FOREST AND STREAM 
9 
Here follows the first of Mr. Townsend’s letters : 
Fort Griffin, Texas, Sept. 1R, 1877. 
Mankind, outside of Texas, considers that the Texas and Paclflc rail- 
way pro tem terminus at Fort Worth, In the noilhern region ol this Im- 
mense State, Is the end of all things Texan. “ The Texas and rac.no 
has a paradise to open,” say the Dallaslles^but at Fort Worth you hear 
a different story, for every one there has Invested more or less In mak- 
ing that most dashing and energetic little cliy a point which they desire 
the world to consider a permanent one, and It Is said, and that by per- 
sons who know what business Is over the entire con' Inent, that Fort 
Worth has grown faster at (1 does more business for Its size thau does 
any combination of brick uud brains In the United States. 
So people lo Fort Worth, as a rule, assure you that Horace Greeley’s 
advice to go west holds good only so far West as For' Worth, and should 
a morbid craving for pursuing the selling sun irresistibly overcome the 
tourist or emigrant bound Westward to such an extent as to cuuse him 
to enter Mr. Bain's stage couch and, In Ills Ignorunee, wander to Weath- 
erford, I’alo Pinto, Breckenrldge, or, even worse, to Grllllu that admirer 
of Horace Greeley and Western skies will, when common sense reas- 
serts its sway, have lo reverse his preconceived Ideas and adopt practi- 
cally the motto, Go Gust, young man, go East ; but no further cart thau 
Foit Worth, the aforesaid j/ro tern terminus of the great Texas Padllc. 
Seeing Is believing. The cry for the extension of the Texas and Pa- 
cific Is so earnest, the absolute determination of the Texans to have at 
least an east and west line through a State larger than either France, 
Germany or Austria, and a working democratic majority existing In the 
House of Representatives who are believed as a body to hold that a 
Southern trunk line Ih due to the Interests of the country, make the 
probability of this line being quickly pushed on so stroug that I doubt 
not a slight sketch of the proposed extension for some hundreds of 
miles will be studied with Interest by many of your readers. 
I cannot say anything particularly complimentary respecting the Fort 
Worth hotel, so besides noting the fact that a new and handsome one 
Is being built I drop the subject and take a seat beside Hooper, a whip, 
formerly as well known for Ills courtesy to passengers In California and 
Oregon as latterly In Texas. A very gentlemanly gambler who does 
business In Grllllu shared the box seat with us, and behind four good 
horses we sped westward across Tarrant county, Iron ore and clay form- 
ing the not very productive soil. The Iudiau corn was black and not 
healthly looklug, but some crops of cottou were very good and 
regular, and promised a large pick In about three weeks, and some 
fair sized villas and larger fenced-ln enclosures prove that the set- 
tlers about Fort Worth are not only wealthy, but enterprising When 
It Is remembered that this proposed extension of the Texas and Paclflc 
crosses the drainage of the country, the perpetual hill and valley varia- 
tions of view that ceaselessly as pleasingly stilkethe eye at every 
changing moment, can, In such an ever undulating State as northern 
Texas, be very easily Imagined, Now we skirt the brow of a hill anti 
see white and ted Fort Worth, with Its St. Paul’s-llke court-house dome, 
from every point conspicuous ; then down Into a deep vale, through a 
thick belt of evergreeQ oaks half a mile or so wide. As we top the next 
rise eight miles behind us again appears the city aud the dome, If pos- 
sible more red and more white than before. 
Tbe valley of the Trinity River is now sighted from our road on the 
side of a hill. This valley Is covered with a low forest, except in such 
few places as long, heavily grassed lawns stretch away to the south and 
westward. Just on this spot I take my bird’s eye view from An Eng- 
lishman has, with great taste, built a comfortable villa ; behind his 
house extends for miles a heavily grassed table land prairie plateau. 
Hooper Informed me that tills Englishman claimed to be one of the Af- 
rican explorers that, wlih Stanley, fouud Livingston. This may have 
been fo, but African explorers have of late grown so numerous that, 
considering the limited number of Stanley's party when thut dashing 
~'"l ader did dud LlvlDgston I can only suppose that the digulty has been 
created In England an hereditary one, and thut os In Germany, every 
son of a baron Is a baron, so now, that every lineal descendant of a Stan- 
leylte Is an African explorer, even though he may never have been out- 
side of the State of Texas or of the city of London. If this reads 111 
natured the flics here must he blamed, for tne full complement of those 
pests Inhabit Grnin, and, besides, on a permanent sort of mother-lu-law 
visit to them are the flies that I was so cUarmed to ttnd absent all the 
summer from San Antonio. 
However, to return to the road. As we go W est In Tarrant county the 
soli gets rather thin and much Iron weed, or tansey covers, the valleys, 
which as well as the hills, besides being fulrly timber sheltered.are on a 
much larger and broader scale than those lu southwest Texas.and very 
much more so than anything oT the sort In Kansas. A. few herds of 
2,000 cattle are here In good condition, os are the lively, nice, fat-looking, 
but 111 tempered mustang horses. The limestone which everywhere 
underlies aud often crops up through the soil for hundreds of miles west 
and south of here Improves the grass as much as It dlstmproves the 
majority of the springs and water courses. Heavy rain had fallen for 
several preceding days over northern Texas, so, many creeks which, 
as a rule, are bone dry, appeared to me as quite respectable rivers. The 
first and prettiest of these— after we had forded the clear fork of the 
Trinity close to Fort Worth— Is Mary's Creek, where we change horses 
and get a fair lunch at Hunter’s. After this we ascend a steep hill and 
see Weatherford In the centre of the next county— Parker— which we 
shortly afterward enter. This county Is both richer and belter watered 
than Tarrant, which we now get out of. Lignite and fire cluy are occa- 
sionally found here. Well developed milk weeds, which when eaten 
largely of by cattle or sheep cause death, thickly stud a long prairie bot- 
tom. One stalk of this undesirable weed I found five feet high— a most 
unusual size. Willow Creek Is passed ; Weatherford, ft pretty little 
towu with a magnificent central, chlua-tree planted square, puts us up 
for the night and sweet, cleared voiced mocking birds sing us to sleep. 
Old mother Sikes, as she loves to bb called, made us all very happy 
and merry at the Sikes House In Weatherford, and after our thirty mile 
drive under a hot sun, civility and good fare are always acceptable. But 
“ There is no union here of hearts 
That flndeth not an end,” 
for next morning we had to tear ourselveB away, leaving our stage 
coach and old Mother Sikes and our pleasaut whip Hooper together, 
aud getting Into a little mall wagon with Lleut.-Col. Sirang, who was 
going dowu to this fort to sit on a court martial, and with the young 
gentleman who unceasingly courts the fickle goddess by Indulging per- 
petually In games of ohanoo here. Off we drove aCelght next morning, 
to set over as much os possible of the 100 miles that yet lay between us 
and Fort Grllhn. The Villa of the local banker, Mr. .T. R. Coutt— what 
a business he might do abroad If he ouly spelled Ills name with two t's I 
—shone respleudeut In Its new cost of paint through many pretty trees 
and shrubs as we passed It. We drove through thick post oaks; the 
hills were gravelly aud whlto lime stone, and the vales reddish sandy 
loam, aud unquestionably of great richness. About half the land was 
clear, and the rest had not more timber on It thau would be necessary 
for settlors' purposes of feuolug, etc., none of the trees being large 
enough to get fair sized planks outof. 
Having thus acqulivu a fair idea of what this county was, I turned a 
Willing ear to Col. Strang, who has been for many years Quartermaster 
at Fort Worth, aud kuowa as well as any man alive what Texas pro- 
duces and wants, for he has purchased supplies all over the State, from 
time to tlmo sluce '0T, here for government. 
“The Texas Pacific has surveys for three routes through here," he 
■aid. '* It may, for the sake of coal supply, run as far north os Graham, 
in Youngs County. Any and all of these lines are equally good, gene- 
rally, for Texas and the conn ry. Of course, there has been a great I 
deal of squabbling about tbe line of road; no town likes to be passed 
by, for, except In exceptionally rich districts, aoy town that the T. P. 
does not go to, will have to come to the T. P." 
“ You think then, Colonel, that the road’s running 1 b a certainty 7 " 
11 Certain as doom,” replied the Colonel. 
“ But about the government guarantee ? " 1 Insinuated. 
“Oh.lt doesn't amount lo anything. Sixty millions Is all that la asked 
— uot the money, only the Interest at five per cent. If the government 
give this, they have as security the entire road, the cnttic splendid land 
grant— twelve hundred miles of roid, and many millions of acres of us 
fine land as any In the world ; and then the breaking up of the largest 
and most oppressive monopoly la this or any other country— the Cent- 
ral Pacific Railroad— why that consideration a'oue should be enough for 
Congress.” 
“ Then you don't believe that Col. Tom Scott has qlready made, as 
has been said, or will make, a close compact with the Central Pacific?” 
" Not a word of It, sir. Such a thing would be a gross breach of faith 
with the country, aud with Texas. Scott would never do such a thing ; 
few know how absolutely he has carried out his coniracts, written or 
Implied, to the pnbllo. Last year,” added the Colonel, “ we Bent a regi- 
ment from St. Louis to San Francisco, one hundred and one dollars 
head was the railroad charge ; the Cculral Pacific had to take the men 
just half the way, yet that road got ninety dollars for each man, and 
the other roads, because there was competition on the Eastern half of 
the way, had to rest content with eleven dollars per man. Why, troops 
could be sent to the south of Mexico for the money." 
“Mexico, Colonel, what do you think of that business? " 
“ I lived there for three year#,’ said the Colonel, slowly, “ the country 
Is getting poorer and worse every year, and I have long been certain 
hat If we don't snuex Northern Mexico, and establish a protectorate 
over the rest of It, that England or France will some time do so, and 
seriously affect our tra de.” 9. N dqekt Townsend. 
GAME PROTECTION. 
—The Saginaw (Mich . ) Protection Club, which has been 
organized only six months, has already accomplished much in 
preventing the unlawful slaughter of game in its section of the 
State. Its members are active in promoting a proper public 
sentiment on the subject. 
— .#■ . 
Montreal Fish and Game Protection Club. — At the 
meeting Jan. 29th, the following officers were elected for the 
ensuing year: Pres., R. W. Kelly; Vicc-Pres., F. J. Brady; 
Sec., A. N. She wan; Treas., W. H. Rintoul ; Committee, 
McPh. Lemoine, H. W. King, F. E. Normaudeau, J. C. Wil- 
son, R. A Alloway, R. White, F. W. L. Penton, George A. 
Ahern, D. Sinclair, M. Leach, G. Bourdeau, Louis Depuis. 
It was then decided that the club shall hold its first annual 
dinner at the City Club on Wednesday, February 6th. The 
annual dinner was held last evening, a large number of gentle- 
men being present. 
OKe'z 3 63445445 4—41 
Q5>ee a 4 3 0 5 6 a 5 4 8-40 
A few others made less than an average of centres (4), whose 
scores are omitted. On Friday eveuing, Feb. 1, distance 100 
feet, off hand ; sub calibre rifles. Targets saute as Zettlers use. 
New York Rifle Club.— At a special meeting of the 
New York Ritle Club, held on Thursday evening, January 31 
rit the call of the Executive Committee, it was resolved' 
“that the club enter a team to shoot for the Forest and 
Stream trophy, and that such team lie selected by competi- 
tions, to take place on Monday ami Thursday evenings each 
week,” until the selection has been made. Thu first competi- 
tion under the above resolution, will occur on Monday even- 
ing, February 4. John H. Meeker, Secretary. 
Newark, Wayne County, N. Y., Feb. 2.— The regular 
competition for the champion's badge too*k place on the 200- 
yard range of the Amateur Club, Jan. 30. The following are 
the scores : & 
EB Elliott 5 4 5 4 4 4 4 4 4 lllS 
WHNlcholoy 344444443 4—38 
U HauiUton ... 4 a 4 3 4 8 4 4 6 4 ^ 
Elcho. 
Omo—Cinciniuiti, Jan. 21.— The following scores were 
made by the rifle team of the Cincinnati Shooting and Fishing 
Club, on tbe 26th ult. Our club would like to know how this 
score stands as compared with others at 200 yards, off-hand 
Let us hear from the other “ trigger pullers." Three of our 
best shots absent on a quail shoot in Kentucky: 
Ba“ m 5 4466445464454 6-67 
Scdatn 4 4 6 4 4 5 6 4 4 8 4 4 5 4 4 — AS 
Eaton 4 4 4 4 5 f I ft I I 5 f 4 3 6-w 
Campbell 3 4844444445444 4-69 
Total 
Average of «3*f In a possible 76. 
866 
O B. E. 
Deseret Rifle Club— S< z& Lake City. Jan. 24.— The fol- 
lowing is the result of the Deseret Rifle Club shooting for the 
medal, John Sharp, Jr., winning for the fourth time. Should 
Mr. Ross win five times the medal will become his nroDertv 
Off-Hand at 200 yards : 1 P 
John Sharp, Jr. .. 
Jurnes Sharp 
Joint GroeHDeck . 
EMcLougulm 
W K Courad 
J Heuaser 
B Roberts 
J C Anderson 
5 64446554 8—44 
.3 5 4466444 4—49 
4 45444444 4—41 
1 46443444 6—41 
.3 44463444 4_3o 
.3 46444344 4—39 
1 44254444 4—39 
.4 84864443 4—88 
Pickard, Jr. 
—The Board of Directors of the National Ritle Association 
held a meeting on Tuesday. The spring meeting will open at 
Creedmoor Thursday, May 23. A convention of the rifle clubs 
at that time is proposed. 
The Ballard Rifle.— The excellence of the Ballard rifle 
we have frequently commented upon in our columns as nn 
arm fitted not only for hunting, but for the most accurate 
target practice. In the contest for the Forest and Stream and 
THE FOREST AND STREAM AND ROD 
AND GUN TOURNAMENT 
For the Short-Range Championship 
And three team medah. which will be awarded to the teams 
making the first, second and third best scores. Other prizes 
will be offered also, to take place at Coni in’s shooting 
gallery. Open to teams from any organized rifle club. 
Conditions— Teams— Bach team shall consist of ten men. The teams 
participating must be composed of members of the various clubs 
which they represent. Rifles— Limited to ten pounds in weight ; mini- 
mum pull of trigger, three pounds ; .22-100 cal. Teams can furnish 
their own rifles and ammunltiou, or use those at the gallery, as they 
may desire. Number of Shots— Teu by eaob competitor. Sighting 
Shots— Two shots will be allowed each competitor. Position— Off- 
hand. Targets— 200-ysr<ls targets, according to the regulations of the 
N. K. A. reduced In proportion to the range at the gallery. Practice— 
No practice allowed on tbe day of the match. Entrance Fee— Five 
dollars to be paid at the efllce of the Forest and Stream and Rod 
and Gun, No. Ill Fulton street, N. Y. All teams desiring to compete 
must be entered ten days before the time the match Is announced to 
take place. Tne match to be governed by the rules of the N. R. A. 
relating to teams. Captains of the competing teams shall meet one 
week before the commencement of the match, make all preliminary 
arrangements, choose referees, and decide In what order their respect- 
ive teams shall shoot. The referees shall elect an umpire, whose de- 
cision In all cases shall beflual. 
The match will commence on Monday, March 11. 
The New York Hlfle Club have entered a team to compete for the 
Short Range Championship In the Forest and Stream and Rod and 
Gun Tournament. 
Rod and Gun medal at Schutzeu Park, reported in our last 
issue, Mr. M. W. Farrow made, in ten shots, 204 with 
a Ballard, leading “ by a large majority " the best muzzle- 
loaders. This high score has been equalled and sometimes 
surpassed by Mr. Farrow with a Ballard. In the competition 
for the Zettler team, in making a choice of men, Mr. Farrow 
has scored iff ten shots 216, 214 and 220. In examining the 
records of the Ballard at Creedmoor we lind most excellent 
scores for this rifle, as the following analysis will show : 
Competition for American Team. 
SOO yds. 900 yds. 
August 7 06 os 
August S 14 67 
Competition for Canada Team. 
August 22 70 04 
August 23 63 OS 
August 29 71 60 
Practice Score. 
1,000 yds. 
66 
68 
TT 
2(i0 
209 
September 16 73 09 73 8I4 
Spirit 0 / the Times Match. 
September 28 07 03 n 201 
Sharps Match. 
Octobers. 72 61 63 lgfi 
Bronze Medal Match. 
October 27 67 ^ 48 os 203 
November IT 62 It 67 201 
December 16 ?l 72 cl 204 
Match to Beat a High Score with a Brandu-new Ballar .1, Never Used 
Before. 
Jauuary 9 74 71 80 jh 
Among the earliest manufactured of breech-loading rifles, 
the Ballard soon occupied n prominent position, which place 
Boston, Feb. 1.— At the rifle gallery, 655 Washington 
street, the following scores were made for a Smith & Wesson 
revolver : 
JN Carvalho 4 6 5 6 5 4 3 5—33 
F Hollis 4 4 5 6 6 6 4 6—37 
I) F Small 4 4 4 4 5 5 4 6—35 
J Fitzpatrick 5 4 6 6 4 4 4 4—35 
N W Arnold 4 4 4 5 5 6 4 4—35 
E C Spaflbrd 4 5 6 6 4 4 4 4—30 
N W CO veil 4 4 6 5 4 6 3 4—34 
J E Gore 4 4 5 6 4 ft 4 C— 34 
UG French 4 4 5 5 4 5 4 8—34 
it has ever since retained. The agents for the Ballard rifle— 
Messrs. Shoverling & Daly — are daily in receipt, as we are 
ourselves, of communications from sportsmen, in which the 
excellence of this rifle is particularly stated. 
Penetration. — With a Ballard, 23, during an evening's use, 
at Collins' gallery, the balls penetrated through a six-inch 
thick piece of lead, backed up by a bit * f boiler plate J-inch 
thick. The charge of the Ballard metallic shell is three grains 
powder ; weight of ball, 23 grains. 
Zettler Rifle Club.— A t the weekly meeting of this 
club, January 29, in ten shots, Creedmoor target, 
form, in a possible 59 the following scores were made 
reduced 
G AShurman 
W M Farrow 
G L Beatcs 
Yorkville Rifle Club— Neio York, Feb. 2, 1878. — The 
following are the scores of the Yorkville Rifle Club, at the 
fifth competition for the champion gold badge, ut Washington 
Park, Jan. 26th, 100 yards: 
P McMorrow Rem. Sport 45544446444334 4—01 
J J Reilly Win. Sport 485443464 6 3 444 4-60 
K Kilos el Reui. Sport 43461424444444 4— 6s 
J K i.rolimati Ball. Sport 444643430044 ft 2 4—50 
\V W Dodge Rem. Sport 2 2 343353342 2 44 4-48 
Six entries only, probably on account of foggy weather. 
Also, third weekly shoot, at 1581 Third ave. (Grohmann’s). 
Rifle, Ballard gallery ; 22 cal. 
J RGrohman 
P McMorrow. 
566468544 5— «5 
3. 46466538 6—42 
DOUBLE-BARREL RIFLES. 
TI7E EXPRESS RIFLE. 
Editor Forest and Stream : 
Mr. T. S. Van Dyke, in your paper of the 17th ult,, does not seem to 
be aware of the great success which has attended the Introduction of 
Express rifles, for daogerous canto shooting, Into India and Africa 
They sre now used almost universally, 'having superseded all large, 
bore and explosive ball rifles or lion ami tiger shooting (there must bo 
some thousands of them In u*e In India alone), being found to be more 
Instantaneously fatal— a great point In tiger shooting. Having killed 
some thirty grizzlies lu the Far West during nine years' hunting, and 
having used several kinds of large-bore rifles, with explosive shells 
and without, 1 have oome to the conclusion that the Express ride Is far 
preferable In many respects. In the first place, It has a praetlcully flat 
trujectory for 20o yards, doing away with any necessity forjudging dis- 
tances; then, too, it makes only one hole In the skin, generally lodging 
against the ribs on the opposite side, and lastly Its effect Is simply 
awful, the ball spreading to at least twelve times Us foimer size. I 
have frequently found the Inside of deer reduced to u palp, aud small 
