The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-08-06
SOUTHERN BLOODHOUNDS.
FEW or THE BREED USED TO HUNT
SL4PES FOUND wow.

|
Causes of Their Sudden Disappearance After
| the War-DoEs Of Keen Scent and Acute
| Intrlligence-The wits of slaves Matched
| Against Theirs 60 Once Very Costly.
| OpErOvsAs. La. Aug. 3.-There was time
| when the bloodhound was dstinctlvely dog
| Of the southern tier OF States: when to own
ono or Il pair meant that man owned slaves,
was therefore n man Of property. and pre-
sumuhly n planter. One n not more OF these
dogs was carefully kept on each plantation. ~
the plantation was large one, the blood
hounds would number probably half dozen.
sufficient to form n fair sized pnck. They were
, registered. highly valued and crossed and bred
with fOrethouRht and skill. Certain strains
were celebrated for scent. others for
speed. others for endurance. others for
ferocity. II slave owner could OBJ
tain dogs which united the blood OF all these
strains. he had an ideal rack Sometimes the
proprietor OF q highly valuable strain estab-
lshed dog stud. which was as expensive an
institution as n stud in Kentucky is to-day. It
cost the owner much money. and It cost the
patrons more Some of the dogs are yet re-
membcred in the South for their supercanine
merits. Such was Ranger. u bloodhound
owned in southern Georgia in the early lft les.
Such also were Meteor OF western Ala bama.
and Mig OF the Ya2oo delta in Mississippi and
Lawyer Jack Of an upper county in Florida
and Pancho of middle Louisiana The blood Of
these brutes runs hero and there In the veins
Of animals now widely scattered. survivals OF a
vast number Of forbears that have gone no
man knows whittier.
In the South the question Is often asked by
an old timer What has become OF the blood
hpunds2 Only the Questoner does not say
"bloodhounds. He says Niger dogs. which
Is the name by which they were known from
South Carolina to Texas. The question has
not yet been answered. There must have been
when the war began az many as 2O.OOO blood
hounds in the South. There were nearly as
many when the war ended. That was less than
thirty-nvc years ago. yet the dog ia now com
parativcly rare. The explanation ia to be
found in the fact that the boodhound-the
American variety-is good for nothing In the
world except to chase men. When the need Of
chasing men disappeared the dogs disappeared.
They we're not bred longer Because Of their
temper they were not permitted TO cross with
other dogs They lived out their lives and
died without further progeny. Those now
alive hive been kept for the old purpose and
their number has been restricted by the limit
OF that purpose. They are used now only In the
pursuit OF criminals. Every Southern penl-
Tertiary has a brace of them. A good many
Sherifs keep them.
Generally these animals are OF pure blood.
und"ned descendants Of their mighty progen-
i'ors. They nre quite remarkable animals in
their way. probably the greatest exempars OF
patient. untirng f"rocity. Their keenness of
scent is n strang" thing. though 1t is Of moro
value in thinIy settled localities than in neigh
hprhoods where many feet are likely to con-
fuse a trail II does not seem credible that
the mere temporary pressure of mans boot
or shoe upon the ground should leave a dis
tinguishahle odor for space Of twenty-four
hours pruviding that there be no rain in the
meantime but that it does has been proved by
a thousand chases and captures. Sometimes
In tho South murderer breaks Jail. Until the
Introduction Of chilled steel cages this was
not n difficult matter Dogs are tel
errnphrd for. probably $50 miles away.
They arrive a dav late They are led in leash
10 point where the criminal made his exit
ard uncouued They take w the scent in
s'antlv and follow it rapidly. The man must
have crossed much water or blurred his trail
among the footsteps of dozens Of others to
throw them Off. Always surprising that TWEEN
ty-four hours is the extreme limit allowed the
fugitive, the dogs are the best means to effect
his capture. They will follow him until they
come up with him II It takes week unless he
has boarded train at some swamp station or
beer taken up by some little steamer plying
/
run to the place where their quarry began the
Use Of means of lDcomot ion other than his own.
utter one deep note Of anger and surrender all
attempt at pursuit. They seem to know better
than any man could know the end OF their
quest and the limitation of sheir powers.
II IL not an infrequent thing with these ami
mails to display brain action closely allied to
reason. 4 bloodhound of two years expert
euc", If the trail brings 1t to q stream, will
never waste n moment looking for the scent on
the side exactly opposite to whore It ran down
| to tn" water. The dog will always begin cast
ing down the bank. going sometimes for q halt
/ mile before it again strikes the trail 1t con-
| cudrs instantly that no fugitive will emerge
| on a direct line with his entrance and that he
will 60 out of his course in the water to confuse
| the trail. 1t is aware also. In some strange
/ fashion. that it is the impulse Of a flying
| man 10 wade downstream. and II he is
| hurried he will not stop to change
| this impulse. The bloodhound will turn
| aud cast along the bank up stream only when
| h" has thoroughly searched the downstream
| hank. The dogs nose gets better with prac-
| tce. lust as his brain does. Certain old fellows
! with white hairs here and there In their black
coats ar" nearly infallihle ms flesh and blood
| ever get to be. They hesitat" on n trail on y
| at rare intervals II man has doubled they
! will overrun Tor possibly ten yards. wheel and
| take the back track with certainty. If theiI
| quarry has sprung far TO one side they
viii ovcrrun. wheel. search for the back
! track. fail 10 find IT, then begin series
! Of circles Of small diameter along the tra
, until they striK" the new one. Then they
| stream away once more. heavy heads within
two inches Of the ground. tails straight
behind them and rigid "a iron bars The
bloodhound is not "A water dog, vet when G