New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-06-25


colled the exclusive right OF shooting oVer
ordinary farmland costs about shilling an acre;
though the farmer is or rarely the pehehciy
cranter of it, but his landlord. The right eN'ehuS
only to q single year, and as upon the spoi ''ii'
himself devolves the additional expense OF IooN"s
! after the game. in the way of preserving IT. -,
| shooting costs HIM much more Nor uoeS 'io sun
| limo an acre applv to regularly preserved estates
| with cOppice-woods for pheasantcoVeIs' V"c'o az
| rentable too but of course at hlRnoi "H
| Romotc from the metropolis and the large proNlh-
| Cial towns shooting may be hau az 'noi0 49,.
rrices. still. not without payment OF somethihs'
For there is no spot not foot OF territory Ill III
ENGLAND bnt has its owner Jealous of every right APP
| Dorto,pinc.to It, and jealous in guarding them 10
| tbo ultimate end Disputes about the ownership OF
| cone furred feathcred or filmed, are OF almost
daily occurrence the cause often trliling anu Iui
| crous bat leading to serious resuts-la"sul'S III
| which the expenses and costs tar cAcceu
| rho valuc of the commodity in litigation. AS
| an example ! may quote case, thaI lor
some wears past has been making mucn sur III my
own county, and several others adjacent. reside
in Uercford.hirc. on the banks of the river Wye
d" salmon stream" from which the hsh uSuaIN
taken are only few hundred, and worth less Than
the same number of pounds sterling. Yet from d's-
| mites between the upper and lower proprletors OF
the fishing rights-for these property belonging
70 the owners of the land through which the river
| rnns-fherc has been moro ink spilled and paper
| wasted in the pamphlet and newspaper Inc, IMAM
would buy up all the salmon likely to be caught OUT
| of the Wye for years TO come And TINS without
including the cost of several expensive Government
commissions sent down to adjudicate on the case.
still not satisfactorily settled Part or THIS cost
too comes out of the pockets OF taNpaylhg people,
| who have no more interest III the wye salmon tnhh
if they were so many spras But such IS the nature
of game and fish rights. with their protection dhu
| preservation all over England.
While notwithstanding is in progress the houses
Of the country gentry, especially the gIander ones
are filed with guests; gentlemen invited to take
part in the sport and ladies who ut midday meet
| Them NJ some appointed place by the covers SIDE
| there 70 eat luncheon al (eSco drink cham
payne and enjoy themselves generally Chuer
these circumstances, pheaSant-shootng Is Get
tainly a pleasant paSume Ao.
there something not pleasant about II, lnu'cu
almost repulsivc-the butchery OF the birds. FOR
is often neither more nor less thah lh'S 'Ho
pheasants being bred and brought up nearly as
torA nc born-door fowl to be thus ruthlessly
slaughtered During the carly days Of shoolihs
them in some preserves several hundred brace VIII
he bageedn daily. The reader may want to know
what is done with them; perhaps surprising that
tho 1nocnate, 10 whom they belong would he above
making sale of them, and likely to give all away.
An erroneous suppostion, however; the 4rds be-
slowed being few and far between. Underlying
this English spirit, even when INDUCED III by the
rranlcs of county gentry. there Is Keen sense OF
economy. with profits when obtaiuabc; and ruled
l,v this the product of each days baitue, or al
least the bulk of it, is packed in hampers and that
same night dispatched by rail to the London
gamc-deacrs.
At this time Of the year. the local and county
races are generally held at which the gentry show
themselves, viewing the contest of equine speed
from op n carriages the tops of drags -thoseo
them that have the latter. In shircs where racing
is till in fashion among the arisocracy, there well
be Il grand array OF such vehicles, extending along
the edge of the course each provided with the ma
terials for a luxurious luncheon. This sport
If snort 1t can be called-is mostly
promoted by the men who hunt aud having a
fassh flavor about it, with the faint of the betting
ring is not so much patronzed by county society
IA hight be supposed, at least not by the more
respectable section of it. once universally popu-
lar. of late years It seems to he DIV indNng away
And well if it do since il is nothing but source OF
corrnnt,on and ruln-a pastime for gamblers iand
blacklegs.
It is in the winter season that county society
give. its grandcst dinners with now and then ball
al the bigger houses Sometimes IL IS fancy Dali,
ora ,.re are also private thcatriCals and charadc-
sc+,no But the great dancing event Of the year is
the County Ball which is only annual and comes
off when the Christmas festivities are well over Ii
is usnallv given in the ShiTe-hall of the county
tovn and the exclusive of exclusives no one being
admitted who is not of the :" blue blood" Stay !
have made an erroneous assertion, l had forgotten
| PlutuS!
The comfy bali Is un Ter the control and manage
| uent of gentlemen stewards, a dOzc, or more OF
them all of first position in society. They canvass
| the credentials of those to be admitted. and
| stranger who may have late settled in the county
becomes aware OF hi Is eligibility by receiving
| printed circular, announcing the time and place OF
holding the bail, the price of admission
| tickets and from whom they are to be had.
| This holds good for an invitation. which the re-
cciver may accept at lis pleasure with all the mem
hers of his family OF course the circulars are only
sent To those whom the stewards have decided TO be
| of the elite.
| There is also The Hunt Ball." given annually in
every shire: select affair." too, but not quite 50
| exclusive as the County one. 1t is got up by the
members of the foX-hnnting clubs, and as many
individuals patronze the sport who are not in the
English SENSE gentlemen, there needs more latitude
| in fine admission Were these excluded from the
ballther support given to the hunt would be lost
limiting itself is of one of the winter amuse
| monts of England, in winch county society bears
priucinaI part Conducted rs it is il almost forms
specially OF English rural life; and for this reason
needs greater space gwen it than the present ar
tcle allows.