The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1888-03-01

A RABBIT HuNT.-The following ex
tract from a letter written by Mr.
Pendergast, from Tulare, CAL, to Col
Brigdman, will be read with interest:
We are not getting along as fast as we
Francisco. Have been here week; the
thence to San Diego, Los Angeles, ano
homeward. Time passes so rapidly that
can't get in more than two meals a day
Twilights are very short, and mornings
don't commence until about nine O'Clock
so between eating and sleeping the day
is nearly gone. Yesterday morning we
got up early and got started at half past
eight to attend rabbit drive, six miles
was awful sorry we went so soon fol
we had to wait an hour for the balances
of the party. But we were all paid fOi
waiting when the fun commenced. There
were more than two hundred teams and
as many as six hundred people, men,
women, and children. fl had had any
military education know could have
distinguished myself, for am not afraid
of rabbits, they don't put in defense to
any great extent. But alas, had never
thought of such a rare opportunity to
attain military distinction, and served
publicly as private when officers were
in demand. And indeed, shall / tell you
all about how we slaughtered the poor
victims, whose childlike wall was no pro-
lection to their defenseless heads. When
rabbit cannot use his legs he willis
without notice. But to the point. AL
assembled at ranch near the meeting
grounds, which was a tract of alkal
land embracing about four sections. AT
one end was erected wire fence, v shaped
with an outlet in the centre into a small
corral made of the same material, rabbit
tight. The line was formed in circular
shape about the other end of the tract
the two wings approaching the end o.
the v shaped fence as we advanced. Di
rectly we started rabbits began to jump
from their hiding places. Men and boys
girls, mothers, and grandmothers,w walked
in front with clubs, and often a poor
hare would refuse to go in the desired
direction, but like a miniature mule
would lay back his ears and charge the
line amid a yolley of clubs that generally
brought up against their next neighbour
shins instead of the rabbit, though they
often ran against a club and keeled over
When half the ground was gone over and
the ranks began to close up, rabbits were
in all directions and our extremes rested
on the ends of the fence, so there was no
escape but to go through the line, which
they often did but oftener got killed in
the attempt. The last quarter section
seemed alive with rabbits running in all
directions, and the last forty acres was
all rabbits, and as they went into the
neck of the corral they raised dust like
large flock of sheep. 1t was a sea Of
ears. They looked all ears. Just as all
rushed to stop them in they made break
into the crowd and l should think nearly
a thousand came out and right among
all the people, against the wagons, against
the fence, against clubs and each other
Dust, hair, rabbit cries, mingled with all
the noise six hundred persons could pos
sibly make, so terrored the poor, long.
cared creatures that they forget the use
of their legs entirely and were nearly all
slaughtered, while those in the pen were
huddled together painting with fright and
heat. The photographer was there to
take picture of the living and the dead
After the photographer had arranged the
victims and the brave heroes who had
captured them into group, the com.
mander in chief made few remarke to
his valiant band The rabbits in the
corral were ordered killed. This was
everybody's chance. The knocking o.
clubs, the cloud of fur, and the cries Of
the helpless creatures, made a sort OF
sickening ending to the sport. The all
was full of hair for rods around. Hair
in your mouth, hair in your eyes, hair in
your nose, hair in your ears, you would
be nearly all hair from the hares that
were being killed. The actual count Of
hares killed in the drive was 5342, and
of all the hare hunts that was the hair:
lest hunt l ever experienced. Twas fur
to drive them and fun to kill the scatter
ing hares, but to pound the life out o.
five thousand rabbits in slaughter per
was sickening. Still it seems to be- the
most effectual way to get rid OF the pests
To have a murder now and then in q
community, serves to enliven matters
and please the coroner, but to kill g
whole community at once has little toe
much of murder about it. Have beer
suffering little from very well defined
case of cow-pox. Got it from vaccination
have had nothing to do with cow. Il
| was simply a matter of precautlor
against another matter that does mo-
come from the cow, but is much NOR
serious matter. l think it took its nam'
| from the remark whats the matte
| with Hannah" No doubt Hannal
caught it somewhere, There were a few
mild cases of small pox here, but fortu
nately, it did not spread. Almost ever,
town in the state has it. The Oakfrod'
are we'll. Cap is peddling real estat
tracts, expecting to reap the benefits i,
!. the near future. He does not have t.
sleep in his fur coat, but think he woul'
I've willing to put it on for night j
before last man shot Niger dead s,;1. j
the road, so you see the to"- " -
the nigger is dead, and business goes y.
with the undertaken, though it wa
doubtless charity funeral and not @
any Importance to any one but tn
niger.
ELECTRIC LIGHTs.-The village wa
lighted with electricity for the first tim
on Monday evening and the result wa
highly satisfactory. The stores whic
were fitted with the lamps were brilliant
the universal opinion being that it was
great improvement, and every patro
was highly pleased. There have bee
already taken lamps enough to indicat
that Mr.. Keller will be compelled t
double the capacity of the plant by tt
introduction of another dynamo, capa
ity, $50 lights of sixteen candle powe
jacob Bros. say they have four tim'
thelight they had from an equal numb'
of kerosene lamps. Tully & Co. say tt
electric light is superior to any other
that it brings out the true co1ors