The morning call., 1890-08-31
THE GUN.
Sportsmen Getting Ready for the First
Day on OuniIs.
MY ANCIENT HUNTING COAT.

MY ANCIENT HUNTING COAT.
An old, brown garment, patched and weather wornr
With pockets uUmberless on every side;
Long ragged rents by enviuus briarS torn,
Aud darkened spots in divers places dyed;
Faint Streaks OF yellow here and there deserted,
And yeIed edges by the thickets shorn:
rou: h, stanch coat, through storm and sunshine
And over many miles of field and prairie borne.
Discolored by the sleet and driving rain
And faded by the burning autumn sum-
The texture firm with inserwOyen grain,
Within its russell threads, though closely spun,
Show VIII Il the gnawiRg teeth OF time have done;
On the right shoulder Is a smooth. wide stain
That marks the place where shiftingiy the gun
Has in my old-time outdoor wanderIugs often lain
Here is some plumage from pheasant's crest,
And here traces of a rabbits fur;
And in this corner, hidden with the rest,
Gings TO the cloth prickiy cockle-6urr
That pierceS suddenly ana like spur;
Aud in this upper pocket close are pressed
OLD Si'rays of sunae. full of woodsy myrrh.
And various feathers too, in motley cotorS dressed
And these bring pictures to my dreaming eyes
or river, woodland, marsh and stubble field;
AS bygone days like ghosts forgotten rise,
And oiden memories are again nRsealed-
Like legends caTyen on an antique shield
These days come back and WOO in dear disguise,
while nature waits, in loneliness revealed,
Under still, rapt glory OF far. unshadowed skies.
ERNEST MC6AFFEY.
SpOrtsmen are now busIly engaged pre-
pairing their dogs for the quaiI-shooting
season, which will open on the 10th Of Sep
TENDER. 1t must be remembered, however,
that quail shooting in Marin County will
not begin until October LIST. In Kern County
the shooting season lasts from September
1St to February Isl, and in Lake County
from August 10th TO March 1st; all other
counties the season opens on the 10th OF
September. After September 18th 1t will be
unlawful to xiii deer in Marin County; the
season for deer shooting ends October 18th
in Lake County. and in all other counties on
Decem OeT 10Th.
The shooting tournament which viii take
place in Tulare on the 18th, 18th and 18th of
next month promises to be largely attended.
Prizes will be given for trap and rife shoot
ing, and the contests, according to pro-
gramme, are open to the State. The tourua-
ment viii be held under the auspices of
the Tulare Gun Club of which NJ. c. Hunt
! is Secretary.
The Sportman's Protective Association
will meet at K r. Il. Hall next Tuesday
| evening.
! The Shasta Courier says that deer in the
| Trinity Mountains are being slaughtered in
| large numbers by hde-hunterS, who find a
good market for the skins in San Fran
| cisco. 1t is alleged that there is Board Of
| after the fish and game interests OF the
| State. II such board is in existence,
| measures ought to he taken by it to stop
| the traffic in deer-skins.
An Alturas exchange says: You cannot
tell a deer'S age by the points on its horns.
Most all old hunters think so, but it is a
mistake. t. NJ. Barnes possesses year
ling buck that has three distinct points on
its horns. The buck was captured near
| Lakeyiew last summer when few weeks
old, and any one doubling the above state
ment can go take look at the deer at his
ranch five miles west of town. -
Jockey Snapper Garrison and Book ker
S. \. Morgan Shot match at fifty BIRDS. each
thirty yards, with fifty yards, boundary, for
$50 a side, at Long Branch, August 21st.
Morgan Won hy Il to 81.
a YepJ close and exciting pigeon-shOoting
eoIrf1GGSt took place at Pleasure Bay, near Long
| Island, n. j., on August 18th. The contest
ants were Phil DAILY Jr. and Edgar Murphy.
The match was for $500 side, 100 birds,
thirty yards rise and twenty-one yards
boundary. The following are the scores: