The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1909-10-01
EEGLkND'S SACRED BEAST.
u,uri,tsn Law Against Shooting Even
Hen Eating Foxes.

Down in the country the other
day shere was village sensation in
which was called upon to adjudi-
cate for the farmers assembled in
tbe parlor Of the only village inn,"
writes the London correspondent OF
Town and Country. cone of their
number had shot a fox which had
prowled about among the fowls foe
% many nights that fowl keeping
vas becoming a risky business.
"The ordinary farmer does not
mind losing an occasional hen, but
REWARD is a greedy beast and kills
for the mere pleasure Of the thing,
ana the hunt does not always pay
up promptly. So here was a fine
poin. in sporting etiquette to be
settled. The farmer had shot fox.
lie d!d not deny it. In fact, he pre-
ierred to throw out his chest with
yrde. as II in defiance of all the un-
Iwr.,,en laws Of British sport.
i Vow, custom from time imme-
morial has decreed that the fox
shall be us safe from gun and trap
as /. he we're sacred. He belongs to
tae hounds and must be allowed to
roam through the covers and farm
Yards at Will, devouring what NAV
Happen in his way. Custom, too,
demands that the hunt shall pay
the damages. The hunt generally
;ays, though in innumerable cases
he ,ecrctary is well aware that he
Is being swindled.
But this particular farmer said
lie had hunted for many years him
.elf and had never made a claim for
lost hens. 4 year or two ago, how
ever, fox had paid a nocturnal
yi,l, 10 ms fowl yard and had played
havoc gith the feathered denizens.
1 night or two after it happened
again. A third time the fox came
round and made a most deplorable
mess Of a lot Of fine Wyandottes
Nsnd some expensive Buff Orping-
tons.
"1hen the farmer wrote to the
hunt secretary and asked for dam
ages. The reply was that the claim
would te attended TO shortly, and
at Christmas the settlement came
IT. tho form ola nam. Thereupon
the farmer declared war on all foxes
ard killed them ruthlessly. And
tbs vas the point which puzzled the
farmers on Saturday night.
Jim Crawford shot a fox last
year, said one Of the men, and no
good has come to him since. II
amt lucky and il amt sportsman
Ike. Let 'en kin your hens. That's
vnat they are there for, and if one
hunt secretary Is mean there are a
hundred who are generous
There YOU have it. Sport is
sport and its rules are adamant. IL
must, however, be put to the credit
Of British hunt clubs that they
spend millions Of pounds a year in
England, Wales and Ireland for the
upSeep Of the sport.
Think Of the hunters that are
bred and sold annually, the packs
Of hounds, the huntsmen, the stable
people, the dozens of hangers on
no make living out Of It'll With
out the hounds certain districts Of
England would be depopulated.
Leicestershire and the midland
counties would be almost impover-
ished II a law were suddenly put in
force 70 make an end to the rich
mans pastime. Country houses in
honhunting districts may be had al
most for the price of a cottage in
lLelcestershire, whereas in the
Vaorn and Pytchley country a coun-
uy house is as expensive, if not
more 50, than a London mansion.
instead Of diminishing, hunting has
grown in popular favor"