Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-08-23

Shiras III sought to find some method Of
hunting whereby the excitement of the
chase could be secured without the need
less slaughter Of living creatures; things
made beautiful by the hand of God.
The idea of camera hunting was the
outcome. 1t was a novel idea when first
brought to light, but was laughed at by
hunters as an absurd innovation too i'm
practicable to possibly become a pastime.
How demanded friends of George
Shiras. ''do you propose to get close
enough to your game to take a picture
that will amount to anything? You can
bag bull moose at half mile, but you
can't take his picture at that distance
He's not going to listen to your explana-
ton that you don't want to shoot him
He's going to duck just as If you were
coming after him with a forty-fve ex-
panding bullet
To these remarks Mr.. Shiras made no
reply. He is reticent man, modest con-
corning his prowess and disinclined to
argue with others as to what he can do.
Marvellous Results.
Shortly afterward he took a trip through
the dense Businesses of the Dismal
Swamp. Va. place where one would
think no man could possibly get pictures
During the time he was gone little was
heard of him, and those who had known
him as hunter laughed to think of
for himself a name as hunter, romping
wildly about fenny growths with a cam
era under his arm in vain effort to
snapshot elusive animals.
Then after a time Mr.. Shiras returned
to Washington. sunburned and healthy,
carrying with him a long roll of films
He wrote a story concerning his adven-
lures which was printed in the National
Geographic Magazine, and with this story
he carried a number of photographs that
made the rifle devOtees fairly gasp with
surprise.
The reader was carried to the dim.
dark, haIf-lit recesses Of deep forests and
led among spots that might he the play
grounds Of nymphs and sprites. In these
shady vernal groves he beheld wild deer
poised delicately on their small. dainty
feet. ready for instant flight. Huge
snakes. laboriOusly entwining themselves
about branches; foxes fastening stealth
lily through the thick underbrush. rab-
bits. and even the dangerous wildcat
perched upon a high swaying limb were
offered. until he who gazed upon the re-
markable pictures was fairly carried
from his easy chair to the wild. untram-
meed kingdom of nature. where Pan
held sway and none disputed his title
How did you succeed" was the uni
versal question asked of Mr.: shiras.
Mr. Shras modestly explained that he
had simply followed the animals to their
haunts, and there. by dint of infinite pa
thence, had caught them as they strolled
about, unaware of the presence of man.
"The Picture Man"
Afterward Mr.. Shiras lectured before
the local Geographic Society on his trips
with the camera, and explained the joy
of capturing ones quarry on plate
where 1t would live for all time as a
memento of the incident.
From the time of his first trip the repu-
tation of George Shiras, ''the picture
man." was made. Exhausted guides
would tell of how he would stalk a deer
or bear for hours with his camera, wait
ing for the time when he would be able
to catch his prey in the attitude he want
ed. and Of how no walk was too long. no
mountain too steep or no river too deep
for him when once he determined to get
a photograph.
He went to the West Indies, and there
secured pictures Of the animals of all
kinds that habitated the woods. He Wis
tied the turpentine forests of the Caro-
linas and made wonderful reproductions
of the shaggy small bears that still wan
der at large Whereabouts. And he went
to the north and got photographs on land
and sea of bears. seals and porposes and
kindred creatures of the vast deep and
trackless forest
'Shiras, the picture man., is devoted
10 his hobby. He had carefully worked
out plans for the capturing of photo
graphs Of wild animals, and his schemes