The Western news. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1933-current, 1949-12-22
LINCOLN COUNTY HUNTING AS TOLD
ABOUT THE TURN OF THE CENTURY

Following is an interesting story
taken from The Western News OF
December 4, 1904, which shows that
hunting in Lincoln County was fully
as popular then as it is TODAY. The
old newspaper, which was handed
to The Western News by E. E. ia
queth, mentions one sportsman who
still resides in the community.
The reprint follows:
Mike Wallace returned to Libby
on Sunday afternoon from an ex-
tended stay in the Fisher country,
where he has been looking after
some mining interests and upon
completion of this work took few
days off for a hunting trip. He
reports all kinds of game in that
section. He says he counted SO
deer in one bunch, and saw many
others in smaller punches. That
section seems to be alive with them
this fall. He got all he wanted and
came on out. While gathered AROUND
the stove in the Y. M. c. A. hall
the other evening Mike was telling
his experiences on this trip Like
all these stories told under similar
circumstances his sounded well. One
thing led on to another and as all
there were hunters, more or less,
the telling of hunting stories found
attentive auditors And some good
stories were told. Among others
was one by Frank Wegner Any
one who knows Frank will not
question the veracity of the follow
ing:
Shooting HOppers With a .22
Bill Hills and / wanted to go
fishing one day when Bill was work
ing on mis- ShaughneSsy hill claims"
said Frank land accordingly pre-
parations were at once made to 60.
1t so happened we had no fly hooks.
The next best thing to do was to
get grasshoppers. The day was
sultry and hot Going out into the
opening around the cabin the ground
seemed alive with the hoppers, but
they were the liveliest hOppers you
ever. saw. Couldn't begin to run
them down and the grass was so
tall that to get them with a stick
or other implement seemed about
an impossibility. After making a
failure of this scheme Bill went
into the cabin and got his % rifle.
With this we got our bait in a short
time. / would 60 a little ahead and
stir them up with a long pole and
while they were in the air Bill
would shoot them with a rifle.
While he would not always make
bulls eye, he invariably succeeded
in knocking a wing or a leg off and
if alive after this l would get them
before they could get started again
In but a short time we had all we
wanted and went on down to the
creek after trout.
Remarkable Shooting by Bill Hills
Hills was a most wonderful
shot" continued Frank "All kinds
of stories have been told about his
craftsmanship and l have never yet
heard of anything, mo matter how
extravagant, which l would not be-
lieve. I remember an incident here
in Libby about 10 years ago which
may sound a little OF to those who
don't know Hills. Colonel Brown
ley of Chicago, one of the members
of the Chicago company which was
at that time operating the Snow
shoe mine, was in Libby. He was
considerable of a sport himself. One
evening Hills was shooting at
mark with BROMLEY After they
got through Hills was doing little
fancy work shooting at a nickel
with his %. The proposition was
to hit the nickle while it was in the
air. The colonel got into the game
to the extent of offering to bet Hills
a dollar on every shot. Hills took
him up, and every time Hills missed
he paid the colonel dollar and
every time he hit the colonel paid
Hills a dollar. In a reasonably
short time Hills had about $40 OF
the colonels money. The latter
quit. Hills then offered to make
the same wager that he could hit