The record-union., 1895-11-27
He THOUGHT lie OWNED THE GAME,
But the Old Farmer Convinced Him
He Didn't.
Bitter Experience of Chap Who In
vaded the Game Preserve of
a Rancher.

There are some persons who affect to
believe that anyone has the right to
commit trespass on private lands in
pursuit of wild game, regardless of the
rights of the owner of the land. The
stock argument of this class is that God
made the game for everyone's use, and
that it is anyone's privilege to shoot or
snare wild game wherever they may
find it.
One of this class of believers recently
went out shooting in Sonoma County,
and Field Sports thus tells what befell
him in carrying out his idea of a God
given privilege:
A gentleman upon whose land there
has been good quail shooting for sew
eral years had been compelled, by the
killing and manning of his stock and
the destruction of his fences by that
class of hunters who nave no regard
for the property of others, to post his
place and stop these depredations. The
gentleman, who, by the way, is we'll ad-
vanced in years, is an old pioneer VINO
fought his way across the plains in ~.
He is strong and active and still pos
sessed of the old time 40 article of grit,
which seldom allows inSolent Interior
ference with vested rights.
On the occasion of which we write, he
was in his pasture near a clump or
bushes, when his attention was attract
ed by some one hammering on his fence.
Looking to see what it was, he dlscoV-
cred a hunter-One of that kind who be-
Iieve that the game belongs to him and
that he has a right to take it wherever
he finds it-pounding pickets on the
fence with a rock. The old gentleman
awaited developments. knocking on
4l,r f1nn n
tered the pasture, leaving the displaced
pickets on the ground and proceeded
to look for birds, not caring If all the
stock strayed into the next county.
1t was now the old gentleman's time
to enter upon the stage Of action. Qul-
city he walked up to the hunter ana po-
litely inquired what he was dong there
and why he knocked the pickets OIL
when it was but short distance to the
cate. to which he received the insolent
reply: ''Who in hi are you, anyhow
He informed the hunter that he was the
owner of the place and that he had
signs posted all over it, forbiddlng
shooting thereon.
He was again answered: Qon
give a -; 1 came in to shoot and IN
going to do it." The old man again eX-
postulated with the intruder and hnally
ordered him off the premises. The
hunter was a young man, and beng
armed with a double-barreled breach
| loader. continued his insolence; where
upon the old 40 remarked: The hrst
| blow is always the best blow, and
! landed him one that made the ivory
rattle and sent him sprawling on the
ground. Quick as a flash he was on
| him making his face look like a map of
the Polynesian Islands in carmine.
When he thought he had punished
! the freebooter sufficient, he let MN
up; but the young man Immediately
! rabbed his gun and was about to turn
! II on the old man when another we'll
directed blow sent him sprawling on the
ground.
This time the indignant farmer
seized the gun, broke the stock ana
doubled the barrels around the trunk OF
| a tree then marched the young man,
who had boosted that he would do as he
pleased, back to the fence, told him TO
nail on the pickets again or he would
give him trouncing. The disciple Of
| Captain Kidd meekly complied, when
the old gentleman marched him up to
the gate and turned him loose into the
street. possibly wiser if not hand
somer man.
A few days later another gentleman
who shoots in the neighbOrhood re-
ceived a letter telling him to keep clear
of this place, as the owner was dan
gerous man, with whom it was not safe
to fool.
The owner of the property is a gentle
man Of nigh standing in the COM
munity. with such consideration for
sympathetic juries that he concluded
to save them the time and annoyance of
tending to the case.