The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-08-06

| The bloodhound OF tho South Ia n descendant
| OF the Cuban bloodhound and differs materially
from It's English cousin. IL Is generally larger.
It is florcer and It is swifter. There is more Of
a bulldog cut about the head Undoubtedly
back in the past the race was crossed with the
| bulldog The bull strain il evidenced also In
| its manner OF taking hold. It is not n swapping
| dog, but grips and hangs on steadily to the
| selected spot and can he disenpaged only nv
| compressing its nostrils and shutting of it's
| breath Tho first Cuban bloodhounds In this
| country were imported more than 200 years
| ago by Louisiana planters They were owned
| by every man who owned negroes and we're
| used literally. Slaves were cheaper then than
| afterward and It did not much matter pecuni-
| ariy II the dogs hold on the throat wore broken
| by tearing out tho flesh and tendons The
| planting don Of 100 had the Spanish streak Of
| cruelty intensified by q semi-wlld life and the
| transportation to the New World OF feudal
| customs and despotisms. He existed baroni-
| ally and his wife. his sons. his daughters and
| his poor kin were as much his chattels as the
blacks. He regarded the Africans merely as
animals OF a different species and not indi-
vidually worth so much as the dogs 1t was
often the case that the fugitive slave did not
| live after his capture. II the dogs caught him
| on the ground which was seldom. they killed
| him before the riders could he in at the DEATH
| IL he gained a tree his olive-skinned masters
| shot him out "a an example to the others. The
Cuban hound then cost good deal OF money
! aud was well treated. Old bills Of sale in the
| Court Houses OF Louisiana record the pu rchase
| OF these animals. Sometimes they brought as
| much as 81 900 a pair
| Eventually the breed spread all through the
South. though the dogs were not used as man
| hunters in the upper tier Of the Southern
| States. 1t is to be doubted II bloodhound was
| ever laid on the trail Of negro slave in Yir-
| Rinia. North Carolina or Maryland. The plant
| ers Of this century however, as a matter of
course. protected their slaves so far as possible
| from attacks by the animals. Tho dogs had
| become much cheaper. while the negroes had
| risen enormously in value. 1t did not pay to
have a $1,000 negro chewed up by 500 dog.
| humane considerations aside. and among the
| old planters there was much humanity in the
| treatment OF their dependents Furthermore.
| they had the property pride in their pos
| sessions. They valued nno negro
| nowadays they value fine horse. thought
| him better negro than anybody ese's
negro. boosted OF his fine points and
bet literally on his capacities Generally
| when slave ran away it was an easy mat
| ter to preserve him from the fangs OF the
| trailing brutes. Invariably he made for the
swamp at the back Of the plantation. 1t con-
| tanned many streams an laRoons that aided
| him in throwing the dogs Off the scent II
| tho worst came to the worst. he could always
| climb tree. There Is no doubt that the an
| cient anecdote OF the coon which remarked to
| the man with the gun. Don't shoot. mister.
I'm coming down." had it's origin in some run
| away hand rerched in a cypress and garing
| down with fripbtenod evas Mt bis ;rot. master
Nv" WIN - ~ 80 Nv ''1 ''"'o
| but preserving always the Negroes sense OF
| humor. Indeed. this story 10 venerated and
| loved in every quarter. and Is always good for
laugh.
| 1t stands to reason that the negroes hated
| Tho dos no tbot, hi.,orost ono,,ios o,d ta.rod
VIC u0s' a. '"'.' Wv, 'nv'''' "''u ''"tou
them. Despite all precautions they Killed
| many Of them. The African when left to him.
sal, 10 n mood dool ~ , ho,,ni., In , oru,,o ,,.o
| Sc" rs d kO'' uc". VI W, ','s' III 'ru"e way
and may be trusted to ina any poison that
| turks in strange plants The old slaves had
| n,i.o,, .h,t ,,,,d,,oo, ,,o,,,,.. ,,,I ,i...
| r''eonS ,""' p'o""'eu "hau"'SS anu Po'Sons
| that produced permanent or temporary paral-
| ysis and poisons TINT produced death The
| ao,,.,s ., r,onv ~ ,,or, ho,., ,..,,o, ,i,, ,r
seoi,'S VI many vi '"''n navy '',seu WIN 'he
| death of their possesSors. In the southern
part Of this State to-day are several voodoo