James Stephen Hogg Goes Deer Hunting

It’s deer hunting season now, or soon to be,  in some Texas counties. This news item has no identification and no date: Someone (perhaps Ima?) clipped it from a newspaper in the 1890s.

Here is a readable version:        

JIM HOGG PINCHED FOR POACHING

         An immigrant from another good old East Texas county--Cherokee--is Miss Viola Dickinson of 232 Emerson. She tells us about a historic big game hunt of the gay nineties in that county, which was Jim Hogg’s native heath.

         During his administration as governor, Hogg went back there for a deer hunt with his boyhood friend, Judge E.C. Dickinson of Rusk, the county seat. Two other lawyers of that town joined in the hunt: District Judge James I. Perkins and County Judge James P. Gibson.

         They hunted on horses provided by Judge Dickinson, the host. As the governor was a very fat man, a heavy bay horse--also named Jim--was chosen for him. Jim’s cruising gait was a jogging trot, and the uncomfortable bobbing of the gigantic, jovial Jim Hogg in the saddle amused his companions.

         At the southeastern county border the party sighted a deer. Judge Dickinson got a shot at the buck and brought him down. The hunters dismounted and were admiring the game and congratulating the lucky deerslayer when seemingly from nowhere there materialized a game warden        

         He informed the legal lights that they had violated the game law, as they were across the line in Angelina County where the hunting season was not yet open.

         The game warden felt that he had achieved a distinction in arresting and hailing into justice court the great governor of Texas and three court judges. Steep fines were imposed and paid. the guests of the occasion had the deer skin treated and presented to Judge Dickinson as a rug for the floor of his office.

Happy Holidays!

Look for more Ima posts in 2016.