Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1881-01-02
EARLY DAYS.
An Interesting Chapter Relative TO the
Sports and Hunts in Minnesota, from
the Pen of Gen. Ill. III. Sibley.

FOIcot sHu NNAtstiiA'
The pen of "Hal a Dacotah, - which
you call upon to perform service for your
Christmas time issue, has been so long
unused in the sporting line that it is de-
cidedly rusty | must endeavor to bur
nish it for the nonce with what success you
must be the judge.
Arma, vir,mQue cano, as old Virgil
hath it. If cannot sing as did the poet,
l can at least tell your readers IN plain
prose somewhat of the men and of the
arms they used in other days in their field
sports.
The co-contributors with myself to
Porter's Spirit of the Times and other
sporting journals more than quarter of
century ago were Frank Forester WIN.
H. Herbertl, Kendall, T. B. Thorpe,
Picton, Lewis, Audubon and others Of
more or less note. With Porter, Herbert
and Kendall, was personally acquainted:
they all passed away years since to the
undiscovered country.
''Their swords are rust,
Their bodies are dust,
Their souls are with The SAINTS, trust.
The writers | have referred to composed
a corps which for ability and brilliancy in
their particular department OF literature
has seldom been surpassed. Dwelling in
different portions of the Union the aggre-
gate of their experience as from time to
time made public had much effect in pop
ularizing legitimate field sports, and IN
REFRESHING the practices Of pot-hunters
now unhappily too prevalent in the land.
Our place of rendezvous when we were
in New York city was Porter's editorial
sanctum, where we discussed sporting
themes generally and "fought battles
DER again" Herbert enjoyed these re-
unions exceedingly, and seemed never to
weary of listening to the variations OF
those of us who had hunted in fields re-
mote from his own; and he was in turn
most entertaining and instructive COM
panion, thoroughly versed as he was IN the
theory of hunting and fishing not only,
but on all subjects Of general interest.
He was positive in his opinions and some
what impatient of contradiction, but
ready, nevertheless, to make the amende
honorable when convinced that he was in
error On one location in reply to
my statement that canvas back ducks
were abundant in Minnesota, he rather
bluntlY averred was mistaken, as that
fowl was never found so far from the sea-
board. | told him l was familiar with
aquatic birds, and if failed to furnish
him with specimens from this far off re-
gion which he would acknowledge to be
the simon pure, l would willingly pay for
the oyster supper for the company when
next we met. He accepted the wager,
and on my return home it was my fortune
to kill large number of canvas backs,
from which selected a full-grown male
and female, placed them in the hands OF
an expert to be thoroughly prepared and
mounted, and then despatched the box
containing the pair to Herbert at the
Cedars where he resided. When l again
saw him in New York in the fall of the
same year he frankly acknowledged that
he had lost the bet, and forthwith invited
those present to partake of the oysters
and Accomplishments, which they did,
and jolly time we had of it at his ex-
pense.
Herbert and myself had corresponded
previous to becoming personally acquaint-
ed He did me the honor TO dedicate to
me, in flattering terms, one of his charm
ing works called the "Deerstalkers,"
compliment lTUIl 81 a.
sportsman and author which was pecu-
liarly gratifying. L have always believed
that there was some event connected
with Herbert's exile from his native
land which was never divulged, but
which preyed upon his peace OF mind and
caused that deep depression to which he
was subject at intervals, and which, COM
bined with the infelicities of his domestic
relations, brought about the final dis
tressing catastrophe "Requiescat in
pace"
Porter, of the Spirit of the Times, and
Kendell were both true-hearted and gen
ial men, as well as able and practiced
writers. They had hosts of friends,
North and South, and were general ia
vOrites.
Ny own sphere of operations was far
more extended than that of any sports
man have named, and hence articles
furnished by "Hal Dacotah, - although
by no means remarkable for their liter
ary merit, were sought for with eager
ness, because of the novelty of the
scenes he described and the magnitude of
the field over which he roamed. That
field comprised what are now known as
Northwestern Iowa, the whole of the
the Mississippi river, and part of east
ern Dakota. No white men inhabited
this vast region, save the comparatively
few who were engaged in the fur trade
with the Indians. Here were to be found
at all seasons of the year the buffalo, or
bison, in countless numbers, great herds
of the wapiti, or elk, the deer, the bear
and the wolf and not infrequently the
panther and other animals. The
streams abounded with beaver,
OTTER mink and other amphibia, and the
lakes, of which there are more than
seven thousand in Minnesota alone, were
covered in the spring and fall with swan,
geese and ducks of every variety. 1t
was in this elysium of hunters that the
youthful Hal, not long out of his teens,
six feet in his stockings, athletic and
active, a sure shot with rifle, shot-g gun
and pistol, and withal an enthusiast in
field sports, for successive years piled his
weapons to the. destruction of myriads Of
furred and feathered game. His contri-
buttons to the sporting literature of the
period were strictly truthful, but tinged
with the somewhat romantic character of
their young author. The interest man
Tested by the public in these efusions
was enhanced by the fact that there was
o+I,or roy>rocnptatiuo Of tho pyfrorDp