The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-01-07
A STATEN ISLAND FOXHUNT
FOLLOWING THE HOUNDS WITH
NUNS HEID BIND.


Rcynnrd's Trick, md How Ore Of tho Deck-
er Family Fooled nini-well-rraincd Dog.
aud WcIi-Mounfed Hunters In Chase.
Bulls Head is a little hamlet on the Port
Richmond turnpike. about six miles from sta
plcton, staten I-land. II lis within easy reach
OF number Of small lakes and ponds, aud not
far from wcl-woo1cd hills AMI valleys on every
side. Yesterday It WIS the scene II occur
renee that will long be held IN the memory Of
the scanty population as well "A In that Of hun
dreds Of people from the country round about.
At 10 o'clock the open space IN front Of the
only tavern In the place was crowded with a
heteroge neous multitude, some IN wagons, some
on horseback, but by far the greater proportion
on foot. 1t had been noised abroad that there
was to be a fox hunt, and II is safe to say that
nine-tenths Of the ablo bodied men aud boys
and hobbedehoys living within a radius Of
three miles from Bulls Head were there IN an
ucipation OF the lively sport so dear to the aver
age Staten Islanders heart. All the old families
were well r presented; hut how many Deckers,
old, young, and mid le aged, were among the
crowd, n would he Impossible to tell without
going through the necessary form Of taking "a
census.
A little after 10 o'clock Mr.. Tranter son o.
Charles franter. jinitOr Of the Port ltichmon.
police stHttoni house, appeared with red fox
In a bag. This WIS the signal for n rush.
motley procession was formed, and horse and
lbpl tHt tToWO o'lDWtu tue DhV 10 All open
field near the tavern. The hounds. some of
high, but most OF low degree. were all held In
cherk. When all was ready the bag was opened
and away went lteynard at broak-neck speed In
the direction Of New SprnRville. Three quarters
~ an hour afterward the dogs wore released and
tho fun began. Every dog belonging to the
country side was In the chase, but from the
start II was evident that the 1ne pack Of dozen
owned by Joseph Donahoe Of West Hoboken
would take the bOnors. They took tho trail at
once, and with heads down and tails up, and
with concert of such music as no well reRu-
lated FOX hear without n RnlyeT. they
ran, with the rabble OF III bred ours behind them,
awaking the echoes with their din After them
came the hunters, twenty In number, many OF
them superbly mounted. Joseph Donahoe. Jr.,
rode n splendid gray. J. 7. hathen, Secretary Of
the Staten Island Shooting Association, be-
Btrode a nne sorrel; james Dempster Of West
Brighton rode his beautiful black running horse
chase on tue lead. Mr.. Whitman, Trustee Of
Port Richmond. was mounted on a noble iron
mouse coiorea horse. Not Ions after the be-
ginning of the hunt the fox doubled and ran
back across the pike, throwing great many OF
the d 70 on tue trail, Donahoe's pack. how
ever, wee never at fault, and Homer and Long
fellow were close at kcynard's heel
TAKING TO WATER.
Hard pressed and desperate, the painting fuei-
tive struck for the MIL pond known a. Winants,
and casting one look OF mingled fear ana cum
ming uton his pursuers he plunged In and
mounted thin cake Of floating Ice some dis
lance out Two OF the bounds were bent on
| following, but they were restrained, and while
the threescore dogs were sending forth their
chorus of hOwls upon the air and the hunters
and foot-sore pedestrians were puzzlng as to
how the willy runaway should he captured, Sam
Decker, with the aid Of a few ready handed and
practical men, built a raft OF FENCE rails,
| up alongside the foxs craft he slipped a moose
| over KeynArd's head, dragged him aboard the
raft, and after much struggling anu a very little
| managed to ret hts prize safely housed In bag.
Then he padded to the shore, amid the plaudits
OF an ad miring throng. and the dogs being held,
| the fox vas again set al liberty.
He stood not upon tho order OF his going, but
across the country toward Toad Hin, little
mountain 81 called ly reason Of Its being the
adding place Of tho BufO uWydr1s and numer-
! Gus family but the fux's run was destined to
! be q short one. His last rush for life was MADE
through an open ned covered with weeds and
| briers. Impeded at every step 10y the rough UNI
dergrowth. and now thoroughly exhausted, he
| turned toward his pursuers. ana in moment
| Inc other dogs soon came up and the hunt was
over. MIR. Donahoe took the brush.
THE HORSES AND HoRsEMES.
| Mr.. Trantcr rode a lne looking black horse In
the hunt. but his steed absolutely refused to
take a stone wall, although he mad no objection
10 a fence; so II was often necessary Tor Mr..
| Tranter to make a long dstOur 10 Difference to
tue whlms Of his Kosnante.
Long after the death Mr.. Solomon Drywater,
OF -Four torne =, came up. lie was mounted on
cart horse OF color Vergtng upon pea grecu
ana orange. Behind him trOtted a bow-legsed
orinilc cog win one eye and a ragged ear.
10 oncet the best fox dore ON st ten Isl nd. but
It's been SO long sense he was accustomary IT,
I luA huntln tnht MS hhnu 4 out. nut ne II lick
any dorg on the ground, and I've got two dollars
! here for To- bet on MIN. That ere hrindle pun
Is amost M cen year old, but he's good for Of
teen more.
The dogs being again held in leash. MIR Tranter
| hired two boys to DRAG the fox To Port Rich
| mond one hour was allowed to elapse, and
| then began one Of the Widest races ever wit
messed on the island. Thirty horsemen and half
| hundred dogs went tearing down the road To
| the wOndcrment of the quiet housewives, who
were at the windows OF the dwellings along tue
| route. and into the town they rushed with Veil
| that would have done credit to a band OF Potta-
! wOtamies. Sir. Dcmpster came Ia ahead, aud
Homer and LongiellOw were again on the lie d
when the body Of tue fox was reached IN the
| park.