Milford chronicle., 1893-12-29

FROM M
miles, con
there we
steamer 7.
Saturday for
Potomac. But lit
could be seen, as Z
to make the evening
but the smoking room
iorded us pleasant momel
tion with passengers and
characteristics of homeward
ginians from an outing IN the
Capital. OF the incidents of O,
Journey a column might be written
suffice to say that we found about hall
the passengers good staunch Republican
la great surprise-and that we disem
/ barked at Kinsale about 2.3o p III. OF
Sunday, strangers i'll a strange land
Hello, is this Chamberlain ? Why
thought you were bigger man, was the
greeting of great tall, raw-boued man
who We soou learned was Mr. Henry Har
rington,a "a former Delawarean,w who was tC
/ be our host. Mutual introductions fol
lowed aud in company with our host and
/ Mr.. Walter Harris, we started on an eigh
teen mile drive over the red hills of Vir.
ginia for "Crondell" MI Harrington
I
| received a warm welcome.
Eleven years ago our host settled in Vir
ginia, with the firm belief that farming
and fruit growing-if energetically fol
! lowed in that State, would pay. He
turned his attention to improving the
land by sowing clover and careful tillage
of his peach orchards. and the results
stand out in bright contrast to neighbor-
| ing estates. He not only cultivated his
/ lands we'll, but he cultivated an acquain-
tance with one of the best. most accom-
modatiug and energetic ladies in Eastern
Virginia, which resulted in their marriage,
and they now have two interesting little
HarringtoEs to make life brighter and
better for them. Just here I wish to say,
that if Mrs. Harrington is a fair sam
pie of Virgiuia's daughters, her women are
jewels, aud with no disparagement to our
Delaware girls, the sons of Delaware
will be fortunate indeed if they draw a
prize in their ventures in matrimony like
Mr.. Harrington secured in his Virginia
bride nine years ago.
A bouuteous supper on Sunday night
was followed by cigars around a glowing
stove in the parlor, and several hours Of
pleasant conversation passed between
myself and our hosts. A comfortable
homelike feeling had settled around US,
and we had lost sight of our fellow gun
nsr until his gentle snoring as he lay
back III his chair warned us that it was
bed time-theu we slept.
The first Monday of each month is
"Court day" in Richmond County, the
county where we were visiting, and
every body who can get horse, mule, or
an OK, wenGs his way to court. 1t IS a
day for general assemblage and 1nteF-
change of ideas and gossip. The men
avail themselves of the day to pay their
taxes and get their rebate-and other re-
freshments-wh1le the ladies talk over
the thousand and one things that on4g
women can find to talk over Such be-
ing the custom and, our host being ju-
ror, we DEVOTED our first day 10 visit to
Warsaw, the county seat. That town
has about forty buildings, and is the
largest town in the county. The stores
are fairly we'll stocked, and liquor is sold
at two groceries-the hotel refusing to
take out license. A we'll conducted
newspaper, the Northern Neck Ne7OS is
printed each week, and it is useless to
add, is straight-out Democratic, although
that congressional district is Republican
generally. But Court Day" came to an
end, and we were soon at "Crandall"
again. anticipating the opening of our
cunning on Tuesday Guns we're put to-
gether, ammunition belts filed, Doc
linn, Bob and Ben exercised, gunnir
shoes oiled and every detail made ready,
but our plans we're knocked into a
cooked hat because a binding suOw
storm commenced in the night and
ragged until Wednesday morning Cham
berlain snored and ate all day. ] read
the papers of the previous Saturday and
ate until ashamed to set at table longer.
and our hostess at every meal arranged a
tempting It'd bit to tempt us. That day
we inspected the cellar stored with lus-
cious apples, huge pumpkins, vegetables
and great pans of milk covered with yell
low cream. We inspected the large COW
barns and stables, the sheep fold, the
huge corn crib and implements cared for
aud out of the weather. We watched the
pigs eat, the great bronze turkeys fly into
the tall locusts, the geese founder to
their house through the snow. saw the
dogs play and chafe at their enforced
idleness, heard the Rappahanuock's roar
ing waves beating on the shore on that
snowy day-and Chamberlain slept on.
That night I tried to get shot at hun
dreds of wild geese that flew over, but
darkness and the cold drove me to cover
and the pleasant society Of our new
found friends. Cigars, Virginia toddy
and reminiscent stories filed the time
until Chamberlaiu's snoring reminded us
again that bed time was at hand.
Wednesday we found clear and bright
and we started on a wild turkey hunt. To
reach the woods and hills where turkeys
are we had to drive about nine miles, and
in this direction we we're doomed to dis
appointment through our horse breaking
the shaft Of our wagon, compelling us to
leave tile turkey hunt uncompleted.
Thursday the snow was rapidly thaw-
ing and we had some very good shooting
over the dogs, but it turned cold and bid
fair to be favorable weather for duck
shooting.
Shooting ducks in Virginia is a very
different sport than it is III Delaware. In
fact our first experience on Friday showed
us that duck shooting there is a matter Of
business rather than sport There, wing
shooting is not peacticed at all. Large
blinds are built along the creek shores
and in the marshes, and for days the
ducks are fed grain daily in front of these
blinds until they have become accustomed
to feeding there. The gunner secrets
himself in these small grass houses,
and through loop holes slaughter
the ducks when they groupe
upon the corn bait. A gun larger
than No. bore, and a gun that cannot
be fired from the shoulder supported only
by the arm, is an unlawful gun; but the
duck shooters there fire some large loads
from their No. s guns-nine drains OF
powder and from two to two and one half
ounces of shot in each barrel. Frequently
twenty ducks are stopped by two. barrels.
All game is shipped to Baltimore. where
it brings good prices and best Of all the
ready money. Friday nights hunt re
suited in two geese, and even the killing
of his first wild goose. did not keep Cham.