Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1906-11-14
PICKED UP ON THE RUN
Something About 81. Martins
Day. Opening Of the Game Sea-
son and Divers Subjects

| Sunday was st. Martins Day, on
which legend throws considerable i'm
portance. It is still believed by many
that II November the eleventh is cold
and clear the winter will be . severe
one, but II the day should be stormy
the winter will be mild and rainy.
November eleventh did prove stormy
this year and II the famous legend has
any weight the coming winter will be
mild one. This is disappointing
news to the coal dealers, but mighty
good news to the poor man.
Saturday marked the opening of the
cunning season for rabbits, squirrels
and quail in New Jersey. Bright and
early the huntsmen were out in search
Of game and many bunny met his
fate on that day. An almost constant
banging Of guns in the wooded sections
of South Jersey for the first few days
of the season tells the story of many a
delicious dish of game. Every sports
man wants to be among the number
to get the first kills."
From reports that have come from
the hunting sections, game has not
been SO plentiful for many year. The
mild winter Of last year was easy on
the quail and cottontail.
In the early part of the cunning
season experience has shown that
rabbits set in the fields and orchards.
When cold weather comes tney go in
the big woods. An anecdote is told by
a New Jersey farmer who got the best
of some ''city sportso last fall. This
farmer has hundred-acre farm, a
portion of it wooded. He said:
II put notices on my farm before the
season opened. The first day l heard
shooting in my swamp, and went
down to investigate. l found the
swell-looking guys down there with a
pack Of hounds threshing around in
the woods and making big racket.
AS soon as they saw me one said: How
are you, sir? Great day this. Thirsty2
Have a drink? With this he pulled
out silver flask and offered it to me-
"'No, you don't, l said. You
rascals is trespassin' on my land and
I'll have you pinched for it, l pay fol
my own drinks. No, thanks. l buy
my own cigars, too
"With that he pulled out $40 bill
and offered it to me. Take this ht
says. This will pay you for allowing
us to hunt here
"'You don't bluff me that way,
says 1. If you fellows want to hum
here you got to pay up $25 apiece. j
you don't I'll have you fined for tres
pa pass'1 l.es They They
pod. Then drank their liquor.
"All day long they ran their dogs
back and forth in those woods, but
didn't get mess. But l knew what
was the matter. There was rabbits on
my place, and I told 'em 30. But
wasn't going to spot 'em for 'em. They
was up In the orchard. l had seen 'em
there the day before. killed a pair
for supper after they left. but l had
the $75, and sold 'em dinner at fifty
cents head.n
Sundays Philadelphia Inquirer had
an interesting editorial on the draw
bridge peril from which few thoughts
are CLEANED here. The human respon-
sibility for the dreadful wreck at the
Atlantic City Thoroughfare draw
bridge has been determined SO far as a
Coroner's jury can fix it, but all ac-
counts agree that the drawbridge was
the cause Of the catastrophe. Ii there
had been firm, unbroken track over
the narrow strait at that point there
would have been nothing to derail the
train.
The question arises, is it necessary to
have drawbridge at this point. Is
navigation of the narrow inlet of
sufficient importance to justify the
peril which always exists with draw
bridge on line of railroad? There are
three steam lines and one electric line
besides the roadways into Atlantic
City, and all of them are held up by
draw-bridges which are seldom used
but few times day by small
craft. Draws add to the danger of
railroad travel wherever they exist.
They compel trains to slow up and the
jar is always felt when the weight of
the train is thrown onto the bridge.
Any failure to close the draw abso-
lutely tight may mean wreck. There
fore draws should be abolished where
ever possible.