The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1907-10-16
DOWAGER DUCHESS
ON A COON
HUNT.
Novel Entertainment For a
House Party.
so SPOOKY AND ROMANTIC.
Young Society Women IN Golf Skirts
and High Rubber Boots Splash
Through Big Swamp.


Duchess Of Manchester returned to her
apartments in the Hotel Plaza rather
fatigued from the rigors Of Il thrilling
coon hunt In the woods about the beau
tiful country estate Of Robert Win.
throp CHAMBER, sheriff of Duchess
county.
The duchess had enjoyed the hunt
immensely, 1t was so spooky and ro-
mantle spashing about through the
thick timber in long rubber boots, and
then she got two shots at two pairs of
glistening eyeballs that CLEANED down
on her from the black shade Of tower
ing trees.
There was party Of young society
folk in Mr.. Chambers coon hunt be
sides the duchess. There were the Mills
twins. the beautiful daughters of Mr..
and Mrs. Ogden Mills Miss Burden of
this city and several other young PEG
pie who have homes In the colony
about Pittsburg. They were all guests
at Il house party at the Mills mansion
ut StaatSburg except the duchess. She
was visiting Mr. and Mrs. Frederick
W. Vanderbilt in their Hyde Park
villa.
The popular young millionaire sheriff
proposed the hunt while at dinner with
the duchess g.. L ~ ,anderbilts. He
had run over from his farm at Red
nsh Ian nj al
crops. Thoroughbred horses and prize
cattle He told the duchess that the
woods about his place were full of
coons, and woudn'tit be Il lark to bag
Il few and then have midnight coon
supper at his humble farmhouse.
The girls WOE short golf skirts and
long, floppy rubber boots. which Mr..
Chanler provided, as there are several
mushy sloughs in the woods where the
coons abound. The night shadows had
fallen in an impenetrable curtain about
the forest that skirts the Red Hook
farm when the young men and their
fair companions set ont.
Sheriff Bob, who rises to an impos.
ing altitude Of six feet something
elected himself guide and led the way
TO the tall timber. He carried a mask
ed lantern. which was the only light
there was to mark the way through
the inky blackness, Into the swampy
underbrush the party splashed. with
gigges and little shrieks OF deli ,sht.
The duchess marched side by side
with Sheriff Bob, for he had promised
her the first shot
But evidently the Red Hook coons
are not of the scary kind, as presently
the sheriff whispered to the duchess
that the dogs were singing their chant
OF victory and undoubtedly had some
nice plump coca np iree And they
had, for when the duchess arrived AT
the towering pine, about which the
two coon dogs were leaplng with wild
yelps, she deserted the telltale balls of
fire In the lofty branches. Sheriff Bob
passed her silver mounted pump gun,
which she bent TO her shoulder and
took aim.
The willy coon had evidently been In
tight places before. Just as the gloved
finger of the duchess pulled the trigger
he sprang from his perch to the lower
branches of a neighboring pine and in
stantly lost himself in the impenetra-
bic cover Of the topmost branches.
She tried again, when she Thought
she saw a tlutter in the branches, but
the second shot brought down no coon
meat. Then II was the turn of the cid
est Mills girl, eldest by hours and sec
onds. The dogs We're driven on to
place where the timber was less dense
and where Mr.. Coon could not so read
lily hop from tree to tree.
The hunt continued until almost mid
night, as the duchess insisted that she
woI III not go home until she had
pro ed her craftsmanship. Finally her
patience was rewarded with the big
geN coon Of the lot
The tall sheriff got another and Miss
Burden missed two. Though footsore
and weary when their autos brought
them back to Red Hook, they all voted
ii the most delightful excursion OF
their experience.