150 ROYAL ROCK BEAGLE HUNT. 



to have a chat uilh old Mr. Ellison of Raby. He soon found a pair of 

 heels sticking un in a corner, and found these to belong to an unlucky 

 individual overcome by the tobacco fumes, and lost to the sigiit of liis 

 friends in the intervening clouds. He was dragged out and revived by old 

 Ellison ; Ijut Gatehouse thinks it was a narrow escape from suffocation. 



The committee experienced great difficulty in getting at a correct list of 

 tlie farmers whose land we hunted over, and it is to be feared that, with all 

 their care, some good friends to the Hunt were omitted from the invitation 

 list. The following temperate and sensible letter appeared in the Birkeiiliead 

 Neivs : — 



ROYAL ROCK BEAGLE HUNT. 



The members of the above Hunt have held their ball, but many of us are 

 anxious to know as to what means they used in the selection of those who 

 received tickets. Whether was it the acreage of land hunted over, or was 

 favouritism shown ? I occupy about seventy acres and received no tickets, 

 another farmer in my township, with a larger acreage, has received none, and 

 several smaller ones have received none ; whilst one with four hundred acres 

 received only three tickets, others with a much smaller acreage have received 

 their four or five tickets. Although we will not place any obstacle in their way 

 for future hunting, we trust the selection committee of the Hunt will see their 

 way clear to make a more liberal distribution of their favours than they have 

 done this year, and try at least to make it in proportion to the acconmiodation 

 given to them. Yours, &c., A Wikral Farmer. 



The committee were very mucli distressed to hear of this complaint, and 

 others of a similar nature. They appended to the account of the ball, 

 published in the Birkenlicad News, the following announcement : — 



The ball committee have experienced the greatest difficulty in arriving at 

 the list of those to be invited, and, no doubt, some disappointment will have 

 arisen from the imperfect information at their disposal, which they much regret. 

 In the hope of avoiding this in the future, they will be glad to receive the names 

 of any farmers, holding say forty acres and upwards, who consider their names 

 should have been placed on the list, but who have, by some oversight, been 

 omitted on this occasion. 



The success of the first ball was so assured, that it was decided, in 

 future to set aside, for a si)ecial fund, one-fourth of each member's subscription, 

 and when a sufficient fund had accumulated, to give another ball. This 

 took place in the month of December, 1890, and went off with great spirit. 

 '^J'here was a large muster of our friends the farmers with their families, 

 numbering altogether some four hundred guests. The occasion was graced 

 by our good friend, J. B. Morgan, in his chain and badge of office as Mayor 

 of Liverpool. The committee of the R.R.B. fully hope to hold their next 

 ball in this year of jubilee, early ir. the present season. 



Part of the report at the first annual meeting of the club reads : — 



"i'our committee have to acknowledge the great civilities and kindness they 

 have received from the landowners and farmers of this part of Wirral. It has 



