The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1912-12-27
T ERGlhND'S SACRED BEAST.
unwritten Law Against Shooting Eve
: Hen Eating Foxes.

Onwrittcn Law Against shooting Eve
Hen Eating Foxes.
"Down In the country the other
day There was q village sensation in
which 1 was called upon to adjudi-
cate for the farmers assembled in
the parlor of the only village inn"
writes the London correspondent OF
Town and Country. zone of their
number had shot a fox which had
prowled about among the fowls for
so many nights that fowl keeping
was becoming a risky business.
'The ordinary farmer does not
mind losing an occasional hen, but
reynard is greedy beast and kills
for the mere pleasure of he thing,
and the hunt does not always pay
up promptly. So here was fine
point in sporting etiquette to be
settled. The farmer had shot fox.
He did not deny it. In fact, he pre-
fcrred to throw out his chest b
pride, as if in defiance of all the u
written laws OF British sport.
"Now, custom from time iInme-
mortal has decreed that the fox
shall be as safe from gun and trap
as if he were sacred. He belongs to
the hounds and must be allowed to
roam through the covers and farm
yards at will, devouring what may
happen in his way. Custom, too,
demands that the hunt shall pay
the damages. The hunt generally
pays, though in lnnumerable cases
the secretary is well aware that he
ls being swindled.
"But this particular farmer said
he had hunted for many years him
self and had never made claim for
lost hens. A year or two ago, how
ever, a fox had paid nocturnal
visit to his fowl yard and had played
havoc with the feathered denizens.
a night CT two after it happened
asain. A third time the fox came
cround and made most deplorable
mess of q lot of fine Wyandottes
and some -expensirA Rnfz 9sfssss
toAs.
. '"Then the farmer wrote to the
Sunt secretary and asked for dam
ages. The reply was that the claim
would lie attended to shortly, and
at Christmas the settlement came
In The form of-a ham. Thereupon
the farmer declared war on all foxes
and killed them ruthlessly. And
this was the pint which puzzled the
farmers on Saturday night.
"Jim Crawford shot fox last
year. said one of the men, and no
good has come to him since. II
amt lucky and it amt sportsman
like. Let 'em xiii your hens That;
what they are thcre for, and if one
hunt secretary !, mean there are a
hundred who are generous.
"Therc YOU lave it, Sport !
sport and its rules are Gdanant. i
must, Eovcsr IT, be plt to the cFedi'
of Britis' hiat clubs that the
spend Mills of pounds year il
England, Y les and Ireland for the
,.upkeep of sport. >
"Think 81, the hunters that are
bred and sd annually, the packs
of hounds. the huntsmen, the stable
people, the dozens of hangers OF
Tho make a living out Of it. With
out the hounds certain districts O.
England would be depopulated
Leicestershire and the midland
counties would be almost impover
ished if lew were suddenly put IL
force to make an end to the ricl
mans pastime. Country houses il
nonhunting districts may be had al
most for the price of cottage II
Leicestershire, whereas in th'
Quorn and Pytchley country coun
try house is as expensive, if no
more so, than a London mansion
Instead of diminishing, hunting ha
grown in popular favor"