Owingsville outlook. [volume] (Owingsville, Ky.) 1879-192?, 1899-04-06
TnEr Hit TnEM.-


LOWS LABoUR'S LoST.
So ends a fencing match of wit
between two of the characters ere
ated by the Bard of Avon. There
were alluding TO figuratlve game
only, though their song might well
have applied to a snipe on the wing.
Snipe- shooting is a seductive
sport TO the adept who has learned
how to stop the erratic flight of the
long billed denizen of the swampy
meadows, which rises with a single
hoarse squawk like the scraping of
a rusty piece of sheet-iron, and
which changes its mind three times
second as to where il wants To go.
Until the gunner gets onto the
idiosyncrasies of the aforesaid Gal
linago delicata he is more likel v TO
shoot large holes in the atmosphere
and make the angels weep at his
unexpurgated language than to
commit ornithological murder and
add to his game bag. But when
the art is ohce acquired the sports
man finds a fascination in il not
second even to partrid ge- shooting.
Indeed il has some points of supe-
riority to the favorite sport of au-
tumn. Usually the hunting grounds
are level meadows that do not rem
der one quite so leg weary from
climbing hills, nor are there bushes
and trees to impede progress and
interfere with marking down the
game.
A dog is not necessary, though
pointer or setter may be used to
advantage; or, better still, a re-
triever trained to work close to the
gunner TO flush the birds and find
the killed ones. Then a loose fit
ting. comfortable suit of clothes, a
pair OF rubber or water-tight boots,
a supply of No. s shells and a good
gun equip the sportsman for visit
to the snipe meadows. Don't forget
a generous lunch of palatable vi
ands. A person may start out in
the morning feeling that an appe-
tite is a lost delusion with him, but
when he has tramped until about
noon he has a fellow feeling for all
folks that ever were hungry, and
if he has neglected the lunch his
yearning for the cold "vittles" of
the home cupboard gives him an
object lesson of the longing of the
IsraelItes in the wilderness tor the
flesh pots of Egypt. If he has been
wisely provident he muuches his
feed with a rarer relish than a
soubrette her hot bird and cold
bottle after the play, as he taxes
his MONDAY rest beside some
spring
Not many years ago the only
aipe-hunting hereabouts was re-
stricted exclusively to the sack and
a sucker to hold il while the boys
initiated said sucker into town boy
mischievousness. Many were the
lonely night vigils of unsophisti-
Gated youths who. with chattering
teeth and trembling limbs, held
open the sack while their torment
ers skunk away In the darkness like
ghosts, ostensibly to round up and
drive in the snipes. really to hurry
hack to hold an orgie of hilarity
around the stove at some loafers'
rest, dilating upon the innocent
credulity of the victim of their du-
plicity.
Some duck-hunters about fifteen
years ago accidentally discovered
that there we're several favorite
spring feeding grounds for snipes
along Slate Creek, and since then
those bottoms have been shot over
regularly. There are excellent
snipe grounds out near James
Crooks, on Peeled Oak, while on
the farms of Jacob Warner, Clell
Ewing, Henry Ewing, the Forge
Mill farm, and other places on lower
Slate, snipes can generally be
found in abundance after March
goth each year.
Last week Sid Clay, of Paris,
came over to take a snipe hunt with
George and Carroll Hamilton, of
Flat Creek. Those three came here
Saturday, and c. w. Honaker, Jr.,
went down with them to the snipe
swsmps. The party bagged fifty
six snipes and four blue-wing
teals. The same party tried the
sport again Monday and that time
killed fifty-six snipes and two teals.
Fourteen snipes average each day
for four guns is pretty good shoot
ing. The party had fine grounds
to shoot over and enjoyed the hunt
very much.
The Messrs. Hamilton are ardent
sportsmen and besides shooting
partridges in the fell over this and
other States generally make one or
two trips a year for a 60 with the
game in Florida. They returned
recently from a stay of several
weeks down there, where they had
great time. George relates that
they accompanied party to sere-
made some young ladies one night
and he was called on to respond to
a toast. He said he was caught
totally unprepared and while he
was in an agony of embarrassment
this inspiration came to relieve his
temporary mental alteration
"Heigh, no, high,
l. Rock and rye,
Swords and pistols,
And Old Ky!"
1t made the hit of the occasion.