The San Francisco call., 1906-08-26

ardent lover Of the wild
~ Charles Frederick Holder, has
written an eloquent book. Life
IN the Open" about that life as
II may be enjoyed in Southern
O@litornia- All tie pages Of the big,
beautiful volume evidence that the au-
thor is one who has pursued and wooed
the charms Of open-air life with an
absorbing interest. akin to passion.
winch has compelled those charms TO
give themselves up TO his delight more
Inlly and intimately that they ever do,
or can, TO less devoted and enthusiastic
admirers.
The secondary title of the book is
Sport With Rod, Gun. Horse and
Hound in Southern California" and
while this sporting feature of the work
is eXcellently well done and is spoken
from the heart OF the sportsman of
long experience. it is plain that sport
Tor sports own sake was not the ideal
IN the writer's mind when he planned
his book, but he must have wanted TO
show forth the joys of nature worship
10 the hearts OF others just as those
Joys have been revealed to him-to the
pulses Of invigorated physical life and
10 the spirit within him which is eIated
and awed by the beauty and grandeur
Of nature. So when he goes into the
Sierra Ms5re range to hunt the noun
tain lion, If he finds no lion he counts
his day not lost. for that nominal pur-
suit has led him TO far more glorious
hndings- Following the lion trail turns
out TO be the gladly discovered road to
the heart Of the sublime majesty of the
Sierra Madre. Somewhat the same way
is the best worth gotten out OF hunt
ing the "big-horn" goat thai loves the
loftest climbings. for because Of the
game laws Of California the hunter
can only take this splendid beast with
d photograph"
1t is the going into the grandeur of
his hsunts that gives the true reward
for this toll. Hunting the prong horn
has also become in California a sport
which must be enjoyed with the elimi-
nation Of all delight in killing; for
the antelope is so nearly extinct that
out in Antelope Valley and other parts
of the desert where it used TO range
in multitude and is now but rarely
seen the fantastic charm of the desert
way, with its atmospheric-caused IL
lusions that lend themselves to roman
tic ina sgination, is lure enough to lead
the hunter far into the sand and cac-
rms Holder has Iearne6 we'll the Horo
Of the regions he describes for US as
well as the most interesting features
Of the animal life that haunts them.
II must not be supposed this love of
the author for scenery. this vocation of
the hunter just for the sheer delight
OF being out in the open, tends in any
way TO spoil the true sportsman's
spirit Rather it enhances it. There
are many pages alive with the thrills
Aof z good catch, sure shot. a wild
ride after the hounds, the dangerous
dash with six-in-hand at full speed,
coaching down steep mountain roads.
One Of the most fascinating chap
ters is the account OF hunting water
fowl and the description of the fight
Of the great hocks of these strong
winged birds down from the Sierra to
the lagunas by the sea. and the telling
Of the beauty of their plumage as some
Of the more gorgeous ducks disport
themselves in tule sheltered hooks.
Sometimes they seemed so fair and
happy that the huntsman could not find
it in his heart to pour the shot into