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LETTERS FROM SFORTSMEW. 
The Dittmar Powder— The California Quail- 
Elktos, JId., June 20. 
Editob Rod axd Grx: 
Having eeen a good deal lately in yonr columns in praise of the 
new powder. I ordered a couple of canisters of the article from 
Henry A. Gould, the selling agent, which is the first of the Diu- 
mar powder that has made its appearance in our town. On its re- 
ceipt the first step was to test its quality, and stepping into the office 
of a sportsman friend, we loaded a pair of shells lightly with the 
powder alone, and placing them in the gnu fired. The effect was a 
laughable surprise; a prolonged fiz, not unlike a “spit-devil" which 
did not drive the wads ont of the gnn. I took the powder home, 
however, and loaded a brass-shell — a 12 B. Parkei shell — wi'h a 
three drawn charge— the same quantity by measure that I had been 
in the habit of using, Dupont's Xo. 1 sporting powder, very coarse 
grain, and unsurpassed by any other powder I have ever tried, I 
placed two wads on the po^er— the wads two sizes larger than the 
shell— and pressed them down hard; an ounce of Xo. 6 shot with 
same sized Eley's wad well pressed on the chatge; and the shell was 
placed in the gnn. The g-arden was my shooting gallery on this 
occasion, and pinning a piece of white paper about 5 inches square 
to the board fence, I stepped back 25 paces and fired. A quick, 
sharp report like the discharge of a rifle followed and approaching 
the mark, I found it thickly spattered with shot holes. But imag- 
ine my surprise when on examination 1 found that about a dozen of 
the pellets had gone through and through the sound hemlock board, 
an inch in thickness. This test satisfied me as to the strength of 
the powder. The recoil of the gnn was quite sharp, fully equal to 
that caused by the same measure of the best Dupont powder, while 
the smoke was hardly half as much as from the same quantity of 
black powder of the best brand. 
Several shots more were fired with similar results, proving the 
powder to possess great propelling strength, and causing but a small 
quantity of smoke. In a word my experience was about the same 
as that of other correspondents who have given you their accounts 
of the powder. The gnn after firing black powder was almost 
cleaned by a few charges of the Dittman powder. 
The advertisement of the powder in Rod axd Grx, says “Xo 
smoke, little recoil,” etc. There is certainly considerable smoke 
and in my experience about the same recoil as with same measure 
of best black coarse grained powder. I am so well pleased with the 
new powder that I propose to use it in future. The powder is a 
light yellow in color, and a cannister of it coslin-g 50 cents, meas- 
ured a little more than a half pound of black powder, which if 
used in equal quantities, measure for measure, will make it some- 
thing more costly than the best black powder, but its other advan 
ts^es I think outweighs the question of cost. 
"Recapper” inquires in the Rod axo Gux of the 29th May, if the 
valley California quail could be introduced in the eastern and mid- 
dle stales. I think not. Ex-Postmaster General Creswell, had four 
dozen of these birds sent him from California, three years ago. The 
birds were carefully kept till spring and let loose on his and the 
neighboring farms in this neighborhood, the following spring In 
good condition, but they soon disappeared, either straying away or 
perishing. A few of them were seen through the summer, but they 
did not seem to have nested, and in a year after they were tumi-d 
loose none were to be seen or heard of. E. E. E. 
Gun Trials. 
Grand Rapids, Mich., June 19. 
Editor Rod akd Grx: 
Your correspondent Recapper" (J. W. Loujr) in your isk?ne of 
thi0 date, calls up the by no means new subject of the inutilitr of 
the Field" or "Pettit*'' pad in determining the relative penetrative 
power of gans. Messrs. Dougall, of gun making fame, eome three 
years ago upheld the same view-', and backed them op with similar 
arguments to those used by J. W, L., and stating tbal with the 
brown paper pad medium guns would always show a better penetra- 
tion than first class ones. In February of this present year the editor 
of the London tried three of Dougall's guns bored on the ^o- 
called " new sy?tem" with the Pettit pad. and they .gave a higher 
penetration than had before been obtained, whereupon a correspon- 
dent of that paper very pertinently inquires, ** Are we to infer that 
Mr. Dougall has abandoned his theory, or that he makes only very 
medium guns?" This latter snpposition is altogether at variance 
with the established reputation for h.ard-hitting always conceded 
for this maker s weapons. Mr. Doagall, in reply to the above in- 
quiry, does not shed much light on the subject, though professing 
to be able and willing at some future time to do so. It is to be 
hoped that he will speedily enlighten ns, as nothing is more import- 
ant than that we have some reliable and standard means of compar- 
ing our guns. The resu tsof firing at pamphleu and tin cans, which 
some of your correspondents report, leave us altogether in the dark 
as to the relative force of the gun or powder experimanted on and 
are of little nse. 
The remedy proposed by J. W. L. is ceriainly good in theory, and 
could be very easily tried against the Pettit or similar pad to ^ee if 
the results would vary: and in targe. tiug a new guu I am exp^tiug 
from Parker Bros., I will try both plans, and with your |>ermiss^ion 
report. A. II. 
New Bear Story- 
Gborgetowx, Colorado, June 14. 
Editor Rod a^td Gcx: 
Thinking the followim: might interest the readers of the IbjD and 
Grx, I send it. It occurred within a mile of this place some time 
ago. It seems that a miner who bad been prospecting on the top of 
Leavenworth Mountain chose an old cabin as hie head-quarters, and 
althongh it bad no door, and the cracks were anasnaljy large and 
open, he deierminei Ij sleep there. After a frugal sapper he sought 
tired Nature's sweet restorer in the upper buuk, and wrapping his 
two blankets about him, consigned himself to the care of Morpheus. 
About midnight he was awakened from his quiet rest by a rude 
noise in nis camping place, and, peering in alarm over the edge of 
his bunk, saw a huge Cinnamon Bear investigating the interior 04 
his cabin in a remarkably free and easy manner. Having no wea- 
pons at hand he remained quiet, and to his joy bruin scon departed, 
and as the dusky form disappeared in the pines, our hero en dinha- 
Wffe made a break down the trail for the nearest inhabited dwell- 
ing, where the boy*i made much sport of hi'* adventure until they 
examined the bear's tracks in the morning, which showed him to 
be one of the largest brutes ever seen in this county. 
Nothing daunted, the m ner resnmed his pick and shovel, and at 
night, acting on the theory that Pglitninir, cannon balls and cinna- 
mon bear- never strike the same place twice, he ramped out again 
in the old cabin, llis iiei^'es had been rather shaken, however, and 
even in sleep were on the quir te. Snre enough, ere many boars, 
be was startled into wakcfulne’^s by a sound of rustling bushes and 
crackling branches close at hand. Bitterly cursing the foolhardines* 
that had exposed him to such deadh’ p^ril, he listened anxiously 
and fearfully while closer and closer c ime the dreadei beast. It ad- 
vanced to the cabin, and slowly made its circuit, ra'tlingold tin 
cans, and causing our friend's hair to stand on end wit’n the antici- 
pation of an awful fate. Minutes dragg d like hours; forgotten 
events of his past life rose up distinctly on his mind: he vowed, if 
spared, to become a belter man: and as the sound approachc*d the 
door-wpy, he lay lu agony of fear and suspense. Resolving to sell 
his life dear (in his own phrase, "to get a mou'hfnl while the bear 
made a full meal") he grasped a pick and raised it on high, intend- 
ing to bury its sharp point in the monster's head. Slowly a dark form 
appeared, a long nose, and two preposienmsly elongated ears came 
into eight, and a dreadful “Yaw-haw-hee-haw" rose onthemidnight 
air as a startled bnrro perceived the ghostly form standing on guard. 
Ten minutes later a disgusted and demoralized man nudged a sleep- 
ing miner in the lower cabin, and told him to "nil over, and make 
room; the.*^ was too much dum foolishness around the upper house 
for him." Yocxg Sportsmax. 
The Ex-Gunmaker- 
FoiTGHKERrME, N. Y., Junc 18. 
Editor Rod avd Grx: 
In your issue of June 12 appears a commnnication from " Fred" 
in reply to mine of the 29th ult., to which 1 shall have to say a few 
words. “ Fred" wishes to know ^\hy I used a muzzle-loader twice 
the weight of the Remiugtou (10 lbs.) Simply this— I could not 
procure a twerty pound Rcmingtoi , consequently I took one of 
their Creedmoor guns, which, if I understand correctly, they claim 
tobethe ven* best they can manufacture. The statement which 
" Fred" makes that weight pother things being equal) has all to do 
in long range shooting, shows how much he knows about the rifle. 
If two guns are fired from a vice rest, a difference of 10 lbs. in 
the weight will not cau>€ me slightest variation in the shooting. 
Furthermore, he ventures to >ay (that is, he acknowledges he really 
knows nothing about u) that a Remington or Sharps rifle of 10 lbs. 
wei.bt will equal or excxlany muzzle-loader of the .'^aine weUht, 
Ai this is simply whar he thinks. I Lave nothing to say in reply. 
Finally, he wishes me to reverse my p'.an. I will do so during the 
^ammc^ and r.‘P"rT, " Hamburg,” fn>ra Jericho, has just woke up, 
and a^ he doi s not appear to b*^ m a v» ry genilcmanly mood I will 
pass him by. Ax Ex Glxmaker 
A True Friend. 
Bkooklyx, Junc 18. 
Editor Rod axd Grx: 
The Rod axd Gcx comes to me ev».ry Fr'day morning, and when 
I come home from luy day's work the fi^^t t..ing I look for is my 
favored Rod axd Gux I cannot take my supper before I have a 
glance at its contents, for every week there is something of interest 
to me. Some times my folks try to play a joke on me, and tell me 
that the paper has nut come, but that is "too thin."' I know' they 
ain't asleep up at Wc't .Meriden. You ought to see me look for the 
Rod and Gu.n if 1 can't find it where they put it. Then I tell them 
that I can't eat any supper until 1 get my paper, so 10 satisfy me 
they ** fork*' over the Rod and (Ji'x mighty quick. I always, on 
opening the wrapper, look for " Krad's*’ articles, ilis art cles 
please me so much that I can read them over and over again, and 1 
think be is a gi-nuinc spoilsman and a friend to them all; but a 
mighty poor friend to the pot hunb rs. for which I do tot blame 
him. I, for my part, would not nTognize a pot hunter. I know' a 
few here that used to be friends of mine, but a" soon as I found oni 
that they were slaughtering woodcock in March and April yon 
ought to have seen me " dnjp'' them, and have nothing to do with 
such a clas^ of men. I would not want to make mys If know n w-ith 
such w’onld-be spoitsmeu. 
In regard to the Rod axd Grx, I would say that it has lK*come a 
• piTmauent instiiutiou of this countiy in less time than it generally 
takes a sporting paper to obtain the smallest footing in a community 
of sportsmen. The reason 01 this is apparent from the fact that the 
sportsmen of this country were without such aneat and hand “ bade 
me cum" as this paper n tw supplies: a clearly pnnted, cleanly 
edited jonmal. who.->e chief aim is to afford >uch information the 
lovers of dog and gun desi^e^ to obtain. There was another paper 
started in New' York cityilcaoiio! call it a ^I>orting paper, as it is 
not such) about three weeks ago. 1 bought a copy of it, bat I wae 
so disgusted with it 1 could net read it; in fact, almost fell asleep 
over ii, I sent the copy to a friend of mine, as a specimen copy of 
a sporting paper, but 1 am afraid be w ill fall asleep and ne\er wake 
up again. I hope be w ill write through the R id and Gl.n, and let 
me know if he is still alive (do not forget to do so Fred; hope yon 
are over the shock by this time). Anyway, there is no paper pub- 
lished in this country that can excel the Rod axd Gux. I know I 
would rather have it a hundred times more than any other sporting 
paper. The rea.son I like the Rod axd Gux best is because \i writes 
exclusively on shooting, fishing and Natural History. Now. not 
very long ago, I noticed in one of tbfi Western sporting pain r* an 
editorial on the scandal. Now what has shooting and fishing to do 
with the scandal? The reason they have such articles in their paper 
is to fill np. Thw can't get sporting news enouxh. consequently 
they must pot anything in the paper. Now I have never seen any- 
thing in the Rod axd Gux that did not Delong there. What they 
derhave in the Rod and Gux is w'orih w hile readiug. It seems to 
me that the Rod and Gux has greatly improved since it ha« changed 
its name, which. I think, was a good idea; but at fir&t it did not suit 
me, as it did also many others, but we are all used 10 the new name 
and see uow the difference. I will have to come to a cJose now, 
and hope the JJod axd Gux will li\e forever, Couoaous. 
Diltmars Powder 
Warsaw, III., June 24. 
Editor Rod axd Gux: 
I received a few days ago a sample package of the " Ditmar 
Powder." and I send you the result of a test with that and black 
powder. The gnn nsed was a Scott Top Snap, No. 10.30 inch, 
weighing 10 3-4 lbs,, with the "Parker” shell. 
As I have heard persems claim that with 4 dr. powder and 1 oz. of 
No. 6 shot, at 21 yds., they have driven the shot through an inch 
pine plank. I first tried that, but not a pellet was driven through 
the plank, although 1 have tr ed it with several good guns that 1 
have owned prerionsly and have had other sportsmen try it. I have 
never seen a gun that would do it with any pawder. I then loaded 
two metal shells with 4 1-2 dr. of Dittmar's powder, with two 
Ely wads on it, and 1 1-4 oz. No. C. St. Louis shot, with a single 
«ad on shot. Abo, 2 shells with 4 dr Oriental F. G. powder, cost- 
ing here $7 25 per keg of *25 lbs., wads and shot the same as the 
other distance cO yds. ; target 18x20 inches on a pine plank. 
Right barrel, No pellets in target: 
Dittmar 98 
Oncutol 1»*6 
Left barrel. No. pellets in targei: 
Dittmar 87 
Orient il.,'. 161 
Wiih the right barrel the penetraiion was about the same. If 
any difference it w as in favor of the Oriental. In the left barrel the 
Oriental whs decidedly the best, as we dug the pellets out with a 
kuife as near togeihcr as wc could find tnem from the two luitds. 
The Dittmar did not foul the barrels. The s uuke was almost one- 
half that of the other; rec ill the same; aboutone bdlftlie report— was 
much like a rlfi», sharp and quick, but it was louder than any 
squirrel rifle I ever iiea;d. It seems to me that this was a fair le.-t 
for the Dittmar, medium distance, medium size shot 1-2 dr. extra 
powder. 
• I can second whnt ‘‘Long” says in his book, in regard to the. 
Oriental powder. 1 have tried it with the Hazard and Orange pow - 
der of the same gra<le; also, with Hazard's Ducking, and the Orieti- 
lal has always done the best work. In the above trials the shut 
were driven about 2-^1 through the piauE, uut all, but the best of 
them. A. TI. M'. 
V/ell Done I 
??AVAXXAH, Ga., JuXi 11. 
Editor Rod and Gux: 
I have been buckwiird in my congnuiilaiions upon the change i f 
name of yonr dear old paper. “The Aim-rican bporl.-man." Il.was all 
that il reprrseuted iiself, and it.* heading wis grand and very pic- 
turesque. The Rod .vxi> Gun* tells its own story and cm never be 
misunderstood, and wi:h its new' face, it breatUes a higher tone in 
its reading matter, showing it is a progressive sheet; and gathers as 
it grows. May it still tower in s’rt nglb, and may the Gun grow to 
a big cannon in its voic * to the shootist of America, so that in de- 
cisions on all ^ubjects of the kind, it will be the Wfi/AUfyn. May 
the Rod grow greeu with oM aje in the hearts of yonr subscribcis, 
and a.* old a::e comes on apace with them, iu-hv the sight of some of 
Tue Rod and liu.s pa|H?rs, brought out of the old library, br-ng 
back to tbeir mind^ sweet memories of l.'.e puc*!, and of mau> a 
good old Imul enjoye<l in their youngi r days; and as they con over 
the past, in delicious reverie, they will enjoy their oblivion to the 
present. Keep on with the good work, for I firmly believe you are 
the humane ecitor you re; resent y.»nr?elf, for more game has been 
protected in our section than ever before; for until yonr paper came 
among us, no one gave the suiiject a thought, and game was 
slaughtered indiscriminately, lummer and winter. But you have 
opened their eye>, and the sportsmen of our city eDdorsed your 
Tk‘W'.« and showed their appreciation of your append by immediately 
uaudiag themselves together into a ciuD, iDr the prelection of game 
and had such stnngt ni lav\s introduced into the Legislature that 
vtry few, even of th viciou'-ly iiicliiieil, care to lest the matter. 
But our law s are nut entirely a Mate Law, but only confined to a few' 
counties. There are so mnny ieather-heads in our litate, that we 
encounter many difficulties, for we have to fight thi ir ignorances as 
well a« their prejudices. This year we could do nothing towards 
:t. We were whipped out by many nays. Bat one feature of oi r 
game law is objectionable even to myself, viz.: the summer duck 
sb^>oilng: bo: 1 believe we are all agreed to let that be a dead letter 
until we can have it changed. The law was gotten up in too great 
a hurry. They did not luliy look into the merits of different sea- 
•ont, but better have the matter over-done that not done at all. 
Wishing your continued succeas ia pushing your Rod axd Gu.n, 
even into the extreme wilderness, G. T. T. 
Loadinq Guns- 
Washixgtoxville. N. Y., Juxs 21. 
Editor Rod axd Gux: 
In No. 12 1 notice an enquiry from G. F. G., relative to the 
proper charge for an ll-gnuge 8 l-2lb. gun. Now in all modesty, 
tud without pretending to be in any sense of the word, an "ex- 
pert” in such matters, yet perhajis an experience of 20 or 25 years as 
A "shootist” euLitlce me to an optniou, and what I have to advance 
is, you understand, merely an opinion, and offered only* for w'hat it 
is w'orch. I have read statements in your paper from parties who 
charge with 3, 3;^ and 4drs. of powder and 1^4 to 3>(oz. shot, the 
parlies in most instances not mentioning what quality or grade of 
powder they were using. I would suggest, Bro. ShootisU, that we 
always invariably in speaxiug of the charges we use, mention the 
maker's name, the grade, and the size of grain, as these are all im- 
portant points and make a vast difference in the result. In my ex- 
perience I have ahvars found that 2drs. of the best grade of any of 
the different makes gives me sufficient recoil to make things per- 
fectly agreeable day in and out. and it has always been a mystery to 
me how parlies can use such heavy charges, enjoj' the s|K)rt and 
come out with a soniid shoubU-r. jn a73'4 to S ! 21b. gnn, 11, 12 or 
13-gauge, either muzzle or breech-loader (though I always use the 
latter). 1 should never, iu covert or upland shooting, use more 
than 2 or 2)^di'S. of “Dapout's Diamond Grain” No. 1; "Hazard 
Electric" No. 5, or ‘'Orange Lighluing" same size grain, and always 
loz. of shot, increase the size of shot for large game, but never the 
quantity. Your able correspondent, "Recapper," (J. S. Long,) gives 
us an admirable ai tide thi^ week on tbc English gnu trial. It is 
the offspring ef good is endorsii) bj tat we know 
about philotphj," C, W. 
