Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1905-12-29
GREYHOUND AND JAcKRAssIT.
The West Tries the Sport Of coursins
and Likes IL.

The West Tries the Sport Of Coursins
and Likes Il.
The west, says an Abilene, Kan,
dispatch, has discovered a new use for
the jackrabbit. He is Of no value as
an article of food and Of little ac-
count as game, save for the farm lads
on Thanksgiving afternoon when they
seek him in the cornflelds and out
among the punches Of blue stem on
the open plain and shoot him for the
fun Of the thing.
For coursing he is a success. At
the recent Futurity meet In central
Kansas more than 500 were used.
The rabbits were placed in a IL
acre enclosure which was surrounded
by five foot burlap wall. At the far
ther end from the start were open
ings into another enclosure, through
which the rabbits, If they outwitted
the dogs, might run to safety. But
from there they were simply brought
back for another race and finally
were killed. About 80 per cent Of the
rabbits were killed on the first round.
Yet killing is not the fine point Of the
sport. The swift greyhounds are set
in braces or pairs after the jack. The
Judges ride on horseback to decide the
points.
There is q count for the turning Of
a jack rabbit to right or left, others
for niceties in the course taken and
only a small proportion for the kill.
The dog showing the most intelligence
In the pursuit Is declared winner and
Is eligible to the next round, when he
Is pitted by lot against another win
ner.
In the Futurity this year 1t happen
ed that out of 144 starters those end
ing first, second and third all belong
ed to the same man, D. K. Carter of
Cottonwood Falls. He received the
Futurity cup and more than $4,000
in prize money.
In the entire meet 500 dogs took
part, the Waterloo following the Fu-
turity, and the purses amounted to
$4,000. Thirty states were represent
ed among the entries, New York and
San Francisco having several dogs
each. Mrs. Bessie Bennington Of Long
Island, journeyed to the meet with
seven fine dogs.
Coursing has grown rapidly in pop
ularity in the west since the sport was
introduced by a party Of New Workers
who several years ago went out into
the Arkansas valley at Great Bend
and chased jackrabbits over the open
plain. In those days only the wealthy
could afford the sport.
Several English noblemen with in
vestments in Montana cattle ranches
enjoyed it while in this country look
ing after their property. Now the
breeding of greyhounds has become so
popular in the west that nearly every
town has some enthusiasts and few
good dogs.
Recently the plan Of having an en-
closure for the contests has added to
the sports interest. 1t has become
possible thus to limit the area over
which the races take place, and so
charge admission to the grounds. On
the open land coursing the dogs are
led into far distances, and judging
becomes more difficult.
The workings of a coursing meeting
are interesting. The crowd assembled
Is different from any other that gets
together on the prairies.
Spruce city men come from Chica-
go, Kansas City and St. Louis and as
far east as New York. Wealthy cat
tIemen from Wyoming come down to
see the fun or enter their greyhounds,
while here and there is a burly Eng
lishman, addressed perhaps as My
Lord" by his valet, who has taken
few days off from looking after his
cattle ranch in Montana and Is trying
the skill of his imported hounds. 1t
Is a cosmopolitan gathering, and the
sportsmen are not less interesting
than the slender greyhounds them
selves.
The dogs are beauties. built, bred and
trained for the fastest running possible
to the canine race. AS coursing Is a
royal sport, having been the enjoy
ment of kings and mobiles since the
time of William the Conqueror, so
30
pedigrees go back through the centu-
ries, and some of them are we'll nigh
priceless in the opinion Of their own
ers.
Slender to gauntness. with sharp,
intelligent faces, sleek gray coats and
long, spidery legs they are the very
pink of racing skill and seem like
we'll made machines. They are
trained not only to run well but to
dodge with their game, to open their
long mouths at the right moment,
and to work for all the points in the
score.
In the open land coursing the dogs
are taken out to the field by couples
held by double thonged straps in the
hand Of the slipper who has charge
of the starting. The judges and
markers are on swift ponies and pre-
pare to keep in sight Of the game and
it's followers to the end.
Behind the dogs ranges the crowd,
drawn up in a long row, sometimes
a thousand or more settlers In all
sorts of rigs, from carriages and
surreys to the white topped prairie
schooner. Policemen or guards keep
back the throng.
When the grass is long and the
meeting ground we'll stocked with
jackrabbits the managers depend up
on soaring up the quarry. AS the
long line moves ahead, soon some
where along it a gray head bobs up,
and Mr.. Jack Is off with his peculiar
hop, skip and jump. On the instant