The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-11-12
NEW ENGLAND soUIRREL HUNTS.
Tricks Said to Have Been Employed In Old
Times to Fat Up the Score.

From The Sprinaftid TaioH.
| Some quain, customs are TO be found on Bland
ford Mountain. IN the fall and for the ensuing
six months. Ilandford is left to entertain itself
| This Is thing the progressive residents Of Tn,
Centre and Dug Hill and other populated points
| OF the town are perfectly capable Of doing Bland
ford is predisposed to hunting The term SOUR
rel Hunt IL misnomer, inasmuch as when Bland
fordites go on squirrel hunt they do not always
hunt the graceful and sportive gray squirrel and
see how many Of those toothsome animals they
can bag. but they as frequently devote their cnet
GIGS wholly 10 the determination OF wild life that
~ pest 10 the agriculturisl and the hunter as
well This years hunt which terminated after
Two weeks session during the past week was
modelled after this la tier plan
II Is said that these squirrel hunts are relic III
bygonc days among the original colonlsts. when
II was necessary Tor the men To- bend together
every iall aud du their best Ia destroy all wild
animals which were inimica tu the welfare of the
community OF ~ the safety of its locks and herds
md so Blandford people understand the re-.
qurcncnts OF the squirrel hunt very well, and
when the war OF determination was 10 be carried
once more into the camp Of pcstferOus animal life
late last September there were plenty Of vuun
tects. TWO forces were chosen uf seventy men
each aud they wcr" placed respectively under the
Commands 81 capt. MytDn Dayton and Myrun
ward, two valiant hunt-men of the town. The
hunt was to rage IN all its fury for two weeks, and
h the end o that time the number Of points scored
ny each side was Ia he taken into account and
The losing SIDE was ~ tender the winner n banquet
at Agricultural Hall. at which, besides the dis
cussinn OF the usual mountain side feast tho
country orchestra was to he on hand, and the
ensuing evening given M Ia tours right and
left and "honOfs all" with the charming young
lady element from the coscy Blandforh villages.
The warfare was To be- conducted against the
following creatures the number Of points IN tho
contest to be allowed for each one being appended
thereto.
For crows 200 points. for buejays 70 point:
ior hen hawks 200 points Tor owls, 200 points
Tor SPARROW hawks, % points for red squirrels
20 points, and for chipmunls, - points
Soon after the designation 81 Messrs Dayton
and Ward. the adult and youthful hunters allied
themselves with one or the other, old fowlng
pieces running even ~ far back il Is said as lnt
LOCKS, being secured up for the occasion. Tn"
whole country was searched for the objects Of the
hunt, from the WcSticld River on the north aud
east t. Birch Hill aud Iiarhc,'s Mountain on the
south and wcs, The gunn"rs were out night and
day, almost, and made their bloody harvest AZ
cumpe," a. possible. turning IN the heads Of all the
prey captured. except the hawks aud owls, which
WAS spared tn make the worn of destruction along
nv lines mapped out az complete aS possible
One party alone killed eight hen hawks. seven
teen Sctrcrh owls, and blue jays galore
When tn" final roundup Was made, II was hsc"t
tanned that Capt llayton's company We're the
winners scoring iihOp points against IN. ~ 200
points made by apt Wards merry men a total
"i SO,WD points altogether And the WHrd
party became the entertainers AT the following
least Wednesday evening, and Haley Brothers
orchestra from chester was summoned \nd
nft"r the hanquri was over eighty couples ttIppcd
rs has been indicated. these squirrel hunts are
81 ancient origin They have always savurrd
%4sy "' nh' T, ana mess 90 the nAyr
Fearing 81 Russell tells a good story Of the hunt
which was held as long ago a. the Centennial
wear Vt that time an unusual effort was made
toward the determination Of foul game " the
expression may he allowed, IN Bandfurd and the
captain Il one ~ ihr cDnipGnic, found himself
apparently handicapped by being at the head Of
n lot uf boys Will. ON the Other side happened ip
be- an army 81 ia" most expert huntsm"n in Bland
VI "a lac nal eel INF . -
commander ui II" Junior forces WAS ~ hts wis
cnI 10 dctrcnin" how lucome uut w,th even u T.
Spectacle showing lie summoned MS forces ON tie
N","nd day "i ms campaign at rendezvous down
among the rinc trees, on the banks "f Tia" West
field RNf h"b ailiiuc e. pr"nIlS" Most
"i them had been wasting ammunition tu no pur
pu~" for he previous forty "ight hours. and the
laying !r III" banquet and dance was staring
them calmly ~ the lace. H. the ether side had
ALREADY tunnel IN tw" whr"lharTuw loads ui
irnlhrr~l and iufird victims To- III" game master
Boys" said tho tRp.HIn II II plain that Nuii
can't sh"pt Gao and st snRrcs IN the wal.
rul groves fur squirrels So stone TAPS f"r them.
and pu, steel traps up on poles around ,hc hen
ing powder t"p
Md tn" story ro'" IN I" say that at the iudr
m-nt day those devoted bows turned IN "a ihrlr
delighted commander enough OF TIA" products
ni the chase fairly tu nut their competitors out
81 sight aud tu compel the latter to feast them
and dhuc" them until their hearts were more than
tul ul ,tnirulm-iIi
VI another time in still more ancient days IN"
hunter, ti.,d g. save ~ the pr ducts II thrtt
pr"wrSS from early fnll until thu date 81 the an
nuAl hunt opened and then. according o. the
side upon winch tarN Wrtr placed, they would
deliver tn the heat gam"kr"p"T quantity CO.,
rn-caSse- which wrrr 80 we'll riprn-d by the ptn.
,rS4 81 decomposition. IN order iu make big
count. that " pul.lcd greatly that individual
tu determine whether 60: not nrs" animal. hal
really been slain during the current Hutlmnai
N"ss.rn ~ III III" preceding suninIr'. ruling
II l. sad, Wa finally made against all "gauIr'
that was decidedly high IN ulor
TN" 81 the sllrk"~t Trucks eve practlScd AT the
Blandirrd squirrel hunts i alleged L. have been
played 10y one EphrHm thhuiH. in n tim" 81 long
hgu that th" exact dat" thereof cannot be located
chaplin WAS persistent hunter for birds, and II
WAS noted that tn" SIDE upuu winch h" WAS chosen
fur yeats always Toasted at the expense ~ the
others chaplin would deliver hawks and owls
and crpws ir The head game keeper by he ann
iul " Ne was an expert wnodSmau aud always
hunted alone his methods were above suspicion
until, ON one occasion the gauckrcprr mad"
an inquSitN" INSPECTION "f the dirt heap IN his
hH"L yard whcf" he had buried ne b'llrs Of ~"
birds after they had been submitted 81 him aud
been taken account 81 Tie found that the earth
had b"ru hammered with lie could scarcely
believe his senses Rut the following night hr
watched the heap, and saw tharin digging IN II
"" waited until the latter had dug ont about
twenty birds for presentation once more on tn"
following DAYS 10 the gamrkccpcr. and then
he "uilaTci him Chaplin took part in no more
squirrel hunts after that
EASY LIFE ~ NICdRiGUA.