The Globe-republican., 1903-08-20
Vandegrift's Hunting Trip.
A party Of notables, Gen. Wilder s

A party Of notables, Gen. Wilder
:. Metcalf, Senator billiard of Ft, Scott,
W. Mulyane of Topeka aud +. l.. Vand
- grift Of the Kansas City Star arrived he
!, Friday night and were guests of W.,
!, Fitzgerald at prairie chicken shoot Q
= Saturday, The party left early Saturda
morning for the Fitzgerald ranch neI
Ford taking R. M. Wright along as chit
entertainer and chaplain, The part
learned on the trip that ranch cooking
about the best thing in the world an
that the shooting is good in Ford count
for at least one day alter the law permit
it. Vandegriit is not much of a hunter
In fact his shoulder never did and prob
ably never will lit shotgun. He wa
provided, however, with an elegant re-
peating Winchester shot gun. He had al
Impression that repeater Is a gun lha
insists oD shooting all of Its loads with
out stopping, and during the entire triI
be refused to start 1t. The trip as a
whole was a success and was much EN-
Ijoyed, There were few draw backs,
but they were mere t.ifes.
The mornings hunt began most favor.
ably. Chickens were plentiful and as
they had never been killed before they
didn't seem to mind 1t much. The
trouble began with a high headed team
which was driven by Mr.. Wright. At
the first smell Of powder one Of the horses
began pitching and kicking. 1t kicked
the dash board off, then turned about and
kicked holes in the atmosphere and butted
the front Of the buggy with Its head.
Van was watching the battle. "Get out
and hold the brute by the head till | can
get the harness Strengthened" command.
ed Wright. "Hold the devil, exclaimed
Van; "you show me the way out Of this
field (they were in the center of a 1000
acre pasture) and l'll 60 home, Turn
tile id thing loose, and save your neck"
The kicker finally broke loose from the
surrey and with a final lunge jerked |
Wright out over the remains of the dash.
board. "Gentemen," puffed Wright in
.pology for leaving the drivers seat,
the thing hasn't got me bufaloed, but
{ certainly is the kickingest Id boss |
'ver come across. After getting the ami
nal qnieted, Wright explained that it
vas a single driver, and would work per-
ectly quiet that way. He told Van to
itch 1t in the single buggy and drive it
If where 1t couldn't emelI the powder.
Vhen the crowd saw the look that settled
YER Vans face at this suggestion they
Wished they had brought camera along.
The tragic part Of the trip WINS yet to
,me. Senator billiard owns a very fine
ird dog. BY some misjudgment of d.
'ctions and distances the Senator got the
hole contents of bis shotgun imbeded In
ne side of the dog. By tile time the
'owd reached the yelping animal it's
oans were growing fainter, and in a |
w moments 1t had apparently passed to u
e land where The game laws are not so e
ringent as in Kansas. Asa last resort
income produced flask Of whiskey v
I'd poured it down the neck of the dying II
'g Being from Ft. Scott, the whiskey .
'pealed to his dogship in way that he q
uld not resist. He recovered sufficient.
to be moved to the ranch house. Sen. "
or billiard offered the foreman, who is a
III up in dog ailments, fee Of $lOO If al
would save the dogs life, The fore
IN would have earned the money, too, 81
next day, but in the night the dog u
came roaring drunk from the whiskey Vi
1t had been poured down it and by the W
xt morning was almost well, with the
ception Of horrible headache. r