Sept. 4, 1^75 
.S.S9 
is only a few miles drive, and by hack a day’s trip. 
We arrived at Xewton about dusk, and found our friend, 
Captain Cochennour, expecting us, from whom a few 
words about the number of chickens put us all in eager 
expectation of the morrow’s sport. After the landlord 
satisfied our appetites, we went into the sitting-room, 
and met several brother sportsmen, who were to join us 
in the next day’s shooting. After chatting for a while, 
and arranging for the next morning’s early start, we re- 
tired. Up and on our way early the next morning, we 
soon reached a stubble-field, and into it we go. Away 
a fine flock of old birds go, but I succeed in getting up 
a single bird, which I bring to the dust, it being the 
first blood of the season. The other wagon having come 
up with us, we drive on to the open praine, and divide 
into two parties, one going to the right and the other to 
the left. Pretty soon we kuow game is around from the 
manner in which the dogs snuff the air; and now they 
.stand as if petrified. Out of the wagon tve jump, and 
walk up on to the spot pointed out by the dogs, which 
is a little spot where the grass is higher than the rest. 
Up whirr two 5 ’oung grouse, which are nicely checked 
by “ Cap” and ’iVilliams, which starts another, which I 
stop with a salute . That being all, we drive on until 
the dogs come to a stand again, and we get out and 
Hush four, of which we only get one. Then we visit a 
wheat field, and there the sport began. Before getting 
twenty steps into it, Bruno is on as pretty a stand as 
any one ever saw, backed by Greeley, and to see them 
now and then turn their heads so slowly to see if we are 
coming. “When we get up to them, the birds commence 
flying up from directly under our feet, and then com- 
mences lively work for a few seconds, shooting and 
loading as fast as we can, I having killed four, the oth- 
ers getting two and three. It being nearly noon we join 
the other wagon and go to the place where we could get 
water ; some broiled chickens on a little fire we had started 
while others spread out the lunch our friends had brought 
along, and one counted the birds, which were thirty-six 
for the morning and not in the good ground yet. After 
eating as many roasting ears as a set of hungry hunters 
can and drinking as much butter-milk as we could 
(which one of the farmers had sent down to us) and 
other things in proportion, we started out for the even- 
ing shooting, having taken Mr. C. into our wagon, he 
having made us promise to stay with hSn. In one field 
■we killed about seventy-five grouse in less than two 
hours’ shooting. Hardly one covy would be gotten up 
and thinned out before the dogs would find another, and 
we got them scattered over the field; then to see the dogs 
working and the men shooting is worth a much longer 
trip than from St. Louis. 
Parties going from a distance can get ice there to pack 
the birds in, and if the parties will take the trouble to 
draw them every hour or two and stuff them with dry 
grass, they will keep for a number of days in moder- 
ately warm weather. Any sportsman wishing to have 
some fine sport can do so by going to Newton, and they 
will get a warm welcome from Messrs. Monell, Cochen- 
nour, Williams, Powell and Harris, who are true sports- 
men, and like to see others enjoy themselves and hunt 
with them. There will also be splendid quail shooting, 
as well as grouse and duck, later in the season. Board 
at Miller House four dollars per week, and other things 
in proportion, which is reasonable enough to suit most 
any one. I would advise some of the Eastern sports 
who wish to take a holiday to try that section. In a 
few weeks the grouse congregate in large flocks, and 
then the sport is as good if not better than shooting 
young ones, as the birds are larger and fly much more 
swiftly. “Dock.” 
Fair Play and no Odds. 
Chicago, Augi. 24. 
On opening my paper this week after supper, and 
reading the account of the American Rifle Team, then 
reading the snarl of “Snap-Shot,” I felt “riled.” Though 
an adopted citizen of the West, no one has felt more 
interest in this Rifle Team than myself. I have been 
proud of the fact that a team could go to Europe and 
wTCSt the laurels from practiced riflemen — men who for 
twelve years have been under weekly practice, and who 
show by their scores they are good shots. I am of Eng- 
lish birth ; have spent some years of my life among ama- 
teur riflemen; have seen them steadily advance year ’by 
year until they could put in bull’s-eyes at 1,000 yards; 
but nothing has given me greater satisfaction than to 
watch the scores of the Sharps and Remington rifles all 
through their excellent shooting; and I very much doubt 
if “Snap-Shot,” or any other Western squirrel-shooter. 
could do belter than these New York gentlemen “have 
done with their long-range scores. I say “ all honor to 
them!” they are worthy to be hailed as representatives 
of American riflemen. The warm welcome they have 
met everywhere on both sides of the water has shown 
how closely allied English and American sentiments are. 
The quiet gentlemanly defiieanor of Col. Gildersleeve, 
Major Fulton and Col. Bodine, who seem to have taken 
prominent parts all through their trip; the unity pre- 
vailing amongst the whole team; the absence of that 
trait of America — I will say Western — braggadocio has 
secured hosts of frienis to the Team, and that will 
in coming years secure an ovation to any American rifle- 
man who will attend the Wimbledon meetings. “Snap- 
Shot” seenos to be a counterpart of that Brother Jona- 
than who was afraid to get up until the sun was high 
up, fearing he might walk off the edge of the little 
island into the sea; but he would find some who could 
bring down a deer on a keen run, who would think it a 
disgrace to strike anywhere to make holes in the body 
behind the shoulders. An 3 'how, next year let us hope 
to see “Snap-Shot” first and foremost among the team, 
running on his own hook, and show these Down-Easters 
how they shoot out W est; no twisting and squirming 
on the ground, but getting right up on his feet and mak- 
ing bull’s-eyes at 800 yards by snap-shooting. While 
the rest of us point proudly to our Team who went to, 
Wimbledon with the old Latin proverb teni vidi vici. 
Normax. 
Sport in the South. 
ClarkstiJjLE, Tenn., Aug. 25. 
Since my last communication I have made a trip to 
South Carolina, my old hunting grounds, which, 1 am 
sorry to find, rather lagging behind in field sports, al- 
though many a good hunt still enlivens the flagging 
spirits of some of the truest sportsmen and most chiv- 
alric gentlemen that this land affords. All knorv the 
terrible incubus of blackness which hangs over that 
commonwealth, but no one can appreciate, without vis- 
ible proof, the tliousand and one annoyances to farmers 
arising from the constant stream of loafing Africans, 
each one with a musket on his shoulder, except when 
he takes it down in view of a pig, sheep or cow which 
doesn’t belong to him. The poor partridges suffer like- 
wise, for Cuffee cannot withstand the temptation of 
filling his pot -wfien he sees a -whole covy crowding 
together on the ground. Besides this, each one of them 
keeps several traps running all the time on the “ Boss’s” 
plantation, and it not unfrequently happens that a whole 
covy of fifteen or twenty are taken in. The result of 
this is that, on ground where, ten or fifteen years ago, I 
w'as accustomed to flush from twenty to thirty covyi 
in a day, not more than six or eight can now be found. 
Duck shooting has been spoiled in the same way. A 
poor duck which has flpwn on his weary journey all 
the way from the Northwestern lakes, can scarcely light 
to rest himself ere some darkey blazes away at him from 
behind a tree. In 1861 I had the pleasure of shooting 
ducks at a lake near Charleston. They came in for an 
hour or two in the evening in countless numbers, as 
thej' seemed, and our guns were kept hot all the time. 
In the neighboring creeks one could easily fill his boat 
by shooting them as they rose in front, w’hen the boat 
was paddled along the -winding stream. Now, I am 
told a constant fusilade is kept up from the banks, and 
it is almost impossible to make a bag. 
But Cuffee can’t do much with the deer . These no- 
ble animals are still plentiful in certain places, and I 
heard of small parties of five or six bringing in from 
twenty to thirty from a ten days’ hunt. They propagate 
with great rapidity, and the breathing spell given them 
by the war has increased their numbers so that they are 
plentiful along the sea coast and the adjacent islands, 
always famous places for them. 
Speaking of deer, reminds me that I saw yesterday 
the skin (with the hair on) of the white deer, which I 
informed you' last November was killed in this county. 
The gentleman who killed it brought it into town for 
the inspection of unbelievers. The h^r is a clear white, 
and it would be well if some of our naturalists or mu- 
seums should secure so rare a specimen of Albinoism, 
or whatever it may be called. If it should be wanted, 
perhaps 1 can purchase it for them. While at Camden, 
S. C., in July, I saw two young mocking birds, nearly 
grown, which were also white. Some of the feathers 
had a grayish tint, but I have no doubt the birds will be 
entirely white when grown. 
Our prospects for partridge shooting in this part of 
the country the coming season are rather unpromising. 
The farmers say that they have seen very few young 
broods, and ascribe it to the wet season, which is said 
to dro-wn them out. Last year they were scarce also, 
but then it was the dry season. Tliey may be affected 
somewhat by the weather, but in my opinion the birds 
will continue to diminish so long as the horrible prac- 
tice of netting and trapping them is pursued. They are 
destroyed by these things vastly more than by anything 
else. Our Grangers have not yet found out the value of 
birds. The laws of this State certainly throw all the 
responsibility for these things upon the landowner, for 
it is made a misdemeanor now even to be found shoot- 
ing on a man’s place, without permission first granted. 
The Memphis dog show and field trial in October is 
looked forward to by' us all here as the most interesting 
matter of the season. I hope you will send down a large 
delegation from your recent importations of fine stock, 
and we’ll give you a chance at the prizes. Amateur. 
Reason in Animals. 
Savanxah, Ga., Aug. 24. 
I have often heard of the jealousy of the dog, but 
nothing before having come under my own observation, 
have never paid much attention to the stories. I have 
read about them, and thinking something new in that 
line might be interesting to your readers, will give you 
what I have seen with my own eyes. 
With my friends Steve B. and Jlajor of this place, 
I started out for a day’s shoot at ducks, and having got 
our boat in a narrow creek where they were in the habit 
of flying across, we concealed ourselves in the marsh 
which grew on either side, and having killed two of 
them, threw them into the boat and left them. We were 
accompanied by two dogs — Carlo, an English retriever, 
and Bell, a setter bitch of good blood, although the most 
self-willed animal I ever saw, yet possessing a fine nose, 
and a fair retriever. Carlo is a new purchase, and the 
notice taken of him has excited all her jealous fears. 
I noticed that Carlo seemed rather co-wed, but thought 
his being with a strange owner was the cause. Having 
killed another duck, set the dog to work to find it, 
which -was hard work, the flags being above our heads. 
Finally Carlo found it, when Miss Bell, seeing that he 
was more successful than herself, jumped at him and 
took the duck away; then, laying it down before her, 
turned deliberately around, and pitched into Mr. Carlo 
■with a vengeance, and gave him a severe trouncing, and 
even -with the butt of my gun to avist, foond it a hard 
matter to get her off. I then took up the bird, aud pro- 
ceeded to the boat, followed by the dogs. When I got 
there, found only one duck in the boat. I called to 
Steve, and asked him if he had taken it. He said no. 
1 then said it was lost. Bell, -vvho had entered the boat, 
stood over the ducks, looking as demure as a judge; but 
no sooner had I said lost than Bell gave one spring out 
of the boat, and dashed into the marsh, and presently 
returned with the missing duck. She got into the boat, 
and laid it down with the rest, looking up into my face, 
wagging her tail. She had taken the duck into the 
marsh, and hid it from the other dog. Can dogs under- 
stand our language? It certainly seems as if they could, 
or how could she tell I was talking about a duck being 
lost? or could she judge by my anxious face that some- 
thing was wrong? She is very sensible; but with it can 
play off the old soldier better than anj' I ever owned be- 
fore. The balance of the day she was untiring in her 
exertions to please, and one duck we had given up as 
lost in the early part of the day. A.s we neared the 
place, she sprang out of the boat, followed by Steve 
and myself, and very soon came back with it. Poor 
Carlo, so cowed was he, that he made no more attempts 
to oppose Bell, and when we got back to the city, made 
a bee-line for his old home, and gave me the trouble of 
going after him and bringing him back that night. 
G. T. N. 
Our Paper. 
Bostox, Aug. 2T. 
I trust the Rod axd Gux will meet wiih the success 
it deserves. For my part I think it is the best adver- 
tising medium I ever had to use. I have not exchanged 
my gun yet, the applicants being too far distant. Have 
had fair sport at Salisbury marsh; sixty-eight birds one 
tide. You take the cars to Salem, change to Salisbury 
Beech station, take barge; three miles over plank road. 
Good house, good feed. Tip-top beach. Charge $2 50 
to $3. Clams, fish, ducks, chickens. MTil write you 
of other grounds soon. Color. 
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