Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1918-08-17

An Ohio River Duck Hunt! The
Evansville, Ind. quartet are a we'll
known quantity. to the trapshooting
fraternity. G. A. Beard, Wilbur Err
skine. Jr. Franks Fuchs, Al Green
and Walter Jones are not only expert
shots at the trap but their Shooting
at Homes rank as premier social
events.
Aboard the 24-foot motorboat
Rambler. the writer was guest of this
aggregation on a most successful duck
hunt. Our engines were put in mo-
tlon and the boat swung out from the
Evansville shore and headed down
the Ohio river with Commodore Fuchs
officiating at the wheel as pilot. AS
we rushed down stream, we were a
happy congenial party of hunters
Many were the stories told of our
prowess with the scatter gun. 1t was
sportsmens courtesy to listen, di
gest, accept and believe without delv-
ing into details all of the stories re-
cited. Ducks had been reported to us
In countless numbers at French Island
ABOUT % miles below Evansville
where they were feeding in the corn
fields, on the limited crops of the ma
tives and we had been especially
urged to run down and hunt, inciden-
tally acting as corn protectors
The rocking of the boat in conjunc-
tion with a few properly fitted might
caps" induced sleep and we were soon
DREAMING of the execution of difficult
singles and doubles or possibly a few
pot shots made in our boyhood days
We were suddenly awakened with
a crash. every phase of a head end
railroad collision was introduced.
Commodore Fuchs had discovered
that his engine was skipping and
headed the boat for the shore. his
judgment of distance was in error
and he failed to shut off his engine
at the logical moment, as a result
we went into the bank under full
headway. Is it necessary to state
that the oversight was Immediately
mentioned to the commodore. accom-
panied by a few emphatic remarks,
which really did not SAVIOR of compli-
ments for our Skipper; being a guest
l was Handicapped into complete
silence.
Breaking day was announced by the
ducks starting an incessant line of
conversation and flying in every di-
rection apparently badly ratified.
When 1t was light enough for us to
locate SURROUNDINGS, We had grounded
on the head of French Island, our OBJ
iective grounds. Ducks were uneasy
and flying low, they were leaving the
open water and seeking the havens
of rest and protection in the tim
bered sloughs and protected bayous,
while many We're headed into the
corn fields adjacent. The island Is
about one and one-half miles long
and a half mile wide, high land which
seldom overflows. One tenement house
is conveniently located for the ac-
commodation of visiting nimrods. This
semi-hostelry is run by Abe Martin,
a typical Ohio River Rat Tall and
ungainly, with eyes very much re-
sembling those of a dead fish. He
was very proud of his scattering hir-
suite appendage. which were carefully
trained to point directly toward the
person he was addressing. as he
talked his cracked voice, with trem-
elo stop fully extended, gave, his chin
spinach a trembling effect. He raised
and chewed his own tobacco. which
he claimed furnished a high grade
of saliva which enabled him to ex-
pectorate at moving objects with
especial accuracy and precision. He
made the house cats eye his favorite
target and very seldom failed to put
the cat up in the air with a discordant
yowl Two of our party decided to