SOS 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



FNov. 11, 1886. 



ILLINOIS RIVER DUCKING GROUNDS. 



AN ominous growl is rising from the swamp lands 

 along the margin of the Illinois River from the mai'ket 

 hunters and other disciples of Nimrod whom the action 

 of speculative or inonopolistically inclined proprietors has 

 debarred from following then- accustomed calling or 

 spoi-t, as the case may be, and it is not unlikely that con- 

 siderable litigation, if not something worse, may be the 

 outcome. The first attempt we believe to monopolize the 

 sporting privileges m the river bottoms in this section of 

 the State, was in Woodford county last year, when a 

 syndicate composed of Benjamin Ellis, Samuel Ramsey, 

 Louis Johnson and Louis Gulbert, who are aU o%vners of 

 swamp lands lying between Spring Bay and the road 

 leading to Chillicothe, secm-ed, or pretended they had 

 secured, a lease of that entire territory, and running a 

 single wire around that whole section of country, claimed 

 that it was an inclosure, and warned the hunting fra- 

 ternity not to trespass thereon. This was followed by a 

 similar movement on the part of the Jones family, who 

 claimed to ha^ e leased a large territory above the Chilli- 

 cothe road, including what is known as the Rice Pond, 

 and which is one of the best ducking grounds in the 

 State. The object of the parties interested in the scheine 

 was to rent the privilege of shooting in the bottoms to 

 individuals at so much per gam, patterning after the fash- 

 ion of old country landlords. A number of Chillicothe 

 hunters paid and agi-eed to pay a per capita tax to the 

 monopolists, ranging from $5 to $33.30, on condition that 

 they were to be protected by the "landlords," and that 

 other parties were to be kept off the hunting gi'ounds. 

 The rise of the river in the fall put an end to the ai-range- 

 ment in part, for a number of outsiders, beheving that 

 the river extended from bank to bank and could not be 

 controlled by individuals, over-ran the bottoms and shot 

 where they j)leased. Others, claiming that a single wire 

 did not constitute a lawful fence, and that therefore the 

 ground was not inclosed ^vithin the meaning of the law, 

 did not wait for the river to rise but invaded the pre- 

 scribed hunting grounds in spite of the warnings 

 of the lessees. Nick Ohl, the fishei-man, was 

 one of the latter, and he was arrested and his case tried 

 in Metamora, but up to this time we believe no decision 

 has been given by the court in the matter. 



With the end of the fall shooting in 1885 the trouble 

 was buried for a time, but the commencement of the duck 

 season last August brought it again to the sm-face. The 

 Chillicothe hunters, a tiiiie careful at first, discovered 

 that round a large portion of the lower territory there was 

 not even a single wire; that in many places vehere there 

 was a wire it was on the gTound or so high that they could 

 easily walk under it, made up their minds that no'jmy in 

 the world would consider such wire a fence, and again 

 have invaded the sacred precincts of the goose poiid. It 

 is alleged tliat threats have been made by the CliilUcothe 

 hunters that if the lessees attempt to enforce the law or 

 drive them olf there will be serious trouble, and we are 

 informed that there are parties none too good to pot one 

 or two of tlie objectionable "landlords" with a Winches- 

 ter, providing the 'brush is thick enough to afford them 

 concealment, and that their chances to escape detection 

 are good. It is further alleged that such rumors hare 

 come to the ears of some or all of the ''landlords," and 

 that now one at least, who is a market hunter himself, 

 is trying to lay the responsibility on his partners, and de- 

 claring that so far as he is individually concerned any one 

 may hunt on his territory. Whether it be that the other 

 "landlords" are fearful of the Chillicothe swamp angels' 

 Winchesters, or whether they believe themselves that 

 their wire Avill not hold good in law as constituting an in- 

 closm'e, one thing is certain that so far the hunters have 

 not been molested. In the Rice Pond District we under- 

 stand a syndicate have leased the ijrivilege of shooting, 

 and arc at present allosved to remain in undistm'bed pos- 

 session. This is accoun ted for from the difficulty of access to 

 the pond, and the fact that the majority of tlie Chillicothe 

 hunters prefer the lower coimtry. Just how long it -will 

 be before some enterprising swamp hunter breaks into 

 this tenitoiy it is hard to say, but i)robably just as soon 

 as the shooting begins to get poor in tlie lower district. 



The Chillicothe market hunters claim to hold a whip 

 over the heads of one or two of the goose pond landlords, 

 and this, perhaps, may also account, in some measm'e, 

 for the fact that they have been undisturbed in the hunt- 

 ing gi'ounds tills season. It is alleged by them that at 

 several shooting matches that have been held in Wood- 

 ford county this and last season one or two of the "land- 

 lords" have supplied the thirsty marksmen with fer- 

 mented beverages in direct contravention of the revenue 

 laws, and the Chilhcothe men declare that a trip to Clii- 

 cago and an interview with Uncle Sam's officials regard- 

 ing the matter would be "a picnic" the "landlords" 

 would hardly enjoy. They allege fmther that liquor or 

 beer has been sold to minors by these same parties, and 

 hint that if the consequences of the infringement of the 

 revenue laws do not iH'Ove a sufficient warning, they wHL 

 try the effect of the State law on the latter charge. 



A syndicate of Peoria men — alleged sportsmen — have 

 leased what is known as Duck Island or Beebe's Lake, 

 below Copperas Creek, and have inclosed those shooting 

 grounds and given notice to all not members of the mo- 

 nopolistic fraternity not to set foot witliin then- fence on 

 pain of propooution to the fullest extent of the law. 



Already the natives of that section are concocting retal- 

 iatory measures and we are informed that notice has been 

 serve'd on these alleged sportsmen that^ if they persist in 

 denying to the inhabitants of tliat vicinity the pi-ivilege 

 of shooting duclvs over the territory they have hunted for 

 the last thirty or forty years that they will enforce the 

 State Sunday law and prosecute the Peoria sports who 

 shoot on the Lord's Day. As this is the favorite day for 

 The monopolists the action of the Duck Island natives 

 may seriously interfere with their sport. 



Not long since a syndicate of wealthy St. Louis men 

 leaced a large hunting territory in the neighborhood of 

 Grand Tower and excluded the natives. The latter said 

 nothing but bided their time. The St. Louis men built a 

 fine club house and on its completion sent down two men, 

 a negro cook and a white roustabout, with their dogs, 

 provisions and outfit to prepare for then- coming. After 

 getting the dogs kenneled and the winee, provisions and 

 other camp equipage safely stowed away, the two men 

 left the club house to go to the steamboat "landing. They 

 were gone two or three hom's, and when they returned 

 the dogs were all dead and the fine club houseVith all its 

 contmts a mass of epiokijig ruins. On the afrival of the 

 piarfcy from St. Louis, thciy drove out to the scene in two I 



two-horse wagons. They tied their horses on the lake 

 front while they went up to where their once handsome 

 club house had stood. Hearing some shooting they 

 retm'ned to the teams to find that six Winchester rifles 

 were playing on them from an island in the lake, the 

 shooters being concealed from view in the iDrush. Afraid 

 to venture near the teams they stood and saw tlieir horses 

 killed, and now it is alleged they don't care to htmt in 

 that neighborhood any more. 



It is hardly probable that in this section of the country, 

 where the inhabitants are supposed to he more law-abid- 

 ing than in Egypt, such a state of retaliatory action vvill 

 ever come about, but there is little doubt that if some 

 amicable arrangement is not arrived at between the "land- 

 lords" and those men whose bread and butter deiaends ui 

 a large measure during the season on the game they kill, 

 and who have held undistm-l^ed possession of theee himt- 

 ing gi'ounds for over a quarter of a century, that we shall 

 hear of some trouble in. the river bottom. The market 

 hunters look upon the action of these "landlords" a good 

 deal as the Irish people do on an eviction, and are just as 

 bitter in their demmciations of what they consider one of 

 the most "damnable monopolies" ever conceived. — Peoria 

 {ill.) Transcript 



A SQUIRREL HUNT. 



THE country sm-rounding BlairviUe, Indiana county, 

 Pa., is not at all noted for being a himter's paradise. 

 Whatever game is bagged in this locality has to be hunted 

 for, and when a person retm-ns from a day's hunt with 

 from six to eight squii-rels, it is accepted by his brethren 

 as very good evidence that he has not spent the day in 

 play, but that all of the time has been spent in good, solid 

 hunting, and that too in every sense of the word. In spite 

 of the fact that but very little game usually rewards the 

 efforts of a sporisman, yet we do not want the readers of 

 yom: journal to think that Blau'ville is devoid of men who 

 possess sporting blood. No, on the contrary, Ave have in 

 this little toAvn that numbers not more than perhaps three 

 thousand inhabitants, quite a number of mighty himters, 

 dead shots, dog fanciers, and all-around sporting men. 

 And every now and again three or f otu' of them will hire 

 a rig, and with good guns and plenty of sheUs. start out 

 for a day or two's fun in the field. 



Quite recently such a party gathered itself together and 

 started for Jacksonville, some nine miles distant. For 

 brevity's sake let me caU the members that composed it 

 Jack, WUl, George and Dick. The pfu-ty left town in the 

 afternoon, and after a delightful ride reached the hosteh-y 

 in safety. 



Retired early, leaving instructieus vdth the landloard — 

 who in his own proper person was Boniface, clerk, host- 

 ler and porter — to be called early in the morning. The 

 stentorian tenor of mine host gave warning that breakfast 

 was ready. This was soon disposed of, and as it had 

 rained for about an hom- before daylight, eacli felt cer- 

 tain that when evening came and results \\'ere summed 

 up, it would be found that the trip had resulted favorably 

 in every way. So with many lauglis and hearty shouts 

 the pai-ty started. 



After reaching the hunting gxound the party separated, 

 each one striking out for himself, with the understand- 

 ing that at six o'clock in the evening they were to meet 

 at a given point, where the landlord would await them 

 with their rig. As the writer could not follow each one 

 of them he is now forced to depend upon second-hand in- 

 formation for the individual exijerience of the hunt 

 proper. Tliere is just one thing cei-tain, he can vouch for 

 the score, as he saw and cotmted the game. In regard to 

 the incidents and happenings, thei'e is another way out of 

 the hole, and that is to carefully watch the conversation 

 and every man and then a lapsus linguce will contam 

 pretty nearly as much information as though the tale had 

 been fully told. 



Promptly at six the party met, and Will was the first 

 to shoot oft', which he did by holding up a string of ten 

 grays and saying to Dick, "If it hadn't been for that 

 blasted gim you gave me I cotdd have had twice as many 

 more; it snapped three times out of five. The squirrels 

 got on to it and would sit on the branch of a tree and 

 utter one sarcastic bai-k after another." William's dis- 

 hevelled appeai'ance, fatigued air and general "knocked- 

 out" looks were ample evidence that lie had worked hard 

 for the ten squnrels. Jack then toed tlie mark with 

 twelve of the woodland beauties, and as he held up his 

 string for inspection said proudly, "And I killed every 

 one of them myself." And no one liad said that he didn't. 

 We aUow the reader to infer for liimself wliether or not 

 dming the time that Jack lay siretcJied out under a tree 

 reading one of the latest novels he had had a "sub" out. 

 The next one who came to the front was George. He 

 had thirteen squuTels. each one a beauty, and as the paily 

 surveyed them, George evidently tliinking that he was 

 champion, said: "Why, boys, I could have shot a red- 

 headed hog if I had only had some way of caiTying it 

 home." ilis face was flushed with victory and in his 

 imagination he saw his name blazoned in the pages of 

 the ""Stream" as being the champion hunter of Indiana 

 county. But his glory was withered and his countenance 

 fell when Dick jumped over the fence and held up twenty 

 with a loud yell. We supposed that he kiUed them all 

 himself, but in a day or so afterward he was heard to re- 

 mark that the squirrel market was pretty firm. The thing 

 seems Just a little hazy, Dick shoots a 10-bore Bonohill, 

 and said that the first shot he fired the shell stuck, and 

 he had to walk a mile and a half to the nearest farm 

 house to get the tools with which to remove the shell, 

 and then remarked that had it not been for this little mis- 

 liap his string would have been hu'ger stUl. 



And now the party wended its way hotel ward, and 

 after supper the start was made for home, which was 

 reached in good shape, and the boys say that better than 

 all the game they bagged are the pleasant recollections of 

 this most pleasant trip. 



Let me add that the champion hunter, Billy Brady, was 

 not along. He is saving all his energies for a deer hunt 

 on Snan Mountain the latter part of this month, and as 

 soon as he returns the readers of Forest xyo Stream Avill 

 be favored with fuU particulars. 



Qne Who Was There. 



Kansas.— Paola, Miami County, Oct. 80.— Quail are very 



Elentiful in IMiami county, the law is out to-day, Oct. §0. 

 tucks are very plentiful "on the rivers and ponds. Sports- 

 men who are going west for fall and winter hunting 

 would do well, by stopping in,Mami county. Wild gees© 

 are flying south in vast uttmljers.'— "R-abbit Foot. 



MURDERED BY DEER DOGGERS. 



A PORTLAND, Me., dispatch to the New York Times, 

 dated Nov. 9, reports the murder of Maine wardens: 

 Among the wardens none Avere more deservedly popu- 

 lar than Lyman O. Hill, by occupation a farmer, living 

 just outside East JIachias village. He Avas a. brave soldier, 

 saAA" much active service as a member of the Ninth Maine 

 Regiment, and gaA^e an arm to his country. Some five or 

 six years ago Mr. Hill was appointed State Game "VVarden, 

 and since that time had been almost constantly engaged 

 prctecting his disti'ict from illegal himting and fishing. 

 About a week ago Hill, accompanied by Charles Niles, a 

 brother Avarden about 24 years old, and a resident of Wes- 

 ley, started on a cruise among the Machias chain of lakes, 

 and nothing f urtlier wua heard from them until Avord was 

 brought late last night tiiat they had died in defense of 

 the laws they had sworn to protect. 



Shortly after dinner yesterday Hill and his companion 

 discovered two men and a dog in the yard in f lont of an 

 abandoned logging camp at Fletcher Brook. The men 

 had an express Avagon full of camping utensils, and 

 appearances indicated that they had come prepared for a 

 long hunting trip. Under the Maine laws hmiting deer 

 Avith dogs is sti'ictly prohibited, and the hunters were 

 informed tliat they must give their dog up. This they 

 refused to do, and ga\'e the wardens to understand they 

 were prepai-ed to defend him, Niles then thi-ew off his 

 overcoat and made preparations to capture the dog. It is 

 not known Avliotlier he received any warning, or was 

 tlu'eatened with A'iolence should he attack the dog, but no 

 sooner had he made a moA^e in that direction than the 

 shorter of the two men thrcAv a double-barreled gun to 

 his shoulder, took deliberate aim, and fired. Niles 

 dropped to the ground and died Avithout a struggle, the 

 ball passing directly through his head. Without a mo- 

 ments hesitation or a Avord the mmxlerer half turned, 

 aimed his rifle at Mr. Hill, and fired. His aim was only 

 too deadlv a,nd his second victim dropped dead at his 

 feet. 



Thomas McReaATy, of Whitneyville, and his son Frank, 

 the latter 17 years old, had been crvusing the timber land 

 in the neighborhood all day. After the midday meal 

 the}- had separated, with the tmderstanding that they 

 AA'ere to meet at the old legging camp divring the after- 

 noon. The son reached the rendezvous a few moments 

 before the shooting occiured and was a silent witness to 

 the dastardly deecl. The boy was terribly frightened, 

 and even yet cannot give a connected account of what 

 he saw. After the deed was done the man tinned to the 

 boy and coolly remarked, "I had to do it." The boy, not 

 knoAvin.gbut Ins turn was coming next, replied "It served 

 them right," and turned and ran into the Avoods. The 

 murderer and Ids companion Avere still at camp, and had 

 apparently made no more to dex:)art when Mr. McReavy 

 arrived. He had heard the report of guns, and was 

 himying to ascertain the whereabouts of his son. On 

 entering the yai'd he was horror-struck at the scene be- 

 fore him. The sight of the two wardens lying dead ex- 

 cited fears for his OAvn safety and a belief that his son 

 ha<i shared their fate. He had' some talk Avdth the men, 

 but cannot remember Avhat was said beyond the fact that 

 he told them they had better leave the vicinity as soon as 

 possible, which they did. 



Tlie slieriff of Hancock coimty with a posse has started 

 to look for two men from Hancock who partially answer 

 the description and who were thought to be hunting in 

 the vicinity of th e mt u'der. 



Quail in Maine.— Manasseh Smith, of Woodfords, Me., 

 writes to the Portland P)-ess: "I was much interested in 

 the account published in your issue of this morning, re- 

 porting the capture of a pair of Vnginia quail, Ortyx vir- 

 ginianus, at jMorrill's Corner. But alloAv me to say that 

 you are in error in stating that it is 'the fir.st authenticated 

 case of this sj)ceies ever being found in Maine.' Some 

 thirty or more years ago, in the town of Warren, Lincoln 

 (n: :!\'.- Kncx) coimty. Me., I kiUed a quail (with a bow and 

 aiTo^^ ), and I am very sure he imported himself. Some 

 time in tlie fiftier-, Mr. Charles Cleav^e-s, of Biddeford, Me., 

 brought a uunibcr of quail from Massachusetts and turned 

 tb.em out in the Avoods near Biddeford. The birds flour- 

 ished and increased in numbers rajiidly for several years, 

 until they Avere finally exterminated by a storm of snow 

 and sleet. Some fifteen or eighteen years ago, a Mr. 

 Rowell OAvned and cultivatyd some twenty acres of land 

 near Morrill's Corner ami al aUting the cemeteiy lot. He 

 told me that there were two coveys of quail hatched in 

 the woods near there and that they had been feeding in 

 hie garden. He had lived for years in Massachusetts and 

 knew the bird. It Avas late in the season when he told 

 me, I think about Dec. 1. I took out my dog and looked 

 after the birdp, but did not find them. Massachusetts ia 

 about the aA-erago of northern climatic limit of the range 

 of the Orit/x vdrginianu-s, but he frequently spreads over 

 into New Hamxishire and CA-en into Maine. He does not 

 mind the cold any more than our inffcd grouse does; but 

 the Ortyx roosts on the ground, and our he^ivy snow 

 storms of late February and eariy March, ending up Avjth 

 sleet and ice, bury him so that he does not get out until a 

 mink, skunk or Aveasel rosuiTccts him. In other Avords, 

 Maine is a little north of the natm-al habitat of Ortyx vir- 

 giniaivus, hut often on his OAvn account, and occasionally 

 by siqjerior influence he has been domiciled here. If the 

 experiments that have been tried in importing and turn- 

 ing out quail liad been done at a distance from the sea 

 coast, I belieA^e that they would have been more success- 

 ful. Quail laugh at cold, but a heavy snoAA-faU covered 

 with a strong ice cruat is extermination to all. A quafl. 

 will pull out of three feet of dry January snow, but can- 

 not cut through one-quarter of an inch of February or 

 March ice. There is no reason why quail should not be 

 raised through the southern half of Maine. Once in from 

 tlnee to five years they would be killed off if not protected, 

 but in Connecticut the farmers catch and feed through 

 the w^intor from one to ten dozen quail and turn them out 

 by pa u'S in the spring. They got more than market value 

 for the birds by selling shooting priAdleges to Boston, Noav 

 York and other sportsmen. The same thing could be 

 done in Maine." 



North Cabolika.— Glen Ridge, Nov. 1.— I returned 

 from Charlotte Saturday. The countiy about there is 

 about dried up, as they have had no rain of any account 

 for two or three months. I found \-ery few birds where 

 I have been accustomed to find large coveys. Also found 

 seTeral coveys of very small birds, ehOAving the spring 

 neste -wexQ di-owned out ]jj the heavy sprmg rains, and 

 the birds had radsfe'd secoHd Wddds.—C. B. B. 



