The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1916-12-08
NcL-AND'S SACRED BEAST.
Uawrittso. Law Against ssootInsEver
Hen Eating Foxes.

Gown ia the country the other
day Shere was a village sensation in
which I vas called upon to adludi-
eate for tie farmers assembled In
the parlor Of the only village Inn"
writes the London correspondent OF
Town and Country. "One of their
number had shot a fox which had
prowled about among the fowls for
50 many nights that fowl keeping
was becom lg 4 risky business.
"The orc lary farmer does not
mild losi1, an occasional hen, but
REWARD is a greedy beast and kills
for the mere pleasure OF the thing,
and the hunt does not always pay
VI promptly. So here was fine
port in orting etiquc tie to be
settled. I e farmer had shct fox.
He did rot dcny it. In fact, hs Ps-
ifcrred to thrsE, out his chest. wkh
pride, as if ID defiance Of all'the un-
written laws of British sport. i.
"Now. custom from time imme-
mortal mas decreed that the fox
shall be as safe from gun and trap
as il he were sacred. He belongs to
the hourds and must be allowed to-
roam through the covers and farm
yards at vii, devouring what may
happen IN his way. Custom, too,
demands that the hunt .shau pay
the damages. The hunt generally
pays, though in innumerabe 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. 4 year or two ago, how
ever, a fox had paid a nocturpa
viii to hs fowl yard and had played
havoc with Il feathered dehizens.
!, night or to after it happened
eeaiu. \ ,.ird time the fox came
i>und enc made a most deplorable
ness Of !ot of fine Wyandottee
and some expensive Baff Orping
tons.
"Then the farmer wrote 70 the
hunt secretary and ask ed FOR dam
ages. The reply was that the claim
. would te a, nded to shortly, and
, a. Chr;slrn tae Settlement came
in the fern ola ham. Thereupen
the farmer declared war on all foxes
and killed them ruthlesSly. And
this was the p int 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. 1
c amt lucky and it amt sportsman
) like. Let 'em Kill your, hens. That
i what they are there for. and Z one
d hunt secretary 10 mean there are
@ hundred who are generous.
e "There vou have it. Sport !
Z sport and is rules are adamant, j
e must, however, be put to the creG
e of British hunt clubs that the
Is spend millions of pounds a year Is
J. England, Wlles and Ireland for tn
Is upkeep of the sport.
II "Think OF the hunters that ar
5 bred and sold annually, the pack
st of hounds, the huntsmen, fhe stabi
< people, the dozens of hangers o
ID Tho make a living out Of itl.'Witt
out the hounds certain districts Q
D. England would be eepopulatec
T. Leicestershire and the indian
O. counties would be ahaost- impoyes
" nhed if law were suddenly put /
O. force to make an. end to the ric
is, mans pastime. Country heHses !
e. nominating districts may be had a
f. most for the price of cottagal
te Leicestershire, whereas In Il
ay Quorn and Pytchley country q coul
at try house is as expensive, If nc
tic more so, than a london mansion
o. Instead of diminishing, Hunting b
lc- grown in popular favor"