Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1877-10-18

4 Stag-Chase in Charleston.
Charleston News. Oct. 5.

4 The announcement that the expert
ment of a stag-chase on the race-course
was to be repeated drew another large
crowd to that locality yesterday after
noon. Everybody was on the tiptoe of
expectation. including the dogs and the
deer. The latter lay in wooden box
( behind the grand stand looking as if he
would like to yawn, and order some
! body to take him home. He is fine,
well-grown fellow, about two years old,
with horns sprouting finely, and sides
sleek and fat. The dogs We're as follows:
Major Minott entered JEFF, Nimrod, Fash
/ ion; Mr.. g. A Douglas entered Killbuck,
Ku-Klux, Pluck; Mr. John c. Brandt
entered Catch, Buck, Capitola, Lucca,
Mollie, Lucy. They all seemed to know
that something was going forward, and
looked inquiringly from one face to an
other, wagging their tails and emitting
occasionally their bell-like cry.
AT last Mr.. Douglas and four colored
men appeared bearing the box with the
deer in it. The animal was evidently
frightened by the crowd and the dogs,
which followed him close up, held by
their leashes All preliminaries were
arranged; the box was borne about q
hundred yards down the track and
turned with the door towards the open
field, and the dogs were ranged in line
about fifteen feet behind it. Excitement
now ran high. The crowd watched
eagerly the little group of men and
horses, the hounds tugged at their leash
es and showed small forest of vibrating
tails, and the deer looked piteously into
the faces of those about him. Then the
door of the cage was opened and the Oc-
cupant elected He strolled out about
ten steps, and then turned around and
looked "well?" A horseman rode up
and cracked a whip at him, and he
started; another crack and he increased
his speed; another, and he broke into a
run, and another, and away went deer
and horsemen at a mad speed through
the thick fennel, which varies from three
to six feet in height. For about seventy
five yards the race was kept up, nothing
being seen but the horseman's body as
he gided through the weeds and an oc-
casional glimpse of the back of the stag
as it rose for an instant above the mass
of green and then disappeared. Then
at the word the leashes were slipped
and the dogs sprang forward A single
bound and the line Strengthened out, the
beautiful hounds dashing into the weeds,
heads up and tails straight out, breasting
the interposing stalks right calamity.
Then the crowd rose and cheered time
after time, while hundred officious
horsemen started from various points
on the track and dashed around it at full
speed, getting in their own way and
everybody else's. For q few minutes
the sight was fine one, occasional
glimpses being caught of the flying deer
| and the dogs which came hard behind
him. Suddenly the chase veered to the
west and the horses and dogs We're seen
running in that direction. Then there
was a great shout, Here he comes"
and sure enough, far'up, at the end of
| the field furthest from the gate, the deer
burst into view, coming with long, easy
stride, ears and head erect, breast well
thrown forward, and gathering his
launches under hin with the regular
and easy motion of beautiful piece of
machinery. Close hehind him came
Major Minott's dog JEFF, head down this
time, back stretched out, and every
quivering nerve and tough muscle
strained. He was followed at short
distance by Mr.. Brandt's Capitola, while
the remainder of the pack was strung
out behind. The deer took four or five
of his magnificent leaps and came to a
fence, over which he went like ball of
muscle and fur, the dogs never hesitat-
ing to follow. The struggle was soon
closed. The deer came close to the
grand stand, and despite the efforts of
the riders took the fence into the i'll
closure, closely followed by the dogs.
Just behind the stand he got into a
clump of weeds. Here Jeff and Capt.
tola got him penned. There were few
moments waving of the leaves as he
lodged to and fro, and he jumped from
the cover As he did so Jeff caught
him just inside the right hind leg. A
horseman whipped the dog back, and
the stag was caught and carried back to
| his box