The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-09-18
COON HUNTING, NEW STYLE.
TOWALKA INDIANS sooRN CoNVEN-
TIoNAL MRTHODH

The newly organized Coon Club OF the To-
walks Indians attempted to Justify it's name
on Saturday night. The braves who took part
In the great hunt are returning-chiehy In bag
gage cars-from the happy hunting grounds
at whitehall. N. J. They have had the time
OF their lives. and they took 1t.
The Towalka Indians. It must be explained.
are an offshoot Of the great Tobacco tribe and
there are twenty-three members. Their
names are Sitting Bull. Chief Medicineman.
Hunting Troable. Big Foot. Papoose. Splinter,
Hiawatha. Winged Foot, sauaw Man. Stalking
Pine, Ko- ko-ko-ho tthe OWL. Nosa tour fatherl
wa-wa wild Goose). sha-da tho psloanL
Ahmesk the beaver). MahnR tthe loon,.
Laughing Fire Water. Wampum Man. Man
fond His Dog. 6tick-on-a- Horse. Minnehs-
ha. HowlinG Coyote and Spotted Tail. Their
totem In . skunk rampant, ooons and pos
sums on the auarterinRs. with q bar sinister
showing full SGT OF bottles. gulss-at least
that IL what they say. and there 10 no American
college Of heraldry to talk back. Their creed IL:
wash daily from noss-tp to tail.tip;
Drink deeply but never too deep;
Remember the night 10 for hunting.
And forget not the day II for sleep.
On Saturday forenoon the mem bers OF the
club hold ghost dance near the Christopher
street ferry and drank q quantity OF fzzy nre-
absent but not forgotten. Then they exam
ined the condition OF the comm issariat. and
finding It sAtisfactory-the provisions against
the horrors Of thirst being entirely adequate
they took the trail toward the setting SUM-
They were prepared for brush cam paign and
took no risk Of being starved out. Armies
have invaded countries with less supplies. but
the Towslka Indians are too highly civilized to
forage ON the territory they cross-bssides,
most Of Thorn have tried New jersey apple
whisky.
Now It 10 one Of the laws Of the tribe that
walking 10 compulsory. but the braves have
no narrow prejudices against riding. They
captured o smoking car at Hoboken and the
fun began. though no one lost enough during
the trip TO make things interesting. At White
hall they were met by Squaw Man, q local
bravo who has charge OF the wiRwam. This
wigwam is ono OF the many that George Wash
ington slept In during that slum berous cam
paign that enabled him TO sleep in every house
in the State Of New Jersey that was standing
at the time built fifty years after. Still. 1t 10
not surprising that he slept in it. for he was .
man Of iron constitution and hadn't the
Towalka Coon Club to keep him awake.
1t was at Whitehall that the excitement be-
gan. Cooney. the tribe cayuse. was so de-
lighted to see his owners that he revealed his
true character. He had been purchased in
New York at secondhand horse store with
out q sufficiently searching inquiry having
been made into his past. When Wawa John
stone. the Wild Goose, decorated him with a
full set OF seighbells. Cooney was SO tickled
that he did an act tending to prove that part OF
his life had been spent on the stage. He did
vaudeville turn that was simply marvellous.
His high kicking surpassed anything ever seen
In New Jersey and the pigeonwings he exc
entad hal Inv ha aha NJ
him the applause of his owners. though it made
anumber OF farmers. who came running from
the neghborng folds, talk about baking and
similar nonsense. Finally Cooney finished his
turn and took the party to the wigwam.
want the Job Of carrying tn. So9PPs said
.nh No 10 you don Il " hoSwlsd the Medicine Man
No one In this crowd is to have stnecure.
members Of the tribe. but the Initiated wnksd
at each other grayely and shook the dice, Big:
unwilling brsyss were elected turnspits. water
carriers, and potato pessers, and thing things pro,
lunch was announced and the ham aud eggs
like THEM sgdauf: trouble 0 onnd
plenty Of what he was looking for.
n shS hfRs s. %sI h .s san sho Sas sdb By
stunt, VIVA. remained Of tho afternoon was
ar ana on war COOK d1RsF
would be ready, sitting Bull Lynch brought
on Sc: ct f and sosa a1
in the neiGhborhood OF three hundred
OF coureo all this has nothing to do with coon
hunting. but that is the beauty OF coon hunt
crowd Like Hrtemus Wards lectures coon
hunting in New Jersey is mostly made up Of
thngs that have nothing whatever to do with
It, The casual observer might think this
q good thing for tho poor coons. but that
hardly deserves such oS S99n S, as
nothing to complain Of. even Il the Towalkas
devoted all their time to hpnting: and none to
be understood. were not all 80 foolish as to
hunt with too much eagerness
coon hunting became iiy Ing issue. Little
groups OF braves discussed it furtively and
ssR n ear ps1 5 o %sTa Iqs sR
who are able to plead disabilities. gathered on
the doofrsstep and sang songs some sage has
anywhere else always sing on an outing. The
sage was right But coon club is a coon club.
Der Of new mem bers we're to be initiated into
the mysteries. and number OF the old ones
80 Oh the snRIGdHs eaefMGy Nan h that hsy
ties, ths wind Of the BEGINNERS and y yet bring
Welsh rarebts So a few enthusiasts and
dupss struggled of to the mountain side, But
ing. They forgot to consult the dogs. There
were three Of these, and ,as they were both
eager and irresponsible, they promptly took
charge Of matters and made them interesting.
Thsy started of at a killing pace. and the
simon pure coon hunters followed. The latter
discovered three barbed wire fences. a deceiv-
ing ditch and long stretch OF dewy grass dur
ing the first half hour. and then sat down to
W. Tor the doRs
Now. It isl popularity OF the rocks In New
Jersey that no moss grows on them and to sit
on them is not TO enjoy thoroughly satisfying
rest However, the local braves whiled away
the time by telling traditions Of coon tracks
that had oeen seen in the neghborhood and Of
coons that had been killed years ago. At last
the dogs gave tongue about a mile up the
mountain aide and their music mingled sweety
with that OF the treetoads and katydids. Some
TINE passed before the experts decided from
The sound OF the barking that the dogs were
bark ing VI" and that their quarry was
located With new lie in their veins the hun
ters tore away toward the racket and finally
large boulder.
peris
80 shouldn't wonder but 1t is a coon." said
smother. The tracks OF ole were seen along
the brook down, in the hollow there. two years