April, 1920 
FOREST AND STREAM 
183 
and securing them in the wagons, we 
proceeded leisurely, much interested in 
the queer proceeding. 
Parenthetically, the sandhill crane is 
brown in color, nearly as tall as its white 
cousin, but lacks its soaring propensities, 
making up for that aerial faculty, how- 
ever, by its agility of leg action. It is 
also more gregarious in its habits, and is 
more interested in terrestrial matters 
than in heavenward ambitions and as- 
pirations. 
But to return to our muttons. As we 
slowly approached them, the cranes con- 
tinued their Terpsichorean exercises, 
which seemed, in a measure, to be akin 
to an old contra dance or cotillion, as 
they moved stately and dignified as they 
twisted and moved their long legs 
through the mazes of such figures as for- 
ward and back, dos-a-dos, allemand left; 
and then the couples would face each 
other as they elevated their long bills, 
and flapping their wings, would gyrate 
and squirm much in the same way as the 
“shimmy” of today. I have a suspicion 
that the originator of such dances as 
the tango, fox trot and camel walk, must 
at some time or other have witnessed a 
crane dance. 
The dogs had been eager and excited 
spectators of the grotesque performance, 
and when we approached within less 
than a hundred yards the bob-tail pointer 
slipped his leash, leaped from the wagon 
and ran with all speed to take part in 
the exercises; but the cranes, thoroughly 
alarmed, bounded into the air with^hoarse 
and raucous cries. Then Bob, true to his 
training dropped to wing — a bob-tail 
flush! The cranes, now, with set and 
motionless wings, their long legs sticking 
straight out behind, sailed away over the 
boundless prairie like a squadron of 
monoplanes in a transcontinental race. 
During my residence at Oconomowoc I 
prepared the manuscript for the Book 
of the Black Bass. Up to that time there 
was but little information available con- 
cerning the scientific or life history of the 
black bass, and nothing of any moment 
regarding it in the books on angling. 
Neither Herbert, Brown, Scott or Norris 
had any experience in black bass fishing. 
Robert B. Roosevelt, in one of his books 
alludes to fishing for black bass in St. 
Lawrence river, and in Canada, by troll- 
ing. 
Therefore, as stated in my book, it was 
written in order to give the black bass its 
proper place among game-fishes, and to 
create among anglers, and the public gen- 
erally, an interest in a fish that had not 
been appreciated as its merits deserved, 
because of the lack of suitable tackle for 
its capture on one hand, and lack of in- 
formation regarding its habits and eco- 
nomic value on the other. At the pres- 
ent day, however, my prediction that the 
black bass would eventually become the 
favorite game-fish of America has been 
verified, and my declaration that it was 
“Inch for inch and pound for pound the 
gamest fish that .swims” has been ac- 
kowledged. 
W HEN Charles Hallock founded 
Forest and Stream in 1873 a new 
era in the gospel of outdoor recrea- 
tion was established, and a new literature 
for its propaganda was begun. The 
magazine was a popular favorite from 
the start. It came just when it was 
needed, and sportsmen and lovers of Na- 
ture responded with enthusiasm, and con- 
tributed freely to its columns. Taking 
advantage of the happy state of affairs 
I became a contributor under the pen 
name of “Oconomowoc,” and began at 
once to champion the cause of the black 
bass. In addition to giving some infor- 
mation concerning its habits and charac- 
teristics, both as a game-fish and as a 
food-fish, I contributed a number of arti- 
cles describing the proper tackle to be 
used by the angler for its capture. 
At that time there was no article on 
fishing tackle made especially for black 
bass angling, except the trolling spoon, 
which, however, had been invented by 
Buell, for pickerel fishing in the lakes of 
western New York. There was no bait- 
rod or fly-rod then made for game-fish of 
less than twelve feet long and corre- 
spondingly heavy. In one article I gave 
the dimensions and specifications for the 
“Coming Black Bass Bait Rod” as I 
termed it, which was a radical and pro- 
nounced departure in fishing rods of that 
day, being but little more than eight feet 
long and but eight ounces in weight in 
ash and lancewood, or seven ounces in 
split-bamboo, thus lopping off four feet 
and considerable weight as compared with 
the rods of the period. 
I made my own rods at that time, and 
took one of my improved bait rods with 
me on a visit to New York, and showed 
it to the principal tackle dealers of the 
city, in order to convince them of the 
great need of such a rod by the black 
bass anglers of the middle west, and to 
endeavor to induce them to put such a 
rod on the market. They one and all ex- 
pressed themselves in much the same 
way regarding my efforts. 
“It is a nice little rod,” they said, 
“well-balanced and quite supple, and 
would make a pretty fair rod for cun- 
ners, but entirely too light and limber 
for black bass.” 
“Hundreds of anglers in Kentucky and 
southern Ohio and Indiana would gladly 
purchase such a rod,” I replied, “if they 
had the opportunity.” 
“Well,” they said, “there is no demand 
for such a rod, but we would gladly make 
it to order, but it would not justify us to 
put in stock.” 
“Very well,” I answered, “I will create 
a demand for it; but if you should get 
an order for one you will find the specifi- 
cations for its construction in my article 
(continued on page 217) 
Ice-boat sailing furnished great sport and was attended with many thrills during winter days at Oconomowoc, Wisconsin 
