428 
FOREST AND STREAM 
[May 30, 1903. 
end of my yarn before telling of our discoveries relat- 
ing to the den of bipeds we "dug out" from their con- 
cealment on our first night in the woods, but on re- 
flection. I realize that that story would be a digression 
from "Roughing It," and so, therefore, with King John 
I will merely add, "I had a thing to say, but I will fit 
it with some better time." Lippincott. 
Baltimorb, Md. 
CHICAGO AND THE WEST. 
T 
-- J: 
Wisconsin Game Law. 
Chicago, III., May 23. — I met Fred Merrill, of Mil- 
waukee, in Chicago the other day, and he said he thought 
that the Wisconsin Legislature was this week going to 
pass the bill prohibiting spring shooting in that State. It 
seems that we are not to have quite such good fortune. 
The new bill, as passed later this week, allows an open 
shooting season from April 10 to 25 on ducks and geese 
only. Pickerel are classed in the same category with 
bass and pike, and are protected March i to May 25. The 
bag of ducks is limited to 15 a day. 
Moreover, my brethren, the State of Wisconsin swings 
into line with the Forest and Stream platform, and abso- 
lutely prohibits the sale of game of any kind at any time ! 
We surely can report a distinct advance, almost a start- 
ling advance, in our game laws in the West for the past 
two years. Texas, Illinois, Wisconsin — these names 
ought to be written high on the roll of honor for this 
spring. To be sure the Wisconsin law, although it gives 
but a 15 days' season in the spring, is a loop-hole law, and 
to that extent is bad. The limit of the bag to 15 birds a 
day is also to some extent a loop-hole, since the clause 
is hard to enforce, but it is a movement in the right 
direction. Upon the whole, we may say to-day that 
Wisconsin is further along the troublous road of game 
and fish protection than she has ever been before in all her 
history. This is not to say that Wisconsin has been re- 
miss in the past, for she has always before this spring 
led the State of Illinois distinctly in her attitude in regard 
to. the game laws. . E. Hough. 
Hahtford Building, Chicago, 111. 
Game Pfotection in "Wisconsin. 
According to the ofl5cial report of the Wisconsin De- 
partment for Protection of Game and Fish, 52 illegal 
hunters and fishermen were arrested last month and 
the receipts for confiscated articles amounted to $351.80, 
and the fines to $530. The largest seizure was made by 
Warden Follbrecht. and was a shipment of 1,078 black 
bass from Green Bay to Chicago. The fish were sold 
for $153.30. The most seizures in the month of April 
were made by Warden Valentine Raeth, of Milwaukee, 
containing gill nets, hoop nets, fyke nets, set lines, do- 
coys, and six illegal shipments of fish. He also arrested, 
with Warden Vollbrecht, a man in Dodge county for fish- 
ing with nets, who was fined $25 and costs. On April 
18 Raeth arrested two hunters from Illinois for shooting 
ducks in Kenosha county. They were fined $20 each. 
The wardens, Geo. Redmond and A. Johnston, arrested 
fifteen illegal fishermen in Marathon county, twelve of 
them were convicted. 
MiLivAUKEE, Wis , May 17. 
The WoodlRat. 
Editor Forest and Stream: 
In the course of ray wanderings I once held the camp 
for Frank Geduhn, at the head of Lake Macdonald, 
Idaho ; to which returning after a day's absence, I found 
a large part of the contents of my grip scattered about 
the floor and many articles missing. A pack of playing 
cards, among other things, was distributed about the floor 
of the cabin in a most promiscuous inanner. Hair brusli, 
razor case, soap, and other materials which had been left 
on a table were gone, and a heavy volume was balanced 
on the edge, ready to fall. Suspecting the cause (for 
Frank had had provoking experiences with wood rats at 
his other camp at the foot of the lake), a search was be- 
gun for the rascal's nest. In vain every probable place of 
resort was investigated, until we cli^nced to move a box 
which was used as a stand for a washbasin, when lo ! the 
interior was a sight ! Not only were my own missing 
articles brought to light, but the ne.st itself was in great 
part composed of several towels which were folded in 
the form of a turban, and intertwined with many arti- 
cles of domestic use. The animals did not seem shy or 
secretive after their lair was discovered, but scampered 
about the premises like tame kittens. 
These rats had fluffy tails an inch and a half wide at 
least. The body color was bluish gray. I am glad we 
don't have these creatures East. They are worse than 
tame crows, by whom I have suffered much in days past, 
^Charles Hallock. 
The Wolfs Tail. 
Seymour, Texas. — Editor Forest and Stream: In the 
May 9 number of Forest and Stream Mr. E. P.. Jaques, 
in his article on "Intelligence of Wild Things," says he 
would like to i-cnow how anyone gets near enough to a 
wolf to make a study of their habits. Where he is located 
it is very possible that, on account of the comparatively 
thick population, the wolves h.ave become .so cautious that 
they are seldom seen. Here, however, it is common to see 
anywhere from two to twenty in a day's ride, sometimes 
not more than thirty to sixty yards off. I have ridden 
along the tops of bluffs several times and seen wolves 
huriting cottontail rabbits in patches of plum bushes ur 
broom weed below me. When running game they carry 
their tails high over their backs and waving like a fox- 
hound making game. When carrying anything or travel- 
ing during the daytime the tail is carried low, the tongue 
is almost invariably hanging out, and thej' have a general 
air of being tired to death. Sometimes when with a 
wagon or working force the beggars will trot up to within 
fifty yards, sit down and watch you work for ten minutes 
or so, yawn two or three times and trot off again. I've 
seen tliem sit perfectly still and watch a paclc of dogs 
come toward them till within seventy-five yards. Evi- 
dently they were under the impression they were not 
seefl. Mark Hopkins. 
— « — 
Proprietors of fishing resorts will find it pro€tabIe to ulycrtiM 
them in Forest and Stkkam. 
Canoe and Camp Life Along the 
Delaware River. 
IX.— Visitors. 
"The' hain't no thin' like an aou'door fire, an' a shanty like this, 
an' a bed o' browse, fer raal, genywine, restin' comfert." — Sam 
Level, in Robinson's "Uncle Lisha's Shop." 
"I love thee, O thou dim and dreary feeling! 
I love thee, O thou desolate communion 
Of the lone spirit with Nature, now revealing 
To her fond worshipper in that sweet union 
Of hidden brightnesses which lie enshrined 
In the dark recesses of the unconscious mind, 
A smothered flame, a torrent which doth need 
The hand of Nature and of Solitude 
To waken it; and then with headlong speed 
Shoots forth, until the mind, unformed and rude, 
Doth by that healing stream burst into being — 
All pure, all bright, all beautiful, all seeing!" 
— Thackeray. 
One who really camps out is not merely with nature, 
bttt a part of nature. And one who looks at nature 
while "dressed up," and from the dawdljng porch-chair 
or the soft seat and shade of carriage or automobile, 
is something distinctly apart. More and more, this is 
realized by the seeker for summer recreation and joys. 
More and more, the summer campers, and their pro- 
portion of women, increase along the Delaware. 
Rough, drunken, profane men are now the decided ex- 
ception; for they are instantly branded as sham sports- 
men. Families that camp out are increasing, with their 
charming personalities of matron and miss in heavy 
shoes, flannel skirts, and waists that were discarded for 
SUNSHINE. 
home wear, but treasured for use during a tenting 
month or fortnight. There is not a day here but an 
artist would be charmed with a vision of a Hebe or 
Juno, "loose an' free" in outing dress, and an old straw 
hat pinned into jailmty shape and often trirnrned with 
gathered bunches of real wild flowers — daisies, bee- 
balm, delicate ferns, or meadow or pond lilies. And 
from under these hats smile freckled, brown and 
healthy faces. How grateful they are to the eyes of the 
real sportsman! 
There is nothing which will more quickly win the 
chivalrous interest, admiration and service of a camper 
or angler, than the discovery of one of these modern 
river-naiads. How well she fits her sylvan environ- 
ment! She likes to camp; she loves to fish. She is 
fond of what he loves. Seated on the camp-stool un- 
der the trees beside the tent, still and often timorous 
in the canoe as it shoots rift or rapid, or when proudly 
showing her new-found skill in cooking at an out- 
of-doors fire, her presence is at once a godsend, bless- 
ing and benediction! Right here is such a personage 
now, frying bass on the tiniest fire, over which you 
could place an inverted milk-pan — she has learned to 
cook with as small a fire as possible, and avoid the 
smoke and heat of the larger one. And my cynical old 
comrade is inviting her father, mother and chaperon, to 
"come across the creek to-night and take pot luck with 
us." I can read on his old face, the stern resolve to 
bankrupt bur larder in giving that "spread," and I 
know that I shall quarrel with him for the privilege of 
acting as waiter while this nymph of the bronzed 
cheek and wavy hair of softest brown is eating from 
our tin plates, with a pewter spoon and a bone- 
liandled knife and fork. Our sugar will not be sweet 
enough for her, and so we shall go to a friendly farm- 
er's house and bribe his wife to sell us a jar of wild 
honey. And both of us are conscious of the fact that 
when we get back to town, each will accuse the other of 
being a gray-headed old fool. 
Meanwhile, we watch the charming picture of the 
real mistress of her camp as she fries and serves the 
fish, and we eat in the most exquisite of dining-rooms; 
all frescoed in gold and green and blue, and filled with 
water and foliage music; and which shows some signs 
as evening comes on, of getting its ceiling bespangled. 
If this experience is dangerous to us old fellows with 
daughters at home older than this Diana, think of the 
peril to the two college boys over in the next^tent! 
Such a camp is the special trap of little Dan_ Cupid. 
I watch my tent-mate choke down his admiration, as- 
sume his sternest exercise of will, and proceed to study 
its Queen. 
An old waist with a bunch of daisies at the corsage, 
a gypsy hat trimmed by herself with a sprig or two 
of delicate ferns, big shoes, flannel skirt of blue, and 
bewildering curls that refuse to be imprisoned, and get 
loose Xo hW and look at a happy face with black eyes. 
and the indescribable hue of bounding health which 
blooms, regnant, in the bronzed cheeks. That is all: 
but it is enough! Such a young sportswoman should 
be avoided by the young man unless he is prepared to 
risk serious danger to his peace of mind. I know of 
several mishaps to bachelor life right here on the 
Delaware, because of the young man's too great con- 
fidence in himself. 
Emerson says in a poem that the weeds and brambles 
he found along the shore were very beautiful there, 
out with the sky and uproar; but that they were un- 
sightly and noisome when he had gathered and taken 
them home. Many of these woman campers are beau- 
tiful at home; but it is perilous indeed to meet them 
on these shores. 
Several of these family parties are located along 
two or three miles of the Pennsylvania shore, and 
A SUCCESSFUL WOMAN ANGLER. 
two more are located on the New York side. We 
exchange visits, the men to eat, smoke, and exchange 
fishing and hunting yarns, the women to gossip about 
the delights of the outing, and plan for fishing and 
canoe excursions. A charming matron member of one 
of these families has quite enslaved the two "ancient" 
sportsmen by her ability to cast far out and land an 
occasional bass from a favorite standing-point on shore, 
and by her skill, shown while bathing, in mounting and 
balancing herself on that most unsteady of boats, a 
rubber sleeping-mattress. 
And we keep asking each other: "Why do not more 
women camp?" The quarters need to be rough, but 
are easily maintained as comfortable. Tens of thoii- 
sands of women waste their strength in social ambi- 
tions and struggles; and upon the advent of summer, 
they are in the tumult, strain and dazzle of life on 
some Atlantic liner, or flitting butterflies as they 
scamper through Europe. They are throwing away 
priceless opportunities to add many years to their none 
too useful lives, by camping out beside some fair lake 
or stream, or a forested river like the Delaware. It 
would be amusing if not so pitiful, as they stand before 
the masterpieces of the Dresden, Rome, Florence and 
Paris picture galleries, and voice their admiration for 
the work of Titian and iVngelo, Tintoret and Raphael; 
to witness how blind they are to the fact that, back at 
home, say on this river Delaware, there is not one 
hour or minute of any day without its treasure of actual 
scenes that those very painters would humbly own 
were infinitely more lovely than anything ever placed 
on canvas. Raphael often spoke of the wild rose_ in 
sunlight, and would not even take up his brush, saying 
that flower was the painter's despair. There are nooks 
and dells right along this shore, where hundreds of 
A BALANCING FEAT. 
blossoms of the wild rose star their green bushes,^ 
smiling forth new proof of Ruskin's statement that it 
is the supreme flower in nature's wild garden. 
Another social advantage among campers is that 
they are known in advance to be presumably desirable 
comrades and acquaintances. For there is something 
about wealth which, far too often, hardens the heart, 
and causes the degeneracy manifested by insolent ex- 
clusiveness. Real "campers-out" are members of that 
noblest human life, and most vital foundation of the 
nation's hope, the cultured middle classes. And they 
believe in and enjoy the democracy of tent-life. They 
are possessed in generous measure, not only of love of 
nature, but of love for their fellow men. Right here 
are citizens from widely separated towns — merchant and 
judge, doctor, attorney, and journalist, state official, 
banker, manufacturer and railroad man. Among their 
most prized neighbors are two farmers, a shoemaker 
and a school teacher, happy in their tent across the river. 
And we all exchange visits, suppers, and gifts of wild 
flowers, and realize that some of these friendships 
formed on the stream will last through life. Such peo- 
ple are the glory of a nation, and certainly have far 
|-^cher measure of sincerity, usefulness and nobility 
