Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1888-12-30
THEAMEGICAN CLUBS BIG MEETS
Five Thousand People Participated In the
Last Cne-The Game Is in Reality a Race
Between Greyhounds. and L. Decided on
the Merits of the Deg.


Ii celebrating fox hunt is now
quite common at the coun.
try seats of the wealthy. 1t is even fashion
able in a few Of the large cities of the United
States-Wa Washington, for instance. You will
often see in the streets Of Washington on the
north side body Of superbly mounted men
and women, all fashionable society people, in
chase of cunning Reynard, and the yelping
of hounds and the excited EXPLANATIONS OF the
pursuers are SO familiar that the people living
on Connecticut and Massachusetts, avenues
will scarcely rush to their windows, Is they
did at first, to see the passing show.
PAPER WILL DO ON a PINCH.
When the devotees to the sport Of fox
hunting in Washington are unable to secure
fox, they take second best and have paper
chase. skillful horseman is given five or
ten minutes start, and he distributes on his
way enough paper to guide his pursueTs to
the direction he has taken. That is, If they
are keen enough. Sometimes the fox cannot
be found, and, so fer as the finish is con-
cerned, the whole thing is tremendous
fzzle. As rule. however, after beautiful
ride Of ten miles, the ''fox" is captura, usu-
ally by lady Ghe men are gallant in Wash
ington, 0 readerl, and the prize, usually some
thing quite costly, is gracefully presented,
the party leisurely rides back to the city,
partake of red or blue or pink or London
fog luncheon and dispense.
But a royal, though perhaps little in
human, sport that is rapidly growing in
favor is the old English sport Of coursing
Not long ago a young end wealthy sports
man of New York city was arrested for
coursing on the ground Of cruelty to ami
mails He was acquitted, and was not out of
court day before he had another coursing
meet.
The only difference between coursing ard
fox hunting is that the object Of pursuit, in
stead Of being a fox, is the rapid hare-com-
monty known in the United States as the
jack rabbit-and the hounds pursue the rab-
bits by sight and not by scent.
AMERICAN CoURsING CLUB.
The American Coursing club has had some
magnificent meets since its organization. At
the meet in Grand Bend, Kan, last October,
there were nearly five thousand persons,
from ali parts of the Union, in the
chase and the sport was beautiful.
at the next meet of tho club it is
expected that some 5000 or 5000 persons
will be in the drive. The best dogs that
America can supply or England can spare
viii be used. An enormous number of rab-
bits are killed in these drives. In two drives
made near Fresno, Col, the past summer,
over 5000 jack rabbits were collected and
killed. Whether or not this is cruel is still a
mooted question. The fact must be taken
into consideration, however, that in many
parts of the United States, as in Australia, rab-
bits are positive nuisance, and the sportsmen
argue that in extarrninating a pest they are
beneiting the farmers and having ire
mendous lot Of fun themselves.
The method pursued in coursing is briefly
as follows;
Meetings are held in open districts well
frequented by jack rabbits. where the grey
Enthusiastically called dogs" as fox
hounds are technically called ''hounds"-are