National Republican., 1883-09-03
Birds Bagged by the Different Gunners-
Incidents Of the Day.


Guelthler's brewery, near the Jail, to partake
of luncheon and count tho result of their
mornings shoot. This practice has been GUS
tomary for many years, and each gunner
prides himself upon the number of ortolan (or
raiD that he bags on the first day of tho sea-
son. In making up the scores they are only
allowed to count ortolan, therefore the fol-
lowing scores only include that toothsome
bird
William Wagner. ................""........ 81
Sharles Williams. 5g
II bal: %
Richard Jones. 4S
Or. Muncaser.. ....................'... Al
George Zurhorst 40
george Ecklon. 5y
Prof Sousa. ~
George Meeshaw. ~
Snarles Morgan" %
george hralt''..'''... ..''''''''.''','''.''.'''''
Mr.. George Kraft is an excellent shot, and
the smallness of his score may be accounted
for by the fact that his skiff, containing him
self and Mr.. Joseph Marceron, was capsized
early in the day, wetting the occupants, their
guns and ammunition, and spelling their
days sport.
The regular sportsmen were all afoat and
did their shooting from skiffs, while the shores
and shallow places were lined with amateurs
and occasional sportsmen armed with every
conceivable kind of weapon from old flint
lock muskets up, and, as an observer declared,
what birds they could not kill were at any
rate nearly frightened to death.
This class of gunners were not over particu-
lar either as to the kind of birds they brought
down. Special attention was paid to English
sparrows by many under the hallucnation
that they were reedbirds, while sad havoc
was played with the numerous focks of red
tipped black birds that fitted about in quest
of food. In fact, the amateurs blazed away
at anything that wore feathers. One young
man, who had filled his decorated game
bag with specimens of every variety of
birds, except ortoan and reedbirds, is
said to have emptied the contents of
both barrels of his gun into buzzard that
was sailing gracefully overhead, under the
impression that it was wild goose. The
shot ratified harmlessly against the buzzard's
tough exterior while it uttered loud
"quack," and continued sailing The
dudish youth looked disconsolate and re-
marked aside, "Pve always heard that wild
geese were darned hard birds to kill" The
spectators smiled Significantly while the
dude loaded his gun and continued paralyzing
sparrows and brier birds
Much amusement was caused by the actions
of gunner who wore q Greeley high hat.
Upon reaching his skiff he discovered that
some one had stolen his shaving pole. After
dancing around the shore for while he
finally secured the services of young tree
which was growing near by, and "treed" it
out into the marsh where the shooting was
in grogress.
A painful accident happened to Mr.. Rich
ard Smith, q we'll known sportsman early in
the day. While proceeding through the
marsh he received load of birdshot in tho
face, fired by an unknown gunner. He was
at once removed to his homo by several
friends.
Mr.. Charles Williams killed fine king
ortolan, in addition to many reedbrds and
ortolan, and Mr.. Suit killed a largo blue crane
on the wing.
AS result of Saturdays work. reedbird
potpes and ortolan on toast prevailed in this
city yesterday. 1t was said also that many of
the sparrows killed Saturday were sold to cer-
tain restaurants, and will grace their lunch
counters to-day, on dainty bits of toast, as
reedbirds.
Messrs Campbell Darlington and John
Waggaman pooled issues and visited the east
ern marshes Saturday, and aeter having been
literally peppered ON tho back and hands by
spent loads they returned to the shore with
twelve dozen fine reedbirds and four dozen
ortolan as recompense for the punishment
they had received.
Apropos to the beginning of the cunning
season, REPUBLICAN reporter interviewed
Mr.. William Wagner on the subject last even
ing. he said that ortolans were very scarce
for the beginning of the season, but that reed
Birds were plentiful and quite fat.
What other varieties of birds were shot 2"
asked the reporter.
every kind" he replied. "The pot hunt
ers and amateurs fired at everything that
flew past them"
How about blackbirds?'
'rhere were thousands of them. The
regular sportsmen did not shoot any black
birds however, but left them for the boys
and shore rangers, who played Waterloo with
them"
We're any snipe killed ~
Il don't think single snipe or wild duck
was killed Saturday" he replied
MIR. Wagner accounts for the scarcity of
ortolan Saturday by the fact that tho marsh
oats are not ripe yet The oats, however, are
rapidly ripening, and before October it is pre-
dicted that birds will be plentiful.
Several local gunners, in discussing tho
game question last night on Capitol hill, ex-
pressed themselves as favoring law impos-
ing license of from $40 to $25 upon all gun
ners, ,'andithe appointment of two aquatic po-
hcemcn, to be paid from the license money, and
whose duty it shall be to enforce the law,
with especial reference to "pot hunters"
They also believe that cunning in tho Dis
trict should be limited to three days each
week.
sail boat full of young men from East
Washington went down below Marshall Hall
Friday evening to avoid the rush in the
marshes about this city, and to help inaugu-
rate the beginning of the cunning season.
They returned last night and Mr.. Gus Clark,
member of the party, stated that they killed
over2OO birds and caught 116 fine white perch.