Rensselaer Union, Volume 7, Number 16, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 7 January 1875 — Shooting Ducks. [ARTICLE]

Shooting Ducks.

“ Speaking of shooting ducks,” says Dr. F.< “ puts me in mind of the great storm that occurred when I lived on the island. As you are well aware, ou: island was near by Casco Bay; an awful storm arose, and "was so fierce that it drove tail the ducks in the bay into a pond, covering about an acre, near my house. In fact, so many ducks crowded into that pond that I could not see a drop of water.” “ Sho,” says Smith. “Did ye shute any oi. ’em?” “That’s what I was coming at. I went into the house and got my double-barreled shotgun and discharged both barrels right into the midst of them, but, to my astonishment, they arose in the air, leaving not a solitary duck in the pond!” “ Good gracious! ye don’t say so!” says Smith; “ didn’t ye hev any shot in yer gun, or what w r as the trouble?” “ Well, I was coming to that,” said Dr. F. “It astonished me at first, but as soon as the ducks rose a few hundred yards in the air and began to separate a little the ducks began to drop, and, whether you believe it or not, I picked up twentyfiine barrels of ducks, and it was a poor season for ducks, 100. You see the duoks were wedged in so solid in the pond that when they rose they carried the dead ones into the air with them,, and when they separated down came the twenty-nine barrels of dead ones.” The Troy Tiiaes relates this: “A. young lady in a neighboring village accepted an invitation from a young gentleman to ride, and when the gentleman came with his horse and buggy the lady found it impossible to get in, so closely had she adhered to the prevailing fashion of drawing her dress tightly about her. She asked to be excused, ana going into the house let out two or three reefs in her dress, when she was enabled to get into the buggy.” —A farmer’s daughter has just missed being a heroine. Seeing her father’s barn on fire she got a pail of water, ran toward the blaze,’ and —fainted on the way. The barn was destroyed, and her father, rating her intentions by the low standard of her failure, warmed her shoulders with a strap.