FOREST AND STREAM. 
[April 5, 1902. 
posed to believe there is some mistake about this, and it 
would be very interesting to have verification or refuta- 
tion of the report, which no doubt Mr. Stephenson will 
bring out with him. He is a skilled trout fisherman, as 
well as a good field shot and an ardent big-game hunter. 
The best trout fishing is toward the headwaters of the 
Yaqui River, and in the Nuerchic River. The so-called 
brook trout were, as I learned, found only in the Yaqui, 
far up toward its source. 
Joe Goff takes fourteen dogs with him from Colorado. 
That is about ten or twelve more than he will bring back 
with him, although it would be too bad if he lost some of 
his best fighters in that far-away land. The dogs will be 
apt to get lost, and whether they are lost or not, they will 
find some difficulty in handling their game in a country 
new to them, and where they do not know the way back 
home. Bear sign was last year very abundant in the 
district which Mr. Stephenson is going to visit, and he 
cheerfully expects that he and his friends will account 
for a grizzly or so apiece. Some of those "platados," as 
we used to call them, are scrappers, too. It is very lucky 
to be born six feet two, and with a large golden shovel 
attached to one's person on his natal day; these being a 
few of the attributes of Mr. Stephenson, though by no 
means his most important claim to being called a good 
sportsmen and a good fellow. Luck go with him ! 
" With k the Mallard Drake." 
Occasionally in the vast amount of chaff which appears 
in the columns of the daily press there shows a kernel of 
genuine worth. There is no disparagement intended in 
regard to the vast and even performance of the essential 
journalism of the day, wherein material things and not 
things artistic must prevail ; only one may feel pleasure 
at the pearl found unexpectedly ensconced in the prosaic 
oyster. Here is a little pearl, a poem, done by a young 
woman. It appeared in 1890 in one of the daily papers 
of Chicago (the Record, I believe), the writer being 
Agnes E. Mitchell, of Chicago. A friend, who is a sports- 
man, rescued it years ago, saved it, and brings it to the 
Forest and Stream in the hope that/ it may be sent 
further on its mission of appeal to yet other sportsmen. 
It reads as below : 
Oh, for a day in the white wind's cheek! 
To share the mallard's stroke of power, 
The electric spark in the tip of his beak. 
And flying a hundred miles an hour! 
With his throbbing pulse the air to beat — 
The swift wild duck; the beautiful thing! 
\ The strength of the sun in his yellow feet, 
The purple of night asleep on his breast, 
The green of a thousand June.s on his crest, 
The band of the heavens across his wind! 
To alight and drink in the frothing rings 
That circle away to the greening gap; 
To stop for the noonday feast of kings — 
The crimson seeds in the marsh's lap; 
To forget where the city's white flags burn, 
And know but the deep air's quivering thrills; 
The mystery of his flight to learn, 
To follow, the way the wild duck takes, 
To the twilight of the grassy lakes, 
To the glory of the Yukon hills. 
To rest where the old gray sea towers shake; 
'Mong tangled moss and grassy knots 
To seek the rest of the kittiwake 
And the pointed eggs with blood-red spots, 
0 Kittiwake of the snow-white crown, 
Of the coral feet and vermilion eyed, 
Of the tender croon and wings of down, 
1 would fly with you this burning day 
To the wind-swept peaks away, away, 
And hide where you and the tempest hide. 
Oh, for a day in the waltzing wind. 
With the mallard in his swift strong flight 1 
To leave the blue frost-smoke behind, 
And poise in the Yukon's opal light, 
To know the rush of the upper airs, 
The curve of the wing-tip thrilling through 
The swelling soul of him who dares! 
O beautiful bird, bronze night on tby breast. 
A thousand golden Junes in thy crest. 
And across thy wing heaven's bar of blue. 
Dacfc Flight Continues. 
The heavy flight of north-bound ducks still continues, 
or did so up until the first part of this week, the num- 
bers of wildfowl going up the Mississippi Valley this 
spring being something startling and in a way inexplic- 
able. All along the west side of the Mississippi River, in 
Missouri and Iowa, the shooting has been very heavy, and 
tremendous bags have been reported by sportsmen and 
market-hunters alike. The temptation to violate one's 
conscience in the matter of spring shooting was never 
greater than it has been this spring. 
As to the big bags of the week, probably the best may 
be credited to Hennepin Shooting Club, on the Illinois 
River, all the members of which organization have had 
excellent sport for the past ten days. Mr. J. V. Clarke, 
of this city, returned from Hennepin Club last Monday', 
after nine days spent in very pleasant sport. . He bagged 
in all_28o ducks during his stay at the club, his heaviest 
shooting for any one day being eighty birds. 
I have already reported the good bags made by Mr. 
IVIcFarland of the same club, earlier in the season. 
Other members are stated to have had similar results, and 
express themselves entirely satisfied with the sport offered 
by these grounds during the present season. 
Messrs. Pope and Wells, at Fox Lake^ bagged four- 
teen birds early in the week. Other shooters there who 
happened to be well located had better luck, but Mr. Pope 
was lucky enough to get twelve good fat canvasbacks, 
which made him feel distinctly proud of himself. He 
returned shortly after Mr. Wells. These much-crowded 
grounds cannot, of course, be expected to offer such good 
shooting as those more exclusive, but there have surely 
been plenty of birds on Fox Lake waters this spring 
The Kankakee country still shows plenty of birds, which 
seem to be lingering here in defiance of the dangers which 
tieset them. It were better for their health did they move 
to Wisconsin or Minnesota, where spring shooting is not 
permitted. 
Jack Snipe. 
Jacksnipe are reported on the Kankakee, in Illinois, 
above the mouth of the Desplaines. The grass is showing 
green to-day, and it is an old saw among shooters that 
with the green grass come the jacksnipe. That able 
agrostologist, Mr. Hollis Field, who finds his residence 
in the pleasant suburb of Oak Park, while spading his 
garden this morning, discovered divers and sundry large 
and luscious worms of the type usually called earth or 
angle worms, of the common or garden variety. From 
this it is inferred that the jacksnipe will soon be with 
us. Two or three parties of gentlemen who do not 
desire their names mentioned will leave at the week end 
for good snipe grounds to the south of this city. 
Western Guides in Town. 
Mr. Ben Sheffield, of Livingstone, Mont., and Mr. 
Frank L. Peterson, of the Jackson's Hole country, both 
Montana guides of the highly licensed type, are spending 
a few days in Chicago this week. The life of a Western 
guide is an ideal one. He works a few Drief moments in 
the fall, and then goes East to spend the rest of the year 
in opulence and leisure. 
By the way — although this is not said in reference to 
the two gentlemen above mentioned — there are guides 
and guides. Mr. Alfred Marshall, of Chicago, who had a 
go at the Jackson's Hole article of sport a while ago, 
comes back with rather bitter sentiments toward the 
guiding populace of that region. He says that he was 
unlucky enough to draw a bad article of the genus guide, 
and is of the belief that the whole proposition out there is 
to separate the tenderfoot and his money as promptly, if 
not always as painlessly, as possible. Mr. Marshall is a 
gentleman who has lost a moose. I have told him that 
if he goes to New Brunswick — and I do not care what 
guide of the New Brunswick Guides' Association he shall 
select — he will come back with the feeling that he has 
had a good run for his money and a square deal at every 
station in the game. I know whereof I am speaking in 
this instance, although I do not have any experience re- 
garding the Jackson's Hole game, as it is played. I 
should imagine in respect to the latter locality that ex- 
cellent guides can be obtained there, or can be secured 
elsewhere to go into that country, as in the case, for 
instance, of Mr. Sheffield. As to a territory which puts 
a law on its statute books compelling a man to take a 
licensed guide whether he wants to or not, I should say 
that law was written on wax and not destined to endure. 
A man may want a guide and want him badly, but he 
feels just a little better if he goes into a country with' 
the idea that he is at liberty to hire one or not, just as 
he prefers. 
The Wishininnes. 
These be warm days for that august assemblage of 
sportsmen, the Wishininne Club. The question of the 
club badge or pin is still a mooted one. There cannot 
be under the constitution and by-laws of this club, as 
laid down by the president, more than ten members of 
the Wishininnes entitled to bear the distinctive badge of 
membership. The waiting list is something like thirty 
or forty, and each one of these considers himself fit for 
full membership. The president has taken the matter 
under adwisement," as Otto Muehrcke says, and he will 
announce his decision presently. Meantime, the Wishi- 
ninnes have been formulating a platform, the main planks 
of which arc two Sundays a week, and the early-closing 
movement indorsed. The Wishininnes yield to no man 
m their broad and generous view of life as it ought to 
be hved - E. Hough. 
Hartford Building, Chicago, 111. 
The Massachusetts Close Season Law* 
There i s considerable interest among marketmen and 
sportsmen m the decision of Judge Bosworth in the cases 
in the local police court for offering rabbits for sale 
in which he found the defendants not guilty. In both 
cases the game Avardens asked for rabbits, and were given 
them, the date of the calls at the stores being within the 
close season on rabbits. The defendants contended that 
the rabbits were killed in another State than Massachu- 
u lt u' 3 L d cited tIie case of the commonwealth against 
Hall, which related to a prosecution for having in pos- 
session a woodcock out of season. In this case the de- 
fendant claimed the bird was killed in Pennsylvania in- 
stead of in Massachusetts, and Justice Gray in his opinion 
in the case takes the ground that the law is for the pro- 
tection of birds during the breeding season in this State 
and not in anotfrer State, and that it must be shown that 
the bird was killed during the close season in this State. 
Ihe law relative to the possession of animals or birds 
in the close season has been that their possession was 
prima facie evidence that they were killed in the close 
season within the State, but it was argued in the local 
case, and sustained by the decision, that the recent re- 
vision of the statutes had made a change in this, and that 
such possession was no longer prima facie 'evidence. 
Under the old law this threw the burden of proof as to 
where the animals and birds were obtained upon the de- 
fendant, but in the revised laws it is claimed the burden 
is imposed on the commonwealth to prove its case and 
to show that the birds or animals were taken in this com- 
monwealth. Judge Bosworth took the ground that the 
case at bar was almost parallel to the case of the common- 
wealth against Hall, and sustained the contentions of the 
defendants. 
The law relative to birds and animals differs, the former 
law having been amended since the woodcock case was 
tried, but the law relative to rabbits and hare stands to- 
day just as the law relative to woodcock and other birds 
at the time the woodcock case was decided by the Su- 
preme Court. While the local court's decision seems to 
imply that marketmen can carry rabbits in stock during 
the close season, provided the animals came from some 
other State, it is not believed to be advisable for the 
markets to b^gin to stock up with game. — Springfield 
R epubl i can . . 
All communications intended for Forest and Stream should 
always be addressed to the Forest and Stream Publishing Co.,, and 
not to any individual coanectei -vrith the paper. 
Indorsement of the Lacey Bill. 
The Wisconsin Game Protective Association held a j 
special meeting last week in Milwaukee, at which a reso^a 
luiton was introduced by Game Warden Valentine Raetni 
and passed regarding Mr, Lacey's bills now before Con-jl 
gress, providing national game preserves in the Westerfljl 
States and for the protection of game and eggs of thel 
wildfowl in Alaska. The resolution reads as follows: 
Whereas, The friend and champion for protection of game, HonJI 
John F. Lacey, member of Congress, has introduced in the HousoJ 
a bill providing for the conversion of all forest reserves in thel 
Western States into game preserves, and 
Whereas, Unless every possible protection is thrown around thel 
remnant of these wild animals, the extermination of elk, the mtfraB 
deer, the Rocky Mountain sheep, antelope and others, and 
Whereas, If a dozen or more great national game preserves can 1 
be created, as proposed in Mr. Lacey's bill, these noble animals! 
may be preserved for all time to come, as these parks would be-| 
come refuges and breeding grounds for the game, from which these! 
animals would travel and populate the adjacent ranges; and 
Whereas, Hon. John F. Lacey has also introduced a bill to pro^l 
tect the game of Alaska; therefore, be it 
Resolved, That we, the Wisconsin Game Protective Association/B 
a society organized for the protection of game, beg the members,! 
of Congress of the State of Wisconsin respectfully to vote and do I 
their utmost for the passing of Hon. Lacey's bills, H. R. No.10,306 
and H. R. 11,535. 
These resolutions were signed by Joseph Fisher, Presi-1 
dent; Valentine Raeth, Vice-President, and August Plam-1 
beck, Secretary, and a copy of them sent to each member I 
of Wisconsin Ifepresentatives and Senator in Congress,! 
and one to the Hon. John F. Lacey. 
The proposed bill, H. R. 11,535, for the protection ofl 
game in Alaska, prohibits the shipment of wild birds or the I 
eggs from Alaska ; provides short open seasons for killing! 
of game; it limits the number of game which any onel 
person may kill in one year as follows : Two moose, I 
walrus or sea lions, four caribou, sheep, goats, eight deer.l 
It limits the number of game birds for one day to tenj 
grouse or twenty-five shore birds or water fowl. ItJ 
prohibits the sale of hides, skins or heads of any game, 
animal in Alaska at any time. 
Proprietors of fishing resorts will find it profitable to advertise 
them in Forest and Stream. 
Trout and Cyclones* 
Twelve or thirteen years ago, one spring day I left St. 
Paul with a party of friends for River Falls, there to 
spend Sunday wading the icy waters of the Kinnikinik 
after trout. 
Realizing that tramping a trout stream all day brought 
into play muscles ordinarily unused and dormant, when 
one is in an office chair month in and month out, I turned 
in early to be in good shape for the morrow. The rest 
of the party got interested in a quiet game of poker, and 
made a night of it, going straight from the sound of: 
chips to the music of the stream. Little in the way of 
filling overflowing creels was done. Just why I do not 
remember, but suffice it to say that very few fish were 
taken by the party, and before evening set in we were all 
glad to get back to our hotel, especially as the clouds in- 
dicated a coming storm. And we had hardly reached! 
cover before a volley of hail fell from the clouds, whiten-i 
ing the air as if a driving snowstorm were in progress. 
The hail was of a goodly size, so much so as to drive a 
herd of cows confined in an adjoining pasture almost: 
frantic, the fast-falling pellets all but penetrating their: 
hides. Following the hail came the rain, and when night, 
set in the vivid sheets of lightning showed the rain clouds 
to be of a peculiar yellow, brassy tinge. 
One of our party had been taken ill with symptoms of 
cholera morbus, and it was my lot to sit up with him 
during the entire night. The incessant torrents of rain 
that fell without intermission, the frequent peals of 
thunder, accompanied by lurid flashes of lightning, which 
almost continually kept the brassy heavens before my 
gaze, made the night a memorable one to me. Those, 
who had seen a cyclone in this country said that all the 
conditions pointed to the existence of a cyclone not far 
away. The wind and rain, as well as the thunder and 
lightning with the accompanying cloud effects, ceased 
with the coming of the day. 
Taking an early train for St. Paul, but an hour's ride! 
away, we learned of a cyclone the day before at Lake 
Gervais that had ground two or three farmhouses into 
matchwood, licked up the inmates with the timbers of 
the house and scattered them to the four winds, where, | 
no one knew until the lake gave up its dead. I drove 
out to the scene of devastation, but five miles from the. 
city. As I neared the scene of disturbance, shingles could 
be seen standing erect in the plowed fields, thin end down. 
These had been ripped from the farmhouses and given a 
rotary, perpendicular motion until they plunged into the 
earth, making the field look like a miniature burying 
ground with headstones more or less irregularly set. 
I passed next a tamarack swamp, and there saw a I 
tangle of standing and uprooted trees that defied any- , 
thing short of a forest fire to straighten it out. 
The edge of the cyclone cloud had made its influence 
felt upon this swamp. Emerging into the open, we eould ' 
now see the full results of the atmospheric disturbance. 
The farmhouses, barns and outhouses had disappeared, 
the foundations a few inches above ground, were alone 
left. Joists, timbers, flooring, siding, doors and sash had 
all gone heavenward in the mighty suction, and had been 
dropped into the lake or upon the land. One large 2 x 
12 x 16 had been buried like a mighty javelin several feet 
into the ground. Over in one corner, wedged in between 
a giant oak and a protruding boulder, was a bed quilt, a 
part of a kitchen chair, a piece of a lamp and a lightless 
window frame, all wound together in an inextricable 
bundle by some barbed wire torn from an adjoining fence. 1 
No human hand could have so firmly and securely bound 
that mass of household relics. 
Those trees that withstood the tornado were naked as 
to bark from ground to topmost remaining branch. The 
whirling cloud carrying with it tons upon tons of flying 
sand, and acting like a huge emery wheel, instantaneously 
ground off the bark from the trees, Fields of growing i 
