Dallas herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1849-1873, 1872-10-05
Grouse Shooting on the Prairies.

Are there not moments in the eX-
istcncc of every one when the
pleasures under pursuit possess
not all the brightness Of success
but, q little later, when Time, with
ms softening hand, has thrown
somo of the glamour of his enchant-
ment over the past scenes, they as
sumo, in the Imagination, an orien
tail vividness of coloring that
clothes them with a beauty not
their own. Well, such is at pres
ent the state of our mind; where per-
haps tho ideal predominatos, TO the
exclusion of the sterner realities of
this lifc-an error, forsooth, in this
age, given over so much TO the pur-
suit of wealth.
AS we sit under tho declining
rays Of an August sun, far out in
the country in middle Tennessee,
while the leaves of the great oaks,
the monarchs of the forest, swayed
by q gentle Summer breeze, arc
clapping their little hands in glce
hundreds of feet above our head,
our thoughts 60 back to Arcola,
Rantoul, the vast prairies of Illi-
nois, and to the genial, pleasant IA
ces of those sportsman friends
whose cheering presence could
alone have insured enjoyment in q
trip there long to be remembered
But detail is us necessary to tho
comprehension of a shooting expo,
dition as to other more important,
but less delightful occupations in
life, so for the present | must be q
little prosaic.
A party Of Memphis gentlemen,
whose modcsty shall prevent my
mentioning their names, arranged
to meet on or about the 18th of
August, at the little town of Arco-
la, ILL.,, and thcro to enjoy them
selves for week or two in the in
nocent and health-giving sport of
prairie chicken shooting
We will not tire the ears of our
patient readers with the names Of
the fourteen dogs that accompanied
the party. Suffice it to say that
in the opinion of their respective
masters, no such dog or dogs have,
or will ever exist. combining so
many admirable traits of charac-
ter. This is what nearly every
sportsman says of his own dogs,
and what many, no doubt, consci-
ontiously believe, in spite of the
opinion of their friends to the con-
trary. Nor would it be just to
mention the name Of any particu-
lar one, for with the sportsman,
"ho who sights my dog sights me"
and we care not to incur the dis
pleasure of any Of the party by
singing the praises of Dash or Don.
The trip by railroad to Arcola
was accompanied by the usual ex-
tortions of baggage-masters on the
route, for tho great trouble they
undergo in allowing a gentleman
to tic his dogs in their car. This
is certainly the greatest outrage
perpetrated upon a sportsman, for
two or three dogs will often cost
as much as his own fare, and, for
short distances, frequently more.
What can be done to abate this nu-
isance is with us as yet a problem
unsolved.
What strikes stranger to this
section of Illinois, on his first visit,
with astonishment, is the almost
incredible number of flies. The
people have fy-covers for their
horses, fy-nets for their doors and
windows, fly covers for their table
dishes-securities of some kind
against flies for almost everything,
and finally, hy-traps for the flies
themselves. Illinois must have been
the residence of the original fly, or,
perhaps, when Moses banished them
from Egypt, they came here en-
mdSSe.
Our accommodations were not
such as kings might choose, but
were unquestionably the best the
place could afford, while our prep
arations for shooting consisted sim
ply in securing two good teams,
with kegs for water, and deciding
what doss should be used for the
morning, and shat for the after
noon. We may remark, en- pas
sdnf, that Il is absolutely necessary
10 have q reasonably good supply
Of water in tho wagon, both for tle
dogs and men. Money will gepcF-
allr buy services Wherever one
goes, bul consi3craie kihdness 10
strangers. unaskei az taai, i in
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