VOL. XI, No. 10.
SATURDAY MORNING, FEBRUARY FIRST, 1908.
PRICE FIVE OEM rfe
THE SADDLE PICNICKERS
Graphic Pen Picture of Pleasures of a
Day in the Woods.
Ood'iiOut of Door Claim Them From
th .Early Morning Until
Twillg-ht'a Glow.
GROOM rides up to The
Carolina entrance with
a dozen saddle horses
clattering behind him,
followed not far away,
by several carriages.
A score of people appear upon the hotel
veranda and, close after them, a back
ground of interested onlookers. Bell boys
wedge their way through the crowd with
mysterious packages which they stow
away in the teams, there is the noise of
preparation, and presently the gay cara
van is moving away, laughter and con
versation mingling with the clank of
steel, the creak of leather, the rattle of
wheels and the thump of hoofs.
.The "Saddle Picnickers " are off for
tho. day.
Through the Village they go, past the
power house and the stable, across the
little viaduct, between the kennels and
the sand pit, and with the click of the
wife gate The Open claims them.
1 1 is a perfect day. The sun bathes the
landscape in gloiy, the air sets the blood
tingling, and the blue dome of the sky
blends with the deep green of the pines,
the rich brown of the oaks and the warm
ochre of the sedge grass, into a symphony
of color contrast. God's out of doors
lies all about ; desolate, waste land in the
literal sense, but how beautiful it is!
The Unknown lies beyond and it
Beckons! Reins tighten and horses
spring forward, rejoicing with their riders
in the exuberance of life. Cool air fans
the brow, tempering the welcome rays of
the sud, the landscape flits away on
either side, the road vanishes as a river,
below, and winds on like a ribbon,
beyond.
There is a pause for a steep incline, a
scramble up a rough hillock, and another
gallop through the open. Then a steep
descent to a tiny stream and on up the
opposite hillside, through the Count v
Gate, past a native home with no sign of
life, and on again. McKenzie's wide ford
is crossed mid flying water and happy
jest, and the damp sand crunches under
the horse's hoofs until the second stream,
a short distance away; is passed, andorice
more the path leads through the sedge
grass and oaks. Then a sharp incline, a
small stream to cross and a short climb
up a rough road to a native home. Two
dogs rush forward, their furious barking
mingling with the cries of children, and
dying away behind as the party moves
on.
Down a rough path to a rustic bridge,
the road leads through a bit of open, and,
suddenly, enters a beautiful grove of
pines, the rich green foliage a refresh
ing note of color to the eye; Through
the arches the party swings, past a de
serted house, and on into a magnificent
grove of hardwood and pine, close by a
One party is testing , the speed of an un
gainly razor back and another examining
an Old .fish way in the brook.
The noon hour arrives speedily and
without the aid of a watch. The crowd
reassembles, watching with eager inter
est the camp fire and the simmering of
the coffee pot. My ! How ravishing the
odor is ! Upon the pine needles the feast
is spread and the opening of each pack
age comes as a delicious surprise. First
of all the sandwiches of many kinds,
with a bottle of olives and one of gher
kins, then a box of hard boiled eggs,
in
I f I
:&
, 'I L
-, . -.. t ' '
THE MIDWINTER HANDICAP "WINNERS '.
G. S. McCarty, Preliminary
running stream of pure water, where a
halt is called.
Riders dismount, carriages are quickly
vacated and presently the horses are
scattered among the trees, contentedly
munching sedge grass or playfully test
ing the streDgthof their halters, with the
picnickers scattered and their merry
laughter echoing and re-echoing through
the forest. Someone is sketching here
or taking a photograph there, while
others seek birds, flowers or minerals.
-C. W. Billinge, Handicap.
with pepper and salt; one of oranges,
apples and grapes; another of cookies,
crackers and cheese.
Were there ever such sandwiches, such
eggs, - such relishes, such fruit! The
coffee? Necter brewed by the Gods!
Long the company lingers, and as the
men enjoy their pipes and cigars and the
women chat, comes the consciousness of
cool air and warm sunshine and ever and
always there is the murmer of the forest
Concluded on page 12.)
A "HUMMER" THROUGHOUT
Midwinter Handicap Brilliant Prophecy
for Events to Come.
Week ndN with Dinner ut The Caro
lina and Many -Eipreaaions
of Kindly Feeling-.
HE FIRST annual Mid
winter Handicap trap
shooting tournament
was just plain "hummer"
from start to finish ; a
brilliant prophecy for
future events which it inaugurates. A
big field of entries, representative of the
very fastest amateurs in the country,
perfection in management and snap and
go throughout, made the event a bril
liant success in every particular, com
bined with which was the interest of the
entire Village, crowds assembling daily
to follow the progress of the tournament.
Each event was hotly contested, C. W.
Billings, twice runner-up in the New
York Athletic Club's Championship
event, winning the Handicap, at the eight-teen-yard
mark, with a score of ninety,
two targets in the lead of R. G. Stokley,
winner of the Preliminary in the South
ern Handicap at Richmond last June,
also eighteen yards, who made eighty
eight, with Andrew Lindley, one of the
New Jersey State Champions, (eighteen,
yards ) third in eighty-six. i
G. S McCarty, winner of the Southern
Handicap at Richmond last May, wrn
the Preliminarj', shooting from the
twenty-yard mark, with a score of ninety-one,
four targets in the lead of George
H. Piei;y, one of the New Jersey State
Champions (nineteen yards ), who made
eighty-seven, with George L. Lyon, win
ner of last year's Preliminary in the
Grand American Handicap, (twenty
yards ) third in eighty-three.
The struggle in the high general aver
age contest was especially keen, William
M. Foord, former New York State anjj!
New York Athletic, Club Champion, lead
ing with ninety-two per cent, breakings
two hundred and seventy-six of the three
hundred targets which constituted this
event ; Mr. Lyori finishing second with
two hundred seventy-one., and ninety
and one third per cent; Mr. McCarty and
Mr. Hall, tying for third at eighty-nine
and one third per cent. A.M. Hatcher
and Harry S, Welles, '?Dead Shot'; Pow-i
der representatives, led the professionals
with ninety-two and two thirds and
ninety and one third per cent, Walter
Concluded on page 12)