New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-07-27
THROUGH FIELD AND DITCH.
THE MERRY SPORT OF CROSS COUNTRY
RUNNING.
PLEASURES AND EVEN PAINS THAT NEvEB
FAIL TO DELIGHT THE HEART IN
THE RETROSPECT.

res OF pack in full cry. 1vebarrcd gates cautions to
respassers broad water jumps, harbveadth escapes
from death and mlshaps innumcrable Then comes
the literature Of the field. All fox hunters are ac-
quanted with the famous Mr. Jarrocks. Of Iiandley
Cross and his friends. If the reader be fox hunter
e should know Mr. Jarrocbs. and in case he should
know Mr. JarrOcks. At any rate il Is safe 10 that
everybody has read Anthony Trcllope's famous word
pictures Of the hunting field. and those who
bilious Of possessing complete sporting library must
incude TIE masterpieces OF such enthusiasts Colo
mel Whyte Melville and the reckless hard rider and
hard drnker Mr. Nlmrod." who nOurlshei in an Eng
sh county celebrated for fox hunting in the early DAYS
Of the century, and who wrote for the London press
accounts Of the field which have never been edualed in
the annals of Journalism. The reason Is simple
Nmrod7 a fox hunter and not journalist. lie
only wrote when he rode, but he rode frequently
enough to provide all the necessities OF his simple
bachelor existence. and he eschewed politics, con-
naerations and the busy world entirely Heaven made
him fox hunter and lie never misto0k his voca ion;
necessity compelled him 10 write, and he wrote ina
scarlet Jacket and tops. fulfilling his mission
and happy in being able il not exactly TO write from
his heart to write from his stable.
These and many Others have described the delights
Of Galop across country. nying hedges and
bitches and philosophcay trampling down the farni-
crs' crops 1t vet remains fer some one 10 chronicle
the excitement and exaltaOn Of spirit incident to the
humber mode Of going across country namely,
mounted on "slanks's mare Some old veterans OF
the hunting field cannot perceive the delights Of this
Kind Of locomotion. but it has its advantages IL Is
certainly far plcaSanter to climb eisurely over or
under thchct than to be suddenly and forcibly
prcclpatcd into the contre Of it, with your body
twisted to an acute angle Of 45 degrees.
TWO WAYS OF CROSSING \ POND.
II is more convenient if it comes to ii choice Of al
ternativcS TO wade cautiously through leech pond
than to be dragged through IT by tho sirrup dark
rfrtrp mtg
There Joys in country with good hsr-
rier club which will pale their Intellectual fires
before the almost unique experience of exchanging IN
the twnklnC Of an eve yOUr seat In the saddle for
the top rail e FIVE barred gate but there is df-
ference In the sensltOas. The first arc pyrocchnc;
the second are like a mustard plaster or lobster
salad-thc delight grows upon Won.
The JOYS Of Jogging along clothed in perfect serenity
Of mind and an for ones ordinary underwear
ore not 50 vivid and alurng perhaps those Of flying
through villages to the music Of iron hoofs. with
cloud Of duet ard an admiring crowd behind you but
they are cmlnenty satisfying. They seem 10 be grad
ualy absorbed into the system until ones corporate
being is moving Of aches bruises bad language.
mud ard scauty but sodden clothing. In the first
place. It never vet was known to be fine on the day
APPOINTED for cross country run. The clerk OF the
weather for some reason best known 10 himself always
maHcs things rs uncomfortable possible. Some
times the proceeding, are cnlIvened with good trop-
cal thunderstorm, but usually the day Is one lohR
drizzlc OF rain. Occasionally il rains
IN a way that would stagger
Bard for smile short OF Nia9ara.
but II posrs necessarily, pcrNistcntly diaboicaDy
until all Is over. and then it brgltens up. and the skv
bg,eS rosy red and the sun peeps forth with sar-
donic smile before retiring to waken the good folk IN
Australasia The ground is always worse than on any
previous occasion, and feels sticky and diluted for
hours after one has been properly rubbed down and
t,,. do,.,nd rho g,rucutS of civilization
TIE SPORT IL ENGLAND.
Cross-country running is a past.me which had its
origin in that isle beyond the sea where Cray skies
and suicidal weather the normal condition OF things.
In England. however II is more empha;ioally cross
country than usually Is here. There is no course
marked out Two strong and good runners are ap-
pointed harcsr and a few minutes start IS given TO
them They scatter trail Of paper which followed
bv the body Of the runners and they cross and recoss
the trail eadinc the PACK through wO d., over p ugei
fields, over river, and streams. over nincfoo walls
tlrouch orchard, and wherever possible through
tho temptations Of roadside inn parlors. The prizes
o. distributed a, over hc-c to the hist three men in
a. tho oud Of the rum and to the team which claims
the greatest proportion OF the foremost harriers.
II +, needless To ,ay The ia:e, rarely caught.
and il J., equally .uperluous 10 say that this kind Of
amusement j. hard work Iut then the Anglo saxon
race all the world over WORK, hard when playing. and
the cycle OF experience, one passes through during
r',n :n,lric9f roconpcnse for tSe mscrcs en-.
durod. II i, c,,entlly an amusemen; FOR a healthy
phy,5ai eidurance required and the abbreviated toilet
which I, absolutely necessary preclude all idea Of the
In this stat. there j. large number Of cross
country clubs which bel ng TO an organization known
p, the National eros, Country Association, and their
roll call contains tc names OF some ~ the champion
long distance runners H. tie w0Tli Inc competitions
take place prescribed track, and the general
pubic can enter into the joy OF the thing by com
orably getting the pach into proper focus through
f.,rI fp..fp fltY ~ At
course. the have all the fun to themselves,
gnc tine pnbc Is content TO be rGprcSentsG by y Inc
Dve' gate instead of jumping over. or encourages
them when they fan into the stream with me
philosophical reflection that it don't matter as they
ant -cf any wCttcr.
THE RENDEZVOUS At NORRIS PARK.
The fayoritc rendezvous Of the National Cross
'ountry Association is at Morris Park. where gen
eight miles Of genuine crosS-country, occarN OF
lGad mud and ono or two plouehcd fields satisfy the
most cNactins and Obvatc the necessity Of creating
li1-ioue Inc men line mp at the judges stand.
ti,eriuG in the rain. Tile pistol is fired and tho
uen ,"'c? forwaM Ike dock OF scaolrlS. there Is
criinl, ~ the ,atc the line cngthcnS ont. and tho
White figure, hit in and ont among the pines ~
moment aui then dlsapp.ar in the grove.
In a mud;c they ltappAr In the open field beyond
ri hundred, IF ia $50, are levcllcd distinguish tho
r.'der. TIE course then winds across the field
AruSh the open ground for about seven eighths OF
mile 10 the corner u the track adjoining the Will
amshr.dse h"ad ara f'liam aye, thcn The three
l' already - warm ~ II the descending rain was
10 lAur fdti 81 100 degrees. sharp westerly turn
- Pelham ave. gate and a dcOur j. made 10 tho south
{ thc roadway past the water tover-then the run
cis. much scattered 10y th> time. the main
rack down hill through The western inheld over fences
nd mu ankle deep. and across the thrceQuarter mile
Jack into the eastern inirld away ;hcy 90 south
lhc southern END 81 the ban grounds. Hike shower
wind driven white leaves, shatp twist 10 the north
nd ne, are again within RANCE and the broad water
imp (; encountered ton the course doubles back
- Itself again and again and ire race ends I'm Splen-
it half mil" stretch 81 the open track 10 the south
II J. charming sport for the spectators Il their
enthusiasm prrmit, th'm 10 remain under cover and
going 90 sleep without rocking is Iteration
the competitors they well rewarded when they
@ down at night and sink into oblivion sveeter
.an that of an opium eater
TNABLE TO FTSD THE POLTCENAy
Inspect or Conn and Acting Captain Shechan havs
hillrcrf 4 fhn nnl.n,n Mllo Is said