River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1880-09-16
"CUSSINGo THE PRINCE OF WALES
An Incident of IA Hunting Excursion
Once Made by the Prince OF Wales
and RUSSELL Hancock.

good story manages finally to get into
print, and it is hoped that IL. II. ii
the Prince of Wales will no be offended
with the Times, if after the lapse Of
many years, it tells how, during his
visit to St Louis, he was RECALLED with 8
"cussing out" the only one which he
ever experienced probably. OF it
truth in every particular there can be
no doubt, for Judge Won Gerichter
tells it-who, though he holds with
| Thomas the Rhymer that his tongue is
| his own, was never known even to EN-
bellish the plain truth. His Office on
Fourth street stands directly opposite
the dingy old two-story- and-an-att
house where Grant married J ullia Dent
and it was while recalling reminiscent
ces of this that his mind reverted tC
the story in hand.
"In 1S6-," said he, lived in Car
ondelet, not far from the Hancock
farm, below the River DIES Peres. Back
of it there was, and is yet, a large space
thickly Overgrown with hazel bushes
Il resort fer numberless hares and a
favorite shooting ground with young
Russell Hancock, the generals son
who was living there then. When the
Prince of Wales came to st. Louis the
whole town was racking its brains tC
entertain him. After he had exhaust
ed the attractions of the fair, and was
! beginning to experience a dash OF
EMU, Russell invited him down to the
farm to shoot hares; an invitation
which, being an enthusiastic sports
man, he readily accepted. 1t was late
in the evening when the sport com
menced, that being the best time, as
| the game was the out of its "forms'
| and easy to find The Prince carried
what was then new-fangled breach
loader, as that style of guns was JUS
coming into use The cartridges which
he used had the charge of shot enclos
ed in a white netting Of frame, and II
| consequence, they scattered very little
At that time Charlie Hirt, an homes
and plain-spoken old German, kept Tho
Halfway house in Carondelet; he anc
his friend Charlie Spiss were the mos
inveterate sportsman in the place, anC
and as it CHANGED Hancock's haze
! patch was their favorite shooting
ground. 1t fell out that very afternoon
when the Prince and Russell Hancock
were shooting that Spiss came by the
Halfway house with his gun and dogs
on his way to the Hancock farm. He
was joined by Hirt Just as they
entered the haZels hare came bound
ing into a clear space a little to the
| left of them. From over among the
bushes there CURED up a little blue
wreath of smoke, accompanied by the
report of shotgun, and poor bunny
leaped ten feet into the air with one o.
his hind legs cut off As it touched tho
ground second shot cut it complete
| ly in two That's one of those blank
ed Sunday hunters" said Hirt, in 4
white rage. mo sportsman would
shoot a hare all to pieces like that"
He went over and picked up the
two quivering pieces of the mangled
animal, and was holding them up fol
his friends to inspect when the hazels
parted and Il fair haired, well-dressed
gentleman stepped into the "clear-
ing"
Here's the vandal now" said Hirt
| in his native tongue, with his anger
doubled at the sight of the man who
made what he considered an outrage
Gus breach of all the rules of cunning
''What in blank did you mean by
shooting this poor animal this war''
"But | didn't"
"But, you did; | saw you, and you
ought to have that gun taken from you
and broken over a stump"
''But | beg your pardon, sir; l.
said the fair-haired gentleman, growing
yerv red in the face,
Hirt did not give him time to proceed.
He went on declaiming, with frequent
explosives in German and English
against the brutality of such sport, I'M
til Russell Hancock came up and stood
for few seconds listening. He took
in the situation at a glance, and it is to
be feared rather enjoyed it. Then go
ing up to Hirt he placed his hand on
his arm, saying:
"Mr. Hirt, this gentleman is the
Prince of Wales, who am sure, will
be pleased to form your acquaint-
ance"
Hirt stood for Il second with his
mouth open, and the pieces of the
hare still in his hand. The
corners of the Princes mouth com
menced to twich, young Hancock burst
out into 4 peal of laughter and the
honest old German grasped his gun
and broke through the hazels as fast as
he could go, only stopping to gasp,
"Mein Colt, vat a mistakes, " when he
dropped on a beer key in front Of his
Dnn door