Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1900-09-25
THAT C0URS|NG
CONTROVERSY
SAN FRANCISCO DID
NOT SUBSCRIBE TO THE
CRUELTY THEORY.
LULL IN THE CAMPAIGN
OF THE HUMANE SOCIETY.
Of Hares and Hounds Has Not
Been Tabooed in California
Will Il. Be Herep

Will It. Be Herep
George H. MacDougall, manager of the
West Side coursing park and Granville
Stewart, president of the local society for
the prevention of cruelty to animals, ave
ceased playing in each others back
yard. If their views on sending the
fleet greyhound after the elusive hare 40
not harmonize before long, 1t Is llhely
that the autumn leaves will take on rlch
tints and mayhap the roses bloom again
without either testing the strength OF MS
lungs down the others rain barrel.
1t will be remembered by those inter-
| ested in the subject that about the latter
part Of August last an active controversy
arose between the gentlemen in question
over the alleged cruelty OF courslhs'
which led to considerable discussion in
the public prints. The matter was final
ly allowed to rest by a statement on the
part of those opposed to the sport that
they intended to gather statistics snow
stopped in San Francisco" AS the mat
ter is still resting and MacDougan
looks more cheerful than ever, the infer
ence is that the statistics failed TO ma
terialize.
You see," genially declared the cours-
ing park enthusiast, sit is highly proba-
BILE they nave reached the conclusion II
would be better for them to start a school
of equestrianism than to waste their val
liable time on a sport in which SO NIUE
of the element of cruelty enters. In TINS
way they can minimize the number OF
horses whose lacks get SO sore that 1t is
found necessary to call in the services or
a veterinary urgeOn. 1t Us one thlng 10
be an apostle of refinement and announcer
to look at things from a practical size.
From beginning to end the controversy
has been tinged with comedy, ana even
in the climax the element of humor IS
not lacking. When the society was frst
organized the subject of coursing was
taken up This reached the ears of Mr..
MacDougall and he forthwith marcheu
down to headquarters, threw up his coin
and became a member in good standing.
At the second meeting he was absent ana
then some talk was INDUCED in of having
q platoon OF peace officers on mana the
following Sunday to see that the 'cfuel
SPORT was discontinued and those re-
snonsible for its inauguration hailed into
court and duly punished. Nothing came
of this conference except a rises IN the
thermometer kept by Mr.. MacDougall IN
his Office.
~resentative the manager of the park sus-
gested that if the society thought cours-
ing should be stopped it should go about
the matter in legal fashion and give IT'S
opponents a chance to meet attacks nan
way; that it was hardly the proper thing
" uO W via tb 'SSeAAAS
question when a member who was IL
financially interested in the subject was
not present. In the published interview
he was also made to say that the society
was not doing rightly in holdlng the
meeting behind c'osed doors.
Rev. Mr.. G~roeneveld and DR.. Bernheim
thereupon entered the polemic field ana
donning the Journalistic gloves struck a
few vigorous blows in DEFENSE OF 'the
society. MacDougall replied in neWspa-
rar iptaryiawS and also sent a personal
letter to President Stewart anent the SUD
iect. He stated that while hares are nee
essarily cooped in boxes on the ROAD mere
from California they are given plenty OF
exercise and food before being Sent an oo
the field, none being permitted to race
until it is in first-class condition. only
about five per cent of the hares mere
are killed, and the death of these is al
most instantaneous. He declared that
hares are a pest, anyhow, and mat near
Fresno, California, rabbit drives are held
regularly, when vast numbers OF them
are driven into Enclosures and beaten to
death with clubs. AS for the dogs, the
best of care was taken of them. IN con
clusion Mr.. MacDougall declared that
sportsmen generally are tender-hearted
men and take good care of any animals
> in their charge. This fact alone he
: thought should show plainly that they
; would not STAND for any sport In when
marked cruelty was shown.
me answer 10 IlcSc dIS iiiCie ""H
= that coursing had been stopped in San
: Francisco by the humane societies and
: that the local society intended to send
: there for the facts in the case to show
j hat it was in the right. In a personal
! letter Mr.. MacDougall explained that he
: had just returned from San Francisco
: and was acquainted with the conditions
! of coursing affairs there very we'll. Cours-
: ing was carried on at Ingleside coursins
: park in San Francisco and at the Union
? coursing park in San Mateo county, a
: short distance across the oundary line,
!. For a short time it had ceased at Ingle-
side but not on account of the opposition
: of the humane societies. The Spreckels
: and the Corrigan interests had clashed
7 and the Spreckles had succeeded in haV-
! ing the race track at Ingleside closed
{ Later on an ordinance had been passed
= making the selling of pools illegal. These
: things made coursing at Ingleside unpro-
ftable until a way was found to ge,
1 around the ordinance, when coursins was
4 resumed.
|; This was a month ago. The society
: presumably sent for Pre-
; sumably, also, it received what 1t Sent
: for, Since then the subject of coursine
! has been tabooed. Mr.. MacDougal as
{ serts that the season will open. as usual
s next year.. But, just the same he and
5 Mr.. Stewart can enter a warm room sim
8 %ultaneously and send the thermometer
down to zero.