The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1906-05-27

scarce when the sport first became pop
ular and the. eighth Duke OF Beaufort
found 1t necessary to import Norwegian
foxes to supply the chase Heynnrd Va
came the darling pet OF the game pre-.
serves and has been artificially proper
gated ever since.
From time mnemorial, the fox along
with otller vermIn had been hunted as
criminal with view OF riding the land or
this thief OF tho world
Nho ever reck'd, how. where, or when,
Inc proving fox was trapp'd or slain"
His death was accomplished In the
seventeenth century by surrounding the
covert and beating him inscnsible with
clubs when he attempted to escape. The
dogs employed to MD this murderous de.
sign were kept at farm houses and not
the kind gentleman Of the late: genera
ton owned that,
'ie might 80 fhunte with dogge md b,ch
Ana blower his horn and cryin hey.''
IN reply to an Inquiry from England.
Jasper Clayton. writing in 1725, describes
the sport of fox hunting as being a
popular pastilne among the planters
along James River. According to his
statement which ts authentic evidence,
the fox was pursued with hounds In d
sportsmnnike manner by American fox
hunters before the Thomas Fownes pack
Of Dorsetshire. England, are credited
with existence
Upon Marian Gervases evidence alone,
which most English authorities discrcdit,
the English can claim a precedence over
America in hunting the fox with hounds,
but 30 far as the general practice OF the
sport Is concerned Virginia is entitled
to the distinction Of being the first coin-
try to adopt a sportsmanlike method of
fox hunting
Hounds IN the colonies were bred and
hunted In the same manner as they are
to-day, and the method employed by
the colonial huntsman required keen
observation OF nature. with as much pa
thence for the unin and love for the
pleasure az is possessed by a present
generation Of fox hunters. who ride over
the same ground their ancestors hunted
nearly two centuries ago.
II Is with pride We point to the pioneers
of fox hunting in America as n-evtdence
that the sport Ia not altogether q novel
institution. :,
Ours the Best Hounds.
We are indebted to the English only
for its beginning. Tho sportsmen who
first enter hounds to the grey fox OF vir-
einia were from England. but the, meth
DDS employed 10 hunt the game and the
type OF hound best fitted for the purpose
evolved in America. The beautiful colors
found In the old Virginia fox-hounds were
inherited from the harrier, whose tradi-
tional blue mottle and tan hues, com
bined with intelligent hunting instincts
and delicate powers Of scent. entitled him
to niche in the hall of hound fame as
"A thing OF beauty and Joy forever
When the writer speaks of the barrier,
he refers to that refined typo of hound
whichis the true English hare-hound. and
not the dwarf hound, or any inter-
mediate cross. The true English barrier
and until the standard was cut down
will pursue the fox as eagerly as hare,
by the Peterborough bench show, these.
hounds We're catching foxes in England
The blood has been weeded out of the
fox-hound kennels for the very virtues
which commends 1t to America-namely,
individuality and the ability to interpret
a cold scent.
What infusion OF deer-hound and blood
hound blood compose the breeding Of the
old Virginia fox-hound will be never
known, as the sport has never been or
ganiZcd In America. except in recent
years. by hunt clubs. and no records have
been kept OF colonial hounds. From the
days Of King Carter. Of Shirley, and
that great sportsman, Major william
Allen. OF Claremont, OF whom It
Is said his plough horses were thor
oughbred," to John Randolph of Roa-,
noke, and Winstone Henry, Of Charlotte.
the best Of horses and hounds have been
imported and bred in Virginia. What
may be termed tho true hound character.
as is shown in the illustration, answer
ing Sommerville's description OF q ideal
hound, meaning a refined intelligence ana
beauty, linked with the ability to catch
game, has always been identified with
the Old Dominion.
See there. with countenance blythe
And courtly grin, the flaming hound
Statutes them cowring; his wide op'ning
nose i.
Upwards he curls. and his sloe-black eyes