Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1883-08-27

The Fox Hunt Al Newport.
SUMNER AMUSEMENT OF THE ULTRA FASH
IONABLEs AT THE GREAT WEST.

Bellevue avenue at the hour OF the fash
ioDable drive, and that it is a sham hunt,
at which the riders only '.play" at riding.
An English gentleman who rides often TO
hounds in England assures me that he
finds our hunting hard riding and our
country rough enough. In the first place
the foxes are brought here from away and
kept securely until needed. This is not a
pleasant feature of the hunt A wild fox
would be better and the sport fairer one,
tor. naturally. the fox is not in good run
ming condition. Indeed. these captured
foxes are in such poor running condition.
and the country so thickly inhabited, that
they cannot be relied upon alone, and a
scent is laid for the first half hour. In the
morning OF the day of the hunt the keeper
# the hounds trails bag of anise seed
across the country. starting from the place
appointed for the meet. He avoids really
dangerous places, though the trail has to
lie over many stone walls and across many
ugly bitches. After a few miles of this,
he stations the fox in his box. to be let out
when hounds and riders, having followed
the scent, have reached the spot. The
fox comes forth considerably dazed, and
instinctivelv, at the sight of the dogs upon
It, fees for its life, the whole pack after it.
Then begins the real hunt. The creature
is soon caught, though often making many
circuits first, and carrying the hunters
through cornfields and stone walls,
and bringing them into the least
expected situations. 1t cannot but be
very exciting for time, but the thing is
cruel when you put yourself in the place
of the fox which is finally torn to pieces
and distributed among the ladies and gen.
tlemen and dogs The first bring back
the brush and The mask and the pads as
trophies the dogs are given their share
to whet their appetiies for the next.
understand that the Society for the Pre-
vention of Cruelty to Dumb Creatures is
about to bring its power to bear upon this
sport, and if possible put an end to it.
doubt that the Society will be able to
control the matter; and in the meantime |
would advise it to look after the poor ON
nibus and hack-horses at Newport. They
probably suffer more every hour of the
day than this little fox in its one hour of
terror The season is but half over. and
the horses are quite ready to be retired.
have never seen more shameful abuse
than that which suppose one must see
for many weeks yet.
But to come tack to the fox hunt. 1t
was not in true sportsman style that we
r, de to hounds the other day. We went
decently along the high road, behind a
fourth hand, vet | remember few loveler
afternoons, and it had its excitement as
WELL The meet was on Indian enue,
seven miles out, and close by the little
cottage of Edwin Booth. The way to it
led across the two beaches. Every vehi
Gle in town seemed to be going in the
same direction. and the beaches were COW
cred with riders when we reached them.
1t was pretty sight; all of Newport's
fine horses and beautiful turnouts, liveries
and silver and gold mountings glistening
in the sunlight. the carriage horses catch
ing the spirit of the hunters as they went
dashing by on their way to the meet.
The fox hunt here is as much II matter OF
to those who ride, the fashion says
now that carriages should not be seen
on Bellevue avenue on the afternoons of
the hunt. This Is blessing-anything is
blessing which breaks the monotony of
Bellevue avenue. 1t was an animated
scene all along the road, and l doubt if
there is drive in New England that af-
lords more lovely views of the sea and
more exquisite bits OF rocky landscape.
We drove under the hanging rocks OF
Paradise, through the very spots Bishop
Berkeley loved and wrote of. At the
meet the scene was a brilliant one. Cover
was drawn, the hounds gave tongue and
away they dashed. the hounds and rider
over the fields and fences, the carriages
through the roads and lanes hurrying to
reach high ground to command a view of
the race. The ladies recklesslv took the
stone walls. the horses some of them re
belling, but coming up all right after a
little strategy. 1t was an exciting chase
even when viewed calmly from coach
top, and it is maintained that | ordered
the coachman to drive over the fence at
any cost. The roads were very pretty.
and some of them have quaint English
names. Turning into the Mapping road,
to get short cut across country we en-
countered the whole pack of hounds
searching for the scent, which they had
lost, the riders all standing in suspense
on the brow of the hill, the red coats
cleaning in the sunlight, the restless
horses on the alert, the clever, eager dogs
running here and there, picking up the
scent at last. l do not remember a pref
tier picture. all the carriages in the mean
time crossing a sweet green meadow,
knowing that in some way that the scent
lay beyond it. and the riders would be there.
And all this time the poor little fox was
in his trap, unconscious of bloodthirsty
hounds and score of men and women
bearing down upon it. And when they
reached it the bewildered creature sud
denly given its freedom, fought for its
poor little life for a few minutes, gave up
the struggle, and saw the hounds smack
ing their chops, the blood upon their fur.
and saw a fair woman proudly take the
brush and wear it as something she had
earned in a good race. She had earned it
in one sense. She had bravely ridden
over every obstacle. But | would as soon
cut the ears and tail OF my pet dog and
wear them at my belt as to be in at the
death of poor. frightened fox. literally
put into the jaws OF death. to be taken out
piecemeal. 1t is like that refinemen, of
cruelty in the times of the Inquisition.
when a man was tried tor offence after
long imprisonment, was pardoned and set
free, to open the door that let him forth
as he supposed into the free air only to
fall headlong into well from whose pro-
jected sides. sharp blades OF steel. that
caught and tore him as he bounded from
side to side in his descent to death vish