The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1894-11-26
PRESERVED DUCkS
Yesterdays Sport on the
Suisun Marsh.
WAR OF THE GAME CLUBS.
The "Mallards" Defy the "Teals"
to Some Purpose.
WAR OF THE GAME CLUBS.
HOW A "KEEPER" RAN A BLUFF.
All Cases Against Trespassers Have
Been Dismissed - What the
Mallards Propose.

pleasure Of the duck hunter. there is,
nevertheless. enough of excitement on the
Suisun marshes to keep the mind OF
spOrtsmen engaged in thought.
AS stated in yesterdays CALL a war,
and most bitter one too, Is being waged
by the lessees of shooting grounds OF the
Suisun marshes against the local sports
men of Solano County who are not in any
way connected with clubs that pattern
after the English system of what is called
true craftsmanship"
The sportsmen of Solano and Contra
Costa Counties have finally concluded that
the hogging OF duck-shooting lands by the
wealthy sportsmen of this city has gone
on long enough and~an effort will soon be
be made to GUST the pOt-hunters from
lands that they have no legal right 10 claim
as theirs by virtue of lease.
The clubs that are now most bitter
against the encrOachments of outsiders are
the very ones that invited mark et-hunters
and all classes of hunters for that matter
to shoot on the swamps that are at the
present time patroled by game-keepers,
viz: the Cordelia and Teal gun club pre-
serves.
Last year, as all sporTsmen interested in
duckShOoling will remember, the men,
beers of the Teal and Cnrdelia clubs quar-
relied like Kilkenny cats over the possess
sion of few good shooting ponds. The
result of the verbal war was that the Teal
Club vowed vengeance against their neigh
bOrs, the Cordelias, and feathers were fly
ing in the air for the balance of the season.
The Teal Club. co spite their rivals, threw
their elegantly furnished arks open to the
public and advertised free access TO their
grounds to all hunters who desired to shoot
thereon. The Tealers even went so far as
to place their steam launch at the pleasure
of all men who availed themselves of the
opportunity of shooting on what is now
called the Teal Clubs preserve. They did
everything unsportSmanlike TO crafty
their JEALOUS hearts and annoy the Cor
della people.
When, with all the splendid inducements
offered, they could not muster enough
"poachers" to station at the ponds that are
now under preserve government the Teal
Club even went so far as to engage
yacht aud naphtha launch to carry
"poachers" from this city free Of charge 10
their ShOOting-grOunds. 1t was war almost
to the knife lastyear between the members
of the clubs that are now standing on their
dignity, as 1t were, and causing the arrest
of true sportsmen, who are satisfied and
| well pleased to shoot dozen birds when
ever they 90 a-gunning for duck.
There are not more than dozen men,
bers in the two clubs who pretend to
claim by lease 5000 acres of swamp and
| Overlooked lands, which is known as the
the preserves which the members never
shoot over, vet their inherent desire TO be
| ''deucedly English, yer Know" is so great
| that the president of the Cordeiia Club has
instructed the keepers not to permit one
| outsider TO place foot within what the
club is pleased to call boundary lines, or
better said. illegally fenced properly.
On Saturday evening the members of
the Mallard Gun Club, with invited guests.
left this city for the clubs headquarters.
which is within easy distance of the Teal
| Cubs stronghold. The Mallard bows had
their ark handsomely fitted up for the oc-
casiop, and it is hardly necessary to say
| that the hours up 10 the time the lights
| were put out were most pleasantly spent
| Among those present we're: Il. j. Boyer.
| Y. v Harrier, Charles DietZ. Lloyd Eaton,
| Sam Patrick, Joseph MARYLAND, w. l..
Prather F. E. English, J. T. Landregan
Bob Van NOrden, Ii. Sloman, James
| Evans, Dave Heartfelt, w. Durant and
| Charles Levett.
| On Sunday morning bright and early,
after having satisfied the inner man with
| a substantial breakfast, the members and
| guests shOuldeTed guns and took their de-
parture in small boats for the best shoot
| ing spots on the overlooked marsh lands.
just as the gray streaks CT morn in the
east foretOld the coming OF old sol, 1.-THE
Mallards" were in their respective posi-
lions, and waiting just for light sufficien t
! that were flying overhead on their journey
10 the river. They did not have to wait
| long, however, as the booming of No. los
and 12S commenced on the east side of
| Susun, and spread like electricity to all
parts of the marsh.
| Lloyd Eaton and Vic Harrier were
| having gala time at one OF the Teal
| Clubs ponds, and in one hours shooting
| had erased or watered something like
| thirty birds when slX-foot Cordelia Club
| keeper, with dew on his Nhiskers, put in a
rather unexpected and importune appear
| ance.
.sHello. you fellowsI Haven't you had
enough of this thing?" asked the man,
who, rather than work for an honest
living, would become gamekeeper.
II certainly do like your style OF ad-
dress," retor!ed Mr.. Harrier. What is
your mission now"
Gust sent over here by the true sports
men of the Cordelia Club to order you
fellows off the EARTH" answered the
| keeper, as he eXpectorated to distance of
ten yards quid of tobacco-juice thai dis
colored the waters Of the slough.
''Oh, that's it," replied Eaton. "Well,
think YOU had better return to your en-
ployers and tell them that game called
ducks can be played very successfully by
more than one club, and especially on the
| Suisun marsh.
The keeper did not know what to do
| In the premises, out TO please the gen tie
men of the Cordelia Club, who shoot on
the set," he remained with the Mallard
Club members until the SUI was well up
in the horizon. Whenever flight of duck
was drawing toward the pond, which
Eaton and Harrier were shooting over,
the keeper would discharge his gun with
the evident Intention of changing the
course of the birds. The "Mallards," see
ing that It was useless to remain, left for
other parts disguised with their luck in
not having boat in which they might
row TO where the Cordelia Club mem bers
were shooting and play them the same
trick they had planned on those whom
they are pleased to call poachers.
The Mallard Club members, notwith-
standing the war that is being waged
against them, enjoyed good days shoot
lug, and wound up the day with a total
kill of eighty-iv birds to six guns, with
which number they were perfectly sat
istied.
Among the Cordelia pot-shot hunters
who had bagged birds yesterday were
Ben Siicknsy, Downey Harvey, DR..
Davis and Colonel Eddie. To the credit
Of the latter gentleman it must be said
that be shoots mis- birds in sportsmanlike
manner, and is consequently deserving OF
commentator.
Among the sportsmen who had taken
Dot luck outside of the preserved terri
tory. and who did well, are: James Ches-
ley. II good ducks; j. BurliDgaine. II