lecture; which we enjoyed very much. I heard him before in Guelph but I didn't mind hearing him again. He is very illiterate but not in the least vulgar and although his humor would sound very silly from most people and his sentimental touchs soft, it seems to suit him very well. He couldn't read nor write till after he was grown up and his little boy got him to go to Sunday school but he has been well educated by experience & observation and what he has done with wild geese and other birds is wonderful. He is a philanthropist because although he gets help now from the Government for a long time protected the wild geese & ducks at his own expense and one year fed them 1500 bushels of corn. He showed us slides of his birds and his farm and must have it fixed up very nicely. He has a 2 1/2 acre ball ground just for the boys and Ty Cobb who was visiting the place one day told him he thought it was one of the nicest little diamonds he had ever seen, that pleased Jack very much. One fellow said to him once that the thought it was all very nice but could see where he was making it pay. Jack says that is how a lot of fellows value everything in dollars & cts, but he said I get my dividends in seeing the boys out there playin ball and knowing that they are going to be a lot better men than if I hadn't helped them along." He is evidently deeply religious and quotes Scripture for game laws and to prove his own observations. He is so sincere and so keenly interested in his peculiar vocation that his lecture in spite of his inelegant mode of expression is next thing to enthralling.

Friday December 16th

I spent most of the morning doing chores and Dad. got things ready to butcher the bandit hogs He had to go over to the Quanbury's to borrow a boiler so as to be sure of enough hot water. Wilbur and Dave McBride arrived right after dinner armed with rifle and knives and it wasn't long till they had two bandits hung by their heels behind the shop. Dad. cleaned out their pen yesterday and they broke out of their yard for the last time and now their evil career is ended. They were not at all fat but made fine carcasses one dressed