Evening star., 1948-10-17
Fredericksburg Puts
On First Dog Mart
Since War Began
BY George Kennedy


FREDERICKSBURG, Va, Oct. 16.
Today saw the first postwar re-
vival Of one of the most interesting
displays of hunting dogs in the
East-tne Fredericksburg Dog Mart.
Two hundred and fifty years ago.
In 1898, the settlers began the prac-
tice of meeting with the Indians to
barter for furs where the tidewater
Of the Rappahannock ends and the
piedmont begins to rise. That spot
Is Fredericksburg. The marts con-
tinued until the Revolution. And
the memoirs Of old Virginia show
that the white mans best article for
trade was a good hunting dog.
A sentimental interest in its an
tiouity led Fredericksburg to revive
the marts in 1927-not to get any
thing out Of the Indians who had
been pretty thoroughly stripped of
their possessions for more than q
century-but just for fun. The last
one was in 1s41, then the war inter-
vened.
Not Like Kennel Club.
The Fredericksburg affair Is not
like a registered American Kennel
Club show or field trial, where peo-
pie in imported English riding boots
and expensive jackets, who all seem
to know each other, lean back
against 5000 convertibles and re-
siSt the fall chill by nipping from
silver TASKS. This Is an event that
brings out the countryman and his
dogs, perhaps to show them for
ribbons or perhaps to offer them at
auction.
While a committee was suppos-
edly in charge, the man who seemed
TO be running the show SINGLE
handed was "Dr. Bob" DR.. Bob is
the Rev. DR.. Robert r. Caverlee,
Fredericksburg's Baptist preacher
who is out with a dog and a gun
almost every day Of the hunting
season.
This is wonderful hunting coun-
try" said DR.. Bob. The Army took
10000 acres of farm and woodland
for its A. P. Hill reservation, which
starts just south of here. The farm
ers moved of, the grain ripened and
1eil to the ground and the birds in
creased and got fat. 1t is full of
quail and wild turkey and deer. The
Army lets us hunt it.
Two Indian Tribes.
Have you seen our Indians?
They come from King William
County near West Point, and their
two tribes are named after the
Mattaponi and the Pamunkey
which join there to form the York.
THE shame is that their lands
were taken from them until one
reservation is only ITO acres and
the other rs. And they're all Bap-
lists. If there is an Indian on
either Of those reservations who's
not a Baptist-he's been tampered
with"
Chief o. T. Custalow of the Mat
taponi's, a plump young man in
full ceremonial dress and painted
face, spoke like a preacher. He
cited as among the recent wrongs
upon his people was the pulp wood
mill on the river. Its sulfide dis
charge has killed the fish. Chief
Miles, Mattaponi, also wearing a
large headdress of eagle feathers,
was more realistic about industry.
What we need on the reserva-
tion," he said, lis Friday night pay
envelopes. Farming can't support
the people. We ought to have an
overall factory or something"
The Auctioneers' Chant,
The auctioneer, John T. Hatton of |
Reno, soon started to make a noise |
that sounded like the radio tobacco
auctioneer's chant put through one |
OF the wartime secrecy scramblers.
Most Of the owners who put up dogs
would jump the price to $25 and buy
their dog back when they found he
would bring no higher bid than SIS
or $40. There were some sales.
One hound went for $40, and a little
boy, William Sher, son of Aber Sher, !
Fredericksburg's pawnbroker, bought .
dog for so cents.
Dean Moffett of Warrentown won
the best-n-show prize with his liver
and white female nointer