Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1883-05-05
SPORTING SPRAY.
The Story OF . Citrate sport-MAtters
I'm General.

inherited love Of sport al very early age
and narrowly escaped expulsion froa
school at TiyeriQn for keeping . scratch
pack Of four and one-half couples for hare
hunting. By way Of proving to his teach
ers that his love for sport had not lessenet
his capacity for study, the boy went Y
work and won a medal for elocution and {
$50 scholarship at Oxford. investing his
first years allowance in q horse, and being
signally cheated, though it wa!
Bought From Clergyman.
In 1914 he went up to Exeter college, al
Oxford, and in the same year, on the 18th
Of September, saw mis- first wild red deel
killed on Exmoor. Lord Fortescue was
then master of the Devon and Somerset
hounds, with which pack Russell was 10
hunt under Lord Fortescue's great grand
son. Taking his degree after q course oil
college study in which theology, boxing,
and hunting were combined in about equal
proportions, he was appointed to the cura'
cy of South Molten and George Nympton,
which he held Tor several years. at the mu'
nificent stipend or -sSBa year. In 1888 the
dean of Exeter presented linn to the living
OF Swymbridge and Landkey, the annual
value of which was set at f2lO, but his
curate's ESQ and fS4 year for his own
house, left the new vicar little more than
the income of Goldsmith's clergyman. This
living (from which subsequently Landkey
was severely he held till 1880. 1t was
wild country-indeed so utterly heathen
ish were the people that they
Shot Down the Foxes
without mercy, and even rang the church
bell as q signal to assemble for the unhal
lowed chase, but the new vicar soon instl
tuted a new order of things. In his first
curacy he had kept pack of otter.hounds
for six years-according to his appreCiative
biographer. "He walked 5000 miles in
DeVonshire when he was curate before he
could find an otter; but at last he fell in
with hound named Racer who initiated
him into the mysteries OF fascinating
sport" At Swymbridge he set about form
ing pack of hounds to hunt the fox and
hare, and so won upon the farmers that he
popularized the sport and made the pack
an institution until he retired from the OF
flee of NJ F. H. in 1871. The chase or the
wild red deer on Exmoor, within whose
narrow area OF some fifteen square miles
the animal still fingers in its wild state
was with
"Jack" Russell a Favorite Pastime
for more than sixty years. On one occa,
sion, when in his 18th year, the Vicar had
to ride seventy miles between +. NJ. and
II p NJ. on Saturday, so as to be home fol
his three full services Sunday. His pas
toral work was never neglected; new
schools were established and endowed, a
chapel OF ease was built, and for one serv-
ice every other Sunday, Swymbridge was
given four every Sunday, while the vicar
was greatly in request all over the west OF
England as preacher of charity sermons.
1t should be said that his parishioners did
all they could to tighten his work, and
were considerate enough to see that mar
rsges and christenings never fell on hunt
ing days. lack" Russell also did great
deal of missionary work among the gypsies
of his native hills, and there is pleasant
story of their setting a nightly watch on
his house for weeks when a gang OF des'
perate burglars were working the "parson'
ages" in that part of the country.
Late last fall he fell sick, and though he
rallied once, il was evident that the end
was at hand. Only few weeks ago
He Parted With His Dogs.
His robust health served him until the last,
as he was out with the hounds only a few
days before the illness which was ultimately
to prove fatal set in. At IS, when he spent
the holidays with his long time friend, the
Prince of Wales, at Sandringham, the old
mans natural force was not abated. lie
preached the Christmas sermon before the
household and danced the new year of 1874
in with the princess. The week after his
Slst birthday presented him in the light OF
an octogenarian who, having hunted all
day, danced till 3 \. NJ. and then retired
with an apology for early hours, as he had
to be up at to ride to another meet. He
was q genial and entertaining companion,
a rare raconteur, and very
Eloquent and Earnest Preacher.
so that Bishop Philpotts himself gave un'
stinted praise TO one of his sermons, "Your
lordship thinks him good in the word, y
said the lady in whose hearing this compli'
ment was spoken-Swymbrii pulpit was,
however, not of wood, but of stone-'I wish
you could see him in the pig skin" Mr..
Russell was very abstemious mana sin.
gle glass of wine with his plain dinner and
tumbler OF grog after it being his ALLOW
ance"-and as vehemently opposed to TO-
bacco as King James himself. lie natur-
ally had put little admiration for the rising
race of English "sportsmen' addicted to
the unspeakable vices of gormandizing
anu batlue-shooting."
The wheel.
At the annual meeting OF the League OF
American Wheelman, which takes place on
the 25th of this month in New York,
clubs will be present from every
prominent city in the Union. Near
" 1000 men are expected to be in line and
the grand parade will be glittering spec
tacle. The route Of the parade will be
through Central Park to the Riverside
Drive, where photographs will be taken. In
the evening there will be a banquet at the
Metropolitan Hotel, which will be attend
ed by many prominent people.
General Sporting Items.
Yale regatta takes place the 10th OF this
month.
The Louisville spring trotting meeting
opens the Sth OF May.
Carter and Cole are doing some fine bill,
lard playing in New York.
Pittsburgh will hold the spring races
from May 90 to June inclusive.
Captain Hatch, Of the ship Prima Donna
from Hong Kong, purchased small yach
abroad, and brought it over for the use o.
his daughter. 1t was yesterday. seized hy
the Customs officials for violation of tn,
American Bottomry laws. An appeal viii
be made to Secretary Folger to release it, a!
il is intended for use and not for sale.
Decided a Draw.
KANSAS CRY, Mo-, May 4.-The Graeco
Roman wrestle last night was for 800 a sid'
between Connor, the English champion
and Clarence Whistler. The match, attel
two hours duration, and before the com
pletion Of the first round, was declared
draw.
The Cultured Capture Them.
PHILADELPHIA, May 1. - Bostons, ii
Philadelphias, 10.
Providence Too Much for Era.
New YORK, May i.-Providence, il; New
York, 3.
Defiance Defeated.
WASHINGTON, May i.-Nstionals, ;; Def
ance, l.
The Horses Will Win.
BosroS, May AT the end Of the fftl
day in the siX.day contest at the Casino
the score stands: Horses, 795 miles; bi
cycles, I66 miles.
ANOTHER DUKES JUROR