Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-09-01
ARMY Of GUNNERS
TURNS OUT EARLY
Opening of Reedbird and 0rto-
Ian Season Proves Attract
i've to Hundreds.
FIRES At RESTING PLACES
KEEP AWAY MOSQUITOES
Marshes Alive With Sportsmen and
Birds Reported to BE
Plentiful.

several nreS Dy the side OF Benning
road shortly after midnight this MORN
ing attracted attention Of passing auto
mobilists and patrons of the car lines.
Many inquiries were made as to why the
fires were burning, and it was not until
guns were seen near them that it was
realized that those about the fires con-
stftuted the advance guard Of the army
OF gunners who wanted to be on the
marshes at the opening Of the season to-
day
The fires were kept lighted in order to
| make it possible for the gunners to rid
| their resting places Of mosquitoes. Some
Few of the impatient gunners were unable
to await the dawn Of day before they blaz-
ed away at the birds, but they were on
the shore-so far away form the roads
that the police made no arrests.
hundreds of gunners were on hand
at daybreak, while others were on their
way, and by the time the law permit
ted shooting the hundreds Of thou
several hundred gunners.
Some Afraid Of Being Shot.
Many of the old-time gunners re-
| manned away today" said a man in
| charge of a boathouse at Benning bridge.
They are no longer willing to chance
getting shot. and they fully realize
! the danger of getting a few shot in
them on the opening day.
1T is different from what it was years
ago." he added. Years ago practically
every gunner was in a boat and had q
pusher, and most Of them were careful
men. Now the great majority Of the
gunnerS wade and many Of them are
reckless and excitable."
Early this morning two unidentified
men in boat were struck by several
stray shot. They returned ashore and
a street car could not get them to the
city quick enough. They were not Sc
riously hurt, however, and it was not
necessary for them to go to hospital
to have their slight wounds dressed.
Conditions on the river and branch
this morning were ideal for the gunners
high tide at the right time. and they
were able to penetrate the marshes. al
though the splendid growth Of wild oats
made it difficult for them to find the
There was no scarcity of birds. nor
was there any scarc3ky of gunners.
Many beginners were on the marshes
today, and many dollars worth Of am
munition was wasted. Two gunners who
went out at daybreak and returned to
the boathouse before o'clock had dis
posed Of 400 shells and had killed only
about three dozen birds. They obtained
turned to the marsh.
.'Just Couldn't Keep Away"
C. H. Kalbfus, one Of the crack shots
on the river, was on hand at Miller's
boathouse early this morning, and his
friends were surprised to see him with
out his cunning parapherna1ia.
"I just came to look 'em over,'' he said.
II didn't want to go out the first day,
but l just couldn't keep away"
Reedbirds and ortolan driven near the
boathouse by the constant firing at
tracted the attention of the gunner
Have any of the boys beanshooter?"
he asked.
boy.
Soon the sportsman was on the bridge
shooting at the birds with the beam
shooter.
"And he knocked one down, too," de-
clared the youngster, but he was SO far
out in the water that I couldn't get
him."
! Jake Moffett and Preston King were
| two of the gunners who returned to the
boathouse at the bridge early in the morn
| ing. They had twelve dozen reedbirds
and eight dozen ortolan.
There are more ortolan on the marsh
| es this season than I have seen In the
past twenty years." remarked Mohett.
| land reedbirds are also plentiful. Black
birds are always plentiful
J. S. Joynes was the first gunner to
| come ashore. He had five dozen reedbirds
and ortolan. Gunners who had not pro-
yided themselves with boats We're disap-
| pointed when they reached the boat
houses and found it impossible to get
small craft in which to go to different
| sections of the big marshes, and many OF
them waded.
| So high was the tide this morning tina,
wading was found difficult, and most OF
the waders found 1t necessary to remain
on the outskirts Of the marshes. Latel
| they ventured farther from shore and
had had better luck.
N. T. Naylor. R L. Hamil J. c. Childl
and ]. ]. Smith rowed all the way from
the foot Of 9th street southwest to Ben.
ming bridge, but were able to shoot only
after passing above the danger mari
north Of Anacostia bridge. They hat
about six dozen birds when they reached
Benning bridge.
Some Of the gunners who shot on the
Symonoski. Joseph Symonoski. George
Seitz, DIR. Wade Atkinson, Harry Bliss
William Steele. Robert Bray. Michae
Sheahan. Richard Connors e. J. Little
Heck. s. ". smith. g. S. Hundley. II. 6
Paddon. A. r. Wilkerson. J. G.. White
E. c. Harris, B. H. Cover. James Ever.
EFT. Daniel Orrison. Joseph Williams
William Pickett: George Barr. II. L
Erect, George Dean. William Harper
George Clements. George Devers. Frank
Hill, Fred Meyer and William Hudlow.
| Very few birds were offered for sale
during the early hours of the day
| Ortolan sold at 81 and $1.25 q dozen
reedbirds at Is cents and 81 dozen and
blackbirds brought 50 cents It il
| thought that some gunners took home
birds that cost them fully s. q dozen
having used so much ammunition.
| Gunner Shot In the Back.
| While hunting on the marsh at 28tt
street and Benning road this morning
John Moore, colored. twenty three years
old, Of 141O 1st street northwest, was
shot in the back by an unidentified hun
ter. q
Moore walked to the Casualty Hospital
| where ten shot were removed from hil
back. The police believe the shooting
Of Moore was an accident
NANKINGS FALL. REPORTED