The Portland daily press., 1882-05-16
Hartford Courant.l
A Sad Affair.

A little unpleasantness which occurred at the
last meeting of the Elkridge Fox-Hunting club
has caused great sensation in ''the best socie-
tvn of Baltimore. 1t is seldom If ever in the
annals of this elevatlng and cxhilarating sport
that such an unfortunate accident has occurred
And we are very sure that in England where
this amusement of chasing tame fox has
reached its highest development, no such trou-
BILE has ever been reported at any "meet."
There were present some twenty-tH riders, la
dies and gentlemen, the very elite OF tho elite,
all in the choicest costumes, the gentlemen
wearing yellow coats and leather breeches.
The meet took place at Towsontown, the fox
decrepit old fellow borrowed from the cross
roads bar room museum, was pulled over the
course the day before for distance OF about
dozen miles. One of the most sagacious hounds
was taken along at the same time SO as to as
sist him in finding the scent the next day.
Great care was taken to pick an easy road
across the country, taking low fences and mar
row or shallow streams, 80 as to avoid the disa-
greeable accidents which sometimes interfere
with the sport in Old England. All went we'll
the next day, the dogs taking different paths,
add dividing the hunters up pleasantly into
narties of two, who ambled along quietly enjoy
ing the beauties of nature, until, when the pro-
per time came, the hired boy turned loose the
fox on the edge of a forty acre lot, surrounded
by q six rail Virginian fence. Then came the
"yiew halloo," the "tally-ho," the "ho-hilly-
he," and all the other soul-stirring incidents
of the chase, while the party went round the
field looking for place to get through the
fence after the fox. Finally Mr.. Mac Jones
found a convenient boy, who opened gate and
let him through, while the rest OF the party
had to 90 some half mile further to where
COW had broken down the three uppermosS
rails, thus leaving place over which the pant
ing steeds were urged. But Mac Jones with
his surreptitious gate had an advantage which
could not be retrieved and reached the fox Just
as the latter, weary of waiting, had gone to
sleep in corner of the fence. Thereupon Fer
'guson claimed the brush which he desired TO
give to the leading lady OF the company. but
the fence, arrived just at this time and made
counter-claim for the brush on the ground tnag
Mac Jones, having gone through the gate, had
not followed the hounds and was therefore not
to be regarded as a frst-class hunter: Inc
master Of the hounds, whotarIived while tne
discussion was waxing warm, held an lnquest
and decided that Professor Van der Smiths
claim was correct and gave him the brush. Inc
professor trotted down the road to present IL 10
the same leading lady and just as he was ABOUT
TO do so Mac Jones cantered up and struck MIN
across the face with his riding whip Inc pro-
lessor out of respect for the lady mildly remon-
strated. The lady rode away. Mac Jones ais-
of the hounds came up and knocked him down,
which ended the catastrophes of the day. AND
now it is feared that nething but gore Will APP
pease the angry passions of the foremost nun
ters of Baltimore Something ought to be done
ut once.