The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1906-03-18
FOX |.UN1|NC At
OLD jamestown '
Home fof the Sport Visited By a
S Patty Of 4: Prominent
Sportsineil
'HnllNns KILLED TWO FOXES
HOUNDS Is, KILLED TWO FOXES
island is Ideal Place for Hunting
ssandsScvsra1 Fine Runs Were
Enjoyed,

s. 10 / = + 4 4
How soon fox hunting came to be q
,pjpuiars sport With the early settlers Of
'vJrt1nia is uncertain, but 1T Is closely
identified with the colonyEat Jamestown
and ID all PROBABILITY the firat fox hounds
ever imported to Am erica were uncoupleds
there and entered to the SAME crafty
swamp fox that infests the island to-
day.
.Jtsper Clayton, writing in reply to an
s17a0. describes fox hunting MS having
been established In Virginia by a class
of wealthy gentlemen who preferred the
enjoyment OF the chase to the sterner
duties Of citizenship, and later Hugh
Jones in "The Present State of Virginia."
published in 1925. mentions fox hunting
as mn amusement that was practiccd by
James RIVER planters.
That Jamestown Island first reechoed
with the horn and the tongue OF the
hound is highly probable. as It's sixteen
hundred acres of high lands and reed
marshes affords an ample hunting ground
for the sportsman to-day, and being
separated from the mainland by con-
siderable expanse of water makes It Inn
possible to loose the hounds, while the
ihuntsman can ride from point to point
In view Of the chase.
Surely the first fox hunter who landed
from England saw in this island a secure
hunting field, removed from the danger
OF savages.
Owned BY Wealthy Class.
From the time OF the Amblers and
Travis, during the regime OF that notablc
sportsman, Major William Allen and on
down to the present day. jamestown haa
been owned by a worthy class of gentle
men and ladies whose hospitality has
drawn many distinguished guests to the
island where the stoutheartcd John
Smith first resided.
Both General Washington and Mr.. JEFF
ferson courted at JamestowES though UNI
successfully and as the former was a
foxhunter who knows but that he actually
rode to bounds upon this island in COM
pany with Miss Cary.
Does history repeat itself? On last M1on-
day the steamer Pocahontas landed a
horns Mt Jamestown, who came by the
invitation of Miss Louise Barney, to
spend a week In foxhunting.
The hunters lost no time In getting
into the saddle and the pack of twenty
three hounds were cast on the extreme
south end of the island, but failed to find.
Later In the afternoon a successful cast
was made near the williamsburg bridge
and the field was treated to a life or
death race for seventeen minutes, during
which time the fox was .overrun by the
hounds dozen times and repeatedly saved
himself by lodging into the reed swamps.
From the outset It was evident lat
Renyard was no match for his pursuers.
and though the chase was exciting while
II lasted, the hounds fairly blankcted the
game, racing him down at every turn
until "sle death ended the sport.
Rain kept allswithin doors Tuesday UNI
til after o'clock, when the NJ. F. H.
cast the pack near the center Of the
island.
Three Foxes Started.
Here three foxes were started. The pack
separated and had all going. At one
time 1t looked rs IL a; kill would be
made in spite of the EFFORTS OF the hunters
to prevent Renyard from being Chopped
Ivy the fast fox-hounds before five
minutes clip had been run.
During a check which came from
barking the pack together after one fox,
the cunning animal swan across an arm
of water and GOT SO far ahead of the
pack that night found the brush still in
his possession.
BY running into the swanps and TAXI
ing water repeatedly the fox that was
singled out for Il catch turned tables on
the HelQ ana .lcQ them the chase until
when the pack was called OFF
and taken to Kennel n
On "Wednesday morning sthe sport was
resumed. and again three foxes were
started by the hounds. but. the pack fin
ally came. together and tiled down
upon one line. II /; K. r. ss lssl3sI
This fox pursued tho tactics of a coon
and Rugged the swamps. running In the
reeds and water and slipping under and
through tangled growths of marsh grass
faster than the hounds could follow.
After desperate struggle Of two hours
the pack drove the game from covert
and made kill in view of "the field"
Continued rain put an end to the hunt,
and after being graciouslY entertained
by Mrs. Barney. the party bid jamestown
adieu.r
The following gentlemen rode to
hounds Mr.. Robert Beattie. Mr.. H.
Richie Taylor. Mr.. Charles At. Drewry::
Mr.. S. d.! Mayo. Mr.. James Baker and
Mr.SJ. NJ. Henry.