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

from hs Sprindnbd TnioH
Some quaint customs are to bc found on Bland
ford Mountain in the fall and for the ensuing
six months Blandford is left To entertain itself
This is thing the progressive residents Of the
Centre and Dug Hill and other populated points
OF the town are perfectly capable Of doing Bland
ford is pfedisposed to hunting. The term SOUR
rel Hunt Is msnomer, iunsmuch as when Bland
fordites 20 on a squirrel hunt they do not always
hunt the graceful and sportive gray squirrel, and
see how many Of those touthsome animals they
can bag. but they as frequently devote their cncr.
GIGS wholly 10 the determination Of wild life that
Is pest 10 the agricultufsl. and the hunter as
well This years hunt which terminated after
n Two weeks session during the past week was
modelled after this latter plan.
II Is said that these squirrel hunts are relic NJ
bygonc days among the original colonlsls. when
II was necessary Tor the men To- bend together
every TALL and do their best Ia destroy all wild
animals winch were nimical IT, the welfare of the
community ot Ia the safety of its fOcks and herds
Nhd so Ilandiurd people understand the re-
qnircmcnis OF the squirrel hunt very well, and
when the war Of determination was 10 be carried
once more into the camp Of pcStierOus animal life
late last September there wee plenty Of vOlun
tecrS TWO forces were chosen ~ seventy men
'hch, anu they wrr" placed respectively under the
Commands "i Capt MyrDn Dayton and Myron
Ward, two valiant hunt-mcn of the town. The
hunt was To- rage IN all It's fury Tor two weeks, and
~ the end Ot that time the number Of points scored
ny rach side was Ia he taken into account and
The losing side was ~ tender the winner banquet
at Agricultu Hall, at which, besides the dis
cussiun OF the usual mountain side feast, the
country orchestra was to he on hand, and the
ensuing evening given M Ia Tours right and
lett and 'honOts all with the charming young
lady element from the coscy l3landfotd villages.
Tho warfare was to be- conducted against the
following creatures. the number Of points In tho
contest to he allowed for each one being appended
thereto
For crows, 200 points: for blueiays 70 ponta
for hen hawks, 200 points for owls 200 points
iar sparrow hawks p points; for red squirrels
10 points and for chipmunhs - points
Soon after the designation uf Mcssrs Dayton
and Ward, the adult and youthful hunters allied
themselves with one or the other old fowllng
pieces running even ~ far back, IL Is said as ilin
locks, being secured up for the occasion. Tn"
whole country was searched for the objects Of the
hunt from the WrStiicd River on the north aud
east t. Birch liill aud Hdrnc,s Mountain ON the
south and wcsi. The gunn"ts were out night and
day. almost, aud made their bloody harvest ~
COmplet" a. possible turning IN the heads Of all the
prey captured. except the hawks and owls, which
we're preserved for the taNiGctmist No effort
was spared tO make the worn Uf destruction along
the lines mapped out complete aS possible
Onc party alone Killed eight hen hawks. seven
teen srtrcrh owls and blue jays galore
When tn" final roundup Was made II was ascrr
tanned that Capt l)hytun'S company We're the
winners, scoring AiSoo points against the - 200
points made by 'aut Wards merry men n total
ul bO.uDO points altogether And ~ the Ward
party ,hccam" th" entertainers AT the following
feast Wednesday evening, and Haley BROTHERS
orchestra from Chester was Summoned Nnd
after the banquet was over eighty couples ,rIppcd
the light fantastic toe until broad day Wight
rs has been indicated. ihrS" squirrel hunts are
81 ancient origin They have always sayutri
strongly of the piowcss and hneSse 81 the native
sPnriSm"n = hS hnrS county towns Clark
which was held as long ago a. the Centennial
wear " that umr an unusual "Iur; was mad"
toward the determination Of foul game " the
expression may he allowed IN itlandford, and III.
captain 81 one ~ ihr CunpGnicS found himself
q lot Of boys, while ON the Other Sid, happened 10
BE- an army 81 ia" most expert huntNm III Bland
lord 1t WAS III" usual two weeks hunt. aud the
commander ~ tie junior forces was ~ his wits
cnl to dctrcnuu" how tucun- uut with even IA T.
Sur,tabl" showing lie summoned MS forces ON tie
~ro,nd day OF ms campaign AT a rrndcI,uus down
among tho pine tferg. on the banks If ia" West
field RNrr III" bYyS had httlc L. pronils, Mos;
"i them had been wasting ammunition Ia no pur
Paying FOR The banquet and dance was staring
Them calmly ~ the face, ~ The other sid" had
ALREADY tunnel IN tw" Nhr"lharTuw loads ui
i"nthrrc' aud ilUrd victims Ia the game master
'liuyS." said Ia" ihp.Hin. II l. plain that Huu
can't shoot. q" aud st snarcs IN the wal.
nat Gr'Nr~ Tor squirrels So stone tais for them.
and put Stc" traps up On poles around thr hen
HOUSES for HAWKS and owls. Md keep up burn
Ing powder, t"p
Nnd the story l,u,. On H. snv that at the udr
m"ut day thu-r devoted bows turned III 10 Ihrlr
delighted commander enough of TIA" products
ui the chase !hirly I" put their competitors out
80 sight, and tu compel III" latter to feast them
and dauc" them until ih"lr hearts were more than
iul e.! ,ruirutm-ui
VI another time in sliil more ancient DAYS tn.
hunters u~-d g. save ~ the products II rh",r
pr,wrSS from early fall until the date 81 the M
uual hunt opened and then, aCCoriInC e. the
sid" upon whirh t!rN wrrr placed they would
deliver in the heal ghmrkrrp"T n quantity r'
rr'CaSse- which wrrr 80 well rircn-d by the pro.
rr~s 81 decomposition IN order Ia mAkrA bic
count, that II puSslcd greatly that individual
tu determine Nhrtucf ~ not thrs" animals hal
really hrrn slain during the current Hutumrai
~"a'rn nT III the preceding sumul-- \ ruling
II j. said was finally made against all "gaur'
that Wa, drridrdlN high IN "ior
On" 81 thu Sre"~t trucks eve practiScd at the
lSlandinrd squirrel hunts l. alleged IT, have been
played 10y one EphnHm HAHN. IN n tim" 81 long
hgu that ~" exact date thereof ,sunut be- located
hapin WAS persistent hunter for hltdS. and II
Was noted that the side upon which h" WAS chosen.
fur years. always l,tSicd at the expense ~ the
others Chaplin would deliver hawks and owls
aud crows ,u The head game keeper 10y he arm
tut As he was AN expert wnodSmHn aud always
huntrd alone his methods were ahtVe suspicion.
until, ON one occasion, the gamckrCpr- made
an lrquISitiNr inspection uf the dirt heap IN his
hHcl yard whcf" he had burir, ne h ,'lirs ui N"
birds after they had been submitted g. him and
been taken account 81 Tie found that the earth
had b"cu tHmr"Tci with tie could scarcely
believe his senses Rut tho following night Nr
watched the heap, and saw Charin digging IN II
lie waited until the latter had dug uut about
twenty birds for presentation once more on IN"
following DAYS 10 the gHmrkccNcr and then
h" "nllarcd him Chaplin took pari in no more
squirrel hunts after that
Easy yIEE