June 20, 1903.] 
FOREST AND STREAM, 
489 
For a fish of that size and species it put up very little 
fight. Mr. Munsch says it took the hook ravenously, but 
after two or three strong pulls came in very quietly. 
As far as is known only two muscallonge were ever put 
into Greenwood Lake. About four years ago Fish and 
Game Protector Rile^^ on one of his trips to Lake Erie 
for fish, brought back two muscallonge, each weighing 
about ten pounds. One of them died on the way, but the 
other was lively enough when he reached Greenwood 
Lake and made a dash for deep water as soon as released. 
On one of his subsequent trips, Mr. Riley brought another 
muscallonge, this one weighing eight pounds; this fish 
was also put into Greenwood Lake. It is evident that Mr. 
Munsch caught one of these fish, but the other is probably 
still in the lake. The fish that was caught had evidently 
increased its weight from eight or ten pounds to twent}^- 
eight in four years, which seems to indicate that muscal- 
longe would do well in Greenwood Lake as far as grow- 
ing qualities are concerned, being just the reverse of pike 
and pickerel, which have been aggravatingly small in the 
kke for a number of years. Mr. Munsch's catch might 
serve as a hint for the Fish and Game Commission, for if 
muscallonge will thrive in Greenrv^ood Lake they ought 
to be put there next fall, so that bj'- spring they will be 
ready to spawn. The muscallonge belongs to the same 
species as the pickerel, looks very much like a pickerel, 
only that its sides are not barred and it has no scales on 
its gill-covers. Its addition to the fauna of New Jersey 
■would be enthusiastically welcomed by every angler here. 
— Paterson (N. J.) Chronicle, June 14. 
The Canadian Forest Fires* 
The heavy rains of the past week have drowned out all 
the smouldering embers of the forest fires, and it is grati- 
fying to know that the damage caused by them, so far as 
northern Canada is concerned, is much less than at first 
reported. Some ' valuable timber lands were buimed, in 
addition to the fishing camps already mentioned, but much 
of the land over which the flames swept had been pre- 
viously burned, and the beauty of Lake Edward and the 
Jeannotte and of the lakes of the Laurentide Club has 
not been marred by the destroying element. The rain, 
which lasted for several days, and has been quite heavy, 
was warmly welcomed by anglers, especially those upon 
the salmon streams, which, on account of the long 
drought, were becoming too low for good fishing even be- 
fore some of the fishermen reached their preserves. Most 
of the North Shore fishermen who had not previously left 
for their salmon rivers took passage on the 13th inst. 
from Quebec. 
Anglers who were prevented by the fires from reaching 
their camps in the Ottawa, Gatineau, St. Maurice and 
Lake St. John districts are now passing through here 
almost daily, the rush being almost all on at once. There 
has been but very little spring fishing done here this year, 
but, fortunately for devotees of the sport, the trout waters 
of the north are getting into fine shape after the recent 
rains, and reports of good catches may be looked for 
during the next two or three weeks. 
The first ouananiche of the season to rise to tlie fly 
in the Grand Discharge of Lake St. John were taken last 
Saturday. This is about the usual time. I have but lit- 
tle information as to the condition of the water, but do 
not expect the fishing there to be at its best until about 
the 20th or 2Sth of the month. In my next letter I hope 
to be able to speak definitely of the character of the 
sport furnished by the waters of the Discharge. From 
the reports which have already reached me of the catches 
made by the bait fishermen, it would appear as if the 
ouananiche were particularly plentiful this year. Friends 
of the fish will be glad to hear that another large lot of 
fry has been successfully hatched this season in the Rober- 
val hatchery and will be planted in the fall. E. T. D. C. 
Flztares. 
Oct. 6-9. — Danbury, Conn., Agricultural Society's show. 
_ Nov. 3-6. — New York. — Annual show of Ladies' Kennel Associa- 
tion of America. 
Nov. 9. — Fourteenth annual beagle trials of the National Bsagle 
Club of America. Charles R. Stevenson, Sec'y. 
Man-Tracking Dogs. 
Editor Forest and Stream : 
The inquiries of M. de Varigny in your issue of June 
6 will, I fancy, find few answers, if the information re- 
quired must be with bloodhounds as a breed. The blood- 
hound, unless I am mistaken, is numericallj^ weaker than 
almost any other breed of dogs. But as M. de Varigny 
doubtless wishes information of the practical use of dogs 
in tracking men, I gladly give the facts of my own ex- 
perience. In many of the Southern States there are packs 
of foxhounds wdiich have been trained to follow human 
scent only. The Tennessee Coal, Iron and Railroad Com- 
pany, with which I was connected in iSSg and i8go, leased 
from the State of Alabama most of its convicts and 
worked them in its mines. One of the provisions of the 
lease was that for every convict that got away a cash 
penalty was to be paid the State. As these convicts were 
housed in wooden buildings and went to and from their 
work in a wooden alleyway connecting their quarters with 
the mine, escape was not impossible, and was sometimes 
tried. To lessen the chance of escape, however, the com- 
pany kept a pack of hounds — foxhounds in reality, but 
bloodhounds according to the newspaper headlines. 
Should a prisoner succeed in breaking out the hounds 
were put on his trail, and generally the man was retaken. 
It was not ahvaj^s so, however. One hot July day I re- 
m_ember receiving a telephone message that six of the 
most desperate men, two of them murderers, had escaped, 
and that if I wished to join in the chase to come at once. 
In the tiine it took to notify the proper mine officials, find 
the handler of the hounds, and all get together a couple of 
hours had gone by. 
The day was exceedingly hot and the hounds out of 
condition from lack of work. For fifteen miles or so we 
followed up hill and down dale, through woods and across 
clearings. The heat told. One by one the dogs gave out, 
crawled into the shade or lay down in a brook; the 
horses were spent, one had dropped dead, the others stood 
panting and trembling on their legs, their hearts thump- 
ing loudly. We had captured one man, but it was impos- 
sible to keep on after the others, for neither hounds nor 
horses had it in them. Within a few months the remain- 
ing five had been retaken near their old haunts. One of 
them said that when we gave up the chase they were all 
lying in a clump of trees on a hillside not over a quarter 
of a mile away, themselves' exhausted, watching us. 
Once a daring robbery took place in the city of Bir- 
mingham in the early morning. Our hounds were taken 
to the spot shortly afterv/ard and followed the scent 
down a street and up a back alley to a house. A negro 
came out, surrendered himself, and confessed the crime. 
Upon another occasion these keen-nosed dogs led to a 
capture which had a bloody climax. A deputy sheriff at- 
tempted to arrest ?. negro betw^een the mines and Bir- 
mingham. Drawing his revolver he ordered the negro 
to throw up his hands.' In reply the negro fired two bar- 
rels of buckshot into the deputj^'s breast, killing him in- 
stantly. It took some time for the news to reach Birming- 
ham. When it did, the sheriff and a dozen of his deputies 
repaired to the scene of the murder, each armed with a 
Winchester rifle. They borrowed our hounds and put 
them on the track of the fugitive. He was run down, 
and when the posse arrived they found that he had taken 
refuge from the hounds by climbing a tree. To quote 
from the paper of the following morning, "He refused to 
surrender and was riddled with bullets." 
Once or twice a week, except in the very hot weather, 
the hounds were put through a practice run. For this 
purpose a "trusty" was given a start of an hour or two, 
and then the hounds were put on his trail. Preferring 
this sort of thing to mining coal, the man generally did 
his best, so that some of these practice runs were both far 
and fast. At the finish the man would be found up a tree, 
for the hounds, with heated blood and under the excite- 
ment of the chase, would have attacked him. After they 
had rested and cooled off he could come down with im- 
punity. 
With what I have seen of man-hunting with hounds, I 
am very much impressed, and the wonder to me is that 
they are not more generally used in the running down 
and detection of criminals. 
Their training should be similar to that of fox or drag 
hounds, only they should never be trained on any track 
but that of a man. Marshall Bond. 
New York City. 
Editor Forest and Stream: 
In your June 6 number I notice a letter from Herny 
de Varigny asking for information about the use of "blood- 
hounds" in the pursuit of criminals in the United States. 
I believe I can say with confidence that there has never 
been a single "bloodhound" used for such a purpose in 
this country. 
The sheriff of the adjoining county purchased several 
years ago a "bloodhound" puppy, a photograph of which 
I saw. but I did not see the dog. It was entirely unlike 
any other hound I ever saw, and was regarded as a great 
curiosity. I do not know what became of the puppy, but 
suppose it died, or was disposed of. I presume there 
have been very few specimens of "bloodhounds" in the 
United States at any time, notwithstanding the everyday 
use of that term by newspaper reporters. 
In ante-bellum times it was the custom to have in many 
neighborhoods in the Southern States a pack of "nigger 
dogs," usually owned by some man of low social standing, 
that were used to pursue negro slaves who ran away 
from the plantations and took refuge in the W'Oods for a 
season. These packs were always composed of the com- 
mon foxhounds of the country, that were specially 
trained to trail negroes. These dogs had very little 
viciousness in their disposition, and the pursuers usually 
found the pack baying the fugitive, he, perhaps, sitting on 
a fence or stump. 
At the present time there are similar packs, usually of 
a few dogs only, in most of the counties in this part of 
Mississippi that are used in the pursuit of fugitive 
criminals. 
_ The Mississippi State convicts are employed in the cul- 
tivation of cotton plantations, most of which are now 
owned by the State. On these plantations are main- 
tained packs of hounds — by State authority, I suppose — 
to pursue fugitive convicts; and it may be presumed that 
systematic attention is given to selecting and training the 
dogs. 
A letter addressed to Penitentiarj^ Warden J. J. Henr_v, 
Jackson, Mississippi, should procure the information 
sought by M. de Varigny. Coahoma. 
Myers Falls, Wash., June X2. — Editor Forest and 
Stream: In your issue of June 6, Mr. Henry de 
Varigny wishes to be informed relative to bloodhounds. 
In Washington I do not believe there is any law 
authorizing or prohibiting the use of bloodhounds. 
In the State penitentiary near Walla Walla, bloodhounds 
are kept for the purpose of following runaway prisoners, 
and have been successfully used in overtaking prisoners 
in some instances. The bloodhounds of the institution 
were utilized in the pursuit of Merrill and Tracy, the noted 
Oregon outlaws,_ about a year ago, and did some effective 
stunt's in followmg these two desperadoes.' To baffle the 
hounds Tracy secured a quantiy of pepper with which he 
peppered liis tracks and thus temporarily prevented the 
successful working of these intelligent canines. 
If Mr. Henry de Varigny wdll address the superin- 
tendent of that institution, I am satisfied he wall be given 
all the information of which the ofiicers are in posses- 
sion, A. Meachen. 
Among the recent additions to the mammal collection 
of the Biological Survey are a cougar from the desert 
region bordering the Lower Colorado, below Yuma, Ari- 
zona, presented by Herbert Brown; and a large gray fox 
from New Hampshire, presented by Abbott H. Thayer. 
Both of these animals appear to be new. 
All communications intended for Forest and Stream should 
always be addressed to the Forest and Stream Publishing Co., 
New York, and not to any individual connected 'j'jth the paper. 
Yachting Fixtures for 
Members of race committee will confer a favor by sending notice 
of errors or omissions in the following list, and also changes which 
may be made in the future. 
JUNE. 
17. Beverly, open sweepstake, Monument Beach, 
17. Larchmont, races for 90-footers, Larchmont. 
17. Boston, Y. R. A., off Point Allerton, open. : 
17. Dorchester, open, Dorchester Day. 
lS-19. New Rochelle, club. New Rochelle. 
19. Eastern, special, open, Marblehead. 
19. Indian Harbor, 90-footers, Greenwich. 
20. Southern, Baldwin and Walker cups, New Orleans. 
20. Beverly, club. Monument Beach. 
20. Keystone, club, Woodmere, L. I. 
20. Brooklyn, Y. R. A. of Gravesend Bay. 
20 Corinthian, first championship, Marblehead. 
20. Seawanhaka Corinthian, 90-footers, Oyster Cay. 
20. Atlp^'ic, club. Sea Gate. ' 
20 Columbia, motor boat race, Am. P. B. A., Hudson River. 
20. New Rochelle, Y. R. A. of L. I. Sound, annual. 
20. Chicago, handicap, Lake Michigan. 
20. Royal Canadian, club, Toronto. 
21. Old Mill, club, Jamaica Bay. 
21. Gloucester, N. J., annual, Delaware River. 
25-2G-27. Seawanhaka Corinthian, Y. R. A. of L. I. Sound, annual 
and specials. 
27 South Boston, club, City Point 
27 New York, special race for 90-footers, Newport. 
27 Boston, club, Marblehead. 
27. Beverly, club. Monument Beach. 
27. St. Paul, cruise, rendezvous St. Paul, Minn. 
27 Chicago, special. Lake Michigan. 
27. Royal Canadian, club, Toronto. 
27. New York C. C, Y. R. A. of Gravesend Bay. 
30. New York, special race for 90-footers, Newport. 
30. Royal Canadian, L. S. S. A. regatta, Oakville. 
29-July 2. Manhasset Bay cup races, L. I. Sound. 
For Cruising Yachtsmen. 
With the purpose of stimulating the interest in cruis- 
ing, and the keeping of a detailed log by cruising 
yachtsmen during the season of 1903, the publishers of 
Forest and Stream offer prizes for the best stories oE 
cruises submitted to be published in Forest and 
Stream. It is believed that these will form not only 
entertaining records of pleasant summer days spent 
afloat along our coasts and waterways, but will furnish 
information of practical value to other yachtsmen mak- 
ing subsequent cruises on the same waters. 
Prizes will be awarded to the three best stories as fol- 
lows: 
First prize, $75.00. 
Second prize, $50.00. 
Third prize, $25.00. 
Contributions are invited under the following condi- 
tions: 
1. The cruise must be made in waters of the United 
States or Canada in the season of 1903. 
2. The cruise must be made in a sailing yacht, power 
to be used only as an auxiliary, if at all. 
3. The story must be prefaced by a description of the 
boat. Cruises should be treated in as interesting and 
readable a way as possible, but should be practical and 
contain all possible information and data that would be 
of value to men going over the same route. A descrip- 
tion of the handling of the ship in all weathers will be 
regarded very favorably in making awards, and it is 
suggested to writers that an accurate account be kept 
of all incidents happening while under way. 
4. Photographs of the boat and of the country passed 
through, not smaller than 4x5, should, if possible, ac- 
company each stor3% and they will be considered in 
making the awards. 
5. An outline chart of the trip drawn on white paper 
in black ink (no coloring pigment to be used) should 
also be sent in. 
6. Competitors should avoid the use of slang or in- 
correct nautical expressions in their stories, as it will 
count against them in awarding the prizes. 
7. The story should contain about seven thousand 
words, written on one side of the paper only, and must 
be received at the office of the Forest and Stream Pub- 
lishing Company, 346 Broadway, New York City, on 
or before Nov. 15, 1903. 
The two Shamrocks, the steam yacht Erin and the tug 
Cruiser, making up Sir Thomas Lipton's fleet, arrived in 
New York early on Sunday morning, June 14, fifteen days 
and twenty-three hours out from Gourock. The fleet pre- 
sented quite a formidable array as it moved slowlj^ up the 
iiarbor, and it was given a noisy w^elcome by all the craft 
it passed. Quarantine was reached before ten o'clock, and 
after presenting a clean bill of health the boats moved oa 
to Tompkinsville, where they came to anchor. 
The fleet covered 3,644 miles from Gourock to Sandy 
Hook, via the Azores, in 15 daj^s 23 hours. Some rough 
weather was experienced off the coast of Ireland and on 
the Friday before arriA'al encountered a severe south- 
ej_ster]y gale. The following was taken from Erin's log : 
Mav 28— Left Gourock, 1 P. M '. 
JMay 29— 52deg. 54min. N. Lat... 5deg. 48min. W. Long 200 
May 30— 50deg. 13min. N. Lat...lCdeg. .35min. W. Long 200 
May 31— 47deg. Imin. N. Lat...l5deg. 55min. W. Long 285 
June 1— 43deg. 59min. N. Lat...21deg. W. Long 280 
June 2— 40deg. 4Smin. N. Lat...2odeg. 21min. W. Long 284 
June 3— -Arrived Fayal, 7 A. M 236 
June 4— Sailed, 4 P. M "... 
June 5— 3Sdeg. 25min. N. Lat...32deg. 40min. W. Long 194 
June 6— oSdeg. ISmin. N, Lat...37deg. 37min. W. Long 234 
June 7— 3Sdeg. lOmin. N. Lat...42deg. 39min. W. Long 238 
June S— 38deg. 02min. N. Lat — i7deg. 21min. W. Long 233 
June 9 — 37deg. 50min. N. Lat...52deg. 16min. W. Long 229 
June 10 — 3Sdeg. 02min. N. Lat...o7deg. OGmin. W. Long 2.3."? 
June 11— oSdeg. 20min. N. Lat. . .Gldeg. C9min. W. Long .- 193 
June 12 — 39deg. 02min. N. Lat...65deg. 54min. W. Long 22.5 
June 13 — lOdeg. OSmin. N. Lat...69deg. 59min. W. Long 195 
June 14 — Arrived Sandy Hook, 6 A. M , 185 
On all four boats there are 156 men, 59 on Erin, 41 on 
each of the .Shamrocks, and 15 on the Cruiser. 
Monday morning Shamrock I. and Shamrock III. were 
taken to Erin Basin, where they will be overhauled and 
put in racing condition^ Their steel spars, which arrived 
some days ago, are now at the basin. 
Mr. L. J. Callanan's centerboard schooner Esteile cap- 
sized on Long Island Sound on Monday, June 15. The 
owmer was on board with several friends, and they were 
watching the yachts racing in the New York Y. C. r?;- 
