The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1903-12-27
Billy Steinmetz Laments the
Passing Away of Favored
Haunts Near the City.
COUNTRY BECOMING CROWDED
Sportsman Talks of the Old Days
in Neighboring Game Fields
and Is Now Seeking
Other Locations.
MISS RHoNA ADAIR.

Billy Steinmetz, one of the veteran
| sportsmen Of st. Louis, believes in stick
ing to one place Of recreation as long as
there is a possible chance for relaxation
in 1t. For more than twenty years Stein.
| metz has hunted and fshed in and around
Cahoha Creek, near the Canteen and
Breese's Lake. and in all that time has
never missed q Sunday.
SteinHnetz Is proud Of this record for
regularity. but Just bit saddened be-
cause tho old haunts are not what they
used to be. and he fears that he will have
to look for pastures new II he hopes to
have his weekly visits rewarded by q full
game bag.
Years ago Steinmetz, julius wInkel-
meyer. Julius Lehman, Joseph Costello,
James A. Fisher. Walter Medart and sew
eral other sportsmen founded a little
colony about four miles out from East
st. Louis, on the Collinsville road, built
their shanties and lighthouses and pre-
pared to make their periodical raids on
the fish and game In that vicinity.
So successful were they that the place
soon became celebrated among Nimrods
and hunters. and the number Of visitors
was rapidly augmented from about a
dozen until to-day that vicinity and
neighbortng waters are dotted by many
hundreds from the city.
Last week Steinmetz. after wafling about
the departed glories Of his fayorite haunts,
decided to look for likely place to es-
tablish another rendezvous.
Tho trolley cars and the natural
growth Of East st. Louis" said he, have
caused my old stamping ground to be
overrun with people, and tho fish and
birds, like the Indians, have been forced
to more primeval surroundings. am now
looking for some Of those places within
easy striking distance from the city, but
expect a long search before I find any
thing to compare with what the old places
used to be.
Twenty years ago we had to walk out
from East St Louis. That meant an hours
brisk walk-just enough to give one q good
appetite for q meal at Aliens. Allen ran
the tavern on the roadside. The old Boni-
face Is dead. but his place still stands.
To-day the trolley car carries crowds out
there in few minutes, and our old head
quarters is nothing more than saloon.
Regularly every Saturday, after work,
used to start out with my dog for AL
lens I'd arrive there at supper time
with good, healthy appetite. After sup
per I went to my cabin and got things
ready for the next days sport. was al
ways at the fishing ground or In my blind
by daybreak, and In those days 1t was
unusual for any Of US to return empty
handed.
There used to DO plenty Of fish and
game. To-day there is nothing but water,
and little Of that The birds ana fish
seem to know that too many sportsmen
are after them to enjoy even small de-
gree OF safety at the old place. and they
very wisely stay away.
For the last eight years have con-
tinued to visit CaholSia Creek and Breese's
Lake. more from force of habit than any
thing else. Everything has changed. The
water seems to have found new channels,
the foliage appears sparser, and many
fcotpaths along the shores Of the creek
and through the woods have destroyed
the old charm.
And then the old crowd has gone, leav-
ing me the last Of the regulars. There
was Julius Lehman, the best whistler I
ever heard. At night Julius used to whis-
tie mora notes than mocking bird ever
knew. while he accompanied himself on
his guitar. We used to say that the fish,
Ing would not be up to tho standard when
Julius's whistle was not in good form.
Jim Fisher hardly missed Sunday for
ten years. Fisher was regular Isak
Walton. and was always the first out In
the morning. and @we seldom found him
until he was on his way back to the f,oat.
house. He had a habit Of finding hooks
out OF the beaten paths, and II the fish
were biting at all his string used to be
well filed. On the days when Jim had
no fish It was safe to bet that none Of
the rest cf us had any to brag about
II might regale you with stories about
the old crowd for week, hut that does
not restore the running stream or the
woods to their pristine yigor. and It only
makes me feel that am getting old At
that. I hope to have few more seasons
with the rod and gun, and after little
more scouting I'll find the right place