386 
Sept. 35, 1875. 
LHTTIBS F^Om SPOBTSMEfj. 
Deer up North. 
Whitehall, N. Y., Sept. 15. 
The season for killing deer commenced Wednesday, 
Sept. 1, and was opened quite lively by the sportsmen 
of this vicinity. Deer have been quite plenty upon our 
mountains, and in the adjoining town of Dresden; but 
lately they have been driven off and killed by parties 
from other localities with their hounds. It was no un- 
common occurrence for us to go out upon the moun- 
tains west of Whitehall, in the vicinity of South Bay, 
and in four or five hours bring in one or two deer by 
“still hunting.” But now, since the deer have been 
hunted by dogs, they have become very scarce, and one 
is counted a “lucky fellow” to go out “still hunting” and 
bag one deer in two days. The deer have been driven 
far away into the thick timber among the Adirondacks, 
from this very cause; however, they love our moun- 
tains, and will breed and feed here, but from time to 
to time parties come from other towns and drive them 
with their dogs. This persistent hounding by these out- 
siders has incensed our neighbors of Dresden, who are 
of an excitable nature naturally, and they have taken 
rather cruel measures to step it — a plan, by the way, I 
do not quite approve of, as I am too fond of a dog. When 
parties are out with their hounds to run the deer, about 
every one in the town of Dresden knows it. So great is 
their dislike of the practice that they form into a league, 
and each one informs his neighbor. They have nearly 
all of them breech-loaders, and are all “crack shots,” it 
being a wild country, and they mostly all lumber- 
men and farmers. When the hounds have started 
a deer they will place themselves upon the “run- 
ways” (which they are aU perfectly acquainted with) 
and upon the shores of South Bay and Lake Cham- 
plain; and either pick off the hound as he follows 
the deer (and permit the deer to pass), or shoot the 
hound when he has driven the deer into the water 
and stands baying upon the shore. The owner of 
the hound cannot teU who shot him — no one knows, (f) 
He cannot prosecute for the destruction of his property, 
but the dog is dead. When questioned as to the pro- 
priety of the cruel process of shooting the dog, when 
the hunter alone is to blame, they reply “ that it is the 
only way that they can stop it ; that there is no law in 
this country to prevent it, and if they permit it to go on, 
that the deer will be exterminated from our mountains, 
and if not all killed off, driven so far away that they 
will have to go without venison for the rest of their 
natural lives.” I do not consider it right to hunt them 
with dogs ; the reason is quite apparent. But I do think 
it wrong to kill the hound, which is not at aU to blame, 
and I think there should be a law passed prohibiting the 
hunting of deer with hounds m this county (as in the 
county of Steuben) for five years at least, thereby giving 
the deer a rest and a chance to multiply, which would 
surely be the case. We have fine feeding grounds here, 
and the deer love our mountains, and would not leave 
unless driven away by hounds. 
On September 1st a party went out upon the moun- 
tain known as “ The Diameter,” and succeeded in start- 
ing two deer, and the dogs drove them into South Bay, 
where one was killed by the hunters, the other was 
driven out by a Dresdenite, who was in his boat at the 
time, and made his escape back into the tim- 
ber. Two hounds were shot and killed by 
the Dresden boys, who had stationed themselves 
as before mentioned. The hunters owning the 
dogs returned fire where the other party fired from, but 
no damage was done to them. I was told by one of 
them that bullets whistled “ mighty cluss” to where he 
stood, but he knew the short-range rifles would not hurt 
him. It is rumored that [quite a large party is coming 
soon to run the deer; and if so, there will be lively times, 
as the Dresden boys are all prepared to make short work 
of it, and a hound will hardly be able to bay half a dozen 
times ere he is pierced by as many bullets, and his body 
left as food for the crows. 
Woodcock are plenty here, and ducks begin to come 
into our marshes in goodly numbers. I was dne of a 
party of three who last week killed twenty-nine wood- 
cock in one afternoon, all fine birds, plump, and in as 
good condition is I ever saw them. 
Ruffed grouse, or (as they are termed here) “part- 
ridge,” are abundant this fall, and are now feeding con- 
siderably upon wild grapes. 
Game of all kinds is more plenty than it has been be- 
fore in j’ears, owing to the strict game laws, which we 
enforce. “ Ekeap.” 
Bara Avis. 
Charlestown, Mass., Sept. 15. 
A Boston gentleman (Mr. Houston) has recently shot 
at Centreville, Mass., a fine specimen of a pure white 
crow. It is now being stuffed by Mr. C. J. Goodale, 
taxidermist, and can be seen at his store, 93 Sudbury 
Street, Boston. This bird has been seen for several 
years, and efforts were made by numerous parties to 
effect its capture, but without success, until Mr. Hous- 
ton became the fortunate possessor. Sportsman. 
Snake Bite. 
Xew Orleans, Sept. 14. 
Believing that the following will be of interest, I take 
the liberty of asking your kindness for a small space in 
your valuable journal, of which I am a constant reader. 
Two years ago I attended the Cape Girardeau,Mo., County 
Fair. On the ground there appeared as a snake-charm- 
er, or ass (which?), a young min about twenty. He was 
the proprietor of what he called a valuable rattlesnake. 
In attempting to insert the snake’s head in his mouth, 
the reptile gave him a fearful bite, fairly splitting his 
lip. In a few minutes his (the charmer’s) head was as 
large as a keg of naUs, and his face an unsightly mass of 
flesh. Luckily there happened to be an M. D. on the 
grounds (his name I do not remember), who adminis- 
tered whisky and spirits of ammonia in frequent doses. 
Next evening the man was again out, playing with his 
valuable rattlesnake. The above was witnessed by prob- 
ably three to five thousand persons, and can be fully 
substantiated. Court. 
Dittmar. 
I have just read “ Abe’s” article on the Dittmar pow- 
der in your paper of Sept. 11. Either Abe mistakes badly 
or there is something the trouble besides the powder. 
I have been using Dittmar powder for three months, 
during which time I have killed with it many grouse and 
ducks. I have also tried it at targets, and find that 
44 dims, of it is about equal to 4 drms. of Hazard’s 
duck-shooting No. 3, and the absence of smoke and re- 
coil is suSicient to overbalance the extra half drachm 
used. lYhen Abe says 6i drms. of Dittmar would not 
drive the wads out of his gun, he is simply talking non- 
sense. I can give him the name of a dozen sportsmen 
here who are using it, and Mr. H. N. Sherman, of Be- 
loit, Wis. , one of the best pigeon trap shots in the coun- 
try, always uses it on double rises. When a man writes 
such stuff as Abe does, I think it would look a little 
better if he signed his name. Valentine;. 
Trespass. 
Somerset, O., Sept. 13. 
Seeing in your last issue an editorial on trespa.ss, I 
wish to have my say, in explanation of my former letter, 
which I think was slightly misunderstood. Your article 
was an able and temperate review of the vexed ques- 
tion of Landholder vs. Sportsman, but it would seem to 
imply that the correspondent referred to was in favor of 
the right of trespass, so to speak, whereas nothing was 
further from the intention of the writer. 
The writer of this is aware that by common law and 
common consent that no man has the right to walk over, 
much less shoot, on the lands of another without con- 
sent of the owner or lessee thereof, and the sportsman 
should never forget while shooting that be is only al- 
lowed on said lands by sufferance, and he should so con- 
duct himself, if possible, as to do no injury, and give no 
offense to tlie owner. But while no doubt the farmer 
has much to complain of from reckless and irresponsi- 
ble gunners, it does not seem fair for him to warn off 
and drive off every man whom he finds on his premises 
with a gun in his hand. AU that the present writer asks 
of the landholder is that he treat the civil sportsman as 
a gentleman as long as he acts as such ; but on the other 
band, should the gunner prove to be a nuisance or an 
injury to the farmer or his property, then I say let him 
enforce the trespass law to the uttermost extent. 
In regard to the law recently passed by the Connecti- 
cut Legislature, it is only the entering wedge of that false 
sentiment of humanity which would not only prohibit 
trap-shooting, but all other shooting for sport, and 
should be firmly resisted at the outset by every true 
lover of manly sport in the land. We will take it for 
granted that even Mr. Bergh will admit that the fowl of 
the air, the beast of the field and the fish of the sea were 
created for the use or benefit of man, and as long as the 
sportsman does not needlessly torture the objects of his 
aim, or does not kid more than can be consumed by man 
as food, and respects the times and seasons set apart for 
the breeding of the several species of game, he cannot 
be considered as a wanton destroyer of animal life, any 
more than the butcher who kills the fowl, the pig, or 
the calf for market. Death is the universal law. Every 
created being is made to kill, or be kUled, to eat, or be 
eaten, and all the sophistries of men who are presidents, 
secretaries, or employes (at fat salaries) of so-called 
“ Societies for prevention of cruelty to animals,” can 
not alter one iota of that stern, hard fact. 
I am watching with much interest the discussion in 
your columns on the " choke-bore,” “ Dittmar powder,” 
etc., but as long as they both have in J. W. Long such 
an able opponent, I will be content to trj’ the October 
grouse and quail with the good old black powder and 
the straight bore. 
Why is it that we hear no more from “ Boone ? ” I 
fear that “ Mohawk ” has taken his scalp over the “ blue 
blood” and “dropper” in that long threatened hostile 
meeting which was to take place this grouse season. 
Old Gunner. 
Dittmar. 
Poughkeepsie, Sept. 17. 
After the repeated and satisfactoiy trials I have made 
with the Dittmar powder, 1 am greatly surprised at some 
of the reports I see in the Rod and Gun from other 
parties. Why there should be such a wide difference in 
our experience with the same article, passes my com- 
prehension. It can hardly be that the quality of the 
powder varies to any such extent as is shown by, the 
testa which different parties have made with it. 
1 have used three invoices of it, ordered months 
apart, so that it is not at all likely that it was all made 
at the same time. And the uniformity of results from 
different lots has been surjirising, viz. : remarkable pen- 
etration, small recoil, diminished report, and almost no 
smoke or smell. The following is the result made this 
week with the Dittmar, and best black Ducking pow- 
der: 
The target was eight by nine inches, composed of 
twenty-four thicknesses of straw pasteboard, such as is 
used by book-binders. The cards were placed in a 
grooved rack, half an inch apart. Distance thirty yards, 
two charges in brass and two in paper shells. Dittmar, 
3i drachms, with 1^ oz. No. 7 shot. Black Duckmg, 3 
drachms, with oz. No. 7 shot. 
RESULTS: 
Dittmiu, with Brass Shells, put 18 pellets in the tar- 
get, and 6 through all the 24 cards. 
Dittmar, with [Paper Shells, put 17 pellets in the tar- 
get, and 3 through all the cards. 
Black Ducking, witfi Brass shells, put 23 pellets in 
the target, and three through all the cards. 
Black Ducking, with Paper Shells, put 26 pellets in 
the target, and three through all the cards . 
Another charge, with three drachms Dittmar, put 26 
in the target. 
So well satisfied am I that the Dittmar has several 
points that are an improvement on Black powder, that 
I have ordered a quantity of it for myself and some of 
my friends for our fall shooting. J. H. D. 
Dittmar Himself Speaks. 
Neponset, Mass., Sept 15. 
In your last issue I find three communications about 
my powder — two unfavorable and one favorable. I am 
always glad to find something about my powder in the 
papers. If it is unfavorable, and gives all the particu- 
lars, I can learn by it and improve, or explain if it is an 
error ; if it is favorable, of course it helps me also. 
What the trouble was with “ Abe’s” powder, in the first 
communication from Fonda, la., I cannot explain. I 
hope “ Abe” will send me his full address, and I will 
send him a sample of my latest improved powder, and 
after careful test I wish he would publish his experience 
again. 
The second communication, by J. W. Long, is a more 
serious matter, and I have to go a little deeper into the 
history of my powder. When I first came out with it, 
I did not know much about shot-guns. I purchased a 
very good eight-bore, made by H. R. Shaefler, in Bos- 
ton, for $225, weight 144 pounds. In this gun I tried 
my powder first, and made it just to suit that gun, and 
gave instructions accordingly. I would use any amount 
without harm, would ram it hard — the harder the better 
it did work. In the same time I got very flattering let- 
ters from those who had used it first. All were very 
much satisfied, but some found it too quick. 'Then a 
friend suggested to use a twelve-bore, as being more 
in use, which I did. Now I found that the 
powder was too quick for that bore, the shot becoming 
too much jammed in the gun, especially when the pow- 
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