There were fewer rail and reed birds killed here yesterday than on the first day of September for several years past. This, it is said, is due to the low tide that was in and to the hour of the day that it was high water, which was in the morning. There are plenty of birds, but the water was so low that they could bot be reached. There were ten boats left Goff's Hotel, and sixteen left Stewart's Hotel, at Second and Edgemont Avenue. All the boats and experienced pushers were out, and some who came some distance could not procure either boat or pusher. These are the favorite grounds along the river, and it is always a harvest for those who own boats and understand how to push. The gunners yesterday paid more attention to rail than to reed birds, because the former are larger than the latter, and it pays better to shoot them. The highest number killed by one boat yesterday was fifty-nine. This is a very small number, for usually high boat on the first day is considerably over a hundred. The following pushers were engaged from Stewart's hotel, the number indicating the rail birds bagged: Thomas Blizzard, 59; W.H. Blizzard, 38; L. Riddle, 27; John Boon, 24; J. Pierce, 21; Wm. Blizzard, 21; F. Fitzmore, 21, Jacob Miller, 20; P. Preston, 21; F. Bavier, 17; R. Marshall, 17; Bart Wheaton, 14; A. Schmitz, 14; W. Stewart, 12; J. Morris, 12; E. Culen, 12.
At Goff's hotel the following pushers reported: Benj. Harris, 39; Jacob Rothwell, 33; Benj. Driskett, 22; S. Preston, 21; Richard Brown, 19; Thomas Davis, 19; Charles Goff, 18, and Jacob Rothwell, Jr., 15.
Robert Koons, pushed by Perry Allen, 25 rail and 17 reed birds, and Mahlon Hudson, pushed by Joe Preston, killed 40 rail and reed birds. Both of these young men belong to the West Jersey Sportsmen's Club.
September 2, 1880. Chester Daily Times 8(1234): 3.