Year: 1875

The DOnOhue hounds met yesterday AZ Nnat - known
a. the Halfway House between Hackensaek and Pater-
son H. j. This is the that has been talked of and
50 eagerly anticipated several weeks past and al
though il was not so successful many had hoped II
would be- il nevertheless afforded those who had
witnessed fox hunt opportunity Of judging
fthe merits OF this exciting sport As is well known
by every sporting gentleman, fox hunting is the most
popular OF all the English sports fewer than S52
meets being regularly advertised In this country the
sport yet in its infancy, although before the war
there a number OF really fine packs Of hounds in
the South, when it often made extremely lively Tor
Reynard The war, however destroyed the wealth Of
that section OF country and scattered the hounds SO
that to-day fox hunting but little INDUCED IN in the
States


Mr. Joseph Donohue-and what sportsman in this
section or the country does not know him-has fol-
lowed sMr Wiley'sn nmble peregrinations through
Maryland, Virginia, New York and New Jersey for
upward or forty years. has long been strenuousy
deavorng organize, in connection with Col skinner,
another old follower Of the hounds asubscrpton pack
to be kept on Long Island or over New Jersey, in
either OF which places foxes very plentiful The
meeting yesterday furtherance Of this project


onSunday afternoon a number Of gentlemen mounted
their hunters In this city and took quiet canter out
Hackensack, the place appointed for the party to
rendezvous Others sent grooms out with the horses
ana followed in the evening by the train on the New
Jersey and New York road. At nine o'clock Sunday
evening tho Mansion House at Hackensack was swarm
ing with spurred and booted gentlemen in corded
hunting breeches and riding jackets. The utmost deco
rum observed by ALL and the start had been set for
six O'Clock Yesterday morning and as the work in hand
required cool heads and steady nerves, early retiring
the rule. IL very much feared that Jack
Frost the great enemy OF the fox hunters would stalk
about during the night and do his work enecually.
Nor these fears groundess, for in turning out
yesterday morning the ground was found frozen hard
A fnnr MI nj In.
began coming in from the surrounding
country mounted and in vehicles. The New York
party and all who had taken quarters at the Mansion
House routed out before daybrcak and sat down
at SIX O'Clock to superb breakfast Disappointment
was depicted upon more than countenance
by gentlemen looked out at the door and saw the
grass and herbage Clustering with its svery mantle OF
frost Old hunters said there little IN hurryng
of as IL would be necessary TO wait until the sun had
started the frost little before putting the hounds out
The best time for pack TO run IS when the ground is
moist and the sky overcast When there IS irost the
foxs scent VIII not lay long enough for the hounds 10
follow IL.


The horses, having been properly groomed and fed,
saddled while the party at breakfast and after
having looked well to their TASKS and cigar cases gen
eral scamper made for the stables. The morning
clear the light breeze coming from the northwest
npping the and fingers Of every and impart-
ing TO many cheek a ruddy, heathul
glow. As the horses were led out Of the stable
by the grooms they began champing their bits
of them could be kept sufficiently quiet admit
OF their owners mounting. And there good blood
represented in the gathering Milton full brother to





among the rst followed BY Little Jack Horner and the
well-known horse Modoc Remorse, Gray Rack, Black
Mary and several other animals unknown to fame
bore gallant riders in the crisp morning.


HOUNDS.


Six and half couyle OF hounds constituted the pack.
They were brought out Of couple Of box stalls where
they had been confined during the night, and put in
covered wagon Tor the purpose OF oeng transported 70
the meet Some OF them were superb canines oony
and powerful heads and ears large, with much loose skin
leather about their mouths and noses rather obtuse
iher counenances wore expressions oi solemn sagac
y, rendering them highly interesting and even magis
tcriaL One could not help thinking, as be looked at
these hounds, that those broad heds and those mag
nihcen olfactory organs contained world Of serious
mischief for poor Reynard. It Is pretended that
they Will compare with the Quorndon pack or yet the
Duke ofBeauforts but yet they good for this coun
try.


After half an hours light canterng up the road
toward Paterson the party reached the Hallway
House where halt was made. Here the hounds
let out Of the wagon and the old veteran Donahue
started OF with them toward open wood little to
and went al once eagerly about their work Of 6nding
scent The field numbered twenty two and a lit
tie back in the rear and down The road from ATTY
TO one hundred carriages and bugges, each bearing
such gentlemen Of the vicinity Of the meet II have
rived at too advanced an age 70 longer permit Of their
riding across country


moved on after the pack encouraging the hounds with
cries Of "Hark-awayl" The hounds worked for about
an hour and halt but unable to strike the
Aantess Suspicion o. scent II was nnaly
concluded TO whip them OF, and this
being done the hounds we're returned 20 the
wagon. and the field moved of down a road leading
due north. Arriving bill skirted by heavy timber
The pack was again taken tand cast about 100 yards
70 the right oi the road They had not been at
work more than ten minutes the famous old
Maryland hound Greeley began giving tongue The
cry was quickly taken up by the entire PACK II
believed that Il would take the hounds at least ha
hour to drive Reynard from cover most Of the Geld
renamed on the spot where the cast was
made expecting the FOX, when finally hard
pressed would run down the wind
The bayng Of the hounds continued for about afteen
minutes when fox, a magnificent red one was seen
coming down the road directly toward the field Ho
ran 70 within 800 yards Of the mounts
ha
Mr.. BIassen, on bis famous horse Jack Horner took
the fence and entered the woods following close upon
the neeis ol the pack who now made II so warm for
nj. WHY that be broke cover and struck bee
seen. toward saddle River As had been
expected Of him Reynard directly down the wind
The entire ned set up shout Of Tally no ~ soon
as the ox reached the open and set out u hot pursuit
Only few OF the horses could take the stiT
post and rail fences which intersected The country
10 every direction and less than half hour the
gallant Blassen left with but three follow
ers, and these soon after gave Up the chase
afser fence was taken by hls noble
little horse and obstacle seemed too great FOR him TO
overcome He jumped a fvc-ran fence, which stood
at least i've feet high and sailed over nuumerabIe
fourrail lot markers. BE held the chase good
four miles but the nature Of the country
was such and height or the fences great that lie
finally lost the hounds, rather they lost him. 10
svampy hollow such riding as was done by hr
Blassen seen al fox hunt IN this country
and certainly has scarcely been exceed IN England.


One by the hounds came trotting back 10 the
Halfway House. and about twelve O'Clock the field
assembled and decided to follow The huntsman, Mr.
Jos Donahue, Jr., down n lane leading 10 tho drec-
tion the fox had taken. After galoping about three
miles the hounds put out and cast IN
wood but we're unable pick up tho scent because Of
the heavy frost which st urked In the timber where
the sun had not penetrated


The field started two O'Clock to return TO Hacken-
sack well satisfied with the days sport, notwithsand
Ing they had faed overhaul the fleet footed Reynard
Some good riding and horscmanshp shown by
hessrs Belmont Purdy Clason, sevey, smith, MeCul-
Tough and Simon.