Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-02-27

thirty minutes after the party which had
taxed 10 the utmost the speed OF railway
trains and steamboats, j regret TO have
TO make one unfavorable comment on this
extraordinary explicit. Bealer beat the
owner OF the boat out OF a dollar he
promised him. True. he says he simply
forgot to pay the fare. but we have all
heard explanations like that, and Il is
not sufficient to relieve the odum he has
brought upon "the CLOTH" / hope this
unhappy lapse of character will not reach
the ears OF the Fifth Baptist church.
where their pastors honesty has 2 mar
ket value.
Hunting, fishing. camping. eating, sleep
ing, rowing, bathing, loafng, reading,
chatting In Florida in january How
often ] had dreamed of II and how delic-
ious was the realization with all respon-
sibillty thrown Off and life left free to
It's own sweet will.
Nimrod was personifed In the extraor-
binary slaughter of quail q never heard
any one speak of cartridges In Florida),
accomplished by my indefatIgable and ex-
pert comrade. Birds were plentiful, the
dogs we'll trained and treless, and the
open country favorable for fair shots, the
regular hunters paradise, in fact, to At
lanta men. who often tramp whole day
without sight OF a feather. The crown
and glory OF the cunning expeditions,
which occurred daily came when two
wild turkeys were pointed by old Baron
the faithful dog, and brought down by
party OF four firing almost simultaneously
Turkeys the uninitiated need to know
are monstrously observant and timid
birds, who are easily frightened by any
unusual noise that might suggest a
human being. And thereby hangs tale
Captain Graddick, the chief of all hunt
ers. trappers, pathfinders, and old-tlme
frontiersmen In Peninsula Florida, awoke
Bealer before day one morning, walked
him eight miles, a part Of which way
through a dense palmetto thicket, and
set him down while he yelped up
turkey. In the first. with these huge
birds, before described, 1t was by no
means certain that the preacher hit
one. Captain Graddick was determined
to give him the most favorable OPP
portunity. With his marvellous mimic
voice the old ensnarer wooed
turkey hen forward. AS she stepped
into little clearing Dealers heart
throbbed wildly He was about to level
his gun and secure the prize, when the
bird halted, hesitated and showed signs
OF alarm. Graddick shot quick glance
or inspection at Bealer, and discovered
he had taken off his hat and his hair
less pate was glistening into the very
eyes of the tremulous creature. The bird
mistook the round, bald-head for one or
her own eggs. and perplexedly said TO
herself: II laid it down yonder; VINO
carried IL over there?' Put on your hat,
for Heavens sake" whispered the cap
tain, "or she'll run" But she didn't run
bangl The shot sped to the mark and
the game was bagged. Hereafter, when
he goes in quest OF turkeys Bealer will
either wear a wig or keep on his hat.
Pity the bald.
IL requires some sweetness Of DISPOSE
ton and Christian magnanimity to find
out the other fellow so far superior TO
yourself as a sportsman. as L was COM
PEELED TO discover my friend to be, and
not show envy. I am not envious-perish
the thought! How bare and degrading
is such an emotion Albeit, / should be
more than human If l did not derive
some inward satisfaction from an acct
dental result Of famous shot. High in
the goodly fellowship of amateur marks
men stands DR.. J. b. s. Holmes; high
stands Mr.. Richard Gray, of the Atlanta
Bar, ard there are others not unknown
to fame, but not one OF all this glorious
corps OF "crack-shots" could have sur
passed the brilliant movement | have in
mind. All witnesses applauded 1t. IT
was at that juncture that the green
eyed monster touched my liver, and for
a moment i was miserable. l rallied in n
flash: 1 stood behind the marksman; he
leaned forward when he aimed indeed,
he squatted; there was a strain on his
garments; something had TO give way;
his suspenders held fast; the inevitable
happened; his pants were black, but
not so his neither attire. Well,
you know, II was clear beyond contradic-
ton that those pantaloons would never be
on exhibition in tho streets OF Atlanta
again until the sedentary portion Of them
had received "half-soling." No. was not
envious at his craftsmanship. I'own up,
however. to some humor in my mental
composition, and / gave it opportunity TO
free exercise, and IT chased away the
megrims.
Time would fail me to check up on pa
per item after item of that famous mid
winter maroon in the land Of flowers. We
did not give our consciences a vacation.
On Sunday we were Methodists in the
forenoon and Baptist in the afternoon,
and worshipped with equal satisfaction in
bolll ipifS. nlS pun uuHl was dsSibutu
the duty Of edifying the deep-water saints
I'm the afternoon. The crowd was as
great as the little sanctuary would hold;
the atmosphere was warm; the preacher
brought into play considerable ''pulmo-
nary JUNCTION" and physical eloquence. and
as a result rills OF perspiration flowed
freely down forehead and face. When it
was all over, and when the effort deserved
TO receive patriotic commendation, ina
CINE my disgust to hear my comrade ex-
claim: you may be dry preacher when
you are in the pulpit, but you certainly
are not dry preacher when you come
out Of the pulpit on hot day." 1 hope
he was not jealous, but his conduct is
fairly open to suspicion along that line,
and 1 believe every member Of our cleri-
cal club will think so. Alas! the best OF
men are but men at best.
] close with one remark. If I can con-
scientiously do so l shall manage to look
pale, breathe heavily, and cough every
now and then whenever l can in the pres
ence of any one of my deacons as often
as the bleak month of January comes
round. Their hearts are tender and their
sympathies generous.