FROM THE GAME FIELDS. 



A GAME HOG WHO RUNS BY STEAM. 



This letter is printed verbatim et litera- 

 tim just to show how low and how vulgar 

 a man can be who devotes his life to the 

 destruction of game: 



South Bend, Ind., Nov. 6, 99. 

 Mr. G. O. Shields, 



N Yark 



Dear Si in reply to yous of the 3 inst 

 will say My son Leo and the writer 

 Did Kill 100 mud hens and 88 good Duck 

 one Weak ago yesterday on hudson 

 Leak and as you wish to know the Par- 

 ticulars will given A true act of How it 

 was done, in the first place I am well 

 fixt for the Business and have killed more 

 duck and spent mor money and given the 

 mater mor thought than any man of my 

 age being a practal genious and inventer 

 I have devized many means of geting at 

 the ever watchfull Ducks, and as I am 

 growing old in the Busness and canot 

 Stand the Exposure Hardships I use to I 

 considered a come out the Idee of Kill- 

 ing Ducks from a Steam yacht. 



I Built me a Steam yacht 35 long 

 8 fet Beam, and as I could not find on 

 the market an Engine to my notion I 

 Desided to make my own and after build- 

 ing Seven Diferent Kinds suceeded in 

 geting what I was after a Boat that I can 

 run ordinary 8 to 10 miles per hour and 

 reserved power suficient to drive the yacht 

 at the rate of 20 to 22 mile per hour for 

 a half mile or so the above is all my own 

 invention Built under my supervisian in 

 our Plow Shop on the morning refered to 

 we got up three oclock and had steam up 

 and at the first rais of light in the East 

 we started up on the north side of the 

 lake and run clear up to the head befor 

 we saw a sign of a mud hen or a Duck as 

 we turned to com back we was both feel- 

 ing blue as we had expected to Catch 

 sight of them in the first naff mile as the 

 Boat sw r ang around towar the East wc 

 could see a Black spot way out in the 

 midle of the lak and we head for it and on 

 coming near we could see that they was 

 mud hens the game we was after a small 

 flock of some 20 25 and when we was 

 within 150 yard of them I open up the 

 throttle valve & we went into them my 

 son shot both Barrels and I don like wise 

 and we lower the small Boat and picked 

 up 8 Dead ones and on looking further 

 Down the lake near our Cotage we saw 

 a "Vtery large flock so away we steamed 

 after them. I cut the speed out and when 

 within abt 200 yard of them instid of goincr 



straigh after them (we alway get above 

 & come down with the wind as the Ducks 

 cant rais unles they turn and fly) up 

 against the wind i turn to the left and 

 they turned to the right and bunched up 

 & Leo he open up the throttle and the 

 yacht seamed to fairly fly through the 

 water and I turn the yacht Direct toward 

 them and as we neared them they seamed 

 to be Demoralized as they hudled so close 

 together that they covered every inch of 

 the water and as we was upon them befor 

 they evan started to fly my Boy let go one 

 Barrel on the water and as they rose I 

 let go my little gun 12 bore Both Barrels 

 and Droped it, and picked up my son 

 Oliver's gun a remington Pump 6 shot 

 and pumped it dry at them Leo got 3 

 shot with the Big No 10 gun & I shot 8 

 shot with No 12 shells comin black Pow- 

 der No 7 shot by this time we was out 

 of reach and reversed the Engine & back 

 up and lowered the small Boat and Leo 

 Picked them up and after he had them 

 picked up & counted we form we had 

 Killed 52 Bird Dead with our 11 shots in 

 abt as many seconds this with our 8 made 

 60 Bird killed Dead within ten minutes 

 While we was admiring the shots Leo say 

 Father what is them on looking in the 

 Direction indicated I saw the largest flock 

 of what is known in the country as Dubby 

 Ducks 



I says to Leo if thos stop in the lake 

 we will have the Fun of Life we watch 

 them Fly around the Leak three times 

 and as they had looked the ground over 

 for hunters & seen none they conclude to 

 light which they Did in abt a half mile of 

 us I shoveled the Fire Box full of coal 

 & see that water was all right put on the 

 Blower and in no time scarcly the steam 

 was blowing off at 130 lbs to the square 

 inch it seamed as though Iron & Steel 

 enjoyed the sport as well as ourselves We 

 held a short consultation of war and De- 

 sided as folows as I am well posted as to 

 the TIabit of all Water fowl and Knew 

 about what they would do as I have wiped 

 out many a flock befor Leo was to shoot 

 Both Barrels as quick as posable and then 

 shut off and revers the Engine and stay by 

 it for further orders but to Have plenty 

 of Shells in reach and shoot as often as 

 Possible all being ready we took a large 

 circle around to get above them so as to 

 come down with wind which had increast 

 to a good stiff Breeze Just what we needed 

 we let the yacht run problv 4 or 5 miles 

 per hour speed until! they had noticed us 

 and commenced c^imming down with the 

 wind and as befor I turned the Boat SO 



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