The daily morning journal and courier., 1901-12-02
HIGH TONED HUNTERS.
Great Guns" Among Titled Ladies
 Dianas Galore,

Great Guns" Among Titled Ladies Dianas Galore.
 During the last few years many wo
 men have become remarkable "guns, and they beat their husbands in skill
 and coolness. Some people blame this ! innovation in feminine ways, and con. sider that a fan is more suitable to the
 hands of pretty woman than a gun
 In their opinion an almost masculine
 costume with short skirts, gaiters and
 soft hat ia by no means becoming to
 the beautiful half of the human race
 Moreover, they insist that hunt should
 be like club In which men enjoy a
 complete liberty, which is incompatible
 in the presence of women. Gallantry
 they say, dstracts the hunters. And
 how could any man dispute the supe-
 riority of a lady,s brand new gun?
 How could man refuse to follow her
 fancies and her caprices in the eelec-
 tions of the routes The huntresses
 would have reason to object because,
 if the laurels of Nimrod or the palms
 of Saint Hubert excites her ambition it
 is not for men to put any obstacles in
 her way
 But 1t Is only In France that we know
 how to associate women with pleasure
 parties which appear incompatible with the common customs of other countries
 that have nothing in common with our
 manners and instincts. In this we dif-
 fer in character and mind from the
 Germans and the English, who keep
 aloof from the society of women, so- ciety which we Frenchmen eagerly seek
 The taste of the gentle sex for hunt ing is not of recent growth. At the im- perial hunts some ladies of the court became passimately fond of the sport Many of them with guns on their shoHl- ders and game bags on their backs, and clad in picturesque costume suited to the occasion used to start out after their game at daybreak. Among them was the Princess Pauline de Metter- mich, as well versed in the matter of making powder talk as in the matter of singing coupet; and woe to the game in either fur or feather that came with in her reach. With her we find the Countess Melanie de Pourtales who is still an intrepid hunter, shooting every property in Alsace which belongs to her. Tie accuracy of her eye and the steadiness of her hand well remen- bered in Compiegne, are still of the first order The Marquise d'Imecourt, the Countess Aguado and the Marquise de Gallifet are also crack shots.
 Female guns have multiplied enor- during the past fifteen years and every autumn new recruits appear The shooting grounds in the neighhor- hood of Paris give us ample proof of this. Among the departed who occu- pied conspicuous places in high hunting society were the Baroness Legoux, Mime Paulin Talabot and the Duchesse de Valencay. The last-named was quick and accurate shot. The Marquise de Cordone was another skiful handler of a gun.
 Among those whom we meet at the great hunts on the outside or Paris and other localities are her Royal Highness he Comptesse de Paris and her High ness the Grand Duchess Marie Pavlow- aa, both excellent shots. The Coun- tess Jean de Castellane, daughter of he Duchess de Valencay and widow of he Prince de Furstenberg, hunts part 'idges and pheasants. She is very handy with rife.
 Mime. Jacques re Waru is perhaps the pest feminine gun in France, Part 'idges are her game. She uses a No. 12. yery light The Countess de Fels hunts grouse in Scotland.
 The feminine disciples of Saint Hu- ,ert, as we see, are becoming numer- nore numerous than they are in other | ountries. In England ladies very often | ccompany their husbands when the | alter Ego o-shooting," but the ladies | To not shoot. Englishmen fancy that voman might be as dangerous with | .un in her hands. For all that, we can ite the case of Lady Florence Dixie. l he has hunted everywhere. In London | hey consider her celebrated sports l yoman because she was involuntarily | he cause of the death of John Brown | ,ne fine evening the shooting lodge ! which she occupied alone was visited 1 " a band of tramps. They sacked the | lace, robbed her of her diamonds and 1 aft her in a sorry plight. The next day | he queen. on hearing of the affair sent l CT faithful Scotchman, John Brown, to ct tidngs of Lady Florence Dixie. On eturning to the castle he was overtak- n by rainstorm. He got a thorough baking, which was followed by pleuri- v. which caused his death and plunged l he poor queen in grief
 With Lady Florence Dixie are associ- ted in sport Mrs. Asquith and Lady label Howard.
 Tn Germany the feminine gun" is ab- 1lutely unknown. But in Austria lere are lady hunters of the first order, nd they are better shots than the rench women. The Baronne de Ha- CT heads the list, followed by the ountess Irene Los.-Figaro.