The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1874-03-31
GALL1NACEOUs G0URNANDS.
The Cruise Of the Bird Catcher.
= y Il-3 ;
a. A Wild Turkey Hunt 81

boat landing 81 the head OF Canal street was
marked by the presence of number of indi.
viduals, many of whom had not wandered
in that direction for a good long while-rthe
fact being particularly observed by Captain
Lawler, Of the harbor police.
The unusual visitors appeared to be stran-
gers to one another and seemed to have been
selected from every class of society. There
they stood or loitered on the wharf, all, how
ever, intently gazing on the waters Of the
Mississippi, which threatens to overrun it's
banks at any moment and food the city.
Some had cards and others bits or scraps of
paper in their hands, at which they would
occasionally glance as though they contain
ed mys.erioas writing upon which the fate
Of the passengers depended
The scene indicated great anxiety or ex-
pectancy on the part of the attendants, some
Of whose countenances eventually acquired
an expression bordering on disgust, after a
couple of hours waiting, and their sudden
exit was the result One Of the attendants,
however, holder than the others, noticing
the sign Of the harbor police station, re-
solved to apply to a solitary peeler, sitting
on bench near the waters edge, for assist
ance in the object in contemplation.
as the, Bird Catcher in." he meekly
asked Of the policeman. The latter, of I'M
doubted Teutonic origin, did not catch the
sounds well as they dropped from the in
quirers lips, for he answered drowsily, that
she had just walked out on the wharf"
"You did not understand me i want to
know whether the Bird Catcher has come
in. THE peelef, startled at the words, which
he had plainly heard this time, answered
gruf1y
You dake dis Won bird shop, ven he
was bolice station We got not some bird
catcher heer, dey was all tief catchers und
robbers.
Here surely was poser, and the inquir-
ing individual, intimidated by the emphasis
Of the policeman, was about withdrawing
when, fortunately, Captain Lawlor came up
and rendered his services to the applicant.
Still using the consecrated phrase, the lat
ter told the Captain that he had inquired of
the policeman whether the Bird Catcher had
arrived. At first his success with the
with his subordinate, until he
showed him scrap OF r paper
dated the day previous, containing an order
on Capt. D., of the steamer Bird Catcher,
requesting him to deliver to the bearer one
turkey. The order was signed by Bill -,
well-known actor and playwright. Law
Tor began to understand, and then didn't
Meanwhile dozen or more of the loun-
gers came up, and with a grinning
smile exhibited similar orders, written
on all sorts Of pieces Of paper, from
the ordinary brown wrapping"
to the highly elaborated "letter-head."
Lawlor now began to smell a large sized
gnawer but lest he might commit himself,
concluded to simply reply that she was cup
the river" he thought. There were many
after this who gave up the turkey chase, and
yet many others came in the morning. armed
with scraps of paper, until the rain set in
and cleared the wharf of ambitious turkey
hunters.
Some huge joke had been perpetrated or
an unfortunate mistake occurred. 1t was
eventually ascertained, however, that the
orders were genuine, and had been signed by
Bill --, whose name was plainly sub
scribed to them. Bill could not be found to
explain the mystery, yet inquiries on St.
Charles street built the theory that Capt.
D., of the Bird Catcher, had present
ed Bill with a large coop Of fine gobblers.
Bill having no "back yard /" at the
hotel where he :. resides, had con-
Guided to do the handsome thing by
distributing the birds among his friends,
and especially every new acquaintance
which he made; the health of each turkey
given away being drunk at one of the
saloons near the theatres, at the expense of
the, receiver of the gift.
Still further inquiry reveals the fact that
the Bird Catcher has not yet arrived, and is
still on the stocks in the dock yard from
which emanated the celebrated phantom
Ship
Certainly there was big sell perpetra-
ted, and vain endeavors will be made to
ascertain the number of those who had in
view a fine roast turkey at the Sunday din
ner table. But it would be cruel, under the
circumstances which we will relate, to lay
the blame at the door of poor Bill -
That he was honest in his intentions
is manifest by the perusal Of letter which
was found on Bills person-for he is now in
a hopeless state ofmental alteration, resulting
from me disappointment of his friends. The
letter, which is dated from ST. Louis as well
as can be determined by all who have at
tempted to read it, informs Bill that on Sun
day morning, Capt. D and his boat,
the Bird Catcher, will certainly arrive at the
head of Canal street, with one hundred tur-
keys, which the Captain brings as gift to
Bill, and which will await his orders. It is
true that the letter may refer to something
else Int It was on the Interpretation of