Aug. 23, 1902.1 
FOREST AND STREAM. 
148 
ig down still further toward St. Paul, we have Morris 
n the Great Northern line, Benson and Hancock. Then 
iking the Wilmar Division of the Great Northern line 
cm St. Paul, there will be elegant shooting along that 
ne from Montevideo, Granite Falls, Marshall and Han- 
ly Falls. 
Of course there are lots of other places in the State; 
lese are the principal points where a man cannot go 
stray. My own shooting will be done with our war- 
sn, Jimmie Jones, and his "meat dogs" are in splendid 
lape, so he writes me. 
You know that last winter and the winter before were 
reat winters for the feathered game. I have lived in 
.innesota since '79, but I have never seen anything like 
le amount of birds that wintered in the State, and my 
3S6rvations are borne out by every one of our wardens, 
here is no need of leaving our State to go south to 
int quail if we have winters such as we have had in 
100 and 1901. They have multiplied rapidly, and then 
opping the sale of course has been a great factor, as 
ell as the winters. The market-hunter had pretty near 
tinguished our ruffed grouse, but they are now getting 
entiful again, and a man can make a good bag in almost 
,y direction. 
'Sorry that I did not see you when I was in Chicago, 
It expect to be down there in the near future, and hope 
have better success. ■ Whenever you feel like coming 
Minnesota to have a quail hunt, let me know and I 
ill see that the dogs are furnished, with some ice in 
b back of the wagon." 
Kliaois Sooaers. 
There has been considerable shooting on local plover 
d ducks in the upper part of this State, and in lower 
isconsin, even' in this mid-summer month of August. 
general complaint has been issued to the Governor of 
; State of 'Wisconsin by the residents of that State who 
fell near some of the summer resorts. The local men 
Y that the Chicago visitors to the summer hotels do not 
sitate to bring in guns with them and shoot every 
ing thing that flies. A report comes from Kenosha 
t man}' hundred snipe and ducks are being shot each 
y. This is more than can be killed in the open season, 
d it looks as though the sooners were, as usual, getting 
; best of it. 
A Drama of Sooners. 
St. Paul, Minn., Aug. 12.— Here is a little comedy, a 
ama this week enacted out in Minnesota, a drama of 
iners. In it the villain is foiled, and virtue is tri- 
iphant. It also has a moral, which, however, belongs 
the other end of the drama. 
The principal figures in the comedy are D. C. Shepard, 
millionaire of St. Paul, with a tendency toward sport 
on occasion, sport of the private-car sort. His per- 
lal and private car figures in the play. Also comes one 
ed Noble, a dog trainer and dog accumulator. His 
pther, Arthur Noble, runs a creamery. The place of 
action is Twin "Valley, Minn., and the Noble boys live 
;re. Non-resident parties to the action, in addition to 
aforesaid milli onaire, Mr. Shepard, are one Mr. Nes- 
ostensibly of Fergus Falls, and one Jno. T. Swan- 
, who has blue eyes and talks Swedish as though born 
der the flag of King Oscar, which he wasn't by any 
ans. A bird dog known as Trump, lost last year in 
Paul, is a sort of incidental and side-line actor, 
^r. "Nesbit" doesn't live in Fergus Falls, but in St. 
ul, and has offices in the State Building. He was out 
the State fish hatchery one night last week, when a 
one message tame for him. He was in bed, and the 
itral operator had forgotten who rang up, by the time 
got to the 'phone. The next day he got a message 
ich said a good many chicken feathers had been seen 
Mr. Shepard's buggy at Twin "Valley. The caller 
nted Mr. Nesbit to meet Mr. Shepard's private car 
en it pulled into St. Paul. There might be feathers in 
car. This was Tuesday, Aug. 5, a little early for 
cken feathers. 
t was too late to meet the car, so Mr. Nesbit tele- 
phed to Detroit for Mr. Swanson, and they both went 
to Twin "Valley. Mr. Nesbit went out and found Mr. 
ble, the dog trainer, who was reported to have been the 
hpanion of Mr. Shepard. Mr. Nesbit didn't want to 
a dog without seeing him tried in the field. "That's 
y," said Mr. Noble. "We always show the dog on 
is and prove he's a shooting dog." 
Is that so?" said Mr. Nesbit. "Well, let's try this 
, then." So presently they started out. Mr. Noble 
n unbosomed himself fully. He said Mr. Shepard 
ited to get a dog, and he was anxious to get some birds 
Mr. Shepard, so he shot eleven chickens and had 
m waiting for him when he came. He also shot some 
re after Mr. Shepard came. 
Ir. Nesbit made a deposit on a certain dog, and said 
would come up later and get him. Then he and Mr. 
anson went home. It was night when Mr. Nesbit got 
iSt. Paul, but he called up Mr. Shepard at his resi- 
ce. 
Who's there?" asked a voice. 
Why, I'm Noble, of Twin "Valley," was the answer, 
d I want to see Mr. Shepard." 
Well, Mr. Shepard is lying down," said the other 
of the 'phone, but I'll see about it." 
Ir. Shepard was apparently interested in this word 
n Mr. Noble, for in a moment he was at the wire 
asked, "What is it? What's the matter?" 
Why, the devil is to pay," said the false Mr. Noble 
o was the alias Mr. Nesbit). "Those fellows we 
=cd in the buggy have informed on us, and I'm pinched, 
're all up against it." 
■The - 
- you say !" ejaculated Mr. Shepard. "Lord, 
r- you don't say so?" 
What are we going to do about if?" asked Mr. Noble, 
iously. 
I don't know," came the reply. "I'll see you in the 
ning about it." 
[r. "Swanson" took care of the rest. In a couple of 
s Mr. Shepard's lawyer came around to intercede for 
wealthy client. For need we explain, gentle reader 
"Mr. Nesbit" was State Game Warden for Minne- 
. and "Mr. Swanson" his able deputj-, Stephens, of 
roit? Need we add that the "fellows we passed in 
buggy" were simply a guess— a bluff, a subterfuge that 
luckily correct and practical? 
r. Shepard's lawyer saw Mr. Fullerton and besought 
him to keep the case out of court and to say nothing 
about it. "Mr. Shepard is sick in bed," said he, "and 
can't be disturbed just now (!). He admits that he 
brought those chickens home with him." (Which Mr. 
Bullerton couldn't have proved before that.) "He'll pay 
any fine you like. He didn't do any shooting himself,' and 
he told Noble not to shoot, but Noble kept on shooting. 
Don't arrest Mr. Shepard. He is innocent. It's just a 
case of Dog Tray, you see." This last in a burst of 
affability. 
Mr. Fullerton is going to fine both Noble and Shepard. 
In the matter of breaking game laws it isn't always safe 
to be even a Dog Tray. 
Mr. Joe Henry, of the Hackett Hardware Co., of St. 
Paul, says that Noble ordered a case of shells Aug. i, and 
he refused to ship him the shells. 
Mr. Fullerton, or Mr. Nesbit, thinks this is one of the 
funniest game cases he ever had to do with. A 
special cause for content on his personal account is to 
be noted in 'connection with the dog Trump, earlier men- 
tioned. In brief, Mr. Fullerton found his own bird dog 
in Mr. Noble's string. He took an "option" on his own 
dog, paying down a sum on the purchase. "Here's where 
it was hard," said Mr. Fullerton, or Nesbit. "I wanted to 
kick the tar out of something, but I knew the best way 
to do was to leave the dog there as a sort of bond of 
sympathy between Noble and myself." 
No one knows how Noble got Trump. The dog is 
valuable. It probably drifted to Noble's well-stocked 
kennels in the course of trade. At any rate, if this isn't 
a nice little comedy in game matters, I don't know where 
you'd find one. 
Other Sooners. 
"I appointed one warden up north," said the State 
Executive Agent to me some time ago, "and. they said 
he'd never do. I said if he'd catch the secretary of the 
Fergus Falls Gun Club he'd do for me. Since then he's 
caught that secretary twice, and a leading banker there 
three times. They've both promised to be good now. 
The deputy still holds his job." 
Asked as to sooner shooting up at Thief River Falls, 
where a great many birds have been killed already, the 
hustling agent told the complainer that there is a warden 
m there now, that he had lost a jury case there last week, 
and that local sentiment was so lawless it is almost im- 
possible to make a case stick. About half the popula- 
tion turned out with guns last year and tried to rescue 
some prisoners who were arrested for illegal shooting. 
The ofifieers had to draw their own guns, and it looked 
like a fight for a time. The prisoners were held. 
The Birds. 
The game laws may be seen to be anything but a dead 
letter in Minnesota, and for that reason there are birds in 
Minnesota; lots of them. Some sooners shoot ahead of 
season, but they don't always lay up enough money at it 
to make them keep at it forever. At the gun stores and 
among sportsmen the feeling now in regard to the game 
supply is one of cheerfulness and confidence. A list of 
good Minnesota localities has already been given. 
T'he summer in this part of the Northwest has been 
cool and damp. If this prevails for thirty days ,a good 
shooting season is assured. Hot, dry weather on Sept. i 
IS the cause of many a poor chicken hunt. No chicken 
hunt IS better than one's dog, and no dog can do much in 
very hot, dry weather. 
In the Minnesota National Park. 
There is good duck shooti ng in the region included in 
the Minnesota National Park. At the foot of Itasca Lake 
there is abundance of wild rice, and good duck shooting is 
often possible there. Park Rapids is a good place to re- 
member. One can there get muscallunge fishing and duck 
shooting on the same fall trip. There is a good hotel at 
Park Rapids. One can get boats or canoes, as he likes. 
, In the big waters of Cass Lake there are fish, big fish, 
gianf muscallunge sometimes, but it is slow and uncertain 
getting them. Sometimes they strike old whales which 
break up everything and go off as they like. 
Big Pike. 
Mr. L. M. Ritten, of Minneapolis, fishing at Lake 
Carlos, one of the Alexandria lakes, recently caught a 
great northern pike that weighed 22^ pound's, and was 
43H inches long. A fine, symmetrical fish, and one of the 
largest recorded in Minnesota for some time. 
Victim of Confidence, 
At our cottage on Lake Minnetonka we had a pet crow, 
the property of Louis Gates, a neighbor boy, but which 
had adopted our place for its own use. This crow, which 
was named Jimmy, was entirely tame, and a most curious 
and interesting pet. It was fond of frogs, and would 
throw back its head and open its mouth, begging for 
frogs. If one were writing, Jimmy would perch himself 
on the table, carry off pen or pencil, and peck at the paper, 
all in the most charming familiarity. He would come up 
to one and allow himself to be taken into the hand, some- * 
thing which a crow rarely will do, no matter how tame. 
He had a hundred odd tricks of act and voice which 
made acquaintance with him a continued surprise and de- 
light. "What with our pet squirrels and this pet crow, we 
were very happy. That was until this week. One day 
Jimmy followed the boat down to Spring Park dock, 
something like half a mile, alighted on the boathouse 
porch, where he proceeded to make friends with the boat- 
house hand. The latter, seeing a bird so close at hand 
and so defenseless, picked up a paddle and killed Jimmy 
with very little difficulty before any one could prevent it. 
Comment is not necessary. E. Hough. 
Hartfokd Building, Chicago, 111. 
— ^ — 
"That reminds me." 
Mephitis Mephitica and the Deacon. 
Reading Mr. Hough's interesting letters from Minne- 
tonka, remmded me of skunks, because, for certain rea- 
sons, I always associate skunks with Minnetonka and 
when I am reminded of skunks I revert to old man 
Eassford s yarn about the deacon and the skunk 
Bassford was born down in old Calais in the State of 
Maine, and he can tell more stories of happenings in 
Calais than Chauncey Depew ever conjured out of the 
classic precmcts of Peekskill-on-FIudson. And when he 
makes one of a fishing or hunting party there is no lack 
of merriment over the exhaustless fund of stories he 
spins out. His fishing and hunting experiences fifty 
years ago m the wilds of Maine have charmed many an 
interested listener around the campfire. He tells the 
lollowmg story on himself, and partly on the deacon, as 
well : 
"When I was a boy down in Calais I was apprenticed 
to a machine shop proprietor, whose place of business 
was on the banks of the St. Croix River. The boss was 
a deacon m the church, and if there was one thing ab- 
horred by him above all other things, it was profanity ^ 
Let a slip be made by any of the hands in the shop within 
the hearing of the boss, and he at once felt either the 
deacon s good right hand or the toe of his number 0 
boot. ^ 
"There never was a heavy job of lugging or lifting 
but what the boss would sail in and help the rest Many 
were the tight places they crowded him into, at such 
imes pinching his fingers and bruising his shins, only 
for one purpose, just to hear the deacon swear— just 
once. But all to no avail, the deacon was proof aeainst 
temptation. * 
. "A new well was needed'for the shop. A windlass was 
rigged up and with rope and bucket we boys took turns 
at digging and lifting. Before work commenced each 
morning the boss would have himself lowered in the 
bucket to look over and inspect the work 
-One morning I was early at the shop, and as I 
passed the well I looked down for signs of water, and 
instead saw the finest, prettiest and liveliest skunk I ever 
laid my e3^es on walking around the clayey bottom of that 
\vell, making fruitless attempts to climb up the smooth 
clay walls. 
•T said nothing to my mate, who came up in a few 
moments, but having hitched on the bucket, I kept it 
suspended over the opening of the well and waited for 
the boss, who came bustling along before the seven 
o dock whistle ceased blowing. 
"Getting into the bucket, he ordered- us to lower away 
and we slowly allowed the crank handles to reverse! 
Al went well until the bucket reached within six feet of 
bottom when the deacon let out an unearthlv yell and 
ordered us to hoist. At this I let go my crank handle, 
the mcreased draft on the windlass pulling the other 
crank handle loose from the other boy's grasp, sending 
him sprawhng on the ground and letting^ the bucket 
deacon and all drop kerchunk to the bottom of the well! 
And then I ran to the shop and gave the' alarm, and 
the men flew out .like a swarm of bees and ran for the 
opening. 
"One by one they hurriedly looked down, only to 
draw back their heads and snort with suffocation, because 
ot the ascending etfluvium. Every fresh face that ao- 
peared above the opening was hailed by the deacon and 
ordered to hoist up, but after a dozen idiots had looked 
down, snorted and done nothing, then the deacon broke 
loose and began to swear, and he swore only as a down- 
east \ankee deacon can swear, when he is drove to it 
But the more he swore the more the men fumbled 
the rope and windlass, but finally the good old man 
was reeled up spluttering and swearing and smelling 
worse than a tanyard. The moment he reached the sur- 
lace he ran for the river and waded out up to his neck 
As soon as a change of clothes could be gotten for 
liim Irom miscellaneous sources in the neighborhood 
he emerged from the river and set to hunting me. 
But i had flown and remained away for a couple of 
days, and when I returned the explanation that the wind- 
lass crank slipped from my hands alone saved me from 
the worst hiding ever given a sixteen-year-old boy 
But the deacon never swore again after that, although he 
certamly knew how." Charles Cristadoko. 
Death of the Mtisfc-Ox. 
The little musk-ox, which was so fully described in 
Forest and Stream last winter, and which, through the 
generosity of Hon. W. C. W^hitney, became one of the 
chief attractions of the New York Zoological Park is 
dead. ' 
A few -vveeks ago it seemed in fine health and spirits, but 
last week it was attacked by pneumonia, and after a short 
illness succumbed. There are very few muek-oxen in cap- 
tivity, and the death of this one deprives the Zoological 
Society of its chiefest treasure. 
Lord Justice Mathew is possessed of a mild and kindly 
exterior, which at first sight gives the impression that 
Its owner is a simple country gentleman rather than an 
expert lawyer. At any rate, this was evidently the view 
ot a professional seller of painted birds, who one day 
met Sir James in the neighborhood of the Strand Law 
Courts, and, showing him one of his birds, asked that 
eminent dispensator of justice to what species he would 
take It to belong. The Judge stopped, carefully exam- 
ined the gaudy little creature, and then replied that he 
had not seen a bird exactly like that one before but 
judging from the old proverb that birds of a feather 
flock together, he should say that it was a jail bird The 
Post ^^"^o"^ not wait for more !— Liverpool 
Mr. Jasper Reynolds, a prominent citizen of Fords- 
viUe, O IS sitting in the shade trees these days enter= 
taming himself with visions of wealth from a fish pond 
Two years ago he bu.lt a dam across a ravine near his 
house and put ,n a few catfish and thirty-six game fish 
They have increased to such an extent that the water ii- 
alive with them, although the pond covers a qulrter of 
an acre, and is eight feet deep. The people of the town 
and visitors feed them to see them eat, and Air Ity- 
nolds only has to watch them grow. The largest of 
the game fish now weigh over a pound, and the cats 
weigh tvvice as much. Nobody thinks of catching them 
and no fish has ever been taken from the pond.-^LoS 
ville Courier-Journal. .^uui:>- 
