The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-04-23
JOYS OF Fl SUNNY SOUTH.
DUCK HUNTERS 60 THERE TO AVOID
STEUBEN COUNT UEA THEIR.

for n Million Dollars in the Snolly-
Roster storm That Was doing Blythe
Ice, Ducks, Rains and Narrow Escapes.
The winters In old Steuben are 30 severe
and trying" said Sportsman Frank Griswold
VI Hammondsport and az the game i like to
shoot all goes South during that season. l
thought I would avoid tho wear and tear OF
the Steuben county winter Just once. and at
the same time put In n season among the
ducks and geese and quail. My friend. Henry
Frey. thought he would get the better OF the
snow and ice and bowling blasts Of winter In
old Steuben by slipping away down to the sun
ny South. too. and we went together. Are
we just getting back? No. We've been back
two months. I'll give you an inkling Of how
II was.
we didn't,flpd the atmosphere exactly CO.
~pressive as to warmth whom we got down into
Hyde county. North Carolina. but they ted
us that the low temperature was due to a
snollygoster OF q storm that was passing up
the coast.
We're only gittin' a sort II a breath often
IT, they told w. and we'll be like a May day
when that storm passes. But. um-m-m-um!
Won't them fellers up Moth ketch t.! You
fellers is lucky to be down here in the sunny
So'th. we tell your
" I wish I'd brought my family along
Hank Frey said. I've a notion to go back and
get en-
But 1 told him that the storm would DO
there before he could get homeland maybe
they'd pull through all right.
so we got ready to go out after wild geese.
We hired Capt. Bill and his schooner to take
us out on the Sound. 20 we'd be handy to the
shore marshes where the hunters lie in wait
for the coming.of the game they are after.
Can't. Bill is an old-timer. and when we said
something about the wind being rather stiff
and the weather somewhat antagonistio to all
the traditions OF weather in the South he
looked surprised.
There won't be a zepbyr.by morning. and
Just as like as not it'll be sultry enough to
fetch on a thundershower.'
so we went. The wind was blowing sixty
miles an hour il it was going an inch. and the
mercury in the thermometer had to fight like
Sam Hill to keep from the zero mark.
This is the primest kind o. weather for
geese Capt. bill said. And maybe you fellers
amt lucky. l wouldn't be up Moth yonder
when this passing blizzard strikes there. not
fer q million dollars
Our destination was Great Island In Abe
marie Sound Henry Russell OF Penn Yam
was down there. too. and he went along. Be-
fore we got started rain began to come down
In torrents-a rain that got icy az it fell. We
got to Great Island along toward evening and
anchored forty rods from shore. We had to
go In a rowboat to put out our decoys along the
edge Of the marsh. and we concluded to put
them out that evening 80 we wouldn't have to
bother with them next morning. The decoys
were live wild g~eese-that is. they would have
been wild geese If they'd had the chance.
Down there they always use live geese for de-
coys. Years ago. so many that nobody re-
members the time. some Hyde county hunter
wounded n wild goose. captured it and took it
home alive. 1t recovered and began to lay
eggs. 1t being that kind Of Il goose. After it
had laid a couple Of dozen or SO of eggs the
goose wanted to set. and they set her. She
Matched out a big brood Of goslings and they
were genuine wild ones. Then the owner OF
the brood OF goslinEs got the idea that when
the young geese were large enough lie might
ut ilize them as decoys for wild gee SO that were
lying over. lie gave his idea a trial. The re-
suit proved that 1t was q great idea. and ever
since then the raising and training Of wild
geese to be used in making the goose hunt
more successful has been a regular industry
on that part Of the North Carolina coast.
by the time we had put out our decoys we
were so nearly frozen that it vas all we could
do TO row hack to Cart. Bill's boat. and when
we did get there We had a hard time getting
aboard Of her. she was pitching and tumbling
about so in that rough sea. Capt. Bills cabin
was 5 feet wide. q feet long and 4 Ieet high.
There was a stove in it and three lockers and
II bunk. none OF them more than four feet and
A half long and twenty inches wide.
Captain, said /. there amt room enough
for all OF us ie lows to sleep in this cabinp
Amt room enough exclaimed Capt. Bill.
why. nine fellers bigger yt than YOU has slep'
in mere more than once!
He jammed us into that hunk and two Of
the lockers. where we lay doubled, VI, like
The wine hrw!ed and pitched that boat around
al night long. IN earthluake couldn't have
pent.ur IuStrters al 6 in the mornin9 ~ and II.
doubled ourselves. The wind was still blow
ing n hurricane. We managed 70 get into the
marsh. The weather was colder than ever.
Before we got TO the marsh a big flock of geese
the marsh without disturbing them and found
that the rain Ind raised tel! inches of water
the spot where we landed TO our blind was
more, than half a mile, and to reach it We
We were on the point OF being about frozen to
death as it was. but Hank Frey's sporting
You ieliers stay he,e.' he said. and III
"reep to that blind: II, turn my en-GauEe.
gu" !No on iSeo ot Sesss an and pa" Hn ,hs v stsrfea ilosk Il
every step or 80 he'd break through, the ice
and go down IN to his knees. but the wind
had got most IN to the blind when he broke
through. int an outer hole and houndered
about clear IN I" his neck. This time the
geese heard him and they got w: Hank. still
in. the otter hole. blazel away with both bar
rels, and the xun kicked him down still deep
er. When the geese had gone forty rods or 60
one OF the flock discovered that IL was hit. and
it rumbIed back into the Sound. There it lay.
tossing w and down on that raging sea. far
out OF, reach. Hank dragged himself out OF the
otter hole and.gazed at 1t r~uefully.
"'D--n it, said he. III ] only had my old
dug.out boat from old Stcuben down here. ]
could retrieve, thai goose as easy as nothing,
The way the wind and wafer were raging
Just then a liieboat couldn't have retrieved
that goose, and SO we lost it. We anchored
our boat with two heavy anchors ami plunged
through the Ice and water 10 our blind. where
we STAYED until : O'clock. Ne got eight geese,
but the wind seemed inclined to get worse in.
stead Of better ard the weather got colder and
colder. We had 10 get Uf Of that marsh oil
freeze to death. The.n hanccs of going to the
bottom Of the Sound in attempting to, get
back to Can't. Bills boat were less than those
OF the other tate. so we took in our decog geese
shouldered our game and started. We go
safe to Cant. BINS. but IL was Il 81 Triangle.
Is this the zephyr you said would he alonl
thi-. way to-day, Cautaint' Hank Frey asked
i thought this weather was only "A sort OF /
breath OF Of that bowling storm that they salt
WAS plSElnU IN the coast