August 28, 1875. 
331 
(JOSSIP UPON ANGLINO, ETC. 
BY GENIO C. SCOTT. 
Clifton House, Clifton Sfrengs, N. Y. ? 
August 18, f 
"All honor to the noble art 
f Which into com transmutes the weed. 
And turns the waste into the mead. — 
The alchemy of hand and heart! 
But let a mali.oon descend 
Upon those structures of the day, 
That with palatial display 
Shadow oar streams at every bend!” 
On the 5th inst. I left my city home for a home I 
purchased in Ontario county, five miles south of Gene- 
va, for my only son and heir, Winfield. Having vis- 
ited a few days among my family, including seven 
grand-children, admired the colts, regretted the want 
of fruit in orchards of fifteen acres of apple trees, sev- 
eral acres of pears and peaches — rejoiced with them at 
the large garnered crops of wheat and barley, the heavy 
oats and prospectively rich fields of potatoes, then my 
wife and I took the road.ster Ned, and a buggy-wagon, 
and came to this modern Siloam, where we have quietly 
rested from city cares, drove out, fished in the outlet of 
Canandaigua Lake, which runs past our lodgment only 
three-fourths of a mile distant, drank and absorbed all 
the white sulphur .spring water that we needed as 
an alterative and diaphoretic, until we are thinking 
of leaving for our home in the East to do up a few 
chores in “Gotham.” and again return to the sweet- 
scented country to spend the month of Pomona’s rule 
in the enjoyment of fruity September. 
Clifton Springs is a small village midway between 
Geneva and Canandaigua, on the Central railroad. From 
this central position for field sports I have driven about 
Ontario, and admired the rectangular farms laid off 
by good fences, like a garden, where large orchards of 
apples and pears, and large nurseries of fruits, vines 
and fiowers, with the hedge-fences render the scenes as 
rich as the best parts of England. Here the husband- 
men have all modern machinery and appliances for cul- 
tivating the lands, harve.sting the serials and threshing. 
From the use of the flail the employment of horse- 
power .succeeded in threshing until recently, and now 
the threshing and fanning of grain is done by steam- 
power, and every here and there I meet men astride of 
large water-tanks, drawn to a farm to feed the boiler for 
threshing. What with cultivators in place of the hoe; 
mowing-machines and cradling-machines in place of the 
scythe and cradle; and the threshing and fanning-ma- 
chines, the farmers are able to get along with less hand- 
labor than formerly ; but with the high price of labor, 
and the cost and wear and breakage of machinery, it is 
questionable whether the farmer nets as much as he 
did before the introduction of so much machinery, and 
when labor was cheaper. Every farmer now sports a 
fine carriage, and much labor ■ and study are given to 
raising fine stock. The horses and cows are of the best 
blood, and five hundred dollars is not considered a high 
price for a good stepping roadster. Ontario county is 
evidently the green county of the State, and, like the 
largest lake in the State, after which it was named, sup- 
ports the dignity of its name with self-satisfied repose. 
Ladies study the dead languages and mu.sic, while 
Bridget refuses to do the washing without a washing- 
maching and a wringer, and all the large dogs, where 
there is want of w'ater-power, are taught the tread-wheel 
of a churning-machine. The study of the arts of the 
kitchen is beneath the dignity of the ladies, and how 
to make a salad or cook an omelette mifflee, are to them 
among the lost arts. The cows give good milk, the 
dog churns good butter, the mills make good flour, the 
ground brings forth first-rate vegetables, the hens lay 
good eggs or yield themselves a sacrifice to the gridiron; 
and thanks to pattern-fashion cuts and sewing-machines, 
the ladies are still able to appear as attractive as for- 
merly, and without half the labor, and the tables are 
laden with choice viands, fruits and vegetables, with- 
out a great investment of bodily labor. 
Throughout the village of Clifton Springs the white 
sulphur water bubbles up here and there, the water be- 
ing the same as the White Sulphur Springs, Virginia. 
Here there is a large brick structure called the Sanita- 
rium, and though not under the auspices of the Metho- 
dist denomination of Christians, yet it is owned and 
superintended by Dr. Foster, who is a learned physician 
and a Methodist, who believes that experimental religion 
is a great remedial agent in curing the sick. He be- 
lieves that a firm reliance by a patient on a happy here- 
after, will yield patience and prepare the mind to assist 
medical treatment for the body’s infirmities. The San- 
itarium is about 250 feet in length, besides two wings, 
one of 100 and the other 300 feet in length. The centre 
part of the edifice is five stories high, and the ends four 
stories. The parks cover nearly sixty acres, including 
a deer park. Paths are made, springs opened, croquet- 
grounds smoothed off, and all made ornamental, com- 
fortable, and delight.some to the eye, with gas-jets here 
and there for occasional use. There is a fine gymna- 
sium connected with the establishment, as also a church. 
Concerts are occasionally given. The medical attendance 
of several physicians of different schools of medicine 
is in the employ of the establishment. The Sanitari- 
um is intended to accommodate 250 patients, and it is 
filled nearly all the time, winter as well as summer. 
There are nineteen kinds of baths administered, some 
with fresh and others with sulphur water. The price of 
board and medical treatment, admitting the patient to 
all curative appliances of the institution, is from six- 
teen to twenty dollars a week. There are always many 
clergymen and physicians at the Sanitarium. For sev- 
eral Sundaj's pa.st the pulpit has been occupied by 
Bisbop .Tones, of the Methodist church; but there are 
many Episcopal and Presbyterian divines present, with 
a sprinkling of Baptists of the “open-door” persuasion, 
and a L'niversalist and Unitarian or so, not entirely bare, 
either, of the Dutch-Reformed, and semi-occasionally a 
Catholic priest. 
In addition to the Sanitarium, there are two respecta- 
ble hotels. We are stopping at the Clifton House, 
where the rooms, beds and table are good, and scrupu- 
lously neat. The price of board is considerably below 
that at the Sanitarium, while persons who do not find it 
necessary to employ a physician, and only want the 
benefits of the white sulphur water, prefer staying here 
to being surrounded by invalids at every turn. Mr. 
Caldwell, who keeps the Clifton House, is the owner of 
Clifton Boy, ivhich is one of the colts that won at the 
Rochester races last week. Mr. Caldwell owns a farm 
near by, and is very popular with all classes, his neigh- 
bors and the inhabitants of the county, as well as stran- 
gers who stop fora short time. His brother-in-law, Mr. 
St. Ledger, late of New York, is the book-keeper and 
assistant manager. The house is new, but bids fair to 
become a verj’ popular resort. 
I should have mentioned that outside patients, not 
sta}'ing at the Sanitarium, who wish the advantages of 
medical advice, the baths, and all the advantages of the 
Dispensary, except hoard and lodging, pay $9 a week. 
Up to this season the price was only $6 ; but owing to 
the increase of the faculty necessary to employ, the price 
was rai.sed. I am thus circumstantial about this great- 
est institution in America of its kind, because it is so 
little understood even in the city of New A'ork, and it 
is an institution of vast importance. 
CONA'ENIENT LOCATION FOR FIELD SPORTS. 
This is a central location from which to make short 
trips for fishing or shooting. It is but a short walk to 
the outlet, where black bass, rock bass, and minor fry 
are taken. Black bass to the weight of five pounds are 
sometimes taken, but half that size is called very fair 
for this water. I have been testing the difference be- 
tween artificial flies and gras.shoppers, and the latter has 
proved the best bait Persons who prefer larger fish, 
troll in Canandaigua Lake for trout, taking them from 
three to twelve pounds; and once in a j^ear or so a trout 
of over thirty pounds. It is superior to most trout for 
the table, and would afford excellent sport for rod and 
reel, did their feeding-level in summer not range so low' 
that it is necessary to sink the trolling feathered spoon 
about 150 feet below the surface, rendering nearly a 
pound of lead necessary, distributed in rolls along the 
line for twenty feet above the leader, which is a small 
linen line about twenty-five feet in length; and even 
then it is necessary to row very slow to keep the troll- 
ing spoon at a sufficient depth. Or, if preferred, the 
angler may go to Geneva and fish in old Seneca, of re- 
nown, or continue on the rail a few minutes longer to 
Cayuga. At the latter lake the fish are much the most 
numerous, though not of so good quality, because the 
lake has a vegetable bottom, while the bottom of the 
illimitable depths of Seneca is mineral. The Seneca 
marshes are near at hand for English snipe, woodcock 
and wood-duck. 
Sodus Bay is only an hour distant from Clifton 
Springs, where shooting is excellent, black bass and 
pickerel fishing first-rate, either by trolling or still-bait- 
ing, but it is getting rather Me for black bass to rise to 
a fly generously ; yet still fly-fishing for black bass con- 
tinues good as long as grasshoppers are to be found. 
Hemlock Lake is only twenty-five miles distant, most 
bf tbe way approachable by rail, where trout, black bass 
and pickerel are taken in different ways and places. 
Crooked Lake is only twenty miles distant, where troll- 
ing is enjoyed for both trout and pickerel. These are 
favorite waters for trolling. If in quest of larger game 
and greater variety, take steamer at Charlotte, near 
Rochester, for Coburg, Canada, running acro.ss in nine 
hours. From Coburg go by rail in twent}' minutes to 
Rice Lake, where stop at Harris’s Hotel and troll for 
maskinonge, or cross the lake, four miles, and find duck- 
shooting to your heart’s content. 
Returning to New York by the Thousand Islands, 
after a month’s ruralizing with rod and gun, stop at 
Clayton, Cape Vincent or Alexandria Bay, and try gun- 
ning and trolling there. The following is an extract 
from a letter just received from there : “ Aug. 11. — The 
news I have to write is of so much importance that I 
hasten to communicate it. We arrived at Alexandria 
Bay last Saturday, and on Monday took a row-boat 
and guide several miles down the river, where I took 
the largest maskinonge of the season, being nearly forty 
pounds ; in fact, to be exact, its weight was thirty-six 
and a-half pounds. I had my hands full for a half hour, 
but finally took him, under great excitement.” 
'• We listen b}-; the waters blue to voices that we love ; 
Sweet flowers are twinkling at our side, and willow leaves above. 
Before ns feeds the fearless trout, emerging from the calm. 
And bleats behind the fleecy ewe, upon its wandering lamb. 
“ Delicious musings All the heart, and images of bliss ; 
Ah I that all pictures of the past were innocent as this. 
That life were like a summer trance beneath the willow shade. 
Or a ramble at the river side, where the song.ppirit fills the glade.” 
The Wisconsin Fish Commi.ssioners are Dr. Hoy, of 
Racine ; Mr. Welch, of Madison, and A. Palmer, of 
Boscobel. At the last meeting for the year it was unani- 
mously resolved to give up for the present all attempts 
to introduce foreign fish Into the waters of the State. 
This was done because of the cost and difficulty of ob- 
taining eggs for breeding. The Commissioners have 
already during the year imported from the East some 
good eggs of the land-locked salmon, which they have 
distributed among the various hatching-houses of the 
State. It IS expected that in the course of three or four 
years these fish will finable to furnish eggs enough to 
supply the various lakes of the State with that variety 
of fish. They have also distributed a few eggs of the 
California salmon, which are said to be doing finely. 
This fish can endure warmer water than the so-called 
land-locked salmon, and it is supposed will do well in 
many of the shallow’er lakes. 
Instead of these varieties, it was decided to undertake 
the hatching and introduction of the salmon trout family 
now found .so plentifully in the waters of Lake Jlichi- 
gan. This family embraces the various species of trout, 
whitefish and herring found in the great lakes, and all 
the varieties are hardy, valuable and easily propagated ; 
the main condition necessary to their growth being 
water at least fifty feet deep, and not more than 60 or 65 
degrees temperature, Fahrenheit. This includes nearly 
all the lakes of any size in the State. Dr. Hoy claims 
that this work can be done easily and cheaply. The 
Commissioners anticipate no difficulty in obtaining all 
the eggs they want. A single large female trout will 
yield from 200,000 to 500,000 eggs, so that this portion 
of the work is comparatively light. Mr. Dousman has 
undertaken to do the hatching for the lakes of Wau- 
kesha, and Mr. Fairbanks, of Geneva Lake, will care for 
the eggs to be planted in that body of water. The Com- 
missioners are quite confident that this plan will work 
well. There was some talk of attempting to introduce 
the perch familj’, embracing the perch, pickerel, and 
the various kinds of bass and pike, into the shallower 
waters of the State, but owing to the impossibility of 
artificially propagating these species, it was decided not 
to do anything in that direction this season. The last 
Legislature made an appropriation of $2,000 to carry 
out the plans of the Commissioners. Dr. Hoy is of the 
opinion that laws should be passed by Wisconsin and 
Michigan prohibiting the indiscriminate catching of fish 
of the salmon trout family during the .spawning season. 
He says that if the present practice is continued for a 
few more years, this family will be utterly destroyed. 
A FISH- WAY for the ascent of sea-fish is to be built at 
the Great Falls of the Potomac. In the opening of this • 
great river for the ascent of fish, four States, West Vir- 
ginia, Pennsylvania, Virginia and Maryland, are di- 
rectly interested. 
