The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-03-31
Hunting the Wild ROamer
of the Forest.
Laws Compelling the Test of
Gun Barrels.
Something About Wheeling, Fishing,
Boxing and Shooting.

novel way OF hunting that extremely
willy old roamer OF the forest and field, the
wild turkey, is told by Colonel Samuel Holii-
day in the ST. Louis Globe Democrat:
'Last winter" says Holiday, AZ went up
20 Boiling Spring, ON the Gasconade, intend
ing to do somo fishing there. As the weather
was very cold and tho bass consequently
sought the warmer water Of the big spring, I
tried days fishing, doing fairly well, and
then nice 6-inch snow fall came TO mantle
the bottoms across from whore was stop
ping. Isaw three different droves of turkeys
in the field whore corn had been raised,
scratching around IN the snow for food.
"The slght of those fine old fowls made fsn-
ing seem tame so I went mp to Joe Lothe-
ridges house to rig up for trip after tur.
keys. His wife had hung out some clothes TO
dry, and noticed the sheets were almost ss
white ss snow. Right then an idea struck
me- and secured one of those white sheets,
Rot my gun and shells, and was soon on tho
ether side OF the Gasconade, with the assist
snce OF Lotheridee and his boat. Before as
sonding the bank TO the field, took the
sheet, wrapping IL about me so as to CON-
pletely cover my body, head and ell. ar
ranged the irOnt 80 tnht coulu paft tne
sheet and use roy gun quickly. cut two
small holes in my Rhastly garment to peep
through, and then carefully ascended the
river bank.
.'when my head rose over the bushes, which
were weighted down with snow, 1 saw about
Is turkeys scratching away for stray kernels
of corn. Beneine forward TO a half STOPPING
position, began to move on the birds very
all flv ba hal liCh
and deep, IL was easy to push my feet through
IL, instead of raising them above the surface,
nnu so ploughed my way along toward tho
coveted game. / got within 100 yards Of the
turkeys, when noticed they wero gradually
working toward me, so sat down in the snow
and waited. IL was perhaps half an hour
when was almost surrounded with the un.
suspecting flock. did feel as IL IL were TAX
ing most ipfernally mean advantage Of the
game, hut then / remembered how many
times had tramped through the mountains
and valleys from esriy morning until night
fall, only to be rewarded with Q distant
glimpse Of the smallest bird that prowls
through the woods. Then my Heart grew
hard, and fingered the triggers OF my gun
in n manner that boded mischief to at least
one old gobhler that was kicking snow almost
on top of me. One time the same long-whis-
kerec old bird came 80 close could almost
have reached him with my hand.
fAftor studying my victims, or victim, for
some time, suddenly sprang up, threw aside
the snowy mantle, and IL would have made "a
mule laugh to have seen the surprise of the
familiar old gobbler, and all tho rest, for
that matter. But 1 didn't have time to
chuckle but once before my gun had to be
used. I got the tig aobbler and two hens be-
fore the echoes of the shots had died away
along the sunset hills to the westward.
An excellent, Snd at the same tims artistic,
way in which to mount fish is to suspend IL
from "a tripod of natural sapllnes with the
bark off, and cut with an axe. To add to the
realistic effect, let the leader and fly upon
which the fish is taken serve as a suspending
string from the apex Of the tripod.
once saw a good sized trout so mounted in
the gun room Of a well-known sportsman, and
in my opinion it was fully as attractive as
any other trophy Of tho chase that orna-
mented the place.
There are laws compelling the manufac-
turers of shotguns to test the barrels with q
sufficient charge OF powder to leave a COM
Portable margin OF strength between the abso-
lutely safe and the danger line. But these
laws were made before the introduction of
the new powders Of nitro composition, which
are likely to shatter the breech Of gun,
especially IL the gun Ia of poor make. Though
the manufacturers may have taken the great
est care in the selection of material: though
the workmanship may have been of the finest,
and absolute compliance with the gun.proof
aot may have been made, still one Of the guns
which have successfully passed through all
these tests may be blown to pieces at the first
discharge, and the London Field, which is in
favor of having a more stringent law passed,
in order that the standard of guns may be
raised, concludes a lengthy article by saying:
"In our opinion every gun should receive a
final proof with fne-grsined black powder,
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
breech sction, however, some more potent az.
plos!ve Is requisite, whether the gun is to be
used with black powders or nitro compounds.
And such an explosive appears in No. 2
black"
Harvard, Columbia and Pennsylvania have
completed their tedious winter training, and
the Cornell men viii also get into the water
in few days.
PUGILIsT
Doc Payne, the wealthy amateur boxer of
Cleveland, o., has decided that he can no
longer remain an amateur. He says: "a
mans ability in the ring lasts just 40 long,
and I have decided to go in and make the
most Of myself. / shall meet o'Brien on
April 0, and after that Joe Choynsli In a six
or 10-round contest. What arrangements
make after that depends entirely upon my
success or failure" One of Docs Cleveland
admirers summarizes his ability as follows:
"He will make n creoitabie mark In the hstic
world, "a he Is unusually quick on his feet
end strikes heavy blow = heavier than
Choynslxi. He has good head, aud, above all,
has not stripe Of yellow in his makeup"
Speaking OF Choynski, Parson Davies Is In
San Francisco. where he Is engaged In trying