Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-12-17

soil so barren as to be of no practical
) farming value was then abou, $50 acres
in extert ant admirably adapted to the use
of the club for drag-huntiug. At first it
was hoped That foxes would he found there
in srsfIicicn, Numbers 10 rnal:c TIC use of the
drag uHrsC essary, but the hope was not
realized
After Tame Foxes.
At first they tried the plan of h ring
farmer boys 10 dig young foxes out of th1lr
burrows keeping them in captivity till they
were wholly or partly grown. They had q
little structure. which they called the fox
house. built for thai purpose near the club
house. on a meet day one of these tame"
foxes would be released. but the result
never satisfactory. The hunters soon
found that fox which has once been inn
prisoned will rarely run any distance. The
Longest run ever made by released fox at a
Meadowhrook Hunt Club meet. | am told
was three miles. though the shortest run
thought al all worth while by crOss-coun-rv
riders is ten miles. Many of the released
foxes would run only 300 or 400 yards.
Frightened almost to death by the baying
of the hounds they would squat close 10
the ground and allow themselves to be torn
to pieces by the fierce pursuers. In more
than one instance the fox would not run
al all. even when prodded and kicked Oy
the man who had released him. Very oc-
casionally. indeed a fox is found on the
Hem pstead plains. but old Meadowbrook
hunters say that not one a season is killed
in that locality. even now. when the club
is doing much of its hunting in the Wheat
ley hills, to the north of the plains.
Before the establishment of the Meadow
brook Hunt Club 1t was not fashionable
for New York's millionaire society set to
live on Long Island. but it became so as
soon the clubs career was we'll under
way. f. d. Morgan was one of the first to
locate his home there. leasing first and af-
followed and then Foxhall Keene, Adolph
Ladenburg, ]. l.. d. Lanier and host of
others
Owned by Millionaires.
The popularity of the Plains as hunting
ground and their vicinity as residence
region for smart and wealthy New Workers
began to wane some years ago. when A.
Belmont Purdy discovered" the Wheatley
His They are a few miles to the north
of the Plains. very broken and fairly well
wooded here and there. Soon after their
discovery E. d. Morgan sent men wearing
oYerallS into the hills to buy land from
the farmers and at first succeeded in get
ting It at a very low price. Purdy the
discoverer, dropped out of the game long
ago, but today the major part of the
Wheatley Hills region, some twenty miles
long by seven or eight miles wide. is in
the hands of the multi-millionaire set.
1t is unique about the development of
this region that it was accompanied by no
speculation whatever Practically every
purchaser bought his land to build and
live upon it; none bought to sell again.
Some of them have had TO pay fancy prices,
for in comparatively short time the far
, mers raised their demand from $25 acre
or whereabouts to 81 coo and upward.
The ultimate result of Purdy's move from
the Hampstead Plains to the Wheatley Hills
undoubtedly. will be the abandonment of
the Plains. Already it's fine club house
is practically deserted, except on meet days
and as many of the meets are now In the
hills. where the riding is sitter than on
the Plains. and so much preferred, there
are some meet days even when almost
nobody goes near the club.
Though nearly all the Hills region is in
cluded in the newly laid out estates, the
hunters ride everywhere.
Hard Riding.
There was some objection to this by
some of the rich owners at first. Because