The sun., 1901-11-24
SNOW MADE HUNTERS GLAD.
AND COMPOUNDED THE WEATH-
ERWISE UP IN MAINE.
A Wonderful Fail OF Wet Flakes That Has
Rendered Easy the Killing Of Foxes,
Raccoons. Otters and Besrs s-Sto.
ries Of Old Residents Also Borne Out.

r,es Of Old Residents Also Borne Out.
CLIFTON, Me. Nov. 2s-The old-fash-
ioned winters, OF which the oldest resident
has had 30 much to say In former years,
are no longer a vague tradition In Eastern
Maine; and the reputation of the aged citi-
zens for truth and candor has taken sudden
advance. Last year nearly a foot Of snow
fell on Nov. "a, and though the slelghing
was bad. the coating held ON all winter,
soinp away In a mass OF mud about April
10. When the weatherwise residents dis
c,p,ed the event they looked at the almanac
knowingly and said II was nothing but an
accident; something which would not hap
pen again for a decade. Then they went
on o prove that the fall Of snow grew lighter
and more unreliable every year.
Before the century had completed Its
first score Of years there would be no sled
ding in Maine. and men who wanted TO
get out logs from the woods would have
TO do their work on bare ground. The
talk was made around the stores and POST
offices all through the winter, and when
a remarkably hot summer came on followed
bv a mild autumn. the predictions OF an
open winter were numerous and emphatic
Rets were offered that there would be no
sledding until Jan, 20. 1902, and people
were beginning 10 get excited over the
prospect OF frozen ground with no Dusl-
ms going on, when on Nov. IL southefiy
wind came up and snow began to siit down
among the trees before they had finished
shedding their leaves,
During the night the wind hauled TO the
northeast and for the next twenty-four
hours everybody had more than he wanted
10 do shovelling paths to barns and wells
Al sunrise on Nov. 10 there was more than
two feet of soft snow on the level and the
men who had made bets were looking sad.
Not even the oldest inhabitant had ever
seen anything like It so early u .he season, Oh
Although the weather prophets had re-
ceiyed a blow between the eyes. the men
who owned foxhounds and shot guns were
filled with JOY at the outlook for good hunt,
ing For more than a week nobody DID
ANYTHING but hunt foxes The still WOODS.
m,ifYled deep In wet snow. suddenly TOOK
on life and the ghostly aisles Of the forest
became resonant with the baytng OF zeal
Gus hounds and the report OF firearms
The storm had cleared OF warm 40 the
travelled streets and highways were re :
duced to mush In two DAYS. but ue sun.
light, which spoiled the travelling. was
lust what the hunters wanted. as II kept
| the snow soft and impeded the speed OF the
hying foxes. No fox can make any prog
ress In wet snow, as the soft slush soon
works into its fur, forming mass OF ice
NnlCn huOh Wtlkhh w NhS eSSy s--~
strains a free action Of the limbs.
In the woods on the rocky hlllsides the
hunted animals could have Some chance
for escape by crawling into holes or Ms
sures In lodges, but out In the open mead
ows where foxes 90 to seek for mice, a
good dog could overtake and kill the best
fox in Maine inside of mile. The saugh-
Luther Penney's old hound Jessie caught
and killed six red foxes between sunrise
and 4 o'clock In the afternoon. pair OF
hound pups belonging TO George Archer
ran down and captured seven cross foxes,
four reds and large black one In two DAYS
and a half A hunter who came up from
Buoksport with four beagles shot a silver
gray, whose pelt was worth Sl1e the DAY
after his arrival, thus securing uhe Only
silver gray that has been captured IN this
region since the Civn War, In four days
more than 800 foxes had been killed,
The fact that nearly three fourths OF
the pets were from cross foxes, which are
worth no more than so to 70 cents each,
reduced the value Of the trophies, so that
few men earned more than $40 day. but
the hunt has not only given some excellent
snort but il has destroyed most al the
worthless cross breeds, which, being short
legged. soon gave up the race and feu an
easy prey To the dogs.
In addition to foxes, raccoons ana TWO
bears, the hunters shot six otter. two OF
which were more than six feet long, and
dozen or more Of fat deer were brought in,
although the sportsmen declare the lattef
were obtained by still hunting As there
is fine Of $40 for dogging deer. nobody
will admit that his dogs ever engage In such
sport although few men will refrain from
killing a big buck fleeing before the hounds,
II they are morally certain their act viii
never como to light.
OF the game that has been found, more
than half was over'aken and slain by the
hound when no hunter was near. This
was due 20 the fact that the heavy snow
had ~ weighted down th" gray birches
and other underbrish that PERSONS on
snowshoes were compelled to travel very
Glow. ~ slow that the foxes and dogs
soon outs'ripUs.d the fastest Of them Out
of eighty-thrs- foxes that we're sent away
on SATURDAY. night. only thirty-four had
bullet marks on their bodies, th" remainder
having been killed by the hounds such
a record leads the hunters TO inier thAt
there are many bodies now dead In the
woods, which the sporisrnen heve been
unahe ~ find most ~ which VII soon lie
covered With snow aud spoil before they
can - skluusd