Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1888-04-10
AT AN ENGLISH MEET.
IN OCCASION OF EXCESSIVE HOS
PITALITY AND SOClABlllTY.

An English Country Day in Midwinter'
rb. Elders and Their Costumes-Ar-
| rival of the Hounds.
In the first place, the country is much more
| interesting than with us in the winter IL Is
rare for the mercury to go below 20 or y
ders. Fahrenheit. The English people use
the freezing point 80 as the indicator. They
sneak of 3 or dogs. of frost meaning 50
many degrees below 81. They never nave
weather which approaches zero. The winters
being comparatively mild the grass remains
! green throughout the year, and but llVtic
snow falls The morning after Christmas
went over with party OF friends to meet Oh
the hounds Lord Fitzhardinge is the master
OF tho hounds for that district. 1t was the
first English meet had ever seen, and as the
day was absolutely perfect tho picture was u
most delightful one to my unsportsmanllAe
vision.
The morning was crisp and clear. There
was light boar frost on the ground which
soon ga , way, SO that the ground became
| moderately soft under tho rays OF the sun.
There was not bit of wind. The cc'se TO
be run was over n succession of green, ;,rassy
downs sl:irtia; hedgerows and thick clumI1s
OF woodland These downs ran to line o.
cliffs overlooking an arm of tho sea, beyond
which was long limo of blue hills-tht
| Welsh mountains. A meet III England Is one
OF t most democratic of gatherings l!
was new thing for me to learn that any
bod ), N tho noight0-hood can come to meet
and DO received if L. can find quadruped to
carry hir. The butcher, the baker the
candlcsticl maker can some and ride slon3-
eide OF tho GENTRY and keep up with them Ii
they have as good horses and are as sk4llfui
| riders.
AT THE NETT.
The meet tooL place on the broad lawn G!
a handsome country place of private gentle
man who las largo coal interests at tho Cape
,'erde islands. There were upward of
thousand people who came through lis gates
and up his walks without any invitation,
driving in all sorts of carriages and carts eIiG
upon I'll sorts of horses. Several hundred
came on foot. Another strange feature O.
this promiscuous gathering was tho fact tina;
every one WHO came was made welcome to
tho private hospitality of the house. Tho So
OF tho hos: cctively assisted the servants il
passing out sandwiches and mulled carct tC
whoever rode up TO the door There was
constant procession of lunching horsemen i,
froat Of the door for at least two hours before
tho hounds arrived with Lord Fitzhardins,
and tho whipper5 in.
fhero were al sorts of riding costumes
Tho master of tho bounds and tho whipper.
in wore tho traditional pink coats, cs did 9
lew of the other riders The ma jority of t5'
tho riders, however, even among the regu,a
members of the hunt wore dark coats. Two
ny officers from tho neiGhboring barraclls
- 10 U on very smart horses, wearing hurt
ing dresses which looked neat as flu
dress uniforms. They woro high silk hat
with small steel chains attached to the brin
IN the rear and passing around their necl1s.
Their coats were four button cutaways witt
long skirts and broad Tapped pockets. Thes
coats woro buttoned up tight to the throat,
above which appeared high white collar
and a white cravat Their knee breechcs
were white corduroy. Their boots were
high patent leather, with steel spurs upon
oho lower part of the heel. They were hand
some, trim looking men, and sat their horses
with perfect ease. Ono of tho most striking
of tho lady riders was relative of the mas
ter of the hounds she was not over II years
of age. Her slim figure was set Off by a dark
blue close fitting riding suit. Her hair, Il
dazzling golden silver foated in the wind
uncon1ncd from underneath black derby
hat. She was mounted on a thin skinned,
high bred, iron gray horse, which seemed to
be under tho perfect control of his beautiful
young mistress. But the good riders and the
correct hunting dresses were tho exception.
This was owing In part to the fact that it was
a holiday, and upon such occasions the regu-
lar members of the hunt Gre inclined to stay
away The trades people of Bristol came
out in great numbers. They were very en-
thusastic sportsmen, but they made up a
motley gathering, coming as they did upon
all sorts Of horses and in all sorts of riding
dresses.
THE HOUNDS.
Tho main interest eliminated when the
bounds arrived. They wcro such a smart, in.
telllSent looking lot of animals, Thoy all car
ried their heads and tails straight up They
appear ID to be eager and anxious to DO away,
bat were easily restrained by the whips of
tho servants in charge. They were moved
t-oout with tho precision and rapidity OF
well drilled soldiers. When the hounds came
into the iaclosure about the house where the
meet took place they smelled tho food of the
morning lunch ard wcro at onco going tc
press to the front, but a wave of the whip
pers-in stick sent them back in a compact
mass to corner of the inclosure, where they
/ renamed. Inc amount of lulClinT and
drinking done by the people who arrived
ana VINO must haNo just come from thciI
ure2lIaSt, simply illustrated the Cbility of the