The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1875-11-23
TIE HUNTING OF REWARD.
SPORTSMEN SCOURING THE V1LLEY
or THE P1SS1IC.
A Chase from Garri-un's W ood TO the swamp
brvond Lodi-Joe Donobue's Pack aud
their ueels-Also the Heels Of the Fox.


ITS frozen sitter than agraven image"
rucfuly exclaimed old Joe Donohue yesterday
morning, "a he stepped out Of the Mansion House
In Hackensack. The stars were twinkling in
the cold clear heavens, and the ground was
hard. ITS poor morning for a hunt, boys
but wen try IL, and when the sun
gets up bit i'm soften tho ground"
For twenty years this same Joe Donohuc, who Is
well known as a turfman, has hunted the coun-
try all about Hackensack and Paterson. The
cry Of his bounds is well known in the valley OF
the Passaic, and many a fox they have run to his
death. A few years ago he found In Col skinner,
a veteran fox hunter, now field editor Of the
Turf, Field dnd Ftrm, sympathizing colaborer
In his endeavors to popularizc fox-hunting In
this country. The result OF their abors -Dono-
hues In collecting and running pack of
hounds the Cooncls in writing for the press
was seen In the mcet yesterday, the nrst genu-
Inc fox hunt In this region since the old days Of
tho Van Horns, the Rvngtons, the Steycnses,
and the Van Tromps.
II was. indeed an inauspiclous morning for
fox hunting, a. Donohue said, but the party Of
hunters who had ridden out from New York
and Jersey CITY the night before to he in time,
seemed rs anxious to be of to the cover as
though they had the cloudy sky aud dewy
morn" that proclaimed u hunting morning.
After a hardy and hearty breakfast Tom Rob
inson, an old Lincolnshire huntsman, put the
hounds into his big rockaway wagon. Donohue
and Col skinner wrapped their robes ABOUT
them In Joo's buggy. and slowly rode out of the
Mansion House yard followed by the hunters on
Cant. James Mccullough Of Enelewood. the
receiver of the Midland Railroad, led the party
on his big gray, that had done GOOD service In
tho war. BY his side rode " Mine host John
4. ". ClSSon '' on NM Modoc, doe az an 'S old steepe
chaser; Belmont Purdy on good looking
park hack Harry Blasson on JACK Horner,
races at Long Branch two years ago. G. Levy on
the race horse Remorse, and j. X. CARPENTER on
a handsome Kentucky hunter a brother OF the
famous Monarchist, represented New York.
Their horses were well groOmed, and their
cords ilnmaculate, and as AZ least three oi
Clason having hunted In the south OF France
and IN Enga land much good riding was expected
racer that could see much more out Of her one
eye than many horses could out OF two; aud a
SUN reporter on doubtful-looking nag, with
"bad knees" brought up the rear
A. the little cavalcade trutted out Of the town.
its numbers were incr ased 10y many gentlemen
~ the neighhofhood. among them Mr.. W lliam
Lennon. OF Englewood. on a hne black North
Carolina mare W. II. Kirkland. with an ancient
Kentucky hunter under him Charles Sisspn. on
"a smooth-llmhed sorrel and SAMMY Holden.
Clinging to adiminutive and wiry chestnut mare.
\ brisk ride Of four miles took the party to
the Halfway House, between Paterson and
Hackensack. and here the hounds were loosed,
and "Old Joe " started with them across the
fox was expected to be found. There were
seven couple OF the handsome brutes. some
the old fox hunter walked across the fields
with the hounds at his heels the horsemen
prepared to foliow There was erst
party. Harry Blasson put his little horse at al
most anything In his way, aud popped him
over like bird. Sammy Holden tried a two
rail fence with hs pony-the pony cleared the
fence and sammy cleared" the pony but he
plO NIL nd 4 To fall of af ha ma
Jump. "Young joe" on his black mare, fol-
lowed his father for feld or two. and then cast
off the hounds In the edge u the swamp. Round
they citcled. heads down aud tails high In air.
For an hour the hounds hunted the cover un-
til OeCp Mug discouraged, they began To- strag-
gle back to the waiting huntsmen, and then II
was high time to look elsewhere. Tn, hounds
huntsmen called together, and the party
started in the direction Of the County
House from Garrison's Wood. rhe party
had had several additions by this time,
among them one of James Gordon Bennett
lroons on his thoroughbred Irish mare Pepper,
oholcn hofsttesh worth riding miles to see.
narr, Bla.sln was To ride her, but she unfortu-
nately cast a shoe IN going to the hunt aud was
sent back to Hackenssck. liy the time Gar
rison's wood was reached there were over
twenty horsemen IN the field. and twice as many
gentlemen In carriages.
The hounds were nut into the cover and the
huntsmcn waited impatiently for the result.
lhey did not have to wait long. Tor soon there
came swelling out ot the cover the most at.
iractiyc music in the worli, the cry of
the hounds. First there came deep
roar from old Leader, the truest d u
in the pick, aud then hound after hound
took 1t up, until the whole pack hurst into n
chorus. Nothing was to be seen Of them. but
tue sound Indicated that they we're headed to-
ward the road on which tue hunters waited. As
the cry grew louder aud louder, impatient horse
men spurred forward toward It. keep back
gentlemen, for Gods sake keep back" shouted
Col skinner, standing erect In his carriage
bis gray eyes flaming with excitement, Keep
back. YOull hend of the fox" Hardly had
he spoken before RYAN shouted. " There be
goes. There's the fox" and sure enough the
red quadruped came running easily down the
road. lie was large red dog fox, and carried
his white-tippec brush right jauntiy. The
noise from the huntsmen scared him. aud turn
ing sho ort he went into cover again. In "a minute
the hounds came up on his track, and also went
out OF sight In the woods. Then followed a few
minutes OF confusion, Inexperienced huntsmen
riding bither and thither, the veterans shouting
to them to keep back, and the men In the
woods yelling 70 the hounds. All this confused
the hounds, and the pack scattered.
Young Joe Donohue, Harry BlassOn, followed
by two or three other huntsmcn, took to the
woods, Before they reached the open country
beyond. Greeley famous Maryland dog had
picked ~ the scent, aud, followed by SIX OF his
fellows, was hot after the fox. Reynard doubled
a minute or two IN the timber, and then faced
the open field with the hounds not ( r behind
him Running north. a mile or more he
fan "a ring renee PACK 20 the cover
this time he turned south and headed for Saddle
River, with seven hounds In fun cry behind him.
ahead. As he broke cover Harry Blasson and
Young Joe reached the open, and there were the
pack before thcm. Every urOp OF English hunt
ing blood In lIarry's veins was on IRE, and no
was after them. His riding was wonderful.
Tom Robinson, the Englishman, and all the
southern men who saw him as he went across
the country, acknowledged IL to be the best
they had ever seen.
Hut the country he was riding over Ia probably
the sli1eSt timber country over which a fox was
ever hunted. Four ana lye-rail fences, the rails
morticed into the posts, are found every few
hundred yards and some 30 high that no horse
can iump them
On went Harry with young Joe Donohue be-
hind INN. Fox, hounds, aud men crossed the
Hackcnsack road. and as they did so, other
huntsucn, VINO, not seeing the start, had rid
den around the road, joined IN the hunt.
Across IlOughed ground ana cOrnlolds, over
wheat fields and meadows they swept Harry
always 10 the fore. his little horse taking oN cry
thing In his way the others not SO well
mounted, picking out low places, ana
not infIequenuy Obliged to "tako down
he bars" Occasionally "a horse went down
in getting over fence, and his rider rolled over
his head. No matter, " Up Guards and at 'em A."
Jack llOrner rushed at "A stin fence. struck IT,
ana he and his master went TO the ground.
Young Joe put the old black at "A stone wall
capped with rail, and he went over, but his
mare aid not, lie was up in trice. lie tied up
his broken martlngale, pOcketed q twisted spur
and WAS after the hounds.
These delays were golden opportunities lost (;
for the hounds and fox were getting further and
furth away. Blasson was In agony and In his
desperation he put Jack at a fence that would
have tried the nerve OF any but thorough
huntsman. The little bay went at II with rush
and answering TO rein and spur, cleared II with
a mighty jump. Tho other huntsmen fol.
lowing were content to take OH rail