Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1876-11-25
SNIPE HUNTING.
Four New Disciples 60 this Rare
and Ancient sport.

Four New Disciples 60 this Rare
and Ancient sport.
The old game Of sntpe hunting was
perpetrsted last night by four dry goods
clerks on four of their associates mess
successfully. The victims are new
corners from the North, only q Of them
having been here aOy length Of time.
They are young men of fine intelligence
and have seen much Of the world, but it
was discovered that there was q def.
cheney in their education; that they had
never been initiated into the mysteries
of hunting snipe with a bag. Their
friends kindly undertook to instruct
them a day or two ago, and succeeded so
well that the novices know as much about
it now as their teachers.
The plan was originally to take the
youths across the river and leave them
out over night, but this was abandoned
on account Of the delicate health Of one
of them. Everything being ready, the
party of eight sailed forth last night in
the direction of Elmwood cemetery.
Each man carried q large coarse sack
bought at a feed store, or a bundle of fat
fagots secured at a woodward to make
torches. /: was explained to the verdaut
youlhs that Southern snipe roost in the
bayuus or ravines, and are, when dis.
turbed, easily attracted By a light. The
modus operandi is simply to drive them
toward a light and catch them in a vide.
mouthed sack as they fly blindly az a
flaming torch. When the bag is full lie
it up and you have your snipes. 1t
works admirably the first time; We have
seen It tried often on g~reenhorns by
> school-boys rs well as on grown men.
Our party marched with great enthu-
siasm in a crooked direction about FIVE
; miles and reached a point near Cane
: creek, where there is a small bayou. AS
! they approached the snipe ground every
> voics was lowered to a whisper. They
walked as softly as cats. It was a mo
0 ment Of supreme excitement. Every
e men could feel his heart beat. They
crept down into the almost dry bed o.
, the bayou, built two little traps of sticks
to hold np the bags, and lighted tn,
torches. A man was placed st each
trap aud two Others held bags open viii
their haudl. Taese four, OF course, were
the pupils. The Others we're to 20 ~
half a mile by a roundabout way anC
&C drive the snipe down the bayou to thi
" torches and into the bags. o.
The beaters-in started but strange t
T. say, when they got of a hundred yard
( or two they concluded to come back t
&c town. It was only a short distance t
the fernando road. That being reache
y they returned quicker than they wen
This was about the time the theate
., closed. 1t was a nipping coli night, br
. the young men with the bags, traps an
N torches, like faithful pieketa on dut,
stood their ground molly. expecting ever
/, moment that the snips would dash ini
., their faces, like birds seeking refuge 0
a ship at sea during a storm. But mar
snipe. They became anxious about thei
friends, thinking something had hal
pened, and went to look for them, NAL
ing inquiry at q hoase. Sill hopef
aud confdins 10 human nature az
snipe, they went back aud resumed tie.
posts. But thsre is a limit to hums
endurance. Some time between twel'
n, and four o'clock they started back to fl
city, aud on reaching their quarters res
ICED that they had been made the victir
Of a huge practical joke. They all too
Ssh it rather good naturally, or tried to, b
by it will not be best to speak of snipe
Der their presence for a few days yet. Nel
K