The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1894-10-20
MILITARY VALUE OF SPORT.


The Experienced Hunter IL More than
Half soldier.
The value OF sport as means of de-
veloping and training soldiers has al
ways been recognized In all armies,
and, as regards officers, at any rate,
has been well appreciated by us. A
distinguished cavalry officer stated in
public few years ago that, in his
opinion. no man was fit to'hold com
mission who did not ride fairly well 90
hounds. The immortal Jorrocks, too,
was not slow 10 appreciate sthe rela-
ton between war and its Image, with
only twenty-five per cent Of its dam
ger. In India we encourage our men
to go into the country on shooting ex-
petitions, and few enthusiasts at
home have even allowed the ''wool-
les an occasional sight OF the
hounds. The great duke kept
pack in the Peninsula and
a race meeting has not seldom formed
the closing act OF many of our little
wars. But IL has been left to our
/ friends the Russians 90 definitely or
| ganize sporting expeditions on large
scale, with view TO giving realistic
/ instruction TO their rank and file.
Hunting fosters nerve and manly quail
] tiles. IL can not fail &C. improve horse
manship; but il makes man far more
than mere rider. II teaches him to
husband and save his horses energies,
study his idiosyncrasies, and, above all.
perhaps, bring home 10 him the need
Of thoughtful stable management and
careful fitting of saddles and brides.
a man who HINTS grows accustomed 10
finding his way about in a strange
country;he acquires an eye for ground,
and becomes rcsourccful i'm danger or
difficulties Thus IL affords, PERHAPS,
the best training ground mounted
man can have.
But victories are won mainly by in
fantry, and nowadays, especially, when
formations are loose, a foot-soldier
must have head on his shoulders. IL
was stalking deer and antelope that
made the Beers the dangerous foes we
found them, and the man WHO has been
brought up as a garnelSecper N tliemost
! valuable prize of the recruiting SER
geant The Germans, for ,fhis,reason,
have called their smartest, regiments
".Jagers." and the French ''Chasscurs"
illustrate too, the appreciation which
the same class meetwith, and have ever
met with on the other side OF the
! Rhine. Our rifemcn are distinguished
by no such characteristic title, but are
clothed in the traditional green affect
ed by the natives of the woods. How
ever, "Jngcrsn and Chasseurs'-c an no
more all be sportsmen than killed men
in our service can all claim "A birth
place north of the Tweed. and the name
is but survival of the dltltn time.
In France and Germany game pre-
serves and tillage have destroyed any
chance there might eyer have been IT
allowing the natural instincts OF mon
free outlet. But in Russia there Is
more scope. ard the chance sparsoly
populated country offers have not been
thrown away. Hunts havs OF late
years been set ON foot In the neighbor.
hood OF military stations in which
whole battalions occasionally have
taken part The quarry has usually
been bear marked ~ tie villagers in
an adjoining forest, and tie excitement
Of pursuing au animal with rcputa-
tion i'm popular imagination for ferocity
forms a delightful break in the weary
monotony Of barrack life.
So fag, however. i,s,Sye have gathered
from some accounts of these eXpedi-
tons, poor bruin has but a small
chance. indeed, and is simply sur
rounded by bowling crowd of excited
mon, who destroy him by sheer weight
of numbers. Little OF value i'm war or
anywhere else can be derived from
such performances; but air hunts are
not of this character, and better man
agcment is displayed in many districts.
The Russian military authorities are
now, indeed quite alive 10 the benefit
that may be derived from encouraging
n real love of sport. and definite rules
and regulations have quitc' recently
been drawn up with view To making
the most of the specia! opportunities
many Of their trqgps enjoy.
But, after all, only a small portion of
troops can taste such Joys, and
in most places there may be "a
good deal of hunting and very
little game. while equipments, and what
our Indian oneers would term ban
dohasts,' have 90 be on q particularly
modest scale Indeed, in most parts OF
European Russia the "Jagcrsr have To
be contented with but the image of
their craft. and there is considerable
more of instruction than amusement
about their expeditions Scouting and
reconnaissance duties against an
imaginary foe are hardly So exciting
as stalking and trucking beasts Of prey;
but the man who is an adept at ono
will probably excel at the other, and
the same qualities will BIC developed by
practice az either. Marksmaiship viii.
Of course, be- the first essential when
either animals or men arc the quarrics,
and the target practice Is, therefore, an
] q