The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1893-04-30
A RABBIT DRIVE.
One OF the Annual Round-Ups OF
the California Pest.
Everybody In the County Turns Out and
Helps to Hunt Down and Slaughter
the Destroyers of Their Vine
yards and Orchards.

! In recent account of the annual
spring rabbit drive the San Francisco
, Chronicle thus depicts the scene:
The pen consists of two immense
wings over half-mile each in length,
made of rabbit-proof fence firmly fas-
tened to posts. At the entrance is a
gate leading to chute some thirty
feet into the inclosure and to the cor
raj proper, surrounded by high wire
screen fence.
| The moving line was, at the start.
fully five miles long. extending in the
form of semi-circle. The people
closed rapidly, and when the line con-
tracted it formed such black mass of
! many thousands that il reminded one
of the migration of nations in the mid
die ages, when many tribes were leav-
ing their seats and wandered toward
more congenial homes. The excite
ment increased with every minute. and
the noise was becoming dreadful.
Yells of the men, screams of the
women mingled together with neigh
ing horses and pitiful cries of the rab-
bits
THE jacks were driven now By thou
sands toward the pen. The prairie was
fairly alive with them as they, aston
ished and bewildered, ran To and fro.
with no hope Of escaping, no chance of
avoiding the cruel club Of the hunts
man.
Just before the pen we sighted
curious spectacle. AZ once and with
out any apparent reason the rabbits
began to run in a circle. or rather in a
series of concentric circles Taking
into consideration that there were
thousands Of them moving with ex-
traordinary rapidity. it can easily be
imagined how curious this perform
snce must have been The dust rose In
clouds. and this occurrence. together
with the swift circular motion Of the
naddened animals, would make any
one believe that whirlwind was ris-
ing. We almost saw a hurricane ap-
preaching. and so natural was the sp-
pearance Of il that many present
grasped their hats 10 prevent them be-
ing carried away by the would-be
wind. One minute later and the
scenery was completely changed. Each
of the concentric circles became dis
solved, wedQed Itself into the opening
of the pen and disappeared in the
chute. The rabbits were IN.
What happened inside dcfes de-
scription. Men. women. boys and
girls pushed in, shouting, yelling.
swinging their clubs and sticks. mai
dened, Wild excited. ADORE in the
skies. the eagles, vultures and hawks
screamed a. if waiting for The prey
soon 20 DC left for their use Outside
the corral the ncighiaE of horses aug- {
mented stiIl more this paudernoniasn. /
and inside The cry of the cIubbeI rabbits .
had something alncst human in is in.
tensity Il was ike cry Il little
children 50 natural and ~ pitifuI that
many women present pat their fingers
into their ears 50 as not ~ listen T.,
this seemingly pathetic appeal for
mcrcv.
In twenty minutes the siauyh.o~
inside the inclosure vas over. The
"a bbi;s knddlei near the side of inc
pen IN aense masses. and here th<r
were easily killed, some 81 theEp tried
20 force their heads ns.sler The fence
and FeTet q e1erSe. also easily
reached iIandr-as ei others rzs8l.s.e!
against tbs ssirs-sereeu fence. sr-sr-
entity % enaaa4ls saiesae- They were