Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1886-10-24
THE PRESIDENTS HUNT.
All the Details of In Sport-He viii
Come Again.

RoMNEY, ". VA, October 23.-On last
Friday morning a week age
about 4 O'Clock, President Cleve'
land and party, consisting OF
Col. Lamont, Assistant Secretary of the
Treasurery Fairchilds, Internal Revenue
Commissioner Miller, and the latter's pri,
vate secretary, Mr.. Bevans, under the
care of Captain Robert French, arrived at
Col. Ike Parsons place at Hanging Rock,
on a fishing and hunting expedition. The
party had slipped out of Washington late
the night before, and the strictest secrecy
had been observed as to their arrangements
for this trip; so that the surprise Of all our
citizens, except a few who were in the Sc
cret, at his arrival, was only equaled by
| that in Washington at his secret depar-
ture. The morning dawned clear, cool
and beautiful, but during the whole day it
was entirely too windy for the most sue
CesSful hunting and fishing.
Plans for a grand deer-chase were ar
ranged early in the morning. c. NJ.
MillesOn was master of the hounds. and
brought six splendid dogs to the hunt with
him. The plan was to start the hounds on
Middle Range, rs it was thought the deer
would in that case come to the river first
below the gap. Mr.. Eph. HerriOtt, at the
request of one of the party, started the
dogs. Deputy Collector Isaac L. Brady
took charge of the President, placing him
on the best crossing. where deer almost al
ways pass when run from Middle Ridge to
the river at this point. The hounds were
sent out in three sets, and started two
deer; but it was not long before they all
took the one track at a point on
the Ridge about two miles from the
lower end of the gap, and nearly west
of it. Soon d magnificent four-pronged
spotted buck, something exceedingly rare
in these mountains, dashed down the
Ridge into some fields below Mr.. HerriOtt's
house, with the six dogs stretching them
selves almost flat on the ground at every
lump, and not over three hundred yards
nehind him, and took a Decline for the
Branch Mountain, about q mile distant.
The President, Col. Parsons, Collector
Brady, and some others, watched the chase
through the whole of this long stretch of
open ground; and the President said after
ward that in all his experience as n sports
man, he had never seen anything to equal
it. There was no Looping, no long leaps, on
the part of either dogs or deer; it was Just
4 straight, level, steady run, with buck
and hounds st~raining every nerve, and get
ting Just as close to the ground rs they
possibly could. 1t was a glorious sight.
Old deer-hunters went wild with excite
ment, declaring that in all their lives they
had never seen anything that could COM
pare with it. The dogs gained on the buck
rapidly, and when about q quarter of a
mile from the mountain, pressed him so
closely that he vas compelled to change
his course and take to the river. When
about 300 yards from the water, they caught
him; and Just at this juncture Mr.. Frank
Herriott got a shot, breaking his fore leg.
The animal fell to his knees, but rose
again, and, struggling with the hounds
and hotly pursued now by the whole party
in Il state of the widest excitement, dashed
onward to the river. Calamity he ran
and fought with his enemies for the water,
but could not escape the swift bullet from
the well-aimed Winchester of Mr.. Bevans,
which pierced his neck. When the buck,
with steaming n~ostrlls, plunged into the
river, the excitement of Messrs. Bevans
and Keller broke out of all hounds, and
they dashed into the water after
Men, deer and dogs were all indis-
criminately mixed up and tumbled to.
gether in the water, and smeared with
blood. Benvans got hold Of the bucks
tail, in the water up to his waist yelling:
"Ooh! ooh! but she's cold! Gimme your
knife, Keller! Gimme your knife, l tell
you! Tom handed him a little pen knife,
with n blade about two inches long. Bcv-
ans grabbed the buck around the head and
commenced saving across his throat; and
there he sawed till he killed
him. assisted by the dogs,
they brought him TO the shore. The
President and all the rest of the party had
by this time come up, and for the first time
had q close view of their noble prize. He
was n beauty. No wonder Reyans and
Keller Gived after him. Beautifully pied,
very large, and with q magnificent head of
horns, he was n thing of beauty without
alloy, and his capture an event to be re-
membered in the sporting annals of Hamp-
shire county. The party at once presented
him to the President, and then they all
turned their steps homeward, tired, but in
a state of delightful excitement over their
great success.
The afternoon was spent by the Presi-
dent fishing and hunting: He caught n
large string of bass, and killed several
squirrels and cartridges, a rabbit and a
duck. 1t was a source OF regret to the
whole party that the buck did not pass
through the usual crossing, where the
President was standing, as they all were
anxious that ne should kill deer on this
trip.
The President expressed himself as very
well pleased indeed with our hunting
grounds, the days sport, and especially
with his host, Col. Parsons, because, a he
said, "Ike Parsons lets me do just as ]
please"
He said he would probably come up
again soon, as this is a delightful place,
and so close to Washington that he can be
there in a few hours, if necessary. The
party including the President, left for
Washington Friday night.
Excitement In Texas