THE WILD WEST. 45 



I have knocked about the state of Kansas a good deal during the 70' s among 

 the sunflowers, grasshoppers and tumble weeds. Old John Swainson, of St. Paul, 

 and I had' to carry a box of ice with us when hunting prairie chickens one hot 

 September to put on the top of his red setter's head to keep him sane. The 

 simoon wind was so burning that we had to get behind a wheat stack to keep 

 from being fanned. The same old dog was caught up by a straight tornado at the 

 town of Hallock, Minn., in 1880, which jerked and whirled him over and over an 

 eighth of a mile over the prairie while fast to his kennel. When rescued after the 

 blow was over, he ran under our bed and staid there for twenty-four hours, 

 trembling. As to Kansas, our famous bird shooter, A. C. Waddell, writes me a 

 recent letter from New Jersey, which happens to chip in a most interesting opinion 

 on that section, which I append right here. He says: 



"I spent almost twenty years in Kansas and Kansas City, Mo. What a life of 

 pleasure interspersed with trouble I. had. Dr. Nicholas Rowe, of the American 

 Field, remarked to a gentleman in San Francisco once : 'That man (meaning me) 

 would have been a very wealthy man had he used the same energy in mercantile 

 business as he has in sportsmanship, but he loved the occupation of the sportsman 

 with his dogs afield and he has devoted all his life to hunting and fishing.' I do 

 not regret it. I am 75 years old May 25 coming hair black, and they say as well 

 preserved as any man they ever knew. I owe it all to outdoor exercise and in the 

 saddle. I am now cooped up for want of opportunity to be in a game country. I 

 want to be in the field. , I saw Charles H. Raymond not long since fat and content 

 with wealth. He bought dogs and gave large prices. 



"The pioneers of sportsmanship are the ones who had the real sport. What 

 a field Kansas presented to those who traveled over the old Santa Fe trail during 

 the_years from 1868 to 1876 great prairies over which the deep ruts made by the 

 prairie schooners years before appeared covered with grass, with here and 

 there wild sunflowers and the endless variety of prairie flowers. To be in such a 

 field with dog and gun and to see the rise of the prairie chickens as, they sailed 

 away before you what a life to live and what a life to think back over. 



'T have no fault to find and I thank my God .that he so directed my course 

 of life that it led me to pleasant places. I have been to and over all the Kansas 

 rivers and creeks. Most every farmer in Kansas knew me. I camped on their 

 farms and was ever welcome, for I returned favors. From Kansas I went to 

 California, lived 1 there six years, was familiar with all sections of the state. After 

 that, in 1895, I moved' to Mississippi and remained there five years, all this time 

 accompanied by the fines-t lot of setters and pointers the North could produce. 

 Six years ago I returned to my birthplace by invitation to live out the few 

 remaining years that I may have, and it is pleasant, very pleasant, to be in com- 

 munication with Chas. Hallock. 



"Your friend ever. - 



''A. C. WADDKU.." 



