88 
Is/lauY 8 
Wilbar F. Parker, - - Editor and Proprietor. 
THE ONLY JOURNAL PUBLISHED IN THE UNITED STATES 
Devoted Exclosively to 
SHOOTING, FISHING, NATURAL HISTORY, FISH CULTURE, 
AND THE PROTECTION OF FISH AND GAME. 
Terms of Sttiseription; Four Dollars a year in advance. 
Thb Rod and the Gdn can be obtained from aU News Dealers. 
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United States. 
Persons sending money to this office, by means of Money Orders 
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tcrUer and addressed Us 
THE ROD AND THE GUN. 
West Meriden. Conn. 
^^W e earnestly request aU oar contribntors to adopt the plan in 
lygard to the nse of scientific names which some of them have 
already adopted, viz; to PRINT all such names legibly in the manu- 
script, as tms will prevent error by giring the compositor plain copy 
to follow. Above all things we 'say, do not venture upon the use 
of scientific names at all unless certain of their accuracy. 
SATFROAT MAT 8. 1875. 
CONTENTS OF THIS NUMBEE. 
Page. Page 
Ornithological Notes fh>in Michi^n State Sportsmcn'B 
Portland. Me 81 Association 86 
Western Explorations 81 Sportsman's Library Table.. 87 
Snow Covered Monntaina of Engli.-sh Setters Continued. . . 87 
South Dagbeatan $2 Devon and Cornwall Field 
Two Weeks in the Adiron- Trials 87 
dacks 83 Patenia 87 
The Rifle 84 The Editor on the Wing 
ligeon Matches 85 J?pring^eld Dog Show, 89 
Notes on Habits of Certain Letters from Sportsmen... 90-91 
Thrashes 86 Queries and Answers 91 
Philadelphia Zoological ... 86 Western Items 92 
The Index and title-page to Vol. V are ready. Those 
subscribers who desire them will please notify us. 
THE EDITOR 0.\ THE R I\G. 
Feeling that there was work to be done and a neces- 
sity for some one to take an active part, I hastilj' con- 
cluded that I would take a trip tlirough the South-Wes- 
tern and Western States and do what lit le I could 
towards making the coming Convention a great Na- 
tional success. In New Yortc we met several friends to 
the cause, among whom “3Iobawk” of Turfy Fi/id and 
Farm, stood out prominent. He ha.s charge of the 
arrangements for the Bench show of dogs at the com- 
ing convention of the New York State Association, and 
we were glad to find him wading knee-deep in piles of 
correspondence, which showed plainly that his heart 
was in the cause, and that a very successful exhibition 
maj’ be expected. 
I left New York, vili Erie Railroad, soon after their 
iron bridge had heea washed away at Port Jarvis— the 
remarkably prompt arrangements made to run their 
through trains over the Delaware, Lackawana A Wes- 
tern road, showed what live men were at the helm — we 
lost no time and went through Pittston aud the coal re- 
gions of Penns 3 ’lvaniA At Binghamton we struck 
the main line of the Erie again. On reaching Cleve- 
land, we made our head-quarters at the Kennard House 
and met with a cordial reception from Hon. Allan T. 
Brinsmade, President of the National Association, 
3Iessrs. Harvey H. Brown, C. J. Sheffield, S. H. Tur- 
rill, Wm. J. Farrar, aud other good men and true of 
that hospitable and prosperous citi'. AVe spent two 
days there discussing old times and new ideas. Among 
the most noticeable of our incidents here was a visit 
to the Union Club, on Euclid Avenue. Thej’ have 
a fine club-house and grounds in the heart of the city, 
•which originally cost them S60,000. It cost $80,000 
more to furnish the mansion, but the land alone is worth 
to-day, nearlj’ as much as the whole original outlaj'. 
The house is superbly furnished and admirably arranged 
for the purposes to which it is dedicated. Its list of 
members, comprises most of the leailing gentlemen 
of Ohio, with many outsiders, altogether form- 
ing a body of sportsmen not to be exceeded for honor 
and reputation by anj" similar Association in the country. 
After three daj’s thus profitablj' spent, 'vve took the eve- 
ning train on the C. C. C. & I. railioad, for Cincinnati. 
The Woodruff’s improved parlor and sleeping car, in 
use on that line is a novelty among those modern inven- 
tions for travelling comfort. This seemed the best 
we have yet seen, and we are pretty familiar with 
tills opulent form of middle class ease. A neat 
rotunda at each end of the car presented a cozy place 
for the smokers, reminding us of the round house 
on board passenger steamers. The berths are 
made up from the bottom, thus removing a heavj’ 
weight from the top of the car, and greatlj- relieving it 
from a swinging motion when rounding curves or run- 
ning fast. The lounges are convenient and the uphol- 
sterj- so suitable that when put out of sight and made 
up the car has the appearance of a handsome parlor. 
In Cincinnati we met many warm friends, visited the 
club rooms, etc. The Cuvier Club is one of the earliest 
organizations for the special purpose of protecting fish 
and game and furtherance of ornithological knowledge. 
They have always had a good collection of birds to 
which they have made recent valuable additions — 
among others thei’ have two remarkatdy fine specimens 
of the wild turkey. Also, au albino, or white snipe, 
and a red quail — both rare. At George B. Ellard’s 
sportsmen’s supply store, we found two albino quail 
that ■were shot out of one covey in Bartholomew Co., 
Indiana. Six birds had been killed, four of them were 
perfect quail in regard to color, and these two albinoes 
of a beautiful grey. He also had a mammoth San- 
duskyL or black-mallard duck which he shot at St. 
Mary’s reservoir last fall, and which weighed three 
pounds and seven ounces. We siaj^ed three days in 
Cincinnati and found our friends there all enthusiastic 
and of one accord on the necessit.y of uniform game 
laws. Our next point was via the Cincinnati, Indianapo- 
lis & Vandalia line to St. Louis. Here we -were at home. 
The warm western welcome from Messrs. Johnson, 
Duke, Wadsworth and a score of others, left nothing to 
desire. During the two days we staj’ed there we had 
frequent consultations in relation to the game laws, for- 
mation of clubs. State conventions and matters in 
which all good sportsmen take lively interest — we 
found that tlieii club was in a highly prosperous condi- 
tion, and that a number of new organizations were 
being formed in various parts of the State. Mr. T. W. 
Dorman of Hannibal, also called upon us and gave a 
flattering account of the progress made in that section. 
On the morning of the second of April ■we left St. 
Louis via the St. Louis Kansas City & Northern for a 
run to Kansas City, and our desire to see the country by- 
day -liglil was amply gratified. The quantities of game 
birds, the wide open expanse of prairie region were a 
new experience. We encounted sportsmen with their 
dogs at everj’ station, bound out for, or at the close of 
the day returning from, a day after the .snipe. I never 
saw as many snipe in any one day, of my life before, 
and at Centralia, there was quite a large flock within 
easy gun shot of the station. Upon arriving at Kansas 
City we found our firm friends, Messrs. Jewetts, Dick, 
inson, McDearmon, McGee and others heartily glad to 
see us aud the}’ gave us a warm reception. We also 
found that smee our visit last fall their club had pro.s- 
pered marvelously well, and now enrolled among its 
large list of members most of the prominent men in 
the State. After enjoying the courtesies of our friends 
for three days, we took the Missouri Pacific for Seda- 
lia, and there found J. D. Brown, Charles Pratt and 
others who were enthusiastic on the game question. 
After p;issing a day with them we took a Pullman for a 
night’s ride on the Missouri, Kansas <fc Texas, aud after 
looking at prairie fires in the distance until a seasona- 
ble hour for retiring, we turned in, and were up in 
time for breakfast, at Muskogee, having passed 
through the Cherokee nation during the night. We 
arrived at Eufala, in the Creek Nation, about 9 m. 
At the suggestion of ilr. Tbos Dorwiu, general passen- 
ger agent of the road, we left the train and called upon 
Judge Stydhain, wlio we found keeping quite a large 
store near the depot, and he gave us a pleasant greeting. 
Eufala is a village in the Creek Nation of the Indian 
Territory, and in November, 1874, the railroad com- 
pany erected a depot, and made it a regular station. 
At the present time there aie three stores and a bakery 
and restaurant, which are the only buildings in sight 
besides the depot During the year 1875, 'here were 
shipped from this station 150,000 lbs., of deerskins and 
furs, 500,000 lbs., of dry bides The furs consisted 
principally of coon, fox, mink, rat, and otter, and in 
all probability there were 5,000 more skins than the 
number of pounds. Judge Stydham is an Indian, proud 
of his ancestry', and has passed several winters in Wash- 
ington as agent for his tribe. He is a large, well-propor- 
tioned man, standing as straight as anarro-w, very easy 
and intelligent in conversation and remarkably well 
! posted in Indian affairs. After a brief chat we visited 
his house, a large square two story building, standing in 
the forest about one quarter of a mile distant. Mrs. 
Stydham entertained us in a lady-like manner until 
their son George was called from school, and after giv- 
ing us a tune up. n the piano, Mr. S. said he would 
show us where we could find any kind of game, from 
a small bird to a deer, cougar or bear. Georg# took 
the lead and -we enjoyed a good tramp over the openings 
and through the brush where we saw quite a quantity 
of small game, and after visiting a few lodges returned 
to the Stydham mansion for dinner. , 
In the afternoon, accompanied by a Mr. Chamberlin 
and the faithful George, we started for the river bottoms 
which were the resort for animals, wild turkeys, etc. 
We passed the time in traversing the wildland and re- 
ceived many a scratch from the thick undergrowth of 
briers, vines, etc., hut being out for a look around we 
did not exercise a hunter’s wary caution. We talked 
and amused ourselves in firing our Sharps rifles at any 
object that might turn up. We were nqt surprised at 
not falling in with any of the savage game ; but we -were 
gratified even under those unsportsmanlike conditions 
with the sight of a couple of deer, a few grouse, and a 
small flock of turkeys — of course we did not fire at 
either on account of the season. We returned to the 
mansion early in the evening tired out and ravenously’ 
hungry, well satisfied with the experiences of the 
day. 
In the evening we enjoyed a pleasant chat with the 
Judge, and ascertained to our surprise that life and 
property were just as safe in that Indian village as in 
any town in the States. He also gave us much valuable 
information about the habits of the tribes. He keenly 
felt that the white men wanted to unjustly deprive them 
of their territory’. We were favored with music on the 
piano and singing by his daughters and their precep- 
tress, and every attention was shown us to make our 
visit agreeable. In the morning we took the train for 
Denison, Texas, passing rapidly through the Chickasaw 
aud Choctaw nations, not seeing half a dozen Indians 
in the whole distance, ’fhey build their villages away 
from the railroads and are seldom seen in the vicinity; 
consequently persons frequently’ pass through the entire 
Indian nation without seeing a single thoroughbred. 
The best hunting grounds are at Limestone Gap. We 
learned that the Indians did not object to parties hunt- 
ing anywhere in tte Nation for a little sport, but did 
not like to have regular hunters or trappers avail them- 
selves of their privileges. At Denison we were very 
fortunate in meeting Mr. H. H. Carpenter of Dallas, 
who will interest himself in behalf of a State organiza- 
tion, and we hope to meet him as a delegate at Cleve- 
land in June next. ' We also met several other gentle- 
men who were enthusiastic sportsmen and strongly in 
favor of State and local organizations. From this point 
we joined the Kansas editorial excursion «7i for 
Galveston, in charge of Col. Dorwin of the M. K. AT., 
and Mr. J. Waldo, General Passenger Agent of the 
Texas Central, and are greatly' indebted to these promi. 
nent officials for their very’ pleasant companionship and 
valuable inforraation. After leaving Deniaon there is a 
marked change in the appearance of the country, af- 
fording a strong contrast between the almost barren 
plains of the Indian territory and the green fields of the 
settlers of the Lone Star State, with their extensive 
fields of cotton, wheat, corn and oats. This is also a 
great game region; small game is found in profusion on 
the Brazos and Colorado rivers, and deer on the prai- 
ries between the rivers. Anywhere west of Austin 
large game can be found and the buffalo ranges within 
150 miles. The Perlinallis is noted for its mouiilain 
trout with abundance of small game all along its mar- 
gins. Outfits for hunting or fishing there can be ob- 
tained at Austin, as also for a trip to the Wichita moun- 
tains at Dallas. It is said to be a poor place for sum- 
mer shooting, but ^^or a fall or winter resort is unsur- 
passed. At Houston, IMr. Waldo extended the courte- 
sies of the club and we found several valuable acquaint- 
ances, and were confidently assured that Texas would 
have a delegation at the National. Houston is also 
one of the finest luinting points in the country’ and 
among its citizens are a number of gentlemen who are 
earnest disciples of the Rod and Gun, and ready to give 
a brother sportsman a cordial reception. For springy, 
shooting, snipe, plover and curlew can be found within 
half an hour's drive of the Hu. chins House, which $ the 
leading hotel, and the business man drives out after the 
cares of the day’ are over and makes a bag of from thirty 
to sixty birds by shooting from the saddle or carriage 
