The morning times., 1896-03-01
Rubber Duck for Cleveland.

ducks, especially toward nesting time, this
month. are wariy listening for the first
sounds. The creakng OF a waving tree
will drive them further down the bay.
When the President goes out to shoot
ducks he takes physician with him
O'Reilly. This sounds foolish to the lay
man who has never gone duck shooting
but the sportsnlens understand how careful
man of Mr.. Cleveiand's age andsize must
be when venturing upon a sport that Is
trying to the strongest frames and sinews.
Arrived at the bay and out into the water
dressed in rubber, and with his ammunition
strapped around him, the hunter must wait
for sunrise. He is allowed by law to shoot
for an hour before the sun rises, but it is
SO dusky and uncertain that he prefers TO lie
back in his boat, gather his blanket closer
! around him and think.
His courage he keeps up with draughts
of some chosen refresbment which he takes
with him in a bottle. This flask arrange
ment is necessary for the duck-shooter, who
would otherwise get a chill and shake at the
critical time for popping Off the gun.
Pretty soon there is a furry along the
banks, a low quacking, tanning OF wings
close to the earth, and a rustling as though
the marsh grass were waking up from a
nights sleep.
Now comes the hunters time to act
From the bottom OF the boat he fishes out
his mock game. Wooden ducks, with
painted feathers al their sides, and wings
resting upon the water, and pink fiat
bills, are placed upon the tide, and allowed
TO drift off with it. AS many ducks are
floated as the hunter has. He sends them
all off in one direction, and getting his
gun where he knows where it is, he waits.
His patience has not a long trial.
There is whizZiHg and a whirring,
aud the ducks come flying low over the
water toward the decoy ducks. They
alight and swim delightedIy toward the
craft lying motionless upon the bay. The
hunter lifts his gun and pulls the trigger.
There is a reporty a swift rising, and upon
the water lies a futtcring creature with
broken wing, and beside her another with
shot under the soft feathers of his breast.
The sportsman gathers up his game,
puts them upon the boat benches not
bagging them yet-and gently sails away
70 where the ducks have not been startled
by that report.
The fancy fer smokeless powder is grow
ling. The President does not Ike 1T. Neither
do the other true sportsmen mentioned in
the beginning of this talk, but the younger
men who go out TO bag ducks, and not for
the sport of ba gging alone, like the smoke
less powder, as their chances for a second
charge are so much better. The air is
clear after firing.
Mr.. Cleveland's gun is of American mann
faCture. LISA double-bareled, hammerless
10-gauge gun. Its cost was $50. The Others
use 500 guns. The President has another
gun, a 12-gauge, but this is less favOrite
with him. Its cost vas the same. The SIS
1O-gaugc gun is. Mr.. Cleveland 1. constant
companion upon the Virginia trips and he
has used the same gun forytwo entire sea-.
sons without giving it a vacation, Sports
men are superstitous about tlieir fowfing
pieces. They think the gun- esalksn,and,
must be punished! or Is sensitive" and
must not be left at home.
The Presidents duck shooting SUIT Is
leather. 1t Is in three pieces, trousers,
vest and coat. The coat is large for him
and measures Sex feet around, such
an ample size that the last dealer OF
whom he purthasett The coat hung it upou:
two chairs wehdefangly. You would not
believe that a.manSof that size could get
around, would your, said he. Then he