The Taney County republican. (Forsyth, Mo.) 1895-1992, 1912-01-04
From An Old Timer.

thanks for their present surroundings
let them be ever 50 gorgeous or hum
bic, this letter is intended but more
especially for those Of the old iiint'locE
times, who sought the white-taiIed
deer in the heads OF III draws where
the hucklebeuies grew, just over the
ridge near the cave where bruin SLEPT
in dormancy, just before the wild tur'
key-gobbler chuckled in the glades
and the drumming pheasant thundred
on the logs while the quails rustled the
leaves with discomfort is the myliads
Of wild pigeons passed over and shut
out the sun from view. Yes, its you
grizzly monarch Of the early days that
knew the Ozarks when covered with
natures plenty, when the light of fire
started with punk and flint marked the
spot Of the rough log cabin with its
pole bed-stead where human souls re-
posed while the vension simmered in
the iron pot near Goals, to feed the
children of nature where art school,
graft and greed were unknown.
It's you that can understand my sill
ent wandering thoughts this Thanks
giving day in 1911 as I sit studying the
white tailed deer in their freedom only
a few hundred yards away. Yes, right
in this densely settled Botny valley Of
Pouawattamie county Iowa. (Its mat
ing season. they are in bands or bunch
es see 5, 10 yes as high as 20 at one
time. ! have a small opera glass it
brings them very close. The view is
one that sends an Undesirable thrill
through the frame Of an old hunter who
could smell broilng venison from For
syth to Flick Clap'S mill Or where it
once was, see two royal battles
going on between old bucks. It's grand!
see their backs arch as they push and
thrust, horns locked heads to earth,
round and round a sudden rush and
back they 60 first one and then the
other with lightning thrusts too quick
for the human eye. There scomes an
old buck and doe across the plowed
ground. They were lying down but
there is a man coming up, the deer
rise and 60. right by the fighters. I
hold my breath, fear the buck will
horn one Of the ready engaged com.
batants. Oh, my! he did with all his
|
might. They seem all in a heap on the
ground, groan with imaginary pain
and anger Of the unfair gore. The
dust clears away, one limps as he leaves
the field for the drivers are closing in
Yes, they see or smell the men, the
white flags wave as signals, there is a
great commotion. See them bound as
rubber balls! They are undecided as to
which way to run! there are men on
three sides there is but one open
direction and that is right towards the
partially enclosed 40 acres just where
they are wanted. See them 60. There
are 40 odd ones in that one bunch, yes
see the them come, twice as many
more. There must be from 100 to l40
all in the air at one time. Whose pen
dare try to describe the grandness Of
the hundred waving snow white tails on
those bounding beauties as they cleal
that wire fence.
| There are two news paper men II
sight but I'll bet cooky neither ont
Of them can get his pencil skin deeI
in the grandness Of the scene let alont
I a grizzled rib gnawer, who learned t,
: push pencil after his whiskers grew
There see them 60 over east and a 10
west, there goes six, they're gone. Sc
S the white flags In all directions, the
: say its a sign Of surrender, its not S
j those deer all raised their white flag bu
no surrender. See them go in the CO..
c rail-, lots Of them, l expect there wei
50 went in will the pen hold them
The men close the gap, wire han
mers and staples are all ready. Thel
0 were far too few drivers some ten or
dozen there went fine day, a grar
is scene will ever retain the sensatiC
l experienced.