CHAPTER XXI.

_The Migration of Ducks._

Ever since I started tagging birds, my desire for this never-tiring sport has been constantly increasing, and to-day I have carloads of unsatisfied ambition flying all over America just because I cannot get my tag on them all. Altogether, I have tagged four hundred and forty ducks since starting, and I am well pleased with the amount of interest the sportsmen have displayed in writing me from different shooting grounds of America where these tagged birds have fallen.

It is remarkable how these letters differ in tone, how men will expose who they are by their hand-writing, stating how they captured the bird, or how it got caught in a muskrat trap; this, of course, is their Latin way of saying “I shot the duck out of season.” But about the limit was when a gentleman wrote as follows: “I am an officer of the law, and the other night while on duty I was in pursuit of two whiskey smugglers crossing our river. I ordered them to stop, but they did not heed, so I fired my revolver in the air, and down came a wild duck with a tag on.”

I would like to match this “officer of the law” against a “detective” we have in our town. This man had been duck hunting and next day when asked “What luck?” replied, “Well, just middling; good and bad both. You know I had the old muzzle-loader, and I got up at Cedar Creek just daybreak; looked, and saw the largest flock of ducks on earth coming right towards me. So I squatted in the rushes, and when they came over I rose up, taking steady aim where they were the thickest, pressed the trigger, and both barrels snapped, but down came twenty-seven ducks. Really if the gun had gone off I know I would have killed a thousand!”

Another letter states, “I wish I could get more of the ducks. I was out all morning and got only twenty-four. The one with the tag on was amongst them. How is the shooting down your way?”

Worst of all was a well-educated man who never wrote at all, but the duck was seen by a friend of mine who reported it; then I wrote the doctor the second time, enclosing a self-addressed postal card before I got a short acknowledgment.

But like all other things in my life, the good that has been blown my way has completely drifted the undesirable under. I have received some of the most beautiful letters that ever were written by God-fearing and loving hands.

One man explains, “I received the message you put on the duck’s leg, and it is so personal it makes me love you for sending it. Will you please let me keep it?” His request was cheerfully granted, for the message read: “He careth for you. Peter 5:7.”

A lady writes, “My boy shot the duck. Thank you for the message; it makes us friends.”

A soldier boy writes, “Uncle Sam has called me to the colors and I must respond. Should I live to return I will be pleased to come and see you. You will find enclosed the tag I took from the duck’s leg. Good-bye.” On looking at the tag which this duck had carried for over a year and finally delivered to this young soldier, out for his last day’s recreation before leaving for the battle-field, already soaked with human blood, I found that the message read: “For me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. Philippians 1:21.”

The following is a letter from Dr. Axby in reply to my printed pamphlet requesting him to return the tag. I know the Doctor will pardon my reproducing his letter, as I have dozens similar to it, but his was the first I came to.

January 1st, 1919.

Mr. Jack Miner,

I am in receipt of your interesting letter, and assure you we are glad there are such men as you in the world, and shall endeavor to remember your interest in game life and govern ourselves in accord with your wishes.

Here wishing you a Happy, Prosperous, Peaceful 1920, and more to come.

Enclosed find your tag.

Yours truly, (DR.) J. L. AXBY.

The following letter would cause one to believe that there are States that have not yet been visited by Billy Sunday, particularly as the entire Bible verse was stamped on the tag:

May 3, 1920.

Box 48, Kingsville, Ont.

Dear Unseen Friend,—

On the aluminum plate bent around a wild duck’s leg bore these words: Jude 1–21. I can’t make out the meaning.

Wishing to hear from you,

Yours truly, C.... H.

HOLLY GROVE, ARK., Feby. 28th, 1920.

Box 48, Kingsville, Ontario.

The mallard drake on which you placed the aluminum tag bearing the following inscription on one side, “Write Box 48, Kingsville, Ontario,” and on the other side, “With God all things are possible, Mark 10:27,” was killed near this place a few days ago. We had notice put in the Arks. _Democrat_, published in Little Rock, Arks.

About the 1st of October of each year these ducks begin to come into this country, and they feed on rice and acorns and other seeds. Some years they are very numerous. We also have a few geese. They begin to go away from now on to the latter part of March. None remains except those which have been wounded too badly to make the long flight.

Will you please write me when you put the tag on this duck, and how old was he when you put it on? Do they stay in your country during the summer months? Write me any information concerning them.

Several years ago what we called the Sandhill Cranes came over here in large flocks, passing further south. I never saw but one light. It was about six feet tall, and was a brownish color. They have not flown over for several years. Do they belong to your country; if so, what has become of them?

Very truly, T. G. TRICE.

Then a lady from the South gives a laughable account of what happened down there over one of the colored preachers getting a message in this most unexpected way:

Dear Mr. Miner,—

I think you will be interested in knowing about some of your geese and ducks. While I was in Mississippi last winter I visited in Louisiana and Arkansas. Along the last of November some of the negroes on the plantation went over on the sandbar to hunt for wild geese, and they got several ducks and two big grey geese, and on one of the legs was a tin tag with a Bible inscription on it. The old darky that happened to get it was a great preacher; could not read a word, but was gifted with lots of gab and exhorted quite a lot. He thought the message came down from heaven and they had quite a revival over it. I heard him one night and he said: “This am the message of the Lord. I saw Him descending with this fowl in His arms, and it flew right at me. And now am the Judgment coming, and we are the elected, and am going straight to His arms.”

I don’t remember just what verse it was, but I remember it was your address and think perhaps this will interest you.

Yours truly, ..........

The following are the names and post office addresses given me of each person who has killed or reported the ducks. And fully seventy-five per cent. of the tags reported have been returned and are in my possession.

IN CANADA

_Alberta._— Arch. S. Coutts, Earlie.

F. A. Rispler, Lac la Biche.

_Manitoba._— T. H. P. Lamb, Moose Lake.

_Ontario._— W. S. Falls, Amherstburg.

F. C. Clarkson, Toronto.

A. Chaphus, Windsor.

Henry Smith, Walpole Island.

Thomas Moore, Amherstburg.

Alexander Moore, Amherstburg.

Dr. Rutherford, Chatham.

John Harris, Kingsville.

E. O. Scratch, Kingsville.

William Scratch, Kingsville.

Franklin L. Warner, Fort Francis.

_Quebec._— Dr. L. P. Legendre, Ste. Croix.

_Saskatchewan._— H. J. Koep, Englefeld.

S. W. Brooks, Humboldt.

IN UNITED STATES

_Alabama._— Henry Grayson, Ararat.

Edward J. Bangle, Mobile.

J. N. Winn, Florence.

Dr. S. C. Frederic, Mobile.

Hennan Schnur, Decatur.

Herman Putman, Point Rock.

Mose Harris, Madison.

Ottis Denson, Cullman.

J. H. Clerkler, Clanton.

_Arkansas._— W. O. Sims, Manila.

Robert White, Holly Grove.

J. C. Cox, McGehee.

T. G. Trice, Holly Grove.

_Florida._— Walter Huff.

_Georgia._— T. H. Clark, Milledgeville.

Miles A. Dolphus, Oconee.

_Illinois._— E. G. Baxton, Pleasant, Pike Co.

R. R. Banta, Oquawka.

Jerry M. Lashbrook, Beardstown.

Edward Sholm, Peru.

Rev. Chas. Vandettum, Bushell.

James Walls, Elizabethtown.

Catharine Hobbs, Golconda.

Richard Hess, Elizabethtown.

_Indiana._— Dr. J. L. Axby, Lawrenceburg.

Clarence Carter, Memphis.

Percy R. Gordon, Shelbyville.

Mrs. Andrew Brauman, Leconia.

Roy Wellman, Michigan City.

E. R. Kemp, Evansville.

James Trautween, Evansville.

Charlie Frederick, Jeffersonville.

_Iowa._— James Jarvis, Redding.

_Louisiana._— R. C. Boisseau, Shreveport.

D. P. Hysnel, New Orleans.

Eli Guidry, Gueydan.

R. J. Leblans, Baton Rouge.

Fred Frontenot, Washington.

Mrs. L. DeJean, Opelousas.

Herman Hall, New Orleans.

H. W. Kofman, New Orleans.

Jack Sims, New Orleans.

Abras Sonnier, Holmwood.

Jos. Zaunbrecher, Branch.

_Kentucky._— Mary Smoot, Owentown.

Edward J. Volz, Louisville.

Clyde Spencer, Frankfort.

Noah Smith, Paris.

Leonard Carson, Lebanon.

Neal T. Brisin, Westport.

H. B. Ogden, Sanders.

Miss Ohal M. Jennings, Louisville.

J. J. Oerther, Frankfort.

Floyd Standfield, Cowan.

Harry Porter Hightown, Beneco.

Floid Standfield, Paris.

J. M. Grubbs, Danville.

Hollie Peavler, Harrodsburg.

_Maryland._— John L. Bradshaw, Tylerton.

George B. Fowler, Lower Martboro.

Henry B. Price, Betterton.

_Michigan._— Emory L. Ford, Detroit.

Geo. E. Bartlo, Detroit.

Charles LaPoint, Detroit.

Box 342, Grandy Ave., Detroit.

Vandes Gildersleeve, Rockwood.

D. M. Cummings, Rockwood.

James H. Quick, Rockwood.

J. C. Adams, Munich.

N. Rugee White, Grand Rapids.

Geo. W. Francisco, Newport.

Mr. Blank, Sault Ste. Marie.

James B. O’Donnell, St. James.

_Minnesota._— William Gibson, Breckenridge.

Mrs. B. E. Kocher, Brainerd.

M. H. Carstens, Glencoe.

_Mississippi._— J. C. Miller, Smithsville.

Chas. Dunlap, Rosedac.

Tom Galliday, Bew Springs.

Homer J. Williams, Jackson.

H. H. Peason, Cedar Bluff.

R. E. Ramsey, Ellisville.

Dr. W. Sumrall, Balzoni.

_Missouri._— D. B. Ashbrook, Carrollton.

G. E. Adcock, Boekerton.

Dorin F. Winters, Bragg City.

John W. Sawyer, Caruthersville.

_Montana._— J. L. Dellart, Helena.

_New Jersey._— Fred W. Meerbolt, Secaucus.

Willis T. Johnson, Lakewood.

_New York._— F. A. Haughey, Watkins.

W. de F. Hayes, Long Island.

_North Carolina._— A. B. Wallace, Belhmen.

_North Dakota._— Walter Shield, Carrington.

John B. Schneider, Fredonia.

E. G. Erbe, Bismarck.

_Ohio._— August Holstein, Columbus.

J. O. H. Denny, Fremont.

Lewis B. Erwin, Erwin.

Chas. Gibbs, Genoa.

Miss Flora Lambert, Orient.

E. H. Mack, Sandusky.

W. A. Beverley, Celina.

David Stout, Circleville.

Earle Moore, Seckiton.

Harry Smith, Greenville.

John H. Wright, Port Clinton.

K. B. Brown, Amanda.

_Pennsylvania._— Marleah Moulton, Frankhannock.

Clarence Hibber, Richie.

_South Carolina._— L. A. Beckman, Santee.

W. E. Bray, Anderson.

H. G. Leiding, Charleston.

W. F. Gaylord, Fountain Inn.

Bernard M. Baruch, Georgetown.

Eugene DuPont, Georgetown.

S. S. Owens, Hawthorne.

_South Dakota._— Ben Hilderbrant, Crandall.

_Tennessee._— John V. Thomas, Chattanooga.

R. E. Lewis, Sale Creek.

Lance McAllie, Birchwood.

Harry Stamps, Cooksville.

W. P. Ray, Cooksville.

G. H. Elrod, Shelbyville.

Mack Stewart, Martha.

John Fite Robertson, Lebanon.

Johnson Little, Gates.

_Texas._— J. Lewis Thompson, Houston.

_Virginia._— Rev. Albert P. Dixon, Williamsville.

C. S. Lawson, Saluda.

C. W. Waller, Martinsville.

Robt. J. Dunn, Sweet Hall.

_West Virginia._— Corporal John I. Smith, Ravenswood.

Howard Haddox, Mahone.

_Wisconsin._— E. P. Gallaway, Fond-du-Lac.

Miss Hedwig Hener, Larson.

Geo. F. Bishop, Elk Mound.

The foregoing names are written as correctly as I can give them, as some of the signatures were quite a puzzle. However, the map will explain to you the migration of these ducks, as the round dots on the map, indicating where each duck was killed, will help you out.

The straight line leading from Kingsville to each of these dots does not prove that the duck followed that course. For illustration, the two ducks that were killed in Alberta and Saskatchewan in the fall of 1917 left here with a flock of other ducks in the fall of 1916, and some of the bunch were killed in Georgia, Alabama and Louisiana. The lines are drawn simply to help you out; also to prove to your entire satisfaction that Kingsville, Ontario, is the hub of America.

I have only one request to make of the reader. That is: In case you call one of these men up, or write him, and get no reply, do not give up, but get after the other fellow, until you find out for yourself that the above are all facts.