davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1896-03-29
TALES TOLD BY HUNTERS.
IRA Dodgers PLUcKY FIeHT WIN
BIG,AHD ToUoH GRIZZLY.

\ Fisinsu-n's Game OF Hide .nd Seek with
wo-.asd Buasie that Played Pos
suw-A womsa who Csn shoos
Straight s.a One who Can Handle =
Fly Roa-Hints for ishsrmen-spors
with y Target Pistol Tree Climb
ing Habbits-Tests OF Gun.-Fiorida
Birds Extcrminsted by Plume Hunters.
Ira Dodge of Cora. wyo., told at tho
sportsmen's Exposition how he met a bear
with results only less disastrous TO tho man
than to the big grizzly. Dodge is q typical
Westerncr. quiet, and the kind of man who 10
peaccable till he gets going, and then IL a
wounded bull elk, u herd Of mad puIaloes, a
bucking bronco, a grizzly. and some other
animals that are fighters, all In one.
He was out hunting ono day a couple Of
years ago with n 45-callbrc single-shot rife.
which had never failed, when he got on to
inc trail OF a big grizzly bear. Pretty soon
he saw the bear dimly through the brush,
and fircd at the spot of hair, which resulted
in tho bears getting bored through and
through Mt tho short ribs. Tho grizzly
bawled like a calf, as grizzlies always do. He
got In another shot as the bear turned. and
that went into tho breast, making a wound
that would have knocked an ordinary bear
over, but this bear kept coming. Putting in
another shell. he fired again, aiming at the
Dehrs eye, seeing that the skull was pretty
thick, and hit u, t0o-which shows the kind
of nerves he has. The bear kept coming.
and Just then tho shell damned, and the gun
was no better than "A club.
Dodge started TO run for n nearby tree. but
looking over his shoulder he saw that he could
not make 4; Then he stopped and faced the
animal with a hunting knife. which at best
gould scarcely cut the hide. The bear hit him.
knocked him down. and began to bite at his
hips. To savo himself the, man put HIS right
arm clear 70 the elbow between the bears
teeth and let him chew on that. calculating
that the. grizzly wouldn't last long with the
wounds he had received. Loss of blood killed
the bear and nearly killed Dodge, and in conse-
9uence he was In bed a good many more weeks
than was comfortable for IL pluinsman. How
ever, he is all right now except for II thumb
less hand.
He has been experimenting u little with the
new smokeless powder and the long 30-calibre
bullets with soft points. and also with various
other weapons. He runs q ranch and Keeps
several outfits for hunters. Last summer he
had a German naturalist and artist with him
q good deal. The German got two eagles one
day. One. was : feet | inch across the wings
and long In proportion.
1t looks well for the game next fall about
Cora. The winter has been mild. and not
much skin hunting has been going on.
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1896-03-29
now HARD A Gun RIcKs.
Results OF Tests Under Different Conditions
CARRIED On in EnrInnd.

The London Fcld prints the results OF tests
with II ~12-saugc gun weighing five pounds thir-
teen ounces and having rs. Inch barrels. One
ounce of shot t210 pcllcts) and thirty. eight
grains of No. 4 black powder made up the
,harge used for both barrels.
At forty yards the right barrel put an aver
age of 1913 shot into n 3O-inch circle. tho num-
Der varying from nincty.lvc to lao. Tho aver
age velocity Of the shot was l,152 feet u second
over the first ten yards, II variation from l,l32
to l.lT2 being noted.
Tho left barrel averaged nine feet more n sec
ond, and put eight 81 less into tho circle.
Both barrels registered the same gas pres
sure. .3S tons to the square Inch, but the Kick,
or rccoil, was 4-1O of n pound greater from the
left barrel, which also gave the greatest speed.
The rccoil from the right was 21.3 foot pounds.
Thirty seven grains OF powder behind "3o
pellets or five .eighths. OF, All ounce OF shot p,iS
10 OF them into a 80. inch circle at forty yards,
showing u velocity of ,l52 feet u second, and
"A recoil of 22.5 foot pounds. a gas pressure
Of La tons was developed.
The kick of n gun Is always of interest to q
sportsman. On ~ depends much of u duck
huntcr's sport. If his gun kicks like n mule.
it gives him q violent headache, every shot in
creasing 1t till at last. he feels as IL every heart
pieces. Many n days sport Is lost by the users
of excessive charges In guns of too big. II bore.
In England there are two classes OF sports
men-the big-gun and smnll-Run users. The
Joy themselves and to kill n little. The big guns
are from ten gauge up to one gauge. a big
email gun Is a twelve gauge, while on Amer
lean firm makes u gun with III -Calibre shot
barrels; The 2O-gauge gun is considered the
beat all-around small bore gun by most Eng
ishnpn.
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1896-03-29
TESTS or q "
Another Proof Proposed that Will Mako
Completed Guns Safer.

When n man buys n gun he wants one that
will kill what he shoots at and won't blow his
own head off. To save the shooters heads,
there are laws compelling makers Of shotgurs
to test the barrels with u sufficient charge tn
give the gun Il GOOD margin of strength be-
tw zen the absolutely safe ami the danger limo.
The new powders OF nitro composition are
fit to rend a gun 10 pieces If the gun is Of poor
make. So the London Field n
new or third proof. with n finer grained pow
der. which will at once protect the shooter and
make the honest unmakerm more Mt ease.
The manufacturers may have taken the great
est care In the selection OF the materials. the
workmanship may have been of the finest:
compliance with the gun proof act may have
been absolute. and vet in spite OF all one of the
guns which passed through all these tests may
blow to pieces with manning or deadly effect.
and the damage to prestige he of far more aC-
count than the mere cost OF replacing the bar
rels.'' \ more stringent law would, of course,
raise the standard of the guns.
The Field concludes by saying:
I'm our opinion every gun should receive n
final proof with tinc-graincd black 20 Sder,
though in smaller quantity than the existing
charge Of proof powder. The larger charge OF
slow-burning proof powder is excellent for
testing the general soundness OF the barrel
throughout its entire length. For testing the
brccCh action, however, some more potent cN-
plosive is requisite, whether the gun is to he
used with black powders or nitro COM
pounds. And such an explosive appears in
No. . black.n
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1896-03-29
DoCk DEPIRTMENT PITRONIGE.
Big Appropriations Upon which the Plat
Republicans Are COuntIng.

Tie organization Rrpuh.i,0us WHO train
with the majority faction have been prNcti-
Cnily excluded from recognition l.! the public
departments under Mayor Strung's tenure,
and they have htd no hettcr lu,k IN tluC feu-
rral service, which will relnuih m Democratic
hands, AZ least, until March /. 1854. IIlug Ia
the Presidential election OF inH'', the urgani
cation Republicans were, II Is true, Ho better
supplied with municipal patronage, hut they
had, at least, the Federal offices 10 draw upon
during the concluding year Of President IlarTi
sons administration ana iheSr Offices Included
a number OF nOn'ClNil service places, Ia say
nothing Of many contracts, particularly the
carriage job with the Custom House, which
the Republicans have always made politically
available. In the absence this year OF any
other municipal patronage ~ sufficient uC-
count TO figure In the calculations uf Rcpuh-
liCAn statesmen, recourse has been had IA that
eternal source OF patronage for Statesmen Uf
the interior. tie New York dock Department.
Under existing laws, this department Is author
lid. to eXpend each year not more than
s., 600, 900, provided for hy the issuance OF
bonds. ana hence not "A direct charge on tho
taxpayers Of the city, In addition 10 this the
expenditure OF AN additional sum OF sd,uUO, 900
has been authorized by the Legislature for
the acquisition OF new property under iuIis-
dictiOn OF the Dock Board, the purchases te
DO completed not later than May !, 1897.
There is now pending in the Legislature still
another draft ON the bond Issuing powers OF this
municipality TO the extent OF 81, 600, 900 for
dock expenses 10 be distributed over a period
OF three years, or at the rate Of $4,000, 600 =
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1896-03-29
RIFLE SHOTS Ar BIRDS.
Long Distance Marx smanship with tho
New mall Cniibro Rides.

The new rifles, with their 30'calihre bullets
and smokeless powder, are gradually working
their way into favor with shooters of big
birds turkeys, wild geese, and swans. When
these birds are far of shore In large fiocks or
small ones there is then an opportunity for
the finest kind OF work. and those who live
along the Chesapeake Bay recognize it.
Onc OF these men, writing from Wheatlands,
Md, asks Fires, and stream 10 recommend n
weapon for geese trum 400 TO 1000 yards
away across the water, To kill "A goose al that
distance with u ride, II IL necessary that the
bullet shall have u very low trajectory, II II
man shoots at n mark 200 yards away. the
bullet should not be more than n foot above
the straight line when 100 yards oil. II will
Le seen readily how an error in Judgment NJ
100 or 50 yards at game supposed To. he 300
lei under or over. The new bullet lilies HAT up
10 800 yards at $50 yards the a0-calihre hui
let is only nine inches higher than the truo
line. A small error in II guess of the range
would not therefore he 80 much O matter of
consequence, while, oven with "A large error,
the bullet might still hit.
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1896-03-29

she has claim to distinction because she is
owned and run by u woman. Mrs. Callio l..
French is the name appearing on the masters
license. which gives her The right to act as
Captain of boats OF $50 tons on the Ohio and
Mississippi rivers, as well as many Of their
tributaries. Many people will Immediately
picture Mrs. French as IA tail and raw boned
WON an whose manner would lie dignitied rs
" commanding and whose voice could he
heard from shore to shore OF the biggest stream
she ever invigated. Such II picture would not
be recognized by those who know her. She Is
a slender. delicate woman, with hands quite
as we'll adapted to rocking n cradle as turning a
pilot wheel. and n voice which would scarcely
lend itself to the usual pastimo Of Captains,
swearing at everybody below the texas deck.
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1896-03-29
TREE CLIMBING RABBITS.
The First OF the Species Described by n
Correspondent of nm English Paper.

The London Field has an item that Is likely
to call out a discussion among English cor
respondents OF that paper. A man writes that
when shooting with a friend In Bantfshire
last December my friend called out, There's
a rabbit up a tree" Sure enough. one was
there at least ten feet from the ground. The
tree was an upright fir. and the man had seen
the rabbit run up the smooth bark as easily as
IA squirrel. The rabbit stopped on the first
branch to look down.
What is more. There Is n lot of blown tim
Der In the wood, and | suppose the rabbits have
got accustomed to climbing on IL. for | have
often seen them jump onto n root and run up
the slanting trunk till they We're sometimes
fifteen feet from the ground" which must
have been a dizzy height for all animal of such
ground habits.
Corroborative letters will probably come in,
and rabbits will have an established reputa
tion as climbers, 1t is said that in Australia
the imported rabbits have begun TO develop
hooked claws. with the aid Of which they are
able To climb the rabbit proof fences.
A large number of animals with habits nc
luired because of environment have been noted
from time to time foxes that climb trees, rats
that are beasts OF prey, birds that build nests
adapted to certain conditions. ana so on in
definitely.
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1896-03-29

year, which will double the outlay az the de.
partUIrnt through the medium OF new work"
rendered. necessary by ~ comprehensive de
yulOgmcnt Of the dock systvm." Should this
bill 90 through. the Republicans Of the OrganiGa-
tiun faction cNucCi 10 -r well supplied with
patronage for the Presidential election. and 10
re able. 40 10 speak, tn yet M In business indie
prndent!Y # Mayor Strun,; and Ills associates,
for ia" I}ulId of Istimu'" aud .AppOTtiul mcEi,
uCl "cs 90 each department OF the city iOy
tlHIrcul, ana mnkcs appropriations .ur zach de
Iurtmrnt, Is iruurol ia the affairs oi ia" Dock
Department, the commissioners az which act in
dcprndcutly vi The liOhrd OF Estimate, and are
not, los NV, under itp control.
Though U.tCnsiUly the Dock Board consists
Of Two aNti-llutt Republicans and one indie
pendent Democrat, this Board Is actually con
tTOlled in An ANY, the commissioner being di-
rCctlY Nnrndalir la the acts OF the Legislature,
md Ne legislature having l.tt|r tolerance Of
the views Of anti-llatt Republicans In New
York city. lhe President ut.th" DOCK Board,
Mr., O'Bricn, yves lis appointment 10 Congress
man bclden Ot - rAouse, who Is usually Ia lie
FOUND working ia tAy organization harness
where Republican interests are concerned,
Mr., Olirlcn is a hlattsnurg man ~ N"ll MS a
laatt man nowadays. MIR. Iiuotoiu. the
other Republican tummi -IuHur, has recently
made run,mou cause with the Plat Re,
p%uhliCAus. ,huURh lac was one OF tie original
Committee ut ~, established tpr the Vu11ttral
uudOlug ut the CA.cttaln fran Iluga. The uliTd
member Of the Dock BOARD, John Monks, is IA
Democrat Of no fractional aihllRtion, and is,
moreover, a minority member Ot the Board
which the Republicans OF the state are relying
upon. Ia keep the party well supplied with de
sirable patronage during the Presidential IAN
palHn OF this year,
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1896-03-29
SPORT ITH 4 tn EFT PISTOL.
Game that May He Killed Around New
York with "A Small weapon

If a man is looking for II whole lot of fun at
n small expense, and has inclinations toward
shooting. he can got ii with a 22-calibre target
pistol carrying the long rifle shell. With this
kind Of weapon deer have been killed by crack
wound large animals. For small game IL is
as near perfect as can be.
In the spring time, of course, there is little
game, as sportsmen understand the term. that
one can kill without violating the law, but In tho
vicinity of New York-withint hirty-tive miles
there Is much to be shot all the year round.
A list of the birds not protected, taken from
Game Laws in Brief includes tho English
sparrow, crow. hawk, crane tblue heron,
raven, crow hlackbird, common blackbird, and
common about New York, and n man can have
as much fun still hunting the sharp-eyed crane
a bird that grows to IA height OF over five feet.
and which, when mounted. makes n splendid
required to kill Il crow with one OF these little
weapons IL considerable. but 1t NAV be ac-
quired after a few hundred shots at the rate OF
40 cents a hundred. A. copper cleaner. IA bit
on in fine order. 1t should be cleaned after
every fifteen or twenty shots.
A boy UP IN the Adirondack hunted with
one all last summer. and found that he could
do deadly work up to 200 yards with it,. kill
ing wocdchucks at that distance. He shot Il
great many lawful birds with the arm, be
sides various mi On one occasion he
killed u crow flying, and u was not. by LUCK,
either. He knew as he pulled the trigger that
the bird was going to die. He also, killed a
hawk measuring over five feet across the wings.
II should not he forgotten that the target
pistol. though small. is still the d~eadltest kind
OF weapon. with power enough to send a bullet
clear through a man. cow. or even a horse, and
is not u thing to be handled carelessly.
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1896-03-29

The boat containing the theatre has no ma
chinery on it.. ~ one end Is Il dining room
and kitchen, from which II flight NJ steps lends
directly on tn the stage. standing here, with
the foOtlights before you, ana row after row of
opera chairs stretching back under the gallery
there Is oven u gallery you would not think
you were on II boat unless you look ed out of the
windows at the side and saw the muddy water
OF the river rushing past or listened to its
dull slap, slap against the bottom Of the boat.
one OF the boats + lighted by electricity and
the other hy gas. There are plenty Of ndynn-
tages Ia n manager In carrying his own thrntrc
with him u, well ns his own COMPANY. Tho
actors all live On the boat, aud that save. hotel
expenses. They travel on the boat, and that
saves railroad fare. There ave ah0lt fifteen
staterooms on ceCh boat not the little cabins
which most ~steHmhuats have, hut CusCy littlc
rooms Ten or twelve feet square. The ticket
Office is AT the reNr, and people come on board
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1896-03-29
THE NIMBLE KLIPSPRING ER.
A Sort or Mountain Antelope with Hips
Like IN American Hare.

The kllpspringer Is a kind of antelope found
IN Africa, being abundant in the noun
famous regions as far north as Abyssinia, and
If South African sportsmen are to be believed,
he furnishes the finest kind OF venison. These
animals are about 4" inches long and 90 inches
high, and the males havo sharp spike horns.
sometimes five inches long. These animals are
remarkable climbers, running on the tips Of
their hoofs and going up rock faces apparently
as steep as the side of a house. The hOofs are
made on the pneumatic principle. being near
ly cylindrical, and cup shaped underneath,
In order to break the fall by compressing the
air. This same plan gives an extra firm hold
on the rocks.
They are the most remarkably built ante
lopes, with a hip development eQualled by no
animal in America gave the rabbit, which they
resemble 80 very much that a sportsman Sec
ing them going up a hill or in rapid locomo-
tion might easily think they were the big gest
rabbits he had ever heard tell Of. let alone seen.
The London Field does not say that they BIT
upon their hind legs like the rabbit or harcs,
although it is possible. that. they do, Judging
to straighten. them out, would give them the
appearance OF a kangaroo on all fours;
Capital sport il to be had hunting these nni'
or a larger weapon. The hunting Is, of course,
among the rocky hills, and a man who has
find little trouble in killing them. Tho shots
are, taken when, the animal stands on some
lookout rock. II missed he bounds from ledge
TO ledge on which the human eye can mark no
footing, balancing at one moment upon the
glddy verge Of a precipice where barely suth-
ciont space exists for the hoOf to rest all four
hoof points would go on an English penny piece,
ment casting himself recklessly into the bot
tomless chasn. and pitching, hs II by a miracle,
make the sportsman think he was having lots
OF fun, In spite OF his efforts to keep from slid
ing into one Of the bottomless canons,
The animals fur, or hair, varies somewhat
with the regions. being coarse, almost like
quilts, In Somaliland, and somewhat finer III
other parts,
The mounted heads would make, excellent
trophies. while the yellow skin would make a
neat wall ornament, AS a background Tor, say,
a bow and arrow. model canoe, or elephants
tusk. The hair is too brittle for Il rug. II is
much sought in Transvaal,
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1896-03-29
WOMEN WHO SHOOT OR FISH.
Two Visitors at che SDortsmen's Exposition
who Surprised the Guides.

Two Visitors at che SDortsmen's Exposition
who Surprised the Guides.
She was the kind of girl that makes a young
man look twice. and she was dressed In a style
To make a woman look three times. anyhow.
She walked into tho Sportsmen's Exposition
and down the trail on the left, gazing at the va
rious things in sight through a pair Of specta-
Giles on the end OF a stick. Ono OF the Maine
woodsmen had been looking at the shooting on
the stage, when he saw her coming toward him.
A funny expression came into his face, and
three seconds later he was I'm the Maine hunt
ar,s camp. The X rays shivered as she passed
nv them, and Bear Chief watched the specta-
eles come up In amazement,
She looked blankly at the open camp scene,
and paused Just an instant beside tho mounted
virginia buck. and a half smile came around
her mouth as she touched tho spot on the
haunted moose that the big rife bullet had
made. IL seemed as II she knew that the bull
LET had hit a little too far back. She came,
Al last. TO the little stand on which the repre-
sentative arms OF the various nations lay. She
nnt the spectacles down on the stand. She
ave her cloak a hitch that threw the flap of
her right shoulder. and with her right hand
reached for the rifle that had = ,, ,'oy9Tn,
aisns She grsspci It and lifted il toward her
liner hand. She slowly took hold OF the knob
Dronerly lifted II up, pulled II back, ana saw
he shell 20 into the barrel, What followed
IhSodss syerybody in sight look in wonder. She
lnddanly threw the weapon 10 her shoulder,
nHIIed The trigger, reloaded the weapon, tho
elected ;holI dying sys slS sSsiii Sad B BSsnea th 4SSis
s sn1 q small 10y picked the shells. up whne
on ,yas saving 20 the amazed exhibitor; q,
'"9'Im not used TO that action, you know l
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1896-03-29
ALEX. FREEMAN, AGED no.
syUG HIRBoR,S CEyTENARIAA
Lam UP ~ THE HOSPITAL.

ue IL Coiored. hut Never Was washinp
tons Body Servant, Though lie re
members 20 Have Heard IL speech De
iIycred by the Father OF Hiis Country
Alexander Freeman, the colored centenariar
Of Sailors Snug Hnrbor, the pride OF the in
stitutiun. and the oldest person. 1t is said. II
New York state. has been laid low BY old aW
AZ last, and now lies in tho ospital OF tn,
institution on staten Island founded by Rich
ard Randall for aged or disabled mariners,
Freeman Ia believed to be IN his 10th year
Ho wns born in n house on Murray street, ant
no has lived In tho vicinity Of this city ever
since. with the exception Of the time he cruised
on n whaler. Notwithstanding his Rreh
ago and bodily weakness, his mind Is still NJ
clear ns a bell. lilo is n short. stockily built
man. and n remarkable thing about MIN =
that his face shows scarcely n trace Of q
wrinkle, although his body and arms art
greatly shrunken. lie gives the visitors .
hearty grasp of the hand, and Gays smilinGl1
that he is good for n number Of years yet