Nov. IS, 1902.] 
FOREST AND STREAM. 
S9S 
Miami River PoIItrtion* 
Editor Farest and Stream : 
Once more public attention is called to the terrible sani- 
tarj' condition of our rivers. For many years the Great 
Miami has been the dumping place for our cities, and as 
a result the river is becoming so foul and polluted, that, 
to put it in the fisherman's parlance, "it will soon be im- 
possible for even the carp to live in it." You can go 
anywhere along the river and see piles of cans, bottles, 
kegs, boxes and other refuse, scattered along the shore 
or collected on the riffles and islands. With so much 
refuse in the water, is it any wonder that our fishing 
grounds are ruined? The elYect of this wholesale poison- 
ing is shown by the following clipping, taken from the 
Dayton Daily Press: 
"A crowd of boys and men congregated along the banks 
of the Miami River yesterday taking fish from the water 
that were dying from poison in the water, supposed to 
come from the paper mills. The fish seemed to revive 
when placed in fresh water. Crawfish left the water and 
refused to go back, thus indicating that some poisonous 
substance had polluted the stream. The men and boys 
amused themselves throwing stones and clubs at the dying 
fish as they came to the surface of the water gasping for 
breath. It became necessary to notify the police to stop 
the brutality. It is said that thousands of fish were 
taken from the water during the day." 
It is strange, as well as deplorable, that our health 
officers are so blind tliat they cannot see the evil effects 
that this tainted stream must have upon the community. 
When a river is so foul that even the fish cannot survive 
in it, it is surely time to take the matter into considera- 
tion. 
It will also be observed what a fine sense of distinction 
shown between the different methods of brutality. The 
men and boys who were killing the fish, and thus putting 
them out of their misery, were ordered to desist; the 
paper mill managers, who poisoned the stream, were not 
molested. A fine show of humanity indeed. 
Clarence Vandiveer. 
MlAMtSBURG, O. ^ 
Mf» Hallocfc Visits the Caviers.! 
The Cuvier Club had a very distinguished visitor 
yesterday afternoon in the person of Mr. Charles Hal- 
lock. He is an old friend of President Starbuck, and 
called on him en route to St. Louis. In addition to Mr, 
Hallock being a devotee of rod and reel and a noted 
nimrod, he has a national reputation as a naturalist 
and a litterateur. He was the founder of Forest and 
Stream, the leading journal for sportsmen on all topics 
that relate to the genuine sports in field and on stream. 
He was also years agone a favorite writer for Harper's 
Magazine, and has published a number of works which 
are considered as high authority on the subjects treated. 
His "Fishing Tourist," "The Salmon Fisher" and "Our 
Alaska" are some of his productions. The latter work is 
considered by all who read as one of the most magnifi- 
cent compositions in the English language. It is really 
a classic, and so considered by every litterateur who has 
perused it. That alone was sufhci'ent to give him a niche 
in the authors' temple. He is now in his seventieth 
year, and time has dealt kindly with him, for his eye 
sparkles as of yore and his visage radiant with the bloom 
of health, and he yet casts his flies with the ease and 
grace of youth. Mr. Hallock left last evening for St. 
Louis, where he has a host of friends, who will give 
the revered sportsman a warm welcome. — Cincinnati In- 
quirer, Oct. 31. 
New Hampshife Speaters Come to Grief. 
LaconiAj N. H., Nov. 3. — Seth Filanders, Frank L. 
Cawley and Harvey M. Sargent, all well-known citizens 
here, were before Judge Everett in the local police court 
this morning, each charged with having taken, by spear- 
ing, two lake trout in the close season. The respondents 
all pleaded guilty, and a fine of $25 and costs, amounting 
to a total of $36.38, was imposed in each case. As a further 
penalty in each case a fine of $10 was imposed under 
another section of law, and a sentence of six months in 
jail was also added, mittimus in the two last penalties 
> mentioned not to issue until called for by the Fish and 
Game Commissioner. The men settled. 
The capture of these three men was effected by State 
Fish and Game Commissioner Clarke, of Concord, as- 
. sisted by six deputies, Sunday night. The men were 
near Governors Island, off the Gilford shore. Com- 
missioner Clarke alleges that the law protecting fish is 
being ruthlessly violated by many residents about the 
lake, and that he saw the jacklights of more than twenty- 
five poachers in the vicinity of Governors Island Sunday 
night. 
He asked the court this morning to impose a severe 
penalty in these cases, that it might have a restraining 
effect on other violators of the law. 
Another One- Jawed Fish. 
Editor Forest and Stream: 
Regarding Mr. Guthrie's "Trout That Had a Hard 
Time," I have the head of an eight-inch Salmo fontinialis 
caught near Clear Pond, Essex county, N. Y., by Goody 
Clough, then a long-haired mountain boy, but now a 
prosperous M. D. out Syracuse way. The head is exactly 
like Mr. Guthrie's. Now, how do these accidents occur? 
I have never before seen one like my odd little head. 
These strange things seen in the woods are a sportsman's 
delight. Peter Flint. 
Fisherman*s Rare Lock. 
A remarkable affair is reported from Morehead City 
which is vouched for bj' reliable parties here. A fisher- 
man living near Bogue Sound in a small shanty saw a 
large school of fish go up one of the crj^ks or blind guts 
that enter the marshes in that vicinitjs He had a quan- 
tity of nets on hand and a numerous family, and they 
afl turned out and closed up the mouth of the short 
cretk, ciaptiiring^ the e.mire^schbol of fishj whifch wtre 
maihly lairi^e trotft. The lucky fisKferman Ws kepi the 
fish enclosed in the place, taking them out as fast as he 
could handle them, selling large quantities to the fish 
dealers at Morehead City. His sales have amounted to 
$4,000 worth of fish, and several thousand dollars' worth 
still remain in the pond. The facts were learned from a 
dealer who came here for additional funds with which to 
handle the fish for shipment. It is considered one of the 
most remarkable incidents on record on this part of the 
coast. — Raleigh (N. C) Post. 
Advanced Ideas in Farming:, Trap- 
ping and Woodcraft. 
Nambet Two, 
Uncle's farm comprised about three hundred and fifty 
acres, "more or less," as the deed's language guardedly 
declared, and the crops were diversified; Uncle was quite 
a hand for "rotation" in crops as well as in politics; he 
even carried this into poultry raising. He. would have 
one breed of fowls for a year or so, and then he would 
introduce another. Pckin ducks, Langshang turkeys, 
Plymouth Rock geese, white leghorn pigeons, all fol- 
lowed along in rapid and bewildering procession. At the 
time of my advent to assume the responsibilities of the 
position of head push on this farm, that entrancing and 
graceful breed of chickens known as the Shanghai had 
the exclusive place of honor in the fowl department. The 
Shanghai was a sweet and lovable chicken, though rather 
loud and pronounced in his manner perhaps; I have 
thought sometimes that nature had originally intended to 
include this bird among the animals and classify hirn as a 
jackass, but having but two legs, and therefore no visible 
means of support if he wanted to kick with both hind feet 
at once, there seemed to be nothing left to do but let him 
go into the chicken class. There was one rooster in this 
lot big enough to plow with; he was certainly a screamer 
in every sense of the word. He just walked around that 
farm as though he was the whole and entire thing. He 
could eat corn from the head of a barrel without standing 
on tiptoe; and I believe he could stand beside a barrel 
full of shelled corn and eat every kernel of it clear to the 
bottom and then kick the barrel over to see if any had 
fallen through. Appetite! Well, it was eclipsed by noth- 
ing but the size of his voice. That Shanghai's crow could 
be plainly heard on every part of the farm, and on foggy 
mornings it was sometimes mistaken for the hoarse 
whistle of locomotive 360 on the 4:10 freight train, due at 
that hour at the station three miles distant. One of my 
advanced ideas was based upon the theory that there was 
no earthly use in getting up in the morning at the 
heathenish hours in vogue with farmers generally, any- 
where from I o'clock to daylight; I claimed that if you 
work hard enough and with proper intelligence in mak- 
ing the farm hands work twelve or fourteen hours a day 
there was really no necessity for one getting out of bed 
the minute there was a streak of light visible in the east. 
This Shanghai rooster, however, had theories differing 
from mine; radically different and very obnoxious. In 
fact, some of this rooster's arbitrary rrtethods were so 
distasteful that I had about begun to consider some 
plausible means to compass his destruction — by accident. 
Still, where was my theory of adaptation? Here was a 
fowl big enough to haul a load of hay, and voice enough 
to wake up the Seven Sleepers, kindly provided by nature 
to fill a big gap somewhere. It was not at all likely that 
he had been built simply to consume corn and tramp 
around, stepping on things. 
One night I had been lying awake digesting some ab- 
struse question of agriculture, and a big dinner of corned 
beef and cabbage, the latter perhaps predominating. 
There are few mental struggles. I think, that are to be 
compared to corned beef and cabbage, especially if as- 
sisted by liberal irrigation with last year's cider. When 
occasionally sleep did visit my pillow it was disturbed 
by visions of the Shanghai rooster tramping all over me 
as I lay on the floor of the old gas house, with Sherlock 
Holmes stuffing fingers in his ears as the rooster let out 
one of his yells. It was perfectly natural that I should 
have Shanghai nightmares, though perhaps it may seem 
slightly paradoxical. Finally in despair I got up and 
lighted my pipe, and then .an inspiration struck me with 
great force. I thought at first it w^as one of the toughs 
I saw in the gas cellar; but soon got my bearings and 
began to work out the plans and specifications of a 
brilliant scheme. 
The' following day I left the affairs of the farm in 
charge of the Shanghai, and drove to the city. For sev- 
eral hours after my arrival I was closeted with the best 
patent attorney in the place. The result was well cal- 
culated to revolutionize the entire "signal alarm business 
in and through," as the application stated, the States 
and Territories of the United States. And this is it: A 
phonograph on a large scale was devised, with an electric 
attachment, and an ingeniously devised cylinder and 
mechanical connections. The receiver was to be ex- 
posed near the Shanghai rooster when he crowed the 
loudest, and a record made. There was no trouble about 
the Shanghai making a record. He had already demon- 
strated his ability to do that; an extra sized megaphone 
attachment did the rest. We built a machine and took it to 
the farm and prepared to receive the first impression. In 
order not to arouse any suspicion on the part of the 
rooster, we waited until his usual hour for arousing the 
inhabitants of the county in the morning, and then, when 
he opened up his vocal accomplishments, we turned the 
thing loose. We discovered what I had not before ob- 
serv'ed, that this fowl had seven different kinds of crow — 
not what you would call exquisitely modulated, but all 
different, and this was regarded as of immense importance. 
We could have one series of crows for fire alarm, an- 
other for railroad use, still another for marine purposes 
for foggy weather, or a combination of them arranged for 
various conditions and requirements. 
After securing about fifty records, the chap whom I 
had taken in as partner, says: "Do you know what 
we've got? Well, we've got every other kind of alarm 
beat to a finish, and don't you forget it. I ncvtt heard 
such a noise in mv life. A ^g whistle simply ain't in it." 
I began tb think ^ that, kftfeV alV^oltf ^Ji'angliai h^d his 
uses, and iriy fif st attempt at aSaptatibfi was a gtibS way 
from being a failure. Well, what happened? A St. Louis 
or Chicago man who was half crazy over a machine of 
bis own invention for signal alarm purposes, heard of 
ours, through the Patent Office, and came pell-mell out 
to see us, bringing his financial backer with him. They 
came over to the farm one afternoon, and gradually led! 
up to the question which was eating up his vitals. I 
kept them in a wrought-up condition of mind for an 
hour or so, and then I brought out the "chanticleer," 
wound up the mechanism, touched a spring, and off he 
went. Well, you should have seen those two Chicago 
men's faces! They were a sight sure enough. The 
capitalist realized that his money, invested in the other 
machine, was as good as sunk unless he could acquire 
mine. So there naturally ensued a season of tactics that 
was highly amusing. Finally the moneyed man said: 
"Well, your old crow machine ain't much good; only 
just a little novelty, that's all; but if you want to take 
$1,000 for it and throw in the Shanghai we'll think it 
over." 
Of course it isn't every day that you can sell a 
Shanghai rooster's crow for $1,000; but I concluded there 
was more money in it to me just them. So I looked 
surprised and hurt, and then sitting down on the door 
step I simply laughed for fifteen minutes straight. 
"Gentlemen," I finally managed to answer, "your 
thousand dollars wouldn't buy one of the wing feathers 
of my little bird, let alone the machine and patent 
rights." 
There ensued the usual amount of backing and filling, 
proposals and counter proposals, startings off and com- 
ings back, and sham battles in various forms, until at last 
the chaps said $5,000 for the patent and "leave out the 
blamed old rooster." 
As will be surmised, I wanted to get rid of the 
rooster anyway; so I just fired the last shot and bluffed 
this offer: "Make it $6,000 and take the whole outfit." 
And you may call me all kinds of Ananiases if he didn't 
snap me up quicker than you can say "Scat!" 
We went right into the house and drew up the papers. 
Then we drove to town and the cash was turned over. 
Perhaps you may have heard of the great Shanghai 
rooster signal alarm? I haven't, nor yet hide nor hair 
of the two men or the rooster. 
My sleep is -tranquil in the morning, except when I 
get to thinking of what Uncle will say when he comes 
to miss that Shanghai. 
My further opportunities for utilizing the beasts of 
the field and fowls of the air were soon very much in 
evidence. I was in great luck within a month after the 
above interesting experiment in the development of poul- 
try. I am now agitated by conflicting emotions. Din- 
ner is announced, and I more than suspect that corned 
beef and cabbage or boiled fowl with oyster sauce is on 
the menu. Kindly excuse me until I ascertain the facts. 
If it's corned beef and cabbage you'll hear from me 
next week. 
Frank Heywood. 
[to be CONTINtJED.] 
— ^ — 
Helps in Photography.* 
Mr. Chas. M. Taylor, Jr., tells us very pleasantly 
"Why My Photographs are Bad." His book is intended 
for beginners, and he hopes that "this volume may aid 
the ambitious beginner, and enable him to avoid the most 
common mistakes incident to the first stages of this in- 
teresting study." 
Mr. Taylor points out the most common mistakes ot 
\oung photographers, Avhich, notwithstanding th^ are so 
obvious, continue to be made. He begins by calling at- 
tention to the common error of placing the camera too 
near the object, and shows the result obtained, by repro- 
ducing the photograph of a woman whose head and feet 
are out of the plate. In posing single figures, one should 
focus upon the eye of the subject, which will equalize the 
general eft'ect. In taking a group, focus upon the central 
figure. He also points out the importance of using 
diaphrams, or stops, and gives a table for exposures 
showing the times and stops required for different lights. 
The titles of some of the chapters are "Foreshortening," 
"Pictures Out of Focus," "Doubling," or taking two 
pictures on one side. "Holding the Camera Level" 
while focusing, and a chapter on "LTnder and Over Ex- 
posed Plates." In that on "Under Exposed Plates," the 
scatement that "haphazard manipulation may succeed in 
some lines of work, but it is rarely successful in photo- 
graphy," unquestionably contains an element of truth. 
Those who belong to the new era in photography are 
glad to read the statement that "should you make your 
exposure about the time of the sun's meridian, your re- 
sults will be more flat and lifeless than if made at another 
time of the day" ; and also "it is very monotonous to the 
eye to view a landscape flat in color and void of con- 
trast as regards effects in light and shade." . 
On the other hand, one feels perhaps the lack of artistic 
feeling when he says that "too much foreground cannot 
be. called a serious defect in a picture, but it is inartistic." 
There are a great many people who try for this very 
thing, believing that anything may be regarded as right 
in photography, provided the result is a beautiful picture. 
To get this result one must study the effect of light and 
shade and spacing. To think of every picture primarily 
as an arrangement, w^ith beauty as the raiso-n d'etre; this is 
the desire of the more advanced photographers. 
The last part of the book is devoted to specimens of 
good photography with the detail of lens, time and so on, 
and a few "Don'ts" for the beginner. We are tired of 
pamphlets telling us what not to do in photography, from 
the standpoint of the photographic dealer, and receive 
with joy a book full of plain truths told in an entertain- 
ing way. 
Mr. Taylor ends the book happily by saying that "perse- 
verance and vigilance will finally overcome all difficulties, 
and he^who has the patience to continue in his work, will 
find ffimself arnply rewarded." E. C. G. 
* Geo. W. Jacobs & Co., Philadelphia. Price $1.15. 
