Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1901-10-21
REVIVAL OF FOXHUWTZNG IN GEORGIA
RECALLS SPORT OF ANTE-BELLUM DAYS

tinted the eastern sky ana heraldeo the
approach of coming dawn on a crisp De-
cember morning some several years ago,
the long deep mouthed baying OF the
hounds and the. impatient stamping or
restless horses proclaimed to all the
waking woods in and around the nttle
city of Madison that a fox hunt was UP
and that with the coming dawn reynard
must trust to his heels to save his brush.
At the stately old colonial house OF
Col. A. G. Foster were assembled good
ly number of stalwart men-typical rep
resentatives of ante-bellum chivalry'
culture and hospitality. There were pres
ent besides the genial host, his four sons,
f. c. A. w, F. w. and L. H Foster, the
witty and fun-loving William II. Craw-
ford. Familiarity called Buck" by his as
sociates whose fund of cheer and good
spirits were as boundless as his heart was
kind and generous; the irrepressible Lam
der Harris; the polished and urbane Or.
Gazaway B. Knight, Colonel James N.
Mann, a keen lover of the chase, and the
dashing Robert Chaffee, who since lost
his life in a street duel at Aiken, ). C.'
all citizens of Madison and Morgan coun-
ty, who had as their guests the lamented
Rhoda Hill and Wilkes Ballard, OF At
lanta, .s
|, Messrs. Hill and Ballard had come down
on the night express saying that they had
never seen. q pack of dogs fleet enough 10
run. down a red fox, and had come 10
test the Madisonians' proud boast that
the red fox had never been whelped that
could live before their noble and coura-
geous hounds.
1t is a fact well known by those who
are acquainted with the willy habits and
running proclivities of the vulpine tribe
that a gray fox is a comparatively easy
thing to run down and kill, but when it
comes to tackling his cousin in red its de-
cidedly a horse of another color.
Among the pack were the celebrated
brothers Buck and Blue, whose record for
fieetness and sagacity are proverblal TO
this day among the fox hunters of Middle
Georgia. Others deserving of special men
ton were Sankey, Moody, Ball, Floyd,
Dandy, Romp, Little Nab, Forrest, The
Widow Potts and Fletcher-called the coal
burner on account of his roaring mouth.
While hot coffee, stuffed sausage and
beaten biscuit were being served to this
jolly and expectant coterie Mr.. Hill was
laying sundry wagers, which were prompt
" accepted, that no Elan could present
him with a red fox brush when the morn
ing's sport was done
With the releasing of the impatient
hounds from their captivity the hunters
mounted their spirited steeds and gall
loped away to the south of Madison, the
Atlantians making various inquiries as to
the points and merits of the dogs as with
head and tail up each, went scampering by.
Four miles out on the farm of William
Hammond. the first beams of the SOFT
morning had begun to show its warmth
and cheer on wood and field, when bark!
Far away in the river bottoms on the
right was heard almost inardibly a sharp,
vicious cry. Horses were checked and
eager ears strained for its repetition. A
look of intense interest settled upon every
face. A moment of death-like silence and
again, louder, longer, the cry reverberates
and re-echoes on the still, keen morning
air.
"old Buck" shouted Mr. Crawford. "A
red fox for a thousand dollars"
Great long-legged. big-tailed hounds on
winged feet went hurrying by, gathering
at the old dogs summons for his COM
| panions had learned from long experience
that when Buck gave tongue he was on
the trail of the cunning red. Another
quick, sharp and defiant bark tells the
hunters that reynard made his nights
repose in an old ravine on the Perry plan
tation, as the old dog has headed in that
! direction and set a hot pace to the run
ming trail.
The pack fall in and in concert move
with storm-like rapidity to the jump.
Horses and riders plunge madly forward
over hill and DELL climbing steep preci-
pices, skirting or jumping yawning gull
| lies in their frantic endeavor to draw near
to the grand battle of life and death, Mr..
Hill on a superb bay and Mr. Ballard on
a high-strung sorrel keeping well up with
| the leaders and both excited speeches..
When the big oak woods on Rich hill
] Is reached. without the warning crack
of a twig or the rustic of leaf a tawny
shadow darts out of the timber and van
ishes like a phantom down the ravine.
THE fox! The fox!' cry dozen voices
and simultaneously the splendid pack of
| inore5 Birdsongs and Marylands roll over
the summit of a neighboring eminence
with every muscle strained to its utmost
and every mouth believing the dirge of
the fleeing prey.
yelled on the view the opening pack
Rock, glen and cavern paid them back,
To many a mingled sound at once
The awakened mountain gave response"
In all the realm of sport, pleasure and
entertainment what stirs the blood with
mere enthusiasm or makes the heart beat
with more fervid pulsation than the in
cessant pandemonium OF a well trained
pack of courageous fox hounds mingled
with the encouraging shouts of excited
huntsmeni
The fox is up and the race is on. Reyn.
ard is bearing HIS course toward the
Eatonton road and down the pike the
cavalcade hurry to see him cross. With
eyes wildly dilatcd he clears the meadow
le-- 49, 80 agility Of an Alpine cham