Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1896-04-16
STORIES OF THE DAY. ''
A Great Rabbit Drive Recently Held Near
 Fresno, Cal.

elabOrately planIleu Was otAAAoa nv successful execution near Fresno recent lly. with the result that thousands or rabbits met their fate from the mere1- less clubs of farmers and townspeople. Estimates as to the number killed vary, ranging from 10, 900 to %, 900. It was ;mnossible to count them, and the best estimate is no better than guess But the slaughter surpassed anything of the kind ever seen there before.
 Ten thousand people took part-foot- men, horsemen, wheelmen and vehicles of all sorts. When the line was formed ready for advance, it was ill huge crescent. one horn near MeMullan sta- 4 tion and the other near Caruthers, on the west side of tho railroad. The line of people was 24 miles long. Itwas aft CT 10 o'clock when " F. Rowell signal ed a general advance, and the line moved forward across orchards fields, vineyards, and finally emerged on the open plains. The best of order was maintained. The marshals galloped along the line giving instructions To- ward noon the north and south wings began to fold inward to the center, and when within three miles of the corral the line of men had contracted till 1t was less than three miles long.
 All this time the rabbits had been driven forward constantly increasing i'll numbers At first they had not shown much concern, but when they began to be crowded they grew excited. Several coyotes were started Some were shot and others died later. Some whelps were caught alive. Many rattlesnakes were killed When the rabbits had been driven into comparatively small space, they covered the ground and soon grew excited and tried to escape by rushing through the lines Then the slaughter began A solid line of men dropped on their knees and clubbed the rabbits.
 From this point to the corral men ad vnced on their knees, leaving the ground heaped with the dead behind them Fully 10, 900 were thus killed, and the others were forced into the cor raj, where they rushed to and fro, fran tic with fear. They trampled and smoth- cred one another to death by thousands. A coyote that entered tho corral was actually trampled to death by the rab- bits. Fifteen minutes with clubs finish ed the work.
 Many good judges place the total killed at 30, 000 Farmers hauled wag on loads away to feed hogs. The best t-of order prevailed. Only one person re- and driven off the grounds by the crowd. The drive was the best managed, the largest and most satisfactory ever held in the county. Francisco Chronicle. l How Speaker Reed Counted a Quorum.
 It IS not known to out of 100 states men in congress how Speaker Reed came to count quorum in the Fifty first con gross. It is known to still less that the only man i'll the speaker s confidence on the subject was Joe Cannon, chairman of the committee on appropriations in the present congress
 Mir. Reed conceived his purpose to count quorum as the only alternative of maintaining his authority in the house and the position of the Republic ans at very early stage of the session. His only confidant was Cannon. He and the speaker were closeted on the proposi- tion for several days. Every was considered and every chance was care fully weighed. Reed knew that he was taking a desperate responsibility, and that nothing was sure as to what the position of the Republicans would be. The fact that without consulting his party associates he determined upon his first conceived purpose is an illustration of his fearlessness. Cannon, after long session. approved the programme and promised to stand by the speaker, but kept his counsel. 1t was to be surprise alike to the Republicans and the Dem ocrats. There was to be no council of war of the leaders, with prospects of friction and division, but coup d'etat pure and simple. If it succeeded, it would prove . great thing in parliamer- tary history; if it failed, everything was lost In short the plan was to risk ev- erything on the hazard of die.
 What occurred when the speab counted quorum ill the contested el G. tion case then pending is known to every reader. The Republicans were panic stricken They thought Reed had gono daft In the supreme moment of the up- roar and confusion which ensued Repre- sentative Anderson of Kansas, a Repub llcan member, rushed up to the speakers desk and in the greatest excitement said
 Reed, what ill heavens name are you doing?"
 Reed smiled coldly and told him he was counting those as present who re. fused to vote. Anderson was dumfound- ed for moment. Then he said:
 It's the riskiest piece of business ever saw; but, if you have made up your mind to do it. by the gods I'll stand by youi"
 In discussing the matter with friend afterward the speaker said that the words of Anderson convinced him that the Republicans would support