Northern Weekly Gazette. — 1903-04-18 (Stockton-on-Tees, Cleveland, England)

BLAKEBOROUGH.  Before closing our references to cock-lighting, there are still one or two remarks anent this sport which must sot be omitted. The verse at the I end (taken from an old song of the day, which was written in praise of the sport) breathes this sentiment: "That the fight shall be between bird 1 and bird only." Amongst lovers of the sport, to the credit of humanity, there always seems to have been those who objected to either witness or in any way countenance the "Welsh main." it was un-English, and, in evely sense of the word, unsportsmanlike. The conditions under which a Welsh main was fougth were as follows,, which we copy from a Strutt I shall not expatiate upon the nature and extent of this fashionable divertisement (cock - tig,hting), but merely mention part of it-- called the Welsh main—which seems to be an abuse of the modern times, and, as a late judicious author justly says, 'a disgrace to us Englishmen.' It consists of a certain or given number of pairs of cocks, suppose sixteen pairs, which fight with each other until one-half of them be killed; the sixteen conquerers are pitted a second time in like manner. and half are slain; the eight survivors a third time, the four a fourth time, and the remaining two a fifth time, so that 'thirty-one cocks are sure to be inhumanly murdered for the sport and pleasure of the spectators." So far as the writer knows, the Welsh main was not practised in Yorkshire— at least, we meet with no mention of this inhumane sport having been indulged in by the most inveterate Yorkshire cockers. Perhaps the only place in the North Riding upon which any suspicion rests was a certain mill near to Whitby, at which place cockfighting was practised for many a long year after the law forbade the sport; but the fraternity who were in the habit of foregathering at that noted spot were the worst of their class. They met avowedly to spend the night in an orgie of drinking, card playing for high stakes, cock-fighting, badger-baiting, and the rest of it.  The last-mentioned sport was one which was greatly fostered at the time! of which we write. Badger-baiting, indeed, is of very ancient date. It has, however, at all times been .generally confined to the country, owing to the conditions to be observed for the proper and successful baiting of a badger, which cannot conveniently be carried out in a town. Badger-baiting is not by any means an unknown sport among the dah3sfolk at the present time, and the modus operandi of the sport as observed to-du differs little from that of even three hundred years ago. The arrangements necessary to be made for the baiting of a badger are neither inany nor difficult of accomplishment. A hole is dug in the ground, similar to the natural retreat of the animal, into which the badger is driven, and then each dog is allowed a run at it. The dog which fastens upon it, and draws it, wins the stake, subscribed by those whose clop have been en. tered for the sport. Badger-baiting in towns had to be carried out on somewhat different lines. A wooden affair was constructed resembling a long box, a little wider at the end to permit of the noor brute's easier movements, and from this wooden tuneel the dog had to draw its victim, or hurriedly withdraw itself severely bitten. Such was, and is, the moat noble and edifying sport of badger-baiting! No oompariion can possibly be made between town !ad country; the conditions for carry *g on the unsportsmanlike proceedtars to a cruel conclusion were alike