Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1895-01-14
MILITARY VALUE OF SPORT.
Tho Experienced Hunter Is More IMAM
Half soldier.

HAIR n SoiuicT'
Tho value of sport rs means Of deYei-
opinR and training soldiers has always
beon recognized In al armies, and as 10,
gards officers, at any rate, hns been wen
enproclated by u.s. A distinguiimeu oaNai-
~ officer STAGED In public o few years ny
that in his opinion no man was NJ 10 hoiu :,
a commission who did not rido larry wen
"a hounds. The immortal Jorrochs, 100
was not slow to appreciate the reiation po,
tween war and It's Image, with ohly 20 ~
cent Of It's danger In India we cncouIaBo
our men 20 10 into tho country on shoot-
iry cxueditions, and few enthusiasts he
homo have oven allowed tho 'woollles
an occasional sight - tho hounds.
The great duke Kept a pack In the pen
insula, and race meeting has not SCI,
dom formed the closing act OF many Oh
our little wars But 1t has been Lett to our
friends tho Russians TO definitely Organize
sporting expeditions on n large SCALE with
a view 10 giving realistic instruction 10
their rank and file. Hunting fosters nerve
and manly qualities. IL cannot iall TO I'M
proyo horscmnnship, but II makes man
far more than nic"e rider. IL teaches
him TO husband and savO his horse encr-
pies. study his idiosyncracics ana ABOVE
All perhaps brings home 10 him the neeu Oh
thoughtful stable management and care
full fitting Of saddles and brides a man
who hunts grows accustomed to finding
his way about In a strange country. liz
acquires an uyo for ground and becomes
resourceful IN danger or difficulties Ihui
Il affords perhaps tho best training ground
a mounted man Gnu have. But victories
are won mainly by infantry, and nova
days especially when formations are loose,
a foot soldier must have head ON MS
shoulders. 1t was stalking deer ana ante
lopo that made the Beers the dangerous
foes we found them, and the man whd
has been brought up as gamokeeper is
the most valuable prize Of the recruiting
sergeant. The Germans for this reason
have called their smnrtcst regiments jag
crs, and tho French "chasseurs" Illus.
trate, too, tho appreciation which the
same class meets with and have ever have
met with on the other sido Of the Rhine.
Our rlncmen are distinguished by no such
characteristic title, but arc clothed in the
traditional green affected By the natives
Of tho woods. However iagCrs" and
"chasscurs' can no moro all be sportsmcn
than Eiitcd men in our service can all
claim a birthplace north Of the Tweed,
en- time.
In Franco and Germany game preserves
and tillagc have destroyed any chance
thoro might ever have been Of allowing the
natural instincts OF men IA FREQ outlet.
But In Russia there Is mora scope, and the
chance q spArscly populated country offers
has not been thrown away, Hunts have
OF late years been set on foot in the neigh.
boihuOl OF military stations in which
whole battali0us occasionally have taken
part. The quarry has usually been bonr
marked down by tho villagers In an adj
joining forest, and the excitement Of pur.
suing an animal with reputation in pop.
ular imagination Tor lcrority forms dc.
liphtlul break in the weary monotony Of
bnrrack lii0.
So far, however ns we have gathered
from some accounts Of these expeditions
poor bruin has but u small chance indeed
and is simply surrounded by u bowling
crowd Of excited mon, who destroy him by
sheer weight of numbers Little of value
In war or anywhere else can he derived
from such performances, but all hunts are
not Of this character, and batter manage.
mont is displayed In many districts The
Russian military authorities are now in.
decd quito alive to the benefit that may
be derived from encouraging real love OF
sport, and definite rules and regulations
have quito recently been drawn up with
view to making tho most OF the special
opportunities many Of their troops enjoy.
But, Gtlur ALL only small portion Of
troops can taste such Joys, and in most
places there may be q good deal of hunt,
ing and very little game while equip.
mcuts and what our Indian officers would