Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-08-29

to who could make the biggest bag on
the first tide. YES, I'm credited with The
two biggest records; the top one being 2ri
ortolan, or rails, as they should he proprr-
| ly called. The other 49,. u was a
shame to slaughter them that way, thougn
| in sport, as never sold bird in my life
and 1t was hard 10 find friends to give
them to.
The Best Marshes 10 Hunt.
My experience has taught me-" contin-
Ted Mr.. Wagner, that the best marshes
for rails are those in the Eastern branch
between the two bridges-the Navy Yard
and Benning. In the recent past the East
crn branch has rapidly filled up between
the Navy Yard bridge and the railroad
bridge and the reeds are very thick there
Low, and there will be plenty Of birds
there this season, 1 am sure For reed
birds, the best locality to visit Is the East
ern branch above Benning bridge.
"Of course, man must take high water
10 successfully shoot rails" said Mr. Nag
her- They are very timid birds and seek
concealment above everyth else. At low
ilde they hide at the roots of the reeds
and keep in the thick leaves, and there is
no getting them out. When the water rises
they are forced out of these places ana
cling TO the reeds above water and rise
when the bow of the skin is pushed
through. good pusher IS valuable man
hard 10 find nowadays. good pusher
keeps his skiff going where his experience
teaches him the rails are apt TO be most
plentiful, and he attends as mach to mark
ing them when they rise and marking down
he birds that are killed as he docs 10 man
aging the skiff. Ned Cumberland is an
excellent pusher and so are The Other Cum
berland boys.
4 Splendid season in Prospect.
Il have been down on the marshes ihis
\
20 down before the season opens to look
the conditions over and try shells a. a few
blackbrds, in order to gauge my loading.
Mo- reed bird OF rail never ienpts me al
such time, for I'm perfect crank on
game laws and their strict olser auc". ]
was down the other day with Harry there,
ANA he had his 2S-bCre br,"rh-loaleI along.
He killed five flying blar khirIs straight.
Pretty good for twelN"-N aT-ola hoy. !
never saw many reed birds This "tIly n
The year, and I'm afraid as th'y cam. carly
they'll go early. ] saw some ral also. In"
marshes p'r- reNcr in better condition
than they are tbs year. and ihc reeds ar
very thick. 1 noticed peculiarly too.
that ] never met before in an my forty
years experience. All through th' marSh'~
/ cam" across detached portions floating
with The tide. They were about fifteen 81
twenty feet square, and were t"l ac!'''
masses Ike islands. IL j. my opinion tha'
the eight rer-inch Ihickr' - Of mud %
which the reeds grow had been lifted up
from the hard bed Of the river b.? some
means, ana the thick roots of the reeds
have kept the mass afioat'
You load President CIcveland's shells,
do you Eot?" inquired the reporter.
President IrvcIund's Shooting.
Yes" replied NIr. Wagner.
For ducks and squirrels I'll" President
handles a 1o-gause Colt gun. The shells
are loaded win - grains OF Walsroic
powder, which is equal to about drachms
of frst-class black powder, and an ounce
and a quarter of No. e shot The President
also has S-gau@e Eun ami "A l2-HaGSe
gun. He is an excellent shot
There are 50 many crahks in the world
that ] never let any one kno" v hen have
an order from Mr.. Cleveland, sati M.
Wagner sagaciously. one day he sent Tor
me 10 come up 70 ire White House and ten
bin about powders.
Here Mr.. Wagner went to q shelf ami
took down a small box containing num-
l"r of little vialS, each of which was filled
with powder of 4 different sort.
Il showed him these Sali Nj. Wagner
and eXperimen tei with each kind u show
him its action. He Was very much inter
estsd and when we We're through 7 asked
him if MANY shells We're not s-nt 10 HIM.
He said he mad rec ciVei .pp not long before
from a manufacturer. 1 asked him if h.
ever shot shells sent 20 him that WAY. H.
said he hadn't, but had no objections To- g.
Then / asked him If he ever thought If the
lot of crankS Their" Wrr" in tn" world and
he laughed and said there might hc a good
deal in that, and he was pretty We'll salts
fed with the way loaded shells"
What is the best all-round load for a
l2-horn gum asked the reporter. Say =
shell that Will 10 good execution ou quail
w"odcock, snipe. riover or pheasan;s rab-
bits and squirrels?
II believe ~ grains Of Walsrofa powder
and an ounce and an eighth OF No. = shot
is the best all-romd load possible Wa
his prompt reply. A Weil-driyon 30. =
shot viii stop a bird or = squirrel ia my
a - k ia "a = "a A..
ana There are Nor" chances 10 hii with No
IS because There are more OF .h,m in the
load
FaNoritc <hooting Grounds.
While the marshes cf thc East.!li branch
are the best places to ind rails aaa r,o'-
birGS, there is such an army Of runners
Shooting over them that the sport Is not
only divided NJ into too many portions.
bat is very dang, rous TO thosa lir;icspa,-
ing in it. Down on the PatuN nj n"
birds are almost if not equally as plyl-
III nj. Richard Smith, Henry Ma. JohU
Sidney Webb, Blair Lee. Horny ,iuiiuk.
Arthur MattinEly and other woli-kuoyu
yotaries of the hamm.rless VIII Piohaiiv
he lnere next week AlcXandr aI.s %ill
porFade Hunting creek and Four-mii .au
ar! numerous WaShinEtouiauS Nall al-a
Visit the latter place. Whist" wig cove.
pChck hay. Ducouuan and tHa ofil,.. III
der tat!ons down the Potomac Tl.ca are
Tiled Eiih marshes and The -. r-pT,. sent
reeds Will lac Sought with roni f,--..lts n
the season promises To p' Inc t..-i 8l wars
bat the wise man will wat four pr iiN,.
days until tho reeds are baton gpws ~
his pushcr viii Ice better alb" t. 90 through
the marshes. ard, what is luft,r StaI
sur,r Of marking "A bird and g"tE.rl- it. anu
he VIII have the best o. the shooting wtlh
the least trouble and vcXation.
Hours of High Tides.
The high ii les next week. beginning with
Tuesday. are as follows. the iima nercd
being that at the navy yard:
Tuesday. 1:l5 a. IN. ana pos nm.
Wednesday. 2:41 am. and 3:rG pm.
Thursday, $40 m. and i.lo pm
Friday, ABS M. and $40 y m
Saturday, 5:Si a. III. and 6uJ nm.
ADDITIONAL FREIGHT FACILITIES