The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1879-08-02 00:00:00

GROUSE SHOOTING IN KANSAS, U.S.

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An American writes that it would not be much of a
journey for those enthusiasts who go to Scotland to bag
grouse, to go over to Kansas, US. He says the
Americans are perfectly at home with a rifle, but not
one in a hundred can handle a shot gun "worth a
cent." There is no license to pay for gun, dog, or
shooting. The sportsman hires, or buys, a one or two-
horse " buggy " (a very light spring vehicle), and,
with a hired lad to drive, rides across the country
all day long, instead of laboriously walking, as witu
you, only alighting, if he prefers it, when his dogs
show signs of game around. No fences or hedges
worth speaking of, he drives across prairie and stubole
at will, for no one talks of trespass hare, and the grain
is all cleared a month before grouse shooting coin-
mences—tha let of August, as fixed by law. He
returns to his hotel in town each night, if he is choice
as to his eating and accommodation, otherwise he can
get a wholesome, comfortable meal or two (appetite
will be good in this dry climate), with shelter for the
night, at the nearest farmhouse, and pursue his sport
without loss of time the nett morning. Jack•rabbits—
the exact counterpart of the English hare, a slight
difference in colour excepted—are plentiful ; and
quail—a small partridge, of very delicious flavour
—abound. Well•trained dogs could not be purchased I
here, so let everyone come well provided in that par-
ticular. Possibly they could be procured around New
York, but, I fear, not to be depended on A
desire to visit America animates must Englishmen, I
imagine, and the enjoyment that would be derived
from such a trip would, in the estimation of most people
with a taste for travel, amply repay the cost. The
ocean voyage on one of the spleudid Transatlantic
steamers would in itself be an attraction to many,
while the railway trip from New York here (1,500
miles), accomplished in three days, almost without
break, gives scenery varied enough, as you may
suppose, passing through states old and new, tim-
bered and prairie. Tired of grouse shooting, our
sportsman can return eastward, and visit the cities
and natural wonders of this gigantic country; or,
taking steamboat on the Missouri River in this state,
sail down that and the broad Missisippi to New
Orleans, and thence embark for home. Or be can
ex4)2,11,2e his ithnt gtin for a rifle, and go (by rail)
eOO wt st to the Rocky mountains, and in the
" parks " and plateaus surrounding that loitly range
-fetch low the antelope, the -buck, and the buffalo.
He might then, being so far west, take a look through
Utah and California, and sail for Europe from San
Francisco. I flatter myself that those who accept my
general invitation may claim to he the first Europeans
who came to America for the expiees purpose of
grouse shooting."

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FATAL YACHT ACCIDENT.

A telegram to the New York Herald records the loss of
eight lives by the capsizing of a yacht in a sudden squall:—

"Quebec, Canada July 18.—A melancholy accident
has just occurred at Point-aux-Trembles, within 21
miles of this city, whereby eight people met a watery
grave. A party of fifteen, some of them from this
city, set out from Point-aux-Trembles for a sail on
the St. Lawrence in a pleasure yacht belonging to
Octave Delisle, himself one of the party, which
comprised, besides his brother' Alphonse Delisle, his
wife, who is a daughter of the late Mr. Garneau,
late Sergeant-at-Arms in the Provincial Parliament;
Jean Larue, Miss Emilie Lame, Louis Leftbvre
Louis Gauvin, Xavier Garneau, Ferdinand Blais,
Dr. Ernest Delisle, Miss Elmina Matte, M. Gauvreau,
and one or two others. Upon the wharf stood a
number of the friends of the pleasure.seekers, and the
steamboat St. Antonie, just leaving the wharfs also
contained several relatives of the boat's passengers.
When about the centre of the river, which was run-
ning with a full tide on, the master of the yacht stood
about to tack, when, to the horror of every one, a
sudden squall came down upon them. The yacht
shivered and staggered for an instant, and, amid
the cries of those on board and the accompany-
ing shrieks of those on shore, turned 'completely over,
precipitating its living freight into the water.
The steamer and several small boats with hot
haste reached the fatal spot, but in spite
of every endeavour of the rescuers, only seven of the
15 who had formed the yacht's company were saved.
The rest unable to support themselves, were drowned.
One lady was found in an almost exhausted condition,
her head held above water by a gentleman who was
fortunately, a powerful swimmer, but was almost
weighted down by his living burden, and who was
reached just in time to save two lives. The name of
the lady is Elmina Matte, and that of the gentleman
Browning. The names of others saved, so far as
learned, are Octavie Delisle Athanase Delisle, Jean
Larne, of Point-aux-Trembles, and M. Gauvreau,
druggist of this city. The yacht, bottom upward,
floated down the stream. _ _ _

_
The accident occurred in the middle of the river,
about one mile from the wharf of Point-aux-Trembles,
a pretty French village in the county of Portneuf.
Among those who braved the gale in a small boat to
try to render assistance was Father Rousseau,
a priest. The survivors were taken ashore after
being picked up, and are all doing well. The
accident occurred shortly before nine o'clock this even-
ing, and has thrown the whole village into mourn-
ing. The following is a list of the dead :—Mrs. Octave
Delisle, a young married woman, wife of the yacht's
owner; Miss Emile Larne, aged 21 years, a wealthy
young lady and daughter of the Seigneur of Point-
aux-Trembles, and a distant relative of Lieutenant-
Governor Letellier, of Quebec; Louis Lefebvre, 40
years of age, Principal of the Academy of Point•aux-
Trembles, who leaves a widow and four children, and
his son, a lad of 14; Louis Gauvin, aged 49, married;
Xavier Garneau, unmarried, aged 29, master black-
smith; Ferdinand Blais, aged 26. unmarried, sailing
master of the yacht; Dr. Ernest Deliale, aged 32, the
village physician, who leaves a widow and two chil-
dren. The body of Lefebvre was recovered floating on
the water. All the other bodies have gone to the
bottom, and may perhaps be washed out to sea."