Hopkinsville Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1889-1918, 1897-11-30
P'S LETTER.
MuNrISo . AnNANsAs norroMs.

b'h3 ooNO my pon III p6uCll 81
. in hand to make few remarks
aud notes Of the camp hunt and th,
outing in 1897 Il is manuscripts
raj path which | have travelled TO
many years; uut because hav,
sought 1t. but because it was, and is
a duty assigned to me. Whether
this shall prove interesting, rests upon
the individual and collective prov
ness of the Hunt
Afler a long and tedious journey
on a crawling freight train, which had
40 conception of the true inwardness
of that axiom, "Procrastination is the
thief of time" we reached the banks
of the Great River, and after the
shades of the sunset had deepened
iuto the darkness of night, crossed
over in small ferry boat to Arkansas
City, aud rested from our labor.
When morning came we loaded our
wagon, and, hiring three others, un.
der the guidance of our good friend
Howard Robb, moved long train of
men, servants, dogs and wagons TO
our hunting grounds on Doggy lake.
1t is only about seven miles distant
from Arkansas City, but we had to
make wide detour to cross Mason's
bayou, and the march was heightened
20 fourteen miles.
At last we are here, camped on the
western shore of the lake, beautiful
body of water, ten miles long and an
average width Of one fourth of mile.
Oar tents are will in twenty feet Of its
margin, on little plateau, which is
crowned by large, massive trees,
the deep blue skies, thick, dark for
est closing up on our rear and sides,
and the clear waters of the lake, rest
ing serenely or dashing in tumultu
Gus waves in front The lake here
forms crescent, whose horns embrace
the further shore, while our camp is
upon the periphery of its outmost
circle, presenting splendid view of
the far-reaching waters. When we
first came in there were some geese
and ducks, and the fish made con
tinual commoti0n in search Of sport !
and prey.
The "Hunt" aggregates fourteen
men and horses, SIX servants-among
them John Black, chief cook; with
Wash and Luke Wills, who have |
been with us for more than thirty |
successive years. The men are Capts. |
p. B. Pendleton and Samuel r. |
White, heroes of many campaigns;
James S. Parrish, j. r. Caudle, w. |
w. West, W. A. Radford, Pete Bar
ker, G l.. Bradley. Jas. Meriwether,
Edward Sinclair, Will Glass, Bruce |
Rice, Frank S. Beaumont, Austin
Peay; some veterans, liberal sprink-
ling of tenderfeet, men of all parties,
but neither organized knaves nor un-
organized fools, as the uncertain Wat
terson would have you believe.
The morning of Nov. 20, was clear
and frosty and camp rose early and
were eager fer the opening fray
There is a road which leads from
Bayou Mason 10 camp. Parallel with
this half mile distant is a deep
ditch which has been dug from Bog
gy lake to Mason Bayou TO drain the
surplus water in an overflow from the
lake and surrounding country iuto
the Bayou, from thence iuto small
river and thence into Black river
Beyond aud parallel with the ditch,
mile and half is the levee and be
yond this the Mississippi river
Placing the ISLANDERS along the
road to Bayou, Capts. Pendleton and
White 10 the woods, we had hardly
reached the stands ann dismounted
before Lacy's dogs from his camp be-
You'd, brought IA fawn to Meriwether
who fired at it but did no perceptible
damage. Pretty soon Pete Barker
fired both barrels at doe and fawn
with same result Our dogs got their
trail. hurried them along the line,
first by Meriwether, then by Glass
and then to Sinclair, ali emptying
their guns to no effect and then away
into the woods beyond. None of
these deer ran close and hence the
veteran, alike the tenderfoot, drew no
blood Moved the ISLANDERS to the
ditch and drove the woods fore and
aft. Had up several deer which ran
together with a large buck, which
Pendleton saw, to the river and no
one fired shot. 1t was nearly night,
after some of the men despairing of
the returning drivers, had gone to
camp, that the drivers returning near
the ditch, started deer which ran to
Sinclair. He fired both barrels at
them, but in the approaching gloom
of night they got away. We now re
turned to camp, tired and hungry
Bradley had remained in camp to
fish, and we found rich compensation
in a splendid supper, which the fine
mess Of fish he had provided made
doubly grateful,
Sunday is not only sacred day,
but a wise provision for rest to weary
man, but when hunting man is fresh
to the woods,a eager to hunt, how
weary the passing hours If man in
fringes upon it in slight degree, do
not Judge him according to your case
vv hare tenn ntatiOn a6sails Won not Int