The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1876-12-19 00:00:00

THE DORSET COUNTY EXPRESS AND AGRICULTURAL GAZETTE, TUESDAY, DECEMBER 19, 1876.

What a motly gathering this mud have been. What
a hurly-burly Smithfield fair for a week on those
delhclatful down. Yet we daresay thAt g..utle anal
shuttle well enjoyed thenvelver, for were n t thooe the
good olal days of yr.', a hen the visina ..f the tax-
collector were k-a-a frequent. anal the face of pater.
families tuat Yet elongated by Fnmeh nainery 1111*,
and the little a.va tmnble in quarterly tar
teaehing the Mahels anal Alatt.ls
. .

If flan:R.l,m cgm be believed the rural districts were
in those days very Areadias, soon, alas ! to be trans-
formed into fields of blood IIIow ; the eau... of
the great protector awakening the echoes of many a
vale that had slept in peace and contentment from the
tame when Richard fell at Itosworth.
. .

Poor Dover, the publi;si-drited attorney, must have
been nurely a rare arm
It Intuit have hem a quaint sight to see this Solon
in the faded finery of the Stuart King, riding hard
and doing his best to please by fairly knitting the
courses, but it is hard work to soothe the irritated feel-
ings of a beaten man, and it shows the wonderful
knowledge id human nature posse:seed by the Bard of
Avon in the few words that are quoted above. Page
says the course could not be judged, doubtless, in his
mind, the affair was so even that an undecided would
have been nearer the mark. How often have all who
have been much accustomed to follow the "man in the
red jacket.' heard similar little heart burnings ! billious
excretions of some disappointed soul.
But enough of Dover and hie Cotswold gathering,
our epistle relates to a meet nearer our own time and
county, though we fain would have his free unenchwed
turf in egchange for the steam ib.utth dirt of our own
locality.
The meet at Puddletown, unfortunately held in the
worst month of the year for light. MAIO off on Friday.
The morning broke dull and heavy, rain—no stranger
of late—falling thick and drizzly, damping the spirits
of the most buoyant, who felt more like going to
" Tatory " (an ominous name five years ago) than
being off for a day's pleasure.
The meet was. as usual, at the King's Arms,
Puddletown, at 10 i"clock sharp; whence a move was
made to the scene of action. hir at the commence-
ment of trade WAS exceedingly scarce, and it was
evident that Mr. :Bowman would have it all his own
way for the day. After sonic weary walking in A
field of wheat a drive was determined on from some
turnips, and the Slipper, with Mr. Spicer's Lorne
(who had done something at Mere, according to
account) and Mr. J. It. l.'s Gossip, were perched
under the hedge waiting for puss to break. At last a
fine hare came through, and from an excelicutly even
slip Lorne led dashingly to his game. which he used
merrily, turning and twisting in all directions, when
he tripped and let in the old bitch for a few turns,
but, like Toby, she is a little the worse for wear, and
could not hold her own against her younger compeer,
who, coming again, drove his game to the gate and
disappeared from view, winning. AS he was 1.11.,.1 t.
do, very easily. This course was a ',biking instance of
the folly of running in public very old doge. Gossip
has been a good one, but those who knew her in her
best days are now almost growing greyheaded. so long
is it since she first j.opped her head in the slips. .
Mr. Hull's Felton and Mr. Fudge's Major were
next in, and ass., another hare was sent through, and
away they went up-hill, Felton making the running
Major, having the curant jelly in his head, thought
that the most beneficial course to pursue was to cut
off the line of retreat, and accordingly this si•si old
soldier cantered leisurely up uutler the hedge, leaving
Felton to harass the enemy. This purpose gained,
he followed up very leisurely in Feltsois wake, whilst
the latter ilmve down-hill, sad now and again con-
descended to help the brindle with a turn or two.
Puss not liking such tactics, and tiring fast, popped
into a rabbit.e hole, from which she was afterwards
drawn by a sturdy keeper, and her neck ignominiously
cracked.

--ii;-itsior did not earn promotion for this bit of
good generalahip, but was court-marshalled and put
on the retired list.

There was Atli) out over-eight, to bark the We, and
it proved 0. K. to the letter, as all three stakes fell to.
dogs whose names hail this letter for their prefix.
Mediator. last year's victor and conqueror in a 32 at
Beckhampton, was the first to break the ice in this
direction, awl he next paid a visit to Nash, in com-
pany with Mr. Thompson's Psyche. A wove had been
made into a field of bop, which afforded capital ;4.4114.
Soon a fine hare wax sprung, to which Mediator let a
good two lengths. This good racing hare showed some
fine sport, leading the dogs i merry dance round the
hell, Mediator working close to ids :Mow, Psyche
never being Wm to live the pace. At length puss
made for a gap, awl getting into the turnips, sent the
dew drool. flying (non the leo% es. Itheing dining,' into
theopen they quickly picked her but,, Mediator w'
all the way through this liae spin, staying well to the
enol. tthlnare MO Echo were next iis for tlois the last
011Ifft of the first r,,,,,. of tlie enp. In :1 short spin
Echo hal; getting first howanwt she thew let in
Coulnare, who risked once o.r twice, awl picked up
puss in the open, producing an undecided.
The first round of the ltmruice stakts now emus:
for decision, and at this moment the Mill broko out
beautifully, insen-thly gladdening the fame of Al
present. ‘Vhat had been dull and spiritless sushlwily
became animated and full of life, and iii inarkel cons
tiast to the swow-covercsl fields of two years ago,
when the birds were shivering in the cohl wintry
blast, the air was soft an i balmy, and the
thrlblil was pouring out his melody in the little over
close at hand.

Mr. Mill's Faith again, awl Mr. Ropers' Joe, were
first to try. conchudons. and soon a bit"( fur on hair legs
male tracks in their front. Faith agana nail a good
deal of dash, led to her game, driving through a gate-
way into an adj .. ill ing held, Isavin:: it all her own way.
Joe by Mark certainly not being up to the mark this
time, and the bitch alter pushing ("mini her game all
round the field, nearly as p,asilde killed at the
paw. just escaping death. 'flanamhout the whole diy
tie courses as a rule were °nodded, and the
judge awl the " many headed were in perfect
a happy state things surely, though it does n.,t
atf..rd the keen excikment cowssment on more closely
c.mtested

Mr. Paul was not happy in choosing his s.inglairil
otrk, as in his eonn,e with Mr. E.le's Carlist, the latter
Spaniard gave him a drubbing from begiumw•' to end.
The lecideil finishing the first round f the
Manor cup, hail now to be reeled off, and a very pr.,tty
course it produced. A few shiners hail been put on
Gnlnare's chance of winning, and it was ,isideredi a
nice point between them. With a length the wort out
of slipe, Echo gradually drew ("marls, awl before
teaching the game, she got her nosc in front anil keep-
ing it there iibtained first honours. There was then a
nice bit of give and take work between them, both
scoring rather rapidly when Echo, picking up her game
Mobbed a very madly run little course and won
The second course for the Drace stakes • g on,
ianteilifl...Aul,e were
t and
tp„latax.e,l in A h
ery level
slip
they
wasal:l awitauihftl:ar a
ailwatilnil head to their giune, the hare slightly
favouring Mild Ale, until getting near the head id the
field, when Puss suddenly made off at right angle.; to
the fence, Phomix taking up the running dashingly,
and the hare fencing disappeared from view. Tfie
judge riling on decided in favour of Phienix, Mr.
l'hompie an with two nominations in the s: 11111 l stake,
hail the bail luck to he drawn together, and his
Malhonti and Monarch were next to the ford. There
was a hit a rivalry however in the evil', 44 the dogs
were trained in separate kennels. The rival trainers
were each keenly awake to the decimi 111 l of the judge.
Mahonti however was soon in the van, awl am.,
Jack's old dog ran well. her ladyship had it all her own
way and won. This cloned the Mot round if the Draw°
stakes, and the Dorchester stakes now came on for
deeision. Fears were entertained lay Nome that the
card would not he nin out as fur hail not been over
plentiful, and it was trying to the patience of ninny ti
see hare after bare escape whilst a course was being de-
cided. The spin between Mayourneen and Champagne,
was a very short one, but lovers of pipe opener' were
amply compensated in the next one between Nj,,..„t,„
and Blue Wes. A hare was found in a la. and as we
peeped in upon her, she took a look ever each shoulder
at the crowd enamel her. A Mammas' went in mail
whipped her out, and away went the doge on a long
long journey. They knocked puesey about Use great
fields, first in tune anti then in the other, mail hare and
were mu ti. tletttia'A utnar, anti ad three lay down
together until inane one value tuna flit pOor WWI out of
the way. Moyston was &Axial the winner, but had
to be drawn from the great exhaustion resulting from
his taemenikeas gruellcr. Elvin., never left a doubt to
be entertained in his set -to with Sultan, his
sailor *ty never having a Chanel, through tiu strongly
run temple in what the former showed good place. Mr.
Itannton'e dis• evidently lacking cumlition--cut uiu
ba4ly awl lost:
Weald not. Nee the early part of the vinare° between Mr
%Vahlen's Miss Ringer, and Mr. Nide' Merryboyi but
we lenitand that the boy led the hornier tothe fence,
the hare co • 4 througt ill. the jell where we were
tutantling, uerrylloy huihming, finding het self hotly
pretwell. Puss funetni again —a t- use .4 "bock sgan
111 l " and the dog with a seuartnem that re 11l i l Hied iax
Maytulotustan, dashed after her and following on,
was unsighted at the next knee, and was declared Ow
winner. _

Thu card hail now been run once through rather
slow work certainly ; lint we were now approaching a
part of the vitae in whit+ the hares wore in. re
plentiful, the east wind es ideally making them shift
to the westward. Lunch, however, WM find to Is,
dated. ISlr. Brymer with his usual kindness sending
a cart with nireshineuts, "3. 1.. T.- tieing Clerk of the
buffet and Mr. Warren tapster. Mr. hulls sherry was
Ve V.I111111:4 Ids samlwich with a ilelivitte
and 3Pl'weiabie 114, our. It was wonderful to see Lou
good-tempered evorybody appeared after the stoppage
of the cart and the unloading of its contents, peace
and contentment braining from every face. Lomeli
over and mentally thanking our entert • vs, we
wended our way to Sc.' Lorne go .lccul heron. Felton,
tho lattor ontspeedile.: liii opptilent 01 a

In a piece of plonJalaii,l I.ityear's w. T had to
try I,OIWhISIOIIet With Erh, From the • t they
were elipped the hare slightly 'Avowed Mediator. he
having the inside of the circle, and, being a dog for
any country, sinew enough for fallowe and not too
heavy for turf, he wad more at I than the hitch
on the heavy gromuL Driving on to the lea they
brought their game into a email shalbov pit in a pretty
sweep around., in which Mediattor picked puss up and
won.