THE KESWICK 



Cary 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. Cochran, Charles 

 E. Dickinson, W. L. Smith, Hugh C. Dodd, Martin Crimmins, 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 Club : President, John Armstrong Chanler ; First Vice-President, 

 Hon. George W. Morris ; Second Vice-President, Col. H. W. Fuller; 

 Treasurer, Murray Boocock; Secretary, Joseph W. Everett; Master of 

 Hounds, Cary Ruffin Randolph; Whipper-in, Hugh C. Dodd. 



The old Manor house at " Cloverfields " was rented temporarily for a 

 clubhouse and a Committee 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 

 1 897, 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 Club privileges except the franchise. 



Up to this time not much formality had been kept up in the Hunt, but 

 Col. 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 stnngency, 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 Club, on October 25 th, 1898, 

 Col. Randolph resigned the Mastership and Mr. H. C. Dodd, who had 

 been acting as Honorary Whipper-in, was elected in his stead; serving for 



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