Nov. 25, 1905.] 
FOREST AND STREAM 
437 
man of the Styx with anything but melodious accom- 
paniment. 
Here the governor, as the host is frequently called, ex- 
plained to his wife that the term “Sassan” was applied to 
the carp in the regions of the Caspian Sea, where it was 
found in great numbers. At this explanation the madame 
smiled and responding, said: 
“I really was under the impression that you were 
giving me a sprinkling of Attic salt, and I thought it 
would simply be a Roland for an Oliver by giving you a 
little pepper.” 
And with a liberal indulgence in some more substantial 
and delicacies, with coffee and choice \yine, our carp din- 
ner ended, not only delightfully but instructively, with its 
total abolishment from my host’s larder. He was a bon 
vivant and believed in an enjoyable menu. 
In connection with the above I will present a few 
figures for consideration and analysis in regard to the 
reproductivity of this fish, which exceeds by seventy-five 
per cent, that of any other fish. To illustrate, a Carp 
weighing 4 or 5 pounds contains on an average 400,000 to 
500,000 eggs, and some statements go much higher; Say,-.^ 
for instance, that from one carp at least twO fish will 
survive. Now, take 1,000,000 carp, half of them being '’ 
females, and the increase the first year would be i,ooo,ooo; 
Now, on the compound interest system tll6 figures 
would stand for first five years at 64,000,000, for ten years 
the number would be 2,048,000,000. Again at fifteen years ■' 
it would reach the enormous amount Of 18,384,000,000. 
We now close the statement for twenty years, as' the 
amount seems to grow so rapidly as to almost’ carry it 
beyond calculation. The figures are startling and amount 
to 1,181,276,000,000. With our Great Lakes of the North- 
west containing, as a starter, 1,000,000 carp, of which thfere ’ 
is evidently a much greater number in them now, 'you can 
probably, if the numbers are not confusing, realize what 
they will contain twenty .years hence if theiakes will-only 
hold them, and on that we have not figured. This is 
simply m'athemalics ‘.thatT-establishes the facts and figures 
beyond dispute. 
Having taken up mathematics to prove the dangerous . 
results of carp propagation -to our Great Lakes we will 
solve another problem as to its dire effects commercially, , 
and this came authoritatively in conversing with an 
official of the Grand Rapids & Indiana Railway at Grand 
Rapids, Mich., previous to my departure for the fishing 
banks and streams of the Northwest. I questioned him 
as to the number of anglers that annually took- the-tr-aln , 
over his railway. He stated that 10,000 would be near 
the figure. Now, each one of these would, on an average, 
spend .$40 for their rail fare, which would make a total of 
$400,000. Exclusive of this amount their expenditures 
fbr the trip averaging a stay of a month, would be for 
each about $150, aggregating a total of $1,500,000. The 
gum total of the two would make an aggregate of 
$1,900,000. Fully three-fourths of this would be lost to 
the railways, hotels, boarding houses, guides, boatmen, 
etc., if the carp reaches its culmination as foreshadowed 
by the figures above and rules supreme, which it assur- 
edly would over the lakes and the rivers^ tributary 
thereto. This is only the loss that would be entailed 
through one railway, and now we leave it to you to figure 
oh the other railways which radiate through_ other parts 
of the territory occupied by -these lakes and rivers. When 
you come to fully realize on this enormous loss I don’t 
think you will find any profits to realize on by the intro- 
duction of the carp to this country. It is a base alien 
that has nothing to recommend it, not even its edibility. 
Are we therefore to tamely submit to this outrage which 
bids fair to destroy our magnificent game and toothsome 
fishes ? 
Some men are apt to prefer error to fact; Their pre- 
judice is like the spider that makes everywhere its home. 
It has neither taste nor choice of place, and all that it 
requires is room. If the one prepares her food by poison- 
ing it to her palate and her use, the other does the same. 
Prejudice, therefore, may be denominated the spider of' 
the mind. Whatever excites the spirit of contradiction 
is capable of producing the last effects of heroism, which 
is only the highest pitch of obstinacy in a good or bad 
cause, in wisdom or folly. 
. One of the greatest losses we deplore — and it .will - 
occur with the increase of carp — is the delights of the . 
angle, the contemplative man’s recreation. Many thou- 
sands of our citizens will lament with us this prospective 
calamity. 
■ No sport embraces so extensive a literature nor has 
been so enthusiastically considered as that which descants 
upon the 
“Dancing cork' and bending reed,” 
or which treats of the fascinations accompanying the 
poetic pastime of the ardent angler. Beyond all other 
recreations it is the most idyllic and most, satisfying. It 
brings the angler into close and intimate communion with 
nature. It takes him into flowery meadows and shady 
woods ; by the side of murmuring brooks, silver cascades 
and crystal rivers ; through deep ravines and into valleys 
clothed in vernal beauty and made vocal with rippling 
•water's and the warbling of feathered songsters. It is a 
fragrance of tenderness and of mild, soothing peace. “It 
lias been so for us since Izaak Walton sang its beatific, 
praises, and made its home classical for all ears and 
hearts. lie has made fishing the type of the gentle mind 
that finds, even in the midst of hot and angry tumults, a 
refuge for quiet homes and a haunt of peace by happy 
river sides.” - . 
The very memory of it will ever keep me from despair, 
and all my life I shall thank God that I have often known 
its gentle touch to lead me to the heights I never could 
reach without it, and to replace my doubt and unbelief 
with a simple reverent trust. And now to think that this 
delicious pastime is in jeopardy is enough to make the 
very angels weep. Alex. Starbucic. 
Old Man Bassford and the Shatk, 
■' It was at one of the swell Florida hotels, where the 
bell boys hand back, with a lofty air of disdain, any tip 
under a dollar. How old man Bassford blew into such 
:m atmosphere I don’t -know, but he got there some way! 
Some one had caught an 18-foot man-eating shark, and it 
had been hauled upon the dock in front of the t^otel. 
The hotel guests were grouped around it as thick as' bees. 
The great fish was resting upon its belly, its great mouth 
hidden from view. 
Mr. Bassford approached the guide, who had the fish in 
charge', and insisted that the shark be turned over. The 
guide hesitated to gO to the trouble and wanted to know 
why Mr. Bassford wanted to see the face of the shark. 
“Why,” replied Bassford, “I want to see if he- looks 
like our hotel manager.” 
That settled it, and the assembled guests seconded Mr. 
Bassford’s request. - Charles Cristadoro. 
The Carp Question^ — A Suggestion. 
The controversy “fur and agin the carp” may be ex- 
pected to last for some years, and to furnish satisfaction 
for advocates of either side. Meanwhile, those of us who 
really know about the carp will keep in mind two salient 
points, irrespective of the controversy. 
(1) The carp is an excellent food fish. 
(2) The carp in some waters disturbs the balance of 
nature in such a way as to make him a nuisance in those 
particular waters; 
I have a suggestion to make in reference to the -second 
point. ■ The jackfish (Esox lucius) is common in Cana- 
dian waters, and can be introduced much farther south 
without trouble.. The jackfish frequently attains a size of 
more than 20 pounds — sometimes nearly double that. It 
is a very fine fish for the table, and individuals above' 10 
pounds weight require skill in the capture. The jackfish 
lives - harmoniously enough with trout and bass in many 
waters to-day. Its favorite food consists of members of 
the carp family, and in trout and salmon waters I have 
usually found suckers in the stomachs of jackfish caught 
there. Sometimes a jackfish will pick up a game ■fish, but 
like most race horses, he is naturally lazy, and > would 
rather, walk, than run. His favorite lurking place is 
among the weeds in shallow water, and let a carp beware 
-if he se-eks to -eat ..up the house of the proprietor of any 
given Weed patch. - My belief is that the jackfish intro- 
duced into waters disturbed by an overplus of carp would 
restore the balance of nature in those waters, without at 
the same time becoming a nuisance himself. The reason 
for this belief is founded upon the facts of the known 
relation between jackfish and other game fish in waters 
in which they exist together naturally in Canada at pres- 
ent, and also upon the fact that the European jackfish 
; keeps in proper- .balance in waters where he and game 
fish and carp- have lived together for centuries. I would 
experiment with the jackfish not only in “carp infested” 
w-aters, but also in waters where the common pickerels 
(Esox reticufatus and fasciatus) have been introduced to 
the detriment of game fish. In the Adirondacks and 
in Maine the jackfish might be expected to eat up pickerel 
and suckers, and to allow the return of trout to waters 
where the pickerels have played havoc. Even where the 
jackfish did destroy some game fish, he would give the 
fisherman a quid pro quo in his great size, fine table 
qualities and character as a fish fairly belongings in the 
game fish list. . Robert T. Morris. 
New York, Nov. 16. 
The New York Chief Protectot. 
Editor Forest and Stream: 
The New York Evening Post says this evening ,(Nov. 
20) that John B. Burnham, of Essex county, is in line for 
-appointment to the office of Chief Game Protector, and 
that he will be appointed as ordinary protector in order 
to familiarize himself with the duties of the head office 
and prepare for the necessary civil service examination. 
If Mr. Burnham is appointed to the office by Commis- 
sioner Whipple we can rest assured that everything pos- 
sible will be done to stop the disregard of the State game 
and fish laws which has prevailed in the Adirondacks for 
time out of mind. Mr. Burnham is better fitted for that 
office than anyone I know of. His journey into and out 
of Alaska on skis, in a paper canoe and with dogs shows 
the kind of physique which will make him the leader in 
expeditions after crusters, and his woodcraft knowledge 
is such that he will be able to hunt out the miserable 
crew that jack and hound deer contrary to law, and, 
w'orse yet, contrary to the best interests of Adirondack 
game protection. 
Anyone who has followed Mr. Burnham’s articles in 
your paper knows that he is a rvoodsman, able with his 
rifle, ax and snow shoes — and that kind of a man is 
needed to direct and lead the movements of the game pro- 
tectors of the State. 
Mr. Whipple’s choice of Mr. Burnham for Chief Game 
Protector is the best indication we have that the Adiron- 
dack region is in the hands of a man who intends to pro- 
tect it from the men who have for years back spoiled the 
State’s fairy land of nature. 
I don’t agree with Mr. Whipple in his belief that there 
is nothing to worry about in regard to lost State lands, 
but I do heartily agree with him if he puts the protection 
of the State’s game up to Mr. Burnham. I hope and 
belieA'e that this will remove one cause of anxiety which 
has festered the hearts of the nature lovers of the State. 
Raymond S. Spears. 
Ktngfish at Miami. 
'I'he Miami Metropolis of Nov. 13 reports: The 
.scarcity of kingfish is proving an unsolvable enigma- to the 
local fishermen, who state that never before have they 
been known to be so late in making their appearance in 
these waters. On one or two occasions small schools 
of them have been seen and a few captured, but in the 
last week they have been totally absent. Last night Capt. 
Albert Hienkle went to sea in the Seminole and this 
morning made several trips over the fishing ground, but 
failed to get a strike or even see one of the game mon- 
sters. He was successful, however, in capturing several 
mackerel, and a number of amberjacks and barracudas. 
All communications for Forest and Stream must he 
directed to. Forest and Stream Pub. Co., New York, to 
reeeh'f attenHotu We hc^e ng pthfr oMcg, 
— • — 
The Houseboat and its Uses. 
In England the term houseboat is familiar enough, 
for houseboats have been in use there for about fifty 
j^ears; but in this country comparatively few people 
know what a houseboat is. Not because houseboats 
have not long existed here, however, for a hundred 
years ago our forefathers used to journey down the 
Ohio and again down the Mississippi in arks or flat- 
boats, which differed in no essential particular from the 
simpler houseboats of to-day. The addition of power 
to the houseboat and its use as a pleasure craft, are 
modern developments. 
Under the title “.Houseboats and Houseboating,” Mr. 
Albert Bradlee Hunt has brought- together a great 
amount of interesting and useful information concern- 
ing houseboats and the manner of living on them. 
The purpose of the volume is three-fold; he wishes to 
make known the opportunities- that American waters 
afford for the enjoyment of life on the' houseboat; to 
set. forth the developments which houseboating has at- 
tained in this country, and most of all, to so picture 
the advantages of the houseboat and the attractions of 
life on it that larger numbers of people may be led to 
prove for themselves its comforts and its pleasures. 
“The houseboat already has a place on many waters of 
the United States from Casco Bay to the Golden Gate; 
from the St. Lawrence to Lake Worth; and with every 
season the boats are increasing in numbers and grow- 
ing in favor. Permanent popularity is assured, for the 
houseboat possesses qualities which are lasting in their 
appeal. Houseboating is .simple and domestic. In it 
are combined life on the water, and that home life 
which we care the most for.” 
It seems an odd thing that this is the first volume 
ever written about houseboats, -and at would seem-, as if 
it were so complete as to leave no room for any future 
volume unless unexpected im'provements and dis;Coveries 
shall be made in this connection. ■ The book is a 
compendium of the architecture ok the houseboat, giv- 
ing beautiful pictures* of different types of these vessels 
in different situations, and giving as well, -by means of 
plans and diagrams, such full information as to their 
lines, interior divisions and general arrangements, that 
any builder — one might even- say, any...carpentex— could 
construct one from these plans. The illustrations in- 
clude houseboats in England and in America, power 
houseboats and immobile houseboats. ■ There is a chapter 
on gasolene power *for houseboats. 
To the women attracted to the 'subject and to many 
of the men, the most attractive chapters in this inter- 
esting volume will be the ones which deal- with life on 
the houseboat. The pictures of the interiors show all 
descriptions of rooms, from the plainest bunk room to 
the most luxurious fittings with open fireplaces. In 
many houseboats there are on the lower deck kitchens, 
boiler rooms, laundries and bath rooms; above are the 
bedrooms and living rooms, which may be as attractive 
as the means of the owner can make'them. Mr. Hunt’s 
chapter on Interior Fittings and Furnishing is very 
suggestive. 
Each hoLiseboater has his own ideas of- the joys of 
houseboat life, but interesting at this season of the 
3^eai5 when the winds blow chill and the dried leaves are 
chasing one another in a whirl across the. fields and 
heaping themselves up in the fence corners, is this pic- 
ture of houseboating in Florida: “During the season, 
beautiful Lake Worth at any moment . during the day 
presents a pretty sight, with the many electric launches 
swiftly sailing in all directions, and with a half-dozen 
houseboats moored along the channel of the lake. At 
night these boats, with their electric lights and the dis- 
tant lights of West Palm Beach, add greatly to the 
charms of the walk along the lake or front avenue. It 
is all verv well to drift lazily in one’s own boat and 
moor where one will; but it is an uncommonly pleasant 
thing to moor among other houseboats, to exchange 
social amenities, to meet other idlers informally under 
the gay awnings on summer afternoons, or in the 
moonlight to listen to the twang of guitars, the lilt 
of a girl’s voice, the shiver of cracked ice against the 
glasses, to watch the expert handling of a chafing dish, 
to dance cakewalks down between the palms and 
flowers under the swaying Japanese lanterns; to be 
highly gregarious for a time, and then to go idling 
on, leaving conventions and social obligations behind. 
They do that sort of thing down on the Indian River; 
and since the time when the late Pierre Lorillard towed 
the first houseboat into those waters, a whole fleet of 
craft has sprung up, ranging in importance from, boats 
little more pretentious than the shanty boats of the 
Ohio to floating homes, equipped with every con- 
venience and luxury. Many of them represent an outlay 
of about $500, while others will run up into the thou- 
sands, and are as spacious and luxurious in appoint- 
ment as money can make them.” 
Compare with that picture one of the sportsman, who 
has his inexpensive houseboat on western lake or river, 
a craft which serves as a place for eating and sleeping, 
and is sternly practical and free from luxury; for one 
great beauty of the houseboat is that it may be made 
to fit the purse of the poor man or of the very rich; the 
cost may be trifling or it may be great. 
A very interesting subject to Southern travelers is a 
description of the inside route to Florida by Capt. 
Thomas I. Smith, giving distances, charts with details 
as to canals, buoys and various matters of expense, which 
will be a positiv*e help to any man who wishes to go to 
Florida by water, 
d'o the man already possessing a houseboat, the pres- 
ent volume is not less interesting than to him who con- 
templates building one. No two of these crafts are 
alike, and each one has some wrinkle or peculiarity of 
its own which is worth adapting on some other craft. 
Life on the houseboat seems to give that independ- 
ence for which we are all working and slaving, for after 
all, a great fortune, the goal of the average American’s 
ambition, is desired merely because the man wishes to 
feel that he can do. just what he pleases. The man witli, 
a -small income, obliged annually to face the suintner 
