The evening times., 1896-08-31
PARADISE FOR HUNTERS
English -PheasantS Hatched on a
Game Preserve in Maryland.
John Harrison Has Rebuilt an Old
Manor That Has Stood Since the
Seventeenth Century.

Cambridge, Nd, Aug. 81 The most ex.
tcnsive game preserve in Maryland IS the
old Muir estate, Cooks Point, i'll Dorchester
county. recently bought by John Harrison,
OF the firm OF Harrison Bros. x Co., Phla-
delpha. Having already stocked it with
over 900 partridgcs and large number
OF rabbits, Mr.. Harrison is now trying the
difficult experiment OF English pheasin
raising. Coo. Foist is admirably situated
for this purpose, being almost an island,
only connected by narrow strip with the
adjoining land, from which 1t is separated
by Il wire fence nine feet high. 1t is fifteen
miles from Cam bridge, and, with the bay
Oh one side and the Choptank River ON the
other, forms an immense cage for the birds
living there.
The Bowiy Club, near baltimore, fur
nished Mr. Harrison with 500 English pheas-
antcggs, over 800 Of which h1tchcd and the
birds are now in a Lcaithy condition. 4
rough estimate OF the buying, raising, etc
shows the cost OF each bird to be about S5.
NUincubators wereuSed, butall the available
setting hens in the neighborhood were press
ed INTO the service. The birds are in
closed IA Il two-inch mesh wire pen, seven
feet high and covering one acre. The male
birds, numbering about IFS, wiI be . ii
for shooting in November, except twenty
five, which, with all Of the fciuales, will
be kept for next seasons breeding. They
VIII be- hunted with six retriever dogs. they
being the only kind used on the place.
Aieck MacVicar, son OF Mr.. Donald Mac
Vicar, manager of the Bowly Club, had
full control OF the birds until a few days
han ho, r.
Z. +. Busic$, the superintendent OF THE
Mours,' rs the estate rs called. Mr. Mac
Vicar came TO this country from Scotland
several years ago. where he was game
keeper for the Duke Of Argyle. He is a
member OF the MacGreGor elan, and de-
scendant of the FAMOUS Rob Roy.
Mr.. Harrison has Just finished rebuilding
the old manor that has stood on the point
since about the middle OF the seventeenth
century. The new building. ike the old
one. is Of Colonial design. and is furnished
throughout with antique furniture, some of
which is over zoo years Old! The dining
room, which is the largest room III the
house, is built in the htntiilg- lodge style.
Win its low ceiling and deep exposed
rafters- The whole room IS finished in
hard wood, with an immense window seat
on the west side The gun room is on
the second floor, and win. when finished.
be perfectly moisture. proof, having an in
side lining Of metal.
While cutting up an old oak to be used
In the ouiliing' the workmen found severa
pieces Of fire tongs mbeoiled in the heart
OF the tree near the top. Ii is Thought
mat they were fired from a cannon in the
defense Of the point against the British
when they tried to effect landing in the
year 1872.
Mr.. Harrison is now on his annual trip
70 Europe. but will he home in time for
the viii goose and duck shooting He has
several 'honkers'' confined in peus that he
uses as live decoys. This is the only way
the geese may be hunted with success.
since the recent law has .extingushed the
goose lights Great numbers OF red
heads sprigtails, dppers, whiffers, coots
and black-head ducks abound IN the waters
surrounding the shores; also a limited num-
Der Of canvas backs