402 
FOREST AND STREAM. 
1 
[Nov. 21, 1903. 
were at least a thousand men in quest of deer in that 
county during the fortnight that shooting was per- 
mitted. Many more deer were killed there than were 
taken last season. One of the finest specimens shot 
was a twclve-pronged buck, weighing 220 pounds, which 
was killed by Bruce LeRoy. The last fortnight was the 
second open season in Sullivan county for seven years, 
that of 1902 being the first. Deer are said to be very 
plentiful in the Catskill State Forest Preserve. 
Many very large bucks were among the prizes se- 
cured in the Adirondacks. George Benton, of Utica, 
while hunting near Minnehaha in the Moose River 
region, early in October, shot a ten-pronged buck 
weighing 230 pounds. The latter part of October Seth 
W. Pride, of Holland Patent, brought down a 250- 
pound buck at Horn Lake. Schuyler S. Bardlong, of 
Chicago, while on a hunting trip near Star Lake, 
brought in a buck weighing 250 pounds and with ant- 
lers having seven prongs. Captain William Connor, 
of New York, while stopping at the De Forrest Ang- 
ling Association club house, not far from Boonville, 
went out shooting and killed a 250-pound buck haying- 
handsome antlers. One of the largest deer ever killed 
in the northern part of the' State, was shot by Ed. 
Flood, an old hunter, and exhibited in Antwerp last 
month. It was a 15-prong buck and weighed 247 
pounds hog dressed, the estimated weight when first 
killed, being 300 pounds. It was shot near Alpine, 
twelve miles from Antwerp. Last. Saturday the car- 
cass of a buck weighing 250 pounds, bearing the card 
of J. F. Dorrance, Camden, was shipped through Utica 
by rail. A mammoth buck, weighing 300 pounds, con- 
signed to a New York man, was also shipped through 
here on the same day. It is estimated that about 1,000 
carcasses of deer have been handled by the American 
Express Company at Utica during the season which 
just closed. This city, being the southern terminus 
of the Black River division of the Rome, Watertown 
and Ogdensburg Railroad, which skirts the western 
portion of the Adirondacks, as well as practically the 
terminus of the Mohawk and Malone Railroad, which 
traverses the heart of the great wilderness, is the nat- 
ural outlet for a vast territory, and the shipments of 
venison to and from this point are annually very large. 
It is generally conceded that there were more hunters 
in the Adirondacks this fall than ever before, but 
whether or not the statistics will eventually show that 
the number of deer killed was larger than in any pre- 
ceding year remains to be seen. In addition to the 
cervine animals, which have been shot by Adirondack 
sportsmen during the past few weeks, several _ large 
black bears have been killed at different points in the 
wilderness and along the outskirts. 
W. E. WOLCOTT, 
In Massachuetts. 
Boston, Nov. 14. — Editor Forest and Stream: Thi? 
week has been crowded with events of interest to 
sportsmen. Mr. Wm. Dehon King, of Newport,. R. I., 
just returned from a moose hunt in New Brunswick, 
called to show several fine photos which he took of the 
large bull which he secured, and gave a graphic ac- 
count of the event, which led up to his success in ob- 
taining a choice head. Mr. King left on Wednesday 
for a foxhunting trip in southern New Hampshn-e. 
From Mr. A. D. Thayer I obtained an intercstmg re- 
hearsal of the successful trip of the Franklin sportsmen 
and others to New Brunswick. Mr. Thayer's brother 
Herbert, member of the Legislature; Dr. Martm, 
Messrs. Rockwood, Hosea, Stott, Woodard and Chap- 
man, all of Franklin, Lawyer Baker, of Brookline, and 
Mr. Brown, of Wrentham, were of the party. They went 
in from Vanceboro to the camps of the Rockhaven 
Hunting and Fishing Club, which has a membership 
of sixty, chiefly from Massachusetts. Mr. Hosea got 
a bear, Mr. Thayer and others succeeded in gettmg 
deer. Mr. Thayer says it is a fine region for game, 
' that thirty-five deer, besides moose and bear, have been 
killed by visitors to the camps this year. 
On Wednesday evening, Nov. 11, your correspondent 
was royally entertained by the Greenfield Sportsman's 
Club, at the annual game supper. Venison, 'coon 
pigeons and rabbit pie were features of the menu, and 
the work of the chef was first class. The presideint. 
Mr. Charles C. Russell, introduced Major A. N. 
Pierce as toastmaster. The Major put the members 
in good humor by several anecdotes, and showed much 
readiness as an experienced master of ceremonies, not 
forgetting to emphasize the important objects for which 
the club was organized. There were about 140 members 
at the tables, nearly all of whom are practical sports- 
men. Among the speakers were Mr. Gerett, member 
of the Legislature last winter; his successor, Mr. 
Atherton, and Representative Ward, who has been re- 
elected for the coming year. Messrs. Gerett and Ward 
spoke in terms of high praise of the work of the State 
Commission and expressed their great appreciation of 
the courteous bearing of Captain Collins in their inter- 
course with him last winter, and of the ability he has 
shown in conducting his department. If the Captain 
could have heard all the good things said of him and 
the many regrets expressed for his enforced absence, 1 
think it would have added some years to his life. 
President Russell and his brother officers have rea- 
son to congratulate themselves. on the flourishing con- 
dition of the club. Among the speakers were Vice- 
President Dr. L. A. Newton, Dr. Severance and sev- 
eral other members of the club. 
It afforded your correspondent much pleasure to re- 
new the acquaintance made last year with Secretary 
J. D. Fontaine and Directors D. W. Collins and Wm. 
Leipple. . 
President Russell and others had plans for going out 
for birds the next day, but they all told me they had 
found the partridges scarce this season. Deer are frs- 
quenfly seen in all parts of Franklin county. 
Thursday evening the State Association had its first 
meeting of the season at the Copley Square Hotel 
with a very good attendance. President Reed occu- 
pied the chair, and a committee of seven was appointed 
to nominate officers for the coming year, of which Dr. 
^ \Y, Branigan. the libi'aviftn. r,i.;irn^aii. Mr Ivax^ 
W. Adams gave a very instructive and interesting talk 
on salmon fishing, in which he has had great experi- 
ence in New Brunswick waters. Two of the most ex- 
perienced moose hunters of Massachusetts, Dr. M. A. 
Morris and Dr. Heber Bishop, described their recent 
experiences in New Brunswick to the great delight of 
all present. 
These descriptions were so vivid and brought out so 
many valuable points in reference to methods em- 
ployed that I will try to furnish your readers an ab- 
stract of them in a future letter. Several of those 
present who are accustomed to hunt moose have said 
to me that they would lipt have missed that meeting 
for a good deal. 
Last Monday an officer, while attempting to arrest 
two Italians with guns, in Middlesex Falls, was shot 
in the face hy one of the miscreants. The one who 
fired at the officer escaped, but his companion was cap- 
tured. The officer's face will be disfigured, but fortu- 
nately no shot entered his eyes. I wrote you pre- 
viously in regard to Tom Burney's experience. It is 
devoutly to be wished some of these scoundrels could 
be punished to the full extent of the law as an ex- 
ample. 
Mr. I. O. Converse, president of the Fitchburg Rifle 
and Gun Club, was one of ten new members elected 
on Thursday to membership of the State Association. 
He spoke of his experiences in the brush in (northern) 
Worcester county. Woodcock, he says, have been 
more plenty than usual, partridge not quite up to the 
average. 
Mr. Kinney says in towns near his city_ there are 
hardly any partridge, and he regards the situation as 
very serious. Taking a look through Faneuil Hall 
market to-day, I was surprised to see the dearth of all 
birds of the season, except ducks, and these not over- 
abundant. Several recent accidents to hunters in 
Maine are reported, one in which Mr. E. C. Lewis, of 
Cambridge, mistook G. H. Spinney, of Staceyville, for 
a deer. 
Colonel Wm. A. Gaston, recently candidate for Gov- 
ernor of Massachusetts, is now on his way from Maine, 
where he secured two bucks. 
I am indebted to Col. E. B. Parker for returns from 
Windham county, Vermont, showing that 45 deer were 
shot there this year, about twice as many as last year, 
ine bear shot by Mr. Howard on Mt. Tabor, is re- 
ported to have been quite a source of profit— $10 as 
bounty, $30 for the hide, $40 for oil obtained from the 
fat. 
Dr. Heber Bishop left to-dav for Chain of Ponds, 
Maine. Several members of the Runaway Club, with 
guests, are going to Clearwater (Allen's Mills), Maine, 
next week. Central. 
Maine Records. 
Bangor, Maine, Nov. 14. — Editor Forest and Stream: 
The week just past has proved to be a record breaker, 
just as your correspondent came near predicting it would 
when writing a week ago. Among the noticeable records 
broken by the week's shipments are the records for a day's 
shipments, which in number of deer and number of total 
pieces of game passing o\'er these railroad lines which 
center in this city was greater on Friday^ than in any day 
since a record began to be kept, and again in the number 
cf non-residents, proportionately, taking game out of the 
State for this season. On the day in question, the 13th, 
the total shipments of deer amounted to 202; of moose, 
14, making a total of 216 pieces handled by the express 
agents who run" into this city from eastern and northern 
points. 
Another record broken, which we may well wish had 
remained as it was, is the record for no loss of life, or, 
indeed, serious injury among the hunters. For many 
years the list of accidental deaths in the woods from mis- 
taking someone for a deer has been large, far too large for 
the timid to take any chances with, and so many have 
been kept from the woods who would, otherwise, have 
ventured on a hunting trip. With the passing of October 
it was noticeable that no one had thus far been shot for 
game, and it was earnestly hoped the slate would remain 
clean. Hardly had the wish been expressed before word 
came of an awful accident cn Mud Brook, about seven 
miles above Stacyville, by which George H. Spinney, of 
the latter place, had been seriously wounded. Spinney 
was guiding E. C. Lewis, of Cambridge, Mass., who has 
been making trips into the Maine woods for many seasons 
and ought to know belter than to take any chances in deer 
shooting, especially when he doesn't know the exact loca- 
tion of his guide. Yet, after he and the guide had 
separated, and he saw a bush move, he blazed away with 
his .40-72 high velocity rifle, and the bullet struck Spinney 
in the leg, almost up to the groin, shattering the bone and 
making a very serious wound. For two hours or more 
the wounded man was obliged to lie in the snow and 
suffer while Mr. Lewis, who did what he could before 
leaving, was gone to the camp for aid. A physician was 
summoned from Sherman, and everything possible done 
at the camp to relieve Spinney's suffering, and as soon as 
possible he was brought to Bangor, where he is in the 
Eastern Maine General Hospital, while the surgeons are 
wondering how they will be able to save his leg. Mr. 
Lewis is in town with him and seeing that he has every 
possible comfort and attention, and the wardens have 
investigated and reported the case to the Commissioners, 
who may decide to prosecute the sportsman under the law 
specially provided in such case, and under which no judg- 
ment has yet been pronounced by a Maine court. 
In the great number of heads secured by sportsmen of 
the past week or so, there are a few deer heads deserving 
of special mention, which have come to the writer's per- 
sonal notice, although there are very likely some quite as 
good taken through to out of the State points, that have 
not been examined by your correspondent To get such 
specimens as these is worth almost as much as to get a 
moose head, and, in fact, there have been secured deer 
heads in Maine that brought three times what a fair, 
every-day moose head, well mounted, would bring. Per- 
haps the most striking of these was one secured by John 
Cameron, of this city, and, by the way, the finest sets of 
deer antlers seen in Bangor this fj^ll were from deer shot 
\iy resideiits pf tlw State. Tb» Caw^TOn wm a re- 
markable specimen, spreading 2854 inches and having 19 
points, a head that would have to be seen to be fully 
appreciated. Perhaps second in beauty, but far more ir- 
regular in the dirtction of the points, yet singularly regu- 
lar in having the same variations on each horn, was that 
secured by E. C. Parker, of Bar Harbor, and who hunted 
on Machias River waters at a camp on Crooked River, 
The horns had 21 points, and would spread about 20 
inches. The buck that bore this kingly crown was a 
monster, weighing 240 pounds, dressed for shipment. 
Perhaps the widest spreading antlers of these big deer 
sets were those on the deer shot above Sherman by E. N. 
Outhouse, of that town, and who is having them mounted 
to present to a sportsman friend. Those horns spread 
29J/4 inches, and bore but 12 points, those points, however, 
being very long and graceful, and evenly arranged. The 
fourth striking head is one secured by O. A. Cowan, of 
Kingman, and is almost like a bush, so narrow is the 
spread of the horns and so close together the points, 
which are of exceptional size, almost, indeed, deserving 
of the term massive. There are 18 well defined points, 
and a peck basket could readily be placed over the horns, 
covering them completely. 
The members of the Forest City Hunting Club who 
have been in Maine this season to try once more their 
success in hunting Maine game, have gone home to Cleve- 
land, O., without a moose, but they have had a splendid 
time in the Ox Bow region, where they went this time. 
In the party were President Mark Hutchison, Secretary 
H. E. Doty, H. C. Hutchison, Dr. M. A. Able, S. A. 
liand, and U. J. Smith, and they carried home twelve 
deer, having been in camp three weeks. 
Landlord H. E. Capen, of Augusta, has gone home from 
his camp on Deer Island, Moosehead Lake, with a fine 
moose, v/hich he secured in the woods above the lake. 
Wm. H. Trotter, of Philadelphia, who is a. thorough 
sportsman, but is most ably seconded by his wife, who is 
ready to rough it if need be to secure her trophies, has 
returned with her from the Eagle Lake trip, and brought 
out two moose heads and three bucks. 
One of the very nice heads killed in Maine this fall has 
lately been brought out from Van Buren by I. N. Chase, 
of Maiden, Mass., and measured 54 inches spread. 
E. T. Price, of Philadelphia, who made the Allagash 
trip with A. W. Wister, Jr., of the same city, was among 
the very fortunate sportsmen who secured a fine moose 
head, and has gone home delighted with his month's out- 
ing in the Maine woods. 
Others whose trips might be mentioned at more length, 
but for lack of space, are: L. A. Chatman, of Boston, 
who brought out a moose from Portage; H. D. Sears, o'^ 
Lynn, Mass., whose moose came from up the line of the 
B. & A. R. R. ; Abram W. Sargent, of New York, who 
was in the territory beyond Patten, and brought out a 
moose; Dr. W. Francis Decker, of Philadelphia, who 
went into the Big Machias waters above Ashland ; George 
Killam, of Dresden, this State, who took his moose out 
from Patten, and many others. 
One of the noticeable features of the season's sport is 
the number of white deer, three having been sent to one 
taxidermist establishment in this city to be set up whole. 
The commissioners report that they have sold i,.300 
non-resident licenses this season, and those in the woods 
will now look for a great increase in the warden service, 
as the announcement concludes that the money derived 
will be enough to keep twenty more wardens in the woods 
tiiroughout the year. Herbert W. Rowe. 
Me en EUick en Ben. 
"Ellick, pa jes now tole me dat a lot er rich Yan- 
kees was comin' to Mis' Corry's dis eb'nin ter hunt 
er hole week, an' dat Mis' Corry wan' 'im ter bring ole 
Ben ter-morrer en go huntin' wid 'em, but he say 'e 
gotter ten ter 'is corn housin' en can' go, en 'e wan' 
me ter take de dorgl You wan' go?" 
"Yas, but yer reck'n dey gwine let us go huntm' 
wid em?" 
"Dono, but er reck'n dey'U let us go long en hole 
de bosses en tote rabbits. Ennyhow, you came en go 
wid me in de mornin', en when dey fines ole Ben won' 
stay wid 'em dout I'm 'long ter keep 'im, er reck'n 
dey'll let us go wid 'em. You come up early'n de 
mornin'. ennyhow." 
The above conversation was held one crisp Novem- 
ber afternoon at the back door of an old Colonial 
mansion in Culpepper county, Virginia, between the 
writer, then a boy about twelve years of age, and one of 
his colored playmates, the son of "Unc' Buck," the old 
family house servant, who, thank God, is yet alive, al- 
though nearing the century mark. 
As with all Southern country boys, my playmates 
were the negro youths on the farm, and in conversing 
with them, invariably the negro dialect was used, and 
generally on all other occasions also, unless on "com- 
pany manners," when very little of anything was said, 
unless addressed, and then replies were delivered with 
painful bashfulness. 
Hunting, however, although I did not carry a gun, 
except surrepititously, that being expressly forbidden, 
was then, as now, my favorite recreation, and there 
was no greater pleasure in life than riding double be- 
hind mv father on his numerous shooting jaunts about 
the neighborhood, unless it was hunting and nmnmg 
"rabbits" with the negro boys, old Ben and numerous 
and sundry "niggers' " curs, between whose owners and 
myself the question of who possessed the fastest rab- 
bit dog was ever a bone of friendly contention. But 
old Ben was hard to beat. He was a large, almost solid 
liver pointer, without any pedigree whatever, but when 
out with my father, no better quail dog could be found 
in the State. I knew it then and 1 know it now, in 
the light of much after experience, but just let him go 
hunting with me and the "boys." My! it was good-by 
to Miss Molly, if she couldn't find a groundhog's hole, 
and he paid no more attention to quail than if he had 
never seen one. Ellick, whose full name was Alexan- 
der, was also, in one respect, a very remarkable boy; 
he possessed a wonderful ability for throwing rocks, 
and many a hare have I seen him knock over as she 
attempted to pass him with every muscle working over- 
time to keep ahead of Ben, who, with short, anxious, 
alppst whining yelps that made your every fil?«r tingle, 
