Rensselaer Republican, Volume 26, Number 16, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 14 December 1893 — SHOOTING Off BICYCLES. [ARTICLE]

SHOOTING Off BICYCLES.

Two Hunters Say They Find it Pleasanter Than Tramping on Foot. St. Lorrs Globe Democrat. T4ist Tuesday two young men rode into St. Louis on bicycles. They wore hunting coats and looked considerably travel stained. At the Lindell Hotel they registered as George Pierce and John Rogers, of New York. They carried guns—one a Winchester rifle and the other a double barrelled shotgun. In conversation after breakfast they related their experience of the past three weeks, when they left Springfield, Mo., coming on the wheels over the Ozarks on a hunting excursion. •Mr Pierce said: “Having plenty of time we chose this way of making the trip. The weather was all that could be desired, and as to finding and killing game we had all that we wanted. Before starting out we practiced on our wheels with the guns until we could ride and shoot very accurately. But usually we got off when we came across turkeys or deer, although I killed one turkey while coming down a pretty steep incline. My friend here, who carried the rifle most of the way, didn't undertake to shoot while on his wheel, but would ride up close, dismount and then do’ his destructive work. But I shot quail, squirrels, one turkey, hawks, rabbits and nearly all kinds of game while riding. One day we glided around a turn in the road, and only about fifty yards in front of us we came upon three deer. We were moving along noiselessly, and when they saw us they seemed to be struck dumb with amazement;, • Rodgers jumped off, got tangled in his wheel, and fell sprawling. I alighted all right, but when I raised the gun to shoot all I saw was a cloud of dust away down the road. HI admit that we were about as much startled and amazed when we saw the three deer as they were when they suddenly saw us round tho curve with less noise than a bird makes in flying. Of course we kept the roads, and had to push our wheels up the hills, but, as a rule, we got along very nicely, and were well taken care of by people with whom we stopped on the way. “When we started out on the trip we agreed not to leave the roads in pursuit of game, and to avoid the larger towns as much as possible. Rolla is about the only town of any size we stopped at, We forded several streams, and got slightly damp in attempting some of them. We have taken some pictures by the way and many notes to be developed later on.

“I have taken a good many excursions on my wheel, and so has Rodgers, but this has been the most delightful experience I ever had. You would be astonished to know how little real fatigue or annoyance attended our journey. We carried our ..little haversacks,, with necessary changes of underclothing and handkerchiefs, and belt with cartridges. I had to get powder and shot on several occasions and reload my brass shells, and that is all we had to purchase except our powder. We hope to make Chicago before stormy weather sets in. We shall spend a day or two, however, in Illinois, duck shooting before we make our run eastward. If you can ride a bicycle, like fine scenes, and shooting that is novel, make the run in pleasanf autumn weather that we have just finished, and you will find out what real sport is. I never heard of hunting with a bicycle before, but 1 hope to find a good many sportsmen chafing game that way before long..