Daily Republican. [volume] ([Wilmington, Del.]) 1874-1890, 1886-06-18
JACK SCOTT, POACHER

vnVN uvUIl UnoliIW
There are some queer people In the
Restigouche country, and one Of the
queerest ia the old poacher, whom 1 will |
call Jack Scott. Away out In the Res |
tigouche Wilderness Jack, his Two |
man" and tribe of wild children bur- |
row, like fOxes. In the woods. Civiliza- |
ton to Jack means chances to get gin,
fresh meat and tobacco. he wants very
little more. In the life Of town he
would probably sicken and pine away
like an imprisoned wild creature of the
woods. Offer him steady employ ment
at good wages, and In two days he
| would forsAke your heshpots for the
| sailed salmon OF his forest cabin. There
10 no town, church nor school house
within sixty miles of his baunts. Tho
caribou OF the forests an SALMON Of the
| river are companions enough for him.
| OF "book laruin'" he knows little, but
| he knows what no books could tell him
OF the ways of beaver, moose, caribou,
salmon aud trout. He Is an unleItered
Thoreau, and like Thoreau he refuses to
obey the law on principle. Jack holds
that he rules forest and river by right
of eminent domain. He has pitched
| ulb Chulp III luo o. huu JhO
creatures of the wilderness are his.
Jack feels himself segnior of woodland
and river, and he looks upon game laws
and leased fishing privileges az Sioux
Indian might have regarded Eastern
protests against the extermination Of
the buffalo. In this wild life Jack Is
happy. How many years have passed
over his griZzled head no one can tell,
but his short, broad, massive hs ure
still has the touehness Of guarded
oak.
Keen, crafty eyes fash through a
thicket of tangled hair and beard, eyee
sharpened by watching at beaver dams
and moose yards, and peering through
the darkness for the approach Of hostile
fsh wArdens. Rough and curt in
speech is Jack, and yet his tongue may
be- moved TO tales of his adventures,
and among other Indian traits be has
those of loyalty 10 friends, and pers: B.
tent hatred of enemiss, including Off
GERS of the law.
Yet there was oDe of these very off
GERS who became Jacks patron saint.
: Some time ago Mr.. g., q fab commits.
sioner, made long journey up the
Restigouche, and one evening camped
: near Jacks cabin. A guide WAS sent
} over TO see II Jack by chance had been
industrious enough to raise any pota
: toes, and Jack returned with him TO she
I camp, where he was known by nam,
!. and reputation. He was not afraid
A According to his view he was simply
Q enjoy ing his rights. Luckily the com
: missioner belonged to a different orde
:, of men from the ordinary warden
"Jack," said Mr.. b. looking at tn
: tumb e-down shanty and swarm c
Il - Ii to
like young partridges, Jack, how c
, you get living"
( "WelI, sir, / hunt a little, lumber
little, trap little and" with an al
of great trsnkness, "tish q little,
80 you fish, do you? How do 20
tisb?"
"With a net" said Jack boldly, sn
! net at ali Ike one making a damntn
confes sion.
"But jack" said Mr.. B., "don't yo
know that's against the law?"
"Yes, sir; but l must have Ash. T.
poor man"
+, "Wbere it your net?"
Jack began TO look serious. He kne
that after discriminating himself
could readily expect nothing less this
the cor iiscation OF his net. But
Ia didn't think Mr.. B. was that kind
u q man," and so he resolved upon q fl
appeal 20 his iDsgnanimity.
MY net is under my woman's be
sir. l put 1t there when | raw VI
coming, and know you're not the Mi
to go there for 1t "
q We'll, Mr.. b. wasn't, and he chang
the subject.
Have you any salmon, now, Jack
ayes, cir, I've within nine Of a pu
cheon fall"
"Thnt you've caught yourself?"
"Yes, SIR
There was no hint of any seizure a
q Jacks natural audacity revived a
. manifested itself in this beautiful ma
ner.
ar IF you please, Mr.. b." he ga
ard like very much TO I'LL the pt
cheun."
Il 1t was impossible to preserve ju
cial gravity in the face of requ
like this. Mr.. b. gave him the perm
al sion, but still Jack seemed to ha
something on his mind.
Whats the matter" asked the co
missioner.
"Well, sir" said the canny Ja'
h. "suppose set the net one night a
get only six of the nine and then l
another night and get seven WI
would l do with the other four?"
lEs The court arose amid q shout
laughter and Jacks request y
granted. JACK was too original oh
acter TO be suppressed. Afterwar'
'uS box OF clothing for his children ca
from the Missioner, and the n
year when fish warden forbade Js
to set his net, he was overruled by
kEE B., who sent Jack permission to III
puucheon. There was little harm do
sK' for the fish were actually needed
food, hut Jack will be loyal TO
:. memory OF the commission while
=. lives.
,0n In short,it is much easier to persu
Jack with fai: treatment than wit
club, as mule drivers have sonetil
found, aud as some American spo
men found who had leased tho WI
INN near Jacks homo. It is customary
permit trout nets TO be Get out 8 few
ane IRON the shora aud JAGk wanted
oor. only fair chance for trout, but al
possibility of 81 stray salmon.
t.ts sportsmen would have none OF i6. L
com PEELED Jack 60 set his nst on
sne other side Of the river, where 1t
ia very shallow and there were 40 edd
at might swell been get in lie
T.1o he remarked in telling the story, -
80. I said nothin' to nobody ,sn' jist sire
s'o4 ed the old net out quarterln', 80