Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1891-10-04
GOOD S0RA STORIES.
RECENT EXPERIENCES or RICHMOND
GuNNeRs IN rhr SWsMps.
How Mr.. -sht-u st.sh was atvse . Coed
puchins-~lr~A ~ S"h" t'sshs"s"
,na Watt tssios.

Might marx ths Ais,sM NEht ~ DO tnec
wsoes,
A. AslAn seee a. s,0ss she Aimson Ay.
lay agsge aes,s shae'
These ATE part ct che beautiful lines
which William CNllcn bryant has address
oil e. A waterfowl 40 Il spcd through the
clouds on ITS winged fight. aud ono who
/, thoughttul can scarcely read them witn-
out thinking vi tho mysterious BIRDS ana
th,,, SOLITARY retreats among tho silent
marshes and swamps. where naught but
the monctonous croakings OF the frogs
hr,aks tho stiffness Of the twilight. lhe
poet perhaps had reference 20 Wild duck.
rr moro probably to wild geese
which MIGRATE NJ certain seasons OF the
vonr. At any rate that strangeSt ana
vet most toothsome fowl, the aora, can
hardly claim 10 have been the OBJECT 10
which the oard addressed his words, 10.
few indeed even know whether the soia
does migrate. and the old saying that ~.
certain SCI, sons they turn to frogs IL. ai'er
al as Good theory concerning them "a
any winch prevails When the autumn u
freezes tinge tho fores, of Virginia III golu
and russell and the meadows begin 10 as
sume their sombrc robes OF brown 10 i"c9
tbe storms of winter the mysterious pro
makes IFS appearance IN tho iehs hhu
swa,nps. and there feeds tor severn! week.
until once .raln they disappear, ana are
seen no more till the coming season.
NOT lLrodTTHKB WISE BIT TRICKY.
Tho aors IA not the wisest bird IN the
world lerhaps, hut he has his tricks' ~
those VINO hunt HIM find. despite the iac'
Tint NJ times he ia so stupid that one can
knock HIN down vita boAt-paddie. S'ii
they arc tho dehEh; Of spor'sh'h' anu
doubtless the chase OF no game III me
world gives tho marksmar moro opportU-
ultv and onsrs HIM moro temptations 10
e.arperaio his experiences. DUNG tho
past week many iicumond euuners nave
svuur on their game bags. driven the re-
tir,nr roach-6uc from the muzzles of their
rusty guns AMI started out III quest Oh the
delicious bird. and winnie of course no
power Oh earth could get at the exact re-
suits OF their excursions. owing 10 tnat pc
cniar exaggeratlve propensity, sun IL u
believed that they have been mostly sue
cessiul.
A gentleman Of this city, who may no
ja the language az the sf"nogra,
pher as Mr. -snt-n St-rk mo threatened
awtul things if his namo was put m prlht)'
wen, on his first sora-nunl q ieW Gay ago.
and with several friends, selected Curis
Neck rs the best place aiaptei Tor me
slaughter of the WATERFOWL. Now, inc
,ora has 20 be hunted III SKINS, aS every
markham who has gotten himself tho,,
rnilyhly soaked on such excursions Will
testify, and so tnc party When iAeI a'IiNe,.
M the marshes had 10 separate and cach or
them. with bis boatm4n. take separate
course.
TLFSTT or TOWD1E AND SHOT.
There were eight gentlemen from Rich
noud. and when they scattered them
selves through the swamp and COM
ceuced banging IN a different direction,
things began TO be exceedingly exciting.
and as the shot common ed lying around
those If thoughtful disposition began TO
prepare Themselves for a better world, or
for worse ore. perhaps. Mr.. -sht-n Strk,
however. came to the conclusion that ne
Was long for tins world AL his friends
will testlfv that he certainly sand so lie
Yelled across the water a. two OF theicllo"s
in tho boats and informed them, with q
desperation born OF despair. that LIE han
some tuo No. duck-ShOt near at mana Az
the first fellow vino stulg nm wa- 60
ng 10 get TINS III return. one OF the III
lIviuuais thus addressed or threatened,
who hal lust touched w fcllOW-man lna
that he never had shot man
and never would. and SO tins calmed Mr..
st-rk and hc proceeded 20 devote hun
sell, soul and BODY. u the siay INK Oi sora:
Before doing go. however. he commenced
INCORPORATING his pilot, al oid-time darby,
cOuccrnlug the habits Of the b.rI. 1he
venerable colOrcd man was first asked II
the fowl was migratory or II Il truly
from the .rOS state, ana unany,
finding himself incapable OF giving any
sal actoyy explanation, he sad 10 Nir.
St-rk: Boss. der's some thing, ! don
blieye God ever intended to'As 10 know,
and OATS one II en-
AND THEREBY HANGS TALE.'
Before the boat had gotten very far one
of tho fowl Jumped up with his legs hang
ing behind him Just like a grasshopper.
a. the narrator expressed II. anI the marks
man banged away like battery OF artll
lery. The bird fell head foremost III TIE
marsh. and when the unerrng gunner went
10 pick hln'1lp only his tai. was lcklnG
up from among the reeGs. With an ex-
uitant smile be grasped has prey. or rat nci
thought he did, but. alas. the bird and III
caudal appendage ba1e each other iont
adleu. and Mr.. St-rk found tnat lie Lac
only few feathers 20 show for tho eight
-
sought the advice of the sable plot, WIG
informed him that the sOra, when thu
struck down. and graspcd by the fowler
would dive down into the water ana per
ISL with their beaks II the mud. Mr.
St-rk Indignantly expressed his disgust
at any creature VINO would die IN su II a.
unsOcIabie manner, but alter awhile re-
signed himself 10 bear any further dlsap
pOInimeuts which the fates had III store
for HIM. Little DID lie know NJ that tim'
that an awful affection awaited hun
and that eve the autumn sun stole GowI
before the gates OF Nesper TO the placi'
rivers surface be would look back Oh sora
hunting is "a deluslOn ana a share.
lie COULD HAVE KNOCKED THEN DOWN WITT
BRICK.
The birds would jump up every minut
in the very spot where the SKIN had JUS
gone over. and soon things became deb
clOusiy exciting and the leak IN the boa
was entirely forgotten. The aquatic
bipeds. according TO Nh. St-rk's account
few so slowly that he could have KNOCKED
them down with brlckDat. provided, o
course, he had had his vest pockets file,
with these somewhat weighty articles. anC
to an old partridge shot Ike him II wa
absolutely luxurious banging away a
them. 1t may oe paronthetlcally remarke,
here that from subsequent comics
slons of the gunner perhaps after all 4
Won Il have been best tor him to have gon,
armed with bricks. for though OF cours
lie never missed them, still when al tn
bleeding corpse. were counted they didn'
appear 10 be so many as he thought.
sometimes the sklI would be pushed al
most on dry land. the reeds were so thick
and the passages were 50 narrow IN Tia
stream that the boat couldn't be turue,
around, and when the two sailors wanted
to 90 back they had to change seats.
NOT DAN. MONTY THAT TIME.
On one OF these occasions the pilot re
versed his position, and Mr.. St-rA. grasp
ing MS trusty weapon IL his hands, set
tied himself down 10 comfortable rcpOse
when suddenly awlully suddenly. llr
St-rk thOught-the DoatuIau gave tn,
skIh an unloOked-ior shove, and away ST.,
darted III one direction, while Mr. st-rli
not acting III perfect harmony with TIN
movement. went partly III the other dire
ton, and was gracefully soused III til,
crystal waters Of the stream. There is
good deal OF him 10 get wet when sucl
emergencies arise. but II may be truthful,
asserted that the water did It's duty ant
did 1t well. When the sportsman wa.
hshed out II can furthermore bo trutbfuliy
stated that he took water "-iire-wale,
sorrows which thus harassed him.
JOHN FRIsCHKOES's LUCK.
"Yes, / have hunted sora for twenty
years," said Mr.. John II. Frlschkorn with
smiic when the DisfArCa man begun n
draw him out ON the subject OF his expe.
riences i'll tho marshes. "While You occa.