May 7, 1904.] 
FOREST AND STREAM. 
883 
miles from the river by a good wagon road, or gone on 
thirty miles via the mouth of the Mississaga to Blind 
Kiver Station and a good hotel, but Slate Falls and Day 
Mills, a small village just south of the lake where Dap- 
per Bill lives, are centrally situated for the sportsman, 
V/here he has a dozen good bass and trout lakes within 
easy reach. In spite of the rain we were delighted with 
this section and would have liked to make a long stay, 
liut our time had expired, and we had to move on. The 
delights of the trip were not spoiled by our return to 
civilization. We had agreed to spend one day at _Des- 
barats, Ont. (an hour west by Canadian Pacific Railway 
from Dayton, see map), with some friends. We accom- 
plished this; we saw the Indian play of Hiawatha at Des- 
barats and enjoyed it very much; we had some good bass 
fishing and a good hotel, where we arrayed ourselves in 
city clothes and felt very swagger. 
Next day we had late dinner in Sault Ste. Marie, near 
Desbarats and breakfasted the following morning in 
Chicago. 
Thus ended our best canoe trip to date, and we have 
been canoeing for forty years or more. One secret of 
success and enjoyment was that we had no kicker and no 
shirk in the party. Every guide and every sportsman did 
all he could cheerfully. There is no experience hke a 
canoe trip to show up the inwardness of man. Our party 
came out of the ordeal well, and I never want to travel 
with a better lot. 
It is a trip that ladies can take, but they would need to 
give three weeks to it unless they are golf girls and ath- 
letic canoeists, when two weeks would be sufficient. Six 
weeks could be spent most enjoyably. We never had 
occasion to dry the ground by fire or warm the tepts 
with stoves as we had done in other trips. Dry camping 
t-pots are always attainable. We look back with regret 
to several points at which we arrived too late or too early 
to enjoy the scenery or make good photos, or where we 
had rain. We saw countless ducks and many deer we 
could not shoot, thousands of moose tracks we could not 
follow because we were too early. We were within easy 
reach of great fishing we could not stop to enjoy. On the 
other hand, a feeling of complete physical regeneration, 
of unlimbered lazy limbs, and of reduced girth is with us 
continually, and many exquisite mental pictures and sen- 
sational recollections of swift water,_ of quiet bits, and of 
stirring, glorious scenery will remain with all the party 
imtil they reach the eternal happy hunting grounds to 
which we are all making a swift trip in our frail barks. 
Steam Yacht Trophy Sold. — The steam yacht Tro- 
phy, owned by Mr. F. M. Smith, has been sold, through 
the agency of Henry J. Gielow, to Mr. Charles E. 
Nygren, who will use her principally on the Hudson 
River between New York and Albany. She is 99ft. over 
all, 90ft. on the waterline, 13ft. iiin. beam, and 51ft. 4in. 
draft. 
Newburgh Canoe and Boating 
Association. 
A Sketch, fay the Purser. 
Just twenty-three years ago a few intimate frrends. 
amateur boatmen, agreed to share pro rata the ex- 
pense incurred in housing their canoes and rowboats. 
Their first "snug harbor" was an old shed built by 
themselves at the rear of a blacksmith shop near the 
foot of Fourth street, in the city of Newburgh. _ _ 
Although their quarters were far from bemg mvitmg, 
our boating friends thoroughly enjoyed the sport and 
were constantly being appealed to for accommodation 
in the old shed. The next year they met at the home 
of one of their number, organized a boat club and 
called it the Newburgh Canoe and Boating Associa- 
tion. . 
It "took" from the first, for so thoroughly were the 
members inoculated with the boating fever that it be- 
came contagious and the club grew in membership 
and in spirit. During the following year the canoeists 
were compelled to vacate the "shed," which was torn 
down and the association had to look for another home. 
They sought in vain along the busy water front of 
the city, until the occupant of the newly erected store- 
house offered them the unused under part of the build- 
ing for a club house, or, rather, a place to store their 
boats. 
So inaccessible was the quarters, so suggestive of the 
haunt of the busy water rodents which infested the 
docks, that it led the wit of the club to call his asso- 
ciates "Dock Rats." They accepted the sobriquet, 
adopted it as their token, and from that tinie this well- 
knoWn organization has been more familiarly known 
by its token than by the more dignified title under 
which they are incorporated. Four years later the club 
moved into the building which they now occupy, a two 
story frame building, which was formerly exhibition 
hall of the Orange County Agricultural Society, which 
was torn down and rebuilt on a dock adjoining their 
first home. 
The upper part of the building is divided into meet- 
ing rooms, locker rooms, etc., while from a large porch 
across the front of the house the members ha,ve an 
unsurpassed view of the Hudson River and its moun- 
' tainous scenery. 
To the north is Dannskammer Point, to the east, 
across the river, is North Beacon and the Fishkill 
mountains, with the twin villages of Matteawan and 
Fishkill nestling at their base; to the south the tower- 
ing Storm King and Break Neck mountains, with a 
vista of the U. S. Military Academy at West Point in 
the distance; while before you, north and south, lies 
Newburgh Bay, a beautiful section of the picturesque 
Hudson, which offers every attraction to, the canoeist 
and boating crank. • , 
The lower floor of the building is devoted entirely 
to the storage of boats, which are launched from two 
drop bridges at the side of the building. 
From a few canoes and rowboats the boat roster 
has steadily increased, until the club now has a fleet of 
thirty-six boats, classified as follows: Three launches, 
three sloops, three catboats, ten rowboats, fourteen 
canoes and three shells, and more to follow. 
This association, organized in 1884, is therefore one 
of the oldest boat clubs of its kind in this section of 
the country; by its kind, I refer to clubs whose mem- 
bers, figuratively speaking, "paddle their own canoe." 
During the twenty years of its existence it has seen 
many vicissitudes, it has had its ups and downs, storms 
have assailed it, and were it not for skillful seaman- 
ship on the part of its promoters it would have been 
a derelict; but it has weathered the storm and is to-day 
more staunch, more seaworthy, and the "Dock Rat" 
crew are more favorably known than ever. 
Proof of this assertion is found in the sturdy mem- 
bership, in the success which attends every function 
and in the increasing number of cruising boatmen who 
visit our "retreat." 
The Dock Rat boat house has become a mecca for 
the cruising men, and the hospitality extended the 
"cruiser" has made the N. C. and B. A. most favorably 
known from the "Sound" to the St. Lawrence. 
The wandering boatman always finds a greeting, and 
the hand of fellowship is ever extended to greet the com- 
ing or speed the parting guest. 
Ask any A. C. A. man who attended the "meets" 
twenty years ago at Plum Point, Croton Point or at 
Grindstone islands. 
Ask them if they know the "Dock Rats." Ask them 
if they remember "Nate Smith," "Jim" Van Dalfsen 
or "Bunt" Edgar, and you'll start a flow of talk that 
would fill the pages of Forest and Stream all sum- 
mer. 
Ask the cruising man of later years where he stops 
when going up or down the Hudson, ask him if he 
knows the "Dock Rats" and he'll tell you that the 
whole crew of sixty-five — from Commodore Cantine 
down to the "cabin boy"- — are the jolliest rodents he 
ever met. 
Another year will probably find the "Dock Rats" in 
a home of their own. They have so outgrown their 
present quarters that a committee was appointed at 
the annual meeting to look for a site on which to build 
a modern, up to date boat house. 
The association is governed by a Board of Directors 
consisting of the five officers and four lay members. 
The newly elected Board is: Francis M. Cantine, 
Com.; Dr. W. J. Oakey, Vice-Com.; Howard A. 
Schultz, Captain; Wm. H. Smiley, Purser; Geo.' F. 
Chadborn, Treasurer; Jas. T. Van Dalfsen, Clarence B. 
Moss, Directors, two years; Fred V. Carpenter, Ber- 
tram C. Montfort, Directors, one year. 
TINCr 
Milwaukee Letter. 
Milwaukee, May 3. — Lake Michigan yachtsmen are 
in a fine stir of excitement over the prospects for this 
season, and the ordering and arrival of new yachts is 
keeping the skippers on both shores in a fever of an- 
ticipation. In the first place, the Columbia Y. C. fears 
that its hold on the Lipton trophy is precarious, and 
in order to cement the cinch Dr. F. W. Holmes, of the 
Columbians, has ordered a 21-footer, a reduced Sallje 
VII, which is being built at Gloucester. From De- 
troit com.es the report that John H. Smedley, of the 
Detroit Y. C, has a bidder for the Lipton trophy on 
the stocks somewhere, and rumors have been current 
here that R. B. Brown had ordered a cup-winner' to 
represent the Milwaukee Y. C, but Mr. Brown flatly 
denies that there is any truth in the tale, and affirms 
that he will devote his energies to Pilot this year. And 
to make his assertion good he is having Pilot changed, 
in order to improve her sail-carrying power. 
Harry Landauer, of the Milwaukee Y. C, has pur- 
chased Thistle IT, a Boston creation from the boards 
of Crowninshicld last year, and she is now on her way 
to this city. The Boston craft formerly belonged to a 
gentleman named McKinnon, who sailed very litde last 
summer, owing to the death of his father, and it was by 
the merest chance that Mr. Landauer secured the craft, 
>^ which is 34ft. Bin. over all, 7ft. sin. beam, and 21ft. 
on the water line. Charles Wild and Newell Ellis, in 
turn, purchased Vagabond from Mr. Landauer. 
The Milwaukee fleet will mourn the loss of Illinois 
this summer, as Joseph Uihlein sold her recently to 
C. S. Roberts, of the Chicago Y. C. 
The Milwaukee Y. C. has prepared a fine programme 
for its members this year, the regatta committee hav- 
ing provided amply for the real sailors, and the enter- 
tainment committee having .arranged a series of din- 
ners, concerts, dancing parties, smokers and vaudeville 
performances, which fairly makes one's mouth water. 
The opening gun was fired on the evening of April 30, 
when Commodore Vilas presided over a dinner at the 
Athletic Club. On the fallowing day, last Sunday, thf 
club house was opened with appropriate ceremonies. 
The first real race on the programme will be sailed on 
Memorial Day. 
Albert O. Trostel, of Milwaukee, is having a Sea- 
wanhaka trophy challenger built at Oshkosh, by Jones 
& LaBorde, to sail in the preliminary trials on Lake 
Winnebago, at Oshkosh, next month. Frederick Pabst 
is also having his Comet III, built late last summer, 
groomed for the same trials, and Frank Gates and F. 
H. Libbey, of Oshkosh, are also contenders in the 
trials, as they have both ordered yachts built for the 
big event. 
The Waukesha county yachtsmen are preparing for a 
lively season, with the Pewaukee Y. C. showing by far 
the most ginger. Ten members of that flourishing or- 
ganization have ordered one-design boats from La- 
Chappelle, of Pewaukee, to race in this season. When 
the craft are completely rigged and launched the ten 
skippers will draw for their perpetual ownership and 
race them all season for appropriate trophies. Pine 
Lake will be the scene of the annual regatta of the In- 
terlake Regatta Union this summer, and on that his- 
toric water the craft representing the Pewaukee, Ocono- 
mowoc Lake, Nagawicka and Pine Lake clubs will sail 
for the Pabst trophy. 
There is a possibility that automobile boats may be 
introduced here this summer by Joseph Uihlein. It is 
understood that he has been negotiating for a 70-footer 
with a speed of thirty miles an hour, to run on Lake 
Michigan. He will buy an auto yacht if he can obtain 
one which will come up to his requirements, if it can 
be delivered prior to July 4. A. W. Friese. 
Vixen II. Launched. — On Saturday, April 30, the new 
high speed steam yacht Vixen II. was launched at Morris 
Heights. " The boat was built for Mr. John D. Archbold. 
She is iiSft. over all, iT4ft. waterline, 12ft. breadth, and 
draws 4ft. 6in. The yacht is double planked, and is 
fitted with twin screw triple expansion engines and im- 
proved boilers fitted with pil fuel burners. The builders 
gu^fantee a speed of 24 miles, 
British Letter. 
A most interesting link with the past generation of 
3'achtsmen was broken at the beginning of April, when 
the death occurred at Gosport Hants of the famous old 
Clyde skipper, John Houston, of Largs. Houston was 
a contemporary of the celebrated designer and yacht 
builder, the late William Fife, Sr., of Fairlie, and it was 
while in command of that able designer's masterpiece, the 
80-ton cutter Fiona, familiarly known owing to^ the 
beauty of her lines as the Fawn o' Fairlie, that Houston 
achieved his greatest reputation. From 1865 to 1876 
Fiona was sailed by him with such skill and judgment 
that she won sixty-seven prizes, including seven Queen's 
cups, one of which, however, had to be relinquished on 
an absurd technicality. The cup referred to was won 
on the Mersey in 1866, but had to be given up because 
Fiona was protested against on the ground that her 
r;icing flag was not of the size named in the club rules. 
The total value of prizes won by her during the period 
named above exceeded £4,500, which was considered a 
very large sum in those days, and it should be stated 
that during two seasons— 1871 and 1874 — she was , not 
fitted out at all. It is safe to say that the nursing hand 
of the famous skipper was a chief factor in Fiona's 
phenomenal success, for, though a beautifully propor- 
tioned vessel, she was called upon to- sail against bigger 
and newer yachts than herself, and Houston's master 
hand at the tiller, combined with his alert intelligence, 
snatched many prizes away from faster boats during the 
latter years of her racing career. There is no doubt tlxat 
Houston was in advance of his time as regarded his ideas, 
and even in those early days he strenuously advocated 
putting the ballast outside on the keel. It is said that 
if he had had his way the old Fiona would have been so' 
fitted, in which case she would have been a far greater 
terror than she was. He, was also in favor of steering 
wheels for big yachts, as he said that handling a tiller 
in large vessels when racing threw so much strain on the 
arms as to ruin that delicacy of touch which is such an 
important factor in enabling one to determine whether 
^ vessel is in thorough trim and doing her best 
