Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1860-03-20
AssHErON SMITH, THE ENGLISH
NIMRQD

NIMR0D.
biography Of Assheton Smith, the great
Nimrod of England, has just been published in
London, and from review Of it we take the
following passage:
This hero not only of fox hunting, but Of
all sports-for he was frstrate shot, crick-
eter, boxer, billiard player and sailor, as well
as rider and huntsman-was formed by nature
for his part. He was of the right height for
exertion and endurance-fve feet ten inches
with well -proportioned, muscular, rather
slight frame, weighing ten stone in his early
days, and latterly about eleven stone ten
Once only he found man who could stand be-
fore his fists, and that man said that his blow
was like the kick of horse. The story of his
great set-to with the coal l-heayer who had
struck his horse is already pretty well known.
His features were plain, and not Indicative of
high breeding, but intelligent and full of the
calmness of perfect self possession and reso.
lutte will The son Of a great sportsman, he
was IN the saddle from his childhood; and so
completely did he grow to it, that il was the
pillow of his sickness and the armchair of his
old age A princely fortune enabled him to
carry on his calling in princely style; and mar
rylng at nifty lone, he had no family cares to
turn his mind from the main object Of his life.
lie mad the eye of hawk; and not only for a
line across country, but for other things A
box Of papers was stolen from his study. He
called In all bis servants questioned them all
round, and received from all denial One of
them afterward returned to the room to put
Goals On the fire. He collared him Mt once,
and the man confessed himself guilty. He had
read his guilt in his face. His temper was hot.
and once he appeared before police magis-
trate for thrashing the son of the attorney to a
bubble railroad who had brought in his bin
lie was good and steady friend and hater,
and generally rather obstinate, coming of a
sire VINO, having opposed the making of the
Menal Bridge, would never cross it when it
was made. In the hunting field his tongue
was sharP, but not foul. Now then, sir, if
you don't think you've done harm enough
already, ride through my hounds again; but
II you think you have, you may ss we'll go
The dietetics of man who rode hard with
hounds till eighty are worth knowing. He
crank little, but eat much, as we'll he might,
considering his enormous amount of exercise
Ills regular breakfast on a hunting morning
was great plate of hashed mutton, which he
could digest In the saddle. lie eat no lunch
"h coming home from hunting he used to 90
to bed for an hour and then into a warm bath
before dinner. He hardly ever wore a great
coat In his latter days he took to the water
cure, and wanted everybody else to take to it.
lie was desperate rider in the full sense
OF the term. Perhaps no other man ever rode
deliberately and habitually for O. fzU. He
used to say that rith a faV, YOU might oct
over anything; and that any man who profsssed
10 ride ought to know how to fall He knew
himself how to fall, and in all his tumbIes
never but twice broke bone; and of the two
times. once from having a clasp knife in his
breast pocket. He ALWAYS fell clear of h;s
horse, and never let 60 the bride. Once. when
ms morse was plunging round him as he lay on
the ground with the bride clenched in his
hand, nervous friend called out to him to let
go, or he would be kicked. He replied, he
snail Kick my brains out first In making a
cast, as In the run, he went without hesitation
uha L. L. Al L.
the scent lay; and to this his success as
huntsman was partly due. On one occasion, at
the close OF a run, he rode up hill over a fence
carrying away the top rail, which, when the
Top ran mad been carried away, no other man
IN the heid would look at. Finding the gate at
the end of one Of the two parallel bridges
locked, he leaped clear over both rails to the
otner bridge. One day, in a hard frost, he per
suaded master of hounds with whou1 he was
staying just to put the hounds into covert, and
let them find fox; and, the fox being found.
went away with them, and had a hard run
over the iron ground-a spree the thought Of
which sets ones teeth on edge. People were
not astonlshed to see him go straight over the
most tremendous places, but they were sur
Prised to see that he did not even look round
at the lead when he was over. Though a des.
peFate rider, he was not wild one, but, on the
contrary, most Judicious, and gave his horse
every chance. His hand was uneoualed, and
horses which no one else could manage were
tractable with him. He never lost his temper
with animals. His horse knew it was useless to
refuse with him, and one of them leapt with
hlm into the middle of pond which he had
unconsclousiy ridden up to, with his head turned
away, and which the horse thought it his duty
to take His hounds hailed his approach with
JOY Tar on, though he only hunted and never fed
them He was absolute master of his craft and
all that belonged to it; and, what the Duke of
wellington was to other English Generals, that
at INIT To-
Nor was he master of the sportman's craft
along His strong sense and warm heart IN ade
MIN In other ways a useful man. He did a
great deal of good, real good, and in a judcious
way, among the poor on his estates, especially
among the quarrymen on his great quarries in
"SleS. lie saw the great fact that property
Is the root OF social virtue, and gave each of
his men, as far As he could, few ac res of waste
iand which they of course, turned into garden
lie was builder of churches and of schools,
ana the clergymen of his parishes found his
nand always free. He had great turn for me-
builder He even disputed with Mr.. Scott
Russell the merit of having Originated the
wave line. He is said also to have been the
nrst suggestor of our feet Of gunboats. What
1t surprises US more to hear is that he was not
without literature. Pope and Haraoe was his
favorites. He knew 'E,oise to Abelard' bv
heart He was also q passionate admirer Of
Shakespeare, and fond Of repeating the speech
OF Polonius, especially the lines ireally sppli.
cable to his own character)-
"ro thine own self be true.
nd II shall follow the mig ht the day
Thou canst not then be false to any man,
where he picked up his Horace it is diff
cult 70 say He was at Eaton III years, but he
said he learned nothing there, and probably he
spoke the truth. There was q vein of religion
In MIN which showed itself, especially during
the suferings of his last illness, in frequent ex.
pressions OF resignation to the will Of God. He
was regular church-goer, and always. what.
ever the distance, on foot Without q IT NO nm
for moralist, he discouraged gambling and de-
barehery in his sporting circle. man who
spoke to him jestingly Of suicide was told never
to Joke on such subject again. Though rather
self uilled, he was unselksh, and could not
bear, when ill. to disturb his servant in the
night His heart was always easily touched
He and his horse having been kindly sheltered
from the rain by the master of a wretched
hovel, he next day sent masons to build the
man new house. A bill for f300 was handed
round In his presence, and offered for ESQ. He
saw that the name Of the unfortunate drawer
that of m old srhnoI -falIo- n.;A c2an A..