The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1891-06-25
EDGAR L. WAKEMAN'S Elk
PERIENCE WITH THEM
CLEVERLY TOLD.
HOW THEY TAKE FISH AND GAME.
In His Travels the Writer Meets With
Many POachers and Learns Most
of Their Ingenious Tricks.

CARLISLE, England, June 8, 1901 -
My first introduction to British
poacher was in the ancient city Of
Galway on summers morning in
1885, / wandered out of Ellie Madigan's
quaint little inn before sunrise, and
after a few moments on the quay
among the fish wives of Claddagh had
started for a stroll out Oughte' ard
way. AS was crossing Queens bridge
my attention was attracted by hun
dreds upon hundreds of salmon in the
shallow waters of the Corrib beneath.
They lay, punched in groups Of scores
and more, in little pockety pools of
the greatest depth, their noses point
ing up stream. but all the shoals ap-
parantly as motionless as the rocky
bed of the river beneath them. 1t
was early for Galway, save at the
Claddagh-side, as the sleepy old town
is hardly astir before 8 o'clock. But l
had stood there scarcely a minute
when a man in corduroy high-lows,
jockey cap and visor and bearing a
huge club in his hand. approached me
from the city side. He gave me sharp
look of scrutiny, touched his hat ap-
pologetically, and walking smartly
away, crossed the bridge and scram-
bled along the opposite shore, looking
closely here and there in odd corners,
aud shadowy hooks along the bank.
Finally he disappeared in the vicinity
of the Salmon Leap of the Corrib
above. He was one of the royal fishery
board water bailiffs, and was in quest
of salmon poachers.
He was hardly out of sight before
barefooted man followed upon the
bridge. He in turn scrutinized NE
closely and passed. A moment later
the mans arm slid along the waist
high stone coping Of the bridge. Then
there was a gentle splash in the water
below. The man kept straight on, in
creasing the speed of his walk. Directly
| saw his arm jerked back as if by
sudden grasp from the bridge side
over the coping. Then he seemed to
exert very great strength, while there
was some little connection in the
stream beneath. But the man Kept
straight along, his arm now in posi-
ton as if dragging half floating bur-
den. When near the end of the bridge
he turned, put his elbows upon the
coping in an attitude of contempla-
ton, and waited thus for few min
u 'es. Finally he passed off the bridge
end aud turned towards the bay.
Without seeming to watch him, soon
saw him reappear near an old fulling-
milf several rods below. With him
there was now NANCY headed lad
who was hastily unrolling the bottoms
of his trousers with one hand, while
carrying his jacket in singularly
heavy and baggy way with the other
The bareiooted man had within three
minutes time captured two huge sal
mon with a murderous "drag-hook"
armed with six huge hooks, AMI the
lad with the pouchy jacket who had
rejoined him was in waiting beneath
the bridge end to care for fish, hooks
and line. In fifteen minutes
more the two salmon were
dressed and in the herring
skibsn of the fishwives. being
hawked about the city; and the Cor
rib poacher had secured eight shillings
for his def mornings work. The en-
tire procedure was so amazing auda
cious and clever, that on meeting the
poacher later in the day l taxed him
with his performance. He knew l
would not betray him. found that he
was of respectable family, brother
being a reputable contractor in New
York City, where he had himself held
a decent wage position; but he con-
fessed that poaching and poverty were
more fascinating in Galway than con-
tracts and a career in America.
NV next experience was while a
guest during pheasant, shoot on the
demesl of a young nobleman in one
of the English Midland counties.
Sometime during the days murderous
onslaught upon Uno phuo' nttu iooO IL
diminutive, but to me valuable note
book. Itso worried me that | arose
the next morning dressed and stole
down into and out of the castle yard
through the huge open gate faciug the
side next the demesne before soul
was astir about the entire place. The
demesne which covered fully two
miles square of "park"-tiny axes.
magnificent carriage and dIive-ways,
dense patches of young fir interspers.
ing huge beech trees and GA k-was
altogether one of the finest pheasant
preserves in England. / felt sure OF my
ability TO discover the locality OF the
previous DAVIS battue, by following
to the right the demesne wall
which must lead to the little patch of
low, open copse where the pheasants
had been driven by the beating of
the attendants, number of whom,
noted for their woodcraft, and who
were loungers at the near village, had
been pressed into service. The wall
surrounding the demesne was Of
rough stone and rubble, couicai at the
| ton, its crest being rendered seemingly