Waterbury Democrat., 1901-12-30
THOSE PRAIRIE CHICKENS
Turned Out To Be Something Else and
 Men Were Discharged.

Turned Out To Be Something Else and
 Men Were Discharged.
 Well, the prairie chickens. the pos session of which caused the arres1 of William Reither and simon Bohl last week, did not, after all, turn out to be prairie chickens, and the accused were found not guilty, without trial. in the city court this morning. The discov- cry that the prairie chickens were not prairie chickens was not made until Saturday night and anyone whose palate has not been cultivated to ap- preciate this discovery cannot realize how welcome it was and is to those of epicurean tastes. But it remains to tell what kinds of birds these alleged prairie chickens were, or are if they haye not been dined upon yet. It ap- peared to be all that the officers of the law aimed at was to simply ind out whether or not the prairie chickens were prairie. If the prairie chickens were not prairie chickens then it did not amount to much what they were. Assistant Game Warden J. c. Russell, who- has won more fame in the short time he has held office than Attorney F. l.. Wood has in all the years that he has been special protector of game birds by special letters patent descend ing to him he knows not whence or how, only that the patent was re- newed by Governor Mclean without anyone speaking to him about it. But MT Wood is not mad. Not bit. But he would like to have seen if the prairie chickens were not prairie chickens.
 Saturday evening Game Warden Russell and Sheriff Ramett went to New Haven, taking with them the birds in question. There was spe- cial meeting of Senator CaIkins and two or three representatives of the last house that assisted him in framing this law which protected these birds as long as they were prairie chickens but threw off this mantle when it was found they were not prairie chickens. Senator Calkins eyed the birds and his mouth .'watered." He could hardly speak or contain himself and for a while it is said he was sorry for ever having had anything to do with mak- ing prohibitory game laws. Neither could MT Russell speak, nor the other two gentlemen. But this was not their fault. It was the fault of the prairie chickens, for it must be remem- bered that up to the time of the dec laration of this meeting the prairie chickens were prairie chickens. Sher- dff Rametti was the only one that spoke and it is now said that he was not accountable for this as his palate has not been cultivated to appreciate prairie chickens. He maintained the birds were prairie chickens. Senator Calkins held they were not. It was held they were Canadian grouse. whereupon Senator CalkinS said they reminded him of Jerusalem cuckoo and Mir Russell claimed they recalled the days when ne chased Irish black birds, only that these birds were not black, but that was not his fault. He wondered if the bird could sing where at Sheriff Rametti expressed wonder at MT Russelfs speculation if a dead bird could sing. MT Russell said that if they could sing they were certainly a relation to the Irish blackbird, there fore they could not be prairie chickens. The one who held forth for Canadian grouse finally agreed with the man who held they were Jerusalem cuck- DOS, but Mir Russell held his claim for the Irish songster and without any agreement being reached other than that the prairie chickens were not prairie chickens the meeting adjourned. In the city court to-day it was not made known if the birds returned from New Haven.