The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-07-09
COURSlNG AT ITS BEST.
yICkRdBBITS HUNTED Nv TEXAS
win GREYHOUNDS
Hound and the Horse-The JRokrabblts
Ways-Women in tho Chase as Well as
Men-A MorninR,A Sport ON tho Plains.

Hound and the Horse-The Jaokrabbits
Ways-Women in tho Chase as Well ms
Men-A Mornings Sport on the Plains.
ALPINE. Tex. July 5.--It 10 n strange country
up here, 5000 feet above tho level Of the sea.
Nothing Is as IL should be. At this altitude one
would expect naturally mountains and Scared
cliff faces and deep ravines. Instead on every
hand stretches plain nearly as fiat rs table.
Height generally means clouds and rain
Hero the sun seems to shine twen'y-nine days
in the month and in the summer rain Is an In
frequent thing. In this latitude far down to-
ward the Mexican Gulf the visitor looks for
heat and docs not find It. The Thermometer
may register 0O' In the open. but 1t will not
show above 7O' In the shade. and there Is
never a night between April and October
when heavy blanket is not comfort
able to the sleeper. II Is a wild land
thinlv settled and carpeted with rich grasses
The hunter who comes here has the right to
take the presence OF game In rich variety and
quantity for granted yet beyond tho mule
cared deer and an occasional blackbeed
quail he will find little. Except jackrabbits
They are always with us. At this season even
the deer go toward the Mexican hills, but tho
jack remains Because Of the lack Of rain. the
grass dries nndlbccomes yellow on the ground
1t cannot be said to have died. 1t Is cured like
hay and IL better pasturaRe than when green.
In tho high winds that blow almost constantly
It breaks and is carried away. leaving great
bald places. 1t never gots too dry for the jack
rabbit, however The jackrabbit eats the
naturally cured hay and gets fat and saucy.
There and two things to he said for the pure.
thin air: II will not carry malnriouS or other
germs. and 1t breeds n great lung capacity in
man and beast A horse or a COW or human
being or a ra bbit brought hero from the low
lands has to become accmat before amount
ing to much. but once the process OF acclimati
cation has been ACCOMPLISHED the animal.
whatever 1t may he. ia capable OF feats OF en-
durance not possible to 1t when living in a
muggy atmosphere. because Of this fact
the jackrabbit OF Brewster county is
the fastest jackrabbit in the world 1t
can run not only faster. but also longer,
AS the spring branding and shipping ended
some weeks ago and as the deer have all
gone to the south and west on their animal
migration, the jackrabbit has plenty OF chance
to show what 1t can do to amuse and teach the
Brewster county people. who must have some
form OF sport all the year round. else they die.
There are worse diversions than pursuing tho
jackrabbit In fact. II It be gone about in tho
right way. there are few things which give
moro fun.
To hunt the Jackrabbt presupposes the pos
session OF greyhounds. Any other Cog would
be Of as much use as a snail. The quarry is
not hunted by scent. Itis run wholly by sight.
While the greyhound is less intelligent proba-
bly, than any other dog in tho world. it has
sense enough to pursue anything it can see.
In the case OF this animal natures usual law
Of compensation has worked Deprvng tho
longtail Of brain. sho has gifted 1t with great
speed, great muscular power and singular
beauty. Furthermore. the greyhound In
muzzle- -muzzle combat is moro dangerous
thnn hill hnc frat, In,,o in,N
mendously armed. and it makes slicing cut
exactly like VOLTS. Any dog that grabs
hold and hangs on will be cut to pieces by
lobo wolf In five minutes. and the grey
hound has the same power. 1t is reason
ably certain that there are no finer
Rreyhounds In the world than those owned In
Brewster county. They come of a strain i'm
ported twenty years ago by English ranchmen
who wished to course black tailed deer with
them. They are OF two varieties. the rough
coated and the smooth. and. 80 far as local
records 60. one breed Is about rs good as the
other. Greyhounds differ Individually Of
course. Just as men do. but there are some here
that are as fast as dogs have ever got to be
anywhere earth They have had the most
favorable environment. Their development
has been assisted by good air. good water.
good food and judicious crossing That this
is suitable region In which to produce them
is proved by the fact that those now here are
better than those brought hero from England
IN the seventies
These things being so. 1t follows that tho
speed OF the greyhound has been thoroughly
tested here. not once but time and again.
They have been coursed at black tailed deer.
at rabbits and at antciopes The running has
been made over practically level and open
ground favorable to both pursuers and pur-
susd. Ranchmen hero know Just what the
greyhound can do when matched against the
fastest OF other animals. The tests. OF course
have been different from those seen IN the
East. Here the powers of the an imal are not
cabncd cribbed. confined by lack OF space. 1t
has the roof Of the world to run on. and the
roof Is fiat. In trials in the older States it
happens often that dog that is not SO fast or
powerful. but is quicker at turning or is not SO
apt to overrun. will nail its rabbit while the
superior an imal 10 covering more ground and
doing much less killing. That cannot happen
out here. In this part OF the country the quarry
10 apt to travel straight away or with only a
little curve to its line Of flight. and the loss or
capture Is resolved into an ability to get over
the ground
These are the deductions drawn by local
ranchmen from tests OF the greyhound which
have been in progress for two decades and are
still In progress: 1t is faster than the black
tailed deer by 200 yards in the milo. 1t is
faster than tho jackrabbit by seventy five
yards In the mile. IL Is faster than the ante
lope by thirty five yards in the mile. It is not
20 fast as the horse. 1t il the belief that q
good fifteen hands plains pony. well ridden by
lightweight, is tie fastest thing that stands
on four legs, Here again the individual dif-
ferences come into play. 1t Is probable that a
good greyhound will outfoot an ordinary horse
The contention Is that the notady fast horse
will cover more ground in given space Of
time than the best greyhound and that this
will hold true Of the two OF them at any dis
lance from twenty yards up to twenty miles
People hereabouts who course for amusement
use only their best riding stock, since it is the
ambition Of every man to be well up at the
death. With the fastest Of the horses under
saddle. little or no difficulty is experienced in
riding up to both dog and deer. There are
few more inspiriting sights than a full Grown
black tailed buck, with its usual 800 yards OF
start, Btreaking 1t over the prairie pursued by
two couples OF powerful greyhounds and
half dozen mon and women crazed by the
kn will he mi, a