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

of difference with August Belmont E. D.
Morgan surrounded his estate with the
stffest sort of fences in order to keep the
hunters out. Morgan, at that time master
of the MeadoWbrook hounds was much
disgrunted at certain of Belmonts actions
while he (Morgan) was abroad, and the
height and stiffness of his fences increa sed
the quarrel. This is still told of with
bated breath by the Wheltley Killers but
1t was patched up years ago. and Morgan
finally gave permission to hunt over his
estate, as elsewhere. He wouldn't take
down his fences, though. reduce either
their helSht or stability. 1t follows that
whoever hunts in the hills must be good
rider and have a good horse. The fences
being so solid, to strike the top rail as the
morse goes over means a particularly nasty
faii-one likely to result in nothing less
than hroken-baclled or broken-neckad
morse and badly hurt rider, unless luck
sits in the saddle along with the rider
Even if the hunting set that first made
the Plains their headquarters had not tired
OF them as hunting territory they would
nave been given up ere long, even as the
beautiful hunting territory north of New
York city, where the Westchester Country
Club Hunt once held forth has been Or
iglnally the unoccupied ground around
aiempstead was 1900 acres in extent A.
!. stewart, the merchant prince of those
days. bought most of it up and on a part
or II butt Garden City where he estab
llshed the first Protestant Episcopal cathe-
oral In America. Other encroa chments have
'SSii maui anu To-Day the famous Plains
are not more than 900 acres in extent
Ihey stlll look pretty big and prairie like
TO the stranger especially because they are
SO near New York. Some day when the
Iuou t Jan runway traffic on Long Island
mas been improved the acquisitive real es
tate agent Will discover what remains of
! the region. lay out streets through II and
cur II INFO lots, whereon will be erected
ioW on row OF cheap suburban cottages all
ulation. pop
New Clubs Forming.
In fact cross-country riding anyWhere in
the immediate vicinity of New York ia
doomed, and the wiping out of the He,on-
stead Plains has been anticipated by tine
establishment of the Bayside HINT f,Iuh hu
the Graces, to the north, where the late ex-
Mayor w. r. Grace used to live All tho
Graces who hunt belong to the Meadow.
brook Club as well as their own. and will
be as sorry as any one when the time comes
Tor the Hampstead Plains. to disappear
sun another club of this sort is now
peinS formed by the Smiths at Smithtown
Lawrence Smith is getting the hounds to-
sether ana is very enthusia site concerning
the prospects, SmithtOwn is about thirtv-
| 1--WE miles from New York The particuI.r
smith family from which the place takes
its name is worth lot of money. The
Meadowbrook Club itself has secured nron-
efty to occupy when occasion demands at
Piping Rock, north of the Hills near Ia
Gust Valley post Office
theodore Roosevelt was an active mann
Der of the Meadowbrook Club years before
: ne became President, and used to hunt the
Plains with his younger brother Elliott
| VINO was quite as enthusiastic as Theodore
In sporting matters. and whose death sad
dened the older brother perceptibly for a
long tiine. FoXhall keene, one of Meadow
brook most famous riders, will probably
gone to Europe perhaps permanentlv
Theodore a. Havemeyer of the multi
millionaire sugar family, who used to be a
master OF the hounds In the hunts of the old
WESTMINSTER Country Club is one of tho
MeadowDrook riders who will hunt on the
rams as long as anybody, and so will
! halph H. Ellis, who was long Meadow
| ~, nlooh master OF the hounds and who got
Its splendid packs together and still ,is,es
them much atteption