Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1909-11-06
THE WAY IT USED TO BE.
EAnamosa Eureka

! In recent interview with Mr.. Hi
ram Joslin, who landed in Jones coun-
", Aug. 81. 1887. he narrated some o,
the experiences of himself and other
members OF the family. In those DAYS
oeer elk, wild turkeys, etc. We're very
plehtlful everywhere, particularly in
the Big woods" as the Wapsie tim
Der belt was called. Mr.. John G. JOS
I'M, the father of Hiram, Clark, Har-
rlson, Daniel. Thurston and their sis
ters. we remember we'll as great
I hunter. and many a deer, elk and wild
turkey fell before his unerring rifle
al, the boys, and in fact, most of the
Old settlers were more or less givtn 10
exploits of this character Mr. Hiram
Joslin claims the honor of having snot
the biggest deer ever killed in the
county. Mr.. Miles Russell, another
| old hunter remembered by few, was
with Mr.. Joslin at the time. They
We're one and half miles northwest d;
f'alrview when Hiram finally brough.
down the big buck The bucks mate
was with him and was followed short
distance and shot. the bali cutting a
big artery. Hiram then went home,
southeast of Fairview, itched a yoke
of oxen to d sled and, with his father
accompanying him. drove two or three
miles. loaded up the game and hauled
ut in. The buck weighed over 400
pounds. and in all probability. as Mr.
Joslin says, was the largest ever cap
tured in this locality Hiram gave The
skins 10 his father, who had learned
from the Indians the art of dressing
and tanning them for clothing, which
We remember to have seen worn fire.
quently Mr.. Joslin said the buckskin
suit was "a little sticky when wet but
lasted long-too long, sometimes to
suit him"
On one occasion when Hiram and
his father We're returning home by
moonlight from trip up in the Buffa-
10 timber they discovered a flock of
turkeys roosting in trees at some dis
lance. Hiram mimicked boot owl
and that started the gobblers going.
Hiram slipped thru the brush until
within reach, sighted along the glim-
mering gun barrel in teh moonlight,
fired and downed his bird This was
about a mile northwest of the George
Perkins place, near the Buffalo. AL
that time many of the roads were lit
tie more than Indian trails
Mr.. Joslin recalled a fishing trip In
which he, his brothers John and Har-
rison and their father and George aud
Eli Brown joined. While on their way
to the Wapsie they ran on a couple Of
elk. The Browns had rifle and shot
the biggest Of the pair. but the other
waded across the river and escaped.
After dark two torches were set aflame
and borne quietly along the shore.
John Joslin speared a sturgeon meign-
ing sixty pounds. This was their big
gest prize, but before they concluded
their nights sport they had also cap
tured six or eight muskellunge, and
when they were hung on poles suspend
ed on their shoulders some of thir tails
touched the ground. This is not an
incredible story. by any means, for we
remember to have seen muskellunge
weighing from twenty to twenty
eight pounds. and have known Of their
being occasionally taken that weighed
from thirty to forty pounds, a fact that
Mr.. Joslin. We doubt not, can cor
roborate from his personal knowledge.
Wild geese, ducks and pigeons in
their season by the millions, and
prairie chickens and quails innumer-
able--a mere mention is sufficient, for
they We're a drug on the market. But
those days are gone, never to return,
and we are compelled to accept what
We call advanced civilization and find
the best compensations we can to take
the place of the superb, unequaled,
near to-nature delights and experiences
of the huntsnen and fishermen who
made this veritable paradise their home
in the days of the early pioneers.