The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-11-20
UNCERTAIN is THE K
mrs WINS nj MANS GUILE sEEN
AT a SHOOTING MATCH.

NeuKg VI Nv A=NNNfE-EA " btNNFth
Ducks Driven by n Learned City Fellow
and Tnrkeys-A Wild Turkey Tragedy.
Old Cy Conklin Of Conklin Forks. Broomo
county. N. ". was n curious genius. with n
habit oi going OF into the woods and staying
there until his wife was driven TO the verge Ut
distraction by the fearthat something had hap.
pened him. At other times he would shut him-
self up In the barn and admit no one. receiving
his food through n lattice drop-door to be
opened only from the inside. He used TO as
sert that he invented the cement which mnde
the Brooklyn Bridge possible. and also a drill
which, like the Irlshman's gun. could be
worked around n corner or In any position in
which II was desired to place Il, Personally with
people he liked he was n cordial, firm friend. full
OF quaint "reminiscences and anecdotes. These
were never told In the house. but miles away,
mp In the woods, amid clouds OF incense from q
corncob pipe filed with scrap tobacco from the
neighboring cigar factories at Biughamton,
and to the accompaniment Of an occasional sip
at a Jug OF cider which he Kept hidden In n cave
known probably 10 none but himself. Going
up into the thickets he would strike q glade
aud say to his companion: " Sit you riRhtdown
there. friend. and before you smoke your pipe
half out I will be with YOU and then with
many detours and precautions. to make sure
that his friend was not abusing his confidence
by following him.. he would visit his hiding
plaVe, returning WIN HQuuTJ OF 80 OF Ine ma
tured cider. which went well on hot summer
days after lying half an hour or so in the brook.
"ThanksRivingl' said Cy one bright Novem-'
Der day n few years before his death " Thanks
giving Not %overmuch to give thanks for around
here. except for brains, which thieves reapithe
fruits Of" / hear Bill Defner has bought Abo
Risley's turkeys and Is bringing them down
for q turkey shoot THANKSGIVING Day. 10 cents
a shot. You will go I'M Well. it's fun. ofcourse.
t.l .-..l. - .tga a. - - NJ h..l .ul 49,
to catch the wary American bird. Say. they tell
me that over in England. turkeys cost a matter
SIS to $40 each Is that so Well! we'll! SO the OF
moderately poor folks don't get much chance
at them. Stall fed. eh2 Weigh sixteen pounds
and up. eh2 Lor' me. and candidly they don't
compare with the American bird. and wo are
shipping turks over there to sell at 81 and
SIPS. Say. but we air good to John BULL
About that turkey shoot. When / was n
young man 1 was u pretty good shot with a
rifle. and one year l went to a shoot and ranged
up against q stranger with a wager as to birds
and he wiped me up In great shape. How
TIL gang was ranged around In q Bemicircle to-
see the fun and the turk was in a barrel he
tween the two horns. / got n fair percentage.
but that teller nailed every one. That puzzled
me because when the bird raises his head It Is
with an eye OF faith at the crowd. but at the
fash down he goes with a side twist which
uluhCb II iuId " SCOLCs NCllb ulb0T NlO bHOOulDGIH
was over and the stranger had driven off with
the turks and my good $50 in his inside pocket
a friend of mine said: : / guess that fellow in
the rough coat who stood near me was travel-
ling with that stranger; they drove away to-
s sed sc t ae h aat s 81 Eth sTo WRONG NOT With " att hiSt
attention, for every now and again he would
tTYSi st T up h BIS H fee stS Snf s squeak ~ t HE s g chicken ii en-
crescent; and nd when when he saw Az The h,,a tqiE SkS head
Nwao hfa unata NilrnaA hta hnad fhnt ufJa
a %sIl. So not 5h' until ssfiaP fss boys 4s t bai SiS to ! R IT, (
and SDS enter enters the the shoot u ss b es eohn and as TIN
whole gang was with me to do him up in great
placed himself and then we placed our man on,
the opposite side and he carried 2 tin eanniater
his call. at the same second our, man ratified
the corn. and, the turkey naturally shook, his
f ress TIE he tail saS his n eve G down he he vent vent but but V WisR
a left-handed twist instead Of a right. and
first i've See w Ssf ne. T T9s f siiHfseh never nG t%ee es f foe
me. but the corn ratified and ], scored right
ssoSssine Tfs Started Tsf N Rssse e. oh TaF tSe e. r5tsr Tie He
never came our way again, :
all fh afi. q city ye fsIl Ss boz bSaa e Xlsst 9p IN on tn The yhil fiYs. q ,
nice nis man; but s n pf5 at the chest until the ei hilI
hin him. A' He eoaId fsh nam and s shoot a ana knew eRe a G eoSd
dog. but about farm things he did not know O.
thing and the folks used to string him a good
were, after telling him about the speed at
which a turkey, could walk and be driven,
t tnfs ' That i Tor 2 y yards "a could SssSis See Sn : Pp n1f
horse. Lots Of matches were had Eds brother
marked out With days Tx a reaitrsscifC. straissRRt
away on. the grass. The boy was placed
were ssstins ready. Ed'is brother would Bring
track i and Just Before the word 'dfol was given
sc sc t Toala seSnas sG PIGl&p e g S0s Storm ineO Of ma Ssil tr0ffE6s s
turk NEW # meant feed. and fiyiDg and run
the horse which, could Scarcely get into its
stride, They told him, toe. that Ed had a hog
at tRe eo Sns sane faies way ANY, & one won Would l9f bae q, 4 n barss
against g hog for 200 Yards. Bntto come back
to the e city iH. tsIls r; whsn they the were talking about
,":t$ Ss SP$ / $o Az; A. f E99sS SY sss 1 think ducks are
turkeys for five miles. he TO Ak time and PLACE;
feed q anything; but that strSqteht' ho1estdrLy:
ducks out and toted them. arounda good deal.
aud fixed the afternoon before THANKSGIVING
Judge " s41 Ro %sssn watson Is was Sss0 Starting SGS' for the the
place. a stranger came into his store and kept
fore he reached the starting place. and. then it
was nearly hall an hour before Tie birds were
s stsFt sslkd Tlnaf r!yst tA With q long Sf we'll whlp tR ne sG:;
four-in-hand drivers use. and the city man
lEia ,th 3 llG a 'th hi%s sss: T "a sn T5t9 as P hss S e 6ss
Christ was born they drove ducks and geese
that way over the Sisters marshes. near Rome.
and that II was the proper way to drive them
anyway. that was his style. The track was
along the main road. hard and dry. here and
there a tree. one or two ponds. aud. as the wire
was approached, there was some trees occur
THE turkeys took the pole and away they
went at a lively clip. the ducks waddling along
and losing ground at every stride. the betting
being any odds on the turkeys. Further and
further behind fell the ducks. One pond he
managed to keep them out OF. but into the
other they went nd IL took him a half hour to
get them OUT. BY that time tho turkeys were
a mile ahead. winning hands down and Just en-
terlng the long avenue which took the place Of
the stretch. Tn city feller had grit and came
mp with a smile. and then the sun dropped
slowly TO the horizon line and finally went be-
low the peaks. and 800 yards from home the tur-
keys were all in IA bunch scudding for dear life
when one suddenly gave a squawk apd flew toa
low-hanging limb, another followed. and In n
few seconds the whole six were up a tree. Then I
we began TO see the point. Away of in the dis
tance. whistling like a circus calliope. came the
pitV fallap hia dupkG gtnnptu0 ont hrnypIV ThA