The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1914-02-27
'EN0LAND's SACRED BEAST.
unwritten Law Against Shooting Ever
Hen Eating Foxes.

unwritten Law Against Shooting Ever
Hen Eating Foxes.
"Down In the country the other
day there was a village sensation In
which l 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 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 a greedy beast and kills
for the mere pleasure of the thing,
and the hunt does not always pay
up promptly. So here was a fine
point in sporting etiquette to be
settled. The farmer had shot fox.
He, did not deny it. In fact, ne pre-
ferred to t&t his chest with
pride, as if m ..cnance of all the un.
written laws of British sport.
Now, custom from time imme-
mortal has deereed that the foI
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 innumerable cases
the secretary is well aware that he
Is being swindled.
"But this particular farmer saic
he had hunted for many years him
self and had never made claim FOL
lost hens. A year or two ago, how.
; ever, a fox had. paid a nocturna
visit to his fowl yard and had played
. havoc with the festhered denizens
; A night or two after it happened
again. A third time the fox cam'
Ground and made a most deplorabl'
mess of a lot Of fine Wyandotte
, and some expensive Bun Orping
: tons.
iilen the farmer wrote to th'
.,unt secretary and asked for dam
ages. The reply was that the CLAIM
I would be attended to shortly, an'
! at Christmas .he sct.lement cam
in the form of-s lam. Thereupol
tho farmer declare war on all foxe
{ and killed them ruthlessly. An'
: this was the pint which puzzled tn
farmers on Saturday night.
- "'Jim Crawford shot fox las
year, said one Of the men, and n
good has como to him since. ]
amt lucky and it amt sportsman
like. Let 'em kill your hens. That
what they are there for, and il on
hunt secretary is mean there are
hundred who are generous.
/ "There you have it. Sport
sport and its rules are adamant. j
must, however, be put to the credi
e Of British hunt clubs that the
: spend millions Of pounds year i
: England, Wales and Ireland for tn
: upkeep Of the sport.
a "Think OF the hunters chat Al
:: bred and sold annually, the pack
G Of hounds, the huntsmen, the stab
u people, the dozens Of hangers o
4 Who make living out of it! With
y out the hounds certain districts {
It England would be depopulatet
4 Leicestershire and the indian
= counties would be almost impovel
ished if 4 law were Suddenly put
force to make an end to the TIC
mans pastime. Country houses ]
y nonhunting districts may be had a
: most for the price of cottage
, Leicestershire, whereas in tt
y Quorn and Pytchley country coul
!. try house is as expensive, if M
;, more so, than a London mansion
- Instead of diminishing, hunting hl
= grown in popular favor"