Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-12-23

their best to destroy all wild animals which
were inimical TO the welfare of the COM
mun!ty or to the safety of its fockS and
herds.
And so Blandford people understand the
requirements of the squirrel hunt very well
and when the war of determination was to
be carried once more into the camp Of pes
tiferouS animal life late last September
there were plenty Of volunteers. Two
forces were chosen of seventy men each.
and they were placed respectively under
the commands of Captain Myron Dayton
and Myron Ward two valiant hUntSruen or
the town. The hunt was to rage in all Its
fury for two weeks. and at the end of that
time the number of points scored by each
side was to be taken into account, and the
losing side was to tender the winner ban
quet at Agricultural Hall, at which, be-
sides the discussion of the usual mountain
side feast, the country orchestra was 70 be
up to ''f0urs right and left" and "honors
all" with the charming young lady element
from the cozy Blandford villages.
The warfare was TO be conducted against
the following creatures the number OF
points in the contest to be allowed for each
one being appended thereto:
For crows. 200 points: fer bluejayS, %
points: for hen hawks. POO points; for owls.
200 points: for sparrow hawks, p points
for red squirrels, 81 points, and for CHIP
hunks, p points.
Soon after the designation OF Messrs.
DAYTON and Ward the adult and youthful
hunters allied themselves with one or the
other old fowling pieces running even as
far back, it is said, as flint locks, being
secured UP for the OCCASION Inc Wnoae
country was searched for the objects or the
hunt, from the Westfield river on the north
and east to Birch Hill and Barnes noun
tain on the south and west The gunnerS
were out night and day, almost, and made
their bloody harvest as complete as posi-
BILE, turning in the heads OF all the prey
captured. except the hawks and OWLS, Whch
were preserved for the taNidermist; NO Ell
3. t-a1 tn n
struction along the lines mapped out as COM
plete as possible. One party alone Killed
eight hen hawks, seventeen screech owls,
and blue jays galore.
ascertained that Captain Dayton's company
were the winners, scoring 1880 points
against the 81. 200 points made by Captain
Wards merry men-a total of So,Oo points
altogether And so the Ward party became
the entertainers at the following feast Wed
nesday evening. and Haley Brothers or
chestra from Chester was summoned Ana
after the banquet was over eighty couples
tripped the light fantastic toe until broad
daylight.
As has been indicated, these squirrel
hunts are of ancient origin. They have al
ways savored strongly of the proves and
finesse of the native sportsman in the back
country towns. Clark Fearing of Russell
tells a good story of the hunt which was
held as long ago as the centennial year.
At that time unusual effort Was made
toward the eXtermina ton of foul game,
if the expression may be allowed. in Bland
ford and the captain of one of the COM
panies found himself apparently handicap
ped by being at the head of a lot of boys,
while on the other side happened to be an
army of the most expert huntSmen III
Blandford. 1t was the usual two weeks
hunt, and the commander of the Junior
forces was at his wits end to determine
how to come out with even a respectable
showing. He summoned his forces on the
second day of his campaign at a rendezvous
down among the pine trees, on the banks OF
the Westfield river. The boys had little
to promise. Most of them had been vast
ing ammunition to no purpose for the pre-
vious forty-eight hours. and the paying f"F
the banquet and dance was staring them
calmly in the face, as the other SIDE hao
already turned in two wheelbarrow loads or
feathered and furred victims to the game
master.
Boys" said the captain. ut is plain that
YOU can't shoot. Go and set snares IN the
walnut groves for squirrels: set stone traps
for them and put steel traps up on poles
around the hen houses for hawks and owls
And keep up burning powder. too"
And the story goes on to say that at the
Judgment day those devoted boys turned in
to their delighted commander enough of
the products of the chase fairly to put
their competitors out of sight. and to couu-
pei the latter to feast them and dance them