The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-12-28

upon his property.
The duck-hunters have been doing fairly
well of late. Some very good bags Of birds
have been made by sportsmen who have
shot on the Sonoma marshes. The shoot
ing on the Alviso and Alvarado marshes
has also shown signs of Improvement, but
the largest bags of game have been made
on the Suisun marshes. Spoonbllls aud
teal are very plentiful this year but the
widgeon. which in past years were so nu-
merous, are surprisingly scarce this season.
The members of the Mallard Club have
been summoned to appear before Judge
Beatty OF the United States Circuit Court
to show cause why an injunction should
not be issued restraining and enJoinlng
them from, in any way, interfering with
the exclusive pleasure and enjoyment OF
the Ibis Gun Club, which claims title to
certain swamp and overfowed land, stu
ated in the Suisun marshes.
Loais Rondeau and Alfonso Smith sue
ceeded in bagging about three dozen quail
near Tocaloma last Sunday. Mr.. Smith
states that the birds were very wild and
snap shooting was the order.
Some of the sportsmen who shoot in the
Suisun marshes adopt an old system of
bagging birds which, although injurious
to the pocket, saves considerable hard
work and physical energy. The anti
quated method of craftsmanship which is
always certain of landing game is known
to many people as the silver-shot scheme,
which is practiced even in these enlight-
ened times by some of the fraternity who
take pride in showing up big bags on the
homeward march. 1t is said that some
local sportsmen have been very successful
with the silver bait, and that gentleman
named Alden is considered a most accom-
pliShed duck shot by the market hunters
OF SuisuD, who are always pleased to see
him in that vicinity.
ri hop
something like 200 wild ducks and one
black swan near Tubbs Island on the
Sonoma marshes last Saturday. A black
swan is rarely seen on this coast; and
naturally Mr.. Dolliver feels proud in hav-
ing bagged one of three birds that passed
| within range of his high priced gun.
A pigeon tournament will be held at
Davisville on January l, and, as many
handsome prizes will be given the win
ners, some OF the leading trap-shooters of
| this City have slgnitied their intention OF
| entering the race.
Donald MacRae bagged 10 ducks, nine
| white swans and five geese near Espinosa
station last Saturday and Sunday. Mac
| Rae and friend had sculled up Espinosa
| slough from Bells ark at an early hour on
| Sunday morning to a point within few
| hundred yards of "Cap" Chittenden's
yacht White Wings, which craft has been
| leased by the Cordelia Shooting Club. AS
! the hunters were leaving their boat for a
pond over which they intended shooting,
| one of them noticed keeper on board
| the Cordelia yacht who was watching
their movements through a field glass,
but they gave the matter little thought, as
the recent decision of Judge Buckles gave
| every sportsman right to shoot on any
of the ponds in the marshes.
The indignation of the hunters may be
| imagined, however, wnen they discovered
on their return to the boat that their rub
| Der coats and gun-cases had been stolen by
some unknown thief or thieves, who, If
ever discovered, will be taught a lesson
| they will not very soon forget 1t is ex-
! actly this kind OF meanness that klndles
the lire of enmity between the so-calied
preserve clubs and the sportsmen at large.
| 1t will be remembered that several valu-
| able guns exploded this year in the hands
| of sportsmen whose cartridges were loaded
with nitro powder. On this subject the
well-known sportsman and expert
enced judge of guns, Harvey Nc:
Murchy, recently expressed himself
on the question of nitro powder
and where the blame could be laid for
| burst gun barrels, says the Sporting Life.
Mr.. McMurchy IS as well posted on the
| performance of shotguas as any man liv-
| ing having devoted considerable time and
study to this end. He gave as his opinion
| that the gunmakers were not protected as
| they should be against violent and unsafe
nitro powders being used in their guns,
| and when any trouble occurred the blame
was at once placed on the maker Of the
gun, and not on the powder, where it
| should be placed. He also stated that the
time was not far distant when the Govern
ment of the United States would adopt
| system of testing the various makes of
nitro powder now offered for use in the
shotguns, the testing to be done at the
company's factory under the direction of
competent men. This is certainly matter
| of utmost importance, as every year-in
| fact, every few months-brings new nitro
powder upon the market.
| All of these powders are carefully tested
! before being placed on the market, the
makers claiming that they have the best
article yet produced, and Immediately it
is tested in guns which have stood years
of shooting, perhaps bursting with the new
compound. Now, where can the blame ba
placed? Why, on the powder, of course,
| but in almost every case the owner of the
! injured gun will write to makers and de-
mand new one for it. In this case Mr..
| McMurchy thinks that as the governor
regulates the number of revolutions that
an engine makes, SO should the United
States Government regulate the strength
of the nitro powders before they can be
| placed on the market. Sufficient tests of
the properties and bursting force of each
powder could easily be determined by an
| inspector.
| The gunmakers of this as well as other
countries have been working to make gun
that would stand the test and strain of
nitro powder. but no sooner is this COM
pleted than out comes a new explosive, of
greater bursting strain, and away goes
another fine gun, to the injury of the firm
| producing it. This may even be done with
powder of long introduction, as it is well
known that the explosive force varies at
different periods of age, sometimes in
creasing in strength or perhaps decreasing,
as the case may be.
! The Christmas number of Shooting and
Fishing of New York should be seen by all
lovers OF shooting to be appreciated. The
illustrations of hunting and fishing scenes
and the articles which accompany them
are truly excellent. Some of the pictures
will instantly recall to mind many pleas
ant hours spent among the wild ducks of
the marshes, or the more thrilling adven-
lures of grizzly bear shooting in the noun
tains. The paper reflects much credit on
the publishers.