New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-06-28
NEW PUBLICATIONS.
A NOVEL. AUTOBIOGRAPHY.

A NOVEL AUTOBIOGRAPHY.
THE Kkk AnepSoHFNAFwHIff K ES Of sTsaT
SEM. Edited by Arthur II. Byng and stephen NJ
stephens. Illustrated lemo, PIP. AL. Mac
We cannot say TINT the autobiography OF John
Wilkes Is a more interesting book tim the Game
keeper at Home Of Richard Jefferies: but II IS
certainly a more realistic ono. II is In fact just
what IL purports TO be- namely, n frank and honest
chronicle OF the Nfe Of English gamekeeper Win
an experience Of sixty years in his profession pre-
nmnary word, however. needs to be said concerning
the editing OF the book The editors appear TO nave
entertained peculiar IDEAS to their functions lher
work is seemingly confined to the occasional miro
duction. sometimes in the tcxt, sometimes In no'e
Of comments which Intended TO be humorous
but which I'm nearly every instance simply silly.
They appear TO be thinking all the time that they
are having lark" with old wilkins, ana 10 nave III
suspicion that there can be any question OF ts'e III
volved in making fun Of the writer whose book they
have undertaken 10 edit. one would say at once
that they must be very young and inexperienced but
H. f. n pity that no one with ripper Judgment was
at hand 10 give them little commonsense ADVICE.
John wilkins himself is inclined TO DC earruiouS,
but he delightfully."- naive and has good o1-iaS"oeu
views and principles. The chief charm OF MS auto
biography consists In the fact that introduces the
reader to quite new, at least quite an unsupported
little world Nor is IL an altogether simple world
The English gamekeeper. 1t appears, must nave d
polcy and sometimes he finds 1t very hard to MAN.
tain 1t consistently. For gentlemen VINO preserve
game may or may not be hunters. II they are, nch
they preserve foxes as well as pheasahts anu par
tridges But foxes DO not preserve game on U'e
contrary they destroy it whenever they can Inc
result is that the landlord who wishes to shoot at
one time OF the year and to hunt at another un"
imposes upon his gamekeeper an extremely onerouS
task lie must not kill the foxes; but neither must
he let the foxes kill the pheasanfs John Whhihs
takes much pains 10 let 1t be known that he never
nd ho laws prove
that the camekeepers policy is to abstain from Killing
foxes whether his employer be a hunting man or no.
The reason for this is that even II he does not ht
he generally allows his coverts to be beat up Tor the
local hunt once or twice year; and II on such oc-
casions blanks were always drawn, The members OF
the hunt would soon suspect the ganekeeper OF oeihg
n fox-killer and that would ruin his standing with
limiting men all through the country, and probably
much farther.
OF course the gamekeeper's most constant ana
pressing duty IS the prevention OF poaching ana the
career Of John wilkins has been full Of adventure.
His theories on poaching are Of kind to SURPRISE
most people, for he constantly goes in for treating
poachers "with civtyn-though he candidly admits
that poachers apt to leave their Gviity NJ nome
when they go out at night However, 1t must lie
Acknowledged that Mr.. Wkins's experience of sixty
years bears him out One result of doing his
spiting gently that he made no rancorous feuds
with his professional eDemies. No attack was ever
made upon him from revenge. Another strong point
I'm his favor his practice never to bear needlessly
hard upon poachers when he bad caught them They
all came to understand that wilkins on the witness
stand could be trusted to tell than the truth,
and they laid up grudges against him. Some OF
his ways were rather peculiar. however. 1t was a
custom with him, when he had captured a poacher
redhanded to take the prisoner to his lodge give him
a good supper pipe ard glass. ard sit mp having
q crack with him. II the man was convicted and
sentenced 10 a term Of imprisonment, The keeper
do VIII he q he'll
by sending them rabbits and other provisions. In this
way he reclaimed several sl1lfu and mischlevous
poachers, and what is more put them on his own
side for the future
He writes erraticay. often dropping tile thread OF
the story TO plunge into discussions about snarne,
trapping ETC., or to deliver a lecture upon dogs and
their training, TO give good advice TO gamekcepcrs
at large, to dip into his magazine OF facts concern
ing ferrets rabbits "fying vermnn foxes. |
These dgressions are, however less interesting
than the narrative though the latter abounds
with curious anecdotes and stories of fights with poach
ers The funniest OF these is of Of his assistants
q man Of immense strength but courage, named
Joslin An encounter with gang Of poachers brought
wilkins one occasion into fierce struggle with a
powerful fellow. Josn stood by, unengagcd. but
simply looking on, and though Wilkins kept calling
him for aid Josln confined his exertions to shout
ing In general way to the battling poachers: All
want IS civityin which tho poachers did not seem
to appreciate.
Another time wilkins faDon upon by three
poachers at and beaten Into nsensibility-hs
assistants running away and carrying the that
lie had been killed. pleasing attribute Of the old
man IS his humane disposition. In u discourse on
dog breeding, for example he strongly depccaes the
use Of the whip in training young dogs, and shows
how we'll the work be done by kindness and
patience. So also, in speaking OF various methods
OF trapping and sharing the vermin that DESTROY game
he urges the employment Of etrong, sharp, and we'll
set traps alone, to the end that the poor creatures
caught may not be kept lingering in pain. Consid-
eng the relative mischief done by hares and rabbits
to the crops. he maintains contrary to the general
opinion Of farmers that the destructiveness OF the
rabbit has been much exaggerated and that the Hare
IS BY far the more mischievous Of the two animals
The autobiography contains recipes enough OF various
kinds to set up an amateur gaInekeepcr. and while
no doubt these recipes all good in their way, II
must be admitted that OF them the reverse
OF savory-especiay those which depend upon a
basis OF dead cat, pig, or hedgehog.
Candor Is one Of the strong points Of John
wilkins. He lad a brotherin-law who was q scapc-
grace, and he denounces this relative by name as
"outahd-out scoandcl," and "unprncpled black.
guard" ETC., and then clinches the nail by proving
these epihes TO be deserved AS the wicked brother
inaw went to Australia forty years ago. and has
not been heard OF since. however. perhaps he may
be considered fair game. Williams is somewhat ad-
dcted to blowing his trumpet, extong his
shooting, his skill In ogbucling, snare-seting trap
ping, running, and woodcraft generally, but he is
full Of information, and his views sufficiently prove
the possession OF sound principles and strong
Of duty. His book indeed is thoroughly manly, fresh
and natural and the writer is far too simple think
of making excuses for lack of literary skill