The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1915-04-16
'ENGLAND'S SACRED BEAST.
o""r'tfsn Law Against Shooting Eve,
Hen EATING Foxes.

S""r's'en Law Against Shooting Eve,
Hen Eating Foxes.
Down In the country the othe,
DAY There was q village sensation in
winch 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 a fox which had
Prowled about among the fowls for
30 many nights that fowl keeping
was becoming a risky business.
The ordinary farmer does not
mlnd losing an occasional hen, but
reynard is greedy beast and kills
for the mere pleasure Of the thing.
and the hunt does not always paw
up promptly. So here was a fine
point In sporting etiquette to be
settled. The farmer had shot a fox.
He did not deny it. In fact, he pre-
1eired TO It his chest with
pride, as if hi Reliance Of all the un-
written laws of British sport.
"Now, custom from time imme.
mortal has decreed that the fox
shall be as safe from gun and trap |
as II he were sacred. He belongs to |
the 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 paw
the damages. The hunt generally
pays, though in innumerable cases
the secretary is well aware that he
Is being swindled.
but this particular farmer said
he had hunted for many years him
'elf and had never made a claim for
ost hens. A year OF two ago, how
'ver, a fox had paid a nocturnal
'lsit to his fowl yard and had played
lavoc with the feathered denizens.
night or two after it happened
gain. A third time the fox came
round and made a most deplorable
ness Of lot of fine Wyandottes
nd some expensive Buff Orping-
ons.
"Then the farmer wrote to tho
unit secretary and asked for dam
ges. The reply was that the claim !
ould be attended to shortly, and
Christmas the settlement came
/ tho form of-s ham. Thereupon
10 farmer declared war on all foxes b
i'd killed them ruthlessly. And +
us was the pint which puzzled the
rmerS on Saturday night.
Jim Crawford shot a fox last
ar said one Of the men, and no
bod has come to him since. It :
Mt lucky and it amt sportsman,
&c. Let 'em kill your hens. That's ~
lat they are there for, and if one -
mt secretary Ia mean there are a
inbred who are generous
There you have it. Sport is 60
OFT and its rules are adamant. i as]
lst, however, be put to the credit tn
British hunt clubs that they su
End millions Of pounds q year in mi
gland, Wales and Ireland for the SUI
keep Of the sport. an
"Think of the hunters that are pre-
ID and sold annually, the packs he,
hounds, the huntsmen, the stable fro
'ple. the dozens Of hangers on as
o make living out of i'll With by
the hounds certain districts Of sur
gland would be depopulated. in
cestershire and the midland of
mites would be almost impover- the
ed if law were suddenly put in in
&c to make an end to the rich me,
rs pastime. Country houses in Thu
hunting districts may be had al. por
IT for the price of cottage in ear
cestershire, whereas in the the
'rn and Pytchley country coun- the
house is as expensive, if not side
o SO, than q London mansion. thrt
cad of diminishing, hunting has -P
Tn In popular favor yers