1875 
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123 
There’s no Use Talking- 
Skdalia, Mo., Mat 10 
Bditor Bod and Gch: 
'When yon come to qnail and chicken shooting Missouri beats the 
Butch. Talk abont game bags and shooting coats, they don't fill 
the bill; you need a democrat wagon. Say take it October let, 
when our quail shooting commences; you can't go two miles outside 
of the city without hearing the shrill whistle of “Bob White" on 
every side, and your dog is on a point every moment almost; some- 
times on top of the fence, fact; I've seen it, and have got birds out 
of just such a point. I used to bear stories of such things years 
ago, and thought it w'as “thin," but w’ben a fellow* sees it himself 
he's convinced. You Down Easters make a h* e and cry about the 
extermination of birds by various unlawful and inhuman means 
We don't oppose the cry, in fact are with you in the good move, but 
game must be mighty scarce if you have reason to be frightened. 
Here it is the reverse; it seems as though we never could extermi- 
nate the innumerable quantities of birds; our stubble, cornfields 
and hedges are literally alive with quail, and it affords spot tun- 
eqaled, I believe, by any other portion of the United States. Now 
don't contradict it, but come and see for yourself. As for spring 
shooting, say English snipe, ducks and plover, If you will come to 
Missouri and try your band, say in the month of April, and don't 
go home satisfied, in fact tickled to death with your, trip, then we 
will lose our guess for ever more. Now we don't profess to be 
smart Alecks," but we do think a man very smart who does not 
bring in enough birds, the weight of which makes bis back ache in 
an afternoon's shoot with either muzzle or breech loader. As for 
dogs, we're behind the times; there are a few good ones in our vi- 
cinity, but they’re mighty scarce, and there's a “heap" of sort of 
mongrel dogs that work finely, point, retrieve, and do their work in 
a manner to be praised; but blood tells, aud auy sbootist knows 
that mongrels are not the dogs to depend on. The subject of quail 
and chicken shooting is rather prematuro just at this time, but 
owing to numerous letters from various parties asking if we have 
good fall shooting these few lines are penned. We repeat our ad- 
vice aud our invitation to all inquiring sportsmen to come to Mis- 
souri in the fall aud “take in" some sport that will satisfy you fully 
It is not far out here, and don't take long to get here, nor does it 
cost a fortune. The generality of w’estern lines sell excursion tick- 
ets, and where there is a party of five or more special rates with ex- 
cursion tickets available for thirty or more days can be obtained for 
the asking. Our spring shooting has been rather backwani this 
year on account of the cold weather hanging on rather late, but we 
have had millions of wild fowl, snipe and plover The writer is an 
enthusiastic lover of the sports of the Rod and Gun, a poor shot, 
and carries a thin pocket-book, yet manages to own a couple of 
dogs, a horse and a two-wheeled hunting cart, a couple of guns, etc., 
and will take pleasure in meeting his fellow sportsmen and giving 
them all the information possible. Will also mail, free of charge, 
maps and printed descriptions of the lands, towns, people and game 
of the sunny Southwest to any who will address 
Brother Sportsman, Sedalia, Mo. 
Our Day Out- 
Cumberland Island, May 12. 
Editor Rod and Gun: 
I belong to the F. F. and F. Club, and while you were freezing 
out on the snow-covered fields or punching holes in the ice to haul 
out pickerel, I should like to tell what sort of a day out we bad 
down here on the Georgia coasts, among the sea-islands on the 15>h 
of April. 
In the first place we chartered pilot boat No. 3, and put aboard a 
sufficient supply of rations with all the etceteras^ so that we might 
have good feeding, if we failed in good fishing and hunting. There 
was the club proper, officers, and full privates with one or two in 
Tiled guests, w ith dogs, cooks and the supe biigade. 
Captain Russell, owner and commander of No. 3, w'as a native of 
Deerfield, Mass., and a thorough seaman. Uis vessel was built at 
Bridgeport, Conn., of white oak, copper-steatbed and fastened and 
measured eleven tons only, while so deep was her keel that in ballast 
she drew seven feet water. This little sloop though gracefu> as a 
swan, embodied the elements of strength and speed in a wonderful 
degree, and on we sped at about ten knots an hour, the sea foam 
curling over her prow, and sails and mjst bending and bellying to 
the breeze. We sped along the entire coast of Jekyl l>land, eight 
miles in length, and are dancing upon the w’hile caps of St. An- 
drew's sound at the mouth of the great Satilla. Here, two or three 
of the pa8senge^^ looked pale and miserable, but the agony was soon 
over, and the bounding craft cast anchor at the high point of Cum- 
berland Island. Then followed Quickly the landing in the yawl of 
the bnnters and their par phemaiia. All t ands went to work, and 
in a trice the mammoth tent was spread, the cockspurs and crow 
feet raked off, the ground covered over with a natural matting com- 
posed of palmetto leaves, a roaring fire kindled, the coffee pot 
approximating in size to a tank of the gas-works, put to boiling, 
and in little or no time a bountiful meal placed before the hulf-fam- 
ished who had eaten nothing since breakfast. The site 
chosen was In an open space within biscuit-throw of the inlet, and 
well protected from the wind by a dense thicket of live o. k and 
small growth. Some parties w'ent birding and fishing at once, and 
ere dark returned w*ith a supply of the finny tribe, and some snipe 
and waterfowl. The campaiga w'as fairly opened, and now ensued 
a scene of joyous merriment, enoagh to banish every anchorite 
from the face of Christendom. A lofty bluff with old ocean in the 
distance, and hummocks of white sand cast up by the deep, fring- 
ing the perspective — a blazing fire of live-oak logs illuminating the 
capacious tent, where many genial spirits, sober as judges, are play- 
ing chess, drafts atd euchre, but neither drinking or belt. ng— the 
quiet stars and “horned moon" looking placidly on— all around, the 
sweet refrain of that cheerful night songster, the whippoorwill, 
breaking upon the ear the attending darkies slumbering and snor- 
ing in their tent, oblivious of care or responsibility — painters and 
hounds prowling around, 8< eking in vain to invade the larder of our 
vigilant steward — the muffird thunder of the surf breaKing upon the 
strand and sounding like the faint ryverberatione of the battle 
field— these, and other intlueiices. lend a weird and fascinating 
aspect to this bivouac of friends and sportsmen, camped and asso- 
ciated together, not for mortal combat, thank God, but to cultivate 
and promote the beat instincta and social promptinge of oar nature* 
Id this coterie are embraced large-souled noble Northern men, who 
have long since bridged “the bloody chasm" and cast in their lot 
with the unfortanate South. They have brought with them the 
sinewy power of capital, kind hearts, w'ise beads, and a thorough 
devotion to their new home. All honor to such men They are the 
avant couriers of that bright epoch when part acerbities and 
deadly feuds shall be forgotten, and the American Union become 
once more a homogenroiii, united, and irresistible power among th^ 
nations of e:irtb. May God speed tho diwn of that glorious day. 
The quantity of fish taken almost exceeds belief. Boforc the line 
could reach bottom they struck greedily at the bait, and fiequently 
one was drawn up on each hook. Even the unpracticed writer 
scored two hundred and eleven, exclusive of cats, toads, etc. Nut 
less than four bushels were thrown away after supplying all (he 
wants of the camp. In the number were included young drum, 
bass, whiting, sheep-head, trout, black fish, croakur, yellow* tails 
and alewives. 
The aport was aimply splendid, and prawn for bait, in abundance. 
Thoae who followed the hounds jumped twenty-one deer, and 
killed — it is not for us to say bow many. In the way of birds, too, 
there were doves, snipe, plover, teal duck, etc., that were brought 
in, of which, however, we kept no account. In the “fur" line, 
only, the expedition was a failmi e not a solitary mink or coon hav- 
ing been captured. But we bragged of a porpoise, slain and landed 
on the beach. II. H. J. 
“Snap-Shot” on Open Sights. 
New Orleans, La., May 5. 
Editor Rod and Gun: 
“Cap-Lock" in the last number of the Rod and Gun does not 
seem to understand how good shooting can be done beyond the 
point blank distance, without the use of elevating sights. 1 will 
try to explain it to him. 
The majority of the Kucky Mountain hunters that 1 have met 
(especially the older men) use nothing but open bighu, indeed mobt 
of their rifles have no elevating sights. From long practice, aud a 
perfect knowledge of their rifles, they know just how much to “hold 
over" the game aimed at, no matter how far away the animal may be 
and they will bring it down just as surciy with their open sights, as 
if their rifles were furnished with all the fancy sights of a Creed- 
moor rifle, and as I have stated before thib, most of their game is 
killed at distances which w ould seem erroneous to the hunters of 
the East, accustomed to hunt in thick woods Many of the old 
mountain men have a great contempt for elevating sights, they say 
the elevating-bight may be good enough for shooting at a target but 
that the open sights are better for game-snooting. There is a <;reat 
deal of truth iu what th .‘y say. With open sights there is none of 
the annoyance attending the use ol elevating sights. Thelornivr 
are much the handiest, especially when one wants to get a quick 
shot, aud in cold weather they are much superior to the ilevaiiug- 
sight, as any one well knows who w’ith benum>>ed fingi rs has tried 
to fix his elevating sight. In such a case especially if in a hurry 
one is liable to shove the slide too far up or not enough, thus over or 
under shooting the game. It takes long practice, a good eye for 
judging distances and a thorough knowledge of one's gun to dis- 
pense with the elevating sight. I do nut consider myself a good 
enough rifleman to do without them altogether I use them when 
firing at game over three hundred yards. Under that distance I use 
the open sight. I forgot to state in my article on rifle sights that 
my rifle retains the military elevating sight; immediately in front of 
it is the rear sight of the “buck horn'* shape. My rifle is sighted so 
as to have a point blank of about 180 yards. Many of the guns re- 
sighted in the Far-West have a point blank of 2t0 yards, or as 1 
heard an old mountain man express i(, he wanted his rifle “to shout 
straight when held dead on at 2^0 5 ’ard 8 ." Snap-Shot. 
Black Bass- 
XiLi9, Mich., Hay 4. 
Editor Kod AND Gun: 
If any of the readers of Ths Rod and Gun have ever canght black 
baas wiih the fly, iu the West, or have had experience iu fly fish-ng 
for them here, will they, through your paper, give a novice informa- 
lion in relation to iheir snccees, tackle, etc.? We live in a section 
of coontiy dotted with lakes and cro8^ed with 1 rge streams beauti- 
fally stocked with large, hind-^ome black bass w hich are read ly 
taken with bait or trolling spoon, but as yet no one— of w hom we 
have information— has ever enticed one to even notice a fly. Why 
is it? Does it require differently di eased fl;es from those in use else- 
where, or will they always refuse? Had w e only a book on angling 
half a. applicable to the West as is Bogardus’ “Field, Cover and 
Trap Shooting,” we need not ask this, as in lhat work the we. tern 
gunner fluds a truthful, never failing guide. Novice. 
Hawks 
Frederick City, April 27. 
Editor Rod and Gun : 
While out wild pigeon shooting last Autnmn, near Frederick City 
in Frederick County, Maryland, in company with Jlajor B. U. 
Senley, our attention ivas allracti d to the sky, by a large flock ol 
Goshawks, istur atncapUlus) flying high up in the air. Tne flock 
apparently appeared to .xtend several miles in length, a nu about 
one hundred yards in extent. They were flying on well balanced 
ninlons in broken columns with a slow bsaC of the wings, from 
Southeast to Southwest. We sat and observed this large body ol 
ha-,Tks over fifteen minutes passing through the sky and as far as 
the eye could reach, they continued to come and kept steadily mov- 
ing over and passing aw ay nntil the eye was lost in their extent. 
We suppose this body of haw ks to contain many 'housands. Wild 
pigeons at this time were roosting near Deer Faik, Maryland; the 
pigeons on thi-i day were flying over in large numbers early in ths 
morning, some few flocks alighting, but by 9 o'clock, they had all 
disappeared. Large flights of pigeons had been passing over, flying 
from Southeast to Nr.rthwcst every morning for three or four days 
previous to the day w-e ob.«erved the hawks, and they continued to 
pass every morning flying from Soutiieast to Northwest for eight or 
en days afterwards. All the sportsmen we met on that day, in- 
formed us that their attention had been at'racted by the same army 
of hawks Airing from Southeast to Northw est. Is there a sports- 
man who noticed this vast army of haw ks North. South, East or 
West of Maryland. If there U, 1 should bo pleased to bear. 
fRANK» 
Our Paper, etc- 
Rushville, Ind., April 29. 
Editor Rod and Giti: 
The copy of “Cones' Key to North American Birds” was received 
in srood time and condition. It is just splendid, and no iportsman's 
library is complete ithont it. It certainly comes nearest giving 
•‘value received" of any book I cvei purchased. 1, for onr, cm glad 
our admirable paper changed names, althoogh at first felt rather re- 
luctant to let Ko the old familiar name which had become a house- 
hold word; the new name Islls at a glanee the whole story, and so 
plainly that the children understand, for when the first number, 
bearing the new superscription, came into my houf-ehold. my little 
five-year old boy spelled out the name and immediately chimed out: 
“Why, papa, this paper tells you all about fishing and bunting, don't 
it?’* Although he wa- familiar with the od name, i» never con- 
veyed the correct meaning to his mind. Wishins: The Rod and 
Gun the most perfect success, and pledging it my heartiest support, 
W. W. A. 
Dog Murder- 
Banbury, April 23. 
Editor Rod and Gun: 
Receiving yonr valuable paper through one of our newsdealers, I 
thought 1 would write you of the coutemptiblencss of some things 
in the shape of humanity that we ar.i cnrscd with in this section. 
Last fall there commenced a warfare against the doj^'S. One of my 
neighbors having incurred the displeasure of one of this kind of 
carrion, the lives of tw'o valuable dugs bad to be sacrificed to appease 
his wrath, hut he got found out, and had to pay $100 for the fun of 
poisoning three dogs, which was not eo funny. To-day, I am the 
victim, having a fine pointerdutcb killed which I prized highly; she 
was nine nionth« old and well broke to me, and being a paralytic, 1 
was doubly proud of her, and I was promising myself eo much 
comf< rt with her this summer, and I do not know the villain that 
killed her, so there is no redress for me; it appears to me as if the 
penalty should be heavy enough to lake some, if not all of the cuesed- 
ne^s out of him — if he had to Jearu a new* trade under direction of 
the Stale. Wood. 
Flies and Their Uses.— B id you ever watch a fly who has just 
alighted after soaring about the room for some litile.time? He goes 
through a scries of operations which remind >00 of a cat licking 
herself after a meal, or of a bird pluming its feathers. First the 
hind foet are rubbed together, then each hind teg is passed over a 
wing, then the fore legs undergo a like treatment: and lastly, if you 
look sharp, you will see the insect carry his proboscis over his legs 
and about his body as far us he can reach. 
The minute trunk is perfectly retractile, and it termiuatesin two 
large lobes, which you can see spread out v\heD the insect begins a 
meal on a lump of sugar. Now the rubbing together of legs and 
wings may be a fimoothing operation; but for what pirpose is this 
carefully going over the body with the trunk, especially when that 
organ is not fitted for licking, but simply for grasping and sucking 
food. This query, which perhaps may have suggested itself to 
thousAnds, has recently lor the first time been answered by a Mr. 
Emerson, an English chemist; and certainly in the light of the 
revelations of that gentleman's investigations, the fly assumes the 
position of an important fiiend instead of a pest to mankind. Mr. 
Emerson states that he began his self-appointed task of finding out 
whether the house fly really serves any appreciable purpose in the 
scheme of creation, excepting us an indifferent scavenger, by cap- 
turing a fine specimen and gluing bis wings down to a microscope 
slide. On placing the slide under the Instrumeut, to the investiga- 
tor's disgust the fly appeared covered with lice, causing the offend- 
ing insect to be promptly released and another substiiuUd in hia 
place, Fly No. 2 was no beltei off than fly No. 1, and as the same 
might be predicated of flies 3. 4, 5, (or of n flies as the algebras have 
it). Mr. Emerson concluded that here was something which at once 
required looking into. Why wore the flies lousy? Meanwhile fly 
No. 2 on the slide seemed to take bis position very coolly, and ex- 
tending his proboscis, began to sweep it over hie body as if he bad 
just alighted. A glance through the microscope, however, showed 
that the operation was not one of self beautification; for wliercever 
(he iice were, there the trunk went. The lice weie disappearing 
into rhe trunk; the fly was eating them Up to this lime, the in- 
vestigator bad treated his specimen as of the masc .line gender; 
but now* he changes his mind and concludes it to be a female, busily 
devouring, not lire, but her ow n progeny. The flies then carry ilieir 
OW’D progeny about them; and when the family gets too numerous 
or the mother too hungry, the offspring are eaten. While reason- 
ing thus, Mr. Elne^^on picked up a scrap of white writing paper, 
from which two flies appeared to be busily eating something, and 
put it under the instrument. There were the progeny again on the 
paper, and easi ) rubbed off w*ith a cloth. “Tnis" he says, “ set 
me thinking . 1 took the paper into the kitchen again and waved it 
around, taking care that no flies touched it, went buck to the micro- 
scope and there found animalcules, the same as on the flies, i bad 
now arrived at something definite, they were not the progeny of the 
fly. but animalcules floating in the air; aud the quick motions of 
the fii 8 gathered them on their bodies, sod the flies then went into 
some quiet eorner to have their dainty meal." The investigator 
goes on to describe how* he continued the expsriment in a varivty of 
localities, and how iu dirty and bad smelling quarters, be found the 
myriads of flies which existed there literally covered w ith ani- 
malcules. while other flies captured in bed rooms or well ventilated, 
clean apaitments, w*ere miserably lean and entirely free from their 
prey. Wherever filth existed, evolving germs w hich might generate 
disease, there were (he flies, covering tiiemselves with the minute 
organisms aud greedily devouring the same. Mr, Emerson, while 
thus proving the utility of the fly, has added another and lower link 
to that curious aud neces>ary chain of destruction which exists in 
animated nature. These infinitvsiuiai animalcules lorm food for the 
flies, the flies lor the spiders the spiders for the birds, the birds for 
the quadrupeds, and so on to the ast of the series, serving the 
same purpose to man. He certainly deserves credit for au interebi- 
ing and novel investigation, and for an intelligent discernment 
which might even attack the more difficult task ol teaching us the 
use— for nature makes nothing without 8ome|bcucficiAl end— of the 
xaiiaalcuiea Anglican, 
4 
