The herald., 1898-11-20

sportsman with the raising OF the stars and
stripes over Porto Rico.
With this new possession, and the extern
sion of the Bangor and Arostook railway to
the very edge Of the Canadian wilderness,
the domain OF the American sportsman has
been heightened to nearly four thousand
miles, and he has been given the choice of
nearly every climate ranging from 30 and
40 below zero to more than 100 degrees above.
In Porto Rico there is no big game. Inc
only large animal is the wild goat, which is
found in the beautiful mountain country IN
the interior of the island and these are
too much like the trained 'biles" that are
harnessed to children's go-carts to be mis-
taken for the wild creatures of the woods.
But, on the other hand, there is an infinitude
OF bird life especially from November until
February. Nearly every bird which flies
south upon the American continent finds
its way to the marsh lands or forests of
Porto Rico. The wild goose and turkey,
duck and ortolan are visitors as regular as
the sunrise and the spring So rich is sport
in the interior that already a movement is
on foot among the hunters of the north to
open number of camps in Arecibo and
Ponce and to establish a big game preserve
many miles in extent. From Porto Rico the
American sportsman can go to Florida
where, thanks to the late war, there has been
mighty spirit of progress awakened. Roads
are extending southwark and eastward from
Tampa and southwark and westward from
Miami and Palm Beach. In this district are
deer, bear, wildcats and it is said some
monstrous bull CATERS" which inhabit the
recesses of .he everglades Florida ought to
be paradise for the sportsman, but at
present the laws are so lax that the game
is being ruthlessly destroyed.
AT Tampa, early in the summer, met
an old darkey who claimed to be de-
scendant OF some long forgotten Indian
chief. He spoke in pitiful terms of the
way the ''nigger loafers wuz KILN off ev-
erything in dem woods" He said that in
his youth hunter could secure several
deer in single morning, but that now it
took "more'n week. to find one: tha!
formerly there was quite trade in bears
skins and other furs, but now there were
not more than dozen bears in the entire
state, and as for 'gaters," they once could
be counted by hundreds and big fellows
twelve and fourteen feet long at that, but
now they were hunted so relentlessly foe
their hides it was difficult to get one five
feet long. There is no reason why Florida
should not have the same wise laws re-
spectng game as are enforced in New York |
and Maine.
The fishing of Florida found like that of
Porto Rico. In the waters of each the tar
pom is easily king, but there are more tar.
pons in the gulf apparently than in the
Atlantic or Caribbean. The best l have
seen in Porto Rico weighed but thirty or
forty pounds and were mere pigmies COM
pared with the magnificent ninety poundeus
which one finds at the Florida fishing re-
sorts. These delicious fishes known as |
grunters or pig fishes I found common to |
both Florida and Porto Rican coasts. In |
Florida they are more varied, no less than |
six well defined species being recognized, |
while in Porto Rico only three of these spe |
cics are seen in the market. Coming north |
there are deer along the Appalachian chain |
reaching an apparent maximum in Virginia. |
1t is strange to an observer that this state |
should have been so overlooked and neglect |
ed by the sportsmen. The climate is ideal |
and the range of territory where game is |
found runs from the wilderness of the Dis |
nal Swamps to the mountainous country of
its northwestern corner. 1t has ducks and |
deer, wild turkeys and bear, quail and part. |
ridge, sufficient to satisfy an army, of MIN. |
rods, and enough fish in its streams and |
harbors to please the most cautious disciplc
of Izaak Walton.
The lover of the beautiful will find vir.
gina an enchanted land. Its fertile soil and
noble plantations, its clear and bright
streams and rivers, its rolling hills and grace. |
ful mountains form combination impossible
to surpass. The climax is reached NOT 90
much in the fashionable springs and benches
as in the famous Shenandoah valley at that
wonder of the world, the Luray cayerns IN
those whose experiences of caves and cav.
erns is confined to the small wet holes in
the ground of the eastern and middle stntos
the formation is a perfect miracle. The
rooms and passages are miles in length. and
art has helped nature by constructing oueor
bridges odd stairways and comfortable cor
ridors. Where the floor was once ruroed
and rough noticed cement walks and. as
it to unite civilization with the primeval
world, the vast interior is illuminated bv
arc and incandescent lights.
II is interesting to recall that in these