Idaho news. (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1887-1891, 1888-11-24
ABOUT BACKGROUNDS

These FsrocIous Mau-Hunters oi
Fiction OF No Practical value as
Ha"ters.
An Euglishmau Of some prominenee has
recently made a very large fool OF himself by
attempting TO put into practice n moaieum
OF the bOuHtfui fiction of the bloodhound.
Fond OF his dogs and fired with enthusiasm
nc sailed forth in a TIA ickly settled quarter
Of London to fiud with his hounds the thing
which he was looking for. But as he did no:
kHOw the thing be wanted TO lind, it Is mar
vicious that he or any other sane man should
suppose dog could, by some unknown and
uukuowabe process of the mind. know the
object OF the search. Indeed, the sagaeious
hoaRds we're not only expected to know the
Whitechapel butcher, but they were supposed
% know his very track when they put their
moses to It The sequel to this man-hunting
expedition was a hunt by men for the lost
snan-huuting hounds. This is not the first
time that man has attempted to put into
practice the wonderful talents the novelist
has created for this dog, and so long IS the
Section about the bloodhound shall exist we
shall probably have just such exhibitions of
2aiy as was latelY exhibited In England.
The facts about the BLOODHOUND are sadly
that have been painted about his GoInga
Neither ink nor paint have been spared to
pat The alleged marvellous talents Of this dog
fato an impressive and touching form, while
scancely any facts about his real life have
EsaaRd Their way into print People every
where have an idea that this dog has long
oeeft IN practical use in the Old countries and
south OF Mason ami DIxou's line in this
Ss'4atsY ne was supposed to have hourished
" la -
fsnnnou BELIEF that The race of 'acoou-hupt.
rug ttoodhounds' is still very large in the
So0lh- The truth about the whole matter ia
sh1t there never were any bloOdhouuds in
use aIlOns the southern planters during the
1stS oil slavery, aud the YerT few blOOdhounds
|-iSt uaPe found their way into this country
nave oeen imported from England since The
-s&E 1o-das there are NOT u round dozen of
2 9Sdhounds Ia America, and the few which
are uere Hever have followed a track of any
ktid More than this, their ancestors Tor
aaaAF generations have not been mt IN
aaF practical use, so that the instincts Of the
haoodhouud OF to day have become very weak
from dsuSe through a long line OF aneestTy
the blOodhuuud in its purity is nothing
more or less than an intense type of The
= MOUND lie IS the progenitOr of the whole
+. nooSd variety which hunts by scent The
kToeoaype Of the useful varieties OF the
lnotRfa vas dog Of one idea He wanted 10
fGioW track step by step, and he was so
obstinate in his methods and so slow that he
'Z1s OF little practical use. From him a more
1aeehsgent dog, like the modern foxhound,
srea. TINS dog has nose, speed, and
IutgSnent aud whether on the trail of a
Eo1 or the trail of a man he shows
The sagacity which the bloodhound lacks.
snEh quality makes him useful Thes,
ttoSss, modern fUxhounds. were used in the
s91th before The war TO hunt runaway slaves
ssa they are still used In many sections 10
traeS criminals. Their usefulness, however
8 Aotted. IL will not do To show these or
aa other dogs an old shoe and expect them
10 hHd the owner They are trained 10 run a
IaiL aud Il a criminals track can be found
EiG same day he made it, In a country not
Aaaen thhsbied, tie dogs may be expected to
oFertake tue runaway.
betoFe the war It was the practice in the
so0Hi to keep the siaTe-hunting dogs away
1ruiu the negroes, aud they grew to dislike
Ahem because they had no association with
Eileius ant we're taught while young to follow
tbetr traL To tiEd a track out in the woods
atats aoIow u was as much sport for the dogs
rs tt would be to follow a fox track Indeed
u was more, because the track of mau " as
easier to follow.
ahe system Of man-hunting with hounds
= pFeS1sely tile same as that 1f fox hunting
lac Adx track Is found and the dogs follow II
10 untu they bring the fox to bay or
Aass the trail. Once started on a particular
traa the dogs will cling TO that one and
At9Ou2h they mas cross others good hounds
WIKI not leave the track they started on Just
50 With man bunting. The dogs must be put
On trail, and lhcf will stick TO it unless il is
carried iuto such places as are thlckly settled.
Ihere the numerous tracks will be sure to
GOi the best hounds
THIS is the state of the case in fact. but in
Det0H tue RUNWAY slave has left behind him
some Cd clothes, or something which he has
used great deal. This is given to the slave
huhiefs and after that person has shown the
OBJECT 10 his ferOcfous bloOdhOunds, he sad
dteS us horse and follows the hounds There
are Out Few people who believe this to be the
SL ct manuer in which the man hunters of
the south proceed. They believe the dogs
would remember the particular scent they
were expected TO hunt and would refuse TO
follow any other The hounds used for hunt.
Aag negroes would follow any negro's trail
the7 found in an out of-the- way place. lust as
iox hunltng dog would follow any fox. The
latter looked for fox trail while those used
exclusively for following negroes looked for a
negro's trail and they made no distinction
"a aegroes until they got started on the trail
LHea they would keep to the particular trail
Rl.ey had started on. II by any chance they
asa get OIL on another track they would be
tA1eu awav by the hunter.
1he bloodhound has not been OF any prac.
Sbeai use at any time during the present cen
AaSyI ana unless he shall have some qualities
added TO his nature which he now lacks he
~iH never cut much Of figure in his purity.
5atside Of fiction.