OCR NEW NAME. 
A few words as to our new name. A name should 
always be suggestive of the aim and range of a paper: 
but it may not, to all, convey these as they lie in our 
own mind. “Rod and Gun.” Isow to four-fifths of 
people a rod is a fish-pole, and a gun — why, it is a gun, 
and that is all there is of it, an d yet a rod is never a 
pole at all: while a gun is something far more than the 
gun that is in the common mind. 
In the mere term, as an implement, the rod of the 
modern angler is one of the most beautiful products, a 
■very Jioieer, of modern civilization. The names of our 
well-known makers spring to our lips, but we could not 
name them all, and anything short would be invidious, 
as to the rest. But, there goes to the make-up of one 
of their peerless rods, the products of diflerent climes; 
he yield of distant and deepest mines; the chemical 
processes by which metals are blended, and lacquers are 
brought forth till there stands forth, the dainty wand of 
half a pound, wl.ich prolongs the play but makes surer 
the catch of the beauteous fontinalis, or the sturdy 
but pliant tool whose toughness makes as naught 
the stroke and surge of the mighty Maskinonge. The 
most gifted clerical craftsman of the gentle art — now, 
alasl a sadness and a memory!— whom our country 
has seen, was wont to hold up his silver banded 
trolling rods, whose conquests had been legion, and 
say: “I love my friends, and would do for them all 
that friendship prompts; but oh, what friend could I 
give these beauties to!” Then, for the adjuncts of the 
Rod: The reel, beautiful in its finish, perfect in its spin- 
ning, of choice amalgam; of even gold or silver pure, in 
the angler’s love of his art; or now, at last, of the light, 
yet firm and toughened caoutchouc of Brazil ; the line, 
from the slender gut and leader to the tapered strands 
that lend a mutual strength from end to end, and last, 
but most delicate of all, the perfect fly! All nature 
must come under contribution for its production ; the 
pheasant of the east, the ibis of the south, the fur of 
softest hair and the feather of rarest hues: all must come 
in to hide the barb, which is, itself, the last step of the 
inventor in tempered steel. This outfit of the angler of 
the day; not of the cockney, of the dilettante novice, 
but of the sober, forecasting, perfect angler. It is not 
strange, again, that our poet-artist above referred to, 
should sing, as he looked up from winter fire to his im- 
plements of the stream and sunny spring: 
“ Oh, for the cast, with shrilly whuhl. 
Of golden wing and hackle! 
For the thrilling twist of the pliant wriet. 
With the strain of Kod and tackle; 
For the arrowy play of the gallant prey. 
Reel spinning as they ask it; 
And the angler's pride, when, by his side, • 
They fill the ample basket.” 
But this is merely for the Rod; the implement itself; 
think, then, of the associations! The clear, pebbly 
stream of forest, mountain and meadow; or the brown, 
dark current where the eeox hides; or the breezy sweep 
and clearest eddies where sport the eager bass; the 
heated brow from work at home cooled by pure air and 
laved with pure water in the seclusion the angler most 
loves, and over the very forms of the game he seeks as 
they glide below ; all choicest spots of our grand, dear 
land where the silvery prey are best sought and found; 
and then, crowning all, this last noble science of fish 
culture; to re-.<tock our wasted streams, to distribute, 
here and there, members of the finny tribe not known 
before;'by careful science, to bring every member un- 
der a just nomenclature, and by wise, stern legislation, 
to protect these deeds of good to men from the devasta- 
tion, in sea.son and out of season, of the greedy and law- 
less. Such are the associations that the very term Rod, 
like a wand of fairy tale, conjures up before us. 
The Gun! the Rod and Gun! Is it true that a gun is but 
a gun? We are away in the mountains, fishing, hunting, 
exploring; seekers after health and knowledge. Sudden, 
there comes before us, the formidable Grizzly, or the 
fierce and swifter Cinnamon. Is it all the same 
whether we have in our hand the long, ill-balanced 
rifle, with its pea bullet, with which Brady, W etzel, 
and Boone cleared the Western wilds of a foe fiercer 
than the bear; but whose missile flattens on a Grizzly, 
not even to stun; or buries in a Cinnamon only to irri- 
tate; or whether the arm in your hand be a modern 
Sharps or Remington, with its deadly explosive slug? 
Fire! The monster drops, paralyzed to his knees; we 
insert another of the fearful missiles ; and the choice, 
now, of a vital point, gives time to lay out the vast as- 
.sailant with a second ball. It does not require the 
whole force, now, of a Lewis and Clarke expedition to 
lay out a single bear; the very meaning of the moun- 
taiueers proveib,“we have lost no grizzlies,” is changed; 
for we now get every one! Is a gun, a gun and noth- 
ing more? Think of Bodine at the International in his 
place for his shot, with two continents looking on. It 
is whispered since, that all hangs on him ! Look far on 
over that 3-5ths of a mile — measure it now as we think, 
by some well known distance; can human vision and 
mortal skill make sure that the sounding ball shall de- 
scend from its curve so justly on that distant spot, that 
Ireland’s victory by two, shall be changed to America’s 
by three? We think of the man, almost with pain, for 
exceeding interest and sympathy. He is thinking of 
his gun! In that brown tube, lies a missile whose po- 
tencies he knows full well! The brass drawn cartridge 
with solid head, the 90 grains powder, weighed to a ker- 
nel, and the hardened swedged ball, carefully capered, 
lubricated and set home; the Vernier scale at proper 
notch and his own true touch and eye for the rest; he 
has done it before, he can do it now! He does it, and 
in that shot lifts a greater load from a thousand breasts 
than rested on his own. He knew his gun! Was the 
gun only a gun there? Patagonian savages assail a 
herdsman in his ranche, with his two poor boys; them- 
selves a hundred. But each of the three has a Sharps’ 
when the assault was over, one of the boys looked sadly 
down on his murdered father and brother; but he saw 
the foiled ruffians carry off seventeen of their number 
dead and as many more totterinjj from ugly wounds. 
An ambitious general raises an insurrection in Uruguay. 
The troops of the Government look over their Reming- 
ton’s and open fire at 300 yards. The line is broken, 
laid out, the rout begins; and the general in command 
ceases fire in mercy to the retreating. 
Look at our beautiful Breech-loaders for shot; accu- 
rate in working as clockwork, certain in execution. 
No cumbrous flasks, pouches, and nervous fumbling 
after caps and wads. The clean neat cartridge pre- 
pared at home, and ready for shot upon shot, as long as 
the feathered game will rise to the man. Come snipe, 
come quail, or grouse, or duck, or brant, or goose. 
Your shot is adapted to the bird, and the unwonted 
game falls to the Are as surely as that which we left our 
home to seek. And while we of the less favored lot 
seek health, air, change in favored spots of our own 
locality, a Hayden, a Couos, a Batty, a Maynard, make 
distant trips of fh'any months and come back laden 
with specimens for science and the adornment of our 
homes. 
With the Rod we have learned to associate the patri- 
otic labors of our Fish culturists, Keene, Ainsworth, 
Mather, and a long list of their compeers; the profound 
science and zealous energy of Prof. Baird and his band 
of faithful associates, the self denying, frugal and 
honest Fish Commissioners who do so much good with 
go little money. 
The Gun calls to mind the firm and earnest banding 
together of County, State and National Associations for 
the redemption — late, alas! — but still the hopeful re- 
demption of our forests and fields from the year-long 
slaughter that is making them a solitude, and ‘our prai- 
ries from a trapping, which will leave them as denuded 
of grouse as the fierce fires leaves them of grass and 
flower. Thus, then, Tue Rod and tiik Gun means not 
only facts but principles, not only implements of effort 
but education, knowledge, manly sport and enlightened 
spint, not only the name of a newspaper but the senti- 
ment which should actuate every honorable sportsman 
to pursue his sport in a fashion that shall take thought 
for the rights of all, even of the meanest and humblest 
animal. 
NATIONAL SPORTSMEN’S CONVENTION— 
CLEVELAND, 0., JBNE 8, 1875. 
We propose to give a list of delegates from the 
various State Associations to the National Convention 
to be held at Cleveland in June next. To this end we re- 
quest the Secretary of each State Association to forward 
us names of delegates as, and when, they may be ap- 
pointed. We have occasionally received letters disclos- 
ing mistaken views as to the nature and objects of the 
National organization. We are very sure that all intel- 
ligent sportsmen who take any pains to enquire into the 
subject will not have any hesitation in giving their 
hearty support to both the National and the State Asso- 
ciations, of which the National is composed. To re- 
move any doubts, however, we give the following ex- 
tract from the proceedings of the National at Niagara 
in September last : 
Resolved, That its precedent is, first, the protection of 
game and fish in all the States and Territories, by pro- 
curing the passage in each State, and in the Congress of 
the United States, of uniform co-operation and consis- 
tent taws, strictly prohibiting their ilestruction during 
the breeding, nesting and spawning seasons, and rea- 
sonable time preceding and following the same. Pro- 
hibiting the capture and destruction of certain species 
of game birds in nets and traps during any and all sea- 
sons; prohibiting the catching and destruction of fish, 
in the now navigable lakes and streams, with nets or by 
means of chemicals; prohibiting the obstructing of the 
free passage of fish by nets across such streams, and by 
the creation of fish-dams and traps; and to procure the. 
passage of such other and further legislation as may be 
necessary and proper for the full accomplishment of our 
purpose; second, through subordinate organizations, to 
insure a rigid enforcement of all the game and fish pro- 
tection laws now or hereafter to be enacted; third, to 
secure by and through proper legislation the right of 
property in useful hunting dogs, making them, when 
stolen, the subject of larcen}', or when wantonly killed 
or maimed the subject of a misdemeanor; fourth, to 
secure, through and by proper legislation, the passage 
of laws prohibiting at any time and season the killing 
or destruction of all song and non-game birds; to or- 
ganize and consolidate under our State jurisdiction, 
game and fish protective clubs or associations in each 
State and Territory, to act under the jurisdiction of the 
National Association, in securing and enforcing proper 
protective legislation. 
Resolved, That all naturalists, fish culturists, and 
sportsmen generally in those States having no associ- 
ations be, and are hereby, earnestly requested without 
delay to organize local club.s therein, to form State As- 
sociations under the jurisdiction of the National Asso- 
ciation, and that all State organizations note existing and 
operating be and are solicited to become members of this As- 
sociation, so that by unity of action throughout the land 
we may accomplish and perpetuate the great reform 
designed and desired. 
LIST OF DELEGATES. 
Connecticut. — H. .1. Boughton, Waterbury; W. F 
Pa-ker, West Meriden; A. C Hobbs, Bridgeport; Henry 
B. Harrison, New Haven; F. W. Russell, Hartford. 
Illinois. — W. F. IMilligan, Chicago; Hon. S. P 
Hopkins, Palatine; Abner Price, Chicago; Dr. W. A 
Pratt, Elgin; Jno. L. Pratt, Sycamore. 
Massachusetts. — John Boyden, Worcester; Luthei- 
Adams, Boston; Hon. E H. L;iUirop, Springfield; Geo 
Delano, New Bedford; T. L. Sturievant, Framingham 
Wisconsin. — H. N. Sherman, Beloit: S. S. VVooJ 
ward, Watertown; A. F. Lund, JIadison; F. W. Wood 
ward, Eau Claire; C. W. Hemming, Waupun. 
