Waterbury evening Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1887-1895, 1891-09-18

The hunt is privileged body in Eng
land, and can make gaps in hedges and
break down walls with IMMUNITY. The
farmer never complains If his wheat
and turnip fields are ruined by the sport,
nor does q lady complain if her flower
garden and ornamental arbor be laid In
ruins. The poor creature who has made
such desperate run for his life must
be killed at any cost
Shooting Is, however, the favorite
sport Of all Enghshmen. Both pleas
ants and partridges are first carefully
reared, the eggs generally purchased in
large quantities, Matched by hens, and
the birds fed through the summer with
meal and other appropriate food. The
gamekeepers take the greatest pride in
the rearing of these birds. The pleas
ant is to the Englshman what the Ibis
was to the Egyptian. He is petted.
worshiped and killed, sacred bird.
They are let loose in the woods only
when nearly full grown When the
''oovers are FULL" and good bag is to
DO expected, the list Of October is reg
ula% feast day, Q large party Is asked.
and var1ety Of costumes makes the
scene picturesque. Gentlemen dress in
red or purple stockings, knickerbockers
OF stout cloth or velveteen, a shooting
Jacket of rough, heavy material and
Stout shoes. Such is the costume.
The ladies collect after breakfast to
SOC the party start out, rendezvous is
agreed upon, and luncheon or tea brings
them together at either two or five
o'clock, under a sheltering hedge on the
side of wood. The materials of an
ample meal are brought to the appoint
ed place, and a gay picnic ensues.
Though shooting is sport in which
more real personal work is done by
those who join in it, and in which skill
is a real Ingredient, still it is neither SO
characteristic nor 80 picturesque as fox
hunting. There firm seat in the sad
die, a good horse, and determination
to ride straight across country, are all
that is needed for the majority of the
field" In shooting much patience is
required, beside unerring accuracy of
aim, and judicious knowledge Of
when and how to shoot.
No one who has ever had the priv
{ lege of doing twill forget his first drive
through the delights Of an English
park. The herds of fallow deer that
haunt the ferny glades beneath the old
show and for the table, for park-fed
venison is more delicious morsel than
the flesh of the Scotch red deer that
runs wild on the moor. White, brown
and notified, with branching antlers
which serve admirably for offensive
and defensive weapons, the deer
browse In groups, the does and fawns
generally keeping apart from the more
lordly bucks. The park-keeper knows
them all, and when one Is shot the
| hides, hoofs and antler6 become his
| perquisites-
however, this: The keepers assistant
previously agreed upon. The sight is a
very pretty one. The keeper stations
himself, rife in hand, In the fork of
some convenient tree along the route
He takes aim at the intended victim,
and at the ominous report the scared
herd scampers away faster than ever,
| leaving their comrade to tho knives of
the keeper. 1t is very much like going
out to shoot a COW. There is OCCASION
ally bit Of UenerEe and an attempt to
renew the scenes of Robin Hood and
Sherwood forest, and the hounds are
they are trained not to kill the deer
The stag in this instance is given a
certain start, being carried bound in a
cart to a certain point, whence he is re-
leased and the chase commences. Thus
the same stag may be hunted a number
of times and be none the worse for it,
which is not the way they do it in the
| Adirondaczs.
| American venison Is higher favored
meat than English, and should be only
partly roasted before the fire, then cut
In slices half raw, placed before each
guest on chatting dish with jelly and
| gravy, and warmed and cooked before
the guest to insure perfection.
| A Polish officer Of distinction has sent
me the following account Of hunting in
his provinces:
| 1--WE do not hunt the fox as in Eng
land. He is shot when met in a drive,
or worried out of his subterranean
| castle by special breed of dogs, the
Dachshund, or Texel, or If young cubs
are suspected to be in the hole the
| exits as far as known are closed, a
shaft sunk to the center, and the whole
brood extinguished in one way or the
| other"
We ride to hounds after hare, and the
speed of fox hunt Is not hing when
compared with cruise Of the hare, for
the greyhound, used for tho latter, can
beat any fox hound in racing. No one
would ever think of water killing deer
as it is done in the Adirondacks, and
woe unto him who kills doe!
The old fashioned way to kill the
wild boar is to let him run on you, then
kneel on one knee holding hunting
knife or cutlass, double-edged. The
boar, infuriated by the dogs, rushes at
you. If well directed, the knife enters
his breast and heart; if it does not,
then look out. This is what is called
pig sticking" in India. Old Emperor
William hunted the boar in the royal
forests near Berlin, and King Hum
bert does the same in the mountains
| near Rome.
Bird hunting, that of snipe, wood
Geek, partridge, quail and waterfowl,
| Is done in the samo Uav no baro nv