Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1899-02-25
FOX HUNTING.
IL is Said to Have Originated on
the Eastern Shore of
Maryland.

the Eastern Shore of
Maryland.
From M, CcHfrcriH, Recod
The first fox-hunting in America of
which any record has come down to us,
took place in Queen Anne's county.
about 1850. From that time on, no
Maryland homestead was complete
course. There was always slave whose
sole duty was 10 Tend hound, and
woe be unto him if any injury befell a
favorite hound. Summary and severe
punishment was always the penalty of
carelessness or neglect. Writers of the
day tell Us that the dogs We're allowed
more freedom than the slaves. and the
planters porch was always crowded
with yelping dogs. awaiting the masters
horn sound Mount and away" or
watching for an opportunity To see the
quarters door open that they might
steal something.
The hounds of those days were very
unlike the carefully bred and carefully
groomed and fed hunters of the mother
country. or of Maryland to-day. At
that time the fox-hound needed great
toughness and endurance, and these
requisites were obtained by crossing
the English fox-hound with the Irish
stag hound. The result looked like a
mongrel but it suited the country far
better than blooded animal.
The only fox hunted III those days
was the gray one. an animal very
different i'll many respects from his red
brother of England. As the State was
almost entirely settled by the English.
il was more like great English shire
than colony in the new world, and
but for the general roughness of the
country, it might easily have been
mistaken for one. As the settlers ar
rived here they brought with them
many local attachments. and not the
least of these was their fondneSs for
hunting the red fox. They could not
become accustomed to his gray brother
1t is TO this fact that we owe fox hunt
ing as it is to-day, and has always been
i'll England.
As tradition has il. one afternoon i'll
the hot month of August, in the year
of grace, seventeen hundred and thirty.
eight sleek and prosperous tobacco
planters in the county of Talbot sat in
the cool shade of broad, rambling
veranda. which supported by massive
pillars as it was and shaded by giant
oaks of many generations in age. afford
ed comfortable spot to discuss the sad
difference between hunting the red fox
in Merrie. England. where four of
them We're born and hunting the gray
one i'll the land of their adoption.
The Englishmen, with many round
oath and between sips of such fragrant
mint juleps as an Eastern Sho" darkey
alone knows how to concoct. were de-
claring that there was as much differ
ence between hunting the two species
as there was between a canvasS-back
and a BARNARD duck The upshot of
il was. according tc an old tale printed
not many years afterward, that the
captain of the good ship "Monocacy.
tobacco schooner owned by one of the
party, was instructed to bring back
with him on his next trip to Liverpool
eight pairs of red foxes.
In due course of time the animals
arrived, and liberated along the eastern
shore of the Chesapeake. The occasion
was one of much merriment, entertain
ment and sport. The daughter of the
country gentry rode on a pillion behind
her brother or cavalier To the great ball
which was given at Chestertown in
honor of the occasion. They fastened
their scarlet cloth riding habits over
their white silk ball dresses, and tied
their hair, done i'll an amazing fashion
with a lace kerchief, while their skirts
were arranged i'll such manner that
they would not come in contact with
the horses TANKS.
Everyone witnessed the festivities.
from the ignorant country pumpkin i'll
homespun jeans and white cotton shirt,
10 the landed proprietor, with his equity
foot done up in bandages. There were
many races between the horses of
Maryland and Virginia. and it is stated
that the horses from the latter colony
came off victorious. The hour these
eight pairs Of foxes were set loose in the
barn yards of the Maryland farmers
may be safely reckoned the birth OF
genuine fox hunting The way the
foxes multiplied was marvellous, but
they did not emigratc into Virginia
until the hard winter of lS19.S0 when
all the waters of the State was sheet
of ice. So intense was the cold that
many native birds were frozen to
death.