June 13, 1908.] 
FOREST AND STREAM. 
935 
Edward A. Samuels. 
Boston, Mass., June 6 .—Editor Forest ani 
Stream: By the death of Edward Augustus 
Samuels, on May 27, the cause of fish and game 
protection has lost one of its ablest and most 
active supporters. A brief account of his life 
and labors will be read with interest by thou¬ 
sands of your readers in all parts of the coun¬ 
try, and especially by the hosts of his friends 
in Massachusetts where he was for many years 
the leading authority on all subjects connected 
with sportsmen’s interests. 
Mr. Samuels was born in Boston July 4, 
1836, the son of Emanuel Samuels, from whom 
he early imbibed his fondness for outdoor life 
and nature studies. From i860 to 1880 he was 
assistant secretary of the Massachusetts Board 
of Agriculture. In 1868 he brought out a work 
which gave him immediate recognition as an 
ornithologist, “The Birds of New England.” 
This was regarded at the time of so much im¬ 
portance that the State Legislature made a 
special appropriation for the purchase of one 
thousand copies to be placed in public libraries 
and academies throughout the Commonwealth. 
It marked the beginning of a new era in the 
study of birds. From Mr. Samuels’ own lips 
I have heard the story of the scores of young 
men who sought him out for information in 
connection with their study of birds; in fact, 
it has been my pleasure to meet many of them 
who still hold his name in grateful remem¬ 
brance. : ii’^i 
The period of his life above referred to must 
have been a happy one, for Mr. Samuels always 
derived great pleasure from the imparting of 
his knowledge to others. For a period of about 
twenty years from 1870, Mr. Samuels was en¬ 
gaged in publishing music in Boston, but always 
devoting his spare time to scientific studies and 
literary pursuits. Among his works besides 
that above mentioned are “Among the Birds,” 
“With Fly-Rod and Camera,” “Mammalia of 
New England,” “The Living World,” “With 
Rod and Gun in New England and the Mari¬ 
time Provinces,” and a general work on natural 
history. As your readers know he was for 
several years a contributor to the columns of 
Forest and Stream and other journals. His 
“With Fly-Rod and Camera” did much to stimu¬ 
late outdoor life and what is known as “hunt¬ 
ing with the camera.” 
While residing for a time in Canton in his 
early life, Mr. Samuels organized and was the 
leader of a band which is well remembered by 
many citizens of the town to-day. For some 
years, while living in Waltham, he was presi¬ 
dent of “The Waltham Farmers’ Club,” com¬ 
posed of leading residents of that town. But the 
official position in which he took the greatest 
pride was the presidency of the Massachusetts 
Fish and Game Protective Association, which 
came to him as unexpectedly as a thunder storm 
from a clear sky. On Jan. 14, 1885, the nomi¬ 
nating committee reported to the annual meet¬ 
ing of the association, held at the Parker House, 
the name of the retiring president, Mr. John 
Fottler, Jr., for the presidency, although he had 
expressed a desire to retire from that position. 
Mr. Fottler positively declined to serve another 
year. But the members had assembled for the 
purpose of electing officers and a motion to pro¬ 
ceed to ballot was carried. Major C. W. 
Stevens was elected, but declined. Two more 
ballots were taken resulting in no choice. At 
this stage of the proceedings I happened to 
notice sitting alone in the rear of the hall Mr. 
Samuels, whom I had heard our first president, 
Dr. John P. Ordway, mention as the author of 
an important work on birds. No one present 
apparently knew him, but the fact of his high 
standing as an ornithologist was mentioned to 
a few, and on the next ballot he was elected. 
He held the office for a period of seven years 
in succession. He entered upon the duties of 
his office with great zeal, and under his leader¬ 
ship the association increased rapidly in num¬ 
bers and in influence. When Mr. Samuels took 
the office there were but a few more than one 
hundred members, and on his retirement there 
were more than five hundred names enrolled. 
Unquestionably Mr. Samuels ranked as one 
of the best informed men on all subjects con- 
E. A. SAMUELS. 
From a portrait made in 1897. 
nected with the practical and scientific sides of 
natural history subjects at that time enrolled 
on our list of members, or in the country, and 
his knowledge included not only birds and wild 
animals, but fish and fishing of all kinds in both 
fresh and salt water. 
Mr. Samuels’ life was one of great useful¬ 
ness to his fellowmen. The style of his writ¬ 
ings for sportsmen was exceedingly felicitous 
and peculiar to himself. His works have at¬ 
tracted much attention in Great Britain, where 
he is often spoken of as “the Izaak Walton of 
America.” 
His loss will be mourned by a host of admir¬ 
ing friends, and especially by the older mem¬ 
bers of the Massachusetts Fish and Game Pro¬ 
tective Association. 
His death occurred at the home of his 
daughter, the wife of Dr. John A. Barton, of 
Fitchburg, where the funeral services, conducted 
by the Rev. Dr. Thomas, of the Episcopal 
Church, were held on June 3. The interment 
was in the family lot at Quincy, Mass. 
Henry Hastings Kimball. 
Pennsylvania Sportsmen’s Association 
Last week a brief notice of the annual meet¬ 
ing, held May 26 and 27 at Bradford, was 
printed in these columns. More details are now 
available. 
The convention was called to order by Presi¬ 
dent Allen M. Seitz. Thirty-eight organizations 
were represented, and thirty-nine organizations 
were absent and not represented. After the 
reading of the minutes had been disposed of 
the following proposals for membership were 
received: Stenton Athletic Club, Philadelphia; 
Delaware Water Gap Gun Club, Phoenixville 
Gun Club, Lehigh Valley Shooting Association, 
Allentown; Narberth Rod and Gun Club, Berks 
County Game and Fish Protective Association, 
Reading; Carbondale Rod and Gun Club, Hazel- 
ton Game and Fish Protective Association, Le- 
highton Game and Fish Protective Association, 
Slatington Gun Club, Lehighton Rod and Gun 
Club, Hicks Run Gun Club, Punksutawney Gun 
Club, Butler Gun Club, Beaver Meadow Gun 
Club. Also these individual - members: W. A. 
Campbell, Mt. Jewett; B. B. Shoop, Harrisburg, 
and C. A. Long, Lewistown. Also J. A. Stoop, 
Ralph Stoop, Geo. J. Elliott, O. H. Miller, all 
of Butler county, their fee to be applied to the 
club membership as soon as an organization is 
formed. 
The secretary's and treasurer’s reports were 
read and accepted, • and after considerable 
routine business the election of officers fol¬ 
lowed • R. R. Bennett, of Pittsburg, was 
elected President; F. M. Eames, of Philadel¬ 
phia, Vice-President; J. F. Meehan, of Philadel¬ 
phia, Secretary; Directors, J. M. Runk, of Cham- 
bersburg; Karl Stewart, of Harrisburg; D. 
Edgar Hickey, of Millvale; John S. Speer, of 
St. Marys, and C. F. Kramlich, of Allentown. 
The report of Dr. Kalbfus, chairman of the 
legislative committee, was read and adopted. 
Karl Stewart, of the committee on fish and 
fishing, then read his report. In this a number 
of features in the existing fish laws were ob¬ 
jected to, and a full discussion entered into. 
One of these, which seems a little out of the 
ordinary, is the statement that a certain man 
was arrested and fined $25 for catching a carp 
in his hands, when the laws specifically states 
that the penalty for planting carp in the waters 
of Pennsylvania shall be $too. The committee 
is of the opinion that “in the majority of cases 
the more rods a man may attempt to use in fish¬ 
ing for game fish the less fish he will catch.” 
It deals at considerable length with the pro¬ 
vision in the laws relating to fi»h ; ng with rod, 
hook and line. It is also opposed to the length 
limit of fish, it being stated that the fish that 
are once hooked and returned to the watei will 
die. It also favors an opening date for all fish¬ 
ing, except trout, on June 1, instead of June 
15. It is also opposed to the sale of wild brook 
trout, and devotes considerable space to its ob¬ 
jection to the planting of fry, it being of the 
opinion that fingerlings only should be planted. 
The report was adopted after amendment pro¬ 
viding for a similar committee to that of com¬ 
mittee on game, said committee to confer with 
the Department of Fisheries and draft a bill for 
presentation to the Legislature. 
Before the meeting adjourned the chairman 
appointed committees on game legislation an< 
on fish legislation. 
