!882 Los Angeles Times, A Big Hunt. The Los Angeles Sportsmen’s Club Hunt in a Novel Way. They go the Ballona a Duckling and Get More Than They Can Bring Home—Great Joy in Camp. February 21, 1882. p. 3. 1882
Last Saturday morning the lovers of duck hunting started out for the Ballona with the intention of committing murder in the different languages, and they did. About two o’clock thirteen of the Los Angeles Sportsmen’s Club met at the appointed camping place, and after a hasty dinner and a good drink of Democratic ice water they paired off under their respective leaders, R.A. Ling on one side and D.J. Foley on the other. These mighty hunters were elected simply because they were the Crack Shots in the crowd. (See the score.)
They—the chief murderers—tossed up for first choice and Foley got the first pick. There being one too many, H.T. Payne was appointed umpire. The fun then began and was kept up until yesterday morning.
They had a good deal of fun at Ling’s expense. The boys knew he was a good shot, over the left, and some of them watched him. The first duck he killed was not a duck at all, but a mud chicken, Ling thought he had killed a polar goose, and was thoroughly disgusted when the cook refused to Roast His Goose.
There was much rivalry between the captains and they never lost an opportunity to play a practical joke on one another. The second day Foley got up sick. The ice-water didn’t agree with him. He started out, however, to get a goose or two. After several hours hunt he came in with a mud hen and what he supposed to be a goose, but when his bag was examined the goose was a hawk that had been killed several days before and slipped into his bag by his rival a few minutes after he got into camp. He, Foley, is fond of late sleeping, and when the boys joshed him about Ling’s industry he got mad and said the reason he was not so stir-Ling as his opposing captain was that he was accompanied by such a terrible Payne that he was afraid to Hazard a shot. Preparations were immediately made for drenching him with ice water after that, but it wasn’t necessary. He declared he had a Craw-for(d) such as that and declared he could get away with a Hol-brook full of it. How much he did get away with can’t be computed In-gals, but he pulled away at the thing till he couldn’t see Nor(d)holdt any more. The boys shouldn’t have Gav-itt away though.
When the umpire decided the game stood:
Ling’s Team.
R.A. Ling . . . . . . . . . . .18—and a mud hen
J. Martin . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Dr. Crawford . . . . . . . . 35
Maj. St. John . . . . . . . . 29
F.W. Ingals . . . . . . . . . 37
J. Norholdt . . . . . . . . . . 27
———
187
Foldy’s [sic] Team
Dan Foley . . . . . . . . . . . .9—& a dead hawk
L.D. Gavitt . . . . . . . . . 42
L. Martin . . . . . . . . . . . 32
J.F. Holbrook . . . . . . . . 29
Joe Taggart . . . . . . . . . . 36
H.T. Hazzard . . . . . . .. . 38
- - - -
186
Ling’s score . . . . . . . . . . . . 187
Foley’s score . . . . . . . . .. .. .186
H.T. Payne, umpire . . . . . . . 41
- - - -
Total . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 414
It will be seen from this that Ling’s team came out ahead by a duck. The champaign [sic] supper has not yet been announced, but when it comes off the Times devil will be there.
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