The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1915-07-30
! ENGLAND'S SACRED BEAST.
unwrltten 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 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, he pre-
ferred to tl6EEt his chest with
pride, as if IN defiance 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 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 innumera5le cases
the secretary is well aware that he
is 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 OF two after it happened
again. A third time the fox came
rround and made most deplorable
mess of a lot of fine WyandotteG
, and some expensive Buff Orping-
, tons.
"Then the farmer wrote to the
hunt secretary and asked for dam
! ages. The reply was that the claim
would be attended to shortly, and
/ at Christmas the settlement came
in the form ola ham. Thereupon
, the farmer declared war on all foxes
and killed them ruthlessly. And
r this was the pint which puzzled the
farmers on Saturday night.
"Jim Crawford shot a fox last
year, said one of the men, and nc
good has come to him since. L
amt lucky and it amt sportsman
like. Let 'em kill your hens. That
what they are there for, and if one
hunt secretary is mean there are ,
hundred who are generous
"There you have it. Sport i
sport and It's rules are adamant. /
must, however, be put to the credi
of British hunt clubs that the.
spend millions of pounds year il
England, Wales and Ireland for tn
upkeep of the sport.
"Think of the hunters that ar
bred and sold annually, the pack
of hounds, the huntsmen, the stabl
people, the dozens of hangers o.
Who make living out of It'll With
Ia out the hounds certain districts o
u England would be depopulatec
Il Leicestenhire and the indian
counties would be almost impoveI
ished if law were suddenly put /
force to make an end to the ric
mans pastime. Country houses |
= nominating districts may be had a.
!. most for the price of a cottage I
;, Worcestershire, whereas in tn
: Quorn and Pytchley country a cour
h try house is as expensive, If nc
!. more so, than a London mansion
:, Instead of diminishing, hunting hi
grown in popular favor"