32 
FOREST » AIN D STREAM. 
[Jan. 10, 1903. 
A Deserved Recognition, 
. Boston, Jan. 3. — Editor Forest and Stream: Governor 
Crane and his coimcil, at their last meeting for 1902, 
voted to increase the salaiy of the Chairman of the 
Fish and Game Commission by the addition of seven 
hundred dollars. This will be received by all our sports- 
men with much rejoicing in view of the earnestness with 
which the Captain has carried on the work of his de- 
partment and the cordial manner with which he receives 
all who have occasion to transact business at the office of 
the Commission at the State House. 
The opening of snch an office was one of the first 
benefits secured by him within a few days of his induc- 
tion to the position of Chairman of the Board. This 
action of the council on the recommendation of Governor 
Crane shows him to be a thorough believer in the work 
of tliat departmexit and shows also that his advisers hold 
similar views. 
The advent of Captain Collins to the position he holds 
marks the beginning of what may be called a new era 
in the care of fish and game in Massachusetts. 
The Captain, from the first, has shown himself a be- 
liever in such recreation as the Avoods and streams af- 
ford and has- manifested a desire to assist in carrying 
out the plans of organizations fonned for the purpose of 
fostering legitimate sport with rod or gun. But not- 
v/ithstanding the advance made in the last three years 
the department is not without its enemies. In a recent 
issue of a Boston daily appeared an editorial savagely at- 
tacking the Commission for what it termed the "arbi- 
trary manner" in which the laws are being enforced. 
By the knowing ones the article is considered as highly 
complimentary. Every sportsman will say "enforcement 
is what we want" and that without fear or favor. 
So we say congratulations arc in order not only for 
the Chairman personally, but for the course represented 
by his department. 
Returning Sportsmen. 
President James R. Reed, of the State Association, 
returned from New Brunswick a few days ago and sev- 
eral of his friends tell me he made their hearts glad by 
a Christmas present of most toothsome caribou meat. 
Since his return he has given the boys of the Young 
Men's Christian Association a talk on "Angling," which 
interested them greatly. 
Hon. George W. Wiggin has just returned from his 
second autumn trip — this time from New Brunswick. 
I met another well-known nimrod, Mr. Ward Nicholas 
Boylston, who is planning to remain in Boston for a few 
weeks. 
The Legislature will convene on Wednesday, Jan. 7. 
All are interested in the make-up of the Fish and Game 
Committee, and it is generally expected that the Senate 
Chairman will be Senator Bagley, of Boston ; the House 
Chairman, probably, Mr. Moody Kimball, of Newbury- 
port. ' Central. 
Lubricating After Loading* 
I NOTE in your issue of Jan. 3 a correspondent's un- 
favorable CKperience with bullets lubricated after being 
seated in the shell. He found that they took a part of 
the shell aloiig witli them when fired. That liappened 
with me just twice in hundreds — ^perhaps thousands — of 
shots. The shells in these cases were very old and much 
used, and it did not occur to me to attribute the break- 
age to the style of lubrication. Of course this method 
requires that the bullet be only slightly seated in the 
.shell, so that nearly the whole bearing surface is lubri- 
cated. The particular bullet which I have used in this 
way is the 86-grain .25-caliber. My loader, the old Maj^- 
nard tool, seats them with one band, one groove, and 
part or all of the second band in the shell. The hold thus 
given, miless the shell is too much worn, is firm enough 
for all practical purposes, while it has never pulled the 
neck off the shell except in the two cases mentioned, 
and I doubt whether the bi-eak in those cases resulted 
from the lack of lubricant in one groove. Your corre- 
spondent's wording might refer either to shells actually 
broken, as in these two instances, or to a loss of brass 
from the inside; either injury being due to excessive 
friction between the lead and the brass, caused by the 
lack of lubricant. Reloading, long enough repeated, will 
he sure to wear away some brass from the mouth of the 
shell, but I have found it a long while before the wear is 
appreciable with such reloading as I have described. 
Bristol Hill. 
Measurements of Big Game. 
The Boone and Crockett Club has recently sent out 
to its members the following self-explanatory circular: 
"At a recent meetiiig of the Executive Committee of the 
Boone and Crocket Club, Casper Whitney, Archibald 
Rogers and James H. Kidder were appointed a commit- 
tee on measurements. 
"The object of the committee is to agree upon and es- 
tablish a uniform standard of measurements for all the 
large game of America — and as soon as that is deter- 
mined upon, to gather data of record heads. 
"In deciding upon a standard and proper method of 
measurement, it is the aim of the committee to get the 
advice and help of members who have had experience 
with the several different kinds of wild game. 
"Will you kindly give this matter your special consid- 
eration, and advise the committee of your views in estab- 
lishing a standard of measurement upon the species of 
large game with whicli you have had the greatest ex- 
perience? 
"The committee would also be extremely pleased to re- 
ceive suggestions from you upon the subject at large." 
The subject is one which interests all big-game hunt- 
ers, and one on which most men who use the rifle have 
ideas of their own. Tt would be interesting to hear 
from our readers on the points mentioned. 
An English ladv who visited America many years ago used to 
tel! the following story : On the voyage she was one day shocked 
by seeing a ship'.s officer knock down one of the crew who was 
inclined to mutiny. So much did the sight affect her that she re- 
tired to her cabin, and did not again appear on deck until land 
was sighted. Then she perceived at the wheel the man who had 
received the blow. Approaching him, she asked, with deep 
sympathy: "How is youf bea^ now?" -'Wes-an4-by-nor', ina'sini,'" 
lygs tjae answer, 
— ^ — 
"That reminds me." 
The flight was on, but we could do nothing with them, 
as it was a mild, clear morning and the ducks pursued the 
even tenor of their way just out of gunshot, paying no 
attention to the 150 wooden counterfeits we had care- 
fully, even scientifically, arranged for their (and our 
own) benefit. After we had watched the aerial parade 
for some time a snort of disgust was heard coming from 
the sneakbox occupied by N., followed by the exclama- 
tion : "Gee, boys, this don't suit me a little bit! These 
birds will never stool a day like this. They've all got 
their compasses adjusted and courses set. My motto is : 
Tf they won't come to me, go after them.' I want some 
action !" And with that he put in a couple of shells about 
a foot long and then said : "Now let another bunch come 
along within 100 yards and you'll see me hurl some of 
this goose food at 'em!" 
Presently a large flock came along the well-surveyed 
coiirse, and as they were nearly opposite us N.'s heavy 
artillery spoke twice. Open order, double quick, seemed 
to be the command for all the feathered company except 
two; one fell with a resounding splash into the water 
and the other started in exactly the opposite direction, 
climbing higher and higher until lost to sight. 
rather think I joggled that one's compass if I 
didn't do anything else," remarked N. 
"He's hit in the head, probably in the eye," said the 
old bayman as he pushed out to get the dead bird. 
"They go up pretty high when they are shot that way, 
don't they?" queried N. 
"Sometimes a little higher than others," replied the 
veteran. "I remember once — been 20 year ago, I reckon — 
1 was shootin' from Sloop Sedge one mornin' 'bout like 
this and along come two widgeon. Wasn't in gunshot 
hardly, but I throwed it at 'em just to show there wasn't 
any hard feelin'. Well, one of 'em took the sky route 
just as you seen that feller do. How high did he go? 
Well, of course that's something we can't measure, but 
it was 13 minutes past 7 when I shot him, and at exactly 
9 minutes past 12 he fell dead in the blind. 
"Will I have a drink? Now that you speak of it, guess 
I will dampen my tonsils a leetle." 
Ocean. 
$m mid giv^r Sslm^ 
— ^ — 
Proprietors of fishing resorts will find it profitable to advertise 
them in Forest and Stream. 
Reminiscences of an Octogenarian-. 
Part V. 
BY THE OLD ANGLER. 
(Continued from page ■'51.5 ) 
Sometimes, but not often, pleasure can be combined 
with official duty. Once in the course of this duty the 
writer had to visit and report upon the salmon fishing 
in the Tobique River, the largest affluent of the St. 
John, which debouches a short distance above the 
pretty village of Andover. At that time the settlers 
on its banks were few and far apart. Then the plaster 
quarry had not been developed and the only industries 
on the river were lumbering and farming, which every 
settler pursued in a desultory fashion. Salmon were 
plentiful in the river all summer and formed a large 
item in the subsistence of the settlers, furnishing them 
fresh and smoked fish in summer and salt fish in win- 
ter. There was no net fishing on the whole river; 
none were caught except for home consumption, and 
the implement of capture was the spear. The settlers 
had neither money to buy nets nor time to set and 
tend them if they had. In a single night's successful 
spearing they could take enough for a fortnight's con- 
sumption. When spawning time approached and the 
fish began to gather in the Serpentine and Mamozekel, 
a fair night's spearing gave them their winter supply of 
salt salmon. Continual complaints besieged the Depart- 
ment at Ottawa and earnest requests were rnade for 
the appointment of fish wardens to guard the river and 
prevent spearing. The Indian village at the mouth 
got its principal food supply from the Tobique. In- 
dians, in those days, were allowed to spear salmon for 
their own use arid it was notorious that, under cover 
of this permission, large numbers of speared salmon 
were sold to the farmers for many miles up and down 
the St. John River. The Tobique and its branches 
are the principal spawning grounds for the salmon 
that ascend the Saint John. As the valuable fish- 
eries in the harbor and all along the river, between St. 
John and Woodstock, depended largely on the fish 
bred in Tobique, the loudest and most persistent com- 
plaints, of course, came from the harbor and river 
fishermen. The members of Parliament for St. John 
and the river counties could not afford to tum a deaf 
ear to the complaints and requests of their consti- 
tuents, so the department was forced into compliance 
with their demand that fishery officers should be placed 
along the whole course of the Tobique to protect the 
salmon. Then an unforeseen difficulty arose. Not a 
man residing on the river or near its mouth would ac- 
cept the office, or act as warden. No man from the 
St. John would undertake the duties for less than a 
dollar a day and his provisions. Three men were hired 
and placed on the river at this rate of pay and they 
soon became the jeer of every settler on it. They were 
worse than useless; for while tliey made the fishery 
laws a laughing-stock, they encouraged contempt for 
all other laws. These wardens were camped miles 
apartj with orders to join and assist each other in cases 
of necessity. A single man in a canoe is helpless 
against two men in another canoe. So little did the 
spearers, red or white, care for the wardens, that they 
would not even efttagViisli their porches; they simply 
I.-"'.".. 3" t 
poled away a few miles, spearing as they went and re- 
commenced their pursuit of family supplies. To follow 
them was only labor wasted and the warden, like a 
practical man, went back to his camp and slept the 
sound sleep of conscious rectitude; he had sworn "to 
do his duty to the best of his ability," and he had 
kept his oath. This farce was continued for two sea- 
sons, when the writer succeeded in convincing the 
Minister that he might as well throw money into the 
river as pay it to useless wardens. At this stage 
of affairs, in the month of August, I was ordered to 
investigate and report fully. Are not these true re- 
ports in the treasure-house of the Department even 
unto this day! 
There was a choice of three routes, by any one of 
which the river could be reached. One was to proceed 
by steamboat to the mouth of Tobique and ascend the 
river by canoe. Another was to take train to Bathurst 
on the I. C. R., ascen'd the Nepissiguit, cross the short 
portage of only three miles into Nictor Lake, the prin- 
cipal source of the Tobique, and proceed downward. 
The third was to leave the train at Matapedia Station, 
on the Restigouche, ascend the Upsalquitch, a large 
affluent of that river, take its north branch for twelve 
miles, cross a very difficult portage of about nine miles 
and strike the Tobique some distance below its source 
in Lake Nictor. This last route was little known; no 
hunters, except Capt. Dashwood and his companion 
having ventured its hardships, especially as good hunt- 
ing and fishing could always be found nearer home with 
much less labor and expense. It was as cheap to send 
a canoe with Sachem Gabe and Joe Sebattis from Fred- 
ericton to Campbellton by rail, as to take Indians 
from Mission Point to the mouth of Tobique; so I de- 
cided to take the least known route. Sending Gabe 
plain orders, I had no more trouble, for in two days 
he was in St. John, and the next morning we were in 
Campbellton, where Gabe laid in his supplies and by 
ten o'clock we were fairly on our way for the mouth 
of Upsalquitch. Stopping to fish the pool near its en- 
trance, a fine salmon of 25 pounds gave us all we 
wanted for several days. The current of this rjver is 
much less swift than that of Restigouche, and the 
water much more shallow, but still it is a fine stream 
with good arable land, and has now some thriving 
settlers. At that time, after leaving its entrance, for a 
few miles nothing broke the silence of the wilderness 
except our own voices, the rustling foliage and mur- 
murs of the flowing stream. Salmon were plentiful in 
the pools, and it was hard to resist the temptation of 
throwing a fly over them. Unlike their brethren in 
the main river, they rise much more freely, but do not 
attain anything like their size. The weather was fine 
and our half-tent of light cotton canvas was all the 
shelter required. There is a charm in the virgin forest 
known only to those whose thoughts and feelings are 
attuned to the surroundings. Some fresh view is dis- 
closed by every turn of the stream; sometimes we would 
come on a moose, with body half submerged to escape 
the torturing flies ; sometimes a couple of deer was 
discovered drinking, and often a bear was seen sham- 
bling along the banks. The great drawbacks 
of life in the woods in July and August are the 
persistent attacks of mosquitoes, midges and black 
flies. These pests are the angler's penance, which 
he must make up his mind to undergo along with 
his pleasures. The midge and mosquito are sufficiently 
annoying; but the small black fly is perfectly madden 
ing to those unfortunate enough to possess a very 
sensitive epidermis. Pertinaciously they persist in their 
atrocious attacks and find their way into ears, eyes 
and nostrils and through every unguarded aperture in 
the clothing. Their bite generally brings blood and 
always leaves an intolerable itching which scratching 
serves only to increase. After a time, however, the 
process of inoculation is completed and their bites 
cease .to be painful, but never cease to be annoying. 
The initiatory process, however, is far from agreeable, 
and for some persons quite destroys the pleasures of 
forest life. But for your true sportsman there is a 
charm in its freedom and surroundings that more than 
compensate for these and all other desagretnens. 
We were several days ascending to the portage, 
which, though only eight or nine miles, was the worst 
piece of forest tramping the writer has ever done. 
But after hours of weary labor, in which each had to 
share, the river was reached and our troubles over. 
A hasty examination of the Serpentine disclosed but 
few salmon, and as there were no spearers, red or 
white, to be seen, we hastened to the head of the set- 
tlements. The clearing highest on the river at that 
time, belonged to a Capt. Bullen, formerly an officer 
of the Thirty-fourth Regiment, who, attracted by the 
splendid hunting and fishing the country afforded, had 
purchased a tract of land on the Tobique and intended 
making a farm and a fortune by engaging in the lum- 
ber business. He spent his first summer in building 
a plain, comfortable house and then sailed to England 
from St. John, and the following spring returned with 
his wife and two children. Then followed the almost 
inevitable experience of English gentlemen who have 
settled in the wilderness. Without an income from 
"home," the great majority of them would starve. Capt. 
Bullen and his wife had been five years on his farm and 
his family had increased by the birth of two girls. 
Had it not been for the attachment and devotion of her 
Irish foster sister, who accompanied her, Mrs. Bullen 
must have sunk under her trials. The captain was a 
true sportsman; to kill a gravid salmon was a crime 
surpassed only by killing a mother moose or caribou. 
He had frequently appealed to the Member for the 
County to do something to prevent the destruction of 
salmon that had reached the spawning grounds after 
having escaped the maze of nets in the harbor and 
along the whole course of the St. John and the red and 
white spearers of the Tobique. He had also written 
to the Department for the same purpose, and I was 
directed to see and consult with Capt. Bullen on my 
official trip. On presenting my card, I was welcorned 
with expressions of satisfaction that at last something 
would be done. He sent for his neighbor, a very in- 
telligent and prosperous farmer and lumberer, who 
shared his views as to the protection of gravid fish and 
game, but whQ h^^ a much better knowledge ^nd ai^- 
