Daily Republican., 1879-09-16

Mr.. AL. Bsnezet. merchant Of this city,
and proprietor Of three glass ball and
pigeon shooting galleries here. He
thus relates his experience shooting
mudhens in the last storm tide. Ac-
by Mr.. Alex. Richardson, a
very excellent surf and boat man, they
loaded light batteau or wagon at
daylight and drove to Rio Grande, sew.
Ell miles up the sound and launched
their boat, coming down with wind and
tide, slayiug birds all the way. The
poor birds haunts being all under wa
ter, they are swimming in every direc-
tion and rest on any clump Of rushes or
SEA weed floating near them, or stick,
tree or brush above the surface, but As
everything is ahoat, they have to swim
almost constantly. When approached
they dive, and are SO cunning that a.
ter remaining under several minutes
they come to the surface and If the gun
ner is still there they often dive again,
leaving only the top Of their bill stick.
ing out Of the rough wind disturbed
water and escape all but the kesnest
observers.
Mr.. Beneset was skilfully guided by
his excellent boatman and says the
birds were swimming around them not
by the hundreds but by the thousands
and he loaded and fired so rapidly that
his gun barrels became so hot they
actually scared his finger and hissed in
the rain, killing q bird minute at
times. He shot in all III birds, the
largest number secured by any one
gunner, and this great number is
chiefly due to the skill of the boatman
in managing, as Richardson has no
superior at 1t. The same two killed
lat one year ago on single tide then.
If they had not run out Of cartridges
they could have killed double the num-
Der this trip. As the ammunition dwin-
died they shot no more single birds,
but the boat was directed to any little
bunch or turf above the water. The
birds are so exactly the color OF the
water and seaweed as to be hardly dis
cernable, but the tail feathers are
elevated and depressed quickly which
betrayes their presence, they are al
ways crouching low out Of sight II they
can. Firing into one bunch he killed
nine birds with one barrel.
After running completely out Of char
ges they passed at times SIX or seven
birds on clump Of floating seaweed,
and turned their backs on the tantaliz'
ing sight. hundreds Of little ones,
black, and the size Of little chickens
when first Matched, were swimming and
diving all over the marshes. They
we're about two weeks old and could
feed themselves. Mr.. Benezet brought
home five little ones and a wounded
hen, and placed them in the show win
dow of his Washington street shooting
gallery in the evening where they at
tracted great attention. They tried te
cuddle under the hens wings to sleep,
but she was not their mother and would
not let them. As Mr.. B. could not feed
them he let them 90 in Cape Island
creek next morning, and they swan
away diving quite lively aud cared FOL
themselves.
They passed quite fifty gunners anc
they made quite a fusilade. Most o
them started from schellinger's landing
here and working up against tide hac
not much success. As they were gooo
way apart none shot each other. Col
John Lansing shot l06; W. Cassidy
and J. Church, ss; L. M. Hall, 80
Alex. Schellinger got 30 with no keeper
to push his boat. The pusher stands
up and looks out while the gunner siti
on box or seat and looks out too
Passing through a creek, ditch or Gu
you would see no birds as they hear yor
and hide in the reeds, bat on reaching
the thoroughfars or clear water, they
would be seen in numbers flying, swim
ming and diving ahead Of the boats ant
coming again to the surface for air
One gunner shot away 40 cartridges
never missing his bird We warrant.
All Join in calling it murder for tn
moor birds are so benumbed and ex
hausted it requires no skill to hit then
and they are very close. Flying !
very difficult in their wet half drowned
condition. Generally two guns ar
carried and if they get to thick tn
} pusher seizes a gun and fires. IN
birds can be killed with club whel
Won can wade knee deep on edge .
sounds among the seaweed. They Il
up from behind ,clump and are knock
ed down with stick. They are YER
excellent eating and are skinned nc
picked, the feathers all come OF wit
the skin like glove. They bring .
, or rs cents per dozen here readily.
CAPE MAY.