Evening journal., 1894-02-23
ROX-HUHTERS Big DAY OF SPORT.
Fifty OF Them. with as Many Hounds.
Participated in Fine Hunt at Kirk
wood Yesterday.

Special Correspondence Evening Journal.
KIRKwooD, Feb. 23.-An old time fox |
hunt at Kirkwood was the way Wash.
ingtons Birthday was celebrated in our
little village. Proprietor of the Kirk
wood Hotel, John M. Stuart, on Monday
last, secured from a man by name Of
Simpson, near Christiana, large, strong
and able male fox and Immediately noti-
fed his patrons and friends Of the sur
rounding neighborhood that the fox would
be turned loose on Washington's Birth.
day II the weather was fit for the hunt.
About o'clock yesterday, the huntsmen
on horseback began to arrive, accom-.
panied by their hounds, and by II o'clock
there wero at least fifty huntsmen and
as many hounds ready to give old Rey-
nard the argument whenever Mine Host
Stuart saw ft 20 turn him loose.
The time set for liberating Reynard
was precisely at 10 o'clock, but on &C.
count Of the lunch Mr.. Stuart had pre-.
pared for the huntsmen having to be dis
posed Of, Reynard was not shaken out Of
the bag until 10 10. The writer, through
the courtesy of Track Foreman ]. Il.
Hastings, was taken up in the second
story of the Pennsylvania Railroad Com
pany's warehouse, where he had
splendid view Of the hunt for several
miles.
After the fox was liberated he dashed
of at a rapid pace for about an eighth Of
mile when he stopped, looked back and
saw that he was not being pursued.
Then ihe lay down in the snow, had
good roll aud played around for a little
while. Presently he threw up his head
as much as to say to the hundred or more
huntsmen and spectators good by, "
when he struck off, taking a northerly
course toward his old home.
j. B. LeFevre was chosen as the one
who should decide on how much start
the fox should have on the hounds, and
being authority on fox-hunting, the
decision made by Mr.. LeFevre was. that
owing to the snow, the fox should have
at least fifteen minutes start on the
hounds. This met the general approval
of the huntsmen. After the fifteen
minutes had elapsed, with the fifty
huntsmen in saddle. with prancing
steeds, the dogs we're liberated from the
barn on the word being given by Time
keeper LeFevre and Peter Stuart.
Then the music of the hounds, as they
| took the trail, could De heard for miles
4
hounds made as pretty q start as he
ever had seen. The dogs, fifty in
number. kept closely together In taking
the trail and were soon on 1t hot, taking
a northerly direction across the farms Of
| William Ward and Samuel Stewart,
| where the fox doubled and came over
the railroad on to the farm of Eph
Sterling, where he again doubled and
crossed the railroad in q northwesterly
direction near Bear station, when he
Strengthened himself for Christiana, but
Reynard was doomed never TO reach
home after passing the Bear, the dogs
being so hot on his trail had him by
sight when they picked him up near his
den and soon ended his earthly career.
Taswell Thornton, who appeared to have
the feetest horse on the hunt and being
the most , daring rider. succeeded in Sc
curing both fox and brush before the
dogs had time to tear him to pieces
The following men, nearly all OLD
huntsmen, participated in the hunt
Colonel William B. Ford, who rode his
handsome black charger, Thunder; Ben
jamin Johnson, on his little bay mare,
spitfire Leslie Gray, on his sorrel
gelding General Knox R. 7. Burgess
guiding his bay horse, Sandy Hook; Ed
ward Reybold, on his brown mare, Fidget
William II. Hayes, on his bay hackney
Billy Bumpkin j. H. Hastings, on his
bay charger, Joe Bowers j. Mshoney
on his famous mare, Kentucky Kuliz
Colonel Tom Cam guided his spirited
roadster, McGinty; Peter Stewart rode
his spirited mare, Lucy Long; James P
Ford directed his young roadster, Consul
tation.
Taz Thornton, who secured the brush
rode his feet-footed mare Fire Fly
Wash. R. King rode his nob.e yonnl
mare, Sally Ann, and many others whom
the writer did not know, participated il
the hunt.
The huntsmen and dogs arrived bacl
! from the hunt with the fox rs thei
trophy, voting Mine Host Stuart thei
= thanks for giving them suchsa pleasan
: outing.i One Of the.most remarkable in
cidents Of the hunt was the Remarkable
. performance and endurance Of Josepl
Conaway, one Of the railroad employees o
this place. After theIfox was liberate
. he started after him on foot, and being
rapid walker and knowing the country S
well, by cutting off on Raynard, he wa
within 800 yards of Thornton when b
Z picked the fox up. Conaway covere
I about fourteen miles on the hunt afoo