Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1876-11-10
Shooting i'm France.

Shooting here is not what it is IN Amer
lea, being surrounded by all sorts OF vexa-
tious laws and regulations; but when you
once en- regle, some good sport can De had.
In the first place you have to pay tax of
twenty francs per annum on sporting dogs,
such as settlers and pointers. Then you
have to take out permits de chase, cost
ing this year twenty eight francs. In Or
der to do this one has to go before the
commissaire de police of the quarter in
which be resides, taking with him two
witnesses OF sponsors, one OF which must
he d licensed tradesman Of the drrondisse
allenat. After measuring your height,
taking your weight, color OF your hair and
eyes, etc., the two witnesses swear that you
have done nothing contrary to public mo-
rality, and nothing which should prevent
you from enjoying the privilege OF owning
gun. This operation takes about al
hour. Then the certificate given by The
commiSSaire has to be taken to the pre-
lecture of police, where you are again
measured, and sort of diploma is given
you in exchange for the above-named sum.
It entities you to shoot wherever you have
the right 10 snoot,' which means that you
| must have your own premises, or get per-
missiln to shoot from others. Then, on
reaching the country, you have to take
out other licenses, for each commune de-
mandS the sum OF ten francs from you, and
Il man may want to roam over three OF
| four.
| When thus prepared you can shoot, but
you should Always have copy OF the code
| in yous pocket. One day | shot d fine cock
pheasant, which fell into an adjoining
field. L sent my dog Bob to fetch it, but
no sooner had he passed the wall than a
peasant popped up from under it and made
a charge against me for trespass. While
arguing with him, Bob brought the phea-
SAINT in, and then l felt like compromise.
| BY taking me to the commisSaire de police
! the peasant could have me fined twenty
francs, because he had caught my dog seek
ing game upon his ground, but he Was quite
ready to settle for cent sous. L gave him
| his dollar, and he went back to his hiding
place under the wall, to await, like spider
| in his web, the arrival of another s'Pari-
sian.'' Game is plentiful this year; my
two dogs worked beautifully, and in two
hours l had bagged two fine pheasants aS
large DIS hens, three cartridges, two quallS
one very big hare and five rabbits. With
this satisfactory bag [ started back to
Paris, but had the good humor taken out
of me before arriving.
On entering Saint German had to pay
octroi duty upon my bag, though | pleaded
that Was only passing through to the
station. Argument was OF no sort OF use
chow do we know that you will not sell
your game i'll the town." was the reply OF
The custom-house guards, and the only way
to get through was to pay. l did SC, and
ON arriving at Paris had to pay again.
Here l vas charged seYenty-fiYe confines
each for the right CT taking my pheasants
into the city. The sum appears to me ex
orbitsnt; but yet the Freuch pay ii with
out much grumbling, and | did the same
Of course, there being no other resort. Ii
will thus be seen that sporting here is very
costly business, and surrounded by so many
vexaLious rules and regulations that half
the pleasure is lost.-Honae Journal.