New-York tribune., 1886-06-06
JACK SCOTT, POACHER.
CHARACTER OF THE REsTlGOUCHE WILL
DERNESS.

A CHARACTER OF THE REsTlGOUCHE WILL
DERNESS.
IRON AN occ CORRESPONDENT or THE TRrBUNEl
ST. JoHS, n. B., May 29.-There some queer
people In the Restgouche country, and one OF the
queerest is the old poacher whom will call Jack
Scott Away out in the Restigouche Wilderness
Jack. his woman" and tribe of wild children
| burrow like foxes. In the woods. Civilization 10
Jack means chances to get gin, fresh meat and TO-
bacco. He wants very little more. In the lie OF
town he would probubiy sicken and pine away like
an imprisoned wild creature of the woods Otier him
steady employment at good wages and in two days
he would forsake your neshpots for the salted sal
mon of his forest cabin. There town. church nor
school-house within sixty mites of bIs haunts The
caribou OF the forests and salmon of the river are
company enough for him. OF book Iarnin'' he
knows tile, but he knows what no books could
tell him of the ways of beaver, moose, caribou,
salmon and trout He is an unettered Thoreau,
and like Ihoreau he refuses 10 obey the law on
principle. Jack holds that he rules forest and river
by right OF eminent domain. He has pitched his
camp mi the Wilderness, aud the creatures of the
wilderness are his Jack feels himself seIgniUr of
woodlands and rlver and he looks upon game laws
and leased fishing privileges Sioux Indian might
have regarded Eastern protests against the exterln
nation ofthe buffalo, In this wild llfeJack is happy
How many years have passed over his srlzhed head
no one tell, but his short, broad. massive
figure still has the toughness OF gnarled oak.
Keen, crafty eyes fash through a thicket of
tangled hair and beard eyes starpened by watch
| ing at beaver dams and moose yards, and peerlng
| through the darkness for the approach of hostile
fish warlens. Rough ana curt in speech is Jack,
and yet his tongue may be moved to tales Of his ad-
ventures. and among other Indian traits he has
those of loyalty to friends, and persistent hatred OF
enemies, including officers Of the law
| Yet there was one of these very officers who be-
came Jacks patron saint. Some time ago
Mr. r., fish commissioner, made long
journey up the Restigouche, and one even
ming oamDed near jacks cabin. A guide was sent
over to if Jack by chance had been industrious
enough to raise any potatoes. and Jack returned
with him TO the camp, where he was known by
name and reputation. He not afraid. Accord
ing to his view he was simply enjoying his rights
Luckily the commissioner belonged to a different
order of men from the ordinary warden. Jack"
said Mr.. b. looking at the tumblo-down shanty and
swarm Of neglected children slsulkng to cover like
young partridces Jack, how do you get a liv-
inc T.
Well. sir, hunt little lumber little, trap
| little and with IN air of great frankness, " fish
! little"
"Soyou fish, do you How do you fish,
| " lth net, SAID JACK DoluIy, anu not III al
like one making damnIDg confession.
But Jack" said Mr.. b., " don't you know that
that's against the law"
Yes. sir; but | must have fish. rm poor
man."
Where is your netp
Jack began 10 look serious. He knew that after
discriminating hi,aselfhe could readily expect moth
ing less than the conhscatlon of his net But he
didn't think Mr. b. was that kind OF man. ana
SO he resolved upon a fine appeal to his magnan-
unity.
MY net Is under my woman's bed, sir. put it
there when saw you coming and know you're
not he man TO 20 there for It,"
We'll. Mr.. b. wasn't and ne changed the subject.
"Have You any salmon, now, jack
- Yes sir I've within nine OF puncheon tull'
THAT you've caught yourselfg
There was no hint of any seizure and Jacks
natural aulacity revived and manifested Itself in
'' II '',' You please Mr b.. he said, I'D like very
much to fill the puncheon
Il q & %g9s'ee t ee to R!siGs Ike s & a'I B. eaTe q9Yn hH
the permission. but stIll Jack seemed to have some
'ia y. y bat's he matter asked the commissioner
well, siT" said the canny Jack " suppose / set
tho net one night and get only six of the nine and
then / set another night and eet seven. What
world do with the other tourI"
The court arose amid shout Of laughter and
T4pl- request was EF"Ni'N JH'N y - tiD
! - cbqracter 70 De suppressed Afterward box of
clothing for his children came from the commits
sionor and the next year hen a fish warden for
hyde Jacl, t. set his net. ne was overruied by Mr.
| p Who sent jack permission 10 TILL lis puncheOn.
There was llttie harm done for the fish were actu
alI needed for food bur Jack VIII be loyal 10 the
memory of the commissioner while ne lives.
| Tn sLort Il Is mucheasler TO persuade jack with
far treatment than with club, as muie-dilvers
have sometimes found. and as some American
! snorteruen found who had leased the water near
lacks home. Il Is customary 10 permit trout neis
to be set out n few feet from the shore and Jack
| wanted not only fair chance ior trout but also
possi iblity of stray salmon The jloi '1en "old
have none OF It. They compelled Jacl. 10 set ms
| NOT on the other side OF the river. Wneie III was
| ,-crv shallow and there were no eddIes
| II might swell been ser IN held. he remarked
in telling the story. " But | SAID uOtnin to no.
Lodv an list stretched the old net out quartern,
onter some cedar shrgles, an whitfield the ends
| sharp an bored hole IL the middle cut rope
| INTO pieces some long and some snort, and sind
! niece through a hole IN every shlngle one END ]
! nr"ode fast nv q knot, an t'Other tied arnnd
| stone | put line of them floats ont quarterin'
across the river on tothcr side from my net. hen
with the longest ropes anchored IN iuo uefPcSt
water so as all the shingles were Jl-t ABOUT even,
and a of eIn were feet or 50 under water. ell,
| the current caGgnt them shIngles an sent EN-
! vhirlin' an scOoun' this way an that When
salmon come loan along MP the river ana saw one,
ho'd r,ol,e = lively shoot over ter the ieft Then
baid find another whlrin under his nose, an of ned
slide again. 80 he'd keep dodgln over an workln
r,rrd and bv nd by he'd get over 10 my ,lde, an
| fore he knew IT, he'd run plumb into my net. Well,
/ cir the Climb folks couldn't get salmon. and got
| cvsrv one au' now the deuce Ibid It they couldn't
/ ten AM | wouldn't. They used to come mp with
/ their fine rods an they'd try all the flies they had
on that water without whisper of a salmon. An
/ while they were sittln there cursin thelr luck'
/ perhaps I'd take dozen fish,
CENTRAL PdRK HEROAS