The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1907-09-20
An Old Hunters Memories
by II. X. MUNKITTRICK.

The way train was dragging its
slow, monotonous length through
a densely wooded part of New Jersey.
when passenger who had been gaZ.
ing vacantly out OF the window, said
10 the stranger who sat beside him:
I'm glad some OF the woods are
left. tell you. these fine houses with
the grass, are the things that give
these regions a setback"
How so?" inquired the other,
with look OF surprise.
why. because they spoil the hunt
ing. There used 10 be a time that
here that there really wasn't any fun
in shooting II. II seemed cruel.
Sometimes | have seen two part
ridges sitting on a rail fence. but i
would't shoot at them direct, because
IL didn't seem sportsmanlike. would
rock and try 10 carrom on the birds.
Sometimes | would fire against a
rock and have the ball come back
and kill bird behind me. II took
some practice. Of course. but | finally
got so / could do IL without much
chance of missing. Those draw
shots | was always proud Of"
The game must have been abunI-
ant" said the other.
Indeed il was. have seen quail
sitting in strings on the pump
handle. and once hawk swoopet
weather-vane. and was split rs for
the grill. Why, IL got so that the
cats would not kill the birds. and
have frequently set rat-traps for
woodcock because they became a
nuisance, but made fine fertilizer
Sometimes they would fly into the
rooms, like June-bugs. and we bad to
keep tennis rackets handy 10 knock
them down with. All kinds of birds
became so monotonous on the table
that corned beef was developed into
a real luxury. One day ! was ont
came up, and a great cloud of birds
was moving over me and in the same
direction. They kept the rain OF,
and not n drop touched me, while
many of the birds dropped 20 the
earth, drowned"
The man of hunting "reminiscences
paused for breath and wipei away n
tear OF regret regret for the changed
condition of things-when the other
said:
You must notice the change
greatly"
Indeed I do" replied the hunter.
"It is getting SO that II all YOU can DO
to find game In the market. I keep
a retriever now, but he doesn't know
what his missiou- on earth Is. We
use him to retrieve the tennis balls
that are knocked beyond the bound
ary line. In the olden days my re-
triever would watch the birds skim
ming close TO the grass in circles, and
he would circle in the same way until
the birds thought he was only play
ing. like Themselves. Then he would
reverse suddenly, meet bird and
capture IL on the ny.
Did you have any other game be-
sides birds?" asked the stranger.
I'VE did; we had wild cats that
used to destroy everything. But they
made fine sport. We used to stalk
them. We would sit I'm the dining
room In easy chairs, and put the tiger
skin rug out on the grass. The wild
cats would be attracted TO II, and
then we would blaze away. But now
these fine houses and roads and
things have driven all the game away.
and that's why | am down on pro-
gress. In order TO keep the birds
out OF the garden I used a number
OF stuffed snakes. You see, the birds
were afraid OF being charmed and
eaten, so they kept away, and gave
me chance TO 20 shooting without
sitting down to II on the back stoop.
Now one day when the stuffed snake
had frightened plover into hyster-
ics, ] looked and happened 10 notice
the leopard skin rug, and what do
you think? One OF the sheep that
ioh OIL hs'b III N'ub E'b III D'ilDE vi .
terror stricken, and | noticed thea
that the leopard rug was changing
its spots"
The hunter paused for moment,
and the stranger, feeling that he must
say something TO fiji the gap, asked.
what did you do them"
Il Just sat and watched" replied
the old hunter; land what do you
think-the spots began 10 change
into stripes. and then into checks.
and from one 20 the other, til IL
looked like Kaleidoscope tiger, and
! got frightened and fed. tell you,
this building and improving amt no
good when II interferes with hunt
ing, and there ought 20 be a game
lar 20 stop it. t."-IIarper's Magazira.
Wireless For Clocks.
The regulation Of clocks by wire