DAYS ON THE ILLINOIS 59 



I passed several nights on cabin-boats and enjoyed 

 visiting with the river people. They are veritable water 

 gypsies and many of them have lived on the Mississippi, 

 Arkansas, Ohio, Tennessee, Missouri and other large 

 rivers, traveling from one to the other. Many were 

 formerly market hunters. 



I passed several duck preserves owned by various 

 clubs. The Chicago Gun Club, the Green Wing Club, 

 the Princeton Club, Duck Island Club and others. The 

 Duck Island preserve of 2,000 acres is located 5 miles 

 above Liverpool. These preserves are highly beneficial 

 in keeping birds on the river, as they are a refuge and 

 the preserves are not allowed to be overshot. 



The lakes along the river, or overflow, as I call it, 

 greatly resemble Reelfoot Lake, Tennessee, thousands 

 of dead trees and stumps protruding from the water. 

 The water acts as a preservative. Owing to the added 

 volume of water coming down the river from the Chi- 

 cago drainage canal the area of flooded land is greater 

 than formerly. 



Altogether I was infatuated with my trip and would 

 not have missed the experiences for a great deal. 



When the ducking season again returns I have hopes 

 that I can be on the grand old river and hear the call 

 of the wild ducks, the rifle-like crack of nitro powder 

 and the whir of the wings of wildfowl. That is the life 

 and the only life ! 



