Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1895-11-11
THE HUNTERS RETURN.
Eleven Days of Rare Sport in the
Mountains of Sierra County
Substantial Trophies of
the Trip.

Veni, vidi, vici! The official hunting
party, composed of Gov. Thornton, Sur
veyor General Easley, Mr.. D. P. Lamo-
reux, private secretary to the commas
sioner of the general land office; Prof.
Harry King, chief draughtsman of the
general land Office; Mr.. E. B. Linen and
Mr.. Norman King, who hold down desks
in the surveyor generals office, and
Deputy Sheriff Thomas Tucker have re-
turned to Santa Fe from the rugged
mountains of Sierra county, laden with
thrilling bear stories, superb health and
vivid memories of pleasurable adventures
that will be recalled with satisfaction
many years hence.
The members of the party went by rail
to Lake Valley and then by stage to Hills
boro where they were Hospitality vel
coined by Hon. W. 5. Hopewell, who had
made every possible preparation for the
royal entertainment of his friends at his
Hillsboro home and also for'the project
ed quest after game in the Black Range.
| One of the big mess wagons of his COW
outfit, wagons for carrying bedding and
complete camp equipage, excellent saddle
horses for all, and several experienced
hunters with eight trained bear dogs
were in readiness for the contemplated
trip; and bright and early the party, re-
cruited by local enlistments of Messrs.
Miller, Bentley, Robinson and Richards,
with Mr.. Hopewell officiating as mine
host and captain general, merrily pulled
out for the latter's main ranch on the Rio
Grande, about eighteen miles distant.
There genuine sport began. Quail by
the million and cotton-tail rabbits galore
we're found in the high grass and thick
bushes bordering the river, and the eager
and delighted sportsmen had no difficulty
in securing all of this class of game that
they desired. The number of quail killed,
chiefly on the wing, is estimated at over
800. No record was kept of the rabbits
secured.
But this sort of sport, being merely of
the nature of prelude, simply whetted
the appetites of the party for the greater
achievements to come. Soon the hunters
moved toward the mountains and in due
time reached Victoria park in the lofty
and PERCEPTIONS Black Range and about
sixty miles from the railroad. Here big
game was found in abundance, and under
the guidance of men "who know every
foot of the ground" and with the aid of
experienced and untiring dogs that would
not deign to chase any game less import
ant and imposing than bear or a noun
tain lion, the party had no end of the
real article of sport
The quest in this wild and picturesque
region resulted in the killing of seven
teen black and white tailed deer; one
silver-tip (400 pounds), one cinnamon
1850 pounds) and three black bears; three
fine specimens of the genus mountain
lion, and one wildcat or lynx. And the
beauty of it all was that every man in the
party got shot at bear, and the bears
were so ably out-generaled that neither
men nor dogs came in uncomfortable
personal contact with one.
As one of the party remarked to the
NEW MEXICAN scribe: "It was round of
pleasure from start to finish. Nowhere
in America can finer sport be had than in
the silver-ribbed mountains of Sierra, and
the earth does not afford better enter
tainer than Hon. W. S. Hopewell. Indeed,
nothing occurred during the eleven days
we were out to mar the pleasure of the
most congenial and agreeable company
of gentlemen who ever went bear hunting
together"
The bear and lion skins will be taken
to Washington by Prof. King and Mr..
Lamoreux, where, after being properly
dressed and mounted, they will doubtless
prove an irresistibly tempting invitation
to many others to visit this land of sun
shine and silver and gold ribbed and bear
inhabited mountains.