Evening Star Newspaper, March 5, 1892, Page 12

12 7 cs THE EVENING STAR: WASHINGTON D.C, SATURDAY, MARCH 5, 1892-SIXTEEN PAGES. RAGGED ISLANDS. Where the President Enjoyed Shoot- ing Canvas Back Ducks. CLUB HOUSE AND PRESERVE. Mow He Was Entertained and the Impression He Made Upon His Hoste—A Keen Sports- ‘man and s Companionable Man—How Luck ‘Vasies in » Ducking Blind. FEW YEARS AGO Virginia Reach was pine barren, but north- ern enterprise and capital aided by push- ing men of Norfolk have transferred the waste into a handsome settlement The Queen Annie Hotel is « struc- ture of the kind that seashore resorts of the day often presents. One good thing about it, however, is the immense fireplace in the conter of the hall that holds*a half a cord of wood, and it is around thi cheering, sparkling bonfire that the guests love to gather after the twilight hour. It is here. seated in | capacious split-bottom chair, the President and his family often sit, no doubt thinking that as luxurious as the White House is it could present no such cheering, brighten- ing charm as that great open fire. finest feature of the beach are the score or so of neat, substantial cottages, different in de- sign, but all solidly and substantially built. Nearly all the prominent men of Norfolk have | erected houses that line the beach for a quarter of a mile or more. The place used to be un- healthy from the fact that a large swamp was im the rear of the hotel, but the pestiferous spot that breeded mosquitoes and agues has been drained and made into fish pond. An open canal with sluice gates runs into the ocean and every high tide floods the place. The amount of fish the pond yields is enormous; there is nearly enough to supply the place in midsummer when crowded with visitors. THE FIGURE HEAD OF THE DICTATOR. In front of Queen Annie Hotel isa figure that attracts more attention than the finest statue ever chiseled by Canova, Angelo or Powers. It is the wooden figure head. life size, of the Dictator, that was wrecked off Virginia Beach last spring and most of the crew perished. The is that of a woman carved out of solid oak, and well carved, too. Her flowing tresses float back, as if blown by the wind, and the head thrown upward us if to avoid the THE CLUB HOUSE. But the ! to their last cent. A party of six Congress- men last winter went down to Currituck on @ duck hunting expedition and it is safe to sa: they will never go again. As one of themsaid, the extortion was so much like barefaced_rob- bery that they allwere broke and actually | had to borrow money to get home. The | women are superior to the men--markedly #0. | They are unselfish conscientious as clois- tered nuns. They are generally married at fourteen and maternity and ceaseless labor | make them a drudge, but they never complain and seem always negatively happy. What a pity that these people, surrounded | aa they aro by all the luxuries of ‘soa water and land, have not the remotest conception of the divine art of cookery. Shades of Soyer! what berbarous cuisine. The frvi is A Goop Day's spor. | the dainty diamond back terrapin, the green tur- tle and the fierce though succulent loggerhead. Every variety of fish from the ocean and bay, the exquisite canvas back, the dainty snipe and juicy bay birds, all cooked alike and stewed in pork fat or rancid bacon, and it is needless to say all taste alike, and the natives show the in- evitable result in their sallow, bilious, pale com- plezions. ‘THE RAGGED ISLANDS. A brief description of the Ragged Islands, where President Harrison has spent the present week, will be of interest. ‘The Ragged Islands have been famous ever since the first settlement of Virginia as being the finest place for water fowl to be found on the Atlantic coast. In the year 1723 his majesty, King George II. by let- ters patent conveyed’ to William Gooch, lieu- tenant governor of the colony of Virginia, certain islands in Back bay, Princess Anne county, Va., known asthe Ragged Islands. The property has remained in the family for gen- erations and not until eighteen months ago was it thrown on the market. It was then bought by a syndicate of Norfolk sportsmen, who have made suitable improvements in order to fit it out as aclub shooting ground. There are no other clubs near by and nature has placed this great wild fowl feeding ground solitary and alone in the bay and there is no other sport to compete with it. ‘THE CLUB HOUSE. The club house is a handsome structure, built with a view to comfort. There is the smoking room, the large dining roome, closets, wine rooms and bed rooms. Everything is of the best quality. Near by are the boat houses and wharf. kennels and duck ponds for the live decoys. The keeper and his assistants are all sworn constables jointed by the court and empowered toarres hers. The guides are regularly employed by the club. receiving a stated salary, and are prohibited frora receiv yy. Leaping forward from the prow of the allant ship the protecting goddess like the | ed fairy that Ulysses placed in front of the | Arago when the arganauts started on their | wanderings, seems to be endowed with life. | One cannot’ help thinking if the closed lips would only open what tales it could tell of | strange countries, of monsters of the deep, | of storm and tempest, and of the| final upon the” sands, when | many a good mariner went down. | ‘The region lying southward of Virginia Beach is a most fascinating one for the tourist. The marked characteristics of the natives, the wild scenery and nature in an ever changing mood | makes « visitor all eyes and ears. To get to | Ragged Islands one must ride along the ocean beach for fifteen miles. There is a narrow strip of land that lies between the Atlantic ocean | and a strip of water known as Back bay. This piece of land is about abalf a mile to three- | quarters in width. It is composed of floating sand and sea meadows, the latter so called be- ies of tough grass about six inches wes stability to the soil, The sand | dunes that border the shore are continuaily shifting. Standing on the beach thescene isan | indeseribably wild, barren and desolate one. In front is the limiticss surging ocean; on the ight and left and in the rear is the wide waste ofland, whore surface even in the slightest breath of wind rises in an impalpable dust and causes every object to appear as half hidden by @ veil Along the route on the beach arc immense mounds of pure white sand, some of them — as large as the Capitol in Washington. In the sand are planted telegraph poles run- Bing from Virginia Beach to the various life- | Saving stations scattered a few miles apart lear down to the dread Hatteras. This line is | under control of the War Department and is of | inealculable benefit to the maritime service. At every life-saving station at least one of the | erew is taught enough telegraphy to receive send amessage. Or if there isnooperator there is communication between the stations | end the message is repeated until an operator is found. Thus as soon as a vessel is in distress or driven ashore the fact is wired to Norfolk and tags and wreckers are dispatched at once | to the scene. This is a dreadful coast. Last summer in a ride of thirty miles along the beach I counted nineteen wrecks, two of them vessels without a timber fractured, driven high and dry on the sand di juring # high THE SAND DWELLERS. Hardy men can exist anywhere on this earth, end even this bleak forbidden abomination of 08. men are hardy, brave and resolute as the old Norsemen of old, as is natural to those who ave to fight the elements to guin # livelihood. ‘The men, as general rule, can read and write, but — little use for such accomplish- rar even take a iy newspaper. They are as ‘and hate work oF steely labor. as Indians, ‘They don’t mind violent exercise when shoot- safe, while secir | in nature's own soil will it tariv ing any fees from members, so that it isa matter of indifference to them’ whether game is abundantor not. By this admirable system there is no extortion, as it is made practically impossible. All the boats and decoys are the property of the club and of course are free. the rule ay shooting on the closed days— Wednesdays, ‘Thursdays and Sundays—is Tigidly enforced, and any member violating this rule 1s liable to indictment under the laws of the state. regulation of the club which prohibits any member, under any circumstances, from sell- ing game. This rule, which is aiways strictiy adhered to, effectually prevents any im- putation of pot hunting. WHY GAME 18 ABUNDANT. The reason for the great quantity of water fowl in this section is simple. The waters of Back bay and the adjacent sounds ate very shallow, varying from fifteen inches to three feet in depth. and the bottom of it is literally sown with wild celery, that favorite food of the THE PRESIDENT AND PARTY. water fowl. Many attempts have been made to artificially propagate this vegetable, but only hence it is that wild fowl pursuing their migrations along | the Atlantic coast stop at those sections where their food ii has | this a great feedi wild fowl, and the tions that keep the numbers has heret decimation. There are many species of duck | that feed m these marshes, but the canvas back | alone gets his living from the wild celery, whic is a root of this succulent grass which consti- | tutes his food; hence it is that it gives that delicate flavor to this royal water fowl that none other possess. It is singular, but true, that the canvas back is the only fowl with sufficient diving powers and strength to pull up the wild celery; the other species of duck follow after him and eat what his lordship res ramp and uninhabited sec- opulation down to small fore protected them from THE PRESIDENT'S START. On Monday morning at the Princess Annie Hotel, at 4 o'clock in the morning, the Presi- dent was aroused and made a hasty breakfast by gaslight, and entering a rustic wagon with | broad tired wheels pronation the tom too slong the sandy beach without sinking, tlarted to the Kagged Island Club, leaving be- hind him all official worry. and some especially disappointed newpaper men who had gathered at the Princess Annie Hotel to accompany him on his journey. The club however, clare that as the President had accepted ifr if § g the breakers dashed themselves far inland. Most of the journey was litezally threugh the surf, and at one it where a small cove en- the end of which wae a sub- rged wreck, the instead of going inshore was driven with a rush between the wreck and the ocean, and the consequence was abuge breaker dashed completely over the wagon, covering everything for a moment out of sight. The horses grew frightened and drew and another huge wave came rolling over the occupants. Fortunately the Pres! mnt was dressed in his waterproof huntin, suit, but as he emerged from the imprompt bath he remarked to Judge Portlock that it was the first time he bad ever wagon, and that, too, without cl compass. A toilso: brought them to life-saving station dipped its color e_ times in honor of the distinguished visitor. The club yacht met the party at the landing and by 11 a.m. the desti- pation was reached. GOING INTO TRE BLIND. The day had broken fair, with a heavy south- east wind blowing, but by noon a driving rain storm made thebay almost invisible. Yet after @ hasty luncheon the President insisted on tak- ing his place ina blind. No man unless he bad sporting blood iu his veins would have left « comfortable room and capacious arm chair to goouton a desolate marsh with a deluge of rain coming down, but the President said he came to kill ducks and during a tempost was the best time. So he, Mr. Woodard and the guide walked across the half a mile of marsh to bg oy took the boat which lay ready. e i lored one to sea ina t, rudder or five hours rei he had ever put on, followed in the footeteps, bearing his gua and ammunition. If there was any being on earth that looked dis- gusted itwas that valet. Sporting evidently had no claims for his soul, and with the rain dripping from every angle he-seemed as if he ought to be wrung out and hung on a clothes line to dry. ‘The President hadon india rubber hip boots, dogskin vest and waterproof, over which was a huge dreadnought cent. A thick slouch bat was on his head, and in his hand the ndsomest gun Iever saw. It was made ex- Pressly for him and is a “Lefevre,” No. 12, with an exquisitely ground stock, gold’ triggers and gold-mounted guard, with the finest finished Steel barrels. ‘Ihe cost of this superb sporting piece was $400. The President took his seat in the boat and the water dog swam alongside, jumped in, and, without any respect for th Faler of sixty-five millions of people, d ately shook himself in front of the who received the whole benefit of 1 but he smilingly shi with the guide a ower, himself and the boat ‘Mr. Woodard proceeded to ening the weather spread then ‘a downpour, next sun, then a flurry of rain, next a calm. Many of the clubmen got tired and re- There 1s also another excellent | | hands turned, as the wild fowl were not flying freely, but the President was the last to come back, and not until it was too dark to shoot did he give the signal to the guide to take up the decoys. A THOROUGHLY COMPANIONABLE MAN. ‘Mr. Woodard, who watched his shooting, tells me that heisa splendid shot, and the way he handled his gun made him open his eyes. All through the long hours of driving rain he sat caim, cool and contented watching for the can- vas back to swing by the decoys. never met & more companionable man in my life,” said Mr. Woodard. “the President remarked to me once that this life put his blood in circula- tion, and I told him that ho inherited his sports- manlike qualities from his Virginia ancestors.” Supper was waiting when the party walked in the sitting room. ‘The President was rather tired after bis balf a mile tramp across a boggy swamp, where walking was an impossibility and wading ® necessity. A half an hour after he reappeared clad is conventional garb, and soon thecompany were assembled in the dining room, the walls of which were hung with the national colors. Along table was set and the President declined to preside, but took his 5 next to the president of the club. He offered grace and the company, about a dozen in all, sat down toa game dinner, which the execu- tive said was equal toanything Delmonicocould serve up. The menu was plain and simple. An old Virginia ham was first served, then came the canv. ks, one toeach guest, and these were all the meats served. ‘Ihe only wine used was Pommery sec. There were no courses served, and what the President must have been devoutedly thankful for there was no speech making. It is doubtful if the club’s guest ever enjoyed a more elaborate banquet, for Mother ture only gives that glorious gift of a hearty appetite to those who earn it, and the Presi- dent held bis own with the best of the: ware, made of swamp grass, about three feet bigh. "In this tea seats capable of holding two people. The guide arranges the duck de- coys in the water about thirty yards from the bind.” ‘Then he paddles bis’ boat some sixty yards and conceals it in the rushes. Comin, back he calls in the dog, and now there nothing to do but wait. WAITING YOR AsHoT. The guide's head moves slowly about ashe scans the horizon, and if he hears acall he an- awers it with marvelous fidelity. As soon as® duck comes flashing by or comes right to the decoys the shooter blazes away. It isa thril- ling moment for the sporteman as the water fowl coming straight for the blinds, and when some 70 or 100 yards away set ite wings, strotch ont the long neck, drop ita come to the decoys on an inclined lane. Then it is that the hunteman's eye Biaze with excitement and bis hand clutches - IN THE BLIND. the gun stock. A single incautious movement, even the glint of the barrel, is enough to send the bird whirling away at the rate of 100 miles an hour. Here the nerve of the man in the blind-comes into play. He crouch breathless and moveless as a statue until ti le the outer decoys, then as quick asa flash he springs toh uick and fires. lorious splat bird it strikes the water, and in n sec- ond the dog is paddling for dear life for the fluttering game. The President had his experience. He was given the finest blind on the place. It was called St. Johi Island, and one was almost dead sure to have good shooting if the weathor was seasonable. One week before Mr. Smith of Suffolk. Va., killed at that blind fifty-one can- vas back in one day, and two days leter L. W. Burke, vice president of the club, bagged thir- ty-nine canvas back. Few people know how much shooting it takes many, for if the i above water. makes a dash after it, and if he fi it at once paddles back to the blind and there is one duck gone. BAD LUCK THAT MORNING. The St. John was considered a lucky point, but its luck failed that morning. The Presi dent killed somo ducks, of course, and he proved himself to be behind tho big end of the gun, but nothing like what the clubmen ho} and expected. Lhe ducks deserted bis blind and flew freely around one or two in his vicinity, and it must have been aggravating for him to sit there and listen to the frequent reports of the double barrels ringing out in the frosty air. But near noon the shooting came to a sudden end, for the wind fell into a gentle breeze and the ‘clubmen dropped into the house singly and by pairs. The President was among the last and marched in with the gun on his shoulder. A fine lunch was served and for @ couple of hours everybody loafed and lounged, and Mr. Harrison entered into the spirit of the thing nd amused himself in strolling around. He nd all the clubmen had their pictures taken, and I may say here that the President shows to, greater advantage in his hunting suit than inany other costume he could possibly assume. In his gunning suit he looks hale, hearty and vigorous, aud we all told him wo. He got so few compliments from the club that he evi- dently appreciated that one. Most of the club- men were photographed in various attitude nd Judge Portlock took the character of a fuil” clubman. His hat over his eyes, his flask sticking from his pocket, it was easy to OFF RAGGED ISLANDS. After the meal the clubmen assembled in the itting room and sat in jovial couverse for ev eral hours. Ihave often heard Mr. Harrison charged with being a cold, reserved man, but e showed none of those truits at the club. is dignified,it is true, but a more genial,charm- ing guest has never been to the Ragged Islands. | There was no stiffness, noformality, everybody | was natural. There was no hero worship among the club men; they treated the President as | they would any Virginia gentleman who was their guest and it was evidently @ relief to him. ‘There was not a man there who waited anything nor would accept anything at his ‘They wanted him to enjoy himself, but did not overwhelm him with attentions. "The ‘wation was full and free, polities was not mentioned and talks of hunting experience was the rule, and on that theme the President imated as each clubman narrated his y's shooting. ‘The president of the club is the living image of Mark Tapley. with @ rotund form and chubby face, t i and, like Mark, he is jolly undg all civeui 8 and the President seemed to take a great fancy to him. It was a mutual liking though I don’t believe either would change places with the other. Tcould not help thinking as I saw the genial crowd chatting after supper in perfect fellow- ship and bon commraderie of what an immense thing the American republic is. Here sits the chosen ruler of the grontest nation on earth. whocame toaclub the members of whom were personally unknown to him, and what is more came unattended by guard, courtier or retinne and sank the ruler in the sportsman, and that too among s people lo aged from him and his. “No thoughtful man could look at that homelike picture without thinki many things—chief among them is that the is no esprit du corps 90 strong as among sportsmen, and that the Union is individable now. WHAT THE CLUBMEN THOUGHT. ‘That night after the President had retired andafew.of the clubmen wore smoking their last cigar preparatory to turning in, Mr. Woodard ‘Boys, he, “you all know Lam as independent as an iceberg and say what [ think and think what I feel. Well, I never was more p! I found Mr. Harri- son to be a genial and very agreeable person to become acquainted with, and 1 am sure you rarely find « more enthusiastic sportsman." “Yes, that's so," said the gaide, who had at- tended to him at the blinds, “I never seed any man who siuck steadier to the blinds, and he knows how to shoot, you bet.”” “Did he talk to you?” asked one. Yes, at tirst I was afraid to open my mouth, but he began ik to me as if I was some- body. ‘The hole ectablishipent was awake and mor long before day. ‘The were taorever teanon ike guides moving bur- see he was not in a condition to be very dan- gerous to the gamz, and he held out one little ot. I said to him: “WI 0 He | j ident laughed heartily ani enjoyed the fu Turning to the judge he lnughingly remarke that if he ever expected to be @ candidate for public office he ought never to hitve his picture taken. The President's guide also with some of his game was secured by the art 2in the afternoon the President tru to the back part of the i was secured, and was rowed away to his former position at St. John’s Island. Most of the elub- men hung around the house for awhile, for the Prospect of game was not cheering. JUDGE PORTLOCK'S OPINIO} asked Judge Portlock who had been thrown in the President's society very close of late what were his sentiments regarding our guest's visit. “Well,” said the dispenser of justice. “my experience on this trip as far as it relatos to the genuine and genial social relations which have existed ax between the gentlemen of the club and the chief executive of this great coun- try, has demonstrated that prevailing and in- bred sentiment of freedom and equality which characterizes our grand and glorious form of government, in which, savo the rank of office, grery citizen is the peer of his fellow man, And this interconrse has also convinced me of the fact that among the true lovers of field sports there iz always a touch of nature which makes the whole world of Nimrodsakin.” As the afternoon passed the clubmen departed for their 1t was decided, however, that no blinds inity of the President should be oc- cupied, that he should have all the island and vicinity, and if there were any ducks on the wing near him his decoys would get the ben fit of them. But no man on earth is wise enough to foretell the movements of the wild fowl. MORE ILL LUCK. Probably there is no sport that exercises such a fascination over the sportsman as wild fowl shooting. It is very uncertain. The com- bination of wind, tide and water all enter into it is, that, miles rain end then from the clab housé, the birds the skies. ‘The most tantalizi to tole in bis bling ‘and veo the birds reese stool. com: ight to the notion gets into their heads he cannot surmise, but invariably turn to the left or right and go by. In vain he looks at his blind, stuffs the holes with grass, hides himself completely, but in spite of all he can do the avoidance con- tinues. Sometimes it lasts a whole day and seems to be f ill luck, for the occu- ds around him have returned by the bag he makes. Every knows that by s happy combination of cireum- stances he may kill fAfty canvas backs today and for the next will not shoot a baker's dozen. WAITING FOR THE PRESIDENT. Along about dusk the members straggled in pretty tired—some had game and some had not. Allinquired about the President's luck, but he had not returned, though it was now dark. Fully an hour has passed, the cook an- nounced that dinner was ready, still no Presi- dent. The clubmen became alarmed and every lantern in the place was lighted—and haif of the members started across the marsh to learn something of their vanished guost. They had not got half way before they me the President, who had remained in the blind an hour after —— to shoot passing ducks goihg to their ping grounds. It was @ congeni thatsatdown at tho table thatnight. Mr. Wood ard presided, then the chief executive, Judge Portlock, Messrs. Dillard, L. W. Davis, Floyd Hughes, Jno. R. Todd, L. W. Burke, N. Bear. ‘orfolk, Va.; Alex. Hunter and Clar- ence M. York of Washington, D. C., and J. D. Smith of Patterson, N. J. The bill of fare was simple-oysters from Lynnhaven, black basa caught that evening in the ba: nd table ied down by the same “‘Pommery dent after dinner, as he leaned his sp! tomed chair against the wall and puffed at his cigar, seemed tho picture of contentment. He said in the course of conversation that he had not thought anything about public business since he left Virginia Beach. He looked as if freedom from mental strain was good for him. ‘This was the Inst evening together and every one was at his best. The President again orting facilities of the q if | *aying the spinster, with a sour smile, finished FY FOR THE BLINDS. he could possibly spare tho timo return in» couple of days after a brief visit to his family at the Princess Annie Hotel, and he laughingly remarked there was one member of his house- hold who would kick against being left, and that was Baby McKee, who loudly insisted on accompanying him on the trip. THE GREATEST SHOT ON RECORD. © The President isa lover of good stories if they have comparative freshness, but he is quick to detect any tale that is palmed off on him that ante-dates the flood. There were sev- eral fine raconteurs or narrators among the clubmen, who have a whole fund of anecdotes well worth listening to, and the time of all others that a taking talo should be told is after ® generous dinner, with the room blue with tobacco smoke. ‘The President shook in his chairas one of the clubmen told the story of the greatest shot on record. I was down in Occoquan, said the clubman, duck hunting some years ago and met an old gentleman, who told me that the occurrence happened on his father’s plantation, or rather that part that was rented to Miss Sally Brown, pinster_of uncertain age, but of certain mper. There was an old Dutchman some time in the thirties or forties, when Washing- ton was but a straggling town, and an un- speakably dirty one at that, whose name was ‘ap'en Van Dam. He was the owner of a small sloop called the Fraulien, whose crew consisted of an ancient darkey who answered to the call of Toby. This 't darkey did the cooking and helped the eap'en to furl and hoist the sails. He didn't do much work, but he could play the fiddle as well as Orpheus did his lyre. ‘The business of the captain of the Fraulien was tosail along the Potomac and its tributaries and buy up fruit, vegetables, game, poultry, hides, pelta, butter, eggs, in fact, almost any- thing. and dispose ‘of the cargo’ in Baltimore cap'en was as sharp and ever left the dykes and ms of the low countries. He had every dividual eye tooth cut—even ground toa point —but to look at his heavy, broad, flat face and unmeaning blue eyes one would never think it. One Deccmber. a half a century or 80 ago, the raulien’s anchor was dropped i ran into Occoquan bay. ‘Ihe cup’en intended to get under way the next morning. His pro- visions were running short and he wanted to replenish his larder, now as bare as the tradi- ditional Mother Hubbard's. ‘That night a phe- nomenal freeze set in and the slo} hard and fast. In the evening Capt. Van Dam, after first having made Toby walk on the ice to test its weight, walked across to the shore, when a suug cottage was seen clove by. Now, it happened that this was Miss Sally Brown's home, and the fat Hollander and elderly female were ‘destined to get better acquainted than they ever dreamed of. Miss Sally made her living by raising poultry. Her little rented farm was cultivated solely to raise grain to feed the fowls. She snpplied the choice di of the bountifal tables of the neighboring planters. ‘There were no fattened fowls in the country equal to Miss Sally's. In person she was tall, angular, with reddish bain, thin lips and white eyes.” Miss Sally was, as the natives expressed it, “as keen as @ bi If the ‘THE PRESIDENT A GOOD SHOT. cap'en was Joey Bagstock the spinster was, like ber Christian namesake, Miss Sally Brass. The cap'en wanted to buy a lot of fowis and inoa tiously admitted that he was frozen up hard ‘nd fast, and then Mias Sally asked him « ehill- ing apiece for the chickens instead of their reg- ular price of a sixpence. Mine Gott! Donaer and blitzen!™ swore the stomach e before I'll pay von shilling aj mid mine money. Ter turvol, s sbilling for a chicken?” So he marched off to his sloo] ‘The cold grew more and more frigid, the ice thicker and thicker, and the cap’en and Toby hungrier and hungrier, Tho fight between big pride and thrift on the one hand and his ach- ing stomach on the other wasa tough one, but the latter conquered. So the his dignity—the only thing, by swallowed during and walked across to Miss Sally's house to make the purchase. That astute spinsterknew itwas coming and raised her price to » sbil- 1ickena, while ling and a half apiece for the the price of the turkeys and geese was away up in the face and let = ‘THE PRESIDENTS GUIDE AND: THE PRESIDENTS Game. ‘Migs Sally was waiting and is your gun, she exclaimed. it over to she thought, unloaded, she drew «thimble from her finger and filling it with powder from the skipper's horm poured it down the barrel and lown 8 smi of 5 ‘Ths capion Semonatfobed me ifTdon't put more than It won't even set the wad on fire.” “You ought to have thought of that before, Mister Van Dam,” she replied. “‘A contract is contract, and business is business. I was $0 load the gun, and you have all you kill.” Bo “The'turvel take that in the pan. the loading by dropping in thimblefulof shot. cap'en groaned, dropped the corners of th, turned up his eyes, shrugged is and then asked for anear of corn. Taking it from her, he shelled it in his hat, and laid a train starting from a wood in a straight line for some fifty yards or mere. ‘Then going to an old chopping block, that was half cut through in the center, he placed the lunderbuss in the hollow of the block and lay t down on the ground and told Miss Sally to ‘open the door of the poultry yard. No sooner said than done, and the hungry, greedy and clamorous raft of fowis came fluttering, run- ning, hopping and quacking to their tempting THE BLUNDERBUSS FIRED. ‘The skipper slowly drew back the cumber- some hammer, sank to the ground, settled him- self, ran his eye along the long line of poultry and his horny forefinger sought the trigger. ‘Then there was a breathless pause. The spinster stood near with hor horn spectacles ited up on her forehead snd a mocking smile on her As for Tcvy, who knew what was had hid behind a tree, with both hands over hiseess and his eyes protruding until they nearly rested on his checks. a Van Dam took final sight end ut- tered a prayer, for he well knew the an weapon was loaded past all conscience. He gritted his teeth and pulied. A roar like that f thunder followed, reverberating across the ice and echoing back from the hills of old uantico across the bay. A dense smoke louded the scene and then slowly drifted away. It was a scene for the artist. Here sat Cap'en Van Dam rubbing his right shoulder lustily, an odd mixture of pain and triumph on his face. The old blunderbuss lay some feet dis- tant the smoke still pouring out of the muzzle. d the tree was ancient Toby, rolling over the ground in a parorysm of delight, and there stooa the spinster, with her eyes and arms raised skyward, shrieking in an ear-pisrcing voice: “Oh, my Lord! I'm ruined! I'm undone!!” Toby helped his master to his fect and they counted the slain. Eighteen chickens, nin’ teen guinea keets, eight turkeys, five geese, twelve ducks, two roosters, four tame pigeons ‘and the spinster's tame house pig. golly!” said Toby, ashe filled the bag, de greatest shot on record.” The President got up here and retired to bed. NOT & CLEAR BEAD LionT. After the roar of laughter had subsided the President of the society was called upon. Woodard said he wasn't going to tell any hunt- ing. story after what he heard. but he would narrate @ circumstance that happened to « friend of his. A party of northerners came down last winter to visit the Light House Club and gave « sup- Per to the members on their vessel. It was @ convivial crowd, and it was away past midnight before the party soparated. friend and another clubman took their seats in the boat and lighted their ci ‘As the wind was dead abead the guide had to use the oars. He tol my friend, who was steering, to keep the head ointed straight for the lantern of the light ‘use, whove steady gleam shone rather faintly through the fog. Now, after « man has pots couple of bottles of champagne beneath his belt be is apt to see two lights." My friend saw four, but he did the best he could and steered by turns to them all The guide, who was half seas over, plied his oars mechanically. At last the clubman fixed the light and held the helm true, but it was the gleam of his comrade’s cigar; the comrade was fitting in the bow of the boat, puffing away oblivious of the surroundings. Away flow the boat until it was brought up right against the starting t and ran smack into the t with such force as to pitch my friend head over he@is into the water. As he was fished out he murthured: “Great Scott! how this confounded boat does TROUBLE IX GETTING AWar. As this is sporting article a few words of advice to the fraternity will not come amiss. They may as well disabuse their minds of the idea that they can get in a railroad car or river steamer and by leavi hourd tain good sport ecluded section where ple, I had to start at 4o'clock in the morning to return home and catch one of the little gound steamers that run to suit them- solves. “Ib was bitter cold and the guide rowed for three tiles in the teeth of » northern gale. jes away. boat had arrived two hours all g° He i 3 i F 8 i iF | ee TH i Hi : i i Hi tty i | : j i F E 5 i i { . rr & Surrey, Englapd, | H NEW YORK NOTES. ‘Matters and People Occupying the Attention of Gothamites. WHAT THE SALVATION ARMY DISCOVERED Ix ITs SLUMMING EXPEDITIONS—DR. PARKHURST AXD THE ORAKD JURY—OOSTLY RUG GENS FROM THE ORIENT—TEE CENSUS OF NEW YORK. Rpecial Cormapondence of The Evening Star. New Youx, March 8, 1892. SEE THAT A RESOLUBION HAS BEEN introduced in Congress calling for an in- vestigation relative to “what is known as the slums of cities, confining such investigations to cities containing 200,000 inhabitants or more, as shown by the eleventh census,” and appro- Priating €200,000 for this purpose. I don't Know as there would be that rush to get on this committee which is seen in the case of certain investigations that are supposed to involve a agreeable vacation junketing trip. Certainly the committee, if they did their work honestly, would not havea picnic. No doubt they would be able to make a picturesque re- Port, but just what good they could do it is difficult to say. Probably they would call be- fore them as important witnesses the officers and the rank and file of the Salvation Army The work of this army in the slums of New York and surrounding cities is something re- | markable. They bave seemed to get at the cor of the difficulty better than any other of the benevolent agencies that have nndertaken the { job. Only this week there was quite a notable meeting at the West End Presbyterian Church, at which @ platoon of these indomitable war: riors occupied the platform and described their methods in dealing with the very dregs of the pulation. The narratives revealed a spirit of otion worthy of the hig! P There has been less disposition of late to make fua of these enthusiasts, because the results of their hard work are too evident to admit of ridicule. BARROWING AND GROTESQUE. Some of the stories told at the Monday meet- ing were harrowing and others were grotesque | to the point of the comic. One of the tains” told of a visit she made to a tonem house, where in two dark rooms, so dark thata | Nght was necessary to make the misery visible, | she found a woman and « brood of eight smaii | children, three of them concealed under # pile of potafo bagging. The visitor learned that these three little ones were waiting their turn for their clothes. The family, not having but three suits of clothes, had ‘to go out in sec- tions and the three under the bagging were killing time as best they might until their three sisters brought home the family suits from school on their backs. This woman had immured herself for sixteen yearsin this black hole, from | errors in earlier life which bad made her | ashamed to go abroad, and here she bad lived | with thus incre family, a hermit of the tenements, for haifa generation. 1t would be | difficult for Dickens or anybody else to paint a family living in more exaggerated misery than | this reality of life in New York city. DR. PARKHURST GETS A REBUKE. jof the Union Manufacturing FACTS FROM FREDERICK. Proposed Gerrymander of Frederick Cousty— Burglaries and Incen@iaries Other News, Correspondence of The Evening Star Frepeniox, Mp., Manon 8, 1898, Politicians here are interested in « plan thet has been recently formulated to form « new county out of parte of Frederick, Carroll, Montgomery and Howard, to be named Brows, county, in bonor of the present Governos, whose country home will be within its limits, and Mt Airy, twenty-one miles from this city, has beon desiguated as the probable county seat of the new county. The idea now is ass was five years ago, to add a new county to the sixth district that gives every assurance of be ing permanently democratic and therefore assuring @ permanent democratic Congressman from the district, Senator Gorman and Gos Brown are anid to be with the new be Use It dislikes to lose « pap- pulation, has agreed to r for thi the fact that adem. all be assured. The attempted these counties five years jailed, however, and not much faith ® this scheme, except by the politicians whe long to have Frederick bas again been the victim of the Gang of masked burglars and incen raided through a p. Kinin last year. was made by four o d their attempt proved They broke into the Dy way of the doo trick street, and managed by meaus of hammer ed from. a nei smith shop large iron este, in the holes all there wae They wi heir work when gun powd, ow open the door, secu: safe —€25 in money eding further with were -urprised by the men, who lives across Aw be started the building one of the men stationed doorway fired upon him. He thes his son, and both being armed ep- ached the building. The entire gang thes took to their heels, but not before bad exchanged several shots with te watchman and hisson. They fied down the Baitimore and Obio railroad and all efforts obtain definite clues of them since have failed, 4; Mealey livery stable, on West Saints strect, was seton fire by incendiaries, who rolied a large ball of paper, saturated i with coal oil and, after igniting it, throw M# nat the weather boarding. The flames were discovered before had gained mack headway and were extinguished. ‘These gangs, the members of which were seen sbout the city im the day time, are believed to be idem tically the same that committed several serious deprodations here last year. nthe circuit court bere yesterday Wm. HL Green of thix county was acquitted in « case very much simidar to that against David Ed wards of Montgomery county, which was re Dr. Parkhurst has got himself into rather an awkward fix by his bold language against the | city government, as the grand jury has admin- istered a very severe rebuke to him. We have, | however, to hear his rejoinder, which will no | doubt be a very forcible document. The | Frand jury has done some very good work | tely, which makes their criticism all the more caustic. Dr. Parkhurst evidently relied on moral rather than strictly legal evidence for | the charges which he made, @ very easy mis- take tomake by those who are wrought up to & fierce reforming zeal. I notice that some of the organs of Tammany are now clamoring for his blood in the shape of a suit for slander, but it iventirely unlikely that the politicians will risk such @ conflict, All they ask is to be let aloue by reformers, whether lay or clerical. I may add in this connection that the latest news from Albany is that the liquor dealers’ license law will be reported without substan- | tial modifications and that it will be pushed through the assembly containing the feature of Sunday sales and other obnoxious character- | istics, in the face of the indignant and united Protests of the Catholic clergy, the Protestant clergy and other large and influential bodies of citizens, all of which is a curious commen- tary on the power of public opinion. How- ver, it isalong lane that knows no turning, and we can still hope for some change that shall bring our rulers to what our forefathers doce: the opinions of I was calling on a friend at a well-known im- Porting house this week, and in the course of conversation he said: “Would you like to see something uncommon in rugs” I of course said “yes,” whereupon he got » bunch of key from their custodian and took me intoa special room about the size of a: ordinary drawing room, in which were several piles of rugs, while others were displayed about the walis. “It may interest you to know,” be said, “that in this little room is $100,000 worth of rugs, and yet the real treasures are kept oven more closely.” He then went to a substantial cup- board and unlocking it drew forth a folded silk rug, which he threw open with « flourish. It would need a Ruskin and a Turner com- bined to do justice to the sight which met the The rug was nearly square, being about seven feet, and its richness was daz- zling. The price, I'was informed, was €7.500. It contained 9,000,000 stitches aud’ was about 300 years old. How it got to the New York market the dealer was not at all disposed to and this leads me to rouiark that in these choice eastern rigs there is often a hidden chapter of romance, which, it put to literary uses, might furnish more | than one novel like Wilkie Collins’ ““Moon- stone” to the library of “thrill.” ‘These price- less rugs all have their history; whether they carry with them into exile something of that | power to bless and curse, which is supposed to o with some of these oriental gems tuat have nu torn from their holy nooks in the east to be made traffic of by the infidels, I will not un- | dertake to say. Possibly this superb rug | would be as uncomfortable # possession as that complacent “fallen idol” which caused such distress in the wild narrative of Anstey. SEARCHING THE ORIENT. The great houses have their experienced travelers, who penetrate into the very recesses of Persia, India, Thibet and the other nooks and corners of the far east, and I fear that they are not restrained from spoliation through any cine = heathen ——. for the pro- prieties of pagan palaces. Their first com- ‘mandment is the hard-headed American com mand to “get there,” and they feel no more remorse in snatching one of these sacred trens- | ures from some venerable temple or scarcely Jess sacred harem than a boy does to puli frou particularly deep hole the coy monarch of the brook which haslong defied the piscatorial genius ofa whole county. The price of the ‘example referred to, #7,500, is of course more or lews arbitrary, but represents not unfairly the value of rug of this sort, and is by means unprecedented, as some time ago there rug here for which the price asked was 10,000. Ni could su the splendor of tats bit of, unkoistery, a hike ieweres as the Masterpieces PORTER VS. TAMMANY. ‘The first estimates have been tabulated of figures show @ city population of very nearly 2,000,000 souls. This is a very marked advance on the federal census, which gave the popula- = hy ome About 200,000 for by the well-known fact that of i eT | | coun county and bas just been concluded there, resulting in the con viction of Edwards and bus seutence to twenty oue Years in the penitentiary. Green was aor cused of incest with hie daughter, aged about thirteen years, but it was brought out in the testimony that be had whipped the girl tor ag act of disobedience and se bad trumped up this aw/ul charge against Lim. Yesterday, alee in the circuit court here, Gardner Piper, ag | cighteen-year-old white boy, was sentenced te the Maryiand penitentiary for two years for assault and batter and to the house of cor rection for #ig months on the ame charge ow another count. He was originally indicted for an attempted indecent assault upon thirtcen year-old Ellen Nelson of near Weverton, this countr, who swore that one evening in Septer ber list as she was driving her cows home Viper accosted her aud made an indeces proposal, which she rejected. He then dragged er across the wood into the bushes and at tempted to assault her, but her ries brought Mrs. Nunemaker to hier aid and she escaped, Of Abia charge the jury, found him wot guilty, # but guilty of assault and battery. The cases of mber of Baltimore and Ohio train mey have been heard in the court bere this week, charged with stealing goods trom the cars in freight distributing yard at . this county. A large mumber of the men were arrested some time ago charged with this offense, and investigation made at the time revealed the fact that the theft bad been in progress for come time and that the company had lost « great deal of money in that way, the articles being stolen from cars containing merchandise cousigned to and from Washington and Baltimore, and consisting of hats, shoes, clothing and the like. In passing through the yard the men would throw their things out of the cars, they would be covered up in cinder heaps by their accomplices and aiterward secured and taken to the cities Three of the men on trial yesterday were ac- quitted, and « fourth, » young fellow, con- essed. "There are a great many such cases to be tried bere and an Virginia and Howard and Baltimbre counties. Wm. D. Grove, who made & business of stealing horves and dispos- ing of them at good pricos, was yesterday found ilty in the court bere and sentenced to ten an th ing there. Last evening in the Ev Church here the Hon. Ja member of the Maryland house, and Mins Ida Rebecca, second daughter of Mr. and Mre. Jobn 5. Kamsbarg of Frederick, were mar- ried, the Rev. Dr. E. R Exchbach ‘officiating. After the ceremony the bride and groom left via the Baltimore and Ohio railroad, — Clar- ence L. Kennard, was married to Miss Mary Albaugh of New London, this county, tae Reva. Rodgers and Floyd officiating. After the jcere- mony the bride and groom beid an informal tion at the City Hotel and late left for Baltimore and New York. Interest is already felt among politicians of all clans here as to the outcome of the e% sional election in this, the sixth district, next fall. The democrats are almost certain to re- nominate the preseut incumbent, Mr. McKaig, and the republicans have choice of three meu, but which one they will nominate is yet a moet question. It was thought that George L. Wel- Lingtou of Cumberland would not consent to run,and Col. George A. Pearre of Allegheny was then proposed, but Mr. Wellington, it appears, is perfectly willing to shoulder the houor and bear the burden of the nomination. It is believed,*however, that the same faction in the republican party thats opponed to there- nomination of ex-Congressman McComas is op- posed to the nomination of Mr. Wellington, ‘ile im tho case of Col. Pearre there is not, #6 far as kuown,auy opposition worth speaking of. Mr. McComas intentions im the matter are as yet not even hinted of. R. Electrotype Foundry at Kouse’s Potat, §. Fa Barned—Other Fires. At 12 o'clock last Thursday night fire was die- covered in the Lovell building, at Rouse’s Point, N. J., occupied by Phillips & Casey as an sleo- of | trotype foundry. ‘The fire gained rapidly and nothing could be done to save the building or contents. Loss will reach upward of $70,000, of which €20,000 was gy 2 io yee t to Ear: rene cre tarown out of employment. ‘The Puilding was owned by J. W. At 2 o'clock yesterday” morning, the dence of Henry Hail, at Milford, Del, was en- tirely consumed by fire, supposed to have caught from a defective flue. The residence Robt. Warren, sdjoining, wae somewhat Shmaped by fire and water. Joss is about strored. Lom, om ‘The storage vai were against which the brewery was beer was spoiled.