lO 
-A^pril 3 
LIB ^AB'Y TAB LE. 
Blackwood's for March gives us a fine old Tory notice of 
“Lord Lytton’s Speeches, ’ in which hie political abUity and 
honesty are pressed on onr attention, while his literary 
career, by which the world knows him best, is passed lightly 
over. “ Andromache, the daughter of Priam,” is an aesthetic 
review of the use made of these famous heroines m tragic 
art with a comparison of Greek and French drama. “ A 
Dog Without a Tail” is a feeble attempt at pathetic humor. 
“ The Abode of Snow" continues the narrative of travel in the 
Himalayas. “The Prospects of the Session” is political 
prophecy, chiefly in relation to English home affairs. The 
article is, of course, Tory in spirit, and it is amusing to see 
the audacity with which the writer chims the “Improvements 
in Towns” legislation as a specialty of Tory rule. 
Pkn’x Monthly for Apr J gives us “ The Election of Police 
Magistrates,” of local meaning to Philadelphia; “National 
Educatiou,” continuation ; “ The Relative Morals of City and 
County.” After comparing the urban and rural habits of life 
it leaves us rather in doubt as to whether it is not better to 
leave either and try the other. “ Biography, ’ a short pithy 
essay on the influence of individual character in fornjing 
manners and shaping events “ The Glacial Epoch” allows 
ns to infer that the writer is disinclined to accept the theory 
of a great ice age iu world history. 
Geobge Stissox i Co., Art Publishers of Portland, Maine, 
have issued a large steel engraving (size 23 by 30 inches) call- 
ed “ The Little Orphans Dream. ’ The engraving is by Mr 
A. H. Ritchie, well known as a good engraver ou steel, and is 
after one of Reinhart’s famous paintings. The eugraving is 
new — just finished, and now, fur the first time, before the 
pubUc, and both the subject and the work entitle it to a place 
in the family picture gallerv. 
Sapto^us. 
The name of Dr. Betliune where known is held in 
reverence by all true sportsmen, as it is of good Chris- 
tians. One of his favorite haunts was named by him 
in a moment of pleasantry, “ Saptogus,” and the fol- 
lowing lines were written by him and now made public 
by Dr. J. Wheaton Smith; 
Oh» for the rush of our darling stream, 
With its strips of virgin meadow; 
For the morning beam, and the evening gleam 
Through the deep forest shadow. 
For our doveiike tent; with wblle wings bent, 
To shield as from the weather. 
And the fragrant bed of hemlock spread, 
Whore we sleep in peace together. 
Oh. for the pare and sitilcss wild. 
Far from the city's pother. 
Where the spirit mild of nature's child, 
On the breast of his holy mother, 
In the silence sweet may bear the beat 
01 her loving heart and tender, 
Nor wish to change the screen wood range 
For worldly pomp and splendor! 
Ohl for the laugh of the merry loon! 
For the chant of the fearless thrushes I 
Who pipe their tune to sun and moon. 
In clear and liquid gushes! 
For the roar of floods, and the echoing woods, 
And the whispering above us 
Of the twilight breeze, ihrougb the trembling trees. 
Like words of those who love os. 
Oh, for the cast with shrilly whist 
Of goldeu wing and hackle, 
The ready twist of the thrilling wrist. 
The strain of rod and tackle ; 
The gallant play of the silver prey, 
Reel spinning as they ask it; 
And the angler's pride, when by his side, 
They All the ample basket. 
Oh, that the willow's leaf were free, 
And the dog^vood were in flower, 
When the ‘heartbound three* once more might be 
Within the forest bower; 
We three who know, where'er we go, 
All other sports are bogus. 
Compared with those thy haunts disclose, 
Thy secret haunts, ‘Saptogus!* 
HmEOPUGryE.— This is the name given to a compound for ren- 
dering staffs water-proof, and which has been adopted by some of 
the m .St extensive manufacturers in France. The plan is to take 
two vesseU of the capacity of five gallons each, placing in one 22 
pounds of alum, and in the other 9 pounds oleic acid and gal- 
lons alcohol. This is stirred well, and poured into the first vessel, 
using a wooden ladle, and hiirring for ten minnies afterward. After 
the mixture has stood twenty-four hours, the oleic acid and alcohol 
floating on the top are decanted, the precipitate thrown upon a felt- 
filter, and the liquid pressed out. The precipitate is then dried at 8fi 
degrees, and rolled into a powder. In using it, it is dissolved in 130 
times its weight of warm water for woolen stuffs, while for linen, 
cotton, or silk, lf)0 times the weight is used. The solntion is fil- 
tered through linen and the stuffs plunged into it; after being well 
soaked they are taken out, wrung thoroughly, then soaked a second 
time, and finally taken out and dried either in the air or before 
a fire. 
It is bepokted that duck siiooting is quite brisk in the lower 
Susquehanna, the Chesapeake Bay, the Potomac, etc. 
LETTERS FROM SPORTSMEN. 
Northern New Hamoshire 
Westox, Vt., ilarch 23, 
Editor OF Rod axd Grx: 
Any sportsman who has ever spent a few weeks in the wilds of 
Northern New Hampshire, would have appreciated our tiip of three 
week last fall, among the Fur Fin and Featherof the Hagaloway. We 
were three in number, Mr. H . , Frank, and your bumble servant. W e 
started from our little village home in Vermont, and after a hard 
day's journey arrived at Colehrook late at night, and somewhat fa- 
tigued. We slept eonnd, and the next morning we were getting onr 
supplied ready for transportation. Bat we finally got under way, 
and were off for Brroll Dam, via DixviUe notch. We enjoyed the 
scenery very much, and arrived at the Dam safe, and after enjoying 
a goodnight's sleep, were ready for the steamer which was to t«ke 
us up the river, bat for some cause the boat did not come, and at 
three in the afternoon we got a battesu and commenced our voyagt- 
up stream. It is certainly a splendid trip. In the afternoon, as the 
boat glided along in the still water, we could see now and Chen a 
muskrat near the bank watching us as we rowed past, or a flock of 
dock rising out of the river away ahead of os, or perhaps a partridge 
hizzing away from the bank or eyeing ns as we passed, standing 
ready to sacrifice himself for our b<mefit. But it w'as some work to 
pull our unwieldy craft, and Frank and myself soon found that 
there was work as well as pleasure. Mr. H. sat in the stern to steer 
and to help us out now and then. Bnt the shades of night were 
slowly creeping over ns. and still no habitation. We expected to 
get op to the settlements by nightfall, bnt still no signs of them. 
At last we came upon a boy watering his horse at the river. He 
said bis folks lived a short distance off, so we concluded to tie up and 
stop for the night. We were kindly received by old R , and 
soon sat down to a good supper of bread and milk, to which we did 
ample jnstice, and soon retired to rest. Next morning we held a 
cousultation and cuncluded to stop a day or two, and perhaps make 
a permanent stay, so getting our guns and fixings ont, w’e started on* 
on a hunt accompanied by Jim R as guide. We crossed the 
river and were soon in the dense w’ood north of Umbagog Lake. 
We found ruffed grouse very plentiful and soon had several pair. 
Mr. H,s gun, which is a Parker, fell to my share, and I lent my 
muzzle-loa<ier to onr guide. Soon we came to a small pond and saw 
a goodly sprinkling of duck on it, bnt from the nature of the ground 
did not bag any of them. Saw some fresh deer signs, also some 
bear, and after a good day's sport arrived back to R's, tired, but 
well pleased, and slept soundly, dreaming of our day's sport. Next 
morning H. and myself crossed the river, and as it was very warm 
and we did nut inteud to bunt, did not take our guns when, as we 
were walking along the path, what should cross our path but a mag 
nlflcent buck, who went down to a small stream to drink. There 
we stood in good rifle shot of a large buck with nothing but a re- 
volver, which was useless at that distance. 1 never felt so disgusted 
with myself, and we made a resolve that we would never go a rod 
from camp again wiihont a gun, and that oath we kept. 
After another day's sport, we were so well satisfied that we de- 
cided to make camp just where we were. We commenced by build- 
ing a log cabin, eleven by thirteen, five feet high; then we spread 
our canvas tent over that, with a pretty steep root, and by dint of 
hard labor got an old stove from Old R 's w hicb we set up with 
the pipe running ont of the roof, and onr door, three by two feet, 
completed the fumitnre as it answered tbe purpose of a table also. 
Onr bed was of boughs with our gum blankets spread on top. We 
christened it after the brook which ran back of it— Camp Battle 
Brook— and never was three weeks spent by me in such unalloyed 
happiness as these. If you wanted grouse you could get them by 
going bnt a little way from camp, and sometimes yon conld shoot 
them from your cabin door; if tront were wanted w’e had but to go 
a short distance to the river, and there in ji short time you could 'get 
a nice siring of speckled beauties with either bait or fly. For ducks 
you had bnt to cross the river and go a pond where they were 
sure to be found. Deer were nt*t so plenty. Bear signs w'ere nu- 
merons, but brain seemed s little shy, though almost every night 
yon could hear his woman-like cry. 
We had not been in camp many days when Frank, w'ho bad not 
been very well, concluded to return home, and now' we were left 
with bat two of us, w'hich w'as not quite so pleasant. Next day after 
he went, we went up Bear brook and saw* some otter slides. There 
were many fresh signs of mink, also plenty of rat, and if it bad been 
fur seasQ^, we could have done wt-ll in trapping them. We came to 
camp every night loaded with grouse anti) we got sick of them, and 
then we did not even shoot them when we bad the best shot in th' 
world. One afternoon, Mr. H — , said he would go a fishing, so off 
we started for a particnlar spot in the river, where we were in hopes 
to get a good basket, and after we bad got there we found we bad 
forgot our lines, but having some hooks and some stoat twine, we 
cut some alder rods. Mr. H , caught several clubs and then a 
trout, and within an hoar we got ten Ihs. of tront weighing from 1-4 
lb. to two lbs., and I don't know how many chubs, and on onr way 
back, got several gronse. That w:as not a very large basket of 
trout, but it was in October, and about an hoar's fishing with a 
twine string and shiner for bail We soon bad some of our trout 
in the pan, and with some boiled potatoes, crackers, and coffee we 
made a good square meal, for our appetite was pretty sharp after a 
day's tramp without dinner, t nd then after we had cleared away the 
remnants of onr meal and lighted onr pipes and lain hack on our 
rough couches to enjoy a good smoke and think over the event-* of 
the day, and then turn in and sleep soundly until day light. Then 
up and prepare our breakfast, load our shells, examine our equip- 
ments and off for another day's sport. 
Early one morning, we bncklcd on our armor for a trip on the 
range of mountains back of us it wa.« a hard job, but we suc- 
ceeded hy hard work in reaching the top. We had a good view of 
the purronndinv country. In the north and ca-t yon coiiH see the 
boundless forest, whilst to the east lay the several l.akes with their 
indented shores lined with a thick grow th of timber dotted hereanH 
there by small pond.** and lakelets Here yon can :*ee the junctio? 
of the Anfiroscoggin an:l Magaloway. and norh you can^eethei 
I bare, rocky niuuiilain known as E-.-kerhi 's uiounuin. >slierc the 
friyer Calls down over some rocks which take their name from the] 
mountain. By those rapids is a carry of about four miles, then yon 
come to good boating where you can go up thirty miles; then 
comes a short carry; then you come to a small lake at the head of 
the Magaloway, where excellent shooting and fishing is to be had. 
We kept along the ridge of the hills, occasionally shooting some 
small game, until we came to some fresh deer signs and crept care- 
fully along, when all at once we heard a cracking, and away went a 
deer; I just caught sight of it, and that was all. I am a novice at 
deer boating, bnt Mr. H had seen service. We did not have an- 
other chance while we stayed here, but in winter the local hunters 
get them when they are yarded; a most villainons proceeding, and 
they are getting scarcer every year. When we left the hills and 
struck for camp we got confused for a little while, but came out all 
right, and were soon talking over onr adyentaree in our camp, while 
aclondof fragrant tobacco smoke filled the tent. We were jnsi 
toming in when old Brain set up a concert on the ridge back of us. 
and after be had finished we closed onr eyes and were soon dream- 
ing of bears. The rain poured in torrents next day, but we could 
well afford to stay at home, as onr tramp the dav before bad made 
us a little stiff, and as we bad plenty in onr larder, we rested con- 
tented at home. Toward night 1 went ont and bagged a few gronse, 
while H went up to the farmer's for supplies. Next day we 
went to Bear Brook Pond in search of otter signs, and to set traps 
for them if we thought it best, but knowing we must soon be off for 
home, we did not make a very great preparation, and after along 
tramp got once more to onr canvas-covered house, and w’ere soon 
enjoying the comforts of home, a hearty meal of trout cooked to a 
tnm, with other things to match. 
The time came at last when we had to leave these sylvan scenes 
and go back to tbe hannts of men, but I purpose to go again and 
live over those three or four weeks. I would recommend to any 
one wishing to spend a few weeks in fishing or shooting to try 
Wentworth's Location, N. H.. and 1 hope they w ill enjoy it as 1 did 
n body and soul. 1 hated to leave our log walls and strip the can- 
vas walls, bnt it bad to be done. I was fifteen pounds beavierwben 
I took up my gun and rod. So mneh for camping ont, and rough 
fare and knocking around in the woods. £. K. P. 
The Winter in Wisconsin- 
Moxtello, March 19. 
Editor op Rod and Gcs: 
Amid the deep snows and severe winters of Wisconsin the gsme 
birds have indeed a precarious existence, thongh from the hardiness 
for which they are noted the birds endure the cold and snows far 
better than would be supposed Imagine, for instance, two feet of 
snow covering the ground over tbe coverts and the thermometer at 
40 deg. oelow zero, and you have a fhir idea of what the quail 
(Ortyx virginiana) and pinnated grouao (Tttrao cupido\ have to 
withstand in one of oar northern winters. As the past winter of 
'74-5 has, on two occasiona, shown a temperatnre of 40 deg. below 
zero, I will give an instance of its effect on game. 
In January the weather was comparatively mild, and I freqaently 
notlcea a covey of pinnated grouse alight within two handled yards 
of my house and feed on the poplar buds. The covey consisted of 
perhaps twi nty-flve birds, and regularly visited this spot twice 
each day. Across the marsh a few hundred yards away, a bevy of 
qnail conld be heard, their plaintive calling bringing to mind rare 
sport in their pursuit, seasons bafore, while in the open spaces of 
the river flowing almost at my door, a doien mallards (aruu DOtchcu) 
feed peacefully on the water weeds etc., furnishing a delightful and 
musical quaching, to charm the car of a sportsman, as he thought 
of the sport they would furnish another season. 
After the first cold day of 40 deg. but half of the gronse came back 
to their poplars, and quail ceased their w hisUing. The mallarda, 
with frozen wings, swam only along the shores, as though seeking 
a place to hide their piteous plight. A few days more of such 
weather and not a grouse came in sight, and the contrast was so 
evident that a sense of loneliness seemed to come over me at seeing 
the birds thns gradually (or suddenly, I should say) leave the vicin- 
ity. A few winters like the last will deprive the Badger State ” of 
nearly all iU quail and grouse, and compel its sportsmen to seek for 
the game, once so plentifnl at home, in other states. Our game is 
indeed disappearing With frightful rapidity, and I fear it will take 
years to And game as abnndant as last season. Added 'to this, 
DOt-hunters are trapping and snaring both quail and grouse, 
with no care save for the capture of a few birds at present, and caring 
little, if any, for scarcity in the future. Una farmer is said to boast 
of traoping 125 quail and 30 grouse during the severe cold weather. 
Fbkd. 
First Snipe. 
Elktox, Md., March 24, 
Editor or Rod and Gun: 
The firi*t enipe of the season were shot by one of onr sporlemen 
on the 19th instant, in a o;eadow on the edge of tbe town. He bagged 
16 fine birds in a short time. Prenonsly we had a week or ten days 
of mild, spring-like weather. This is nnueually early for seipe to 
make their appearance in this section. Other migratory spring birds 
have also made their appearance among «• ; but for the last five 
days we have had rain, sleet and snow, and a return of winter almost 
as severe as in February. Ducks are swarming in our rivers, bnt 
tbeir stay will be short, merely a call as they pa^^ on nortb. The 
past season has been one of the poorest for ducks ever known about 
the head of Chesapeake Bay. K.E. £. 
Unsportsmanlike- 
West Wixsted, March 16. 
Editor op Hod and Gux: 
Will yon kindly send me or publish in your valnable paper a draft 
of by-laws, etc., to organize a Game club, and sec if we cannot 
break np this snaring business that has been so extensively followed 
for two years back. I hope yon will also, when time and space 
allow*, call attention to parties calling themselves sportsmen, who 
srartont for two or three days fishing, early in April before the 
tront have got in condition, and hire every boy they can get to^ 
sconr the small brooks and save everj' trout large euough to have a 
spot on. 1 have heard of a certain lawyer who makes a common 
practice of doirg i . and they do say that he makes no hesitation in 
urawing a seine. By exposing such practices, I trust in time they 
will be in bad odor. Wiluah. 
