^^ ^ o ^ ,0-' ;,,.^ \^^ ,,., %<<^'' ^^' 0^^' ~^. - ■ i -'5' '•%. ■s \\ >^ ," c> ■.-^2^. ■ %^^ A^^' '^^ \- ,<^' '^. t"^' '00' 00' 00 x^' > •/». ^^' ^^^ -. ;^\" A^"^' 00" ■-00^ ^^A V*' * -> N ■ ^° ^ V-...:-. >.^^'^-. ^e;^ <^,. O^' *• '■*- * -> K. ^ '^^ .0^ -%- ■=,'^' .' ^^' ^ ^. «.''■ VVl.^^,^ •^^^ '^A v"^ ^*^ ^t. ^ .'^ /\ .^'^^""^. ■<^'^ c^ ,-> > •%<■ =1 V: ?%>>>• ''tf ''^,_ v-i^' ^^. V^' "^^.V ,^^'*' . s " • / . > n- •v .■>^ A^' •■■^y. ^^' •i -^i,. o5 ■/:, .*!- •=t.. . ■>'^. ^\ ©0 > s ' "■ / "^,. V*' *^. .<^- 4- ■'■■>. ^..#' ^^^ ' • ^ ■ \.^ . '"O 0^ '^^. > x-^^' % "^^. ,v\^'' \^'- --?."'' ■"o o'* ^'^AV*' = ,-\ -r. xo o^_ : ,0 O^ A-^^' -% S<^ oN' -s^ :m \^' A-i>- ,0 ^' ■% ^^'^K^.* ^>" %~.^' .^' % '^, '^. >^ o5 ^ci. ^Oo, -^0^ s^-^ -^c.^ ,\ -. -■^--^-' :!r^. ^ ■ ,— ^. :, -b 0' \ %/: .. .\;^*aX'' x\^ The Hunts of the United States and Canada THIS EDITION. ON LAID PAPER. LIMITED TO 500 COPIES i ^ I J.\> «^^ THE HUNTS OF THE UNITED STATES AND CANADA THEIR MASTERS, HOUNDS AND HISTORIES Br A. HENRY HIGGINSON, M. F. H. AND JULIAN INGERSOLL CHAMBERLAIN BOSTON FRANK L. WILES 1908 ^^' Two Copies Kva .;vee i HOy !c! 19081 COPYRIGHT. 1908. BY A. HENRY HIGGINSON Entered at Stationers' Hall, London, England All TighU raeroed Typography and Prasmork iy LOUIS E. CROSSCUP & CO., Botion. M» TO "THE DEAN OF AMERICAN FOX-HUNTING " MAJOR WILLIAM AUSTIN WADSWORTH. M. F. H. WHO. DURING HIS THIRTY-TWO YEARS' MASTERSHIP OF HIS OWN PACK. HAS SET A HIGH STANDARD FOR THE RISING GENERATION. Preface T O THE Masters of the United States and Canada and TO THE Readers of this Volume : — Some years ago, the perusal of a book edited by Sir Hum- phrey F. de Trafford, Bart., entitled " The Foxhounds of Great Britain and Ireland," led the authors of this volume to think that a similar publication, which would tell the histories of the packs of the Western Hemisphere, would be welcomed as supplying a chapter heretofore lacking in the annals of the sport, and serve to bring the hunting men and women of both countries into closer touch v^ath one another. From Oregon to Virginia is a far cry, and no one who has not come in personal contact, as it were, with the Hunts throughout the country can re- alize the difficulty of getting together the material for this book. Most of the packs have been in existence a comparatively short time and many of them have kept no records at all. Up to the present time no accurate list even of the Hunts and their Masters has been extant, and though data con- cerning the more important ones have been published from time to time, they were so fragmentary that the authors venture to hope that this volume vnW prove useful to their fellow sportsmen throughout the country. We wish to take this opportunity to thank the Masters of Hounds of America and also the Hunt Secretaries who have, almost without exception, co-operated with us by sending data and photographs and by re-reading and correcting their respective articles before they were sent to press. We wish also to tender our gratitude to the following authors from whose writings we have drawn much useful information : — Mr. Ralph N. Ellis, late Master of the Meadow Brook, for his article in " The Book of Sport," published by Messrs. J. F. Taylor & Co., Mr. George E. Darlington, from whose volume, " Fox Hunting in Delaware County, Penn- sylvania," many important items have been gleaned. Captain E. Pennell-Elm- hirst (" Brooksby " ) for his chapter in " The Best of the Fun," on the Meadow PREFACE Brook in the old days, and Mr. Allen Potts, Editor of the Richmond Times- Dispatch, for much information about the southern Hunts. In addition to these, our cordial thanks are due to the following gentlemen for assistance cheerfully given: — Dr. Charles McEachran, late Master of the Montreal, who, together with its present Master, has aided us in compiling the history of that oldest of American Hunts, Mr. Hugh Allan and Mr. Frank Seabury, late Masters of the Myopia, for valuable information of its early days, Mr. J. L. Randall for his poem, " The Goose with the Golden Eggs," which appeared in "The History of the Meynell Hounds and Country," published by Messrs. Samp- son Low, Marston & Co., Mr. Charles Hopkinson and Mr. Richard Newton, Jr., M. F. H., for their permission to reproduce portraits painted by them and, finally, to Messrs. J. E. Green, A. F. Bradley and W. N. Jennings for the use of valuable sporting photographs. We would add that in the few instances where no photograph of either the Master of a pack or of his Huntsman appears, the omission is due solely to that Master himself, every opportunity having been afforded him to fur- nish the necessary portraits for reproduction in these pages. If any Hunt has been omitted from this volume it is for the same reason, but the authors feel that in giving it to the public they are offering the only accurate publi- cation of its kind in America. In conclusion the authors, both being hunting men, feel that if their fellow fox-hunters derive half as much pleasure out of the reading of this book as they have in the writing of it, they will rest content. A. HENRY HIGGINSON. JULIAN INGERSOLL CHAMBERLAIN. South Lincoln, Mass.. 1908. Note : The change in the name of the Charlottesville Hunt to the Albemarle County Hunt, recently made, occurred too late to be noted in the chapter on that organization. Contents Preface VII Introduction ........... XVII TTie Berkshire Hunt .......... I The Blackstone Valley Hunt ........ 4 The Blue Ridge Hunt 6 The Blue Run Hunt 8 The Brandywine Hounds ......... 1 The Castle Hill Hounds 15 The Charlottesville Hunt .......... 17 The Chester Valley Hunt 19 TTie Chevy Chase Hunt . . . . . . . .21 The Deep Run Hunt 25 The Elkridge Hunt 28 The Endean Beagles .......... 31 The Essex Hounds .......... 33 The Genesee Valley Hunt ......... 36 The Grafton Hounds .......... 43 The Green River Hunt ..'...... 48 The Green Spring Valley Hunt ........ 50 The Harkaway Hunt .......... 55 The Iroquois Hunt ........... 57 The Keswick Hunt 59 The Lima Hunt ........... 62 The London Hunt .......... 64 The Loudoun County Hunt ......... 67 The Meadow Brook Hunt 72 The Middleburg Hunt 81 The Middlesex Foxhounds ......... 83 The Midlothian Hunt Club 89 The Millbrook Hunt 91 The Millwood and Owl's Nest Hounds 93 The Missouri Hunt and Polo Club 97 The Monmouth County Hunt ._ . . . ' . . .100 The Montreal Hunt . . " 103 CONTENTS Mr. Hitchcock's Hounds 113 Mr. Maddux's Hounds H 7 Mr. Okie's Hounds 119 The Myopia Hunt 121 The Norfolk Hunt 127 The Oak Ridge Hunt Club 131 The Onwentsia Hunt . . . . . . . . • . 1 34 The Orange County Hunt . . 137 The Patapsco Hunt 140 The Piedmont Hunt 144 The Portland Hunt Club 146 The Portsmouth Hunt 1 48 The Radnor Hunt 150 The Riverside Hunt . . . 157 The Rose Tree Fox Hunting Club . . . . . . . . 1 59 The Shelbume Hounds ......... 1 66 The Smithtown Hunt . . . . . . . . . . 1 68 The Suffolk Hounds 1 70 The Tomahawk Hunt . . . . . . . . . • 1 72 The Toronto Hunt 1 74 The Upland Hunt 177 The Wanenton Hunt 1 80 The Watchung Hunt 183 The Westchester County Hunt . . . . . . . . 187 The White Marsh Valley Hunt 190 " The Goose with the Golden Eggs " . . . . . . . 1 95 List of Illustrations " Huntsman's Coming "......... Frontispiece "Full Cry," Montreal Hunt. 1852 XVH John Crawford, Esq XVIIl A- Baumgarten, Esq. ......... XX BERKSHIRE David T. Dana, Esq., M. F. H 1 D. Somerville, Huntsman ......... 1 Autumn Steeplechases, 1905 ......... 2 BLACKSTONE VALLEY Paul Whitin. Esq.. M. F. H 4 BLUE RIDGE Edward Gay Butler, Esq., M. F. H 6 BLUE RUN James N. Andrews, Esq., M. F. H 8 BRANDYWINE Charles E. Mather, Esq., M. F. H 10 Hunt Staff and Hounds ......... 12 CASTLE HILL Mrs. Allen Potts, M. F. H 15 CHARLOTTESVILLE The Field, April 9, 1908 17 CHESTER VALLEY R. Penn Smith, Esq., M. F. H 19 CHEVY CHASE Clarence Moore, Esq., M. F. H. 21 R. Currsin, Huntsman .......... 2 1 Robert Neville, Esq. 22 Charles H. L. Johnston, Esq. ......... 24 DEEP RUN J. St. George Bryan, Esq., M. F. H 26 ELKRIDGE Alexander Brown, Esq. .......... 28 T. Swann Latrobe, Esq. ......... 28 Edward A Jackson, Esq., M. F. H. 30 Leo Gardell, Huntsman ......... 30 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS ENDEAN The Master, Hunt Staff and Hounds 32 ESSEX Charles Pfizer. Esq., M. F. H 34 Hunt Staff and Hounds 34 On the Way Home 34 GENESEE VALLEY Major W. Austin Wadsworth, M. F. H 36 James Blower, Huntsman, and Hounds, 1 898 ..... 38 A Morning in Kennels .......... 40 GRAFTON Harry W. Smith, Esq., M. F. H 44 GREEN RIVER Frank Sherman Peer, Esq., M. F. H 48 GREEN SPRING VALLEY Redmond C. Stewart, Esq., M. F. H. 50 HARKAWAY Frank M. Lowry, Esq., M. F. H 55 Going to Cover ............ 55 IROQUOIS Brigadier-General Roger D. Williams, M. F. H 57 KESWICK Hunt Staff and Hounds ......... 60 LIMA The Master, Hunt Staff and Hounds 62 LONDON Adam Beck, Esq., M. F. H., and Hunt Staff 64 W. Edwards 66 LOUDOUN Westmoreland Davis, Esq., M. F. H 68 MEADOW BROOK F. Gray Griswold, Esq. ......... 72 RaphN. Ellis, Esq. 72 Samuel Willets, Esq., M. F. H 74 Robert Cotesworth .......... 76 Michael Hanlon, Huntsman ......... 76 Hunt Staff and Hounds ......... 78 The Hounds ........... 78 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS MIDDLEBURG Claude Hatcher, Huntsman. ........ 81 MIDDLESEX A. Henry Higginson, Esq., M. F. H 83 The Pack and Hunt Staff 84 Ned Cotesworth, Kennel Huntsman ........ 84 The Pack, 1908 86 MIDLOTHIAN J. L. Stack, Esq., M. F. H 89 MILLBROOK Dr. M. O'Malley Knott, Hon. Huntsman 91 MILLWOOD AND OWL'S NEST Robert Forbes Perkins, Esq., M. F. H 94 MissquRi Dr. St. Clair Streett, M. F. H 97 Hunt Staff and Hounds 98 MONMOUTH COUNTY P. F. Collier, Esq., M. F. H 100 Edgeir Caffyn, Huntsman ......... 1 00 The M. F. H. and Hounds 102 MONTREAL Hugh Paton, Esq. 104 Sir H. Montagu Allan 1 04 George Hooper, Esq. . . . . . . . . • . . 106 Dr. Charles McEachran ] 06 William R. Miller, Esq. 1 08 Will Nicholls, Huntsman j 08 The Master, Hunt Staff and Hounds, 1908 110 MR. HITCHCOCK'S Thomas Hitchcock, Jr., Esq., M. F. H. 1)4 MR. MADDUX'S James K. Maddux. Esq., M. F. H. I | 7 MR. OKIE'S F. W. Okie, Esq., M. F. H 119 MYOPIA Hugh A. Allan, Esq 121 Frank Seabury, Esq. . . . . . . 121 Joe Barrar, Kennel Huntsman . . . . . . .122 Summer Exercise ......... 122 The Pack, 1908 124 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS NORFOLK Henry G. Vaughan Esq., M. F. H 127 Hunt Staff and Hounds 1 28 A. McGregor, Kennel Huntsman ....... 128 A Bird's-eye View from the Clubhouse . . . .130 OAK RIDGE J. M. B. Lewis, Esq., M. F. H 1 32 The Hunt Staff. 1908 132 ONWENTSIA Arthur T. Aldis, Esq 134 W. Vernon Booth, Esq. 1 34 James F. Lord, Esq., M. F. H 134 ORANGE COUNTY John R. Townsend, Esq., M. F. H. 137 The Orange County Pack ........ 1 38 PIEDMONT Colonel Richard Hunter Dulany, late Master . . . 1 44 PORTLAND T. 5. McGrath. Esq., M. F. H 146 PORTSMOUTH Dr. Arthur Cowton Heffenger, M. F. H. 148 Master Charles P. Heffenger, Hon. Whipper-in . . . 148 Two Couples of the Portsmouth Hounds . . . . . . . 1 48 RADNOR W. Hinckle Smith. Esq., M. F. H 150 John R. Valentine, Esq. . . . .152 TheMaster, Hunt Staff and Hounds. 1906 154 RIVERSIDE LeRoy Roper. Esq., M. F. H 157 M. C. Jackson, Esq., Hon. Huntsman 157 ROSE TREE General Edward Morrell . 1 60 Going to Cover ........... 1 62 The Pack .... 1 62 Talking it Over .......... 1 64 SHELBURNE J. Watson Webb. Esq., M. F. H . . 166 H. Hopkins. Kennel Huntsman ..... . . 166 Hunt Staff and Hounds ....... . . 1 66 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS SMITHTOWN Clarence H. Robbins, Esq., M. F. H 168 SUFFOLK Richard Newton, Jr., Esq., M. F. H 1 70 TOMAHAWK Wallace W, Sanford, Esq., M. F. H 1 72 UPLAND Edward Crozer, Esq., M. F. H 177 A Morning Meet 1 78 A Good Litter 1 78 WARRENTON F. A. B. Portman, Esq., late Master 180 " A Good 'un to Follow " . . . . 1 82 WATCHUNG Lewis E. Waring, Esq., M. F. H., and Hounds . . 184 Hunt Staff and pack . . . . i 86 WESTCHESTER Eugene S. Reynal, Esq., M. F. H. . . 188 WHITE MARSH VALLEY Welsh Strawbridge, Esq., M. F. H. ... ... 190 J. G. Leiper, Jr., Esq., Hon. Huntsman ... 190 Going to Cover . . . . . . .190 Well Over ... 190 Ss 1 1 Introduction HUNTING in America, to-day, is far more popular than many people imagine, and that it is becoming more so is clearly evinced by the great number of Hunts which are organized each year. Throughout Virginia and Pennsylvania, hunting has always been a favorite sport, and packs of hounds, usually of the " trencher-fed " variety, have been maintained since early in the eighteenth century; but the formation of regular organizations for the purpose of hunting is, for the most part, a thing of the last thirty years. True it is, that the Brooklyn Hunt Club seems to have existed in 1781; and that the Gloucester Fox Hunting Club dates from 1 766 ; but except for these two, and the Montreal Hunt of Canada, which was founded in 1 826, we find no regular packs kept up till the early seventies. To-day there are fifty-six packs of hounds regularly maintained for the purpose of fox- or drag-hunting, either by hunt clubs or private individuals. When we say there are fifty-six, we do not mean to infer, for an instant, that this includes all the private or even subscription packs. On the contrary, there are doubtless many small packs in Virginia and else- where that have either sprung up recently, or have been rejuvenated, of which we have no knowledge; but these packs are so constantly changing owTiership and so little record has been kept of their history that it has been impossible to include them in this volume. In parts of Virginia and Penn- sylvania, almost every family " keeps hounds," and these join vsith one another in showing the best of sport in many instances. Fox-hunting in America is almost contemporary with fox-hunting in Eng- land, but the development in England has been much more rapid, and the whole game has been carried out on a much more scientific basis than in the United States and Canada. This hardly seems the place to go into the question in detail of the respective merits of the foxhound as he is produced in England and in America to-day. The question is one on which various writers differ widely ; but at the same time it is a question of so much in- INTRODUCTION terest to the hunting man of to-day that we feel constrained to put certain facts before the readers of this book, most of whom, we are well aware, will differ with us in their final conclusions. The conditions in England differ widely from those in America in the following particulars : first, in the quality of the climate, which makes a dif- ference in the scenting conditions; second, in the conformation of the country hunted over ; third, in the nature of the quarry, and fourth, in the method of hunting it. To take up the differences singly — the climate of England is such that the ground is apt to be in a much damper condition than that of America ; and being so, scent " lies " better and hounds do not require such tenderness of nose as some scenting conditions in America seem to require. Second, the conformation of the average hunting country in England is such that it is easier for a Field to follow hounds than in America. Third, foxes in Eng- land are much more plentiful and, in our opinion, much less wild than in America, in England foxes are protected by popular feeling, and cared for from birth, to a certam degree, whereas in America, or at any rate in the greater portion of it, the fox is considered vermin and has to shift for himself from the first. On the other hand, foxes in England are hunted more and, by reason of the earth-stoppmg, cannot go to ground, and must run for their lives. Finally, we come to the fourth and last point of difference; the method of pursuing the sport. How does the average American huntsman set to work ? He goes out at daybreak and draws, not coverts, but fields — open fields — till some one of his hounds hits on a " feed-trail," perhaps five or six hours old. The hound promptly gives tongue — the rest of the pack may hark in to him or they may not, according to their taste (a bad trait in the American hound); and in any case they go on hunting along at two miles an hour till they " jump " their fox ; or if, as is often the case, he has gone on they keep at it all day. Very different this, from the other method, where one either draws a covert blank and goes on to draw again ; or finds and gets a run. Now then, having stated these facts, which are conceded by all hound- men, let us take a look at the situation. If a man wants to go out and sit JOHN CRAWFORD, ESQ., M.F.H. Three times Master of the Montreal Hunt , Painting presented by the past and present met INTRODUCTION still on a horse on some hill-top and hear his hounds work and, by riding from point to point, watch them as they pass him and let them do all the work, let him, by all means, stick to the American hound with his tender nose and free tongue. His hounds may be throwing their tongues on a line four hours old, or it may be the line of a hare or some other riot, he can't tell, but he won't know ; and this is one of the cases " where ignorance is bliss." Nay, we'll admit that often they may be right, and that if he is a riding man and cares to, he'll often have a cracking run and kill his fox — so he would if he had drawn his covert as an Englishman would with English hounds ; be- side saving a lot of time while hounds were "towling " away on that cold line. But if he wants to get a day's hunting as many men enjoy it most; if he wants to see hounds and huntsman work together, help each other like good parts of a well-built machine, then let him go out with English hounds, let him see them draw their coverts and find their fox, and force him out, and on, at such a pace that it takes a good horse and a stout-hearted man to stay v^ath them. Perhaps they'll lose him if the scent is bad, or some unforeseen occurrence presents itself — perhaps they'll put him to ground and perhaps they'll kill him in the open. In any case they'll have a good day's sport and our friend will know they are hunting a fox. What does the supporter of the American hound claim to be the ad- vantages of that hybrid animal ? Better nose ? Granted ; it is so tender that its owner is forever telling us of a line that may be far too old to hunt. More independence ? Granted ; and to such an extent that the average American hound will hunt a cat, or a cur dog, or anything else that crosses its path. English hounds are keen enough if only they are let alone. More speed ? Granted ; for a mile or so till their weak loins and open feet give out. More voice? Granted; to babble with. How else does it aid them, if their huntsman is riding up ? We are not going to enumerate the good qualities of the English hound ; it would take too much time. We'll only say this. Four of the packs enumerated in this volume — packs whose owners have gone to quite a bit of expense to get the best — use pure-blooded English hounds. All four Masters and their huntsmen agree on one point — i. e. that in order to get INTRODUCTION the best results from their hounds they have been forced to rely, not on the imported draft-hound, but on the home-bred product ; bred from imported pure-blooded stock, which is not like the imported hound sent away for some fault. Suppose, gentlemen, Masters of American packs, an English- man comes over and buys your culls, and then takes them to England and tries them out against the Quorn and the Pytchley and the Bel voir ? Is that fair ? No, — give Englishmen their due. At some things we excell them — they'll admit it — but not at hound breeding. They have a long start. We have been led into a much fuller discussion of the hound question than we had intended, but must ask the forbearance of our readers for tak- ing this opportunity to make certain statements which will be, perhaps, of some interest to lovers of the Foxhound, both English and American. During the last thirty years, there has been a tremendous growth of hunting. Organizations have sprung up all through the United States and Canada, and already the western states are beginning to show an interest in the sport. To such Englishmen as may read this book, the scale on which hunting is carried on here as compared with England will seem very small. To them we would say that they must remember that hunting in America, while not in its infancy, is, as it is practised in England, at least in its adolescence. Many an old fox hunter in America has hunted from the road in his buggy, as was the case with Messrs. Skinner and Donahue of Hackensack ; and many of the farmers who do not usually rent their land, but own it, are at a loss to understand why a lot of men in scarlet coats should find amusement in riding over it, or why they, the owners, should allow it. We know one member of Concord society, the son of a distin- guished poet and himself a graduate of Harvard University, who considers hunting a "Godless custom," and will not have hounds on his land at any price. Another thing that wdll astonish our brothers over the water is the great number of drag-packs which are kept up. The reason for this is two-fold. First, there are many countries where a good drag can be laid, but in which it is pretty difficult to hunt foxes, ov^ang to the size of the coverts and the superabundance of wire. Second, there are many men who are often able INTRODUCTION to devote a few hours, two or three times a week, to drag-hunting, but who would not take the time away from their business to put in a day's fox- hunting. Still, fox-hunting, we are happy to say, is on the increase, and several drag-packs have given up that form of sport and taken to "The Noble Science." Just one more word. The question of good looks has always been one of too little significance to the American hunting man. " Give me a pack of pointers," said the Master of an American pack once, "if they'll hunt a fox." It is this spirit that has helped to injure the American hound in looks. In late years, however, more attention has been paid to this matter, and the inauguration of a National Hound Show similar to one held at Peterboro, England, has had the result of a distinct improvement in the general looks and conformation of hounds. A hound can work just as well if he is good looking — that is one of the many points where England is ahead of us in hound breeding. It will be years before we can produce such hounds as our fellow-sportsmen and cousins over the water, but it can't hurt us to try. The Berkshire Hunt DISTINCTIVE COLLAR Green EVENING DRESS Scarlet coat, green facings MASTER David T. Dana, Esq. SECRETARY Charles Astor Bristed. Esq.. Lenox, Mass. HUNTSMAN The Master KENNEL HUNTSMAN David Somerville WHIPPERS-IN \ ' "• 'W'^^^ ( 2nd. Peterson HOUNDS 1 4 couples, English KENNELS AND POST-OFFICE Lenox, Mass. DAYS OF MEETING Tuesday and Saturday LENGTH OF SEASON September 1 st to December 1st IN the spring of 1903, a few gendemen who spent the summer and autumn months in Berkshire County, Massachusetts, of whom the moving spirit was the late Arthur Sturgis Dixey, Esq., decided to es- tablish a small pack of draghounds, to be supported by subscription from the summer residents living in and about Lenox. Mr. Dixey, being aware that Mr. A. H. Higginson, with whom he happened to be acquainted, was giving up a pack of beagles which had shown very good sport after a drag in Middlesex County, headed a committee which, after visiting the kennels, eventually purchased the entire pack. Starting in this small way, the Berkshire Hunt has growoi, until now it has been recognized by the National Steeplechase and Hunt Association and has a large following. The beagles soon proved to be too slow to please the Field, owing to the character of the country, in which stone walls and snake fences predominate ; THE BERKSHIRE and the first Master, Clinton Gilmore, Esq., soon found it necessary to give up the beagles and procure a draft of English foxhounds. Some of these came from the well-known Meadow Brook pack on Long Island, while others were recruited from the kennels of the Myopia Hunt at Hamilton. Mr. Gilmore did his best to induce the Field to give at least part of the time to fox-hunting; but the frequent occurrence of wire, the bane of all Masters in America, made it next to impossible, and the project was aban- doned with reluctance for the time being. In the spring of 1905, the Master's health forced him to resign, as he found that the task was too great for him, and the present Master, David T. Dana, Esq., was elected in his stead. During the summer, a draft of ten couples of hounds was imported from England, coming partly from the Warwickshire and partly from the Pytch- ley, and with these as a foundation, the huntsman, David Somerville, late of the Grafton, has been able to breed a fast and fairly level pack. At present, there are fourteen couples of hounds in the kennels, and the Hunt Staff consists of the Master, who hunts the hounds himself; David Somerville, kennel huntsman, and two whippers-in, Wilde and Peterson. The Master formerly took hounds out but two days a week on the drag; but during the season of 1 907, fox-hunting was inaugurated, with fair suc- cess. At the beginning, the main objection to this better form of sport was as has been said, the prevalence of wire fencing throughout the country, but a Wire Fund being established in 1 905, and during the last two seasons being generously contributed to, all the fences in the hunting country are now carefully panelled, owing to the universal co-operation of the farmers; which enables the Field to follow hounds wherever they go. In later years, per- haps, the Berkshire M. F. H. wall become as keen on fox-hunting as he now is at the drag game, and of course this will mean more hounds, of better quality, and an eventual abandonment of drag-hunting, as has been the case in another Massachusetts Hunt, the Middlesex. The country hunted consists, for the most part, of rolling pastures, inter- spersed with the well-cultivated estates of the summer residents. The atti- 2 THE BERKSHIRE tude of the landowners is all that could be desired, and the Hunt is growing in popularity with them each year. in return for the courtesy shown the Hunt by the farmers, a Breakfast is tendered annually at the residence of some one of the wealthy summer col- ony, who are almost all members of the Hunt, to the farmers over whose land the Hunt rides. At this time, also, is held the annual Horse Show, the programme of which always includes classes for farmers' horses, with large cash prizes. The sport-loving residents of Lenox and the neighboring towns have joined the hunting fraternity in all their projects and, during the past four years, a small race meeting has been inaugurated, which is now held under the auspices of the National Steeplechase and Hunt Association. These meetings, starting at first with practically local entries only, have grown to such proportions that in 1907 there were seven races, vsath a total of seventy-eight entries. This spirit of steady improvement has marked all the proceedings of the Hunt, and great things are to be anticipated in the future. The Blackstone Valley Hunt DISTINCTIVE UNIFORM Dark blue coat, hunt buttons MASTER - Paul Whitin. Esq. SECRETARY E. Kent Swift. Esq., Whitinsville. Mass. HUNTSMAN The Master KENNEL HUNTSMAN George Davies HOUNDS I I couples, American KENNELS AND POST OFFICE Northbridge, Mass. DAYS OF MEETING Wednesday and Saturday LENGTH OF SEASON October 1st to February 1st IN the autumn of 1 906, the Messrs. Paul Whitin, James E. Whitin and Leon W. Campbell, decided to try the experiment of putting together a number of hounds which each owned, as a scratch pack. Invita- tions were sent to a number of their friends, making regular fixtures for meets for a month, and arranging for Hunt Breakfasts at their various estates on some of the days of meeting. Mr. Paul Whitin, who had had a good deal of experience with foxhounds, having been honorary whipper-in to Mr. Smith's pack (the Grafton) until 1 905, carried the horn himself and man- aged to show such good sport that the meets proved much more popular than had been anticipated; the enthusiasm aroused ultimately leading to the formation of the Blackstone Valley Hunt in January of 1 907. Mr. Whitin was, as a matter of course, elected M. F. H. and, considering the short time in which he has had the hounds, has developed a very fair working pack. The Master is a rabid American hound man, whom no amount of argu- ment can stir hom his conviction that English hounds are absolutely unsuited to New England fox-hunting conditions. The following statement quoted from a letter to the authors, shows his position quite clearly: " We use 4 PAUL WHITIN, KSQ,, M.F.H. THE BLACKSTONE VALLEY American hounds entirely, as we find that, with careful training, they can be handled about as easily as English. So many parts of our country are either unrideable, or so rough, and a horse's pace through them is necessarily so very slow, that we need hounds which will hunt by themselves, as it is quite impossible to stay v«th them. We have not been breeding very extensively as yet, but have had fair results with what we have undertaken. "Some of our hounds were bred from a strain which Mr. Campbell has developed along lines of his owti for a number of years ; some of them are from the South, and we find that those from the Walkers in Kentucky give the best all-round results of any we have bought. "We also find that the Campbell hounds, which have a distant cross on the old-fashioned New England foxhound, have very keen noses and are very useful on dry, v^nndy, poor-scenting days, when Southern hounds are relatively at a disadvantage." The country over which the Blackstone Vcdley Hounds hunt is rather rough and wooded and there is also a good deal of swamp-land. The big woodlands are fairly rideable, and most of the open fields are bounded by stone walls which are usually rather low, but as the land is apt to be very rough on either side of them, the jumping is extremely trappy and the horses which go best are very quiet and clever jumpers. A hot horse is really dangerous in many of the rough pastures and thick woodlands. The landowners are, on the whole, well disposed, being only too glad to do all they can to keep down the foxes, which are steadily on the increase. Ow- ing to the character of the country it is impossible to do any systematic earth-stopping, hence all the chances are in favor of the fox, and hounds are rarely able to kill above ground. Hunting men who are lucky enough to have a good grass country over which they can enjoy a sustained gallop, scarcely realize the tremendous difficulties of fox-hunting in parts of New England, but to those who are great lovers of the niceties of hound-work, as are Mr. Whitin and many of the members of the Blackstone Valley Hunt, the abundance of foxes more than makes up for the difficult character of the country. As the immortal Beckford says : " The countries which are favorable to horses are seldom so to hounds." 5 The Blue Ridge Hunt DISTINCTIVE COLLAR - Navy blue EVENING DRESS Scarlet coal, navy blue facmgs MASTER Edward Gay Butler, Esq. SECRETARY Townsend Burwell, ELsq., Millwood, Va. HUNTSMAN The Master HON. WHIPPERS-IN \ !"' %'''^' ^f !f ' ^^- ^ ( Znd, lownsend burwell, iLsq. HOUNDS - ' 2 couples, American KENNELS " Annefleld." Millwood, Va. POST OFFICE Berryville, Clarke County, Va. DAYS OF MEETING Wednesday and Saturday and holidays LENGTH OF SEASON September 1 5th to April 1 5th THE Blue Ridge Hunt, which was founded in 1 888, with head- quarters at Millwood, Clarke County, Virginia, is blessed with one of the most beautiful hunting countries in America. The large rolling Shenandoah Valley, with the Blue Ridge on the east and the Allegheny mountains on the west, affords a variety of country which it would be hard to equal ; strong woodland coverts where the foxes are plentiful, stony upland pastures and acres of good blue-grass are there, while the fencing is of every variety — stone walls, post-and-rails, Virginia snake fences, and last, but not least, alas ! the wire, the greatest curse of the hunting man, in America as well as in England. And, worst of all, on the increase here, as in many other places. If the farmers only realized the truth of the poem at the end of this volume, they would never put up a strand of wire again ; but even wdth this drawback, the followers of the Blue 6 THE BLUE RIDGE Ridge hounds have little to complain of, for the Master shows good sport on Wednesdays and Saturdays from September 1 5 th to April I 5 th — a long season for any country. The pack consists of about a dozen couples of American hounds ; a very fair lot, which were bred in the Shenandoah Valley and hence adapted to the country hunted. The type of horse most used is a half or three-quarter bred one, as the pace is not particularly fast and there is a good deal of very trappy jump- ing. Hunters that have been schooled vsath the Blue Ridge hounds are to be found in many of the northern countries. " Pendennis," a stallion of great reputation as a getter of hunters, stood in this section for a great many years, and one of the best lady's hunters the authors have ever seen was a brown gelding by "Pendeimis" named "The Wizard," owned by Mrs. Henderson of Millwood, which has been hunted regularly with the Blue Ridge and Middlesex packs. When the Hunt was founded in 1 888, Dr. Gwynn Harrison was elected M. F. H., and continued to hold that office until 1896, when George Jones, Esq., carried the horn, only to be followed in 1 897 by Arthur Bevan, Esq., who remained in office for a year, when Dr. Harrison again took the pack, remaining in office until 1904, when Edward Gay But- ler, Esq., of Berryville was elected. Mr. Butler built quarters for the hounds at his own place, " Annefield," and has remained in office ever since, hunt- ing the hounds himself, and shovsang excellent sport, the Fields averaging from twenty to twenty-five in number. The attitude of the landowTiers is most friendly, much of the country hunted over in Clarke County being owned by members, and an annual luncheon is given to all landowners over whose property the Hunt rides. Foxes are plentiful, and of two varieties, red foxes predominating along the Shenandoah River, while the grays are to be found in abundance along the Opeguon. The Blue Run Hunt DISTINCTIVE COLLAR Sky blue EVENING DRESS Scarlet coat, sky blue facings MASTER James N. Andrews, ELsq. SECRETARY George Barbour, Esq., Somerset, Va. HUNTSMAN The Master 1st, W. H. Sandy WHIPPERS-IN 1 o J c 1 u ., Znd, oamuel Hudley HOUNDS 1 8 couples, English KENNELS Waverly Farm, Orange County, Va. POST OFFICE Somerset, Orange County, Va. DAYS OF MEETING One day a week and occasional bye-days LENGTH OF SEASON September 15th to May Isl ONE of the younger Hunts in the vicinity of Charlottesville, Vir- ginia, is the Blue Run, whose kennels are located at Waverly Farm, in Somerset, Orange County. In December 1 905, a num- ber of gentlemen, landowners who controlled most of the hunting country around Somerset and who had been hunting from time to time vsath the Charlottesville and Keswick packs, came to the conclusion that they might as well support a Hunt of their own and, joining together under the Presidency of Mr. William DuPont, formed the Blue Run Hunt. The officers elected at that time were William DuPont, Esq., of Orange, President and Treasurer; George Barbour, Esq., of Somerset, Secretary, and James N. Andrews, Esq., of Somerset, M. F. H. These gentlemen still continue in office and the Master, now in his fourth season, has got together an excellent pack of eighteen couples of English hounds. Jl JAMES N. ANDREWS, ESQ., M.F.II. THE BLUE RUN Contrary to the usual preference of Soutfiemers, the members of the Blue Run find that the Elnglish hound, with his better manners and more level appearance is best suited to their purposes. This only tends to prove the opinion so strongly upheld by those Masters who have given the English foxhound a fair trial in America and who contend that if properly handled in the field, better sport can be obtained by its use than by using the native product. From the middle of September until May the Blue Run hounds go out after fox or on the drag on one advertised day of the week, while frequent bye-days are arranged to suit the convenience of the members and the exigencies of weather conditions. The country is rolling and in places quite mountainous, many small streams and ditches, interspersed wath plank, stone and post-and-rail fences, affording interesting jumping. There is a great deal of woodland and very little of the country hunted over is under cultivation, which condition seems to rather disprove the con- tention of many southern Masters that English hounds are useless in a heavily wooded country where much of the hunting has to be done without the aid of a huntsman. Scenting conditions are excellent and the Master, who carries the horn himself, is able to show very good sport. Of course, the going is very trappy, and a half-bred horse of quiet disposition and the best of manners is the one best adapted to the country and proves the most satisfactory. The farmers are very well disposed toward the Hunt and are often to be seen in considerable number at the meets. Gordonsville and Orange, both within half-a-dozen miles of the kennels, afford excellent accommodations for visiting sportsmen, who are always welcome in the Field. The Brandywine Hounds (MR. MATHER'S) DISTINCTIVE COLLAR Old gold EVENING DRESS Scarlet coat, old gold facings MASTER Charles E. Mather. Esq.. Philadelphia, Pa. HUNTSMAN William Thompson 1st, Tom Parker ^ 2nd, Delmont Broadbelt HOUNDS 45 couples, English KENNELS Brandywine Meadow Farm POST-OFFICE West Chester, Chester County, Pa. DAYS OF MEETING Every hunting day LENGTH OF SEASON October 1st to April Ist j^ S early as 1 766, an organized Hunt, known as the Gloucester / ^ Fox Hunting Club, was established in America, starting with a J m fixed limit of twenty-five members. The organizers of this club were residents of Philadelphia and of the county of Gloucester, across the Delaware River in New Jersey. Its hunting was somewhat irregular, yet was organized along a definite line, and later on hounds went out on Thursdays and Fridays, and the Fields on holidays were large. The scant records of its existence indicate that it found plenty of sport, for the company often sat dowTi to the hunting dinner with two or even three brushes to their credit ; which can scarcely ever be said of more modern Hunts. The American Revolution, of course, interrupted all reg- ular hunting, but at the close of the war, the original President of the Hunt Club, Samuel Morris, Esq., was re-elected and the club revived. Mr. Morris was one of the organizers of the First Troop of Philadelphia 10 CHARLES E. MATHER, ESQ., M.F.H. THE BRANDYWINE City Cavalry and became its Captain, thus continuing to command many of the Club members who had joined its ranks. When Peace was finally made, he was among those who received the thanks of General Washing- ton for gallant services rendered at Trenton and Monmouth, and later became Governor of the " State in Schuylkill," one of the oldest social clubs in the world. The history of the Gloucester Fox Hunting Club, which will be found in another place, belongs rightly to the Rose Tree Fox Hunting Club, which is directly descended from it, although this is true of almost all of the Pennsylvania Hunts. Among the various Hunts which developed about Philadelphia were the Chester Valley, Lima, Radnor, and many others ; but as we are writing of the Brandywine Hounds, of which Mr. Charles E. Mather has always been sole Master and owner, it is only necessary to touch upon that portion of the Radnor history with which Mr. Mather has to do. The Radnor Hunt was organized in 1884 and developed slowly until 1887, when Mr. Mather was elected to the Mastership, and a more happy selection it would have been difficult to make, coming, as he did, from a fox-hunting family ; his grandfather having maintained a pack of foxhounds at Coatesville, Pennsylvania, seventy-five years earlier. Mr. Mather is one of the strongest supporters of the English foxhound in the United States today, and has bred hounds more systematically and for a longer time than anyone else ; consequently his opinions are of great value to the fox-hunting world and his remarks on hunting in Pennsylvania are given in full, as follows : " When I became Master of the Radnor Hounds, in 1 887, the Radnor Hunt, which succeeded to the name and country — the latter consisting of Radnor township and a goodly portion of the land surrounding it — had been hunted by a farmer's pack for many years. " This pack we purchased and kept and hunted in the manner customary to farmers in those days. They were of the good old-fashioned type of hound, slow but with good noses and voices, and made a good nucleus for our pack, which was augmented from time to time by the purchase of other II THE BRANDYWINE private packs in the vicinity, with the double object of increasing our kennels and our country. At no time during the fifteen years of my Mastership was the Hunt without a good pack of native hounds. For several seasons I was my own huntsman, and continued to hunt the hounds on various oc- casions while I held office there. In 1 889, being in England, I brought over five couples of English hounds and hunted them vAlh the others, and considered that it improved the general work of the pack. " In the spring of 1 89 1 , just at the close of the hunting season, our entire pack of twenty-five couples of most excellent hounds, which I had been selecting for years, was destroyed by rabies ; but by the time the hunting season came round in the fall I had again secured two of the adjacent packs. " In the fall of 1 892, 1 secured the Belvoir draft for the year — young and old — thirty-one couples in all, which 1 purchased and maintained at my own expense, while they were at Radnor. My first huntsman was Frank Gil- lard, Jr., son of the noted Belvoir huntsman, and later, Alfred Loder ; in fact, at no time have I had other than English huntsmen, my present one, William Thompson, having been late huntsman to Lord Fitzhardinge's pack, the Old Berkeley, said to be one of the best working packs in the Kingdom. " From 1 892 to 1 897, native and English packs were hunted together or separately, as it might chance. By 1 897, the land in Radnor township be- coming very valuable and more thickly settled each year, I was tempted to migrate to a more open country, about eighteen miles to the south and located on the Brandywine River in Chester County, transferring my hounds — the Belvoir draft — to that location, where they have since been known as ' The Brandywine Hounds.' " In 1 90 1 , Mr. Mather resigned his office as Master of the Radnor, after a period of fourteen years, and since that time has devoted his attention to breeding a type of hound which, in his opinion, is best suited to the country over which he hunts. He has met with great success and the Brandywine Hounds today are the oldest pure-blooded pack in the United States. From time to time, Mr. Mather has imported a new stallion hound from the Belvoir, but has never sullied his pack with an introduction of inferior blood. 12 THE BRANDYWINE In his opinion, there is no such distinction, in fact, as an English foxhound and an American foxhound. To quote his own words : " A thorough- bred foxhound is the same in England as in America. We come down to the distinction of hounds of pure blood and hounds that have been crossed with other breeds. These crosses have been so numerous that it is impos- sible to breed these crossed or so-called ' native ' hounds with any degree of certainty as to what the produce will be." The result of his breeding is that he has produced a pack of foxhounds which have become thoroughly localized and which are, in reality, to again quote his own words : " Chester County hounds, all having been bred on the farm for more generations than the average American, and are, there- fore, English by descent only. I feel positively sure that my home-bred hounds are faster and have better noses and voices than their imported pro- genitors. Also, I think that they have become more self-reliant because of the necessity of giving them a wider range when drawing our large wood- lands. Foxes hereabouts are very wild and strong and on one recent occasion in February my hounds ran one fox from 8:30 a. m. until 3:00 p. m., finally putting him to ground. There were only a few short checks, and hounds were at no time lifted. The pace was fast throughout, and horses couldn't live Vfiih them at the finish." The attitude of the landowTiers in the Brandywine country is most friendly, they having been accustomed to fox-hunting all their lives, many of them following the hounds themselves, while others see what they can of the day's hunting on foot. In fact, Chester County is one of the most ideal hunting countries in the United States. Fox-hunting has been the winter sport of the community ever since Colonial days, and at one township, a few years ago, there was celebrated the one-hundredth anniversary of a meet of foxhounds at a cer- tain farm v«th over five hundred hounds. Mr. Mather maintains extensive stabling at his Brandywine Meadow Farm in Birmingham township — the Brandywine battlefield. There the hounds and hunters are bred, and for some years past no outside purchases have been made. Whenever these are required, whether for horse or hound, 13 THE BRANDYWINE Mr. Mather insists that they shall be thoroughbred, his brood-mares being Irish hunters which he has himself imported. It is perhaps unnecessary to say that the hunting establishment is, and always has been, maintained at the Master's expense, being his personal property, and it is worthy of note here that the best packs in America, as in England, are those maintained by private individuals, where the Master- ship is not changing from time to time. I The Castle Hill Hounds (MRS. POTTS'S) DISTINCTIVE COLLAR - Dark blue EVENING DRESS Scarlet coat, dark blue collar and facings MASTER Mrs. Allen Potts SECRETARY Allen Potts, Esq., "Castle Hai," Cobham, Va. HUNTSMAN The Master arnson WHIPPERS-IN \ \'\ Y'f^ ^ ( 2nd, J. Johnson HOUNDS - 11 couples, English KENNELS AND POST OFFICE "Castle Hill," Cobham, Va. DAYS OF MEETING Monday, Wednesday and Friday LENGTH OF SEASON October 1st to April 15th THE Castle Hill Hounds are probably as old a pack as exists in America today, and yet, owing to the fact that they always have been and still are a private pack, it is a difficult matter to give any accurate facts as to their history. The present pack is the property of Mrs. Allen Potts, nee Miss Gertrude Rives, who is the direct descendant of Dr. Thomas Walker, whose father was an early settler in Virginia. " Castle Hill," the estate from which the pack takes its name, has always been in the possession of Mrs. Potts's family and foxhounds have always been kept, there being a family pack at all times except during the periods of the American Revolution and the Civil War. The first Master, Dr. Thomas Walker, of " Castle Hill," about the year 1 742 imported a pack of foxhounds from England, which he maintained and hunted for the amusement of his family and neighbors. The old gentleman was a great sportsman, and on account of his feats of strength • was originated the expression " The Devil and Tom Walker." 15 THE CASTLE HILL Just what type of hounds his were would be difficult to tell, but Dr. Walker is said to have been a great lover of the foxhound, and they were probably of the best blood procurable at that time. Up to the Revolution these hounds were probably carefully maintained, and no outside blood sullied their pedigrees, but it is to be feared that the younger generations were less careful, and the pack gradually fell to the level of most of the Virginia " trencher fed " hounds. Mrs. Potts, who is a finished horsewoman, procured five couples of pure- blooded English hounds from the mother country, and "Castle Hill" is one of the few places in Virginia where one can see clean-bred English hounds today. Mr. Allen Potts attended the Grafton-Middlesex Foxhound Match at Middleburg, Va., in the autumn of 1 905, acting as Honorary Clerk of the Match, and saw there that really good English hounds could show the best of sport, possessing lots of speed and at the same time level heads. Mrs. Potts has given her Field most excellent sport three days a week over the small territory ten miles square in Albemarle County which sur- rounds " Castle Hill," and all the landowners have shown the most friendly spirit in allowing this little pack to hunt over their property. The country, which is quite open, is fenced throughout with the typical Virginia fence, the "snake-fence," and the jumping is pretty stiff, though sound take-off and landing make good going. The Fields are small, eight or ten being the usual number, but enthusiastic, and they are always out to go. Foxes are fairly plentiful and are hunted most of the time, though once in a while the Master lays a drag for those of the Field who wish a bruis- ing gallop. There is no subscription, the pack being in every way a private one, although the public, and especially the farmers, are warmly welcomed guests. The Castle Hill Hounds enjoy the distinction of being the only recog- nized Hunt in America which has a woman as M. F. H. and Huntsman. The Charlottesville Hunt DISTINCTIVE COLLAR Blue EVENING DRESS Scarlet coat, blue facings MASTER A. S. Craven, Esq. SECRETARY Henry B. Boone, Esq., "West Cairns," Charlottesville, Albemarle County, Va. HUNTSMAN - William Harris HON. WHIPPERS-IN - . \ l'\ ^*"' ^^"^' t' ^''*- ( Znd, rercy Payne, Esq. HOUNDS ^ ^ Couples, English I 1 Couples, American KENNELS " Azalia," Albemarle County, Va. POST-OFFICE Charlottesville. Va. DAYS OF MEETING \ Foxhounds, Tuesday and Friday ( Draghounds, Thursday LENGTH OF SEASON October 15th to April 15th EARLY in 1 854, a subscription pack, kept up by the residents of the country around the university town of Charlottesville, hunted over the territory now claimed by the Charlottesville Hunt. Members of the University of Virginia, founded by President Thomas Jef- ferson of " Monticello," lent their support to the Hunt, which, although carried on in a desultory manner, continued its existence until 1 894, when it was formally founded and reorganized under its present name. Not until 1 907, however, did it ask the National Steeplechase and Hunt Association for recognition, which was granted in October of that year. Much of the country about Charlottesville is settled by Englishmen, many of whom maintain breeding establishments and devote their time to the raising of horses in which thoroughbred blood predominates. One of these 17 THE CHARLOTTESVILLE men, the late Francis Trevelyan, Esq., who was for many years identified with racing in America, was the first Master of the recognized Hunt, and continued to act in that capacity, to the entire satisfaction of his Field, until his death in January, 1908. He was followed in office by the present Master, A. S. Craven, Esq., who has always maintained a private pack, at Greenwood, in Albemarle County, some twenty miles from his present kennels. It will be recalled that his father, J. A. Craven, Esq., was Master of the Pytchley from 1869 to 1872, and one can understand why the present Master of the Charlottesville Hunt is so admirably fitted to hold the reins of office. There are at present in the kennels, eighteen couples of hounds, eight couples of which are English and are used for drag-hunting on Thursdays, and ten couples of which are " natives "and used for fox-hunting on Tues- days and Fridays. Within thirty miles of Charlottesville, there are four other packs of hounds ; the Keswick, the Castle Hill, the Tomahawk and the Blue Run, affording a rare choice to the lovers of fox-hunting living in this sporting neighborhood, and the country, which by-the-bye, is one of the best scenting countries in Virginia, is nearly all grass, well fenced with " snake " and post-and-rail fences, which make it a capital one for riding. It abounds in foxes, both red and gray, and is eminently suited to the lover of the " Noble Science," as well as for the hard-riding man who only wants a gallop after the drag. The landowners, as with all those of Albemarle County, are most fav- ourably inclined toward hunting, as the sport has been a popular local insti- tution since the earliest days, and many of them go out regularly with the various packs. R. PENN SMITH, ESQ., M.F.U. The Chester Valley Hunt DISTINCTIVE COLLAR Green MASTER - R. Penn Smith, Esq. SECRETARY - W. A. Rolin, Esq., Strafford. Pa. HUNTSMAN J. R. Pechin WHIPPERS-IN \ !^''^^''"^f"; , ^ ( znd, K. renn bmith, Jr., Esq. HOUNDS 25 couples, American KENNELS AND POST-OFFICE Strafford, Chester County, Pa. DAYS OF MEETING Monday, Wednesday and Saturday LENGTH OF SEASON November 20th to March 20th ONE of the sportsmen who came to the inaugural meeting of the Masters of Foxhounds Association which was held in New York in February, 1907, was Mr. R. Penn Smith, Master of the Chester Valley Hunt of Pennsylvania. Fox-hunting in that State, which, of late years has become so general that packs have sprung up all over the Commonwealth, has its headquarters in and around Philadelphia, whose residents have perhaps a greater percent- age of fox-hunters among their number than any other city in the country. Among the Hunts about Philadelphia, the Chester Valley, although one of the more modest, is well known. Founded in 1 896 by Messrs. E. R. Heyman, R. A. Colgan, R. Penn Smith, J. Comly Hall, Henry O. Garber and E. J. Matthews, it has enjoyed a successful period of sport up to the present time under one able Mastership; and the fact that there has been no change in the governing hand during its history has been productive of the best of results both in the field and in its relations with the landowners. The Master, and for that matter most of the members, are staunch sup- 19 THE CHESTER VALLEY porters of the American type of hound, and although the Brandywine stal- lions, pure English foxhounds, are always at the service of their neighbors, affording an opportunity to the Masters of eastern Pennsylvania to experi- ment in the crossing of the two types, as the Radnor has done with very good results; nevertheless Mr. Smith has stuck pretty closely to the old- fashioned Pennsylvania foxhounds — no manners, no looks, no levelness — but with the best of noses, plenty of voice and lots of speed. The country extends from Bridgeport to Downingtown, a distance of seven- teen miles, in one direction and from the Pennsylvania R.R. to the Schuyl- kill River in the other, and includes the beautiful Chester Valley, from which the Hunt takes its name and which has no superior as a fox-hunting territory. Foxes are plentiful, the going sound — mostly grass with large enclosures, fenced in by post-and-rail fences — and supplied v«th a most liberal-minded set of landowners, many of whom are usually in the saddle themselves be- hind the hounds, of which they are warm partisans and supporters ; so that there is rarely any obstacle to good sport. Mr. Smith, while he is much keener on the work of hounds in the field than he is about their show qualities and manners, is a strong backer of the Masters of Foxhounds Association and does everything in his power to keep up the interest in foxhounds in his own country. He is a very busy man, having on his hands the management of one of the greatest stock farms in the United States; but he always finds time to attend to his duties as M. F. H. and it is in a great degree owing to his popularity in the country that the hounds enjoy their present prosperity. 20 The Chevy Chase Hunt DISTINCTIVE COLLAR Black velvet EVENING DRESS Scarlet coat, scarlet facings, black velvet collar MASTER - Clarence Moore, Esq. SECRETARY Gist Blair, Esq. Washington, D. C. HUNTSMAN - Robert Curran HON. WHIPPERS-IN - \ \'\^: ^- HicKbom.Esq. ( 2nd, J. A. C Palmer, Esq. HOUNDS 30 couples, English KENNELS AND POST-OFFICE Chevy Chase, Md. DAYS OF MEETING Wednesday and Saturday LENGTH OF SEASON - November iSthtoAprU 15th FOX-HUNTING about Washington was probably begun before the Revolution. At any rate, it is a well-known fact that General Washington kept hounds at Mount Vernon, and there were also hounds at Bladensburg and in Montgomery County at the same time ; but there are no records of any organized fox-hunting until the early seventies. At that time, a Mr. Haskins, who lived in a corner grocery store, on what is now Fourteenth street, kept a pack of hounds in his back yard. He was a true sportsman, and his horse was equally efficient in delivenng groceries to his customers and in carrying his master m some of the great runs which were had over the adjoining farms. There was many a man thereabouts in those times who loved the cry of a pack of hounds, and on off days, when business was dull, the sport- loving gentry used to go to " old man Haskins " and persuade him to take out his hounds. There were no pink coats in these early days, but there were some pretty stout hearts, and some pretty well-worn corduroy. 21 THE CHEVY CHASE Haskins ran his hounds in the '70's and '80's with great satisfaction to himself and his neighbors. The hounds which he kept were, of course, of the American variety, and although they babbled a bit too much, and were under about as good control as the game they hunted, they furnished good sport to their followers. It was not till 1 885 that an English pack was imported, and Mr. George Eustis, a keen sportsman and a Washingtonian by birth, was the man who was bold enough to take the step. The hounds were quartered at a farm on the Tenallytown road, where the pack was known as the Dumblane. With the big-boned English hounds came an Englishman named Charlie Briscoe, a huntsman, hrom a long family of such, who hunted the hounds for four years with much success, Mr. Eustis acting as Master during that period. The Hunt was dissolved in 1 889, and in 1 890 Mr. S. S. Howland, well known as a sportsman and devotee of racing, imported the second pack from England, the hounds being quartered at Dumblane and giving excellent sport during this year. In 1 890, Mr. Robert Neville, an Irishman by birth and a Virginian by adoption, was elected Master. The hounds were very popular under his able direction, and the condition of the farmers' fences bore full testimony to the hard riding of the Irish Master and his following. For two years Mr. Neville continued in office, showing the best of sport, and when in 1 89 1 he found it necessary to resign, his loss was greatly felt. In 1 892 Mr. Howland came back to Washington and took an old house on the Tenallytown road, known as " Grasslands." There the survivors of the old packs were sent, and Mr. Howland supplemented these with a new draft from England. At this time there were many Englishmen about Washington, and they were only too glad to join their American cousins in the sport which is so popular on the other side. Many a good horse fol- lowed the Washmgton drag in those days, and every one m this country knows of " Ontario," perhaps one of the greatest jumping horses the Ameri- can Horse Show ring has ever seen. Mr. Howland, while he was the Master and organizer of these hounds, was too busy a man to hunt them himself ; and so the Comte de Jamtelle, 22 ROBERT NEVILLE, ESQ., M.F.H. OF THE 15UMBLANE 1890-1891 THE CHEVY CHASE a Parisian, was Honorary Huntsman, and hunted the hounds in the north country about Tenallytown and through Montgomery and Prince George Counties. The following autumn, 1 892, saw the organization of the Chevy Chase Club. Founded in the office of Harvey L. Page, the architect, it was a success from the first. An old white barn on the grounds of the Bannock- burn Golf Club was the first headquarters, and here the horses and hounds were quartered, until the Chevy Chase Club was started, and the Hunt became a part of the Club. In 1 893, Mr. Henry M. Earle was Master, and George Ryder hunts- man. In 1 894 Mr. P. F. Collier brought the Monmouth County Hounds down to Washington, kenneled them at Chevy Chase, and hunted on alter- nate days vfilh the other pack. The sport continued to be carried on in a similar way for the next three seasons, until 1 898, when Mr. S. S. Howland again took up the Mastership, and with George HoUoway as huntsman, restored to the Chevy Chase Hunt its former prestige. In 1 897 Mr. George Dunn was elected Master, and continued to hunt the hounds until the hunting stopped and Mr. Dunn went away to the Spanish War, where he was a Major in the " Rough Riders." There was no hunting in 1897 and 1898, but in 1899 Mr. Clarence Moore was elected Master. The new Master had done a good deal of hunting in England and Ireland and was a strong believer in the English hound. He straightway set to work to make the pack the equal of any in the country, and with this object in view imported a large draft from Eng- land, the majority of them from the Holderness. For the next five seasons the sport at Chevy Chase was perhaps better than at any other period. The Hunt staff was well horsed, the hounds were keen as well as good-look- ing, and the Fields were large and enthusiastic. To-day, the Chevy Chase Club is almost more of a golf club than a Hunt club, but at that time the hunting was the first consideration. Arrangements were made to stable at the Club not only the hunters of members but those of visiting sportsmen, while everything was done to attract those whose hunting seasons had closed in the North, and during 23 THE CHEVY CHASE Mr. Moore's Mastership it was no uncommon sight to see a large and well turned-out Field. The Master, who had poor luck at raising puppies, was forced to rely on yearly drafts from England, and with the able assistance of Robert Curran, his huntsman, kept the standard of his pack at the high level which he had set for himself until 1 905, when he resigned, and took the hounds, which were his property, to his farm near Warrenton, Virginia. For a while things looked black, but through the exertions of Mr. Gist Blair and Mr. Charles H. L. Johnston, hunting was revived again. Mr. Johnston, who was a firm believer in American hounds, got some ten couples of this variety, and during the season of 1905-06 showed fair sport. He had an uphill game to play, and received but little support from the visiting element in his Field, but while his hounds were a very nonde- script lot, being gathered from widely scattered private kennels, and were amenable to very little discipline, yet his Hunt staff continued to be well mounted and turned out, and many excellent days' hunting were enjoyed by those of the members who still followed the fortunes of the pack. By vote of the Board of Governors, in the spring of 1 906, it was re- solved not to continue the support of the pack, owing to the small numbers of the Fields which followed ; but, when the autumn came on, and other hounds began to hunt, the old feeling revived ; so, in the fall of 1 906, Mr. Clarence Moore was persuaded to again resume the Mastership. The country about Washington is very good, and as the open season is a long one and foxes fairly plentiful, there is no reason why fox-hunting should not flourish indefinitely in that neighborhood. 24 I The Deep Run Hunt DISTINCTIVE COLLAR - Confederate gray EVENING DRESS Scarlet coat, Confederate gray collar and facings MASTER J. St. George Bryan. Esq. SECRETARY James A. Graves, Esq., Westmoreland Club, Richmond, Va. HUNTSMAN - Clarence HaU HON. WHIPPERS-IN \ '''• ^'^" Potts. Esq. ( 2nd, Edward Harris, Esq. HOUNDS - - 1 5couples, English KENNELS Deep Run Hunt Club. Henrico County. Va. POST-OFFICE Richmond, Va. DAYS OF MEETING Saturdays and two bye-days a week LENGTH OF SEASON - October 1st to April 1st FOX-HUNTING in Henrico County, around Richmond, and in Chesterfield County, just across the James River — the Deep Run country — is almost as old as the Colony itself, for a settlement called Henricus was founded where Richmond now stands the year follow- ing the foundation at Jamestown, and ever since that time hounds have been run over the fields and through the woods around the present capital of Virginia. There were no organized clubs in Virginia before the war between the States ; a fact easily accounted for when one remembers that every country house in the State was practically a clubhouse open to the friends of its owner. Nearly every country gentleman maintained a pack of hounds of some sort, and hunted whenever his fancy walled, so that a gentleman of sporting proclivities could make a round throughout Virginia and hunt almost every day with a different pack. During and after the war this state of 25 THE DEEP RUN things passed away, and the late sixties found but a remnant of the many packs that had flourished as late as '61. Poverty held down sport then, but in spite of the fact that mere existence was a struggle, many a country gentleman still maintained a hound or two and, as in the early days in England, joined his neighbors in assembling a pack and hunting the red and gray fox. Up to 1 885 this system of hunting pre- vailed, and it was only with the advent of a number of English settlers, for the most part younger sons of English gentlemen who came to Virginia to farm, that hunt clubs began to be formed. The Deep Run Hunt, proper, might be termed an English institution, for it was fostered by Mr. Blacker, a wealthy Irishman, who owned "Chantilly," just outside of Richmond, by Major Hancock and Captain Hancock, two Englishmen, sons-in-law of Mr. Blacker, by Mr. P. A. S. Brine, British Vice-Consul to Virginia, Mr. Leathley, an Irishman, Mr. Clarke, an English- man, and Dr. Tritton, an Englishman. Of course, these were but a few of the members of the club, the majority of whom were Virginians, but it was certainly due to English influence that Deep Run was put upon a firm foun- dation. Major Hancock was the first Master, and the club had no club- house proper, but met -twice a week, on Wednesday and Saturday, at " Chantilly," where the hounds were kenneled. After three years of this sort of life, the club grew to some fifty members, and secured a clubhouse just off the Broad Street Road, half a mile from " Chantilly." The house was primitive and small, but the sport furnished was exceedingly good. Major Hancock returning to England, Captain Hancock, his brother, took over the hounds, and shortly thereafter the present clubhouse near the Hermitage Road was secured. This is large and commodious, with an excellent mile track adjoining it and a first-rate steeplechase course near-by. The club now has in the neighborhood of two hundred and fifty resident and non-resident members, the President being Mr. Ormond Young. The season begins each year about the 1 st of November, and continues without interruption until the I st of April, the weather being such that scarcely a day is lost from hunting. For a number of years an American pack was maintained, but of late an English pack has been purchased, and only Eng- 26 THE DEEP RUN lish hounds are now used. There is a drag-hunt every Saturday, and at least two bye-days during the week when foxes are hunted in Chesterfield County, across the James River, and in the upper end of Henrico County. Those who have carried the Master's horn for Deep Run are Major Han- cock, Captain Hancock, Dr. Tritton, Mr. H. C. Beattie, Mr. Allen Potts, and Mr. J. St. George Bryan. The country hunted is for the most part open, although there are good bits of woodland here and there. The fences are only fairly high, but there are found wide ditches and a good lot of brooks throughout the runs. The horses best suited to the country are good, strong, quiet half-breds who can jump and gallop well. A rattle-brained thoroughbred would prove a most unsatisfactory mount at Deep Run. The landowners are good sportsmen, always most obliging, and are willing to do all they can to further the sport, in many instances cutting their wire and putting up rails in order to allow the Hunt to cross their fields. The accommodations for visiting sportsmen are excellent, there being plenty of amusements of all sorts to provide entertainment on non-hunting days, and good hotels. Provender is cheap and stabling abundant. The Club gives two race meetings annually, one in the spring and one in the fall, to which the admission is strictly by invitation. The colors of the club are cardinal red and silver gray, the colors of the Confederacy. 27 The Elkridge Hunt DISTINCTIVE COLLAR Old gold EVENING DRESS Scarlet coat, scarlet facings, old gold collar MASTER Edward A. Jackson, Esq. SECRETARY Graeme TumbuU, Esq., Woodbrook, Baltimore County, Md. HUNTSMAN Leo Gardell WHIPPER-IN Elmer Berlin HOUNDS 30 couples, half-bred English and American KENNELS AND POST-OFFICE Woodbrook, Baltimore County, Md. DAYS OF MEETING Wednesday and Saturday LENGTH OF SEASON October 1st to April 20th WHILE Philadelphia can perhaps boast of having more packs of hounds within easy reach than any other city in America ; the capital of Maryland, lying only some seventy-five miles to the south, has every reason to be proud of the two hunt clubs which are practically composed of Baltimore citizens. The older of these, the Elkridge Hunt Club, to give it its full name, was organized in 1 878 through the efforts of a little group of sportsmen who had been in the habit of taking their sport with each other's hounds pretty much as it came, and wathout any definite fixtures. On March 6th of that year, they formed themselves into an incorporated organization for the furtherance of fox-hunting, and asked Mr. Murray Han- son, one of the most enthusiastic of their number, to act as Master of Hounds. This he did, and until his resignation in 1 880, showed that his election was fully justified. Mr. William T. Prick filled the gap for the follow^ing season, which was one of great importance to the new club ; for it was during that year that Mr. George S. Brown and his son, Mr. Alexander Brown, began to hunt with the Elkridge. 28 THE ELKRIDGE These two gentlemen had done a good bit of hunting in England, and were most energetic in their efforts to improve the home pack. In the au- tumn of 1 880, Mr. Brown, Senior, was elected President of the Club, while his son was elected Master at the beginning of the following season, serving in that capacity until 1 884, when Mr. T. Swann Latrobe succeeded him. Up to 1 884 the pack had consisted of some fifteen couples of native Amer- ican hounds picked up from various sources throughout the state; but on his accession to office, the new Master promptly imported a draft from England, finding them more easily handled than the home-bred product. Mr. Latrobe remained in office until 1 893, and by his unflagging efforts to improve his hounds, not only furnished very good sport, but left the pack in far better condition than it had ever been before. On his resignation, Mr. Alexander Brown was re-elected, and for two years continued to work along much the same lines as his predecessor ; and then finding himself unable to spare the time, he resigned. The Mastership was filled in 1 895 by Mr. G. T. Hopkins, Jr., who was able to act for one season only, when Mr. Samuel E. George succeeded him, the latter remaining at the head of affairs until 1 900 ; when the present M. F. H., Mr. Edward A. Jackson was elected. All hunting men know that frequent changes in the Mastership of any pack are not good for it, no matter how much pains each succeeding man takes. Few men think alike when it comes to the question of hound-breed- ing, and it takes a long period of constant study and work along the same lines to bring about the best results. Thus it was that Mr. Jackson found that the quality of the hounds in the kennels had somewhat deteriorated, nor had their noses been improved by the running of drags from time to time, but he set about his task with a will, and by a judicious mixture of English and American blood, he has now a pack which if not the equal in looks and levelness of the best in the country, has made for itself a very good reputa- tion in the matter of work. Mr. Jackson is lucky in having a most excellent huntsman, Leo Gardell, who has been most painstaking and skilful in his kennel management, and the thirty odd couples now in the EJkridge kennels are a well-mannered, 29 THE ELKRIDGE keen, hard-working lot, which show the members of the Hunt sport second to none. Mr. Jackson writes that he finds that the cross-bred hound, with perhaps a predominance of English blood in his veins, seems to be most ad- mirably suited to his country, an opinion which is borne out by another Bal- timore Master, Mr. Redmond C. Stewart, whose pack, bred along somewhat the same lines, hunt a very similar country. There are many Masters in the South today who think that the " pure- blooded American hound," as they term it, shows the best sport, and there are some who find that the English hound, bred along orthodox lines, works equally well; but it is perhaps worthy of note that three of the great packs in the South, if we may class the Radnor at Philadelphia with them, have come to find that a judicious admixture of blood, producing a hound with the size, bone, and muscle of the English, and the beautiful voice and nose of his American progenitors, is best suited to the existing conditions. The authors, both of them English hound men, are of the humble opin- ion that this admission on the part of men accustomed to hunt with Ameri- can hounds is but the first step in the change which they feel sure wall eventually come to all those packs which are regularly kept for the purpose of showing sport across country to fair-sized Fields, and not to a few in- dividuals who are satisfied to hear their hounds work and to see them at intervals, caring nothmg for their collective work as a pack. In 1888, the Club purchased property at Woodbrook in Baltimore County, some six miles north of Baltimore, erecting there in the same year a clubhouse, stables, and kennels. The clubhouse has been improved and added to from time to time, until it is now one of the best, if not the best. Hunt clubhouse in the United States. The landowners are all very fa- vorably inclined, and hunting about Baltimore, with two such clubs as the Green Spring Valley and the Elkridge, is as good as may be found any- where. 30 A I '., M.r.n. iQoo- IIL N [^.MAN The Endean Beagles (MISS BIRD'S) DISTINCTIVE UNIFORM Dark green habit, Canary waistcoat. Hunt buttons MASTER Miss Edith H. Bird HUNTSMAN The Master HON WHIPPERS-IN ' '*^' ^'^^ Katharine Roosevelt ( 2nd, Miss Helen Homans HOUNDS 12 couples, 16-inch beagles KENNEl^ AND POST-OFFICE East Walpole, Norfolk County, Mass. DAYS OF HUNTING Monday. Wednesday and Saturday LENGTH OF SEASON September 1st to December 1st IN 1901. Mr. Charles S. Bird of East Walpole, Norfolk County. Massachusetts, formed a pack which has now developed into one of two regular organizations of their kind in America managed and hunted entirely by women. In England and Scodand there are one or two packs of harriers, and in Ireland a pack of foxhounds, which have a woman as Master ; but the Endean and the " Castle Hill," in Albemarle County, Virginia, are, at the present time, the only packs of that description on this side of the water. Beginning in much the same way as the Middlesex Hunt — with a few couples of beagles, kept for his own and his friends' amusement, Mr. Bird began to hunt the country around East Walpole quite regularly, at first two and then three days a week. Drag-hunting was adopted as being the best means of getting a gallop, although the hounds were, and still are, hunted on hares towards the close of the season. As anyone who has enjoyed the experience knows, a 1 6-inch beagle can run a well-laid drag line at a pretty good pace, and Mr. Bird soon began to have followers from among his friends and neighbors. 31 THE ENDEAN BEAGLES Up to 1 905, he continued to hunt the hounds, and then, being too busy to give them his best attention, his sister, Miss Edith H. Bird, took up the task, and has continued to hunt them herself ever since. Miss Bird, with the idea of making her sex predominant in the Hunt, persuaded two of her friends. Miss Katharine Roosevelt and Miss Helen Homans, to act as whippers-in; positions which they have filled very ably in the past three years. The pack has been gradually increased by impor- tation and breeding, till at the present writing there are twelve couples of the little hounds in the kennels. Miss Bird's country, which lies some ten miles away from the Norfolk Hunt kennels, is like most typical New England countries. Small enclosures, fenced in by fair-sized stone walls, make the jumping pretty trappy, and it takes a clever horse to follow the pack through some of the runs. The members of the Norfolk Hunt frequently ride over from Medfield and enjoy a day behind the beagles, while Miss Bird has a small Field of her own. The pack is turned out in tlie most workmanlike manner — huntsman and whippers-in wearing dark green habits with yellow waistcoats. The Master has always carried the horn herself, never allowing her kennel huntsman to do anything beyond laying the drag. At this time of wnriting there is some talk of Miss Bird's resignation as Master. Whether or not this is done, the authors of this book feel that a Hunt managed by such good sportswomen deserves a place in a volume which is recording the Hunts of the United States and Canada. 32 The Essex Hounds (MR. PFIZER'S) DISTINCTIVE COLLAR Orange velvet EVENING DRESS Scarlet coat, orange facings MASTER Charles Pfizer, Esq. SECRETARY _ J. C. Wilmerding, Esq. HUNTSMAN ~ _ _ William Howard WHIPPERS-IN - - - \ '**• ^™ '^^^^°^ I 2nd, Larry Dickinson HOUNDS - 35 couples. English KENNEl^ AND POST-OFFICE Gladstone, N. J. DAYS OF MEETING -- Wednesday and Saturday LENGTH OF SEASON - - \ October 1st to January 1st ( March 1st to April 15 th J^ BOUT the time that Messrs. Skinner and Donahue were hunt- / ^ ing their hounds at Hackensack, N. J. — in the late seventies * — JL j^ another group of sportsmen formed what eventually developed into the Essex County Hunt at Montclair, New Jersey. The hunting began with beagles, and a little later a pack of harriers was procured and hunted up to the end of 1 879 under the Mastership of Mr. F. M. Wheeler. This proved so satisfactory that in 1 880 a permanent organization was effected; kennels were built at West Orange, N. J., and a draft of English foxhounds was procured from the Montreal Hunt. The supporters of the Hunt being men of limited time, drag-hunting was the form of sport chosen, and in fact the country is hardly suitable for the best results in fox-hunting, as much of it is absolutely unrideable; and then, too, the coverts are very large and the supply of foxes is limited. * See Chapter on The Meadow Brook. THE ESSEX Mr. H. N. Munn was elected Master of the Essex County Hunt and re- mained in office during 1 880 and 1 88 1 , when he was followed by Mr. C. A. Heckscher, who held the country till 1 883. From 1 884 to 1 888, Mr. E. P. Thebaud was the ruling spirit, and finally Mr. J. A. Stewart was elected and remained in office till 1 890, when the hounds were taken over by the present Master, Mr. Charles Pfizer. Mr. Stewart was the last M. F. H. to hold office under the original organ- ization, for when the present Master took the hounds they became his per- sonal property, and although Mr. Pfizer accepts a small subscription from his Field, the Essex Hunt has been practically a private pack since 1 890. Speaking of the Hunt since that period, Mr. Pfizer has kindly furnished the information quoted, as follows : " When I took over the hounds, I dropped the word ' County * from the fixture card and called it the Essex Hunt, as I gave up the former territory throughout Essex county and hunted in Morris and Somerset counties. " My present kennels are at Gladstone, N. J., and the county line between Morris and Somerset counties runs through my place. During the first five years of my Mastership I changed my base of operations several times, and the pack has always had good active following ; but the present location is a really satisfactory one, and I hope to continue to stay here for niany years. The country is not too far from New York and is an attractive point for suburban residences. Our Fields average some twenty-five men on regular days, with perhaps ten or fifteen more on holidays and gala occa- sions. Sometimes there are a few ladies in the Field, but we have no regular followers of the fair sex, as the country is too trying, and the distances to the meets and back to the kennels, or to their respective homes, too far to warrant an active participation in the sport." Mr. Pfizer's country is mostly hill and dale — some of it very rough to ride over. This is the main objection to fox-hunting ; and although when the snow has fallen, the hounds are sometimes taken out after foxes, it is not, as a rule, a successful experiment. As we all know, no drag pack can show good sport fox-hunting, and as Mr. Pfizer's hounds are primarily draghounds they are, of course, no exception to this rule. 34 CHARLES PFIZER, ESQ., M.F.H. Hl'NT STAFF AND HliUNDS JN THE \VA\ UO.Ml:. THE ESSEX The drag-hunting is very good. Lines are laid in the valleys, which are grassland and good going, the fences for the most part being post-and-rails, with here and there a stone wall sandwiched in, and a well-schooled, tem- perate horse has been found to be best suited to the country. The landowners are good sportsmen and encourage the hunting, turning out in goodly numbers on points of vantage to see the Hunt on a holiday. As yet, they do not participate, for lack of suitable mounts and because of inex- perience, but one can never tell what future years will bring forth, and the Master may yet have the pleasure of seeing them in the Field. In 1 90 1 , and during the four following seasons, Mr. Pfizer took a few couples of his draghounds to Southampton, Long Island. They were hunted there, in September and October, with moderate success, until 1 906, when, finding that more satisfactory hunting could be obtained in the home country, Mr. Pfizer gave up this short autumn season on Long Island; the result being the organization of the Suffolk County Hunt, which now hunts that country. As this article goes to press, the following note of interest is received from Mr. Pfizer: " I am now keeping a separate pack of English foxhounds for hunting native foxes, which are on the increase, owing to careful stocking of some coverts every spring ; and if the poor beasts do not fall a prey to the local gunners, active fox-hunting after the real article — not a bagman — will be finally estab- lished in our section. I am trying to work up some general interest among the landowners, and have every hope that it will be a success in future years." 35 The Genesee Valley Hunt (MAJOR WADSWORTH'S HOUNDS) DISTINCTIVE UNIFORM Blue coat, green collar, buff facings, EVENING DRESS - Scarlet coat, green collar MASTER - Major W. Austin Wadsworth SECRETARY - H. V. Colt, Esq.. Geneseo, N. Y. HUNTSMAN George Poole {1 St. John Mahoney 2nd, James Totten 3rd, Walter Rebban HOUNDS 27 couples, English KENNELS AND POST-OFFICE - Geneseo, N. Y. DAYS OF MEETING Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday LENGTH OF SEASON - October 15th to February 1st IN the last ten years of the eighteenth century, General James S. Wadsworth came from Connecticut to the Genesee Valley in western New York, and about this time the Fitzhughs moved to the same region from the South, bringing with them all the southerner's fondness for the sport of fox-hunting. The Wadsworths have increased their property holdings from year to year, each generation doing its utmost to preserve them. The farmers in the "Valley" had owned and hunted foxhoimds for some time, but it was not until 1 876 that the Genesee Valley Hunt was formed, and since that time Major William Austin Wadsworth of Geneseo, N. Y., has been the Master. The Genesee Valley Hunt is, and has been since its beginning, Major Wadsworth's private Hunt. He owns the hounds, the kennels, the majority of the coverts, and defrays all expenses of every kind, never taking any sub- scriptions, except to the damage fund, and the Field may be called Major 36 -l*. MAJOR W. AUSTIN WADSWORTH, M.F.H. THE GENESEE VALLEY Wadsworth's guests in every sense of the word, and can hardly be termed a club. Major Wadsworth did not advertise his meets or issue regular cards until 1880, and since that time the hounds have been out always twice, and generally three times a week during the season, which lasts from October 15th well into February. Of course, during this time there are many days when the ground is dry and frozen and hunting is impossible; but the best of sport is often had when the ground is covered with snow, and the pack averages two runs a week through the season. The country is full of woodchuck holes, and as the Master objects to digging, few foxes are killed ; but they are apt to give long, hard runs before going to ground, and so long as they are not lost while they are above ground, honour is safe. The country hunted is a large one, although the hounds rarely go north of Honeoye Creek, south of Tuscarora, east of Hemlock Lake or west of Oatka Valley. The land is usually open — well-cultivated farms with patches of timber — but the uplands are cut in places by deep ravines and gullies, which are much more popular with the foxes than with their pursuers. The lowlands along the river have enormous fields, often two or three hundred acres in extent, so that a horse that can extend himself, as well as one that can climb and slide down hill, is needed. The local landowners compose a large percentage of the Field, and the farmers throughout the country are long-suffering and kindly disposed ; but the increase of wire fencing is such that Major Wadsworth believes the sport to be hopelessly doomed in the years to come, and even now, some of the best country, though full of foxes, is practically unrideable. The Genesee Valley Hunt Club was organized in 1 88 1 by " gentlemen who ride wdth Major Wadsworth's hounds," and is absolutely confined to those who have so ridden. They have nothing to do with the management of the hounds, but give equestrian sports on July 4th and a Horse Show in the autumn, and contribute to the damage fund. Major Wadsworth, who has been in office as Master longer than anyone else in America, is an ideal man for the position, an enthusiastic apostle of 37 THE GENESEE VALLEY the sport, believing that with the growing scarcity of game it is by far the best and most democratic country amusement. He has been much more anxious to interest his neighbors than to call in the outsiders, and, to use his own words, " would rather see a farmer's boy on a mule at a meet than the most elaborate creation of the London tailor." The so-called " qualifier," who takes his would-be steeplechaser to the meet, lets him have a look at the hounds and larks him over a few fences in sight of the Master in order to obtain a so-called "hunter's certificate" is an individual for whom he has no use. To quote his own remarks on the subject: " I don't know that the Genesee Valley Hunt is a racing club, or ever intends to give race meetings. I consider it a fox-hunting club. " I have always treated the racing people with courtesy, but as every Master of Hounds knows, the qualifying of hunters for steeplechase pur- poses is a humbug. The horses so qualified are not and never have been hunters, and everyone knows it. They are merely a certain class of steeple- chasers, a different animal, for instance, from that which should be shown in the prize ring as a hunter, so 1 think the best way is to keep the two things separate, and let the men who want to race, race ; and the men who want to hunt, hunt. Let each define a hunter as he chooses." Major Wadsworth's hatred of the qualifier is such that, to quote him again, " I have invented that splendid aggregation (?), the Livingston County Draghounds, to keep the professional dealers and racing men's jocks out of my Fields." Very different is Major Wadsworth's feeling for the men who hunt. He has spared neither trouble nor expense to get together a pack which will show them the best sport. His hounds are for the most part of pure English blood, although he states that some of his best have a slight infusion of the American in them. This, however, is so slight that no one could tell from looking at the hounds that it existed. In 1 880, the first draft came from the Meath, followed in 1 884 by a draft from Lord Fitzhardinge's, among which he mentions, — " Ruler," 1 876 ; " Viscount," " Frantic," and " Castor," 1 880 ; and " Vocal," 1 88 1 , as being exceptionally useful. 38 THE GENESEE VALLEY In 1 887, a new draft came from Sir Bache Cunard's, now Mr. Femie's, among which Major Wadsworth says there were a number of most excel- lent hounds, but which were rather light of tongue. To rectify this defect, he bred to hounds from Lord Tredegar's and from the Duke of Beaufort's, with good results, importing small drafts from time to time until 1 894 ; when a friend, CaptJiin Martin of Geneseo, picked up in England a draft from the Holderness, which did the pack a lot of good. With all this good material as a basis, Major Wadsworth has bred a pack second to none in America, and although it suffered badly from the rabies in 1 902, he has maintained its high standard of excellence. On the flags, too, he has met with great success, winning at Madison Square Garden in 1 899 and 1 902, with home-bred hounds, and in 1 906 and 1 907 with a mixed lot. The Hunt has never adopted scarlet coats, except for evening dress, and although many of the Field hunt in mufti, the older members and the Hunt staff still wear the dark blue coats and buff facings and waistcoats which have always been its uniform. The secret of Major Wadsworth's success is perhaps his thoughtful and painstaking treatment of the farmers, and the firm, though kindly manner in which he rules over his Field. These qualities perhaps are best epitomized in his " Bible," which is given below in full. Of the Farmer: " You have no business on a man's land, but are there by his sufferance and he is entitled to every consideration. It is no excuse that you are in a hurry. It is much better for the Hunt that you should be left behind than that a farmer should be injured. " If you take down a rail, put it back. If you open a gate, shut it. " If you break a fence, or do any damage which you cannot repair, you should report it at once to the responsible officers of the Hunt, that it may be made good. " Although you may feel convinced that it improves wheat to ride over it, the opinion is not diffused or popular ; and the fact that some fool has gone ahead is no excuse; it only makes matters worse. " The spectacle of a lot of men, following another's tracks across a wheat- 39 THE GENESEE VALLEY field and killing hopelessly the young plants, which the first man has proba- bly injured but slightly, is too conducive to profanity to be edifying in any community. "You may think that the honest fanner deems it a privilege to leave his life of luxurious idleness and travel around half the night in the mud for horses which have got out, or spend days sorting the sheep which have got mixed by your leaving his gates open or fences down : you are mistaken ; he doesn't. Of the Master: " The M. F. H. is a great and mystic personage, to be lowly, meekly and reverently looked up to, helped, considered and given the right of way at all times. His ways are not as other men's ways, and his knowledge and actions are not to be judged by their standards. All that can be asked of him is that he furnish good sport ; and as long as he does that, he is amen- able to no criticism, subject to no law and fettered by no conventionality while in the field. " He is supposed by courtesy to know more about his own hounds than outsiders; and all hallooing, calling, and attempts at hunting them by others, are not only very bad manners, but are apt to spoil sport. " As a general rule, he can enjoy your conversation and society more when not in the field, with the hounds, riders, foxes and damages on his mind. " N. B. The proffer of a flask is not ' conversation,' within the meaning of the above. Of the Fox: " Don't tag after the first whipper-in and make one of a line of sentries around a covert. How can a fox break cover, if you do ? " Keep your mouth shut when you see a fox until he is well away, then, if you are sure it is the hunted fox, stand still, as nearly on his line as possi- ble, and yell for all you are worth. " Don't cap on the first hounds, but let the huntsman bring up the pack. " Don't gallop after the fox by yourself : if you caught him alone he might bite you. 40 THE GENESEE VALLEY " Don't give tongue on a woodchuck : it will cause you humiliation. There is a difference in the tails. Of the Hounds: " Keep away from them at all times and every time. Even if you con- sider them worthless, the Master may be quaintly indifferent to your opinion; and as the quietest horse will kick at a strange dog, and the stupidest dog distrust a strange horse, keep away. " Stand still at a check and give them a chance to work. No hound can hunt while figuring the odds of being bitten, kicked or stepped on; and if the Field keep pressing them in any direction, however slowly, the benighted beasts are capable of thinking there is a rational cause for it. " Keep away from the huntsman also, that he may be in full view and the hounds see him and follow his movements and signals. " Don't get between him and the whippers-in on the road. There are miles of it, before and behind, where your equestrianism will be more appre- ciated. Of the Rider: " Don't say ' 'ware horse ' to the hound, but ' 'ware hound ' to the horse. " It is never any excuse that you cannot hold your horse. You have no more business to bring out a horse you cannot hold than you have a biter or a kicker. If you cannot hold him, go home ! " Never follow a man closely, particularly over a jump. If he should fall when alone, you might kill him while helpless. " Take your own line and keep it. " Everybody is supposed to be entitled to the panel in front of him. If you don't like yours, you must not take another man's till your turn." A copy of the above, together with a fine map of the country, showing every road, lane, covert, shoeing-forge, etc., is given to each member of Major Wadsworth's Field, and the rules stated therein are enforced to the letter, though it is scarcely ever necessary for the Master to speak a second time, so beloved is he of his followers. The authors feel that they can hardly say enough of Major Wadsworth's interest in the welfare of the dwellers in the " Valley." 4f THE GENESEE VALLEY Owning, as he does, such a vast estate, he is placed in almost a paternal relation towards his tenants and neighbors, who value very highly his friend- ship and kindly counsel on all matters, agricultural and otherwise. All fox-hunters who have the pleasure of knowing the Master of the Genesee Valley will, we feel sure, agree with us in thinking that no more suitable dedication could be found than that which heads this volume. 1 The Grafton Hounds (MR. SMITH'S) DISTINCTIVE UNIFORM Gray EVENING DRESS Scarlet coat, gray coUar MASTER Harry W. Smith, Esq., Grafton, Mass. HUNTSMAN The Master WHIPPERS-IN \ \'\ ^•,'^'^^ ( 2nd, N. Elsey HOUNDS 1 5 couples, American KENNELS AND POST-OFFICE Grafton, Worcester County, Mass. DAYS OF MEETING Three days a week LENGTH OF SEASON August 1st to January 1st THE Grafton Hounds, which are a private pack, the property of Mr. Harry W. Smith, were first established in 1904. The Grafton Country Club, which was in some ways the excuse for the Grafton Hounds, had been formed some years earlier, and among the other sports encouraged there, fox-hunting took a prominent place. Mr. Smith, at one time an extensive breeder of wire haired fox-terriers, and later an amateur trainer and jockey of much note, seemed to be ad- mirably fitted for the position of M. F. H., and when he offered the Club the use of his small private pack — to be called the Grafton Hounds — they were most willing to accept. Becoming very much interested in the American type of foxhounds, Mr. Smith endeavored, in 1 904, to rejuvenate the Brunswick Fur Club, under the name of the Brunswick Foxhound Club, and to make its aim the establish- ing of an American type of foxhound. Men like Thomas Hitchcock, Jr., James Maddux and General Edward Morrell were induced to join the Club, and Mr. Smith brought before a meeting the following motion : — " Voted, that the standard of American Foxhounds as adopted by the 43 THE GRAFTON Club, April 1 7th, 1 894, be construed by the Club to call for that type of hound which shall show ' class ; ' which word signifies the highest percent- age of the necessary qualities needed in foxhounds for field use in America. " Voted, that the Judges, duly authorized by the Brunswick Foxhound Club, be advised of this ruling and the same be enrolled in the records of the Club, and when the American Foxhound standard is next printed, same be added in a paragraph before the Summary." In a letter to the Rider and Tfrioer, setting forth the advantages of this motion, Mr. Smith stated, — " If this rule is going to hurt anyone it will hurt me, and I am perfectly walling it should. I can speak very plainly on the matter, as last year I won a number of ribbons, — more, I believe, than any other exhibitor, — at the Brunswick Fur Club Foxhound Show, The rac- ing type is, in my opinion, more typical of the American hound than the half or three-quarter bred English hound, such as McGregor's 'Jack.' I am running these hounds continually in the field, and I am perfectly frank in saying that the lighter type, such as my ' Sinner,' Walker's ' Alsie,' and Hitchcock's 'Judy* seem to me to be preferable for work. '.' At the Trials last year (1 903), which were so hotly contested, the heavy type of hound was not placed. At the first Hound Show, E. H. Walker entered ' Alsie ' and she was turned out without a ribbon. At the same show Mr. Hitchcock entered ' Crocker,' who was similarly disposed of. " Here are two breeders who own foxhounds, not to look at, but to kill foxes, which is the crowning point of all. Shall we hold to the heavy English type, or shall we go to the racing type, the type which is the successful hound to kill a fox, and acknowledged so by all and proven so by our own trials ? I shall also put before the Club the following motion, in case the members decide that it is inadvisable to construe the standard as I have asked above : " ' Voted, that a Committee composed of Dr. A. C. Heffenger, Thomas Hitchcock, Jr., R. D. Perry, J. K. Maddux, R. F. Perkins and Harry W. Smith, members of the Brunswick Foxhound Club, E. H. Walker of Ken- tucky and C. Floyd Huff of Hot Springs, Arkansas, be appointed to formu- late a standard for foxhounds, and the standard so formulated by them is to 44 THE GRAFTON be considered as adopted by the Brunswick Foxhound Club by a vote authorizing the Committee.* " It is far better to right an error at the beginning than it is at the end. The Brunswick Foxhound Club, in the past, has simply been known about New England .... and the fact that its standard was adopted by the American Kennel Club, and that the Brunswick Foxhound Club can authorize a stand- ard is known to few. This being the situation, it seems to me wise to allow the Southerners, who have put more time, thought and care into the breeding of hounds for killing the fox than all the rest combined, to have their type acknowledged." This letter brought forth a storm of criticism from the supporters of the English hound, who, naturally enough, claimed that English hounds, which had been bred to the game vnih more care and for a longer period than any in the world, could and did kill foxes in America as well as in Eng- land ; to which Mr. Smith answered that he very much doubted the actual kills by any English pack on this side of the water. It would be time thrown away to go into a detailed account of the argument which followed in the columns of the Rider and Tiriver. To cut a long story short, the result was the Foxhound Match which took place in the Piedmont Valley, Virginia, in November 1 905, in which Mr. Smith's home-bred pack represented the American hound and the Middlesex Fox- hounds, a draft pack — the English. Neither pack killed and, although the Grafton hounds were awarded the victory, neither Master altered his opinion as to the comparative merit of the two types. While these opinions of Mr. Smith's are not directly history of the Graf- ton, they are given because they show the aims of its Master, who has kept on breeding to a distinct type year after year, and has produced a pack which, for similarity of size, conformation and color it would be hard to beat. Whether or not they are the true type of American hound it is diffi- cult to say. Mr. Smith contends that they are, but in a breed where the individuals differ so wadely, who shall say which is the best ? The Brunswack Foxhound Club, an organization made up of owners of fox- 45 THE GRAFTON hounds throughout New England, with a scattering of outside members, has done, and is doing, the best it can ; but no two judges think alike, and so long as American hound men keep coming to the owners of English hounds for a bit of their good blood there will be no definite standard. In 1 905, just prior to the Match, a Hound Show was held at Grafton, the classification being similar to that of the Peterboro Hound Show in England, and the arrangements much the same on a small scale. There were a few American hounds, and only two English packs — the Norfolk and the Middlesex — were represented ; but the Show, which was held in conjunction with the Grafton Country Club Horse Show, was a distinct success, and led to the holding, in the following year, of the National Fox- hound Show at South Lincoln, which has now become an annual fixture. Mr. Smith sold about six couples of his hounds to the Orange County Hunt, and they were kept in the South and hunted in their Virginia country with great success, while he retained a sufficient number of bitches to breed his present pack, which consists of fifteen couples. These hounds are Bel- voir tan in color and are some twenty inches in height at the shoulder — about the size of English harriers. The home country surrounding the Grafton kennels in Massachusetts, is the worst possible for fox-hunting. Very rough pastures, enclosed by big, ragged stone walls, furnishing the only open country, and a series of immense swamps and woodlands make it impossible to follow hounds fairly. Mr. Smith thinks that the best type of horse is a well-mannered, clean- bred, "which cannot only stand off and jump, but also stand still and jump, and creep if necessary." The attitude of the landowners is most satisfactory, and there never has been, in Grafton, Sutton, Millbury, or the adjoining townships, anything but the pleasantest feeling toward the Hunt. In the autumn of 1 907, Major W. Austin Wadsworth, Master of the Genesee Valley Hunt, offered to loan to Mr. Smith a portion of his country, lying some fifteen miles from his kennels, and known as the " Upland country," and this proposition Mr. Smith very gladly accepted, taking his hounds there for the season of 1 907-8, and making his headquarters at the Big Tree Inn at Geneseo. The Grafton went out on alternate days wath 46 THE GRAFTON the Genesee Valley, thus giving the members and subscribers a chance to hunt every day in the week. This plan worked well, and Mr. Smith writes that he intends to go there another season, after finishing his cubbing in Massachusetts. TTie Genesee " Upland country " is chiefly grass and pasture, with some large woodlands and almost no plough ; post-and-rail fences, interspersed with a few stump-fences and very little wnre, forming the majority of the enclosures, and it requires a bold, fast, big-jumping horse to live with hounds. To the Master of the Grafton is due, more than to any other one man in the United States, the credit for a long needed organization, as he was in- strumental in calling a meeting which led to the formation of The Masters of Foxhounds Association of America. 47 The Green River Hunt MASTER Frank Sherman Peer, Esq. SECRETARY Wentworth C. Bacon, Esq., Greenfield, Mass. HUNTSMAN The Master HON.WHIPPERS-IN \ '*'\ ^r""" w^i^-^'T' ^' ( Ana, 1 nomas W. K.ing, bsq. HOUNDS - 1 2 couples, English KENNELS AND POST-OFFICE Greenfield, Mass. DAYS OF MEETING Three days a week LENGTH OF SEASON September 1 st to December 1st EARLY in the spring of 1907, some lovers of fox-hunting, Mr. Frank Sherman Peer, Mr. Wentworth C. Bacon, and Mr. Thomas W. King, who were living in Greenfield, Massachu- setts, determined to start a small pack of hounds to hunt the country lying in the valley of the Green River. Greenfield is a great centre for the sheep-raising farmers of Massachusetts, and the country, which is the upper end of the Connecticut Valley and comparatively free from wire, affords a pretty good opportunity for fox- and- drag-hunting. Foxes are very plentiful, but as is the case in most parts of Massachusetts, coverts are so large and dense that it is practically impossible to follow hounds closely for any distance, a condition which makes a certain amount of drag-hunting necessary to satisfy the demand for sport. Mr. Peer, the M. F. H., and Mr. Bacon, who are the leading spirits in this little or- ganization, secured a couple of drafts of good working hounds from the Mid- dlesex, and, if they have luck, should in time breed a good pack from these. Even at present, they manage to give sport to a small but enthusiastic Field of ladies and gentlemen, hunting both fox and drag. All things must have a beginning, and the Green River Hunt has two qualifications which ought to 48 FR..\NK SHERMAN PEER, ESQ., M.F.H. THE GREEN RIVER lead to much improvement in the future, to wit : plenty of enthusiasm and a good country. The Master himself is a warm supporter of English hounds, and having made a considerable study of them in their home country, has imported a great many for the other Masters in America. He is an advocate of their use in the field in this country, holding, in common with many others, that their lack of cold-scenting ability is more than made up for by their easy control while at work. Mr. Peer was chosen to act as Judge of English foxhounds at the first National Hound Show, 1 906. 49 The Green Spring Valley Hunt DISTINCTIVE COLLAR -:.-..- -- - Green EVENING DRESS Scarlet coat, green collar MASTER Redmond C. Stewart, Esq. SECRETARY Randolph Barton, Jr., Esq., Baltimore, Md. HUNTSMAN - '■■- ■- - :..-:-.::--. The Master HON. WHIPPERS-IN --.- - j J=} f'^"^^- ^°"'f' ^J^' ( Znd, Jervis bpencer, Jr., tsq. KENNELMAN - - ThomasPerry I i/->,i TMr->o ^ 37 1-2 couples, American, with HOUNDS < *^ £ c- 1 L LI J ( recent crosses or nngush blood. KENNELS Garrison, Md. RAILWAY STATION Garrison Forest Stahon, Md. POST-OFFICE Garrison, Md. DAYS OF MEETING — ■ -' Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday LENGTH OF SEASON October 1st to April 1st DURING the autumn of 1 892, a number of gentlemen met in Baltimore, Maryland, and founded the Green Spring Valley Hunt. Among these were John McHenry, Randolph Barton, Jr., Horace White, E. Lynn Painter, Redmond C. Stewart, the present Master ; W. Plunket Stewart, James McK. Merryman, William B. Cockey, C. Morton Stewart, Jr., Robert N. Elder, William V. Elder, G. H. Stirling, Arthur Craddock and D. F. Savage. In all there was a membership of twenty-seven, most of whom were men in active business in Baltimore, and as this is, and always has been the case, every effort is made to have sport outside of regular business hours. The Hunt staff, too, has always been composed of members, no regular Hunt ser- vants having ever been employed except a kennelman, who takes charge of hounds in the kennels. 50 REDMOND C. STEWART, ESQ., II.F.H. THE GREEN SPRING VALLEY Mr. Redmond C. Stewart, who lives near the latter, was elected Master at the first meeting and has continued to hold that position ever since, hunt- ing the hounds himself during the entire period. His brother, Mr. W. Plunket Stewart, was the only whipper-in until 1 894, when Mr. H. Carroll Brown was appointed second whipper-in until 1 903 ; but in 1 899, Mr. Stewart appointed another whipper-in in the person of Mr. Frank A. Bonsai, who took Mr. Brown's place when the latter resigned, in 1 903, and Mr. Plunket Stewart's place on his resignation, in 1906. Mr. Jenas Spencer was then appointed second whipper-in and since that time only two whippers- in have been on the active list. As is the case in most southern Hunts, Mr. Stewart began by using na- tive hounds, believing, as he still does, that they possessed the most suitable qualities for fox-hunting in Maryland. After eight or ten years of experience, however, with these hounds, he has come to the conclusion that a certain amount of English blood improves the natives. Mr. Stewart's own words are given as follows : " I believe that the American hounds have the best — or the most suita- ble — qualities for hunting the fox in Maryland, but thinking that by a judi- cious cross vrith English blood a hound could be bred which would have just as good tongue and hunting qualities, we have used a Belvoir-bred hound of Mr. Charles E. Mather's named 'Glancer,' and also a son of Belvoir 'Dexter,' namely Belvoir 'Vampire,' and have bred this cross back to strong native hounds. " We have now, we think, a useful pack, with good voices and noses and much endurance, which run a fox pretty well in almost all conditions of weather and are better-boned, heavier hounds and more evenly-coloured than the old-fashioned native hounds. They also stand kennel discipline better. Whether they are the best hounds that can be bred for our country or not, I shall not be sure for some years." With the Green Spring Valley Hunt, cubbing begins about August I st, and the hounds go out three days a week at 4:30 a. m. until October 1 st, when the regular season opens. From then on, the Tuesday meets are at daybreak, and the Thursday and Saturday meets at 2:30 p. m. In addition 51 THE GREEN SPRING VALLEY to this, hounds are out all day on holidays and for a fortnight in Novem- ber they meet six days a week and hunt all day, as during this time most of the members of the Hunt take a vacation and put in two weeks of solid hunting. Foxes are fairly plentiful, and the two or three blank days during a season come so far apart that the continuous good sport is hardly interrupted. On the other hand, there are many earths in the country, and as stopping is im- practicable, many of the foxes found get to ground, and only a small per- centage are killed in the open. However, to anyone really fond of fox- hunting, and who cares enough about the sport to enjoy hearing and seeing hounds at work, the days are full of genuine pleasure. The greater portion of the country contains many large woodlands, and hounds would often be lost were they not very free of tongue. Often, however, in the best part of the country, they force a fox into the open, where the galloping is good and the jumping clean, and give the Field the finest kind of a run. As the Green Spring Valley pack is one of the best known in the coun- try, the authors append accounts of several runs (kindly furnished them by the Master), from which, perhaps, a better idea of the country and the char- acter of the hunting can be obtained than from any description. "November 18th, 1895. Met at Brick School House at 9 a.m. Found a large fox about 1 o'clock just west of the railway. Viewed away by the Field, he ran to the right of Glyndon, and to the Worthington Valley, where the pack split, part of it crossing the valley and the rest of it turning back toward the point where the fox was found. " As 'Logan,' one of our best hounds, was in the latter division, we followed them. Fox ran straight southeast for about four miles, where, being headed from his point by some gunners, he turned east and was pulled down in a bit of woodland, after about an hour and ten minutes of running. Those of the Field who had followed the other part of the pack got forty-five minutes of galloping, over a beautiful country, eventually putting their fox to ground. Thirty-four in the Field. " October 3rd, 1 896. Met at the kennels at 2:30 p.m., using ten couples 52 THE GREEN SPRING VALLEY of hounds. Drew Cockey's Wood, where we found immediately, the fox going due north across the Green Spring Valley and over the Dover Road to Worthington Valley, a six mile point. At the start, hounds got away from us, but we caught them in about thirty minutes, when they were brought to their noses, working slowly across some dry plough. Scent was very bad, but they persisted, and as the dew fell it improved, and getting closer to their fox, they went on again at a good pace. Darkness shut in upon us and we had to leave them running and were never able to tell what they did with their fox. Thirty-one in the Field. " Saturday, November 26th, 1 904. Met at Cockey's Gate, Worthington Valley, at 9:30 a.m. The day was cold and dry, with a stiff vfind blowing — most discouragmg for good sport — and only about twenty turned up at the meet. The first fox was found shortly, but as hounds were unable to force him out of cover, they were stopped and we drew agam, finding quickly on Snow Hill. This fox broke cover and ran straight for Piney Hill, thirty-eight minutes without a turn. From here on, the pace became furious, and the Field could not have kept with hounds except that the going was perfect, all in the open, over grass. During the next forty minutes the fox made three big loops, finally going to ground ; two hours and eighteen mmutes in all. Started with sixteen and a half couples and had fourteen couples at the earth. Only three of the Field finished the run, so severe was the pace, and when we started for the kennels, twenty-four miles away, we were a pretty tired lot of men and horses." It will be seen that in two of these runs, hounds met quite a bit after mid- day and, as is often the case, scent improved as nightfall drew near. When many of the Field are forced by business engagements to confine their hunt- ing to the latter part of the day, this seems a pretty successful plan, and one worthy of emulation by other American Hunts whose members are similarly situated and who would like to enjoy the better sport. Surely three or four hours behind foxhounds is vastly better than three-quarters of an hour with the drag. The Green Spring Valley is a subscription Hunt, v^rith a membership of about two hundred and forty, and now has an attractive clubhouse, with 53 THE GREEN SPRING VALLEY good kennels at Garrison Station, Maryland, some ten miles from Baltimore, Mr. Stewart, although a very busy man, devotes a great deal of care and thought to the development of his pack, and it has steadily improved under his management until it is now, as has been said, one of the best in the country. The Harkaway Hunt DISTINCTIVE COLLAR Black MASTER Frank M. Lowiy. Esq. SECRETARY F. H. Richard, Esq., Pittsburgh, Pa. HUNTSMAN - JackCaffrey WHIPPER-IN Arthur Cregan HOUNDS 16 couples, English and American KENNELS AND POST-OFFICE McDonald. Pa. DAYS OF MEETING - Wednesday and Saturday LENGTH OF SEASON September 1st to January ist WHILE the Hunt Clubs of Pennsylvania are among the oldest in the United States ; in fact, it may almost be called the Mother State of organized fox-hunting, yet it was not until 1 898 that the Pittsburgh Hunt Club was formed. In the days of early settlement, the English officers who were stationed at Fort Duquesne must have hunted foxes, but they hardly rode to hounds in the same manner as the present residents of that locality. Fox-hunting in those days must have been fraught with far greater dangers than those ordmarily experienced by the cross-country rider. However, as we are not writing Colonial history, we will come back to the present. The Pittsburgh Hunt Club was organized in 1898, and the sportsmen who formed it elected Mr. Frank M. Lovsnry to the office of Master. At first, the kennels were at Sewickley, but in 1 900 they were moved to the Pittsburgh Country Club, in the suburbs of the city. Drag-hunting was carried on there until the beginning of 1 903, with varying popularity, but as time went on and the Field became educated, the need for the better sport of fox-hunt- ing was felt, and in the autumn of 1 903 the Pittsburgh Hunt Club was vir- tually disbanded, and the hounds and estabKshment moved to McDonald, Pennsylvania, where the present kennels are located. 55 THE HARKAWAY At the same time, a new organization, which was christened the Harkaway Hunt, was organized, and the following gentlemen were elected officers: Walter Lyons, President ; Addison M. Irwin, Secretary ; Edward McDonald, Treasurer, and Frank M. Lowry, M. F. H. The officers have varied from time to time, but Mr. Lowry has always held the Mastership, and it is to his unflagging energy and enthusiasm that the Hunt owes its present flourishing condition, and its pack of sixteen couples. The town of McDonald is only a short distance from Pittsburgh, on the line of the Pennsylvania Railroad, and is quite easily accessible from the city. The country hunted over is an open, rolling one, with small coverts which are plentifully supplied with foxes, and although a few drags are run during the season, fox-hunting proper is the more popular sport and the one most indulged in. Canadian half- or three-quarter-bred horses are used almost universally, having been found best suited to the climate and country. Some few horses have been brought up from Virginia, but they do not seem to thrive. The Hunt is, of course, in an embryonic condition, and its promoters hope that in a few more years a better pack can be established to hunt what promises to be a very good country. 56 3EIGADIEK-GENERAL ROGER D. WILLIAMS, M.F.H. The Iroquois Hunt MASTER General Roger D. Waiiams SECRETARY W. J. Foley, Esq.. Lexington. Ky. HUNTSMAN B. Stone HOUNDS -.- .- 10 couples, American KENNELS : Athens. Ky. POST-OFFICE - - Lexington. Ky. DAYS OF MEETING Fridays LENGTH OF SEASON September 1st to March 1st KENTUCKY can, perhaps, boast of more establishments devoted to the raising of blood-horses than any other State of the Union, and where there are blood-horses is generally to be found a class of sportsmen interested in hounds ; for, after all, one is the complement of the other. Thus it happens that Brigadier-General Roger D. Williams, the Master of the Iroquois Hunt, has inherited his love of sport from his father, grand- father and great-grandfather ; all of whom were native Kentuckians and maintained a pack of foxhounds. General Williams has always been a hunt- ing man, and while he has, at various times, imported a few English hounds, has always been a strong believer in, and supporter of, the native product, and the small pack of ten couples which is followed by the members of the Iroquois Hunt are all of his owm breeding. The Iroquois Hunt proper was founded in 1880, and for twenty-eight years General Williams has acted as M. F. H. The country hunted by him, lying about ten miles from Lexington, is for the most part rolling blue-grass pasture land, enclosed with rail fences and stone walls. The existence of many extensive breeding estabhshments pre- vents hunting nearer to Lexington, but has the advantage of keeping the fences always in good condition and free from wire. 57 THE IROQUOIS Foxes are very plentiful and the Field is almost certain of a good gallop over the best of footing whenever hounds go out, as the foxes hunted are of the red variety and as strong and game as can be desired. Hounds run very fast on the blue-grass and it needs a clean-bred horse, or one with a small infusion of cold blood, to keep with them, while the Kentuckians are very fond of the sport and turn out in goodly numbers, fifty per cent of them being ladies, most of whom ride hard and straight. The type of hound used by General Williams differs as greatly from the type of hound used at Grafton as a thoroughbred horse differs from a polo pony, and yet both Masters clciim to have the true type of American hound. The authors merely state this fact in order that their readers may decide for themselves which is the " American hound." 58 The Keswick Hunt HON. WHIPPERS-IN \ \'\^'^f'^^^J^'' ( 2nd, h. H. Joslin, t HOUNDS - 12 couple DISTINCTIVE COLLAR Green EVENING DRESS Scarlet coat, green collar and facings MASTER Julian Morris, Esq. SECRETARY Francis Lee Thurman, M. D., Keswick, Albemsirle County, Va. HUNTSMAN The Master KENNEL HUNTSMAN - "Tipper " Morris burman, M. D. Esq. 4 couples, English 8 couples, AmericJin KENNELS AND POST-OFFICE Keswick, Albemarle County, Va. DAYS OF MEETING Tuesday and Saturday LENGTH OF SEASON November 1st to April 15th THE Keswick Hunt Club is perhaps the strongest organization of its kind near Charlottesville, which, as has been said, is one of the fox-hunting centres of Virginia. The present Secretary, Dr. Francis Lee Thurman, who has been identi- fied with the Club since its early beginnings and has always been its chron- icler, has been kind enough to allow the authors to make use of an article on the history of the Hunt, written for the Richmond Times-Dispatch in February, 1 907, from which much of the information as to dates and events has been drawn. On December 1 0th, 1 896, a number of gentlemen devoted to sport met at the historic home of F. M. Randolph, Esq., " Cloverflelds," and organ- ized themselves into a club whose objects were "social intercourse, and fox- and drag-hunting." These gentlemen, who constitute the charter members of the Club, were: 59 THE KESWICK Gary Ruffin Randolph, John Francis Chisholm, James Morris Page, Stuart Hanckle, Dr. Francis Lee Thurman, George W. Macon, Francis Merri- weather Randolph, Murray Boocock, Ford Murphy, W. L. Gochran, Gharles E. Dickinson, W. L. Smith, Hugh G. Dodd, Martin Grimmins, William Shackelford, W. Douglas Macon, Prof. Edward Echols, H. W. Greenough and Joseph W. Everett ; and they elected the following officers of the Kes- wick Hunt Glub : President, John Armstrong Ghanler ; First Vice-President, Hon. George W. Morris; Second Vice-President, Gol. H. W. Fuller; Treasurer, Murray Boocock; Secretary, Joseph W. Everett; Master of Hounds, Gary Ruffin Randolph; Whipper-in, Hugh G. Dodd. The old Manor house at " Gloverfields " was rented temporarily for a clubhouse and a Gommittee consisting of Messrs. Boocock, Thurman, Macon, Randolph and Echols was appointed to find a suitable site for a permanent clubhouse and grounds. When the next annual meeting came, little had been done. A spirit of vacillation rather than of progress was evident, and during the season of 1897, had it not been for the Master, the movement might have come to nothing; but he kept many of the hounds on his own estate, persuaded members to do the same, and wheedled hound puppies out of others, accept- ing them in place of the annual dues. Land was purchased, a clubhouse built, and then the social feature became a prominent factor ; ladies being admitted to all Glub privileges except the franchise. Up to this time not much formality had been kept up in the Hunt, but Gol. Randolph had difficulties to surmount that were little dreamed of by the outsider, and to him the Keswack owes a debt of gratitude not likely to be soon forgotten. This was a period of financial stringency, and many and varied were the devices employed to raise money with which to pay off the mortgage on the clubhouse, etc. One of the most successful was a gymkhana meeting, organized by a member, Mr. Robert McMurdo, and as a result of it the Treasurer began to look cheerful once more. At the next annual meeting of the Glub, on October 25 th, 1898, Gol. Randolph resigned the Mastership and Mr. H. G. Dodd, who had been acting as Honorary Whipper-in, was elected in his stead; serving for 60 THE KESWICK one season to the entire satisfaction of the Field. He then resigned, and Col. Randolph again consented to carry the horn, his second Mastership continu- ing until the season of 1 90 1 , when the present Master, Mr. Julian Morris, was elected. This gentleman promptly took steps to put the hunting on a firmer and more modern basis. Heretofore, no uniform had been adopted by the Hunt, but now Master, Hunt Staff, and many of the Field turned out in regulation scarlet, adopting a green collar as their distinguishing badge, and more form and order were maintained in the field than before. Mr. Morris has continued to act as Master up to the present time, and during his regime the quality of the sport has steadily improved. The coun- try itself is quite ideal and the climate is such that very few days are missed during the regular season, which lasts from November 1 st, to April 1 5th. Most of the hunting area is in large estates belonging to members of, or subscribers to, the Hunt, and consequently such obstacles to sport as ware and posted land are rarely to be found. The fences here are generally timber, big and stiff, and require a bold jumping horse to negotiate them successfully. The Master maintains a large breeding establishment, and has probably bred and developed as many high-class hunters as anyone in America today. The Keswick Hunt Team has won at the National Horse Show at New York for the last two years, while the names of "Keswick" and "David Gray" are known to all the latter-day frequenters of horse shows. Inciden- tally, it might be said that these show winners are hunted regularly and are excellent performers in the field. The present pack, which is used for drag- hunting on Saturdays and for fox-hunting on Thursdays, is hardly up to the high standard set by the Master of the Keswick in horseflesh, and it is to be hoped that, perhaps in the near future, as much attention will be paid to this very important " arm of the service " as is given to the means of convey- ance across country. The Lima Hunt MASTER Dr. Charles A. Dohan SECRETARY Joseph M. Dohan, Esq., Philadelphia, Pa. HON. HUNTSMAN John Yamell, Esq. HON. WHIPPERS-IN \ '^t, Leander W^Riddle Esq. ( znd, Joseph M. Uohan, hsq. HOUNDS 18 1-2 couples, American KENNELS AND POST-OFFICE Lima. Delaware County, Pa. DAYS OF MEETING Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday, with an occasional bye LENGTH OF SEASON November 1st to April 1st OF all the people of the United States, perhaps the Pennsylvanians and Virginians are the greatest lovers of fox-hunting, and, as will be seen in the chapter on the Rose Tree Hunt, the inhabitants of Delaware and Chester counties, almost to a man, kept a few foxhounds. The trencher-fed packs that resulted eventually crystallized into the various Hunts which now exist, and the Lima is one of these. In 1 885, the farmers and landowners in what is now the Lima country made an association of their hounds under the name of the Lima Fox Hunting Club, and, like many other organizations of its kind located in the vicinity of Philadelphia, it traces its origin to the Gloucester Fox Hunting Club. Unfortunately, no records are available to tell us of the founders and of the early Masters, but in 1 892, the present Master, Dr. Charlas A. Dohan, was elected and has continued in office ever since. Under his rule, the pack has been carefully looked after and steadily improved, until at present there are eighteen and a half couples of American hounds in the kennels, which have the reputation of being one of the best working packs in the country. There are seventy-five members of the Lima Hunt, whose pack, by-the- 62 I THE LIMA bye, is entirely supported by subscription, and it is no uncommon occurrence to have half-a-dozen ladies in the Field. Dr. Dohan's country is cramped and hilly, though not rough, except in small localities, and the average enclosure contains about eight or ten acres only, which naturally furnishes plenty of jumping. The fences are mainly timber, with a few stone walls and a good many brooks which require some doing. As yet, wire-fencing has not become a serious menace, and the hunting farmers are so numerous that there seems to be a fair chance of keeping it out in any quantity. Clean-bred and cold-bred horses are used indiscrim- inately, according to the taste of the rider, but the runs are long and severe, owing to the pace of hounds, and it is the opinion of the Master that a blood-horse is best suited to the country. The attitude of the landowners, as in most parts of Pennsylvania, is entirely favorable ; many of them turning out regularly and some of them contrib- uting hounds, giving the Lima still somewhat the character of a trencher-fed pack. 63 The London Hunt DISTINCTIVE COLLAR - Gray blue EVENING DRESS Scarlet coal, gray blue collar and facings MASTER The Honorable Adam Beck SECRETARY H. C. Becher, Esq., London, Ontario HUNTSMAN The Master KENNEL HUNTSMAN Robert Imrie WH.PPERS.N - W-'Jt^ZI HOUNDS - 1 8 couples, English KENNELS Masonville, Ontario POST-OFFICE London, Ontario DAYS OF MEETING Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday LENGTH OF SEASON September 1st to December 1st THE year 1 885 saw the foundation of the London Hunt, and as is the case with all the Hunts in Canada, English hounds were procured from the mother country. The Hunt began to enjoy its first years of sport under the Mastership of George C. Gibbons, Esq., who continued in office for fifteen years, finally resigning, in 1900, in favor of a younger man, the present M. F. H. Mr. Adam Beck has today some of the best hunters in America, and in 1 907 the London Hunt Team won at the International Horse Show at Olympia, London, England, to say nothing of having won twice previously at the National Horse Show in New York and at every Canadian Horse Show at which they were exhibited. In 1 902, Mr. Beck imported ten couples of hounds from England, most of them coming from Mr. Salkeld's. At the same time, Will Edwards, now first Whipper-in to the Middlesex, came over to take charge of the hounds, and during the two seasons that he remained at London the pack was brought to the high standard of efficiency at which it has since been kept. 64 I 1 I THE LONDON Until the advent of Edwards, drag-hunting had been the only form of sport indulged in, but during his time there, the hounds went out after foxes on off days, though this was later given up, as the members found that they could not devote sufficient time to it to make it worth while. Mr. Beck himself is a finished horseman, and both he and Mrs. Beck, who is also a keen lover of the sport, are almost always to be seen behind the hounds when they hunt the drag on three days a week during their short season, which lasts only from September 1 st to December 1 st. The country is ideal for drag-hunting, the footing being excellent and the fences clean and free from wire, although big. Mr. Beck has been exten- sively engaged in politics, having been at one time Mayor of the city of Lon- don, Ontario, and has found only too little time to devote to his favorite recreation. Were it not for this fact, fox-hunting would undoubtedly have been successfully established, as foxes are plentiful in the country, and the coverts are moderate in size. In addition to this, the townships are so laid out that it is possible to follow hounds even in the midst of winter, when the snow is heavy, by riding along the roads which are laid out by the Domin- ion Government in exact mile squares, thus enablmg the huntsman and Field to keep with hounds whichever way they turn. The Master has recently imported one or two stallion hounds from Eng- land, and the kennel huntsman, Robert Imrie, has been a successful hound breeder. At present he has eighteen couples in the kennels. The Field is a small but enthusiastic one and several ladies, in addition to the Master's wife, are usually out, notably the Misses Gibbons, daughters of the first Master. Two lines are generally laid for the draghounds, each from two to five miles in length, over beautiful, open, rollmg country, where the fences average not under four feet, six inches. Most of the Field ride half-breds, although the Hunt Staff is always superbly mounted from Mr. Beck's string of clean- bred ones. The hunting territory is acknowledged to be as strongly enclosed as any in America, — the Meadow Brook "north country" not excepted, — and while a fast, sustained gallop over it on a well-bred and well-schooled hunter, 65 THE LONDON in high condition, ciffords as rare enjoyment as a riding man could desire, yet it is equally certain that fox-hunting might be brought to a very high state of perfection in this favored locality. The possibilities at London are almost unlimited, being far greater than those of many a provincial Hunt in England, and it is to be hoped that the next ten years will see the Master hunting foxes with as fine a lot of hounds as he now has horses in his stables. 66 f \V. F.DWARDS, HUNTSMAN 1903-11)04 The Loudoun County Hunt DISTINCTIVE COLLAR _ Scarlet with gieen piping MASTER - ~ Westmoreland Davis, Esq. SECRETARY W. A. Metzger, Esq.. Leesburg, Va. HUNTSMAN Robert Dodd WHIPPER-IN G. Glasscock HOUNDS 12 couples, American KENNELS - - " Morven Park," Leesburg, Va. POST-OFFICE Leesburg, Va. DAYS OF MEETING Tuesday and Saturday LENGTH OF SEASON October 1st to February 15th LEESBURG. VIRGINIA, the county-seat of Loudoun County, is so placed by the conditions of nature that it should have every chance to become one of the great hunting centres of America. Situated in the heart of a beautiful hunting country, convenient to reach by rail from Washington, from which it lies about thirty-five miles northwest on the banks of the Potomac River, it offers many attractions to the hunting man. Its chief drawback lies in the vast quantity of wire fencing which is gradually, but quite surely, taking the place of the timber. Attempts to overcome this evil by putting in panels of post-and-rails are being made, but until some more systematic work is done along these lines, the remedy will amount to little. Still another drawback to the country is the scarcity of foxes in certain portions of it. although they are very plentiful along the creeks. Various men, some of them members of the Loudoun County Hunt, have kept their own hounds from time immemorial, and among these Mr. William Heflin stands pre-eminent. Mr. Heflin has hunted his own hounds in his own way, when and where he chose, for twenty-five years, and continues to 67 THE LOUDOUN COUNTY do so still. Sometimes he joins with the Loudoun County — which is in real- ity little more than a trencher-fed pack — and sometimes he takes them out by himself or with a few friends and, sitting on his horse on top of a hill from which he can command a view of the surrounding country, enjoys his sport after the old-fashioned southern style. The Loudoun County country is really Mr. Heflin's, and he hunted it long before the Club was formed ; but in Virginia, the old settlers respect each other's claims to hunting country very little, or to put it in another form, everyone is welcome in any man's country. This example might well be followed by some of the northern Hunts, which amuse themselves by quarrelling over the division of countries over which they have absolutely no rights. The Loudoun, however, cannot be called one of these. It is a Virginia Hunt, organized by Virginians, and whenever northern hounds have hunted over its territory they have done so at its invitation. In 1 894, several residents of the country, among whom were Mr. Arthur Mason Chichester, Jr., the Club's first President, Mr. W. A. Metzger, who has been its Secretary ever since its inception, Messrs. E. V. White, Henry Fairfax of " Oak Hill," William C. Eustis of " Oatlands House," David B. Tennant, William Heflin, Henry Harrison of " Utopia," and a number of others, organized under the name of the Loudoun County Hunt Club. Mr. Tennant was elected M. F. H., and for a year hunted a pack of nondescript American hounds. In 1 905, Mr. Tennant resigned the Mastership, greatly to the regret of everyone, and Mr. David B. Stevenson was elected in his place. Mr. Stevenson's term of office was very short, as he found himself forced to move to the north for business reasons ; but during his Mastership a drag pack was also maintained and used up to November 1 st, before the crops were in. During the summer of 1 906, Mr. William C. Eustis, who was acting M. F. H., bought the entire pack of the Piedmont hounds from Mr. Dulany and presented them to the Club, and a few months later Mr. Westmoreland Davis, who had recently purchased the large and beautiful estate of " Morven Park," near the town, was elected M. F. H. He thereupon set to work to make Leesburg the great hunting centre he had always hoped it might be- 68 WESTMORELAND DAVIS, ESQ., M.F.H. Krom a Paintini; \n R. Pi-rtv Wilds THE LOUDOUN COUNTY come. Finding that the hounds which belonged to the Hunt when he took office were very unmanageable, — killing twenty-nine sheep on one of the first days in the field, — he destroyed them all, and bought a small draft from Mr. Bywaters of Culpepper, Virginia. Mr. Bywaters breeds the American foxhound, " in its pure state," and claims to have as good as there are in Amenca. Mr. Heflin also very kindly loaned the Club five or six couples of his hounds, and these were hunted two days a week throughout the season of 1 906 by Robert Dodd, wnith George Glasscock whipping-in to him. During the summer, the Board of Governors had invited Mr. A. Henry Higginson of Massachusetts to bring the Middlesex Foxhounds to Virginia for the sea- son, and this pack was hunted on alternate days with the home pack from November I st to January I 5th, the Loudoun taking the field on Tuesday and Saturday and the Middlesex on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. The season was a good one and the excellent sport which both packs showed attracted many visitors from Washington and the north. The season of 1 907 was exceptionally open, and the sport was better than ever, the Middlesex taking four days a week and the Loudoun retain- ing the Tuesday and Saturday meets. Mr. Davis, however, found himself very much occupied with business matters and could not give as much atten- tion to the pack as formerly, which led him to tender his resignation, to take effect at the end of the season. The authors know the Loudoun country very well, having hunted vyrith the Middlesex Foxhounds there throughout the seasons of 1 906 and 1 907, and feel competent to give a more accurate description of it than of almost any in America except their own. As they consider that, judging from last season's Fields, Loudoun County will eventually become the Mecca of all hunting men in America, they hope that their readers wall excuse them for going somewhat into details. To the north of the town, lies what is known as the "Lucketts" country, a strip of territory some twelve miles in length and five or six in width, lying between the Potomac River and the Hog Back range of mountains. The country here is very open and flat ; its best coverts being along the banks of 69 THE LOUDOUN COUNTY the river at Ball's Bluff and at Red Bank. Both these coverts are pretty sure " finds," and foxes found in them are apt to run toward the Hog Back Mountains and, if hard pressed, into the valley beyond or up the side of the ridge, eventually trying to return to their starting point. The enclosures are large and the going sound, most of it being used for pasture and conse- quently very strongly fenced. There is much wire, and where there is not, few of the fences are under four feet eight inches in height, while some of them are five feet or over. The eastern portion of the country, which lies beyond Goose Creek, is rough, heavily wooded, full of ware and not very good hunting, but if one keeps on the Leesburg side of the creek and swangs south along its banks, one comes to a series of coverts which are probably better supplied with foxes than any others. The area south of the town, bounded by Goose Creek, which makes a westerly turn ten miles above, is more wooded than that lying to the north and east. Strong, though rideable woodlands afford ample cover for foxes ; and Fendall's Wood, Fleming's, Maple Swamp and Carter's Wood are almost always productive of a good fox and a good run, the country here being also level and very strongly fenced. If one crosses Goose Creek at the Oatlands bridge, about ten miles south of the town, and goes down the Aldie pike, one is in the heart of the very cream of the country. To the east lies Areola, a bit rough but fairly good galloping, to the south Hickory Grove and Aldie, wath the Bull Run Moun- tain coverts ; while turning to the west one comes to the Skinner coverts, the Marble Quarry, and Steptoe Hill, which offer the best sport of all. Goose Creek divides the Marble Quarry and Steptoe Hill, while Beaver Dam Creek, one of its tributaries, runs just north of it. Steptoe Hill is an absolutely sure "find, " and though the territory for several miles around is hilly, foxes either make for the open country around " Oak Hill," Mr. Henry Fairfax's estate, or turn west toward Mountsville, giving the finest kind of galloping over good, sound upland pastures, just rolling enough to make it in- teresting. Due north of Leesburg, between the Blue Ridge and the Hog Back 70 THE LOUDOUN COUNTY ranges, lies a valley twenty miles long and ten miles wide. The little towns of Waterford, Wheatland, Hamilton and Hillsboro afford popular meets from which to hunt this territory. Catoctin Creek, at one place, makes a very circuitous bend known as "The Horse-shoe," which affords good cover along its banks, in which many foxes breed. Let hounds force a fox out of it into the open, and he must run fast and far over the most beautiful riding country before he can find sanctuary. Little or no hunting was done in this section of the country until 1 908, and the landowners are keen to have hounds there as often as they will come, though for that matter most of the landowners in Virginia are reasonable enough if they are treated with consideration. Such is the " Leicestershire of America," a distinction which is shared by the Piedmont and Orange County countries which adjoin it The Meadow Brook Hunt DISTINCTIVE COLLAR Light blue EVENING DRESS -- - Scarlet coat, light blue facings MASTER - - Samuel Willets, Esq. SECRETARY August Belmont, Jr., Esq., New York, N. Y. HUNTSMAN — Michael Hanlon 1st, William Lambert WHIPPERS-IN - - ) o . , n ( Znd, Jeunes L-osgrove KENNELMAN - - - - Patrick Gibson HOUNDS - - - - - 30 couples, English KENNELS AND POST-OFFICE Westbury, Long Island, N. Y. DAYS OF MEETING - Four days a week LENGTH OF SEASON - \ tT^^f",^: }^'^ 1° ^.^T7 '" ( March 1 5 th to April 15 th FOX-HUNTING on Long Island, of which the Meadow Brook Hunt is to-day the chief exponent, dates from 1 770, when one John Evers maintained and hunted a pack at Hempstead. Horses, hounds and Hunt servants came from England, and among the subscribers to the pack was George Washington, Esq. From a notice posted November 19th, 1 78 1, by the Brooklyn Hunt, that "hounds would throw off at Denyse's Ferry, on the estate of Denyse Denyse, Esq., at The Narrows (now Fort Hamilton), at 9 o'clock, Thursday morning and that a guinea would be given for a good, strong bag-fox " and signed — "Charles Loosely," it appears that there was hunting in that vicinity and that such an organization as the Brooklyn Hunt existed. Denyse Denyse, Esq., was the great-grandfather of H. L. Herbert, Esq., who is now one of the prominent members of the Meadow Brook Hunt and has always given to it his most earnest support. The Revolutionary War brought an 72 1 i THE MEADOW BROOK end to these pioneer efforts, and, as was the case with the hunting about Philadelphia, there was a period of inactivity among fox-hunters. As far as can be discovered, there was little or no hunting about New York City until 1 874, when Colonel Frederick S. Skinner and Mr. Joseph Donohue maintained a pack of hounds on the edge of the Jersey meadows, at Hackensack. Messrs. Skinner and Donohue were in the habit of draw- ing their coverts on foot and when hounds found, of retreating to a horse and buggy which stood in the fields nearby and following as best they could along the roads. When hounds killed, however, they were generally there or there- abouts, and although their methods could hardly be endorsed by any previ- ous customs of the hunting-field, they were hard to beat at their game. Eventually the "goings-on" at Hackensack came to the ears of half-a- dozen young men of New York, one or two of whom had hunted in Eng- land and all of whom were keen for sport of any kind. One by one they stole across to Hackensack and the New Jersey pack began to have a fol- lowing of straight riders. The joint Masters, Messrs. Skinner and Donohue, still kept to their faithful buggy, but welcomed the riders who flew timber and stone and rode out of their way to get the jumping. But the fences were simple, the country was small and the pace was slow, and although a large Field came from New York on Thanksgiving Day of 1 876 to join in the fun, it was soon found that both hounds and country were unsuitable to attain the best results and it was decided to make a move. To Messrs. Skinner and Donohue, however, should be given the credit of whetting the appetites of the slow-moving New Yorkers and inciting them to an appreciation of the possibilities of fox-hunting on Long Island. Early in 1877, four gentlemen, A. Belmont Purdy, William E. Peet, F. Gray Griswold and Robert Center, met at the latter's rooms in New York and subscribed $250 each, to go toward the purchasing of a pack. Mr. Griswold, who was going abroad, was entrusted with their selection and pur- chase, and on his arrival in Ireland he obtained, through Mr. Thomas Tur- bitt of Scribblestown, a pack of harriers. During Mr. Griswold's absence, the other three gentlemen cast about for a suitable country, and eventually selected that now hunted over by the 73 THE MEADOW BROOK Meadow Brook. The lease of a farmhouse, situated on the property which the Meadow Brook Hunt now occupies, was secured, and here, on Octo- ber 4th, 1877, was the first meet of the Queen's County hounds. A cir- cular, setting forth the aims and objects of the Hunt, had been sent out, and the subscriptions which came in response to this were very gratifying; so that when Mr. Frank Griswold, who had been elected Master, rode to the meet with a most useful lookmg pack of about seventeen couples, he was greeted by a large Field, — for those days, — about forty or fifty riders, mounted on every imaginable kind of horse, and by spectators in traps of every sort. Everybody was in earnest, and among the names of those who were there that day vnW be found many familiar ones in the hunting field of to- day, among them being Messrs. William Jay, Elliot Zborowski, Hermann Oelrichs, Elliot Roosevelt, William E. Peet, John Sanford, William C. Sanford, Dr. James Green, Charles G. Franklin, Floyd Brice, Frank Pay son, Charles G. Peters, Alfred Gardner, H. L. Herbert, and of the ladies, Miss Hildegarde Oelrichs, later Mrs. Henderson ; Mrs Forbes-Morgan, Miss Lucy Oelrichs, later Mrs. William Jay; Miss Lucy Work, now Mrs. Cooper Hev^att, and Mrs. Frank Payson. In the whole Field, there were perhaps half-a-dozen qualified hunters, but no falls were recorded, and most of the Field appear to have finished the run. The farmers looked upon what seemed to them an entire novelty with good nature, and even cheerfully replaced the broken rails. Still the Hunt did not escape all opposition, for the Quakers of the neighborhood de- nounced it as a godless employment, and Mr. Henry Bergh, of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, added his protest, declaring it to be " an evil sport and unnaturally cruel." At the present time, it seems to us, the hunting men of to-day, that the criticisms which the members of the fox-hunting fraternity had to meet were absurd and merely expressions of prejudice; but we must remember that many prejudices have died in the last thirty years and that opimons which once existed among the Quakers of Long Island have now ceased. Mr. Benjamin D. Hicks, a large land- ov^ier in the heart of the Meadow Brook country, a man of strong convic- 74 -AM ill Wll 1 THE MEADOW BROOK tions but of consideration for the opinions of others, the vice-president of Mr. Bergh's society, was the last farmer to oppose hunting on principle, and all opposition on that ground has long since ceased. As is usually the case in a country where hunting is new, the first year was very successful. Prosperity smiled on the farmer, his hay and straw found a ready market with the hunting men, who rented houses and stables which had long lain idle, the Fields were large, and at the end of the sea- son, the Hunt gave a ball to the farmers and their families. The neighbor- hood lent encouraging aid and hunting seemed to have got a permanent hold on Long Island. The second season showed the reaction from the energy and enthusiasm of the preceding year, which is often the case. The Fields fell off, the amity of the farmers was not so pronounced, and but for the persistency of the originators of the Hunt it perhaps would have died then. But they con- tinued their sport, and presently things began to look up again. The hounds were moved to Central Morrisania in Westchester County, N. Y., — now a solidly built suburb of the metropolis, — where Mr. Griswold agreed to hunt them for a period not exceeding two years. The attempt re- sulted in a failure; the going proved bad, the fences unsuitable, the fields cramped and the ground too soft in the spring to be ridden over with any satisfaction. It was in no sense a country suitable for draghounds, or, in fact, for any hounds ; and although the kennels were moved farther out — to New Rochelle — there was no additional benefit. On Long Island, as soon as the Queen's County hounds had gone, their loss was appreciated. The hunting spirit was still there, although dormant, and by the spring of 1 880 the demand for another pack was too strong to remain unanswered, and Mr. Belmont Purdy came forward with a proposi- tion to support a pack of his own. He commissioned Mr. J. Burke-Roche to send him hounds from Ireland, and established what is, today, the Meadow Brook Hunt. In this he was assisted by Mr. Thomas Hitch- cock, Jr., who had just returned from Oxford, and these two gentlemen, actmg together, secured the support of the hunting men on Long Island. The pack was hunted the first season at Mr. Purdy's own expense, with 75 THE MEADOW BROOK Charley CuUinan as huntsman and Jim Bergen as whipper-in ; and the sport furnished proving most satisfactory. Long Island hunting was at last estab- lished on a permanent basis. In 1881, the Club was incorporated, among its chief supporters being Messrs. William Jay, August Belmont, Winthrop Rutherford and the late William R. Travers, who was elected to the Presidency of the newly formed organization. About this time, Mr. Griswold, finding that the West- chester country was unsatisfactory, returned to Long Island, bringing with him the Queen's County hounds, of which he was now sole owner. The Long Island country was large enough for both packs, and an amicable ar- rangement between Mr. Griswold and the Meadow Brook Hunt as to the division of the country was made. The Rockaway Hunt, which enjoyed many years of prosperity but was eventually driven out by lack of sufficient territory, was started about this time by Mr. John Cheever. It became a regular organization and numbered among its Masters, Messrs. R; L. la Montagne, J. G Austin, Farley Clark, John E. Cowdin, Eben Stevens, Foxhall P. Keene (later M. F. H. of Meadow Brook), and at one time was hunted by Mr. Griswold in connec- tion wath his own country. Of late years, the Rockaway Hunt has been rejuvenated under the name of the Rockaway Hunting Club, and although its territory does not permit of its keeping up a pack of foxhounds, a race- meeting is held annually at Cedarhurst, Long Island, and its members always hope that at some future date the pack can be re-established. The Meadow Brook Hunt continued to gain in popularity and, after a while, Mr. Belmont Purdy retired from the Mastership and was succeeded by Mr. F. R. Appleton. After Mr. Appleton came Mr. E. D. Morgan, Mr. R. W. Stuart and Mr. Thomas Hitchcock, Jr., in 1891 and 1892. In 1 893, Mr. Griswold was re-elected Master of the Meadow Brook and he, after supporting the Queen's County hounds for his own amusement for a number of years, amalgamated them with the Meadow Brook pack and continued to hunt the two countries until 1 895, when he resigned, turning the country over to the Meadow Brook at that time. Mr. Griswold was Master of Draghounds from 1877 to 1895, some of 76 I ROBERT CUTKSWORTH, HUNTSMAN' 190^-1904 MICHAEL HANLON, HUNTSMAN THE MEADOW BROOK the rime at Meadow Brook and the rest with his own hounds. During that period, he hunted the hounds himself over as stiff a country as exists; country which would make the average Englishman "sit up," as will be seen by the following descriphon taken verbarim from a letter by Capt. Pennell- Elmhirst ("Brooksby") — himself a hard man to hounds all his life — writ- ten from Meadow Brook and to be found in his book " The Best of Fun." "Our route to the meet ran along the Hempstead Plains, on whose broad bosom (as enticing for a gallop almost as Newmarket Heath) the Meadow Brook Hunt have planted their house, kennels and polo ground. On our right lay farm land of the usual Long Island type, fields of somewhat rugged grass, now brown and scorched by the outgoing heat-season, and stubble and dust-garden remaining from lately gathered harvest. The whole is upon a light loamy soil that never bakes hard and so never rebels obstinately against a horse's footfall. Thus concussion is minimized and horses can go on jumping freely year after year. On the other hand, it is never deep or spongy with wet, the descending rain finding its way rapidly to the water- level, some six feet only below the surface. "'Surely you don't ride at a flight of rails like that?' I enquired, pointing to a first barricade that met my troubled gaze, to wit, — a mortised erection of open bars, each of them as thick as a man's thigh and the lot carried con- siderably higher than an ordinary Leicestershire gate. ' Why yes, that's nothing much. The farmers aim at setting their fences at four feet eight to keep their stock in.* I asked no more, but held my peace, while the horrid parallel intruded itself upon my mind of the condemned man in the prison-car catching a first view of the gallows awaiting him. But I gazed and gazed as each successive bone-trap hove in view and you may depend upon it, the longer I looked, the less I liked them, and I wondered who would ride the horses at home in Old England. " This IS the country over which Mr. Gnswold rode for nineteen years ; and let us again quote from " Brooksby's " letter to show how he did it. " With the Mastership, be it added, comes the privilege at all times and under all circumstances of leading the Field in pursuit of hounds. Were this rule enforced in Old England, imagine the feelings of an M. F. H. 77 THE MEADOW BROOK called upon to live in front of the galloping hundreds of the Quorn or Pytch- ley, or, for that matter, of many another pack. As we rode to the meet, I wondered as I glanced forward, what proportion, or if even a substratum, of truth lay in the comforting words of the Master. ' Very big and gaunt these fences look,' I remarked, adding, with a jauntiness I was far from feeling, 'but they say the horses here jump well enough.' ' Oh, you'll find some rails down or a gap in almost every one,' he answered, and 1 believed him as the artless miner believed the heathen Chinee. But see, what is he domg now? Where are the rails down, and where is the gap? Six foot of timber, surely, and he is within three strides, both ears cocked and both spurs in. Nay, I will lower six inches, but never another inch, an I have to prove it at pistol point. Well, it was death or degradation now and no time to balance the account, so I gave the old horse a strong pull, gripped him tight between my nervous knees, chose my panel some three lengths from my instigator and sat still for the result. Rugged and awful loomed the ponderous top rail on a level wath my horse's ears, one of which — ill omen — was twinkling toward the exemplar on our right. A moment more and we seemed right under the frowning barricade, then a hoist, a bang, a prolonged quiver, but no fall, though a yard of turf was ploughed up, and the demonstrator turned quietly in his saddle for a smile and a word of encouragement." Mr. Griswold was succeeded in 1896 by Mr. Ralph N. Ellis, under whose management the Hunt flourished for six years. Mr. Ellis is a strong believer in American hounds, and toward the latter part of his Mastership he brought his own pack of American hounds into the country, kenneling them a few miles away from the Club and taking them out two days a week after foxes. While the experiment was not wholly successful, it gave the followers of the Meadow Brook drag a zest for the "real thing," and fox-hunting was established as one of the regular pursuits, a certain element preferring it to the more exciting occupation of drag-hunting. Mr. Ellis resigned as Master at the end of the season of 1 902, and Mr. Foxhall P. Keene was elected in his place. Much of the early history of the Meadow Brook which is here written is taken from an article on hunting written by Mr. Ellis in 1 90 1 . With the coming of Mr. Keene as M. F. H., a new system began at 76 HUNT STAFF AND HOUNDS THE HOUN'DS THE MEADOW BROOK Meadow Brook, for Mr. Ellis had given the Field a taste of fox-hunting and they wanted more. Mr. Keene is a staunch believer in the English system of hunting and in the English foxhound, and he decided to give it to them along those lines. Accordingly he purchased, in 1 902, Mr. Salkeld's entire pack, which was offered for sale in England. Mr. Salkeld's foxhounds had been hunted about the rough, hilly country of Cumberland, where the coverts are large and the scenting conditions poor, and Mr. Keene thought that they would be admirably suited to conditions on Long Island. In order that no stone should be left unturned to make this experiment successful, he engaged Robert Cotesworth to come to America and act as huntsman to the Meadow Brook. Cotesworth had had a long experience with the best packs in England, having served as a whipper-in at Atherstone, Brocklesby and Belvoir, and as huntsman to Earl Bathurst's Vale of White Horse foxhounds. With Cotesworth came his son Tom, who acted in the capacity of first whipper- in, while Hannon, who had been a long time at Meadow Brook, served as second whipper-in. Thirty-two couples comprised the Salkeld pack and with these Mr. Keene hunted foxes three days a week, the draghounds go- ing out on the other three days as before. The experiment was not wholly successful, the scenting conditions on the sandy Long Island soil being far from good ; and, although the Fields were large, Mr. Keene was discour- aged and in 1 904 gave up the Mastership and sold the entire hunting es- tablishment at auction. The hounds, which had been very successful "on the flags," having won at the Westminster Kennel Club Show at the Garden in 1 905, were bought in by the Club, and the Mastership passed to Mr. P. F. Collier, who had for a long time maintained a pack of his own in Mon- mouth County, New Jersey. The Cotesworths both left and went to the Middlesex, and Mr. Collier found himself without a huntsman for his pack. He made arrangements with Mr. John Foster of England to hunt the Eng- lish hounds for him three days a week, and they were so hunted during the season of 1905—6. Mr. Collier also made arrangements with Mr. H. I. Varner of Arkansas to bring his pack of American hounds to the Meadow Brook country and hunt them on alternate days with the English hounds. 79 THE MEADOW BROOK The drag pack, which was the property of the Club, continued to go out three days a week in the afternoon, making a total of nine "days" (!) a week during the season of 1905—6. This proved a failure, Mr. Foster failing to show even as good sport with the English foxhounds as Cotesworth had, and at the end of the season his connection with the Hunt was severed. Neither did Mr. Varner show any great sport, and he returned to Arkansas at the end of the season. The drag continued to hold its own in the eyes of the hard-riding element who only considered hounds as an excuse for a steeplechase. The season of 1906—7 was rather more successful. James Blaxland hunted Mr. Collier's American foxhounds, while Edgar Caffyn acted as huntsman to the draghounds, now recruited by the remains of Mr. Keene's once famous pack, many of which had been sold ; but Mr. Collier found that he could not spare the time to devote to two packs, and as he washed to continue his private pack in New Jersey, he resigned his Mastership at the close of the season. In the spring of 1 907, the draghounds were hunted by a committee, but in the summer Mr. Samuel Willets was elected to the Mastership, and as he had no proper pack of foxhounds, he invited Mr. Paul Rainey to hunt the country three days a week with his private pack of American foxhounds, the draghounds continuing to go out as usual under Mr. Willets' Mastership. This is the state of affairs at Meadow Brook at present writing, Mr. Willets now having about thirty couples of English hounds in the kennels. Just what the coming years may bring forth is an open question ; but certain it is that the members of the Hunt and the residents of Long Island will al- ways wish sport of some sort — be it drag-hunting or fox-hunting — across their country. CLAUDE HATCHER, HUNTSMAN The Middleburg Hunt DISTINCTIVE COLLAR Black velvet MASTER Samuel P. Fred, Esq. HUNTSMAN - Claude Hatcher KENNELS AND POST-OFFICE Middleburg, Va. DAYS OF MEETING Wednesday and Friday LENGTH OF SEASON October 1st to March 15th THE Middleburg Hunt dates, as an organization, from 1 906, and was founded by Messrs. Samuel P. Fred, H. J. and A. S. Duffy, Johnson Russell, John R. Townsend, Dr. Luck and several others. In 1905, hunting about Middleburg was given a great impetus by the fox-hunting match between the Middlesex and Grafton Hounds, which took place partly in that country. The Master of the Middlesex made his headquarters at Middleburg, and many of the meets were held in what is now the Middleburg country. Such good sport was the result that, in 1 906, the landowners about Middleburg invited Mr. Higginson, Master of the Middlesex, to come back and hunt the country ; but arrangements having already been made by him to hunt the Loudoun Hunt country, adjoining, he was compelled to decline. In the spring of 1 906 there was a good deal of trouble between Mr. Harry W. Smith, M. F. H. of the Grafton, and Mr. John R. Townsend M. F. H. of the Orange County, with kennels at The Plains, Va., as to who should hunt at Middleburg the following season, Mr. Smith's claims being backed by the Piedmont Hunt, which had always hunted over the district. Mr. Townsend, however, eventually got the better of the dispute and he installed part of the Orange County pack at Middleburg with Mr. Percy Evans as Deputy-Master. During the season of 1 906, The Plains country 81 THE MIDDLEBURG and the Middleburg country were hunted in this manner, and the Orange County showed very satisfactory sport at both places. In 1 907, Mr. Evans resigning his office as Deputy-Master, Mr. Townsend took up the Mastership himself, leaving Claude Hatcher, the huntsman, in charge of the Middleburg pack, which also hunted the Piedmont country. This courtesy was extended by Mr. R. Hunter Dulany, to whom the hered- itary title to the Piedmont Mastership had descended on the death of his father, Col. Richard H. Dulany. In 1 908, Mr. Samuel P. Fred was elected Master of the Middleburg Hunt, and although the club is, in reality, an offshoot of the Orange County Hunt and owns no hounds of its own, it still retains recognition from the National Steeplechase and Hunt Association. Just what hounds will hunt their country another season is in doubt, although it is probable that the Orange County will resume its sway. The country, which is surrounded by the territory of the Loudoun County, Orange County and Piedmont Hunts, is as good as could be asked for. Its greatest drawback is Goose Creek, a stream which runs through much of its best territory, and which, although it is fordable in many places, sometimes spoils a good run for the Field. But there is a lot of open country lying be- tween Aldie and Middleburg, pretty free from ware, and well supplied with foxes, which gives excellent sport. The fences are rather easier than in the Loudoun country, though on the Piedmont side there are many stone walls of great size, and it requires a good, big-jumping horse to carry a man well over the country. The authors well remember a run during the hound match in 1905 when a fox was found near Goose Creek, along whose banks there are many earths, which gave the Field the best kind of going at top- pace for over an hour with hardly a strand of wire in the line. Mr. Townsend has hunted the country with both English and American hounds and has come to prefer the latter, though perhaps he has hardly given the former a fair trial. Whoever hunts the Middleburg country may be assured of warm support from the landowners themselves, most of whom are hunting men and breed as fine a type of horse for the country as can be found anywhere. 82 i I I The Middlesex Foxhounds (MR. HIGGINSON'S) DISTINCTIVE COLLAR White (Green facings and piping worn by Master and servants only.) EVENING DRESS Scarlet coat, white collar, green facings MASTER A. Henry Higginson, Esq. SECRETARY Grafton St. L. Abbott, Esq., Concord, Mass. HUNTSMAN - - The Master KENNEL HUNTSMAN - Edward Cotcsworth WHIPPERS-IN \ \'\ David Thornton ( znd, r red Hoxiord HOUNDS - 50 couples, English KENNELS AND POST-OFFICE South Lincoln, Mass. DAYS OF MEETING Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday LENGTH OF SEASON - August 1st to February 1st MANY people in Massachusetts think that fox-hunting proper is quite impossible in that State because of the difficulty of riding to hounds. If the matter is carefully looked into they would see, as have the followers of the Middlesex, that while it is impossible to be with hounds all the time, it is perfectly feasible to be on terms with them in nine cases out of ten, and that, given a fair chance and efficient earth- stopping, hounds v«ll kill often enough to keep blooded, while the lover of hound work will be rewarded by many a good hunting day. At Myopia and Norfolk, both near neighbors of the Middlesex, only the drag is hunted, and when one realizes that many of their members are business men v«th too many duties to allow them to devote an entire day to the sport, this is quite natural. At Middlesex it is somewhat different; the pack is in every sense a private one and the Hunt Club proper, which is very small, has little to do with its management, the Field being free to all. 83 THE MIDDLESEX The Hunt dates from 1 897, when the Ridgewood Beagles were hunted under the joint Mastership of Messrs. R. B. Baker and A. Henry Higginson in a small area which is now a portion of the present Middlesex country. For several years the hounds were kenneled at Mr. Baker's place near Wal- tham, and it was not until 1901 that recognition from the National Steeple- chase and Hunt Association was applied for and granted. At that time the present Master had been hunting the little hounds around South Lincoln for about a year, with the two Messrs. Baker acting as amateur whippers-in. The Hunt grew by degrees, and presently, as is always the case, the need for better and faster hounds was felt. A draft of foxhounds was accordingly purchased from the Myopia, but as these did not prove to be just what was wanted, a friend in England was pressed into service and a draft sent from there. These first hounds came from the Brookside Harriers, an old pack, which Mr. Steyning Baird had just given up, and were really miniature foxhounds. They served very well for a year or two on the drag, and if that kind of cross-country riding had remained the only form of sport, matters might not have taken the turn they did. But one day, late in the season, the harriers were taken out after foxes, stumbled on to a good line and furnished such a good run that it was promptly decided that the acquisition of a good pack of foxhounds was the next step. With this object in view the Master went to England in the spring of 1 904 and there was lucky enough to fall into very good hands. Mr. C. W. B. Fernie of Leicester was kind enough to let his draft for the year go a bit early, and v«th eleven couples from this well-known pack, which is full of the peerless Belvoir blood, the Middlesex pack of today was founded. Early in August, twenty more couples came over from England and with these came Will Ryder, who had been engaged by Charles Isaac, Mr. Fernie's hunts- man, to act as whipper-in. Then followed a series of calamities ; the Master was ill and out of the saddle most of the autumn, and although Mr. J. I. Chamiberlain was an efficient Field Master, he was handicapped by the loss of Ryder, who had to go home to England. About this time, however, Mr. Foxhall P. Keene gave up the Master- ship of the Meadow Brook Hounds on Long Island, and Bob Cotesworth, 84 I I I NED COTESWORTH, KENNEL HUNTSMAN THE MIDDLESEX who had come from England to hunt the Meadow Brook in 1 905, resigned his position and came to the Middlesex. He was the right man at the right time, and his judgment and skill in kennel and field management made a great deal of difference to the Master, who was practically a novice at the game. While he was with the Middlesex the latter ceased to hunt the hounds himself, deeming it wiser to leave that part of the work to the little man from Leicestershire, who, with his experience from Belvoir, Atherstone, Brocklesby, etc., in old England, to aid him, did wonders in New England. In 1905, more hounds came from Mr. Femie's, sent by Charles Isaac, who takes great interest in his " American pack," as he calls it ; and with plenty of good blood to breed from, Cotesworth succeeded in greatly improving the pack, both in working qualities and general levelness. Among the excellent hounds bred in the kennels during his regime, "Fancy," "Nimrod," "Nota- ble," and "Purity," all entered in 1906, are worthy of particular mention as having done well, both in the field and on the flags. Middlesex County, lying as it does not far from Boston, is very accessible to sportsmen, and although, like all New England countries, it is hampered by vfire and the size of the coverts, two obstacles that make it difficult to get as good runs as might be desired, it abounds in red foxes, which give hounds plenty to do. The season of 1904, Cotesworth's first, was productive of two results. The first of these was an excellent season, and the second the controversy in the columns of The Rider and T^rioer between Mr. Harry W. Smith, Master of the Grafton, and the Master of the Middlesex anent the compara- tive excellence of English and American hounds. This led to the now famous English-American foxhound match in the Piedmont Valley of Virginia in the autumn of 1 905. It is not the intention of the authors to discuss this question here ; it is now a matter of history. Whatever its faults, the match resulted in some very good days in the hunting field, and both contestants came away with a better opinion of their rivals than they had previously held, while from a spectacular point of view it was a great event. America is not EJigland, and when a Field of eighty turns up to meet hounds, as was the case the opening day, on the picturesque lawn of Col. Dulany's country seat, as THE MIDDLESEX " Wellbourne," it means a good deal. Representatives of twenty-six Hunts were there that day, and many of them had come a long journey to be present. There were some very good days in the fortnight which followed ; and when the Middlesex hounds finally went north again to their home country they left many friends behind them. The match was productive of one result which made a great deal of dif- ference in the future of the pack. Up to that time the Virginians had not seen what a really good pack of English foxhounds could do; in fact, they were very much under the impression that English hounds, while they might be all right in their own country, could show no sport in America, a judg- ment based on the work of a few single hounds which had drifted into the country. So good, however, were some of the days in 1905, that the Vir- ginians began to think that, after all, there was a good deal of sport in hunt- ing behind a pack of well-mannered hounds which ran together and were amenable to some discipline, even if they were not quite so good at cold trailing as their American cousins. At any rate, in the spring of 1 906, Mr. Higginson received an invitation from the Masters of both the Piedmont and the Loudoun County Hunts to take three days a week of their respective countries for the following season. The objection to this plan was, of course, that it meant a shortening of the home season in Massachusetts, but arrange- ments were finally made by which this could be done to the satisfaction of all concerned. Thirty-five couples of hounds, together with horses and the Hunt staff, went to Leesburg, Virginia, in the Loudoun country, and ken- neled there at "Big Spring Farm," very kindly loaned by Westmoreland Davis, Esq., M. F. H. of the Loudoun County Hunt ; and during the months of November, December and January, the Middlesex went out three days a week and the Loudoun two. The Loudoun country borders on that over which the foxhound match had been held in the previous year, so that some of it was familiar to Bob Cotesworth, who hunted the hounds this season for the last time, with Harry Hopkins, late of the Vine, and Will Edwards as whippers-in. Loudoun County and its bordering country is the equal, if not the superior, of any hunting country in America. The coverts are large, but not so large 86 THE MIDDLESEX that it is hard to get foxes out of them; and once out, one has the finest possible country to ride over. The fences are big and stifjf, and it takes "a horse and a man" to negotiate them, but what fox-hunter minds the fences on a crisp autumn day when hounds are running? Foxes, too, are fairly abundant, and the Master was glad at the end of the season to accept the invitation of the Loudoun Hunt Committee to " come back again." Bob Cotesworth resigned at the end of the season, thus ending a thirty years service in the hunting field, leaving the pack, which he had done so much toward making in the new country, in excellent shape for the Master, who had decided to resume the hunting of them himself. He was succeeded in the kennel by his brother Ned, late huntsman to the Linlithgow and Stir- lingshire, while Will Edwards was promoted to the position of first whipper- in and a new man, David Thornton, engaged as second. The season of 1 907-8 in Virginia was far better than that of 1 906-7 ; foxes being more plentiful, scenting conditions better, and the hounds themselves much im- proved, this year taking the field four days a week from October I 5th to February 1 st. The plan of going to Virginia for the latter part of the hunt- ing season has now become a regular thing with the Middlesex, as it admits of hunting at least three months after the frost has made sport impossible in the north. The home country about Lincoln is far from being a bad one, and is very fortunate in having an excellent class of landowners who enjoy the sport and are justly proud of the pack and its prowess all over the country. Puppy walkers are always to be found, and the annual Puppy Show in the spring and the Horse Show in the autumn are gala days for the countryside. Drag-hunting has now been completely abandoned, the Master beginning his cubbing early in August, and the sport continuing at Lincoln until the mid- dle of October, when the pack goes south and hunts until the frost puts a stop to it, usually about February 1 st. Just a word here as to the pack. As has been stated, most of the parent stock came from Mr. Fernie's, although there has been a slight infusion of Milton Fitzwilliam and Badminton blood, while a few hounds have come from the Warwickshire and Southdown. The Master's theory always has 87 THE MIDDLESEX been to get the best blood that could be procured in drah hounds, and then from these to breed such a pack as was needed to do the best work under existing conditions. While the motto " Handsome is as handsome does," is applied in the drafting of such hounds as are not first-class in the field, the Middlesex has always been prominent on the flags, and its successes at the Westminster Kennel Club shows in the winter and the National Hound shows in the spring are well known. It may be interesting to note that the first National Hound Show, mod- elled on the famous Hound Show at Peterboro, England, was held at South Lincoln, near the kennels of the Middlesex, in 1906. This initial effort met with such success that succeedmg shows were held in 1 907 and 1 908, and the affair is now an annual fixture. Cups are offered by Masters of Hounds all over the United States and Canada, and at the initial show three noted Masters in England, His Grace the Duke of Beaufort, G. C. W. Fitzwilliam, Esq., and C. W. B. Fernie, Esq., lent their support by doing likewise. J. L. STACK, ESQ., M.F.H. The Midlothian Hunt Club DISTINCTIVE COLLAR Green velvet EVENING DRESS _ Scarlet coat, green facings MASTER J. L. Stack, Esq. SECRETARY S. C. Stewart, Esq., Chicago, 111. HUNTSMAN - James Walker WHIPPERS-IN \ l'\ ^^" McDurmat ( 2nd, Percy Hamilton HOUNDS - 111-2 couples, American KENNELS - Midlothian, lU. POST-OFFICE - Blue Island, 111. DAYS OF MEETING -.- Monday, Wednesday and Saturday I FNIf^TH OF SFASDN ^ Spring season, five weeks. Summer, once a ( week at daybreak. Autumn, three months DURING the summer of 1 903, a number of gentlemen belonging to the Midlothian Country Club, situated about twenty miles out of Chicago on the Rock Island Railway, decided to follow the example of the Onwentsia of Lake Forest, near Chicago, and to form a club within a club, as it were, by starting a pack of hounds. Among these gentle- men were the Messrs. H. L. Swift, Keith Spalding, James D. Small, Robert J. Thome, Thomas E. Donnelly, Wallace de Wolfe, Robert P. Lamont, J. L. Stack and Dyke Williams. Few of them knew anything about hunting, but, all being interested in horses, these pioneers felt that it could be made a success at Midlothian as it had at Onwentsia. Mr. James L. Stack was elected Master and has con- tinued to fill that position up to the present time. Of course, it is always a great advantage to a Hunt to have the same Master continuously. He gets in touch with the landowners and it makes a 89 THE MIDLOTHIAN great deal of difference to everyone to know that the regime is a good one. Whether it is due to this state of affairs or to Mr. Stack's gift of making the farmers happy is difficult to say, but it is probably due to a little of both. At any rate, in the five seasons during which the present Master has presided over the pack, he has succeeded in getting them to take a stand which few of the westerners do. They are exceptionally liberal; in fact, Mr. Stack informs us that most of them are not only wilhng but desirous of having the Hunt in their country. As has been pointed out in several of the articles in this book, the landowners have many things to gain by having foxhounds on their land, and this is especially true of those owning farms near a prosperous country club in the vicinity of a big city. Many a prospective landov^mer gets his first glimpse of his future country-seat while following hounds, and the more intelligent class of farmers are not slow in finding this out. The question of being allowed to ride over the land is a very great one in America, and particularly in the west, where there are few settlers from the mother country who understand the game and like it. Wire, too, plays an impor- tant, though disagreeable, part in the history of most of the western packs, and this evil has been overcome at Midlothian by panelling fences with timber in the usual manner. The country, except for this evil, is unusually good in wet as well as in dry weather, as it is, for the most part, sound high land. The pack is composed of American hounds, which the Master considers better suited to his purposes, and as most of the subscribers are business men, the Club numbering few ladies among its followers, the drag is resorted to as a rule, but it is hoped that in due course of time, one day a week will be devoted to fox-hunting. DR. M. O MALLEY KNOTT, HON. HUNTSM.^N The Millbrook Hunt DISTINCTIVE COLLAR Black with green piping MASTER Charles C. Marshall. Esq.. Millbrook. N. Y. HON. HUNTSMAN J. Middleton O'MaUey Knott, M. D. HON. WHIPPER-IN W. A. Laing. Esq. HOUNDS 1 couples. English KENNELS "Milestone." Millbrook, N. Y. POST-OFFICE Millbrook, N. Y. DAYS OF MEETING Monday and Saturday LENGTH OF SEASON September 1st to May 15th DUTCHESS COUNTY, New York, is a comparatively unex- plored country from a hunting point of view, although Mr. G. Howard Davison of the Altamont Stock Farm maintained a small private pack in the late nineties which was used for a season or two for drag- and hare-hunting. In August, 1 907, a draft of six couples of Eng- lish foxhounds was imported by Mr. Charles C. Marshall, and these, aug- mented by seven couples, the gift of Mr. Charles D. Freeman, formerly Master of the Watchung Hunt, were established in kennels at Millbrook. A number of the residents of the neighborhood, all of whom owned large estates, subscribed to the maintenance of the pack, among them being Mrs. Daniel S. Lamont and the Messrs. Oakleigh Thome, L. Stuart Wing, H. H. Flagler, Barnes Compton, H. Louis Slade, J. T. Tower, J. Morgan Wing, and H. R. McLean. Mr. Charles C. Marshall, who owns the pack, was elected Master, and Dr. Middleton O'Malley Knott, formerly Master and Honorary Huntsman to the Watchung, consented to act in the latter capacity to the new organization, with Mr. W. A. Laing turning hounds to him. Mr. Marshall and Dr. Knott are both keen hound men, and are taking the utmost pains in their hound breeding in the hope of establishing a 91 THE MILLBROOK first-class pack to hunt the foxes which abound in the neighborhood. The country is an open one, consisting largely of extensive tracts of pasture land interspersed wath large, highly cultivated farms. The surface of the country varies, the minimum elevation bemg about four hundred feet and the max- imum thirteen hundred. Level stretches of large extent are found in the valleys, but the character of the country is generally rolling. The going is unusually firm, and owing to the dryness of the soil the season often remains open far into the winter, and hounds are seldom stopped by frost. The fences, which are quite free from wire, are usually of the post-and-rail or "snake" varieties, with a few stone walls scattered throughout the country, the enclos- ures being small and the jumping in some portions very trappy; so that a clever, quiet jumper is found safer and more useful than one who flies his fences. The attitude of the landowners is marked by friendliness, some of the farmers being regular members of the Hunt, and showing a keen appreciation of the sport. The Millbrook hunts both fox and hare, there being a quan- tity of both in the coverts, which, although fairly large, are not thick and can be ridden through in most cases. Some ten years before the Hunt was organized a number of German hares were introduced by Mr. Charles F. Dietrich, and these by rapid increase have now become a great nuisance to the farmers, who are only too glad to have them hunted. A drag is occa- sionally laid in the autumn, but Mr. Marshall hopes in time to do away with this form of the sport entirely. 92 The Millwood and Owl's Nest Hounds MASTERS N. I. Bowditch Esq. and R. F. Perkins. Esq. Freimingham, Mass. HUNTSMAN _ One of the Masters HON. WHIPPER-IN John P. Bowditch. Esq. HOUNDS - 1 5 couples, American KENNELS AND POST-OFFICE Framingham. Mass. DAYS OF MEETING Three days a week LENGTH OF SEASON September 1st to March 1st BEFORE the present Master of the Middlesex Foxhounds was old enough to go to school, fox-hunting m Middlesex County, Massa- chusetts, was firmly established, and although the Millwood and Owl's Nest Hounds are now little more than a small pnvate pack, the Mas- ters of the Norfolk and the Middlesex never hunt the Framingham country without asking permission of Mr. N. I. Bowditch, to whom the hereditary title of M. F. H. has descended. As early as 1866, Mr. E. F. Bowditch settled in Framingham, and his small private pack, which was kenneled at " Millwood," his country-seat, has always been kept up by his sons. Mr. Robert F. Perkins, the Master of the Owl's Nest Hounds, who, in his college days, was a frequent visitor at " Millwood, " has been kind enough to give the authors some of his recollec- tions of the early days, which we feel are of sufficient interest to the younger generation of New England sportsmen to quote in full : " The private pack of E. F. Bowditch, Esq., has for fifteen years missed the Master, who cared not only for the science of fox-hunting but also for the splendid hospitality that went with it, the whole being simply an incident in the busy life of a gentleman of means who lived all the year round on his own estate and who combined his farming — which indeed embraced every effort in that direction calculated to help the farmer — with the management 93 THE MILLWOOD AND OWL'S NEST of hospitals and other charitable organizations. Mr. Bowditch was always in the saddle, winter and summer, at about six o'clock in the morning, and doubtless the first of the jumping began in getting from one part of the farm to another in his daily inspection of the estate. Many a tumble have I seen at these times when larking green ones — and they were all pretty green in those days — or trying experiments in jumping without girths or stirrups. It was easy enough to give up the latter, but the combination usually stumped us, and saddle and rider would find themselves together on the ground. The morning hour was the favorite one for such things, and fox-hunting came naturally enough; first, I think, with hounds from the Myopia — then a very young organization itself — and later with drafts from England and from Canada. These gradually gave way to the 'native' or half-bred animal which is the sort of hound kept at ' Millwood ' today. At that time, I be- lieve, there was no other riding to hounds in New England, except at Myopia, and there were no particular traditions to follow. Mr. Bowditch had never hunted in England nor had he visited the gentlemen hunting their own hounds in the south or in the Genesee Valley, so that the details of kennel management and breeding and even fox-hunting itself, were mere in- cidents in the general plan of a pleasant existence. " Even so, many a younger and lighter man found the task of following the Master, on old ' Pumpkin,' over his country at the tail of his small and undis- ciplined pack, none too easy. There were plenty of foxes and little, if any, wire in the early days and I verily believe that old Brown, the huntsman, knew personally every fox in the country-side; and if, as was often the case, we lost the hounds, he would take us either to them, or to the earth, by some short cut. " Old Brown was, and still is, for that matter, an Englishman, and took most naturally to the sport. Mounted on 'Soapsuds,' a Roman-nosed yellow beast, he negotiated the country in a most marvelous manner. It could never be said that he was a bold rider and it wouldn't have helped him if he had been, for 'Soapsuds' flew nothing, he climbed, and he knew all the gaps and short cuts. I can almost hear old Brown talking to his horse and his hounds now — it was all a feature of the morning, and such mornings as those 94 I THE MILLWOOD AND OWL'S NEST were — when we saw the sun rise from the top of Nobscot Mountain! Two or three times a week the hounds went out, the Field consisting of the family and any friends who happened to be on hand. Scrambled eggs and coffee before it was light, a new horse to try or an old one to exercise — likely enough a couple or two of new hounds or youngsters — and the duties of town or college seemed to have mighty little place in the minds of the party that started away from the house. " One of the events always looked forward to and planned for with much pleasure was the visit of the Myopia hounds under the Mastership of Frank Seabury, Esq. Many of the Myopia Field, men and women, came with their horses and servants, to be quartered either at the little Inn in the village or to be guests at ' Millwood.' Such evenings as we had before the big hall fireplace, the huntsman coming for his morning orders, interrupting the stories and music ! Sometimes there was a supper followed by dancing to the music of two fiddlers at the old Wayside Inn in Sudbury where of late years the Norfolk and Middlesex hounds have held many a successful meet. Frank Codman was there and Ned Choate, ' Marsh ' Abbott and George Warren and his sister, and Murray Forbes, Fletcher Abbott and many another, some of whom have now gone on, although the old Master, Mr. Frank Seabury, is still in the saddle. If all these recollections of those old days are neither useful nor scientific data on fox-hunting, at least they con- stitute the pleasantest elements of the whole thing and will be remembered for many a long year by those of us who enjoyed them. " But there was no lack of hard riding at times and although there were no scarlet coats, except when the Myopia people joined us, horses were turned out in a workmanlike fashion. "There were no Horse or Hound shows then, and no particular incentive to correct appointments, but there certainly was fox-hunting under the pleasantest conditions." After Mr. Bowditch's death, in 1 892, the life of the hunting went out for a time, though it was gradually taken up again by Mr. N. I. Bowditch, to whom the hereditary Mastership of the country had descended. Since 1 895, the hunting has been more active, although lack of time to devote to it has 95 THE MILLWOOD AND OWL'S NEST been the reason for its irregularity. Of late years, there has scarcely been a week in the season that either the Millwood Hounds, now reinforced by southern drafts and ably managed by Mr. John P. Bowditch and his sister Miss Elizabeth Bowditch, or the Owl's Nest Hounds — Mr. Perkins' — have not been out. Sometimes there is a Field of a dozen, oftener only the family and a few guests ; but the hunting has always prospered and always will, in spite of the hindrance of wire, for the farmers are used to the family and are always glad to see them. Mr. Perkins is still keen and always in the saddle with his hounds, hunt- ing them himself, and in speaking of the sport, past and present, he concludes as follows : " Old Brown sits by his cottage door and wishes us well, as we ride by with the grand-children his old Master never saw, and the tears come into the old man's eyes at the memory of the days that will never come again." % The Missouri Hunt and Polo Club DISTINCTIVE COLLAR Old gold MASTER - St. Clair Streett. M.D. SECRETARY F. S. Young, Esq., Kansas City, Mo. HUNTSMAN L. N. Nagill WHIPPERS-IN - \ \'\ Y; W- Guernsey ( 2nd, Hall Harrison HOUNDS \ ^ '^°"P'"' Eng'isli ( 8 couples, American KENNELS 5 miles south of Kansas City, Mo. POST-OFFICE - Westport Station, Kansas City, Mo. DAYS OF MEETING Wednesday and Saturday LENGTH OF SEASON \ °f,^;' l'V°/^"*7 '??. ( and March 1 5th to May 1 5th SHORTLY after the formation of tfie Onwentsia Hunt, near Chicago, a number of gentlemen of Kansas City, Missouri, decided to form a club in that vicinity for the furtherance of hunting or, rather, of rid- ing to hounds. As those who have been in the western part of Amenca are aware, wire fencing is general, and while the line of the drag can be laid in such a manner as to avoid this, it is quite out of the question to hunt foxes where wire is as plentiful as it is about Kansas City. Drag- hunting, therefore, has taken the place of the better sport ; and in a country where all the fences are high enough and strong enough to keep m stock, no one can say that the Missourians have chosen a child's game. Except for the superabundance of wire, the founders of the club had everything in their favor, many residents of Kansas City being found who were only too glad to jom m the project. In 1 902, then, the Missouri Hunt and Polo Club was duly incorporated under the laws of the State of Missouri, and in the autumn Mr. S. H. Velie, 97 THE MISSOURI Jr., was elected Master, and began hunting with a draft of hounds procured from the Toronto. The sport proved very popular, and in 1 903 found a greater following, Mr. Velie continuing in office during 1903 and 1904, when the present Master, Dr. St. Clair Streett, was elected. Various addi- tions to the pack have been made, some hounds having been procured from the London Hunt, of London, Ontario, and the Middlesex Foxhounds, of South Lincoln, Mass., as well as some American hounds which were drafted from the Radnor Hunt. The present Master has some fourteen couples in the kennels, about equally divided between American and English, and he is breeding the American dogs to the English bitches, with a view to getting a fast draghound with the steadiness and reliability of the English hound, and especially the babbling ability of his American cousin. So much for the pack. As for the mounts, it may be remarked that Kansas City can boast a very fine lot of hunters. Dr. Streett's own string, three of which are shown in one of the illustrations to this article, are all of them clean-breds, or very nearly so, and as the Master has the reputation of going hard, it goes with- out saying that they can jump and gallop. The country, as has been said, is cursed with wire, but except for that it is almost ideal from a drag-hunting point of view. It is rolling in places, with a fair amount of open woodland, and there are great stretches of grassland and pasture enclosed with high, strong fences. Nothing but a big-jumping, clean-bred horse can live behind a fast pack in such a country as this, and that is the kind of animal in general use. Dr. Streett, acting for the Club, has taken great pains to make friends with the landowners in the country, and the result is very gratifying. Each year the Club gives a luncheon to the farmers of the vicinity, and always welcomes them to its Field Day and polo matches. Many of the landowners are members of the Hunt, and the Mas- ter is always glad to see them in the Field behind the hounds. During the last year Dr. Streett's efforts in this direction have met wath such success that the Hunt has now an area over which to ride more than five times as large as in the years of its infancy. The Club maintains its own stables, kennels, schooling ground and polo field at Westport Station, some five miles south of Kansas City, and from I 4 THE MISSOURI October 1 st to January 1 0th, and again for two months from March I 5th, in the spring, the hunting is in full swing. In time it is hoped that arrange- ments can be made with the landowners to put panels of rails in the wire fences, and thus eventually do away with the barrier to fox-hunting. Foxes are plentiful, and it seems a pity not to make the best of a very good op- portunity ; by far the best in the western states. 99 The Monmouth County Hunt DISTINCTIVE COLLAR - Claret color EVENING DRESS Scarlet coat, claret colored facings MASTER - Robert J. Collier, Esq., Eatontown. N. J. HUNTSMAN - - John Fitzpatrick ) 1 st, Nicholas Van Winkle WHIPPERS-IN 2nd, Harvey Bemis HOUNDS \ l\ '^°"P^'' ^^'^^'^ ( zj couples, American KENNELS AND POST-OFFICE Eatontown, N. J. DAYS np MFFTINP S Draghounds, Monday, Thursday and Saturday ( Foxhounds, Tuesday, Wednesday emd Friday LENGTH OF SEASON S ^'itf l','° "''T^, 1= r ( and March 1st to Apr J 25 th MR. P. F. COLLIER, who has always been identified with cross-country sport in this country, started, in the year 1 89 1 , a pack of hounds of his own, building suitable kennels on his es- tate at Eatontown, New Jersey. Mr. Collier, who is an Irishman by birth, is in the habit of going every year to his mother country for part of the hunt- ing season; in fact the jovial face of the Master of the Monmouth County is almost as well-known with the Meath as it is in his own country. What more natural, then, than that he should import considerable drafts of hounds from time to time, and that these importations should come mainly from the Meath, whose Master, Mr. John Watson, is an intimate friend of his? Few men are better qualified to give advice on the subject of hound-man- agement than Mr. Watson, who has had the practical control of the Meath pack for more than forty years, hunting the hounds himself during most of that period, and Mr. Collier is lucky in having so able a mentor. Mr. Collier's horses, too, come from the Meath country, and when one sees the 100 ■*1 THE MONMOUTH COUNTY manner in which he turns out his Hunt Staff, it is difficult to find fault with their selection. The Monmouth County country, which lies about Eatontown and Red Bank, New Jersey, is very well suited to drag-hunting, which is the manner in which the sport was first followed. Finding that the climate of Monmouth County was unsuited to a long season, the Master took his hounds to Chevy Chase, Maryland, in 1 894, for part of the winter season, and there took alter- nate days with the Chevy Chase, hunting about Washington late into the year. Drag-hunting in Monmouth County was never given up ; but this being a private pack, Mr. Collier has been accustomed to take his hounds at certain times of the year to outside countries, and in 1 900 they went to Newport for a season of about six weeks. There are no hounds near Newport, and as the summer residents of that well-known watering-place have been enthu- siastic in their support of Mr. Collier's pack, the fields turning out in pretty considerable numbers for the six weeks early in the season in which he has had them there, he has continued to make this a yearly practice. In 1 904, when Mr. Foxhall Keene resigned the Mastership of the Meadow Brook Hunt, Mr. Collier was elected to take his place, and feelmg that he could hardly shoulder the responsibility of two packs of hounds, his son, Mr. Robert J. Collier, undertook the management of the home pack, and has handled it with great success. Mr. Collier has now resigned Mastership at Meadow Brook, and wall prob- ably, in the future, spend most of his time with his own hounds. In 1 904 he received from Mr. Norman Harris of Louisville, Kentucky, a present of four couples of American hounds, and these, together with drafts from the kennels of Mr. Walker and Mr. Trigg in the south, have formed the nucleus of his American pack, he being of the opinion that in his country American hounds can show better sport after foxes than their English cousins. The country over which the Monmouth County hounds hunt is larger and better than any about New York ; and having always been hunted, not by a club, but by a private pack, the landowners are somewhat easier to deal with, as, of course, a Master who is responsible to no one, and who has al- ways lived in the country, can be on the most cordial terms with the farmers. 10) THE MONMOUTH COUNTY As to the character of the country, — there are a great many ditches and big post-and-rail fences, — and Mr. Collier states that he considers that Irish horses are better suited to it than any other type. He maintains a very large stable himself, and is always glad to give a mount to visiting sportsmen, while there is an excellent livery stable at Red Bank, N. J., where men who come down for the hunting season can put up mounts. There are also several jobbing stables nearby, so that a man wishing to run down from New York, only twenty-five miles away, for a day's hunting, can easily be accommodated. Most of the meets are held between Matteawan and Freehold, both of which places are within an hour's ride of the city of New York. 102 The Montreal Hunt DISTINCTIVE UNIFORM Scarlet coat, dark blue collar, facings and piping ( For Hunt Servants) EVENING DRESS Scarlet coat, dark blue coUar and facing* MASTER A. E. Ogilvie. Esq. HON. SECRETARY AUan G. Law. Esq.. Montreal, P. Q., Canada HUNTSMAN - Will NichoUs WHIPPER-IN Fred NichoUs HOUNDS 40 couples, English KENNELS C8te de Neige, Montreal, P. Q., Canada POST-OFFICE Montreal, P. Q., Canada DAYS OF MEETING Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday LENGTH OF SEASON August 15th to December 1st WHILE the Montreal Hunt, founded in 1 826, is not in one sense the oldest organization of its kind on the continent, its founda- tion being antedated by that of the Brooklyn Hunt and of the Gloucester Fox Hunting Club, yet it is the only one in America which can show a continuous record under practically the same management for eighty- two years. It stands, today, at the head of all the Hunts in America, and there is scarcely a hunting man. English. French or American, who does not acknowledge its supremacy. Unfortunately a complete record of its history is lacking, partly owing to the destruction by fire of the early papers. Thanks for much of the follow- ing information is due to Dr. Charles McEachran. who during his Master- ship collected from all available sources the records now in existence. In 1 826. Mr. William Forsyth removed a pack of English foxhounds from Three Rivers to Montreal, the kennels at that time being situated op- posite Logan's farm. In those days there was comparatively little hunting 103 THE MONTREAL on the Island of Montreal. The vulpine family seemed indigenous to the south side of the river, and the result was that the majority of runs were in the region of Laprairie and Chambly. Mr. John Forsyth, son of the founder of the Hunt, became Master in 1 834, and proved to be a chip of the old block; a thorough sportsman and a hard rider. He remained in office for three seasons. In 1837, Capt. Walter Jones of the Queen's Light Dragoons succeeded him, filling the position of Master with honor for two years ; after which Capt. T. J. Stockley, Sr., R. A., carried the horn until 1 842. It was about this time that the regular Hunt Steeplechases were inaugurated, and cups valued all the way from five hundred to seven hundred and fifty dollars were the trophies competed for. In 1 842, the Mastership was assumed by T. J. Stockley, Jr., R. A., son of the former M. F. H. His term of office was two years, at the end of which time he was succeeded by Captain, The Honorable H. Fane Keane, R. E. Difficulties began to arise, especially of a financial nature, after the Captain had held the pack together for three years, and force of circum- stances necessitated its sale to Mr. Hubert and some sporting friends in Cobourg. For the next three years Montreal was without a pack of hounds, but in 1 85 1 Mr. Hubert went home to the " old country," and the pack was sold again to some enthusiasts m Montreal, who elected Lieutenant Charles Lutyens of the 20th Regiment (afterwards a world-renowned animal painter) as Master. Some of his pictures are owned in Montreal, and a very fine hunting scene, "Killed in the Fog," is still in the possession of the family of the late Donald Lorn Macdougall, Esq. In 1 852, Lieutenant Lutyens was succeeded by Lieutenant J. Ponsonby Cox, R. E., who held the Master- ship until 1 854, when he was called upon to serve his country in the Crimea. The withdrawal of the military influence from the Hunt at this time was not conducive to its welfare, but seldom does necessity fail to produce the man, and in this particular dilemma it was Mr. Donald Lorn Macdougall who filled the breach, and assumed for six years almost the entire expense of the Hunt. In 1 859, the kennels were removed to the comer of St. Joseph and Guy Streets, and Mr. Alloway became Acting Master and Huntsman, thus 104 THE MONTREAL relieving Mr. Macdougall of many of his arduous duties in the field. Ken- nedy, the huntsman, had grown too old, and during this period Drysdale acted as whipper-in to Mr. Macdougall and Mr. Alloway, the latter hunting the hounds until 1 860. Mr. D. A. Bellhouse and Major J. T. D. Bourke were elected to the Mastership in rapid succession ; neither of them remain- ing long in office; and in 1862, Captain Francis De Winton, R. A., was elected Master, holding the position until 1864. After that no regular Master was appointed for a time, and the affairs of the Hunt were left in the hands of a committee, of which Mr. W. M. Ramsay was chairman, the other members being Captain Money, Mr. Thomas Davidson, and Mr. William Cunningham. In 1 867, however, the Hunt was happy in the choice of a Master, for in November of that year Mr. John Crawford was elected for the first time. To anyone at all acquainted with the Hunt, a description of that typical old sportsman would seem superfluous, for he was in his time a living, breath- ing example of what riding can do in the way of preserving healthy vitality long after the span of three score years and ten has been passed. (Mr. Crawford died in April, 1903, at the age of ninety, having followed the hounds within two years of his death.) He filled the position for six years, and during that time the Mastership was no sinecure. There were many difficulties to be overcome, and they were overcome, for Mr. Crawford had administrative talents, as well as being a straight rider and a sportsman to the core. The stiffest obstacles in the Pointe Claire country had no terrors for him ; neither had any of the other impediments that the Mastership of a Hunt involves. He was equal to them all. Mr. Andrew Allan was unanimously elected Master in 1 874, and was assisted by a hard working committee, so that, although not doing much cross- country work himself, his resignation in 1 876 was regretted by everyone. During his Mastership he was well represented in the field by his two sons, Jack and Hugh Allan, the latter becoming later the first Master of the Myopia Hunt in Essex County, Massachusetts. Following him, Mr. Crawford accepted the Mastership for the second time, retaining command for two years, being followed by Mr. J. R. Hutchins 105 THE MONTREAL for one year ; and then, in 1 879, by Captain E. A. C. Campbell of St. Hillaire, an officer of the 92nd Highlanders. Captain Campbell had great ambitions, and during his Mastership tried his best to raise the standard of the Hunt so that it might compare favorably, not only with the other Hunts in America, but also with those in England. Mr. A. Baumgarten, who suc- ceeded him in 1 882, continued to work along the same lines, and when he finally resigned, in 1 887, the Hunt was in much better shape than ever be- fore. Mr. Hugh Paton assumed the Mastership on the retirement of Mr. Baumgarten, and although this was his first term as Master, still, as far back as 1 870, he had done duty in the position of Honorary Secretary and Treas- urer. In 1 888, there was difficulty in getting anyone to accept the responsibility of the office which Mr. Paton found it impossible to retain, owing to his business ; and it was only after much solicitation that Mr. Crawford again consented to act. On February 3rd, 1888, Mr. Crawford informed the club that he was willing to undertake the duties of Master, but would only do so under the express condition that the hunt committee promise to work energetically. " I am too old," the Squire said, "to be expected to look after the hounds and do all the hard work that a Master should. You must take that off my shoulders, and I will do everything I can to further the interests of the Hunt ; but I cannot, at my time of life, be expected to hunt three days a week regularly through the season." Mr. Crawford continued as Master until 1 89 1 , resigning at the age of seventy-eight, when Sir H. Montagu Allan was unanimously elected. He held the position for five years, and during his term of office much was done to preserve the foxes in the district, and the Hunt owes much of the present excellent condition of its country to him. On his resignation, in 1 896, Mr. George R. Hooper was elected, holding office for five years ; and it was during his regime that the kennels were re- moved from Delormier Avenue to the land at Cote de Neige, where they now stand. On his resignation, in 1 90 1 , Dr. Charles McEachran was elected, and a more happy selection than the genial Scotchman it would have been hard to 106 THE MONTREAL find. " Doctor Charley," who has been at the game all his days, began his hunting in Scotland, and has been a warm supporter of the Montreal Hunt ever since coming to Canada. His official position as Government Inspector has brought him into close touch with many of the landowners, and he was a very popular Master with them as well as with his Field. His knowl- edge of hounds and hunting is universally admitted, and it was his experi- ence in these matters that led to his election as one of the judges of the English-American foxhound match which took place in the Piedmont Val- ley of Virginia in 1 905, where the genial Doctor made himself as popular with the Virginians as he was with his Field at home. At the end of five years he resigned, and Mr. W. R. Miller was elected in his place. While a horseman rather than a hound man, to begin with, Mr. Miller quickly caught the hound fever, and in 1906, when the first National Hound Show was held at South Lincoln, Massachusetts, was very strong in his support of it, bringing a large entry to the show and using all his influ- ence to make it the success which it proved. Unfortunately he found that the Mastership took too much of his time, and in 1 907 he resigned, his office being filled by the present Master, A. E. Ogilvie, Esq., who had been his right-hand man as Honorary Secretary of the Hunt through- out his Mastership. Mr. Ogilvie is in dead earnest, and while he was unable to show any hounds at the National Hound Show in 1 908, he was a large purchaser at the Rugby hound sale in England, securing some hounds, through the kind offices of Mr. T. Butt Miller, M. F. H., from the Atherstone and the Meynell. With plenty of time to devote to the pack and the best of blood to breed from, the next few years under Mr. Ogilvie's regime should show a marked improvement in its quality. The Montreal has been very lucky in having but few changes of hunts- men during its long period of existence, thus insuring very little change in its policy of hound-breeding. The first huntsman was Outhet, who was suc- ceeded by Morris, who in his turn was followed by Kennedy ; the latter finally resigning in 1 859, when William Drysdale acted as kennel huntsman and whipper-in to Mr. Alloway, the then acting M. F. H. Mr. Alloway 107 THE MONTREAL hunted the hounds himself until 1 866, when Drysdale was made huntsman, which place he filled with honor until 1 899. Thus it will be seen that from 1 859 until the present date, a period of almost fifty years, there have been but two huntsmen. On the retirement of Drysdale in 1890, a new period of activity began. Will Nicholls was sent to Montreal by Edward Cotesworth, at that time huntsman to the Linlithgow and Stirlingshire hounds in Scotland. Nicholls had been under the tutelage of Cotesworth as first whipper-in, and when the latter was asked by the Montreal Master as to Nicholls' qualifications to take charge of the Canadian pack, he was able to reply most favor- ably, and Nicholls has proved a very successful choice. Young, active, enthusiastic, an excellent horseman and a keen lover of sport, he has made himself a part of the Hunt, and it v^all be a sorry day indeed for the Montreal when he retires. In the eighteen years he has held his posi- tion, he has been unflagging in his efforts to improve his hounds, and the pack has to-day no supenors and but few equals in the field, while on the flags they stand in the front rank. During the first part of Nicholls' ser- vice, most of the drafts procured from abroad came from the Linlithgow and Stirlingshire, while the Croome, Old Berkshire and Lord Eglinton's blood played a conspicuous part. Of late years Mr. Butt Miller, M. F. H. of one of the Vale of White Horse packs, has taken a great interest in the Montreal, and has from time to time sent them valuable additions from his own and other kennels, as well as acting as their representative at Rugby hound sales. Nicholls has been successful in breeding, and the Montreal entries are always of very high quality. His old mentor, — now with the Middlesex, — and he, have many a friendly tussle on the flags of the National Hound Show ; and honors are about even. In the field, he is an excellent hunts- man, his hounds being under perfect control, and working for him and wath him as good hounds should. Foxes are plenty in the Montreal country, and are well looked after, and it is very seldom that a fox is not accounted for in one way or another. The country hunted consists of the Island of Montreal and the adjacent 108 THE MONTREAL Isles of Jesu and Bizard, and the mainland north ; about thirty-seven miles east to west and thirty-four miles north to south. The fences vary with the character of the country; easily negotiated stone walls in the smooth pastures of the St. Anne's district, post-and-rails on Isle of Jesu, and in the north the same kind of a fence with a wide ditch. A clever horse that can jump and stay is required. One of the authors remembers a very good day's hunting with the Mont- real, during the season of 1 906, in their Pointe Claire country. The country itself was all that could be desired, — small coverts with a good expanse of open going, over which hounds took the Field at a rattling pace when once they had forced their fox out of cover, — beautiful galloping, with nice, clean rail fences, interrupted occasionally by a stone wall, until they finally put him to ground under a pile of old rails, after a fast burst of thirty minutes ; and then another covert drawn and a second fox found and run until dark- ness made it necessary to take hounds back to the waiting train and so to Montreal. Like this Pointe Claire country, many of the best districts are reached by reiil, and it is a weekly occurrence with the Montreal to " train " to meets. During recents years the increasing use of wire fencing has made it necessary to contrive some regular method of dealing with the evil, and there is now a wire fund, maintained by private subscription and kept sep- arate from the accounts of the Hunt, which is expended solely for putting long timber panels in the ware fences in all parts of the country. The kennels, hunt stables and clubhouse are situated at Cote de Neige, a little suburb of Montreal about six miles from the heart of the city, and while the nearest meet is about eight miles from the kennels, at Cartierville, their situa- tion is such that it is very easy to " train " to meets in all parts of the island of Montreal, and at times beyond its confines. The clubhouse is most charmingly situated, overlooking the flat plain which lies toward Cartierville on the north side of the mountain from which the city of Montreal takes its name. Here it is that the members meet to talk over the day's sport, or in the winter to sit about the fire and discuss the good times of the past season. Among the regular followers in the Field there have always been a good 109 THE MONTREAL many men interested in horse-breeding and in steeplechasing, and the Hunt has had its regular race meeting every autumn since 1 837 ; when the Mont- real Hunt Cup, a steeplechase of three miles, has been the feature of these annual meetings. Up to 1 907, this race was for horses owned and hunted regularly by members of the Montreal Hunt, but at that time it was decided to extend these conditions, and horses holding qualified hunter's certificates from the Canadian Hunt Association or the National Steeplechase and Hunt Association, ridden by gentlemen riders holding licenses from one of the above associations, are now eligible. As this is probably the oldest hunter's steeplechase in America, we give below a list of the winners since 1855, the records before that year having been lost by fire. Yeai Owner 1855 Mr. H. Hogan's ch.g. 1856 Capt. Elwes's ch.m. 1857 No race 1858 Mr. Mahiot's ch.g. 1 859 Mr. C. F. Elwes's ch.m. 1 860 Capt. Treheme's b.m. 1861 Dr. Kirvin's b.g. 1 862 Capt. de Winton's b.g. 1863 M.H. Hogan's 1864 Mr. D. L. MacDougall's 1865 Mr. TTiomas Davidson's 1 866 No race 1867 No race 1 868 No race 1869 Mr. A. Torrance's ch.m. 1870 Mr. H. MacDougall's ch.g. 1871 Mr. Andrew Allan's ch.m. 1 872 Mr. D. J. Bannatyne's ch.h. 1 873 Mr. Andrew Allan's ch.h. 1 874 Dr. W. H. Hingston's ch.g. 1 875 Mr. Andrew Allan's ch.h. 1876 Major Handyside's b.h. 1877 Montreal Hunt's b.g. 1878 Mr. Jas. O'Brien's ch.g. Horse Rider Broker Mr. H. S. MacDougall Brunette Owner Royal Mr. Harry W. Alloway Brunette Owner Fireaway Mr. Harry W. Alloway Montcalm Capt. Parker Fearaway Capt. C. White Wild Irishman Capt. Elwes Valparaiso Mr. Hany W. Alloway The Squire Mr. Harry W. Alloway Hopeful Mr. C. J. Alloway Woodstock Mr. C. J. Alloway Primrose Mr. C. J. Alloway Milesain Owner Tradewind Mr. C. J. Alloway Bibakiba Mr. F. L. Hart Astronomer Mr. C. J. Alloway Moonstone Mr. J. Alex. Gordon Fusillier Mr. J. Alex. Gordon Pilot Mr. S. Penniston no THE MONTREAL Year Owner Horse 1879 Mr. C. J. Alloways ch.h. Jack Frost 1880 Mr. J. E. Mullin'sb.h. Moonstone 1881 Mr. J. P. Dawes" ch.m. Rose 1 882 Mr. Alex. Esdaile's gr.g. Little Jack 1 883 Mr. S. Penniston's ch.g. PUot 1 884 Mr. A. E. Penniston's ch.m. Madeline 1 885 Mr. F. H. Penniston's ch.m. Ivy 1886 Mr. H. Drysdale's ch.g. Echo 1887 Dr. F^ Craik's ch.m. Wishimay 1888 Mr. H. Drysdale's ch.g. Echo 1 889 Mr. H. Drysdale's ch.g. Slickaway 1890 Mr. E. J. Major's br.g. Hardtimes 1891 Mr. E. J. Major's br.g. Slickaway 1 892 Mr. Colin Ccunpbell's b.g. Lancer 1893 Mr. H. Montagu Allan's br.g. Mamwood 1894 Mr. Wm. Hendrie, Jr's br.g. Royal Rob 1895 Mr. Wm. Hendrie Jr.'s br.g. Royal Rob 1 896 Mr. F. Beardmore's b.g. Laddie 1897 Dr. Chas. McEachran's ch.m. Magic 1 898 Mr. J. H. Smith's ch.g. The Squire 1899 Dr. Chas. McEachran's ch.g The Pal 1900 Mr. Colin Campbell's br.g. Jim Lisle 1901 Mr. J. C. Watson's ch.m. Round View 1902 Mr. J. C. Watson's ch.m. Round View 1903 Mr. H. H. Learmont's b.g. 1904 Mr. H. H. Learmont's b.g. 1 905 Mr. E. de B. Strathy's b.g. 1906 Mr. H. H. Learmont's b.g. 1907 Rider Owner Mr. J. Alex. L. Strathy Mr. J. Alex. L. Strathy Mr. S. Penniston Owner Mr. C. W. Penniston Mr. C. W. Penniston Mr. J. Alex L. Strathy Mr. F. Elliott Mr. F. Elliott Mr. F. Elliott Owner Owner Owner Mr. L. Mel. Speckman Mr. Colin Campbell Mr. Colin Campbell Owner Mr. H. G. Johnston Owner Mr. H. G. Johnston Owner Mr. Murray Hendrix Owner Bob McGregor Mr. John Sector Bob McGregor Mr. John Sector Burnap Owner Bob McGregor Mr. E de B. Strathy Mr. A. Henry Higginson's blk.g. Oweussa Mr. J. C. Watson The race for this Hunt Cup was held for a long time over a natural course laid out on the farms of one or another of the Hunt members, but in 1906, the meeting was held for the first time on the new course of the Montreal Jockey Club at Blue Bonnets, some eight miles outside of the city, where it is now an annual event. The racing spirit has been fostered in the Province of Quebec mainly by the Hunt members, and the newly formed Montreal Jockey Club has for its President an ex-Master, Sir H. Ill THE MONTREAL Montagu Allan, while its Executive Committee and Board of Directors are also mainly composed of members of the Hunt. In connection with the Montreal Hunt, all Montrealers feel proud to think that if it is not the oldest, it is one of the oldest Hunts on this conti- nent, and everything is done as nearly as possible on the plans pursued by the best establishments in England. Genuine hunting of only the wald fox is made a rule. A complete map of the country is furnished each member, showing every road, brook, village, shoeing-forge and covert. Every fox's earth in the hunting country is known, and a good-earth stopper is employed ; an example which might well be followed by many hunts on this continent. 112 Mr. HITCHCOCK'S Hounds MASTER Thomas Hitchcock. Jr., Esq. HUNTSMAN The Master WHIPPER-IN J. Lambert HOUNDS 40 couples, American KENNELS AND POST-OFFICE Aiken, S. C. DAYS OF MEETING Four days a week LENGTH OF SEASON November 15th to March Ist FEW men who have hunted in England and seen the excellent work of a good English pack will listen to any comparison between English and American hounds, or between the two methods of following the sport of fox-hunting. Mr. Thomas Hitchcock, Jr., was educated at Oxford University and has hunted with almost all of the best packs in the Kingdom, and yet he maintains forty couples of American hounds — one of the largest packs in the country — on his estate at Aiken, South Carolina, and is as staunch an upholder of the American hound as he was of the English twenty years ago. Mr. Hitchcock was one of the men who were instrumental in founding the Meadow Brook Hunt and was one of its earliest Masters, continuing to hunt there to-day at such times as he is at his home at Westbury, Long Island. Some years ago, looking about for a place where he could hunt through- out the winter, he hit upon Aiken, South Carolina, as the most suitable locality, and during the last decade has maintained there his private pack of foxhounds, hunting them himself usually four days a week from the mid- dle of November until the end of February. While Mr. Hitchcock is partial to the American hound, he, of course, admits the good qualities of the English, but insists that for the kind of country which he hunts the Americans are far superior. His views are so strong, and were so clearly expressed to one of the authors of this volume a 113 MR. HITCHCOCK'S year or so ago, that we are tempted to give them in full. It was after a day with the Middlesex hounds in Virginia, and Mr. Hitchcock, on the train to Washington that evening, in the company of the M. F. H., expressed himself as follows : — " You mark my words," he said, " you'll change, just as 1 did. Fifteen years ago I thought there was nothing like the English foxhound, and I am not sure there is for his own country, but not for America, and certamly not for the dry sandy soil of my South Carolina country. You see, the country about Aiken is wooded with scrub, the going is rough, although there is nothing much to stop you except the creeks, which are swampy and impossible to cross except at certain fords — there is practically no wire, thank Heaven! — and the jumping is not big. Now, taking these facts into consideration, and they are largely true of many of the hunting countries in America, we've got to have a hound with a lot of initiative, because in many cases the huntsman won't be there to help him, a very keen nose, be- cause the scent is bad, and lots of voice to tell us where he is. I don't think English hounds have these points, at any rate in so great a degree as the Americans. " At Aiken, we hunt early in the morning, just about daylight. We have to do so to take advantage of the dew, — as the soil is fearfully dry, so much so that I don't think an English hound would own a line half the time. You saw the trouble to-day when the line was foiled by a cur dog and your hounds were at fault. They picked it up again, of course, and hunted it beautifully, but, they had to be cast to do it. English hounds waste time, that's the trouble, and you can't waste time when you're hunting a fox." The Master of the Middlesex smoked on in silence and Mr. Hitch- cock continued: "Scent's a queer thing; nobody understands it, and every- body has theories about it, mine is this" — he took a couple of puffs from his cigar and drew the unlighted end along his coat-sleeve. A little of the smoke clung to the cloth, as it always does, gradually floating away. " That's my idea of scent," he said, " it's as elusive as that. Now, if that coat were damp, you know it would stay there longer; so it would if the \\rind didn't blow it off. In England the atmosphere and the condition of 114 "^^^S 4 \'> THOMAS HITCHCOCK, ;R., ESQ., M.F.H. MR. HITCHCOCK'S the ground are so much more conducive to good scent than with us, that English hounds, being used to it, cannot go on unless they can get it — at least not fast enough to keep on terms with their fox. They lose too much time, and hounds in America have got to keep near a fox in order to kill him. I'd like you to see my hounds work and you'd see the difference in a minute. We go out with perhaps twenty couples, and they are cast off and immediately spread themselves out very wide. They are unruly, I'll admit, but they don't babble. Presently a hound, perhaps a quarter of a mile away, will speak, then another perhaps backing him up, perhaps far- ther away, then another and another until finally they will pack in to the foremost and all go on together. Their instinct seems to be to ' get forward' all the time. If they lose the line during a run, they are not cast, nor do they cast themselves in a body ; they all instantly scatter and again one hound is pretty sure to strike the line, and there is no time wasted when he does. To put it in a nutshell, the hounds, not the huntsman, hunt the fox." The Master of the Middlesex had to admit that if all American packs had advanced to this state of efficiency there was very little room for criticism from anyone. On the other hand, he told Mr. Hitchcock that, in his opin- ion, hounds bred in this country from the best of English blood would, within a reasonable time, become adapted to the conditions of atmosphere and soil and at the same time possess all the good qualities of the best American hounds and, in addition, be more amenable to discipline and breed closer to a type. " Well," said Mr. Hitchcock, " I'll admit no one has given it a fair trial yet, although I'm told that Mr. Mather's hounds are very good in their work. I hope you won't be disappointed in the results you obtain, though I fear you will." And on this point, the two disputants will probably always differ. Mr. Hitchcock has had good luck in breeding and has produced a pack which today has few equals. At the time of his first hunting the Aiken country there were only gray foxes native to the soil, but he introduced a number of red foxes, which have done very well and are now as numerous as the grays. The runs would be very hard to describe, owing to the pecu- liar conformation of the country, the immense stretches of pine woods 115 MR. HITCHCOCK'S and the impracticability of earth-stopping; but the red foxes usually give long, hard runs before going to ground. The grays, of course, unless they climb a tree in the first twenty minutes, are usually quickly killed. The landowners are very favorable to hunting, but must be treated with the greatest consideration, being freeholders and very independent. Mr. Hitchcock finds that thoroughbred horses are best suited to his country and uses nothing else. It seems to us quite unnecessary to describe his horses, as they are noted throughout the length and breadth of America as being of the best, both as to conformation and manners. 116 Mr. MADDUX'S Hounds MASTER - -James K. Maddux, Esq. HUNTSMAN - -.- - The Master WHIPPER-IN Frank Helm HOUNDS - 1 couples, American KENNELS AND POST-OFFICE - - " Leeton Hai," Warrenton. Va. DAYS OF MEETING Every hunting day LENGTH OF SEASON - ~ October 1st to April 1st IN 1 888, Mr. James K. Maddux first began to keep his own hounds, having hunted before that time with the various packs which were maintained in and about Warrenton; a pack of some sort having always been kept there. Toward the end of the 80's so many new settlers came in that it seemed likely that support could be secured for two regular packs, and the Warrenton Hounds divided the country with the private pack, which Mr. Maddux established. No stauncher supporter of the American hound breathes than Mr. Mad- dux, and it is perhaps needless to say that his hounds are all of that variety, and when Mr. Maddux says " American," he means it, his hounds not having to his knowledge a single cross of English blood. Just what their breeding is it would be difficult to prove, but they are not, as are some of the so-called American hounds, three-quarters English. Mr. Maddux states that in the country over which he hunts, which is hilly and contains large tracts of woodland, and areas where it is quite impossible for the hunts- man to be v«th hounds much of the time, the independence and free tongues of his hounds enable him to get better sport with them than he can with any others. The fencing is varied, consisting of stone walls, post-and-rail, " snake " and plank fences, but the going is not bad, and in the open parts of the 117 MR. MADDUX'S country hounds run very fast, requiring a bold, thoroughbred horse to stay with them. Mr. Maddux's pack is a small one ; some ten couples only being kept in the " Leeton Hill " kennels and maintained, of course, by the Master, who receives no subscription. He has always hunted the hounds himself and for the last eight or ten seasons has gone out on every good hunting day on which circumstances permitted. The attitude of the landowners about Warrenton is very friendly to fox- hunting, and many of them take the field themselves behind Mr. Maddux's little pack. In 1904, the M. F. H. applied for recognition to the National Steeple- chase and Hunt Association, which was promptly granted. The country about Warrenton is fast settling up with people who are always on the lookout for sport wdth horse and hound, and Fields have increased in number since the early days, numbering from twenty to twenty-five on an average, while on special occasions many more follow, none of them being keener or going better than Mrs. Maddux, the wife of the Master, who hunts not only with her husband's pack, but also with the Warrenton " drag." 118 Mr. Okies Hounds DISTINCTIVE COLLAR _ -Green with orange piping MASTER - - - - F. W. Okie. Esq. HUNTSMAN - _ The Master WHIPPER-IN -James Anderson HOUNDS - - -. 1 5 couples. American KENNELS AND POST-OFFICE - MarshaU. Va. DAYS OF MEETING Six days a week LENGTH OF SEASON September 1st to April 1st SOME eight miles south-west from Upperville, further up the Pied- mont Valley, lies what is, perhaps, the best territory from a hunting man's point of view in Fauquier County, Virginia. It is a compara- tively undiscovered country ; in fact, it was not until 1 904, when Mr. F. W. Okie emigrated to Virginia from the Meadow Brook country, that there was any regular hunting. Mr. Okie settled at Marshall and, finding the country perfect for the sport, promptly began to keep hounds of his own. The foxes throughout Mr. Okie's country are strong and game, and the attitude of the landowners entirely favorable. The Master has always been a believer in the American foxhounds, and beginning with a few couples, he has developed a pack which now numbers fifteen couples and which does its work in a thoroughly satisfactory manner. The country, like all of the Piedmont Valley, is open, with great rolling grazing lands and small coverts, while the fencing is stiff but clean, owing to the stock-raising pur- suits of the farmers. A strong, clever, thoroughbred horse is what is needed for the country. Mr. Okie has a large country estate at Marshall and always welcomes visit- ing sportsmen in the most hospitable manner. In 1 905, Mr. Okie acted as alternate judge with Mr. James K. Maddux in the English-American foxhound match in the Piedmont Valley. 119 MR. OKIE'S As this volume goes to press, it gives the authors great pleasure to be able to state that Mr. Okie has invited the Master of the Middlesex Fox- hounds to hunt the country in conjunction with him during the season of 1908. 120 The Myopia Hunt DISTINCTIVE COLLAR Canary EVENING DRESS -- - Scarlet coat, canary facings MASTER George S. MandeU. Esq. SECRETARY - W. H. Seabury, Esq.. Somerset Club, Boston, Mass. HUNTSMAN The Master WHIPPER-IN - Joe Barrar HOUNDS - 20 couples. English KENNELS AND POST-OFFICE Hamilton. Mass. DAYS OF MEETING Tuesday. Thursday and Saturday MORE than a quarter of a century ago, in the year 1 879, a few mutually agreeable men were accustomed to meet at Win- chester, Massachusetts, to play tennis and enjoy such other outdoor sports as might suggest themselves. There they leased a small house and formed a nucleus around which the Country Club of Brookline, — which, by the way, is the pioneer Country Club in America, — was eventually or- ganized. Hounds were suggested by Mr. F. H. Prince, who had hunted in England, and in 1 88 1 a draft was brought from Montreal, and hunted by Mr. Hugh A. Allan, the first Master. This first organization was called "The Myopia Hunt Club," from the fact that most of its members were near- sighted and wore spectacles in the field. The pack, which saved the or- ganization from losing its identity on the formation of the Country Club, continued at Brookline under the Mastership of Mr. Frank Seabury as the " Myopia Foxhounds " — a wheel within a wheel, hunting part of the season there and part in its present country around Hamilton, Massachusetts. In 1 882, kennels were built in Hamilton, where the club first leased, and afterward, in 1 89 1 , purchased the Gibney farm, of some hundred or more acres. The old farmhouse is still the centre around which the present es- 121 THE MYOPIA tablishment has been formed, and represents the spirit of the club, which is that new ideas should be grafted on the old, — not supplant them. At first there were paper-chases as well as fox-hunts ; but in 1 885, beagles were presented to the club by Mr. George H. Warren, and the drag was first introduced. After 1 889, there was very little fox-hunting, as the growing up of the community and the unfitness of the country precluded the best of sport. The Club's present name — " The Myopia Hunt Club" — assumed on its incorporation in 1 89 1 , somewhat belies its scope. In 1 888, polo was intro- duced, which puts it among the earliest organizations to take up that sport. Interest in polo is still unabated, and the club had the honor of having one of its members, Mr. R. L. Agassiz, on the all-American team which visited England in 1903. In 1894, golf became popular, and the Myopia links to- day, an 18-hole course, stand among the best in the country. In 1902, a court tennis buildmg was erected, and this has been well supported; fur- nishing a connecting link in the series of sports which is making Myopia a winter as well as a summer centre of sport and sociabihty. For all these recreations the members find enthusiasm and in them take an equal pride. The regular membership of the club is 1 00, with an associate membership to meet such requirements as may arise through a changing colony of summer residents on the North Shore. Of course, all this information about the club is very interesting, but since it is as a Hunt Club that we are considering Myopia, the hounds and ken- nels are the things of most importance. Mr. W. H. Seabury, the secretary of the Hunt, is a brother of Mr. Frank Seabury, who acted as Master from 1 883 to 1 892 ; and who, during his long Mastership, took such pains to get the landowners interested in the hunt- ing that it has been little trouble for the Masters who have followed him to hunt over a country which is made up for the most part of small holdings. The New England farmer is at heart usually a most good-natured individual, but he has rather a horror of any innovation, particularly if it has to do with his ancestral foe. There are some men who, till they understand hunting, are absolutely inimical to the sport. Fox-hunting, as they know it, consists in 122 THE MYOPIA going out with one or two slow-running hounds which drive the fox before them at a leisurely pace, while the hunter stands at some chosen spot and shoots the quarry as he goes by. The spectacle of a number of mounted men dressed in scarlet coats, following a pack of hounds which are running on an artificial trail, and going out of their way to jump fences, is a source of derision and of annoyance to them. Riding to hounds was practically unknown in New England when Mr. Seabury first took the Myopia ; and it was in a great degree through his friendliness with and unending courtesy to the farmers that the sport has been carried on at all in New England. The three hunts of eastern Massachusetts, the Myopia, the Norfolk and the Middlesex, owe a great debt to Mr. Seabury for this — perhaps more than the younger members realize. In 1 883, the first draft of hounds came from England from the Warwick- shire, which was then under the Mastership of the late Lord Willoughby de Broke, and with this as a basis, Mr. Seabury managed to breed a very fair pack. In 1 889, another draft came over from England, sent by Mr. George H. Warren, again from the Warwickshire. From 1882 to 1 889 Mr. Seabury used his foxhounds purely to hunt foxes ; using the beagles for the drag-hunting. He hunted the hounds himself, with John Crosby as first and William Crosby as second whipper-in, and one of the authors well remem- bers going, as a small boy, to see the hounds — which were exceedingly well turned out and had a large following of "pinks" — draw the Chebacco Wood. Of the sport at that time Mr. Seabury says : " We hunted foxes two and sometimes three days a week, but the coun- try was so rough, as you know, that the foxes were able to get away most of the time. In fact, we only killed one, but we had many a good run and a lot of sport out of it, the pack at the time consisting of about twenty couples." After 1889, the fox-hunting was practically abandoned, although the hounds went out for foxes occasionally until 1 898. Mr. Seabury carried the horn until 1 893, when he retired, much to the sorrow of everybody, the Mastership being taken by Mr. R. M. Appleton until the Spanish War 123 THE MYOPIA called him away during the season of 1 898. His place was filled by Mr. T. G. Frothingham for a season, until Mr. Appleton returned and again took up the reins of government, resigning in 1900, when the present Master, Mr. George S. Mandell, was elected in his place. Fox-hunting had ceased, the reasons for this being evident from Mr. Mandell's own remarks, which follow : " The country is such as might be expected when chosen from a New England landscape. It lies in Essex County about a forty-minute train ride from Boston, principally in the towns of Wenham, Hamilton, Ipsv^ch, Rowley and Topsfield, wath a few of the choicest runs in West Newbury, Newburyport, and even across the New Hampshire line. To make this latter available, it is necessary for the hounds and horses to lie out over night, usually the night before the meets. It is a land of small holdings; and by actual estimate, the Club enjoys its sport through the courtesy of not less than five hundred farmers. The problem is to tie together the odd bits of reclaimed land and old pastures into a continuous gallop. Added to its natural rockiness, it suffers from salt marshes, while directly through its centre runs a river hedged by the exten- sive Wenham Swamp. There is also much impenetrable woodland, while scarcely a field is without wire. " These conditions preclude many of the niceties of hunting. To take one's ovsm line would be extremely hazardous. Fences are usually stone walls, generally of small size, but occurring higher and more strongly built with sufficient frequency to demand a good jumper. Wire is combated with the usual panels of stout fencing. The jumps are noted for their trap- piness rather than their height, and require an intelligent, rather than a big jumper, and consequently the horses are highly bred with a very considera- ble proportion of pure blood. In class they have steadily improved each year." Consequently, Mr. Mandell, claiming the requirements of a draghound to be materially different from those of a hound engaged in the pursuit of the fox, bred along lines which he conceded were unorthodox, but which he believed would give him better results, with the material he had at hand 124 THE MYOPIA and the time he could afford to give to it, than if he had followed more accepted Imes. Speed and dash are the principal requisites for a hound at Myopia. The nature of the country makes it practically obligatory to ride directly be- hind hounds, and if they do not possess sufficient speed to keep out of the way of a hard-riding, well-mounted Field they are useless. In so cramped a country any crowding at the fences, when perhaps there is only a single narrow panel which is fit to jump, is not only disagreeable but positively dangerous. Breeding from nothing but pure Elnglish stock, but taking great pains in the selection of his sires, the Master had in his kennels, at the close of the season of 1 907, a pack of big, racy hounds, possessed of great speed, which flew the stone walls where smaller hounds would have climbed them. As luck would have it, just as he had about reached his ideal, and the pack, bred solely by him, certainly had no equals in America as draghounds, rabies broke out in the kennels, and the entire pack had to be destroyed. Mr. Mandell, good sportsman that he is, promptly imported a new draft from England to fill the gap for the time being, until he can again breed what his country needs. The regular season opens on Labor Day, and continues until frost, usually about the 1 st of December. The hounds meet three times a week. Lat- terly there have been informal meets in August, and even in July, known as " pony drags." The farmers have met the sport in a most generous way, and there is practically no spot which may be reasonably ridden over where hounds are not welcome. At the conclusion of the run men are inunediately sent over the line to replace wire and repair damages. The Field turn out on the average about twenty strong, though fifty or more persons ride during the season, with considerable regularity. There are a number of women among the riders, as many as eight frequently riding at the same time. The difficulty of recruiting the Field and giving opportunity for developing green horses is greater in drag-hunting than in fox- hunting. A successful drag is necessarily a burst from start to finish. There 125 THE MYOPIA are not the opportunities to school while the hounds are drawing, or as the pack " come to their noses." An innovation which proved a great success in this line were the meets of Mr. John Caswell's beagle pack before the season opened. Mr. Caswell has now, unfortunately, been compelled to abandon these meets, the "pony-drags" already referred to taking their place. There is no doubt of the popularity of these junior meets. The beagles are replaced by a pack of the old hounds, troubled with the " slows " and further kept back by a scent laid with many checks. There is no better experience for the novice than to ride with the man who lays the drag. There are also opportunities of learning while the hounds are being conditioned; and any novice who needs more than oppor- tunity is not sufficiently good material to be worth while bothering about. The above will give to the reader an idea of the pains taken at Myopia to let the youngsters join in the sport and to instil in them a love for cross- country riding. One can see at the early morning meets of the pony drags many a future hunting man and woman who bears a name which was among those of the originzJ Myopia members who hunted foxes at Win- chester in 1 879. 126 HENRY G. VAUGHAN, ESQ., M.F.H. 19OJ- Krum :i Painting hy Charles Hopklnson, Esq. The Norfolk Hunt DISTINCTIVE COLLAR Ught green EVENING DRESS - - Scarlet coat, light green facings MASTER - Henry G. Vaughan, Esq. SECRETARY - Robert Homans, Esq., Boston, Mass. HUNTSMAN - The Master WHIPPERS-IN \ \'\^^T, "^.'w ?r ( 2nd, Nicholas Walsh KENNEL HUNTSMAN Andrew McGregor HOUNDS - \ ^^ couples. English ( 8 couples, American KENNELS AND POST-OFFICE - ■ Medfield, Mass. DAYS OF MEETING - Tuesday. Thursday and Saturday LENGTH OF SEASON September 1st to December 15th HUNTING at Myopia had been going on for more than fifteen years when, in 1 895, a number of gentlemen formed themselves into an association known as the Norfolk Hunt, and elected Mr. Joseph Balch to the Mastership. As all these gentlemen were mem- bers of the Dedham Polo Club, the newly formed Hunt at first made its headquarters there ; the Master finding good open country over which to lay his drag. In those days there was no fox-hunting at Norfolk and there were only about half a dozen followers in the Field. The first draft of hounds was bought at the Rugby sale in England, and these were later recruited by some good drafts from the Montreal. The Hunt throve and prospered like the proverbial green bay tree, and the Fields grew in size in the four years during which Mr. Balch ruled over the pack, and then, business duties taking too much of his time, he reluctantly resigned. Captain Samuel D. Parker, commanding Light Battery "A," of the Mas- 127 THE NORFOLK sachusetts Volunteer Militia, was elected as his successor, and for a time hunted over much the same territory. As the Fields grew in number, how- ever, various members began to settle at Westwood, a little village some few miles west of Dedham, and in 1900 the number of riders had in- creased so much, and the country had become so restricted, that the hounds and horses were moved during the hunting season to temporary quarters in Medfleld, where some of the members hired a house for the season, while others stayed at the Inn. This proved such a successful experiment that in 1901 a property of over one hundred acres, on the line between Medfield and Dover, was bought, and a clubhouse with sleeping accommodations for about forty members, good kennels, and stable facilities for over sixty horses were built. So it was that six years after the Hunt had been organized it was duly incorporated, and Mr. Francis Peabody, Jr., who had long hunted with the Myopia at Hamilton, was elected President of the new organiza- tion, known from that time as the Norfolk Hunt Club, Captain Parker con- tinuing in the capacity of M. F. H. until 1 903. While Mr. Balch was Master, no attempt was made to do anything but hunt the drag; but Captain Parker was more ambitious, and in 1899, en- couraged by the enthusiastic support of a number of lovers of fox-hunting, he took the pack dowm to Cape Cod and hunted the wild fox along the sand dunes of the coast, after the ground in Norfolk County had frozen too hard to admit of hunting about Medfield. From an indifferent lot of hounds Captain Parker set to work to produce a pack which could also be used for the better sport of fox-hunting, and with this end in view, Andrew McGregor, a Scotchman of considerable experience, was employed as huntsman in 1 899, and is still in the employ of the Club. He and Captain Parker, working together, improved the hounds very much, breeding a good many, and getting yearly drafts from the Montreal, but at the close of the season of 1 902, Captain Parker re- signed his office — having found that it took too much of his time — his resignation causing great regret among the members of the Hunt, who ap- preciated his untiring efforts to improve the pack and the country. Mr. Henry G. Vaughan, the present Master, was elected in his stead, 128 HUNT STAFF AND HOUNDS A. MCGREGOR, 1ST WUIPPER-IN AND KENNEL HUNTSMAN THE NORFOLK and although he was comparatively new at the game, his Mastership has been a most successful one. Like his predecessor, he hunts the hounds him- self, and although a busy man, finds time to be on hand three days a week, and sometimes four. Although not a hound man to begin with, Mr. Vaughan has taken infinite pains to better his pack, it has steadily im- proved under him, and some very good hounds have been bred, in 1904 and 1 905 he had drafts from the Cheshire, and these, together with occa- sional drafts from the Genesee Valley and the Montreal, have brought the pack to a high level of excellence. In 1905, Mr. Vaughan showed five couples of hounds at the Country Club Horse Show and won, competing against the best packs in New England and, although the hounds have not been seen much of late on the flags, except at the National Hound Show, the pack is of a much higher quality than when Mr. Vaughan took hold of it. The Master, who holds the office of Secretary of the Masters of Fox- hounds Association of America, has taken great interest in the South Lin- coln Show and the Norfolk entries have carried off some very good trophies, notably the Champion Bitch Cup won in 1 906 by " Woodnote." McGregor, the huntsman, has a strong liking for American hounds and has managed to interest the Master in them to a considerable extent. " Vanquish," a bitch bred by Mr. Vaughan at the Norfolk kennels, is by the Cheshire "Dashwood" out of a half-bred American bitch, and has won the title of "Champion" at the various shows at which she has appeared in American foxhound classes. This fact is mentioned by the authors to show how lax is the standard for American hounds on the flags today. Be this as it may, Mr. Vaughan's expenments m the crossmg of English and American hounds will doubtless prove of great interest and assistance to New England hound men in general, and it is to be hoped that a near day may see the Norfolk devoting more of its time to fox-hunting. The Cape Cod season, now last- ing but two weeks, has become an annual feature, and the taste it gives the members of the better sport will do much to whet their appetites. Mr. Vaughan himself has some doubts as to whether this will ever oc- cur, for, although many of the members find time each year to go to the Cape for a couple of weeks' hunting, the home country is so infested with 129 THE NORFOLK wire that fox-hunting there would be very difficult, owing to the fact that hounds would probably get away from huntsman and Field with astonishing regularity. The clubhouse, which is in the township of Medfield, is most advanta- geously placed in the middle of the country, and the latter has been very greatly extended under Mr. Vaughan's Mastership. It lies for the most part about Dover, Medfield, Millis, and the towns to the westward of them, although once a year runs are laid in Framingham, on the edge of Middlesex County, in the country ruled over by Messrs. Bowditch and Perkins. Thus the Framingham country may be said to be a sort of neutral ground be- tween the Norfolk and the Middlesex, the latter Hunt sometimes hunting the same country, by invitation of its joint Masters. The accompanying photograph gives a very good idea of the kind of fencing to be met with in a day with Norfolk, and for the trappy stone walls and narrow lanes it has been found that a half-bred horse is best suited. Norfolk can probably boast the largest Fields that follow a drag in America, it being no uncommon sight to see from forty to fifty out on a good day; in fact of late years the cramped nature of the country has made it necessary to put a limit on the club membership. 130 The Oak Ridge Hunt Club DISTINCTIVE COLLAR - - _ _ Seal brown EVENING DRESS -.- - Scarlet coat, seal brown facings MASTER - - - J. M. B. Lewis. Esq. SECRETARY - _ H. D. WeUs, Esq., Lynchburg, Va. HUNTSMAN - - Ed Cash HON. WHIPPERS-IN - \ \^\^^,^- ^^*'''^"' ^- ( Znd, William Beasley, Esq. HOUNDS - - - - 1 8 couples, American KENNELS AND POST-OFFICE Lynchburg, Va. DAYS OF MEETING - \ ^°^°^^^' every hunting day ( Draghounds, Saturday LENGTH OF SEASON October 1st to May 1st ABOUT the year 1887. the Messrs. E. C. Hamner, Chas. M. Guggenheimer, Hon. Peter J. Otey. Dr. R. W. Morgan, Chas. E. Heald, N. C. Manson and Maj. Marcellus Moorman, who had been hunting about Lynchburg, Virginia, with the various packs of hounds in that region, joined forces and organized under the name of the Oak Ridge Hunt Club. Electing Dr. R. W. Morgan as M. F. H., they began to hunt foxes on regular days, and the farmers, quick to appreciate the advan- tages of having their country hunted by an organized Hunt, rather than by several individuals, met the wishes of the members in every possible way, allowing them the hunting privileges of their farms and even giving them the most pressing invitations to come frequently. This spirit, which has always been manifest, is a tremendous advantage to the Hunt, and since both red and gray foxes are very numerous and a source of constant annoyance and pecuniary loss to the farmers, the members of the Oak Ridge Hunt endeav- or both by their zeal in hunting and by recognizing their obligations in the 131 THE OAK RIDGE matter of crops, seeded land, etc., to repay the landowners for their liberal- ity to the sport and to retain their good will. The foxhounds go out every day on which hunting is possible during the season, which lasts from late September until March, and account for many foxes, a majority of which are of the short-running gray variety, although the red foxes of this section of Virginia, so noted for their stoutness and game- ness, will often stand up in front of hounds for several hours, occasionally making from eight to twelve mile points. Earth-stopping, — as anyone who knows Virginia must realize, — is difficult of accomplishment in a country where foxes breed chiefly in rocky bluffs and ravines. Were this not the case, many more of the red foxes would be killed above ground by the ex- cellent working pack of the Oak Ridge. The country hunted by them is a fine sporting one and very large in ex- tent, comprising the counties of Amherst, Campbell, and parts of Bedford and Appomattox, in each of which there is some very fine rolling, open country with steep bluffs and heavy growths of ivy and laurel. Some of the best coverts are practically unrideable, owing to the wild-grape vines and wire, although the latter has not yet become, in itself, a serious obstacle to sport. Under the able Mastership of Dr. Morgan, who ruled over the country for eleven seasons to the universal satisfaction of both farmers and Field, the pack steadily improved, and when he resigned in the autumn of 1899, the present Master, Mr. J. M. B. Lewds, who was elected to succeed him, found a first-rate lot of hounds in the kennels. A drag pack is also maintained by the Oak Ridge, meeting on Saturdays for those of the members who can only spare time for a weekly gallop. As is prevalent with Virginia packs, the first hounds used were drafts from private kennels and, m the case of the Oak Ridge, were obtained from Mr. Thomas Hubbard of Campbell County and Mr. Thomas Cardwell of Appomattox County. Selecting the best of these, Dr. Morgan bred his pack with great care, and later resorted to an mfusion of the blood of the Loving hounds from Amherst County, which carried in their veins a strong strain of good English blood. He also added, toward the end of his Mastership, a 132 J. M. B. LEWIS, ESQ., M.I'.H. THE OAK RIDGE draft from the noted Walker pack of Kentucky, and in 1 898 obtained from the private pack of Dr. Burke of Danville, Kentucky, a stallion hound which he used extensively and which has left a strong impression. When the present Master assumed the reins of office, he continued the policies of his predecessor, and in the year 1 900, brought in a stallion hound of rare merit from the pack of Mr. D. S. Lewis, of Harrisonburg, Virginia, which has very markedly improved the working qualities and levelness of the Oak Ridge hounds ; so that at the present time no hounds in Virginia show better wild fox-hunting than is enjoyed by the Master and Field of this sporting little Hunt. While the cramped nature of some of the country is best negotiated by a quiet three-quarter-bred horse, yet the Master and a number of his Field prefer and always ride clean-breds, as the days are long and the pace is often very severe. Although the Oak Ridge country has not, hitherto, been so well known as other portions of the great fox-hunting state of Virginia, and it was not until the season of 1908 that the Hunt applied for recognition by the National Steeplechase and Hunt Association, yet visiting sportsmen have al- ways been shown a high class of sport and a cordial welcome by the mem- bers of the Oak Ridge Hunt. 133 The Onwentsia Hunt EVENING DRESS - - ~ Scarlet coat, yellow facings MASTER - - - James F. Lord, Esq. SECRETARY -- - - Francis C. Farwell, Esq., Lake Forest. 111. HUNTSMAN - - - Arthur Paley WHIPPERS-IN- I st, Jim NichoUs 2nd, Will Naughton HOUNDS - 1 6 couples, English KENNELS AND POST-OFFICE - Lake Forest. 111. DAYS OF MEETING Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday LENGTH OF SEASON - - \ September 1st to December 1st ( and April I st to June I st. TWENTY-EIGHT miles north of the city of Chicago is located a colony of business men who, in addition to the sports usually indulged in, in such communities, have endeavored to establish that of cross-country riding. In the autumn of 1 90 1 , a paper-chase club was organized, and this proving very popular, the next step, naturally, was the establishment of a pack of hounds. Being novices at the game, and not wishing to begin on too pretentious a scale, Mr. Arthur T. Aldis, who had been elected Master, looked about to see what sort of hounds would be most advantageous to follow in what seemed a most unpromising country. Hunting men from the older communities of the east and south must bear in mind that the western farmer would surely go into bankruptcy were he to fence his farm in a similar manner to his brother in the east. Wood is at a premium, and far too valuable to use for rail fences; and wire, the hunting man's curse, is the only substitute. Its use about Lake Forest has ruined an otherwise beautiful country and put fox-hunting quite out of the question. 134 JAMES F. LOKD, ESQ., M.F.H. THE ONWENTSIA Starting with these disadvantages, but backed by liberal subscriptions and an endless amount of enthusiasm, Mr. Aldis bought eight couples of English foxhounds from the Chevy Chase, of which Mr. Clarence Moore was M. F. H., — in April of 1 902. Mr. Moore took sufficient interest in the formation of the Hunt to send out with this draft his huntsman, Robert Curran, who proved very useful in showing the first huntsman of the On- wentsia some of the tricks of his trade. A little later, hearing that the Mid- dlesex Hunt was about to dispose of a pack of beagles, which had been ridden after for some years and were admittedly the fastest of their kind in America, Mr. Aldis also purchased a draft of them, but they never proved very popular and were later disposed of. The next thing to do was to get the country into sufficiently good shape to ride over, and this was accomplished by obtaining permission from the farmers to build panels of timber from forty to fifty yards wide in the ware fences. The rideable area was thus steadily expanded under Mr. Aldis's energetic rule and the Fields increased both in numbers and experience. In 1903, a draft was procured from the Montreal Hunt and in the fol- lowing autumn these were augmented by more hounds from the Green Spring Valley, which were hunted with the others with the idea that they would improve the music of the pack. This they did, but were found to be uncontrollable and were promptly dreifted. On December 1 st, 1 903, Mr. W. Vernon Booth succeeded Mr. Aldis as Master, and continued to carry out the work begun by his predecessor, his first step being to get more hounds from the Montreal and the Middle- sex. He also engaged, as huntsman, Arthur Paley, who had been first whipper-in to the Middlesex draghounds, and wath the latter's experienced assistance improved the pack in pace and uniformity and increased the ride- able area, until his country now extends twelve miles south, nine miles west and six miles north from the kennels, which are on the borders of the lake. Drafts have been acquired from year to year from various eastern packs, perhaps the most important being the acquisition of a large draft from the London (Ontario) hounds in 1 905. The country being chiefly grass, and the fences mainly built of saplings, and therefore unbreakable, a clean, clever 135 THE ONWENTSIA jumper is needed. Two lines, aggregating from six to nine miles, are usually laid, and as the hounds go a fast pace over this open country, with no stone walls to stop them, a thoroughbred or nearly thoroughbred hunter is re- quired. There are plenty of foxes in the country, but so far it has seemed to the Master impossible to get good sport after them, on account of the prevalence of wire. Each year, in July, the Club holds its annual Horse Show, and the steady increase in numbers and quality of the entries in the hunter classes shows that the westerners are in the game to stay. Most of the members have summer homes near the kennels, and there is a good hotel which, with the clubhouse, affords ample means for taking good care of any visitors who may turn up to try a day wdth the Onwentsia hounds. As this volume goes to press, word is received that Mr. James F. Lord has been elected Master; taking the place so ably filled for a number of years by Mr. W. Vernon Booth. 136 The Orange County Hunt EVENING DRESS _ - _ _ Scarlet coat, white coUar MASTER _ John R. Townsend, Esq. SECRETARY - - Irving G. Taylor. Esq.. The Plains. Va. HON. HUNTSMAN _ WiUiam Skinker, Jr., Esq. {] St, Ernest Withers 2nd, Charles Glasscock 3rd, Byron Whittlesey HOUNDS - ? ^^ couples, American (27 couples, English KENNELS - - - - Goshen, N. Y.. and The Plains, Va. DAYS OF MEETING - Monday, Wednesday and Saturday LENGTH OF SEASON - - August 25th to March 25th IN the spring of 1 900, four New York gentlemen, Messrs. Edward H. Harriman, F. Gray Griswold, John R. Townsend and Dr. J. O. Green, conceived the idea of keeping a pack of draghounds somewhere in Orange County, New York, and fixed upon the town of Goshen as the most suitable place for their kennels. At that time, owning no hounds, and having only a sufficient number of horses to mount themselves, Mr. P. F. Collier, who was then hunting his own pack in Monmouth County, near Eatontown, New Jersey, was appealed to, and kindly loaned ten couples of hounds, a huntsman, a whipper-in, a kennelman and six horses on which to mount the Hunt Staff; — thus ena- bling the Orange County Hunt to become a reality. Hunting was begun early the following autumn, and such good sport resulted that it was decided to empower Mr. Griswold to buy, on his next trip to England, twenty-five couples of hounds. He was successful in procuring a draft of high quaUty, and in the spring of 1 90 1 they arrived at the kennels in Goshen, N. Y. The management of the Hunt was entrusted to a committee, with Mr. Gris- wold, who had formerly acted in the capacity of Master to the Queen's 137 THE ORANGE COUNTY County and Meadow Brook hounds, carrying the horn. The following season the hounds were again in charge of a committee, with Mr. E. S. Craven ably filling Mr. Griswold's position; the latter having resigned. Such good sport was enjoyed during these seasons that the originators felt that the time had come to expand, and if possible, to devote much of the season to the better sport of fox-hunting. With this object in view, the Hunt was re-organized and put on a financial basis which enabled it to procure suitable winter quarters in the south, where the season was longer and the country more suited to the purpose. In 1 903, then, Mr. John R. Townsend was elected M. F. H., and im- mediately turned his attention to developing the southern country. Excel- lent kennels and extensive stabling were located at the Plains, Fauquier County, Virginia, while a pleasant clubhouse was built for the accommoda- tion of the members. A number of men from northern Hunts whose lo- cation did not allow them to do any winter hunting, joined the Orange County, and enjoyed the sport so much that the Fields have steadily grovra. Mr. Townsend, whose heart and soul is in the sport, has spent a great deal of time experimenting on the best type of hound for the country ; in fact it was he who offered the cup which was the trophy competed for in 1 905, when the Middlesex and Grafton hounds held their memorable match in a section of the Piedmont Hunt country. The former pack made its head- quarters at Middleburg, some ten miles north of the Orange County kennels at the Plains, and the next season, Mr. Townsend, finding that the country about the Plains was insufficient for his operations, aided in forming what is known as the Middleburg Hunt, which is nothing more nor less than an offshoot of the Orange County. Mr. Percy Evans was elected M. F. H. of the new Hunt, which has a long list of the landowners about Middleburg on its roll of members, but it is impossible to give the history of the Orange County Hunt without bringing in this offshoot. The country hunted by the Orange County pack, proper, differs some- what in character from the Middleburg country already described, in that the fencing is bigger and less negotiable, much of it being practically unjump- able because of the sunken roads which intersect some portions. 136 THE ORANGE COUNTY Foxes found in the Plains country often run toward Middleburg, and so it happens that the two packs frequently meet when hunting on the same day. A great portion is grazing land and there is little opposition to the hunting on the part of the farmers, except in the early autumn, when damage Is caused to the wheat fields by hounds as well as horses. Foxes were not so plentiful about the Plains as at Middleburg, but a great many have been turned out and they are on the increase. Mr. Townsend has now given up keeping English hounds for anything but the drag-hunting, which still continues in the north, the season opening at Goshen about August 25th and continuing until November 1 st, when the pack goes into winter quarters and the members betake themselves to the Plains to hunt foxes behind the half-bred hounds, some of which were pro- cured from Mr. Harry W. Smith, Master of the Grafton. It will be seen that the Orange County Hunt practically maintains three packs : — the English pack at Goshen, New York, an American pack at the Plains; and a third pack of English and American mixed. The American pack is hunted by Mr. William Skinker, Jr., while Claude Hatcher, at Middleburg, has shown excellent sport with the mixed pack, as will be seen from a glance at the chapter on the latter Hunt. 139 The Patapsco Hunt DISTINCTIVE UNIFORM - Black coat. Hunt buttons EVENING DRESS - - Scarlet coat, robin's egg-blue facings MASTER - - - Dorsey M. Williams, Esq. SECRETARY- Rowland C. West, Esq., Baltimore Club, Baltimore, Md. HUNTSMAN - Joseph Harmon HON. WHIPPERS-IN - \ I'\ ^;,^°«fl Y.f'^'- f "^• ( 2nd, W. J. H. Watters, Esq. HOUNDS - 20 couples, American KENNELS AND POST-OFFICE Washington Road, Elkridge, Md. DAYS OF MEETING \ Wednesday and Saturday. Bye- ( days Monday and 1 hursday LENGTH OF SEASON - — September I st to April 1st DURING the month of September, 1 898, the Overbrook Farm, situated in Howard County, Maryland, was purchased by a little band of sportsmen, prominent among whom were the Messrs. Murray and Grosvenor Hanson, Edward and Morris Murray, Henry J. Bowdoin, Gustav T. Dalcour, Dorsey M. Williams and William R. Eareckson, who had joined forces in order to put fox-hunting in Howard County on a more permanent footing. Some of these gentlemen had maintained small packs of foxhounds of their own; one of them, Mr. Murray Hanson, having been one of the early Masters of the Elkridge Hunt, and all were keen, enthusiastic sports- men. Nearly all of them owned hounds which they contributed to the pack of the new organization, and the latter presently absorbed the Catonsville Hunt, annexing their hounds and thus enabling the Patapsco to take the field with a goodly pack for its initial season. Organized fox-hunting became very popular, and the Hunt throve and 140 THE PATAPSCO grew in size until, in 1 900, their present property, situated on the Washing- ton Road, some two miles out of the town of Elkridge, was secured. During the past eight years, the growth has been gradual but steady, and now there is a comfortable clubhouse. Hunt stabling for fourteen horses, a cottage for the kennel huntsman and excellent kennels, where the twenty couples of American hounds of which the pack consists are lodged. Mr. Dorsey M. Williams was elected M. F. H. on the organization of the Hunt and has held that office ever since. Being a large landowner and farmer himself, the Master is in close sympathy and touch with the land- owners of the county, and the result is that there is not a farm on which hounds are not welcome during the hunting season. Like many other Hunts in the south, the Patapsco enjoys the great advantage of being situated in a country where the inhabitants have been fox-hunters since early colonial days. Hence it is not strange that many of the farmers should belong to the Hunt and attend the meets in the neighborhood whenever they can spare time and a mount. The Master is thus relieved from the necessity of educating them, as many of his northern confreres are obliged to do, and is assisted in the pres- ervation of the foxes themselves ; a distinct advantage in two important es- sentials to the sport. It follows that foxes are plentiful, and the Patapsco hounds have few blank days. The country is what is usually known as rolling, and although along the Patapsco River the going is pretty rough, most of it is over a good, grazing country. The coverts are large as a rule, but usually intersected by numer- ous rides, so that when a fox breaks, one is enabled to reach the open quickly. The mid-county farmers engage largely in cattle-grazing, and in consequence the fencing, — which is of every known variety, except stone walls, — is strong and high and requires a good bit of doing. A story is told by one of the Patapsco men, that a stranger coming into the country to hunt once was heard to remark after a day's sport, that the farmers of Howard County must " build their fences to stop eagles ! " The lower part of the county has a sandy soil and affords good going in mid-vsanter, when all other portions of the country are frozen solid; but the 141 THE PATAPSCO hunting there is not so interesting as in the mid-county, since the land- owners — who raise no stock, but use their land entirely for truck farming — build very little fencing. As Howard County embraces every possible type of hunting country, it is hard to specify any particular type of horse which is best suited to it. Many of the Field ride half-breds, and in the trappy portions of the country where the enclosures are cramped, they seem to have a little the better of it. There is, however, a large contingent of "lirst-flighters" who vsall ride nothing but thoroughbreds, and when a strong mid-county fox gives the pack a good burst over the grass with its clean timber fences, they are sure to be in the lead. And now a word as to the hounds. To quote from Major Wadsworth's "Bible"; — "A Master is supposed, by courtesy, to know more about his own hounds than outsiders;" — Mr. Williams has been too busy to tell us of his hounds, but the Hunt Secretary, Mr. Rowland C. West, has been kind enough to do so, and as his remarks are far more interesting than anything which the authors of this volume could wnrite, they are given in full, as follows: " The original pack owned by the Club was formed from hounds picked up in small lots all over the county. Nearly all the gentlemen who organized the Club owned hounds before it was formed, and turned them over to the general pack after the kennels on Overbrook Farm were built. " From the Catonsville Hunt we acquired seven and a half couples, among them a bitch called ' Beulah,' bred by Mr. Hardy of Howard County, and given by him to Mr. Hanson, the M. F. H. of the Catonsville Hunt. Mr. Hardy claimed that this bitch was descended directly from the famous old July strain, and she has certainly proved that she is ' bred in the purple.' Being a two-season hunter when she came to us in 1 898, she has hunted through every season up to that of 1 906-7, and although bred every year since reaching the age of five, has never, so far as I can find out, whelped a bad puppy. Old grandma 'Beulah' can be depended on to produce a litter every spring, all of whom are good enough to put on in the next year's entry. " We cannot be said to have had really good success in breeding, yet we 142 THE PATAPSCO were very fortunate in 1 907 and shall have about eleven couples of puppies come in from w^alk for our annual Puppy Shovs^ in June of this year ( 1 908). In 1 906, we had no luck at all, for during November distemper broke out in the kennels and we lost all our best hounds, reducing our pack from twenty- five couples to six and a half couples, so that, had it not been for the sports- manlike assistance of Mr. Redmond C. Stewart, M. F. H. of the Green Spring Valley Hunt, who kindly came to our rescue with the loan of four- teen couples from his pack, we should have been in a bad way. These hounds were returned at the close of the season, except one couple which Mr. Stewart sold to us. In 1 905, we bred twelve bitches and lost every puppy whelped, while both the G. S. V. and the EJkridge Hunts had the same luck. " The pack we lost was the levelest we have ever had, being almost all marked alike, with black saddles, tan heads, white throats and tips to their stems and all big, strong, upstanding hounds and as fast as lightning. It wall be some time before we can produce their equals, but have great hopes for the young entry of 1 908." 143 The Piedmont Hunt DISTINCTIVE UNIFORM - -Steel gray coat, black velvet collar EVENING DRESS - — ~ Steel gray coat, black collar MASTER -- - - -- - R. Hunter Dulany, Esq. HUNTSMAN - - - - Claude Hatcher HOI INDS ^ ' ^ couples, English and ( Americain, hunted together KENNELS - " Grafton Hall," Upperville, Va. POST-OFFICE Upperville, Va. DAYS OF MEETING Wednesday and Saturday LENGTH OF SEASON October 1st to April 1st LOUDOUN and Fauquier Counties, Virginia, which include pretty much all the territory bordered on one side by the Blue Ridge Mountains, on another by the Potomac River, on a third by the Bull Run Mountains, and on the fourth by Albemarle County, com- prise what is the best natural fox-hunting territory in the United States to- day. In this area, at present, there are four Hunts which are recognized by the National Steeplechase and Hunt Association — the Loudoun County, the Orange County, the Middleburg, and the Piedmont. Of these four the Piedmont is the oldest by many years ; having sprung from a private pack owned and maintained by the late Col. Richard Hunter Dulany of "Wellboume," who may be aptly called the father of fox-hunting in the Piedmont Valley. Colonel Dulany, who died in 1906, had kept hounds since 1870, and toward the end of his life, being too old to undertake their active management, relinquished the Mastership to his son, R. Hunter Dulany, Esq., of "Grafton Hall," although it was always to the old Col- onel that the landowners came to pay their respects at the beginning of the season. In 1905, Mr. Harry W. Smith of Worcester, Mass., M. F. H. of 144 COLONEL RICHARD HUNTER DULANY, LATE MASTER THE PIEDMONT the Grafton Hounds, who had done a good deal of hunting with Mr. Dulany in Virginia, was elected Master, a position which he held for only five months, when the title again reverted to the Dulany family. It was during this period that the English-American foxhound match was held, and at that time the Piedmont country was hunted by the Grafton Hounds. In the following season, Mr. Dulany, not caring to continue the active Mastership, owing to his father's death, Mr. John R. Townsend, M. F. H. of the Orange County, who at that time was hunting the Middle- burg country, as well as his own at the Plains, Va., applied for the privilege of hunting the country jointly with Mr. Dulany and, his application being granted, he did so during the seasons of 1 906 and 1 907. At the present time the Piedmont hounds are at " Grafton Hall, " and it is to be hoped, at any rate, that Mr. Dulany will now continue to keep hounds himself again, and that the title of M. F. H. will never for long leave the Dulany family. The country, as has been said, is one of the best in the United States, differing very little from that of the Loudoun County Hunt, which it ad- joins, except that stone walls replace the post-and-rails in many places. Of course, in a country in which there are so many rocky cliffs as there are along the borders of Goose Creek, which runs through the country, all earth-stopping is labor in vain, and were it not for the sportsmanlike nature of the foxes, there would be many short runs ; but for some inexplicable reason, the foxes in northern Virginia decline to go to ground until they have led hounds a long chase; oftentimes drawing it so fine that they are unable to save their brushes. Many of the farmers join in the sport, while the hospitality of Virginians is well-known and visiting sportsmen can always be sure of a warm welcome and a good mount the next day. 145 The Portland Hunt Club DISTINCTIVE COLLAR White EVENING DRESS Scarlet coat, white collar and facings MASTER T. S. McGrath. Esq. HUNTSMAN The Master HOUNDS 1 couples, American KENNELS AND POST-OFFICE - - Portland. Ore. DAYS OF MEETING Two days a week LENGTH OF SEASON October 1st to April 1st UP in the northwest comer of the United States, some three thou- sand miles from the centre of the hunting communities of the east, is a most enthusiastic group of sportsmen, who have formed themselves into the Portland Hunt Club. Beginning in a small way in 1 900, as a paper-chase organization, they have progressed gradually under the leadership of Mr. T. S. McGrath, who is an ardent horseman, until they have now excellent stables and plans for a clubhouse, which will shortly be completed. Of course, fox-hunting as easterners know it, is an absolutely new sport in the west, and Mr. McGrath deserves a tremendous amount of credit for the enthusiasm and singleness of purpose with which he has stuck to his project. In 1 907, some American hounds were procured, — cross-country riding up to that time having taken merely the form of paper-chases. These hounds, — which were used for drag-hunting, — were not entirely satis- factory, nor did this form of sport appeal to the members of the Club; accordingly in 1 908, a Horse Show was held for the purpose of raising sufficient funds with which to build stables, kennels and a clubhouse, and to procure a really good pack for the purpose of hunting the foxes with which the country abounds. Endless pains were taken to make this show a success 146 r. S. MCGRATH, ESQ., M.F.H. THE PORTLAND and although the financial crisis of 1 908 hurt the enterprise a great deal, Mr. McGrath and his associates stuck to it and made it come out even. It is now proposed to make this Horse Show an annual event and the amount of support given to it merely illustrates the fact that the Pacific slope is about ready for this sort of thing. At the present writing, the hounds in the possession of the Club do not amount to much, but, as has been said, these wall shortly be replaced by a larger and better pack. The membership is now over one hundred and twenty-five active members and the Field rarely numbers less than thirty, with a goodly percentage of ladies. The country is absolutely different from any other in America, and consists, for the most part, of level but rather rough pasture land, portions of which are heavily timbered. Mr. McGrath, himself, describes his country as follows : " Our stiffest jumps here are fallen trees, and to realize what I mean it is necessary to see them. Over these obstacles one gets jumps varying anywhere from two to eight feet in height. Of course we have no horses here which can jump eight feet, but we clear the trunks, — usually four to five feet high, — and crash through the branches as best we can. The members are very keen and the other day we had a stiff run through which thirty-six of them rode all the way. " Out here we ride thoroughbreds a great deal and, personally, I prefer a level-headed thoroughbred to any other horse in the world. Of course, I have had some which were not much good, but on the whole they exactly suit me. Our people also hunt half and three-quarter bred horses, the sire being always clean-bred and the dam a range mare or a mare with more or less hot blood. At present, I have a little horse, about three-quarter bred, who, when he came to me, had very bad manners and would not jump at all ; but he had a world of endurance and plenty of speed and now there is no obstacle big enough to prevent him from trying." O ye thrusters of the eastern hunting countries, remember the unbreakable character of these obstacles in the Portland Hunt country, and respectfully salute the western sportsmen who ride at them ! 147 The Portsmouth Hunt DISTINCTIVE UNIFORM Steel gray, black velvet collar silver Hunt buttons MASTER Arthur Cowton Heffenger, M. D. HON. HUNTSMAN Charles P. Heffenger, Esq. WHIPPER-IN Jeremiah Casey HOUNDS 1 couples, American KENNELS AND POST-OFFICE - Portsmouth, N. H. DAYS OF MEETING \ '^'^'^ ^^^^ ^ ^^^''- "'"^'^ ( Wednesday and Saturday LENGTH OF SEASON t September 1st to January 1st ( March 1st to May 1st ONE of the strongest supporters of the American hound in the east is Dr. Arthur Cowton Heffenger of Portsmouth, New Hampshire. A Virginian by birth and educated for the United States Navy at Annapolis, Maryland, he acquired his love of fox-hunting during his early days in the south and retained this in spite of some years' service in the Navy; so that when he settled in Portsmouth, he promptly set about foUov^ng his favorite sport in that part of the United States, which is hardly of such a character as to offer, at first glance, much encouragement to a ridmg man. The Portsmouth Hunt was founded in 1885, and Dr. Heffenger has been Master throughout its history, and has hunted the hounds, which he owtis, twice a week during the season, for twenty-three years. This season lasts from September to January, and from March to May, and there are no regular days, hounds going out when conditions are most suitable. Some hunting is also done during August, September and May, at night. The country is flat or gently rolling, but very cramped and rough, the fields being small, with many stone walls, and about half the territory is wooded or cov- 148 MASTER CHAHLES P. HEFFENGEK, TWO COUPLES OF THE PORTSMOUTH HOUNDS THE PORTSMOUTH ered by swamps. Foxes double much, and as a large portion of the coun- try is unrideable, one has to ride after, or to the hounds, rather than with them ; so that a clever, quiet horse is best suited to the work, as much trappy jumping has to be done. It often happens that a horse must push his way through thick alders and briers and buck over a good-sized wall into a maze of bushes. Thus, it goes v^thout saying that a horse to hunt this country should be a born leader and go fearlessly where he is headed, whether in moonlight or sunshine. The Virginia and Maryland horses, clean or half-bred, seem to negoti- ate the New England territory with more cleverness and satisfaction than those from other parts of the country, or England ; and the character and temper of the horse seem to have more to do with his success here than the amount of hot blood he has. It will be seen that a horse really ideal for this country is most likely to possess all-round useful qualities, a matter of much moment to the average New England hunting man, many of whom do not feel able to keep a horse for hunting alone. The Portsmouth hounds are bred, says Dr. Heffenger, " as near the American standard type as possible, which practically means a cross of the racy strains of the south, possessing the combmation of nose, hunting speed and stamina, upon the best English bitches. About seventeen years ago the breeding lines were started with ' Joe Forester,' an English-native cross, and crosses were made between Walker, Maupm, Robinson, July, Brooke and Wildgoose strains, and several of the best English packs, resulting in a hound of definite type and form, which so far has given the best sport in hunting the New England fox over this cramped and rugged country." If the scope of this volume permitted, it would be interesting to have Dr. Heffenger's opmion in detail, as he believes that m order to produce the best results it is necessary to use a very large infusion of American blood, and this is shown very clearly in such hounds as he bnngs to the annual foxhound shows. That his hounds give good sport in the kind of country they hunt, and in the way he desires, is unquestionable ; but that they breed to a type, or that any American hounds breed to as distinct a type as the English hound, we senously doubt. 149 The Radnor Hunt DISTINCTIVE UNIFORM Brown coat. light gray collar. Hunt buttons EVENING DRESS Scarlet coat, light gray collar and facings MASTER W. Hinckle Smith. Esq. SECRETARY Harry W. Harrison. Esq. HUNTSMAN - Will Davis WHIPPER-IN George Donnon HOUNDS - 40 couples. American KENNELS 3 miles south of Bryn Mawr. Pa. POST-OFFICE Bryn Mawr. Pa. DAYS OF MEETING Tuesday. Thursday. Saturday, and all holidays LENGTH OF SEASON October 1 5th to March 15th UNDOUBTEDLY the largest and most widely known organiza- tion of its kind in the neighborhood of Philadelphia is the Rad- nor Hunt. It is also next to the oldest, being antedated only by the Rose Tree Fox Hunting Club. As now organized, it had its origin in a pack of hounds kept for many years at the old Pugh farm, near the present kennels, by one of Pennsylvania's sterling old Quaker farmer sports- men, Thomas Mather (no relation to the later M. F. H.). Messrs. James Rawle and Horace and Archibald Montgomery, who resided in the neighborhood, started hunting with Mather's hounds about 1 880 and they in time introduced some of their friends, — Messrs. Cooper Smith, R. E. Hastings, Maskell Ewing, Theodore Justice, Edmund H. McCullough, Edward F. Beale, Carroll Smythe, Charltan Yarnall, C. E. Mather and others, — and as these things so often do under happy circumstances, the sport grew in favor with these men until they became regular in their attendance with the hounds, occasionally helping with the expenses, then becoming regular contributors, and finally, at Mr. Rawle's suggestion, the present home 150 THE RADNOR was purchased, the Club organized, and very primitive kennels erected. Mr. James Rawle w^as elected President, Horace Montgomery first Master, and John Mather, son of the former owner of the pack, was employed as hunts- man. While the pack was enlarged and kenneled, no change in the method of hunting, handling or breeding was made during this regime, which lasted until 1887. A complete re-organization then took place, Mr. A. J. Cassatt being elected President and Mr. C. E. Mather M. F. H.; Mr. Charltan Yarnall succeeding Mr. Herbert Lycett as Secretary. Mr. A. J. Cassatt continued as President until his death in 1 906, when he was succeeded by Mr. Rudolph Ellis, the present incumbent. Mr. Charltan Yarnall was succeeded as Secretary by Mr. J. R. Valentine, followed in turn by Mr. Henry Geyelin, Mr. W. S. Ellis, and the present Secretary, Mr. H. W. Harrison. Mr. Mather hunted the American hounds, which he found there at the time of his election as M. F. H., for several years, and showed satisfactory sport with them. The pack consisted of sixteen and one-half couples, of the usual uneven and undisciplined character found among the numerous packs in Pennsylvania, and although new blood was introduced, no serious attempt was made to do much with them for several years, except to keep the pack up to a strength equal to that found at the start, and to have hounds which would hunt and run the line of a fox well. In these early days the hounds, wath true American independence, scorned all discipline. However, they answered their purpose, and many a pleasant day was spent over the hills and dales of the Radnor country with them, until misfortune in the shape of rabies appeared, and practically the whole pack was destroyed. It was in a measure to replace this loss that the Master began the importa- tion of English hounds, a move which was to lead ultimately to the present splendid pack of half-bred hounds, although at first the nucleus remained American. Mr. Mather soon became so enthusiastic in regard to the merits of the English hounds, that eventually he drafted out all the American blood, and for several seasons hunted the English pack alone, until, yielding to the pressure of the majority of his Field, he again introduced American hounds into the kennels. Later, finding the sentiment at Radnor very strong in 131 THE RADNOR their favor, rather than hunt the country with an American pack, he resigned in 1901, and moved the English pack to his place on the Brandywine, where he had for some time been keeping a small pack of his own. The sentiment which influenced the Radnor Field to desire a change back to the American hound, after several years of trial of the English hounds, was the apparent inability of the latter to furnish sport on cold, dry days, and their lack of voice, making it very difficult for the Field to get to them should they be thrown out in their broken country. Mr. Mather left the American pack, on his retirement from office, taking the English pack, which was his own property, away with him. His resigna- tion was a great loss to the Hunt, and his successor, Mr. John R. Valentine, had a difficult task to continue to show as good sport as his predecessor. He was, however, fully equal to it. Mr. Mather was, as has been said, an ardent supporter of the English hound, and although he had always kept at Radnor an Amencan pack as well as the English one, it was the latter that had been his greatest hobby, while Mr. Valentine was, and still is, a staunch believer in the merits of American hounds for the Radnor country. He, how- ever, realized their shortcomings, and promptly set to work to correct them as rapidly as possible, by crossing American dog-hounds on carefully selected bitches from the hill counties of England and Scotland, principally from the Fife and the Blackmore Vale. The American hounds were carefully selected for nose, voice, stamina and courage, and always tri-colored. This was done in the hope of getting a pack VNath more levelness and type than the usual American pack possesses ; at the same time, in no way sacrificing their won- derful nose and deep toned voice, so welcome to the sportsman who has made a wrong turn, or been left at the covert-side when the hounds have gone away. That this has been accomplished can be doubted by no one who has been out with the Radnor in the last five seasons. They have size and substance, not so much as the English, to be sure, but enough. They are fast, biddable, and good to look at, and have as good noses as pure Amer- ican hounds, possessing all their voice as well. The principal stallion hounds are "Leader," "Link" and "Ming," the former being the sire of more than half the pack. In no case has the Eng- 152 THE RADNOR lish top-cross been used, as that has been found unsuccessful, the light American bitches not mating well with the heavy English dog-hounds. During the last year of Mr. Valentine's Mastership he imported a Welsh hound with the idea of breeding him to the half-bred bitches, and in this way still further improving their stamina ; also with the idea of having the Welsh blood stiffen their coats. The few puppies entered this year bid fair to fulfil his expectations without in any way impairing the two great essen- tials, viz: nose and voice. One of the authors, who was lucky enough to enjoy a most excellent day's sport with the Radnor during Mr. Valentine's Mastership, gives his recollections as follows, quoted from a letter to a friend at the time : "Philadelphia, February 10th. 1904. " Dear C. — I went out with the Radnor yesterday ; queerest day for hunt- ing I ever saw, would not have taken hounds out of kennels at home; quite cold and, although the sun had thawed the top of the ground, it was as greasy as could be. Went out in the early morning train wath V — M — , who very kindly offered me a mount, — to Bryn Mawr station some half hour or so from town, and drove from there to the kennels about three miles away. I said to V — ' Do you mean to say they will hunt today ? ' ' Yes,' he said, ' Why not ? ' I remarked that it was his horse and that if he'd risk its legs I'd gladly risk my neck. At the clubhouse, near which are the kennels and stables, we found our horses, — a beautiful little Irish mare for me and a big clean-bred colt for him, — and as hounds were to meet some three miles away, we promptly jogged on. "The meet was in a little country village and there was a good Field out, perhaps forty, fully half of them farmers; most of the latter mounted on businesslike looking cocktails ; with a good many of the members riding clean-breds. Hounds came up promptly at eleven, and a most workmanlike looking lot they are too, not much to look at, though I must say I like them better than most Americans I've seen. The Hunt staff were beautifully turned out, all on chestnuts, as Valentine has a leaning that way. You know they wear brown here instead of scarlet; I don't know why exactly, — some local prejudice, I believe, — but they all looked smart and ready for busi- 153 THE RADNOR ness. Valentine was away and Mr. David Sharpe was acting M. F. H., carrying the horn himself with a couple of professional whippers-in and one amateur, Mr. Harrison. Hounds moved off promptly and began drawing along the base of a long wooded range of hills. They were under absolute control and although working vsader than any English hounds I've ever seen, they seemed to be perfectly biddable and were handled in much the same manner as you would handle an English pack. "We worked along for perhaps two hours wathout finding, and then as we heard the Lima hounds running a mile or so away, Mr. Sharpe moved off to another portion of the country. Hounds came to the horn as well as you could ask for. Presently, we met Mr. Mather with about twenty couples of the Brandywine, and for the next hour both packs worked together, the two huntsmen riding side by side. In dravsang, there was very little to choose between the two lots, both of them working eagerly and well. "At last we found; the fox was holloaed away by one of the Brandywine whips and away we all went. I don't know which hounds found first, — both claimed the honor and I question if either huntsman knew, — anyway, both lots of hounds came to the holloa on the jump and a prettier sight 1 never saw. Forty-two couples in all, running well and evenly together, and here again neither seemed to have the better of it. Once fairly started, what a gallop we did have ! Scent breast-high, hounds running like blazes and just screeching at him. The going was something appalhng, as greasy and slip- pery as possible, and as 1 rode at the first fence, — and let me tell you the fences in this country are nothing to jeer at, — I felt as 'Brooksby' did in 'The Best of the Fun'; I wondered who would ride the old mare at home in Lincoln. But the honor of Middlesex was at stake, so at it we went and the little mare sailed over it as clean as a whistle. By jingo! it was grand for the next half hour, the Brandywine huntsman, Picton, and I side by side, — he vv4th a monocle in his eye, — though how he keeps it there Heaven only knows. Presently we came to a brook or, rather, a small creek. It was half frozen over, but hounds kept on, so in we went, horses splashing the icy water all over us, into a little covert on the other side, where hounds suddenly 154 THE RADNOR stopped. For an instant there was silence and then a sudden snarling told us that 'Mr. Charley' had breathed his last. Of course Mr. Sharpe and Picton both claimed that their hounds had done the trick. Frankly, I couldn't tell; neither could any one else. It was one of those short, sharp bursts with no checks that just 'bust' a fox, though I wish there had been checks so that I might have seen the pack at work better. Miss Dobson had the brush and Miss Mather the mask, and then we separated; Mr. Mather to go home to his kennels and we to the Radnor clubhouse for a bite. "After luncheon, Mr. Sharpe took me out to the kennels to see the hounds, of which they have about forty couples ; some ten pure English and the rest cross-bred. 'Sportsman' a Genesee Valley hound, is their best stallion and is as fine a type of English hound as you'd wish to see. The majority of the pack are big, rangy, light-colored hounds, perhaps twenty-four inches at the shoulder, with rather an American cast of head and body, but most of them fairly straight, with good legs and feet and lots of quality. They impress me as light all over, but perhaps they are not. Certainly they do their work well. " Such is the impression the Radnor made in 1 904 on a visiting sportsman. Today they are larger, have a good deal more bone and show, in many ways, a strong infusion of English blood. The Radnor dog-hounds weigh as much, stand as high — if not higher — at the shoulder, and have as much bone as any English hounds. Will Davis, their present huntsman, is an Englishman born and bred, and has hunted English hounds all his life, being late huntsman to the Pem- brokeshire. He naturally had a pretty strong prejudice against American hounds when he first came to the Radnor, but he told one of the authors recently that he was forced to admit that the Radnor hounds, as they are to- day, are very hard to beat in their work. " When 1 first took them," he said, " they were wild as hawks. They began hunting when they got ready and left off when they liked. But I stuck to it, and presently their manners im- proved. Any hounds can be taught manners if the poor brutes only know what you want them to do. 1 got a terrier from England, — and a good 'un, — and every time they ran a fox to ground I had him out if it was possible. 155 THE RADNOR Now they'll mark, — which is more than they'd do before." So much for the improvement in the work of the Radnor under Davis. It is to be hoped that he will have equal success in breeding for straightness and levelness. At Radnor, only the native fox is hunted. The season opens about October 1 5th wdth cub-hunting (the meets being scheduled at sunrise), un- til about November 10th, when the regular hunting starts and continues until the middle of March. Barring times when the snow may be too deep, or the ground too soft to gallop over without cutting up grass fields, the pack is hunted regularly throughout the season. The Radnor country is rolling, with lots of cover, and foxes are, and always have been plentiful. The farmers owning the land hunted over are all more or less interested in the sport, sometimes joining in the hunts and often appearing in the fields and giving information of the fox on the line of which the pack may be working. In 1 907, Mr. W. Hinckle Smith was elected to the Mastership in place of Mr. Valentine, who had resigned, and it is his hope and that of the Radnor members that they long will continue to be as interested in the sport, and be as good friends of the Hunt as they are at present. 156 MCR, ES(.I., M.F.H. M. C. JACKSON, ESQ., HON. HUNTSMAN The Riverside Hunt DISTINCTIVE COLLAR - _ Dark green MASTER - Le Roy Roper, Esq. SECRETARY - M. J. Pegram. Esq., Petersburg, Va. HON. HUNTSMAN _ M. C. Jackson, Esq. HON. WHIPPERSIN - - \ '='• ^- B.Sydnor, Esq. ( 2nd, W. Roane Ruffin, Esq. HOUNDS - 16 couples, American KENNELS AND POST-OFFICE Petersburg. Va. DAYS OF MEETING ^ Foxhounds, every hunting day ( Draghounds, Wednesday and Saturday LENGTH OF SEASON October 15th to April 15th FOX-HUNTING has been carried on about Petersburg, Vir- ginia, in an indefinite sort of way since the Revolutionary War, ahhough for several years after the Civil War there was very lit- tle done. The sport has, however, too strong a hold in the south to die out completely, and there are now five or six packs of hounds within a radius of fifteen miles of Petersburg. Of these, the Riverside Hunt, founded in 1 903, and recognized by the National Steeplechase and Hunt Association in 1 907, is perhaps the best known. Its founders are all members of the Riverside Country Club who are hunting men and who, while they could at any time hunt with the other packs in the vicinity, concluded to organize a Hunt of their own, chiefly within the membership of the Country Club. Mr. Duncan Wright was elected M. F. H. and served until 1906, when Mr. Le Roy Roper, the present Master, succeeded him. The Hunt Staff, which is strictly non-professional, is composed of M. C. Jackson, Esq., huntsman, E. B. Sydnor, Esq., I st whipper-in, and W. Roane Ruffin, Esq., 2nd whipper-in. The country about Petersburg abounds with foxes, but to the great sorrow 157 THE RIVERSIDE of the members, they are all of the short-running gray species, which fact, although it enables the hounds to kill often, thus keeping the pack well blooded, is not productive of the long, hard runs afforded by the stronger red variety. There are two packs at Riverside, one used for drag-hunting only, going out on Wednesdays and Saturdays, and the regular foxhound pack which goes out on every hunting day through the season. The hounds are Amer- ican, many of them bred in the kennels, and all of them Virginia-bred with- out any strain of English blood, the Master claiming that his hounds are faster, give a great deal more tongue, and when carefully broken are as easily controlled in the field as those of English blood. The landowners, who are very much harassed by the foxes and most of them also keen hunting men, are not only willing but anxious to have the hounds on their land and usually join in. The country is open, with very little wire and clean negotiable fences. Any good hunter is suited to it, and the preference of the members is about evenly divided between half- and thorough-bred horses. 158 The Rose Tree Fox Hunting Club DISTINCTIVE COLLAR Old rose EVENING DRESS Scarlet coat, old rose facings MASTER - Simon Delbert. Esq. SECRETARY WQliam H. Codies. Esq., Media. Pa. HON. HUNTSMAN - - - Samuel Pinkerton. Esq. HON. WHIPPERS-IN \ l"'^- ^P^"f ^^^^l' ^- ( 2nd. A. L. Hawkins, Esq. HOUNDS - — 25 couples. American KENNELS AND POST-OFFICE Media. Pa. DAYS OF MEETING Monday, Wednesday. Thursday and Saturday LENGTH OF SEASON November ! 5th to March 17th THE first organized Hunt Club in America was, it is thought, the Brooklyn Hunt Club, mention of which has been made in the article on the Meadow Brook Hunt. The first organization, however, of which we have accurate records, is the Gloucester Fox Hunt- ing Club, the initial meeting of which was held on December 1 3th, 1 766, in the old Philadelphia coffee-house, at the northwest corner of Front and Market streets. It was largely attended, the membership of the Club, organized at that meeting, containing about 1 25 names, among them such well known ones as Benjamin Chew, Charles and Thomas Willing, James Wharton, Thomas Mifflin, Israel and Robert Morris, John Cadwalader, Richard Bache, Col. Thomas Heston, Joseph Penrose, Joseph Bullock, John Dunlap, Isaac Cox, Thomas Leiper and James Caldwell, of Philadel- phia ; and of New Jersey, Gen. Wilkinson, Gen. Franklin Davenport, Capt. James B. Cooper, Capt. Samuel Whitall, Col. Joshua Howell, Col. Thomas Robinson, and Col. Benjamin Flower. 159 THE ROSE TREE Capt. Samuel Morris was elected President, and it was he and twenty- one other members who organized the First City Troop of Philadelphia City Cavalry. Capt. Morris's negro slave, old " Natty," served the Club as kennelman and huntsman from 1 769 until the Revolution. The uniform of the Club, adopted in 1 774, was a "dark brown cloth coatee with lapelled dragoon pockets, white buttons and frock sleeves, buff waistcoat and breeches and black velvet cap." In 1 775, the pack consisted of fifteen and a half couples of hounds and in 1 778, when the kennels were on the Dela- ware, near Gloucester Point, of sixteen couples. Just what type these hounds were it would be very interesting to know, but it seems probable that they were very similar to the hounds used in England for fox-hunting at that time. If this was the case, it is curious to note the development in the two countries, for today, the Rose Tree hounds are of the so-called American type, which, of course, is vastly different from the existing English type, and yet both could probably trace back to the same parent stock. This old Club survived until 1818 and existed fifty-two years. Delaware and Chester counties, which were not divided until 1 789, comprise probably the longest-hunted district in Pennsylvania. Men living within a few years past, have told us of fox-hunts they witnessed when boys in Middletown, Aston and Concord Townships, when Charley Pennell, Nicholas and Joseph Fairlamb, "Squire" Baldwin and Antony Baker were noted hunters, and later, we learn of hunts from the Black Horse and Anvil Taverns, the latter in part of the township which is now Media. An hon- orary member of the Rose Tree Hunt also kept hounds many years ago and George W. Hill, at one time M. F. H., began his hunting wath him about 1830. From George E. Darlington, the author of a book entitled " The Origin and History of the Rose Tree Fox Hunting Club," from which has been drav\Ti much of our information regarding the Rose Tree, we learn that Charles Pennell, who was born about I 760, kept hounds from his earliest manhood. " We heard of him," says Mr. Darlington, " from a gentleman who was born in 1 797, and who, when a small boy, was watching with his brothers the hounds running over the hills on his father's farm early one morning, 160 GENERAL EDWARD MORRELL, LATE MASTER THE ROSE TREE that Charley Pennell came riding to them on a good young horse that had never hunted before and which he put at a low worm fence and that the horse refused to take it. At Mr. Pennell's request, the boys cut a stout stick for him, and with this persuader he drove his horse at the fence again and went blundering on after the hounds Few farmers objected to hunting over their lands, and generally they were fond of seeing the hunt and hearing the hounds in full cry, and this love of the sport is illustrated by the fact that a farmer named Jesse Russell, living in Edgmont township and whose farm contained a well wooded round-top called Hunting Hill, a favorite retreat for foxes, when on his death-bed requested that he should be buried on Hunting Hill, where he could hear the hounds running. He was buried on the north side of this hill, and afterward the spot was adopted as a family burying-ground and so still remains, with a wall of native stone around it, which is fast going to decay, but which some of the fox-hunting clubs of the county propose to rebuild and put in good condition."* In the winter of 1 852-3, Mr. J. Howard Lewis and Mr. George Darling- ton began fox-hunting. At that time Jim Burns and Ned Engle of Chester, John Mahoney of Rockdale, George Powell of Springfield, Jones and Hunter Moore of Haverford, Dan Abrahams and Bill and Tom Crossley of Radnor, Chandler Thomas and Pratt and Washington Bishop of Upper Providence, Bill Noble of Ridley, Jesse Hickman of Thornbury, William Grant and Levis Speakman, of Birmingham, William Hannon of Aston, Osbom Booth of Concord and James Pinkerton of Gradyville, all kept packs of hounds, sometimes hunting together as a " trencher-fed " pack and sometimes taking their own hounds out for the amusement of their friends and themselves. Messrs. Lewis and Darlington had four or five couples of their own which they hunted together until the Rose Tree Club was organized in 1 859 by the election of J. Howard Lewis as President, George E. Darlington as Secretary, and J. Morgan Baker as Treasurer. Every member of the Club was an active and trained fox-hunter, well qualified to hunt the hounds by practical experience, and no Master of hounds or hunts- * This intention has been carried out. — The authors. 161 THE ROSE TREE man was appointed. A whipper-in, Jim Miller (colored), was employed to bring back stray hounds, and was said to be a good and bold rider. "Those were the days," says Mr. Darlington, "when the sport was truly hunting, and not steeplechasing with hounds across a country. The hunt- ing horses were not as good then as now, for they were not blooded stock, but the hunters knew how to save their horses' wind and strength by never forcing a jump unnecessarily, and by taking some of the work upon them- selves by climbing steep hills on foot, leading their horses to the top." On October 4th, 1873, the Club was reorganized. George W. Hill was made President and M. F. H., Frederick Fairlamb, Vice-President, and Samuel Miller, Secretary, while the annual dues of the members at this time were fixed at five dollars. In 1877 the Club had a membership of thirty active members and fourteen contnbutmg members, and the by-laws pro- vided that membership should be confined to residents of Delaware and Chester counties and Philadelphia, and the annual dues were increased to ten dollars, with ten dollars initiation fee. About this time, many of the mem- bers kept horses exclusively for hunting, and a race meeting was instituted on the old Rose Tree track with a steeplechase course, which took in a portion of the Bullock farm and in which the jumps were mostly post-and-rail fences. The residents of Delaware and Chester counties and the Philadel- phians took great interest in the meeting and turned out in goodly numbers. On November 22nd, 1881, the Club was incorporated by the Honora- ble Thomas J. Clayton, President-Judge of the Court of Common Pleas of Delaware County (who afterward was a member of the club till the time of his death), under the name of " The Rose Tree Fox Hunting Club," the incorporators being, — Fairman Rogers, A. J. Cassatt, George W. Hill, J. Howard Lewis, Henry E. Saulnier, Samuel C. Lewis, Rush S. Huidekoper, J. Edward Farnum, J. Mitchell Baker, Moncure Robinson, Jr., George M. Lewis, William H. Corlies and George E. Darlington. The following of- ficers were elected, — President and M. F. H., George W. Hill; Vice- Presidents, William E. Saulnier and J. Howard Lewis; Secretary and Treas- urer, William H. Corlies. In 1 88 1 , a clubhouse was erected under an agreement with Benjamin 162 ^"y ^ GOING TO COVER THE ROSE TREE Rogers, owner of the property and incidentally of the Rose Tree Inn ; and George W. Hill and William H. Corlies, Trustees for the Rose Tree Fox Hunting Club, dated April 23rd, 1881, which stipulated that the Club should have the privilege, at its own cost, to erect a clubhouse for its enjoy- ment for the term of fifteen years from that day; at the end of which time the house was to become the property of Mr. Rogers, and the Club could then give it up or become tenants, the Club reserving the right to remove the house at any time during the term, by pajing to Mr. Rogers the sum of one hundred dollars for each year his ground had been occupied by it. The most friendly relationship always existed between Mr. Rogers and his family and the Club members, and the suppers supplied monthly at the regular meeting nights were invariably satisfactory to the members and their nu- merous guests. The clubhouse was plainly finished in yellow pine, the lower story being a banqueting-room and the upper story containing bed- rooms for the convenience of guests. In 1 905, some time after the death of Mr. Rogers, who was affec- tionately and familiarly known as " Uncle Benny," it was decided to secure more commodious quarters. Largely through the efforts of General Morrell, the large farm adjoining the old clubhouse, on which were situated an old fashioned stone mansion, and a large barn, and out-buildings, was purchased. The house was altered and adapted for club purposes, stabling accommoda- tions increased and new kennels built. Any history of the Rose Tree Hunt would be incomplete without a sketch of Mr. George W. Hill, who held the Mastership from October I st, 1 873, up to the time of his death on March 30th, 1 900. Mr. Hill was bom in the old borough of Chester in the year 1 825. During his early youth he lived at Rockdale, and when he was about sixteen years old began his fox-hunting wath the late Mark Pennell, who has been previously mentioned. He hunted actively with the Rose Tree Club hounds until about two years before his death, when he was badly disabled by a fall in the hunting-lield. In spite of this, however, he tried to hunt again during the winter of 1 898— 1899 and, although much shattered in health, took an active interest in the management of the hounds until the end. He was highly esteemed by all 163 THE ROSE TREE who knew him, and his career as Master of Foxhounds was probably longer than that of any other man in America. In 1 874, Mr. J. Edward Famum, then a member of the Club, conceived the idea that an infusion of English blood would be of advantage to the pack and accordingly imported three or four couples of English hounds; but these were used only a short time. The hounds which the Rose Tree Hunt pur- chased originally were procured by Mr. Hill mainly from Maryland and Virginia and the pack has varied in number from eight to twenty-five couples, there being now about twenty-five couples in the kennels, which are located a short distance from the clubhouse, near the race-track and the famous Rose Tree Inn. The Hunt continues to hold its annual race meeting with great success, until it is now one of the most important amateur meet- ings in the country. On Mr. Hill's death. General Edward Morrell was elected Master and continued to fill that office up to the end of the hunting season of 1 906- 1907, when he was reluctantly forced, on account of the demands on his time, to relinquish the position. Like his predecessors, he was a great be- liever in the American hound, holding that for a rough country where coverts are large and hounds cannot be easily followed, these hounds are more use- ful than the English; in fact, all the packs now maintained in Pennsylvania, — and there are a great many, — use the native hound except the Brandy- •wine, Mr. Mather's private pack, a description of which will be found in another chapter. In 1 878, Wells Rogers was appointed huntsman and filled that position up to 1 905, having full charge of the feeding and care of the hounds in kennels and of the hunting in the field. The positions of whippers-in have been ably filled by Samuel McClure and Samuel Pinkerton for a long time, the latter succeeding to the office of huntsman on the resignation of Wells Rogers in 1905. Upon the retirement of General Morrell, Mr. Simon Delbert, the Chair- man of the Kennel Committee, long a resident of Media, and an active member in the hunting field, was elected as his successor. The preference for the American hound, rather than for the English, is very strong, and Mr. 164 THE ROSE TREE Delbert, in deference to the wishes of the Club at large, shows no inclination to change the old character of the pack, which has shown such good sport to its many followers for almost sixty years. The friendly relations with the farmers have always been carefully pre- served and every effort is made to prevent riding over their land when it is in a soft condition; while, of course, all damage done by hounds, foxes or members is promptly paid for by the Club. For several years past the hunt- ing season has been inaugurated with a Farmers' breakfast, at some of which as many as two hundred landowners have been guests of the club. These breakfasts are usually elaborate affairs, and the members of the Club don aprons, wait upon their guests and bid them welcome. At the conclusion of the breakfast, about mid-day, gymkhana races, games and sports are held, in which all are contenders. 165 The Shelburne Hounds (MR. WEBB'S) DISTINCTIVE UNIFORM Scarlet coat, black collar and cuffs EVENING DRESS Scarlet coal, scarlet facings, black collar MASTER J. Watson Webb, Esq. FIRST WHIPPER-IN AND KENNEL HUNTSMAN - W. Hopkins HOUNDS 1 5 couples. English. KENNELS " Shelburne Farms," Shelburne, Vt. POST-OFFICE - ~ Shelburne, Vi. DAYS OF MEETING - Three days a week , r-Ki^T-i I /->r- or- A c/^M ^ September 1st to November 15th LENGTH OF SEASON { » ■. »« or>i . i ( April ist to May jUth, when weather permits VERMONT is the northernmost of all the eastern states which can boast a recognized pack of foxhounds, although there are several packs which have long been maintained just over the border, in Canada. On the borders of Lake Champlain, about eight miles from Burlington, Vt., is situated "Shelburne Farms," the great estate of Dr. W. Seward Webb, which comprises about four thousand acres of pasture land, culti- vated fields and wooded uplands. The surrounding country is of much the same character as Mr. Webb's estate and is held by a class of landowners all of whom are friendly to him and some of whom are interested in sport. These are the conditions which existed in 1 902 when Mr. J. Watson Webb, eldest son of Dr. Webb, began hunting a pack of beagles at " Shel- burne Farms," and these are the conditions which exist today. The beagles sufficed for two seasons and then a scratch pack of harriers took their place in order to get more pace. But since these could not fulfil the desired re- quirements, they were in turn replaced, in 1 904, by a small importation of six couples of English foxhounds from the Ledbury and other packs; and 166 THE SHELBURNE now, by breeding, the pack has begun to assume the proportions its young Master wished for. Mr. Webb is a very keen sportsman ; he has done some steeplechasing and flat-racing and his horses have done well at the smaller Hunt meetings at which they have started. He has from time to time imported both horses and hounds from England and there is every prospect that during the coming years the pack will rank with the best in the country. As we all know, given enthusiasm, executive ability, persistence and a bank account to correspond to these qualities and the future of almost any pack is safe. The M. F. H. of the Shelburne Hounds possesses all of these qualifications, the greatest of which, in the opinion of the authors, is persistency. The greatest difficulty with which the Master has to contend, is the iso- lation of his country and the consequent lack of a Field. It is discouraging to build up a pack of hounds and have them go out day after day with no one to appreciate their excellence ; and it is very easy, under such conditions, to get a little slack for want of criticism and to find one's pack going down hill. Mr. Webb has two younger brothers who are quite keen, and what with his friends and theirs he has a small Field part of the time. ' So far, most of the hunting has been after a drag, as Mr. Webb's enforced absence from home at college has not permitted him to pay much attention to earth- stopping, without which good sport is impossible. The country, however, compared with others on this side of the water, has excellent possibilities for fox-hunting, and foxes abound. Since leaving the university he is able to devote more attention to it and good results are sure to follow. The coun- try, as we have said, is a most excellent " riding " one and is blessed with very little wire as yet, fences being for the most part of the " worm variety. With so enthusiastic a Master it is only a question of time when his dif- ficulties will be overcome, and the authors feel sure that the pleasure which Mr. Webb is deriving from his little pack more than makes up for the troubles and worries of its early days. The Smithtown Hunt MASTER - - Clarence H. Robbins, Esq. SECRETARY ■ - John Turton, Esq., Smithtown, Long Island. N. Y. HUNTSMAN ~ ~ The Master HON. WHIPPERS-IN \ ''*■ R"''"' Gi''"°^f- i'- ^Isq. ( Znd, Lawrence Butler, Lsq. HOUNDS 1 couples, English KENNELS AND POST-OFFICE Smithtown. Long Island. N. Y. DAYS OF MEETING Wednesday and Saturday LENGTH OF SEASON - About four months, autumn and winter LONG ISLAND has always been noted for its sportsmen and for its sporting establishments. Two of the greatest race-tracks in the country are situated upon it, and those who have read the chapter on the Meadow Brook Hunt have noted that some of the earliest hunting in the United States was upon its soil. Its area is great enough to allow room for a dozen packs of hounds, — more than there are now, — and the conformation of the country and its fences are adapted to both fox- and drag-hunting. At Bayside, L. I., a pack of hounds had been main- tained for some time, and as the country gradually grew up and became more cramped, the followers of this pack began to feel that a more regular organization was necessary. Accordingly, in 1 904, Messrs. R. Lawrence Smith, Marshall Smith, Joseph Grace, Russell Grace, Devereux Emmett, John Turton, Winslow White, William Minot, Lawrence Butler, Robert Gilmore and Henry Bell formed themselves into a Hunt Club to be known as the Smithtown Hunt. Mr. R. Lawrence Smith was elected Master and, being a staunch believer in Amer- ican hounds, bought twenty couples in the south and brought them to Long Island, where they have been hunted during the last three years. While 168 CLARENCE H. ROBBINS, ESQ., M.F.H. igo;- THE SMITHTOWN these hounds were found to be good after foxes when once they were started, they were so unmanageable that a change was decided upon. For this reason Mr. Clarence Robbins, who had been elected to the Mastership on the resignation of Mr. Smith at the close of the season of 1 907, brought over ten couples of hounds from England, and intends in time to breed from these a good-sized pack of his own. A few couples of American hounds are still kept, as there are some members of the Hunt who are under the impression that they are better for fox-hunting than their imported cousins. The country over which the Smithtown rides is typical of Long Island ; rolling, and in places quite hilly, the high land is mostly covered with scrub oaks, dwarf pines and thick underbrush, and these coverts, which are very large in extent, are well supplied with foxes. In between the hills are a great many grass fields, the enclosures being fair sized, and bounded with clean post-and-rails, affording the best of galloping and jumping. Unluckily these large areas of scrub woodland in which the foxes lie are too great in extent and too unrideable in character to give the Field a chance to follow hounds and it is only for this reason that the members of the Hunt are in- clined to follow the drag at all. Blank days are almost unknown, and " the glorious uncertainty of fox-hunting" wnith the Smithtown men is only whether the fox will take to the open or cling to the large, strong coverts. Most of the Field ride clean-bred or at least seven-eighths-bred horses, but the Master writes us that any fairly well-bred one which can jump is really perfectly suited to the country. 169 The Suffolk Hounds DISTINCTIVE COLLAR - Mauve EVENING DRESS Scarlet coat, mauve collar and facings MASTER Richard Newton, Jr., Esq. SECRETARY — H. P. Robbins, Esq., "Asher House" Southampton, L. 1., N. Y. HUNTSMAN - F. Haile 1st, Daniel Gladwin WHIPPERS-IN ) o J r- ^/I znd, Lieorge Moore HOUNDS 1 2 couples, English KENNELS AND POST-OFFICE Southampton, L. I., N. Y. DAYS OF MEETING Wednesday and Saturday LENGTH OF SEASON j September Isttojanuao. 1st. Bye- ( days m wmter when weather permits NO porrion of Long Island is better fitted by nature for cross- country riding than Suffolk County. Acres on acres of good, sound turf with very litde cover and practically no swamps make the galloping all that could be desired, and to these natural advantages the farmers have added the cleanest of timber fences, big and stiff, but so well placed that any good hunter can negotiate them. We have already said, in the chapter on the Essex Hounds, that Mr. Pfizer had been in the habit at one time of bringing his pack down to Southampton for a part of the season, and when the time came, as it did in 1 906, that he did not return, many of the summer colony who had estates in Southampton, Water-Mill, Bridgehampton, Amagansett and Easthampton found that they had become so much wedded to the sport that they could not dispense wath it. Accordingly, on October 1 5th of that year, Messrs. Charles Coster, H. P. Robbins, W. Scott Cameron and Richard Newton, Jr., representing the keenest of the hunting element, met at Southampton and formed the Suffolk Hunt. 170 RICHARD NEWTON, JR., ESQ., M.F.H. THE SUFFOLK During the time that Mr. Pfizer had hunted the country, Mr. Newton had often acted as Field Master and it was he who was elected M. F. H. of the new organization. Then came the question of hounds; and Mr. Charles Coster very kindly bought twelve couples of the bitch pack which were at that time offered for sale by the Orange County Hunt and lent them to the country to be hunted as a subscription pack. With these as a nu- cleus, the pack is steadily growing. In 1 908 they showed a pack of five couples at the annual Westminster Kennel Club Show, Madison Square Garden, New York, and while they did not compare favorably writh the crack packs which competed there, it certainly showed the right kind of spirit, and the Master deserves great praise for making a beginning. A better riding country it would be hard to find; the big upstanding post-and-rail fences meet one every few hundred yards, hounds run fast over the flat grass country and it requires a bold, big jumping, clean-bred horse to live with the Suffolk. The fixtures are all withm easy hackmg distance of the many small towns in the country, although it is mainly from the localities before mentioned that the supporters of the Hunt come; in fact the country proper includes all these townships and is in charge of a committee of members, who take great pains to treat the property-owners with the utmost consideration. In con- sequence, all are in quiet sympathy with the sport, as they know that all damage bills are promptly paid and that the Hunt values the privileges ac- corded to it by their permission to nde over the land. Each year there is a great Hunt supper, at which the farmers are the guests of the Club, whose members vie with each other in making them feel at home. During the last two years a steeplechase meeting has been inaugurated and the three-quarter-mile track which has been laid out at Southampton is supplemented by two steeplechase courses; one of them with regulation fences and the other over a natural country. This meeting is the scene each fall of a very pleasant little gathering of Long Island sportsmen, and to the credit of Suffolk County horses, be it said that it takes a nag of more than first-rate quality to "show them the way." 171 The Tomahawk Hunt DISTINCTIVE COLLAR Bronze green MASTER Wallace W. Sanford, Esq. SECRETARY V. R. Shackelford, Esq., Orange, Va. HUNTSMAN - The Master HOUNDS - - - 1 couples, American KENNELS - - - " Kenmore", Orange. Va. POST-OFFICE - Orange, Va. DAYS OF MEETING - - Thursday, with an occasional bye LENGTH OF SEASON - October 1st to May 1st THE autumn of 1902 saw the founding of a small Hunt by Messrs. L. S. Ricketts, J. B. McComb, John W. McComb. H. S. Holladay, Jr., E. B. Sidnor, W. W. Osborne and L. L. Shannon, all residents of Orange County, Virginia. The organization, which was first called the Orange County Hunt, was the outcome of the interest and enthusiasm of its founders in fox-hunting and of the breeding of the type of horse used for that purpose. The first Master was Mr. J. B. McComb, and for the first two seasons he worked hard to get the little Hunt on its feet In 1 904, Mr. McComb was succeeded by Mr. Jaffrey Woodriff, who also remained in office for two seasons, when the present Master, Mr. Wallace Sanford, was elected. In 1 906, the Hunt changed to its present name in order not to conflict with the Orange County Hunt of New York and the Plains, Virginia, and made ap- plication for recognition by the National Steeplechase and Hunt Association, which was promptly granted. Since Mr. Sanford's election, the Hunt has gone forward steadily and now has taken its place as one of the well-known organizations of Virginia. The territory hunted over comprises the northwestern half of Orange 172 WALLACE v.. SAXFORD, ESQ., M.F.H. THE TOMAHAWK County, which includes the townships of Rapidan, Orange, Madison Run and Somerset. The fences are for the most part typical of that section of Virginia, of the "worm" variety, with an occasional plank fence and sometimes a "staked rail." Hitherto, wire has interfered very little with the hunting, but of late it is beginning to creep in, and already arrangements are being made to panel the country. The surface of the territory hunted is rather more hilly than one would wish to see, and the jumping is at times rather trappy, so that a very temperate three-quarter-bred horse, who can "pop" cleverly is the one best suited to it. The members of the Tomahawk Hunt find that for their use the American foxhound is preferable, but the pack is still in its infancy, only ten couples being kept at present, and it is possible that time and ex- perience wall lead them to change their opinion. At present, the hounds are used for both fox and drag. The landowners take a great interest in the sport and evince perfect wil- lingness to allow hunting over any of their property; provided always, of course, that any damage done to crops or fences is promptly made good. 173 The Toronto Hunt DISTINCTIVE COLLAR Dark blue EVENING DRESS Scarlet coat, scarlet facings, dark blue collar MASTER George W. Beardmore, Esq. SECRETARY E. B. Johnson, Esq., Scarboro, Ontario, Canada HUNTSMAN - Frank Haynes WHIPPER-IN - John Potter HOUNDS - - 20 couples, English KENNELS Scarboro, Ontario POST-OFFICE - - - Toronto, Ontario DAYS OF MEETING Tuesday and Saturday Four months in autumn and LENGTH OF SEASON - , . „. ... winter, bix weeks in spring CANADA, to which a great English writer recently referred as "the future playground of Europe," has always furnished an abundance of sport of the rougher sort. Owing to the rigor of its winter climate, however, fox-hunting has obtained a foothold only in the few favored localities where the inborn love of the chase to be found in all Englishmen has been able to overcome the obstacles presented by nature and the attitude of the French population, which constitutes a strong propor- tion of the landowners. The average "habitant" does not as a rule actively oppose the sport as practised by his Anglo-Saxon neighbor, but maintains a stolid indifference to it, and it often requires much tact on the part of the M. F. H. to success- fully handle questions of damages and to retain the good will of the small fanners. Frenchmen, however, are really good sportsmen at heart; one has only to consider the number of packs kept up in France at the present day to 174 THE TORONTO be convinced of this fact. True it is that these packs are maintained chiefly for stag- and boar-hunting, rather than exclusively for the pursuit of the fox, but the French residents in that portion of the Province of Quebec w^hich has been hunted by the Montreal Hunt for over eighty years have learned to love the sport of fox-hunting, and not only has all opposition long since ceased, but there has sprung up near Montreal, of late, an organization v^^hose officers and members are predominantly of French descent. The Toronto Hunt owes its origin to a small group of Englishmen who formed a Hunt Association at Toronto about the middle of the last century. The newly formed organization elected to the office of M. F. H. John Hendrie, Esq., and backed him with a liberal subscription for the purpose of procuring a pack of hounds and putting the Hunt on its feet. Mr. Hen- drie was a keen hunting man, a great lover of horses and perhaps the most noted Canadian sportsman of his day. He always maintained a large stud for the breeding of racehorses and hunters, and no name is better knowTi today in the racing world of America. A number of drafts were obtained from England, and the Master, with J. Halligan as huntsman, began regular hunting. After a very successful Mastership, Mr. Hendrie gave up the hounds and Mr. J. Copeland was elected in his stead. The records of this period are obscure, but it was during Mr. Copeland's years in office that the Hunt received a great impetus by the stationing in Toronto of English regiments, both cavalry and infantry, some ten years after the founding of the organization. Wherever British officers are sta- tioned, the world over, there British national sport in some form or other is sure to flourish, and these may be called the golden years of the Toronto Hunt. Mr. Copeland resigning about this time. Colonel Jennings took com- mand of the pack and country, and, procuring additions to the kennels from England, gave his Field sport of the very highest order until compelled to resign his office on account of his regiment being ordered away. Mr. George Gooderham succeeded Col. Jennings, but the loss of the support of the mili- tary element was a severe one and the Hunt languished for several years during his Mastership and that of his successor, Mr. Andrew Smith. During the early nineties, however, the Hunt was re-organized, new ken- 175 THE TORONTO nels built, more property acquired and its popularity has continued to in- crease from that day to this, especially since the entering into office of the present Master, Mr. George W. Beardmore. At the outset, before the unlucky introduction of barbed wire, the fox alone was hunted, but of late years, this great obstacle to sport has increased so rapidly that the drag has been substituted, although there are strong hopes of dealing with the wire evil by systematic panelling methods and thus enabling a return to the better sport of fox-hunting. The country is a first rate galloping one, the fields in the eastern portion of it being very large, comprising grass land and pasture wath clean fencing and, as yet, not much wire. When hounds meet in this section, the mem- bers of the Field are apt to be mounted on horses which are clean-bred or have only a very small infusion of cold blood, as hounds run very hard on the grass, and two and sometimes three lines of four to six miles each are usually laid. In the north and west countries, the going is quite trappy and the fields cramped, and as there is a good deal of wire to be met with, a more temperate mount is required; most of the Field riding three-quarter- bred horses. As the fencing here is plentiful and much diversified, a clever jumper is a sine qua non if one wishes to be carried with comfort and safety. At present the landowners are very friendly, as a general thing, and the efforts of the Hunt authorities to interest them by means of horse shows and race meetings have met with considerable success. In 1 908, Mr. Beardmore, feeling that new blood was needed in the ken- nels, went to Ireland and personally secured a number of hounds, includ- ing several stallion hounds from the Tipperary with which he hopes to greatly improve his pack. 176 The Upland Hunt MASTER - - Edward Crozer, Esq. SECRETARY Robert H.Page. Esq., Upland. Pa. HUNTSMAN _ Abner Garrett HOUNDS - - 20 couples. American KENNELS - - - Upland, Pa. POST-OFFICE Chester. Pa. DAYS OF MEETING -- - Every hunting day LENGTH OF SEASON - - August 1st to April 1st PROBABLY more Hunts flourish around Philadelphia to-day than in any other portion of the country, and the Upland Hunt, now Mr. Crozer's private pack, is one of the most recent of these. In 1 900, Mr. Crozer and Mr. J. Howard Lewis, Jr., whose father was one of the founders of the Rose Tree Fox Hunting Club, supplied a long- felt want by starting the Upland Hunt in a section of the country which, up to that time, had not been hunted by an organized pack of hounds. Messrs. Crozer and Lewis, as well as a number of other residents, had been hunting the country in an irregular manner for several years, and when the organization was started it was joined by pretty much everybody around the country. Mr. Crozer, who was elected M. F. H., owned most of the hounds, many of them being part of a pack owned and maintained by one branch of his family in Delaware County, Maryland, for the last seventy- five years. The Upland hounds are hunted by Abner Garrett, a typical American huntsman, who handles them in the good old-fashioned method which has been in force in America since time immemorial and has not yet been dis- carded by American huntsmen as it has by Englishmen. The Master is a keen hound-man, taking as much interest in the work of his hounds as he 177 THE UPLAND does in riding over the big, stiff fences of Delaware County. He contends, to use his own words, that "any cur can run a breast-high scent" and likes nothing better than to hear his tender-nosed hounds throw their deep voices on the line of a fox, perhaps six or eight hours old, which " makes the shivers run up and down your back." Hounds go out early in the morning, work about the open country and woodlands till they hit an over- night drag, go on with it at a varying pace, and, — to give the devil his due, — usually run their quarry in at the end of a long day's hunting. That this is very pretty work, no one who has seen it will question, and many are inclined to agree that, if this method is employed, Mr. Crozer is right in con- tending that " an American hound with a heavy tongue vAW settle down and hunt an overnight drag better than die English or half-bred English type. The slow work of a good hound (American) I find very attractive." This may be so, but Mr. Crozer is the first American hound-man whom we have heard admit that the work of his hounds is slow. He says that " any cur can run a breast-high scent." If by that, Mr. Crozer means that the American hound is the only hound that can hunt a cold line in the manner admired by him, it might be suggested that many an English hound is drafted for just this slow, line-hunting, dwelling method of procedure. As has been said in the introductory chapter, "What is the use?" Crosses with English hounds have been tried, but have been found un- satisfactory, and at present Mr. Crozer has in his kennels twenty couples of typical American hounds, most of them descended from family hounds, though some few have been obtained from Delaware and Maryland. Mr. Crozer has had good luck with his puppies, and most of the pack are home-bred. Foxes are on the increase in the country and the hunting during the recent seasons has been exceptionally good ; only two blank days having occurred during the winter of 1 907. One of the most brilliant runs in the history of the Hunt occurred during this season (1907) when hounds found a cold line on the Master's own estate, worked it up, found their fox, and drove him in a fify-mile circle, putting him to ground within a quarter of a mile of the kennels. The M. F. H. himself vouches for the authenticity of this run; certainly an excellent day's work, but it tends to prove, it would seem, that the 178 -^i^ If ■ l % '«^ THE UPLAND speed of American hounds has been greatly exaggerated by some of their ad- mirers, or else that "Mister Charley" was a very, very long way ahead throughout the run. Given a fair start, the fox is not whelped that can live in front of English hounds for fifty miles. He would either go to ground, or they would kill him, or scent would fail and they would lose his line. Such a run as Mr. Crozer describes is certainly, however, a great tribute to the nose of the American foxhound. As to the type of horse best suited to the country, which is just rolling enough to make it interesting and good for horses, with big, stiff post-and- rails and practically no wire, Mr. Crozer has the following to say : — "I am in favor of a well-mannered thoroughbred. We have long days and cover a lot of country, and I have found, personally, that thoroughbreds can pack my weight and go the long distances, at a fair speed, easier than half-breds, and when they get going mile after mile, at a good clip, I l^now that they can. Most of the men, however, hunt half-breds, or worse, and stay pretty well up." The landowners for miles around are good, old-fashioned farmers, "an exceedingly pleasant set of men, all of whom love to see a good hunt, and many of whom join in with us. We are welcome on their land summer and winter." Mr. Crozer, who is a great lover of sport with gun and bird-dog, as well as with horse and hound, spends much of his time in v^anter at Thomasville, Georgia, and sometimes takes the Upland pack, — which is now his private property, — down there for some fox-hunting. As a rule, however, the club- house at Upland is kept opened and hounds hunt regularly throughout the season. 179 The Warrenton Hunt DISTINCTIVE COLLAR - ---- White MASTER - T. Lee Evans, Esq. SECRETARY — F. R. Satterlee, Esq., Warrenton, Va. HON. HUNTSMAN Fleet Galloway, Esq. HOUNDS 1 couples, American KENNELS AND POST-OFFICE Warrenton, Va. DAYS OF MEETING - Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday LENGTH OF SEASON - - October 1st to April 1st WARRENTON, Virginia. The two words are almost synony- mous with horse and hound to the ears of any hunting man in America; and to many they recall good days of sport in the saddle — either following the Wanenton drag, or hunting foxes with the private pack of Mr. James K. Maddux, which has already been spoken of in another chapter. The Warrenton Hunt, proper, was first incorporated in 1 889, about the time that Mr. Maddux began to keep a pack of his own, and although the private pack of Austen Blackwell, Esq., was used for the drag, Mr. Maddux was honored by being elected to the Mastership of the new Hunt. Mr. Blackwell's hounds had come down in his family from generation to gen- eration for a number of years and were quite a noted strain, having hunted foxes in the vicinity of Warrenton for a great many years, and it seemed in many ways rather a pity to degrade them to the drag, this being the man- ner in which cross-country sport was followed by the new club. However, that was the vote of the majority, and it was followed. At first the Fields were small and the sport was carried on in rather a haphazard sort of man- ner, but as time went on and new people settled about Warrenton, interest grew, and today the Warrenton " drag " is as well known as any in the country. leo / ^' F. A. B. POETMAN, ESQ., LATE M.F.H THE WARRENTON There is rarely a meet now-a-days that does not see at least one visitor from some other Hunt out; and a goodly number of northern hunting men and women go there with their horses for some of the winter months, making Warrenton one of the hunting centres of the south. One can hunt foxes with Mr. Maddux's pack, or the drag with the Warrenton, while the Orange County, the Middlesex, the Piedmont, and Mr. Okie's, all of them foxhound packs, are within thirty miles, so that by driving or hacking a bit, the best packs of Virginia, — or one might almost say of the United States, — are available. The country is peculiarly adapted to the sport, being of a rolling nature with large enclosures, little plough, and firm blue-grass sod, while the fences probably embrace a wider variety than in any other Hunt, being post-and- rail, snake fences, stone walls, plank or slat fences, a few hedges, stake-and- bound rails, with often a gate or bars in a line of wire. It requires a clever and well schooled hunter to follow in the first flight over some of the biggest lines, for many of the fences are in the neighborhood of five feet, often over, and practically unbreakable. The streams and ditches are seldom nego- tiated, as the banks are treacherous as a rule and very dangerous. The Club has not a large membership and the resources are small com- pared with other Hunts, so that the office of Master is an arduous one. Of the many good sportsmen who have hunted the hounds, Mr. F. A. B. Portman was undoubtedly the most popular Master, being a man of gentle dis- position, of iron nerve, and a sportsman to the core. His death in 1 907, at the age of forty, was deeply felt by all hunting men of this section and many who had ridden behind him in the field from nearly every Hunt in the country. Other gentlemen who have carried the horn for the Warrenton Hunt and their terms in office are Mr. James K. Maddux, 1889 to 1894; Mr. N. B. Bevan, 1895 and '96; Mr. J. D. Hooe and Mr. Bevan again, 1896 and '97; Mr. A. B. Dundas, 1897 and '98; Mr. F. L. W. Barker, 1898 and "99; Mr. F. A. B. Portman, 1899 to 1903; Mr. U. D. Benner, 1903 to 1905; Mr. Maddux again in 1905 and *06; Mr. Portman again until his death, in 1 907, and the present Master, Mr. T. Lee Evans, — a hard- riding sportsman, who believes in stiff timber; the higher the better. 161 THE WARRENTON The number of couples of hounds kept varies, and both English and American have been tried, the latter with more success, though in the opinion of some of the members the best pack the club owned was one descended from English hounds crossed on the American breed. Many of the most noted hunters in the country have received their education wath these hounds. There is probably not a hunt in the east in which Warrenton is not represented by one or more good horses and many have been taken to England; prominent among these being " Becky Sharp," who carried Mr. Foxhall Keene so well over the Leicestershire countries; " Guidon," who was owned by Mr. F. Ambrose Clark, and " Dolphin," who belonged to Mr. Mitchell Harrison, Hunting in Warrenton is a social feature, the runs being largely attended by interested onlookers, there being often from twenty to fifty carriages following on the roads, while the Fields vary from twelve to thirty-five. A number of ladies hunt regularly and the whole Field turns out well, the mounts being of the best. The Club races each year are one of the events of the season and are attended by a local crowd of several thousand, with a large sprinkling of visitors from other sections, and a horse that carries off the cup in any of the races has proved himself able to cross most countries with credit. 162 The Watchung Hunt DISTINCTIVE COLLAR ~~ - _ _. Green EVENING DRESS — ScaHet coat, green collar and facings MASTEIR - - - — Lewis E. Waring, Esq. SECRETARY -.- Harvey Fisk, Esq., New York. N. Y. HUNTSMAN - - ~ Chris. Comins HOUNDS - — - 18 1-2 couples. English KENNELS AND POST-OFFICE Plainfield. N. J. DAYS OF MEETING Wednesday and Saturday, and all holidays LENGTH OF SEASON -- October 1st to April 15th IT has been said that the northern part of Middlesex County, New Jersey, is an undiscovered country ; but this will hold true very little longer, as now that the Watchung Hunt has located its headquarters there, the country is bound to settle up rapidly. In some respects the country reminds one of the Midlands of England ; and Progress in its onward march has not yet laid its ruthless hand on the wild, beautiful and picturesque landscape. There are many good open fields, enclosed by stiff post-and-rail fences; but, — alas, for those who would like to see more real fox-hunting, — there are also acres of wild, im- penetrable thickets, which, while they provide natural cover for the foxes, are not conducive to the best results for the fox-hunter. At any rate, it has been found very difficult to get much sport in that way, and although the members of the Hunt are all very keen for this branch of the sport, the prospects for the future are poor. The Watchung Hunt was started in 1 902, by Dr. Middleton O'Malley Knott, of Plainfield, New Jersey, who first conceived the idea of establishing a pack of draghounds. During the first season, he had but few supporters, but in 1903 interest became more general, and the result was the holding 183 THE WATCHUNG of the first horse. show in Plainfield, by the Riding and Driving Club, which was an unqualified success. Hunters and other high-class horses came into immediate favor, and many people were brought together who, before that time, had hardly realized that they were horse-lovers. Two years later, the Hunt was incorporated, and has steadily grown, until now it is a flourishing organization of over one hundred members, and has leased a property just outside the city limits, where the Club has forty acres of ground, a large, comfortable house, ample stabling for thirty horses, and a good half-mile track. It is also their intention to lay out, in the future, a steeplechase course on the property, which vnW be a natural one, all the obstacles being post-and-rail fences, ditches, and stone walls; and it is pro- posed to hold hereafter their annual spring and fall race meetings over this course. A schooling-ground for green hunters will also be laid out. To return to the history of the Hunt ; the Master writes as follows : " When the Club was first started, we had only a few couples of small American hounds. Later, a draft of English hounds was bought, but they proved a disappointment, as they did not seem to hunt with keenness and snap, and gave very little music. These hounds were of an inferior quality, which undoubtedly accounts for their being so unsatisfactory." In the spring of 1 906 the Watchung imported from the pack of Aubrey Wallace, Esq., of Brisbane Castle, Millstreet, County Cork, Ire., a draft of black and tan Kerry Beagles, averaging about twenty-three inches in height. These hounds, known in Ireland as the " Millstreet " pack, are maintained and owned en- tirely by the Master, Mr. Wallace, who hunts both hares and foxes over a great part of the Duhallow country, having secured permission from its M. F. H. for that purpose. These Kerry Beagles have been maintained by Mr. Wallace's family since early in the seventeenth century. This draft gave general satisfaction to the Watchung members, being ex- tremely keen and showing the good manners and discipline of the English hound. The Club had these hounds until the summer of 1907, when it was decided, for the best interests of the Hunt, to remove the Club and kennels from Colonia, N. J., to Plainfield, N. J. The pack remained in Colonia with Mr. Charles D. Freeman (who was Master to the time of the 184 THE WATCHUNG removal to Plainfield) for several months, when they were sent to Millbrook, Dutchess County, N. Y., where they are now being hunted by Dr. O'Malley Knott, who has established a pack in that part of the country. In the late summer of 1 907, there was purchased a draft of twelve and one half couples from Lewis G. Young, Esq., M. F. H. of the Union County Draghounds, of which ten couples came from the Montreal and were brought in from Canada in the previous year by Mr. Young. These hounds are good-look- ing and have excellent bone and substance, being bred from the best blood obtainable in England. They were hunted during the fall and wanter of 1 907 and proved most satisfactory, shoving the keenness and drive of the American hound, with the excellent manners and discipline of the English. They have been carefully looked after since they came into the possession of the Hunt by Chris. Comms, the huntsman, who deserves great credit for their physical condition and manners. Early in 1 908, two public-spirited members, Messrs. E. F. Hooley and Harvey Fisk, bought a small draft from the Middlesex and presented them to the Hunt. This draft, though small, was very high in quality, containing among others, the well known Champion " Vaulter " and several very good brood bitches, whose blood should make a noticeable improvement in the pack. With such members as Messrs. Hooley and Fisk, who seem to take a strong interest in the welfare of the pack, and a young and enthusiastic Master, the Watchung is certainly going about putting its pack on a level with the best in the country and getting good foxhound blood instead of wasting time and money over a lot of nondescript draghounds and taking no pains as to their breeding or care. It is regrettable that there are some Masters in America who think that anything is good enough for a "dog" and that so long as six or eight couples of " dogs " turn up at a meet and babble on a drag that they have a pack worthy of their Hunt. For the past three years, the annual race meeting has been held on Decoration Day and the second day preceding it, and there have been gathered together at these meetings the best cross-country horses throughout New Jersey and Long Island. These annual affairs have been very success- 185 THE WATCHUNG ful and have done much toward retaining the good-will of the farmers, as several races for them are held and on the holiday they are the guests of the Hunt at the annual dinner. 186 The Westchester County Hunt DISTINCTIVE UNIFORM - Green coat, yellow collar EVENING DRESS Green coat, yellow collar and facings MASTER E. S. Reynal. Esq. SECRETARY Julian Day. Esq., New York, N. Y. HUNTSMAN - _... _ The Master KENNEL HUNTSMAN - J. C. Lidster HON. WHIPPER-IN - Fletcher Harper, Esq. HOUNDS - - - - _ I 5 couples, English POST-OFFICE AND KENNELS White Plains, N. Y. DAYS OF MEETING Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday LENGTH OF SEASON j September 15th to January 15th. ( and six weeks in spring THE Westchester County Hunt was founded under the title of the "Country Club Harriers "in the summer of 1 886, and at that time Mr. F. O. Beach was Master. They were the first pack to be established in Westchester County, although in 1881 and 1 882 the Queens County Draghounds, with Mr. F. Gray Griswold as Master, tried the coun- try with a view to making a permanent slay, having their kennels at the " Castle " in New Rochelle. As we have seen in the history of the Meadow Brook Hunt, Mr. Gris- wold did not find that portion of the Westchester country which he hunted to his liking, but the seed of sport which he had sown had taken root, and eventually, through the generosity of Mr J. M. Waterbury, President of the then new Country Club, a pack of harriers was imported from England. Mr. Beach hunted this pack for one year, showing good sport, and turned them over to Mr. H. N. Potter in the spring of 1887. The country at this time was limited in area, the kennels being at the wrong end of the county, 187 THE WESTCHESTER and after a Committee and Mr. Pelham-Clinton had carried the harriers through the season of 1 888, hounds and horses were sold and raffled, and the Hunt re-organized as the Westchester Hunt, with Mr. T. A. Havemeyer as Master and a new pack with kennels at White Plains. For the follow- ing ten seasons, the hounds continued to hunt from White Plains until Mr. Havemeyer resigned in 1 895 and Mr. N. C. Reynal was elected in his place. Mr. R. F. Todd and Mr. W. E. Iselin followed Mr. Reynal, each of them remaining in office for one season only, when Mr. E. S. Reynal was elected and served until 1 90 1 . The younger Mr. Reynal began his Mas- tership by disposing of the harriers and substituting a pack of English fox- hounds, and this proving on the whole a satisfactory change, the Hunt has continued to keep the same type of hound ever since. Mr. Reynal resigned in 1901, being followed by Mr. Howard Willets, who remained in office one season, resigning in 1 902 in favour of Mr. Louis Fitzgerald, who carried the horn to the satisfaction of everyone until his tragic death in 1905, when Mr. Reynal was again persuaded to fill the office which he has ever since retained. Various drafts from the Pytchley, and from the Middlesex, have recruited the Westchester pack from time to time, and the quality of the hounds has steadily improved during the second Mastership of Mr. Reynal until at present there are about fifteen couples of very level, good-looking hounds in the Westchester kennels. In 1906, Messrs. Reynal and Potter purchased the Clinchy farm, about three miles northeast of White Plains, and fitted up the farmhouse for a club. On June 1 st of that year the Hunt was re-organized under the new title of " Westchester County Hunt," and taking a ten-year lease with pur- chase privileges, moved the hounds into their present kennels. The country lies north of a line drawn from Mamaroneck to White Plains, with the Harlem Division of the New York Central R. R. bounding it east and west, and extending north into Fairfield County, Connecticut. Its char- acter is varied, requiring much jumping, as the enclosures are cramped, with fences not always as small as one might wish. There are few rail fences; perhaps one in a run, stone walls being the rule, and as there is breadth as well as height to be cleared, a bold, fast jumper is the horse needed. 188 EUGENE S. REYNAL, ESQ., M.F.H. SECOND MASTERSHIP 1905- THE WESTCHESTER Westchester County is distinctly a grass country, and except for dairy pur- poses the soil is not, at present prices, adaptable for farm cultivation, so that hay is a fairly common crop, and there is little plough to disturb the gallop- ing. In the early spring the going is heavy, but is first-rate in April — as a rule better than in October. Foxes are hunted as an off-day amusement, the country to the north be- ing full of them ; but they are wild and hard to kill. The drag, usually laid three times a week during the season, is rarely less than seven or more than twelve miles in length. The farmers are, on the whole, favorable to hunting, the character of the fences making damages small, and the avoidance of newly laid down fields being the principal care on the part of the Master. 169 The White Marsh Valley Hunt DISTINCTIVE UNIFORM Green coat, scarlet collar EVENING DRESS Scarlet coat, green facings MASTER - - Welsh Strawbridge. Esq. SECRETARY Thomas Stokes. Esq.. Philadelphia. Pa. HON. HUNTSMAN - James G. Leiper, Jr.. Esq. HON. WHIPPERS-IN - \ '''• Walter Stokes, Esq. ( 2nd, Edwcird N. Benson, Jr., Esq. HOUNDS 1 2 couples, half-bred English and American KENNELS "Erdenheim," White Marsh Valley Township, Pa. FIAILWAY STATION .- -Chestnut Hill, Philadelphia. Pa. POST-OFFICE Flourtown. Pa. DAYS OF MEETING - Wednesday and Saturday, and all holidays LENGTH OF SEASON October 1st to April 1st ALTHOUGH the White Marsh Valley Hunt was not founded until 1 903, by the Messrs. Edward D. Toland, Thomas Stokes, James G. Leiper. Jr., R. H. Johnson, Jr., and Welsh Strawbridge, the fathers of several of these gentlemen had run paper-chases in that part of the country for some years, and the interest in cross-country riding, having been handed down to the present generation, had never entirely died out, so that as these gentlemen grew up and began to ride, they in their turn kept up the paper-chases in a desultory sort of way. The runs became more frequent and their devotees increased ; until presently, as is often the case, came the taste for hounds, and in 1 903 a few couples were bought. The natural advantages of the country, which is level and largely used for graz- ing purposes, were all favorable, and as soon as the residents of the White Marsh Valley found how much pleasure could be derived from riding to hounds, they all joined in with a will and the Club was soon formed. 190 GOING TO COVER Cipyrlghleil by J. E. Green. Cliesler. P0 -A^ xO q,. X^^^. .^^(j^^ ^^'^^-' ^*^ "<^. v>!> "^^. :..^' .,\- ,0 0^ ,■0- c ° ^ '■ « •*:, — .j,'^ ^ '*'**, ^^ ,-0' ^ ■ *^ "<*-- %1 '' '"■P, V \V '•=^. ^^^ '^^. 0>' #•_, ■ , %. ,^\^" ,0 o^ .■0- ^'^>^ ,. ^Z '^^S"-\^' %''.7,-^NO-\ j'-yki:^''^, ..,^^*-'''^^ ^\^;<^'^ .0 0. x^~^ =^- .o' A^-^ °5> *,,>' ' s''" x^ «5 -nt- ^ s' cO :o^ k5 ~ y ^. \ ■ ^ ^0' . p "^-t «?>i:?^'. ■"'•/ a'* O 0- .^ ,0' '.,«'^ .0' .*" "t.. 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