The New York herald., 1921-02-20
Fox Hunting Revives.

FOX running Nevlves.
The closing event Of the Alabama
State Fair this year and, according
to the reports, also its crowning
event was the meeting Of the Ala
bama hunting clubs and a fox chase
over the finest Of the States hunting
grounds with all the loyal adherents
Of the sport taking part and the best
packs Of hounds the State could pro-
duce on the trail. This In reality
was merely an incident in the revival
of fox hunting in the South, re-
[ svival which has extended from the
mountains Of the CarolinaS westward
to the Ozarks of Arkansas and Mis-
souri,. Trading in hounds, IL we may
Judge from the reports IN the papers
is brisker In the Ozark hills than
trading in horses, while the tax re-
turns OF Georgia last year place the
value OF the States dogs at three
times that of its mining interests.
The result of this renaissance Of fox
hunting is to bring about the raising
OF n higher grade Of hunting dogs
and horses and TO make this belt the
one great hunting ground where old
Reynard is chased with all the glory
and excitement of the earlier days
OF the sport.
The hunters were long ago driven
back further into the hills of Ken
tucky and Tennessee; the packs
which once started in the yellow clay
hills of southern Muskingum county.
Ohio. and followed the scent down
through Perry and Hooking counties
almost to the Ohio valley find their
occupation gone; potteries. mines and
truck patches have driven away sly
Reynard and his family.
Bucks county, Pennsylvania, is,
perhaps, the last stronghold of the
hunt club in the East. This, of
course, excludes the anise bag trail
ers and clubs such as the Chester
Club, which once made the expert
ment Of looSing a tame fox and was
humllIated to see the little rascal
sit down ON his launches and walt
for the dogs to come up and play
with him. But the farmers of Bucks
county are up in arms against the
hunt club which released foxes TO
prey on their hen roosts and against
the red coated hunters who ride over
their fields of planted crops. Even Ia
England, where In Georgian days the
rector, the squire and the county gen.
try rode hard to be IN at the death,
fox hunting Is passing. The Field re-
Gently attributed this to the fact that
the great estates ARE being cut up
and that many persons who really
enjoy the sport can no longer afford
il. The chase Is thus losing It's ma
tionaI characteristics, says the Field.
The reports might indicate this. THE
hounds ran says correspond
ent Of the London Times In reporting
meet, "and the larches and pool
we're all drawn blank. Hounds did
not find all day" Another concludes
with at was a good day." A fox
hunter has d glorious day" or never
mentions II. In all this not spark 6f
that spirit and enthusiasm which
CHARLES LEVER and writer's Of his
time put into their glowing hunting
stories.
But to return 20 the Southern hunt
ing ground. All northern Mississippi
met few days ago in the hills of
Tallahatchie county for great hunt.
The editor Of the Mississippi Sun on
that day knew nothing Of Germany's
reparations, Frances demands, the
Bolshevist mobilization or the ways OF
Congress. There was only one piece
Of news in the news Ornament and
the hunt had the first page. The
hunters, their women folks, children
and servants camped before dawn
around fires on the high ridge The
fastest dogs In the county were there,
the packs from Tippo, Charleston
and Haynes and the Hodgpath and
Walker hounds.
Soon after dawn the dogs got wind
Of the fox and were or at full cry,
followed by all the men who had
mounts, among them "MAcoN WHITE
on his sorrel stallion, CLYDE Hicks
on his big bay. GTD CRENs on his
black hunter and BURT Harris astrido
a fine gray mare" Everybody else
took a position on a hilltop. III that
hill had been grand stand and the
whole thing staged FOR cI benefit