The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1905-02-12
HUNTEDHTH[..F'!0||X,...I
AT F|.0 |. } U.|.A||I||: 1.
For Fifty Years ali All. Ol ltlI5 ln't5
gina Chase Has Has Been Been: Il \ NJ
VS. Enjoyed.
GIANT OAK STANDING No \. 6 ALONE y['I

GIANT OAK STANDING ALONE A Z y | Z
I'M. Junius O Thol1:1la;ss Remains e''fa.rH'
9of That First Mcll,or-
able Chase.
Tho most important event that n: , l''s
happened fifth United States from Y iox-
hunters pont of view took place on % as ~
Monduy8 ut TROUT Square" In 1 lsaI OF y
Wight county, W. ifi VI 5 Il
85S Al hulf century or fox Hiintirg by tho
II same master Of hounds, wi til q puck maze
$up of the descendants Of the original
"a ok, and With grandsons riding IN INC fle
# ,,laro Of their grnndfnthcrs Of fifty years
before, marked an occasion ont pa raj
lel instfc annals OF sport IN this country.
The very hunting horns belonged 70 days l;ly
III Of long ago, having been the property OF
those sportsmei,,s long since dead. WHO no
rode and clicerod tho hounds IN ~ g lays g
vixen tho master Of : -Four Square W W
abuta boy, and the last cent WIS ,si n ~
ifs middle 9ngc D. III h a Y, \,
was d privilege to tness the aztec
ion and esteem with which Mr. Thomas,
SHiho only a,ryiving veteran sof those by
conc days ], was treated BY the sportsmIcn
#of to-day, and dcserYedly, for he s. squire
81 Of l"roiirjS Square. p belongs 4 70 THAT ex-
" cellcnt school that taught Its pupils 70
8s"Ridc hard. shoot straight, M
And aye the truth to sT,ea I. &
RI on last Monday Mr.. Jun,us Octavius
THOMAS, u 81 -Four Square, celebrated
mot fonlys Its seventy flrst birthday, but
Ills fiftieth anniversary OF ma ter Of his
81 own pack OF rebounds. WI
n Tlfty years beforc,5tSon attaining his
III majorlty lle gave a great house party
at his ancestra estate OF Is -Four SQUARE
when the days were spent in chasing the
willy FOX and tho nights were all too
short to allow a proper discussion Il OF
III horses hounds and tho glorles 4 Of q tho
I'll chase. s. " 5B IS
~ Year after scar. on February no 9Th
81 since tho year 1855. have thcsc reunions
2taken place. and one by one have those
" merry and honest spOrtsmcn, Of the or'gs-
III nal party been called to the appy hunt
ing grounds, Mr.. Thomas. last Of hem
& Ill, called together Ills friends on last
Monday and once again !" Four Square,
5s echoed viii, ..trie sound Of the horn and
~ the cry OF the hound. y e s53s3 81
@ Braved the w Gather. 2}sS
MI Tho day was cold and bleak, wi h fall
ing slect and flurrics OF snow, but no Slin-l
favorable conditions % weather could
Ak keep wit hins doors tho veteran hunter
and his friends on such s;in Anniversary.
Early IN the morning all Smithficld was
awakened By Tho sound OF horn and the
S deep toned voice or hounds as the fnith-E
f,Ils few gathered to offer congratulations
TO Mr. Thomas. & u S s5;;&
Those who l'ode 81 out with Mr.. j. q.
THOMAS were his brother, Il Mr.. r. s.
Thomas slr. a. Libby. Mr.. j. r. Jordan,
Mr. Watson, ones. "a Nj. y. iolt, N N
Allen Potts, or Richmond; Mr.. Z. sAddlc-y
stein and Mr.. Pcyton Young. i6 t*
a. pack or forty picked hounds was I'M
jkennellcd and away went the party NJ to
g#thc estate OF -Four Square. led By the
veteran Of scycnty-one years, who rode
#$as lightly and sounded his horn as brave
Is as did the youngest member OF tho
band. ~ ~ rs 33is &
.a For six hours. through woods and field.
S over fences and across creeks and bitches,
IS hounds led the field a merry pace fter.
& a stout. hearted fox s5a S5$s
5 Seeming was poor for tho ground was
XXI AL but frozen. and the hounds ovcr-ran a
u score Of times. only to be aharked back
land sail away once more on the difficult
trail. " n t.a499
& Not until might had begun to fall did
hounds run into the fox, and then III an
impossible marsh where riders could not
II follow. BIZ ssSS 5,,
@ Back to -Four Square rode the hunt
5s ers. then to meet a host of friends who
had gathered TO partake OF the 'squlre's''i
generous hospitality. ";
@ Great log fires burned and cracked In,
Ia tle fircpluccs, lighting up the fine old,
hlgh-pitchcd rooms and warming tho
hearts Of men who love sport for sports
AZ sake, and WHO delight to tell the story8of
ID a.. famous run. or the exploits OF "a Ia
@yoritc hound. &. rs
Mr.. Dick Thomas. n young brother
81 of5the host, read n most interesting pa
$ per on FOX Hunting and -Four Square,"
fg which was greatly enjoyed by all present.
"a II is printed herewith 81 Rg
Historic Four Square,
Mr. Thomas said: Al
On the first day OF February. 1864. An
ss tthony Mathews. for the importation 'of
thirteen persons obtained a pntent%.for
GAO acres of land lying and being In the
* county of Ise Of Wight, beginning at a
5 marked old oak. near the head Q { Carne-
A GIea Swamp, on tho west side OF Ed
9$ mund Pnlmcr's land, thence west. by
4 north 800 poles: thence south. by vest,
S 32O poles; A thence cast, by south. $50
poles thence north BY east. long Pal.
mer's limo of marked trees ITO tho first
u station or marked old tree. r.
AZ there are $40 poles III a. mile and
as there are 64oaacres In q square milo
tho above tract land acquired and has
q ever since retained tho name q Four
I'M ThoS mar name Il an; 4 ancient one, All