'y. 
BENCH SHOWS. 
190L 
J?n. 14.— Coronado, Cal.— Pacific Coast Field Trial Club's trials. 
Albert Beltz, Sec'y. 
Ian. 14.— Greenville, Ala.— Fifth annual field trials of the Alabama 
Field Trials Club. John B. Rosenstihl, Sec'y. 
Jan. 21.— Benton County, Miss.— Tenth annual field trials of the 
United States Field Trials Club. W. B. Stafford, Sec'y, Trenton, 
February (First Week).- Grand Junction, Tenn.— Championship 
Feld Trial Association's annual trials. W. B. Stafford, Sec'y. 
An Idyl of the Dark. 
Turn down the lights until they glow but dimly, and 
then read this sad, sweet story in a low, sorrowing voice. 
In the sleeping hamlet of Feeding Hills resides a man 
who is known not only unto himself, but to a select few. as 
a mighty nimrod. As a hunter he is the genuine union 
label article and~the hairy coon is his long suit. He 
claims that he knows all there is to know about these tiice 
beasts, and is on to just a few extra points on the side. 
One evening, as the moon was rising over the cornfields 
and illuminating the future pumpkin pies which reclined 
among the stalks, he called his faithful coon dog, Ponto, 
to him. and, putting a gun, an axe and a search warrant 
into his clothes, sallied forth in pursuit of the gay and 
gladsome coon. Smiling were the golden corn lands of 
Feeding Hills, and dark and drear were the forests upon 
the mountains. Across the heath bounded the huntsman, 
and Ponto galloped ahead with nose on high and tail 
proudly waving. He looked even yellower 'neath the 
golden beams of the moon. At last a lovely bit of coon 
ground was reached, and Ponto was encouraged to "heigh 
away," Forthwith he heighed and scattered himself into 
the field. Presently the hunter heard a yelp from the 
further corner and knew that there was something doing. 
Ponto gave tongue and the hunter gave chase. The faith- 
ful hound headed for the wood, so the nimrod knew that 
hither the game was going. 
At the edge of the wood Ponto sat himself down by the 
foot of a tree. He sang solos to that shrub until the nim- 
rod came up, and then Ponto wagged his tail while he 
was being patted on the head. The nimrod undid his 
shooting coat to allow his chest to swell, and removed 
his hat. .so that it would not be stretched out of shape. 
He had once again treed a coon, he and Ponto. Then he 
circled that tree, looking for the coon. It should have 
been sitting in a crotch trembling with fear. If it was, 
the nimrod could not see it. Must he give up hope of 
downing it with one swift shot? He allowed he must. 
Then he seized the axe and started to slay the tree. The 
moon rose high over the woods and looked down upon his 
toil. If he had had to work in that manner he would have 
joined a union. The chips flew fast and thick, and Ponto 
dashed about the shrub with keen yelps and howls of 
delight. He was going to get another chance at the coon, 
and he pitied the poor animal. The tree gave a groan and 
tottered to the ground. A streak of gray dashed out of 
the topmost branches and darted into the light. Ponto 
made a rush and a grab. There were circles of yellow and 
gray for a second, and then peace and quietude. The 
proud nimrod advanced to pick up the game. The moon 
looked down in horror upon the scene, for the nimrod 
had fainted away. His sorrowing wife buried her favorite 
tabby can beneath the garden rosebush at 7 130 next morn- 
ing. — Springfield Republican. 
Points and Flushes. 
Mr. W. B. Stafford, Secretary of the Champion Field 
Trial Club, has favored us with a photograph of the 
trophy which goes to the winner of the stake. It portrays 
a silver cup, beautiful in design, donated by Mr. Edward 
Dexter, of Boston, Mass. The trophy is emblematic of 
the championship of the year in which it is won. Entries 
for the stake of 1901 close on Jan. 10. 
Notice. 
All communications intended for Forest and Stream should 
always be addressed to the Forest and Stream Publishing Co., and 
not to any individual connected with the paper. 
Leading dealers in sportsmen's supplies have advertised in our 
columns continuously for a quarter-century. 
If you want your shoot to be announced here send 
notice like the following: 
Fixtures. 
Dec. 27. — Kansas City, Mo. — Match for the cast iron medal be- 
tween J. A. R. Elliott, holder, and W. R. Crosby, challenger. 
Dec. 27. — Holmesburg Junction, Pa. — Team match at 25 birds 
between Baltimore Shooting Association and Keystone Shooting 
League— first of a series. 
Newark, N. J.— South Side Gun Club, target shoot every Sattir- 
day afternoon. 
Chicago, 111, — Garfield Gun Club's Hve-bird tpophy shoots, first 
and third Saturdays of each month. Grounds, West Monroe ^\^;^^t 
and Fifty-second ^Y9^^?. ' ' 
1901. 
Tan. 1, — Chicago. — Universal GUfi CluVs. liverbitd ^htust. Dr, 
K. S. Mess, SecY , , z 
Jan. 1.— Newark, N. J.— Twentieth annual all-day shoDt pi the 
•South Side Gun Club. Isaac II. Terrill, Sec'y. 
Jan. 1.— Sing Sing, N. Y,— Tournament of the Ossining Gun 
Club; targets. Wm. P. Hall, Sec'y. 
Tan, 12-13.— x\urora, 111.— Bennett's target tournament. 
Jan. 15-18.— Hamilton, Ont.— Hamilton Gun Club's eleyentli 
annual t^iirnament; live birds and targets; open to all. H. 
Graham, Sec'y. 
Jan. 16.— Trenton, N. J.— Second contest of the series between 
teams of the Trenton Shooting Association and Freelipld Gun 
■Club, on the grounds of the former. 
Jan. 17.— Baltimore, Md.— Ten-man team contest— Baltimore 
• Shooting Association vs. Keystone Shooting League. 
Feb. 6-7. — Cincinnati.— Cincinnati Gun Club's sparrow tourna- 
ment. Chas. F. Dreihs, Sec'y. 
April 9-12.— Baltimore, Md.— Eighth annual spring tournament 
of the Baltimore Shooting Association; two days targets, $100 per 
day added; two days live birds, $500 guaranteed. H. P. Collins, 
^April 16-18.— Leavenworth, Kan.— Annnal tournament of t4ie 
Kansas State Sportsmen's Association. 
May 7-10.— Tournament of the New Jersey State Sportsmen's 
Association. C. W. Feigenspan, Sec'y. 
May 7-10.— Lincoln, Neb.— Twenty-fifth annual tournament of the 
Nebraska State Sportsmen's Association, under the auspices of the 
Lincoln Gun Club. W. D. Bain, Sec'y. 
May 21-25.— Chicago, 111.— Twenty-seventh annual tournament and 
convention of the Illinois State Sportsmen's Association. Chas- 
T. Stickle, Sec'y. 
June 5-7. — Circleville, O. — Under auspices of the Pickaway Rod 
and Gun Club, annual tournament of the Ohio Trapshooters' 
League. G. R. Haswell, Sec'y. 
June — . — Columbus, Wis. — ^Tournament of the Trapshooters' 
League of Wisconsin. First week in June. 
AT WATSON'S PARK. 
Watson's Park, Burnside Crossing, 111.— Fifteen-bird shoots as 
follows: Dec. 22, 25, 29 and Jan. 1; $2.50 entrance; ?2 sweep 
optional; shoots commence at 1 o'clock. 
CONTESTS AT INTERSTATE PAKK. 
Jan. 8.— Interstate Park, Queens.— Welch (holder)-Elliot match 
for the Dupont trophy. 
April 1-5.— Interstate Park, Queens, L. 1., N. Y.— The Inter- 
state Association's ninth annual Grand American Handicap Tour- 
nament at live birds. 
June — . — Interstate Park, L. I. — Forty-third annual tiiiii nameiit 
of the New York State Association for llv protection ol I'lsh and 
Game 
Monthly contest for the Dewar trophy till June, 1902; handicap; 
25 live birds; $5 entrance. First contest took place June 20i, 1900. 
Interstate Park, L. I. — Fountain Gun Club's regular monthly 
shoots, the third Thursday of October, November and December. 
Interstate Park, Queens. — Weekly shoot of the New Utrecht Gun 
Club— Saturdays. 
Interstate Park, Queens, L. I. — Two miles beyond Jamaica, on 
L. I. R. R. Trams direct to grounds. Completely appointed 
shooting grounds always ready for matches, club shoots or private 
practice. Cafe and hotel accommodations. 
DRIVERS AND TWISTHRS 
Ciu6 secretaries are invited to send their scores for publication in 
these columns^ also any news notes they may care to hav printed. Ttei 
on all events are considered as divided unless otherwise reported. Mail 
all such matter to Forest and Stream Publishing Company^ 346 Broad- 
way, New York. 
The four-day Holiday shoot on the Washington Park shooting 
grounds, Kansas City, Mo., commencing on Wednesday of this 
week, will be managed by Mr. R. S. ICIIiott. There are three 
events on the first day, the second of which is the final conte.st 
for the Elliott medals. On the second day there are three events, 
of which the second is the match betwcei\ lilliott and Crosby 
for the Cast Iron medal. On the third day there are two events, 
respectively at 10 and 15 birds. On the fourth day there is a 25- 
bird event, ,$20 entrance, birds included; handicaps a la Riley, 
which is as follows: "All shooters are handicapped from 26 to 
iiOyds., to start the shoot on. The race is shot in five divisions 
of 5 birds each. Any shooter making a straight score of 5 birds 
in any division will be set back 1yd. for each and every straight 
score he makes; provided, however, that no contestant can be 
put back of the 33yd, score." 
Shooting about Philadelphia this week will be notably active. 
Nearly the whole week will be devoted to practice and competition 
on the grounds of the Keystone Shooting League, at Holmes- 
burg Junction. A sweepstake on Christinas Day, open to all, 
Rose system to govern the division of the moneys, will afford 
holiday diversion. Thursday is fixed upon for the contest be- 
tween ten-men teams of the Baltimore Shooting Association and 
Keystone Shooting League, the return match to be shot at Bal- 
timore on Jan. 17, and in case of a tie the third contest to be 
shot on neutral ground. The weekly 10-bird handicap for the 
League troph}% open to members only, will take place On Satur- 
day, 
Dec. 22 was an exceptional day on the grounds of the Keystone 
Shooting League in the matter of a large attendance. The semi- 
monthly match for the challenge trophy, a 10-bird event, at 
29yds., $2.50 entrance. The second event was the club handicap 
shoot, 10 birds, open sweepstake, ."P2.50 entrance. In the first event 
tiiere were fifteen challengers, and of these, Brewer, Landis and 
Henry tied on straight scores, the latter winning in the shoot-off. 
Messrs. Collins and Fox, of Baltimore, participated, but ]ip'ine 
non-residents, could not compete for the trophy. The former killed 
9, the latter 10. In the club handicap shoot, Messrs. Vandergrit|, 
Brewer and Budd made straight scores. 
The match between Messrs. R. A. Welch and Harold Money, 
shot on the Carteret Gun Club's grounds, on Thursday of last 
week, resulted in a tie on 89 birds. The conditions were 100 birds 
each, 30yds. rise, 30yds. boundary, $250 a side. It was an exciting 
contest, one not ended till the last bird was trapped. Mr. Money 
got a lead of 5 in the first 25, and from that to the finish there was 
a see-saw contest on this margin, which was gradually reduced to 
a tie at the finish, Mr. Welch shooting a game uphill race. 
The exact number of the men on the teams of the Baltimore 
Shooting Association and the Keystone Shooting League has 
not yet been definitely determined, but the most conservative 
• opinion places the number at seven men per team. Baltimore 
probably will be selected from the following: Messrs. Malone, 
Tlood, Hawkins, Fox, Bond, Ducher, Gent, Collins, Wagner, 
Smith, Pierce, Leland and Burke, while the Keystone team will 
be selected from a list as follows: Messrs. Henry,. Hallowelt, 
Landis, Vandergrift, Budd, McCoy, Earaes, Fisher, Johnson, V-an 
Loon, Geikler and Stevenson. 
•I 
The president of the Illinois State Sportsmen's Association, inidef 
date of Dec. 17, writes us as follows: "Please announce that the 
annual convention and tournament of this Association will be held 
the third week in May, 1901, and the date will be May 21, 22, 23, 
21 and 25. The change from the first week in May was made in 
the hope that the past rainy experiences of the Association could 
thus presumably be avoided." 
Tn the Claarview Gun Club's trophy event at Darby, Pa., on 
Dec. 22, there were six men who tied for the Fisher trophy, and 
in the shoot-oft' Fi.sher. n scratch man, won it with a score of 20 
out of 25 targets, Sweepstakes and contests for turkeys added to 
the zest of the competition, 
•I 
'I'liere will be an Interstate Park Handicap on Wednesday of 
this week, on arrival of the 12:20 train from New York, Optional 
^Yi'^^^J? '^^ ^hoot-off of the fiT§t series, ' ' 
