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 m 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 m 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 



