186 
FOREST AND STREAM. 
[March g, rgoi. 
grass at the north end when he heard sandhill cranes just 
over the knoll in front of him. They were not in sight, 
but in hopes they were coming his way, he dropped in 
the grass and waited. He had tried for years to get one 
of these shy birds, but had -never bagged one. This time 
fortune favored him, for they came squarely over him and 
not thirty j^ards high. Selecting the biggest one, he fired, 
fully expecting it to wilt. Then there was trumpeting 
and wing flappinng and confusion in the flock that was 
so orderly a moment before, but the one he had shot at 
didn't wilt. It was hard hit and would no doubt have 
come down before going far, but the shooter thought one 
bird in hand worth two on the wing, and immediately 
gave it the other load, and that time it wilted. This 
and one other were the only sandhill cranes he killed in 
three years of hunting in a region where they were to be 
seen every day from August to December, and from 
March to May. 
Wading out to the island, which was surrounded by 
thirty to forty yai'ds of open water, he set the box of 
shells within easy reach and sat down on the old board 
that had been there since last fall's shooting. He re- 
gretted that he had no dog, for just then Flora was in- 
terested in a litter of puppies that she thought were the 
nicest puppies that ever were, and old Sinner was at 
home whining with rheumatism and crying because he 
could not go. However, the dead ducks would fall in 
ihe open water, and it was not too deep to wade. 
For half an hour after everything was ready, not a 
duck came within a mile, and but few were to be seen. 
One who didn't know the ways of the ducks would have 
thought that the prospects were very slim, but this man 
knew that he would get fifty shots that evening, and bdicd 
his time in patience. Presently two brant came over, 
flying high, and just for luck and to hear the gun crack 
again he gave them a shot, and was surprised and greatly 
pleased to see one of them turn over backward and 
lumble to the ground almost at his feet. "Hit him in 
the head," said the man to himself, and it was found that 
one No. s shot had entered the throat and lodged in the 
brain. This was a good beginning, and he was assured 
of roast wild fowl for his Sunday dinner; but like Oliver 
Twist, he wanted more. At 5 130 there w^ere still no ducks, 
but a dozen prairie chickens came sailing over the pond 
and lighted on a bare spot a litttle way out from the pond. 
The man in the grass watched their antics with great 
interest. The bare orange colored spot on the necks of 
the cocks was distanced, their tails were spread out and 
wings drooped, and they strutted around the hens with 
all the pride of turkey gobblers, continually making that 
booming sound that no one who has heard it will ever 
forget, and which cannot be described in words. While 
watching the chickens there came a sound of s-w-i-s-h, 
s-p-l-a-s-h, and turning his head a little he saw a dozen 
green winged teal right at the edge of the island. A shot 
at the bunch while they were on the water and another 
as they rose laid out four of them. A few bunches of 
mallards now appeared, flying high and going to ponds 
further north, but as yet none of the ducks that roosted 
m Parker's Pond were coming, nor would they come till 
nearly sundown, but that would not be long, and the 
man was glad of it, for with the lowering of the sun the 
air grew chilly, and by dark it would be freezing. From 
now on the flocks came faster and faster, till there were 
tens of thousands in sight, and an occasional flock 
swooped down toward the pond, then soaring upward 
passed on north. But now see that bunch drop from the 
sky to the other end of the pond. Down they come; 
wings outstretched and settling slowly till they are not 
twenty feet above the rushes. But the man on the island 
keeps low and quiet, for he knows they will not settle yet, 
because they will not be satisfied till they have explored 
the whole ground and that they will probably come within 
gun shot. There, see them rise, as if they saw danger 
in the water below them. Now they come straight to- 
ward him, but swerve off to the northwest and he thinks 
they have started to Pilot Lake, but now the old coat 
and hat serve their turn, for the birds see it and shy off 
from it toward the shooter. Now he feels sure of the shot, 
but is doomed to disappointment, for they make another 
turn and speed away for Butler's Pond. 
Seeing they were gone he turned his head to see 
whether more might be coming, and there saw about 
thirty, so close that he could see their eyes. By the time 
the gun could be swung into position they were past 
him and an opportunity for a good shot lost, for neither 
shot disturbed a feather. Looking again to the south he 
saw five or six bunches of mallards circling over that end 
of the pond, and after a few minutes of anxious waiting, 
got an easy shot as one of the flock passed thirty yards 
to one side and. pausing an instant, settled as if to drop 
into the water. Selecting two drakes that were close to- 
gether, he dropped both of them at the first shot, and 
selecting another drake, dropped it with the second bar- 
rel. By this time the sun was just sinking to rest in the 
bosom of the prairie, and the sky appeared to be fairly 
alive with the vast numbers of dticks returning to the 
ponds. 
From this time on there was more shooting than a 
dozen guns could handle, and when full darkness 
shroitded the land just one cartridge of the fifty brought 
out remained. The dead birds were yet to be gathered, 
but that was a short job, for they all lay in the open water 
surrounding the little island. He was just laying the gun 
down to begin gathering the dead, when he heard some 
geese, which a moment later passed right overhead and 
not twenty feet high. Firing the last cartridge at one of 
the geese the charge cut off a wing, leaving it held to the 
body by a few ligaments. The goose fell in the open 
water but a few feet from the wall of rushes, and at once 
made for their cover. It would never do to let a goose 
get away, so the hunter rushed after it and caught it by 
the broken wing as it was going to cover, and the way 
that old gander splashed the water almost took the 
shooter's breath. Then to make matters worse, as he 
stepped backward his foot went into a muskrat hole, and 
to keep from falling full length in the water he sat down, 
getting wet to his waist. The water was cold and the 
air was chilly, but he held to the old gander and getting 
him by the neck dragged him ashore and killed him. 
Then he grabbed the gun and started on a run for 
Parker's, for it was too cold to be out any longer, and the 
ducks could be gathered in the morning. After getting 
warmed and dried and eating supper, he feit none the 
worse for the wetting, and slept quite late next morning. 
When he went to get the rest of the ducks that had 
been killed, there were a good many hawks to be seen 
flying over the place, and on arriving at the island there 
was a thin skim of ice on the water where the ducks lay, 
and eighteen of the dead mallards that lay breast upward 
had their feathers torn off and scattered over the ice and 
their breasts eaten by the hawks. The shooter had not 
been in the habit of shooting hawks, but this was too 
exasperating, so he established himself in the blind from 
which he shot the ducks and when he left there, two 
hours later, there were thirteen dead hawks lying around. 
This did not put the meat and feathers back on the mal- 
lards, it made them "never do it again." There were 
plenty of ducks without the mutilated ones, so many that 
rhey were too heavy to carry home, and were left for 
Parker to bring down in the wagon next day. After 
dinner the shooter trudged back to town, feeling at peace 
and in a good humor with himself and all the world. 
O. H. Hampton. 
CHICAGO AND THE WEST. 
The Chicago Sportsmen's Show. 
Chicago, Feb. 27. — The so-called private view of the 
first annual exposition of the International Forest, Fish 
and Game Association was had last evening, Feb. 26. 
So far from there being a small but exclusive crowd, the 
attendance was a very large one, the use of a liberal 
supply of personal invitations having been verj^ generous. 
At half-past 9 o'clock in the evening the ticket office 
reported over 13,000 admissions. The lines of carriages 
practically blocked Wabash avenue, in front of the 
Coliseum, and the street cars were over half an hour late 
all along the thoroughfare. The crush of people in the 
Coliseum was extreme. The crowd, however, was a typi- 
cal Chicago assemblage, clever and good-natured, and it 
need not be .said that the impression they carried away 
was a good one. If the popular attendance be so liberal 
and pleasing throughout the two weeks of the show, the 
management certainly will have no occasion for regrets 
of any nature. 
A view of the interior furnishing of the Coliseum dis- 
closes certain departures from the earlier exhibited ideas 
in regard to sportsmen's shows, or rather, perhaps, a 
development of the idea in the natural way of growth and 
excellence attributable to a greater experience. The 
trade feature is not emphasized to any great extent, but 
upon the other hand, the scenic features, the out-door 
idea and all the general appointments are suggestive of 
a dignified handling of out-door topics. Various popular 
games constitute a part of the varied programme. On 
the whole the show can be called as justly a big popular 
amusement enterprise as it can be called a sportsmen's 
show, although the latter is certainly a fitting description 
of the first entertainment of this kind that has ever come 
to Chicago. 
The primary credit for the success of this undertaking 
is due to Mr. Richard E. Follett, who has certainly 
labored faithfully as any man could and with great in- 
telUgence and executive abilit3^ Mr. Follett has had 
good assistants and strongest financial backing, but I 
mean to say that, last summer he came here, unknown 
and unsupported, hunted out his own capital, made his 
own friends and passed through practically alone those 
hard early stages which are the ones which count in any 
undertaking. A better executive for this big enterprise 
covild not have been found. 
The scheme of decoration is the principal part of this 
show, and that scheme is purely a Chicago one, and is 
distinctive in its way. Mr. W. L. Wells deserves credit 
for the original suggestion of the idea of a forest, lake, 
marsh, etc., and of the flight of wild geese which aopears 
in the upper air, as well as the many minor features, such 
as the log cabin which incloses the entrance, the use of 
natural objects in decoration,, etc. Mr, Wells' facile pen- 
cil has been of great assistance in the daily papers of this 
city. He was assisted nobly by Mr. George L. Schreiber, 
who has been the executive artist in charge of the work. 
Mr. Schreiber has done yeoman service and his artistic 
taste is visible on every hand. Mr. H. G. Maratta is the 
third Chicago man who made up the last member of the 
board of artists. Mr. Maratta suggested the use ot 
heroic plaster figures of wild animals, and also the old 
Roman idea of oak leave garlands. Mr. Maratta per- 
sonally executed for the Santa Fe Railroad the beautiful 
panorama of the Grand Cafion of the Colorado, which is 
one of the most brilliant and stirring attractions of the 
exposition. These three men made a strong team, and 
it may be said that they made the show. 
In brief the scheme of the interior is that of the natural 
forest. A giant tree rests in front of each girder of the 
balcony, extending up into the vaguer regions of the air. 
Norway pines were used in this scheme, their orange 
colored bark blending hansomely with the decorations 
of the Coliseum as well as with the oak leaf strands. 
At the foot of these giant pines were grouped smaller 
trees — white pines and spruces — so that the whole barn- 
like interior of the Coliseum was made to resemble the 
cloistered grove. At the point of intersection of each 
giant tree with the balcony face a group of plaster figures 
was erected. Between the arches were medallions carry- 
ing the mounted heads of native game animals in great 
abundance. From group to group of these heads and 
medallions run long stream.ers of the cool green pine 
boughs, blended with the autumn colors of the oak leaves. 
The effect was superb, and was heightened by the clever 
use of masses of foliage on the floor space. 
At the right hand of the Coliseum, as one enters, are 
grouped the very large numbers of wild animals in pens 
erected by the Page Woven Wire Fence Company. Next 
to this on the main floor comes the duck pond, erected 
by Dr. Heber Bishop, of Boston. The whole pond was 
railed in and was full of wild ducks, wild swans, wild 
geese, etc. This was a favorite spot in the show. 
Next toward the center, on the main floor, came the 
group of trade exhibits, of which more will be said at a 
later time. Across the aisle from these groups extends 
a solid band of green forest, and just inside. of this rises 
the mound upon which the Indian camps are pitched. 
There are three tepees here, two held by the Winneba- 
goes from Wisconsin, and one, a genuine fourteen robe 
skin tepee of the old times, is occupied by Joe Kipp — dear 
Joe Kipp — from the Blackfoot country, the quietest and 
the wisest outdoor man that ever was. Joe brings with 
him his little daughter Mary, who will please the white 
ladies a great deal when she is rigged out in her full 
buckskin and bead costume. On toward the center comes 
the swimming tank. In this tank aquatic sports such as 
water polo, fancy swimming, high diving and the like 
are carried on. The water runs to the edge of the Indian 
camp, and the two make the prettiest picture in the 
entire show. On the left, further on the main floor, is 
the athletic stage. 
Next across the aisle from the athletic platform comes 
the splendid pheasantry in charge of Mr. Samuel Evans, 
of Oak Park. A-s in the case of the wild ducks no ex- 
pense has been spared in getting these pheasants from 
rhe old country, as much as $75 having been paid for a 
single bird. Almost every known variety of pheasant is 
shown here in splendid condition. Mr. Evans deserves 
great credit, as does the management, for the pluck dis- 
played in furnishing this expensive and beautiful attrac- 
tion. 
Beyond the pheasantry rises the approach to Maratta's • 
Grand Canon. I cannot describe this panorama, but it 
is worth going some distance to witness. The illusion 
is perfect. The opening of the proscenium is about thirty 
feet, but there is no sense of distance possible. One sees 
the whole canon, and feels it is really 30 miles across. 
The light is superb. This is as sterling and artistic an 
attraction as has ever been seen in any city and under 
any proposition whatever. 
To the left of the Grand Caiion, and on the space oc- 
cupied by the Santa Fe Railroad, is the Navajoe settle- 
ment, showing the "hogans," the brush huts of that far 
off people of the Southwest. There is a splendid speci- 
men of the Navajoe, and two blanket weavers accompany 
him, A magnificent collection of those grand fabrics, 
the Navajoe blankets, is shown on the walls and draped 
all about the space in this corner of the exposition. The 
color effect when seen from well up toward the center of 
the hall is simply superb. 
It would be wrong to say that this is the largest sports- 
men's show ever held, although I have so stated in ear- 
lier mention. The Coliseum is not as large as Madison 
Square Garden in New York, and indeed it does not lend 
itself perfectly to the Chicago idea of this show. We 
need more room, more breaking up of the interior, more 
rooms for different exhibits and a better place for cafe 
facilities. Yet it is questionable whether a better use 
could be made of the space at hand than has been made 
here, and Chicago claims with perfect pride that no 
sportsmen's show ever yet brought off has compared with 
this in the perfection of its detail and the general ex- 
cellence of its ensemble. 
As the trade side of the show is not too much em- 
phasized, so also is the artistic side in the show weaker, 
or rather smaller, than one would like to see. This is 
not in the least to disparage the splendid show which is 
made by the materials at hand, but it is too limited to 
gratify the Chicago idea of doing things. There are 
perhaps fifty paintings here, each a gem in its way. 
Chicago would like to see five hundred or five thousand. 
Mr. Alexander Pope, of Boston, has charge of the art 
department, and he exhibits a number of his splendid 
pieces, also displaying some of Mr, Walter Brackett's 
superb salmon pictures. Mr. Pope creates the best im- 
pression in the world among Chicago people, and he has 
somewhat the reputation of a Herrmann or a Kellar. His 
best painting is that of a large white swan, and it is so 
conscientiously done that it absolutely deceives the eye 
of the most suspicious. It looks like the real bird and 
one can only persuade his eye that it is not until he has 
run quite into the canvas and proved against his own 
belief that the thing is not flesh and blood but simply 
a creation of the artist's brush and brain. Mr. Pope 
has made a magnificent showing, and he deserves the 
greatest credit for coming to this country and offering 
the public of this city the treat which he has. It may be 
said of this display that it is .superb in its way, but all too 
limited in its scope. If Mr. Pope can give us more things 
as good as this, we would like more, very much more. 
The gallery of the Coliseum is badly constructed, and 
much cluttered up with beams and girders. It does not 
lend itself naturally to those small and interesting side 
exhibits which should be a part of any great sportsmen's 
show. One end of the gallery is occupied by Mr. Pope's 
department, and that is the only attempt made to utilize 
the gallery space. At the opposite end of the gallery the 
band stand has been erected, and forty musicians are 
doing tlieir best to earn the union scale. On the main 
floor, grouped around to the edges of the building, are 
many exhibits of great interest, and it may perhaps be 
as good a scheme of description as any to take this in 
detail, beginning at the rjght hand of the log cabin 
entrance. 
Hence we find the first exhibit of interest to be that 
of the White Pass & Yukon Railroad. Mr. J. Francis 
Lee, General Passenger Agent for that far.off transporta- 
tion line, has secured for the show here the magnificent 
Craine Alaska collection, which is controlled by the 
Alaska Geographical Society. This exhibit takes up 
more than three carloads of space in transit, and a large 
amount of floor room at the show. With it are Mr. 
Richard Craine, the collector, a successftil Dawson miner, 
and Oscar Jarvis, a dog train mail carrier, who has car- 
ried the Government mails from Dawsion to tide water 
and from Dawson down to Nome. This boy has with 
him a superb team of huskies dogs, which have stood him 
in such good stead in the icy north. These shrewd- 
faced beasts constitute one of the most popular attrac- 
tions of the show. They are a typical team, beautiful, 
strong and sagacious. They have as vehicles several 
native "cheechacks" sledges, all made withoi:t nails. Oscar 
Jarvis can tell many a good story of his experiences in 
the cold country of Alaska, and the only regret is that 
space does not serve to tell all of these at present. 
Mr Craine is a mighty hunter who has killed some of 
the specimens shown witli his own rifle. Among these 
grand trophies are several grizzlies and black bears, and 
probably the finest specimen of polar bear ever taken out 
