FOREST AND STREAM. 



187 



FOX-HOUNDS OF N EW JERSEY. 



Newabk, N. J., April 1, 1870. 

 "Editor Poeebt and Stkbam ■ 



Until the year 1820 we can get but little history of the fox- 

 hounds in this State, though no doubt there was, previous to 

 that date, occasionally owned, by lovers of the chase, a dog of 

 fine strain, since we learn that at about that time a gentleman 

 by the name of Col. Salter, living near Elizabeth, imported 

 from England thiriy-Hve dogs, and that these English dogs 

 found warm competitors among the dogs previously owned 

 here. Early in the decade extending from 1820 to 1830, the 

 dogs of three or four northeast counties of the State were di- 

 vided up into the Union Couuty dogs, the Somerset County 

 dogs, the Essex County dogs and Hudson County dogs ; and 

 these were subdivided into the Elizabethtown pack, the 

 Rahway pack, the Westfleld pack, the Newark pack, etc., 

 •each pack amounting to from ten to forty dogs, taking the 

 name of the town or village to which they belonged. At this 

 time it was not necessary to go into the back, or even the 

 -central, portions of the State to find Reynard in all his glory, 

 since even in the city of Newark at that time the citizens fre- 

 quently had to drive them out of their poultry yards j and it 

 was almost of weekly occurrence that some of these sections 

 brought their packs together for a friendly tilt ; and it is 

 said they did not keep the Lord's Day either, since it is said 

 quite frequently some of the good burgers, while at their de- 

 votions in the church, would hear the dogs running near by 

 and would quietly steal out, and, after listening awhile, 

 would come in as quietly and report to his next neighbor 

 in the adjoining pew that " Belleville Bowy was ahead," or 

 " Westfield Trounce was leading." The Union and Somer- 

 set dogs were, as a rule, lighter and finer dogs than those 

 bred about Essex, Hudson and Bergen, and when the former 

 got the latter in the mountains they usually took charge of 

 the fox, but when the latter got the former down among the 

 swamps and creeks bordering the Hackensack and Passaic 

 rivers, their fine competitors would get a fearful punishing. 

 The only names ot those owning dogs coming to us at this 

 time were i the Salters and the Woodruffs, of Union ; the 

 Parcels, of Somerset ; the Penningtons, Woodruffs, Roffs, 

 Doremuses, Joralemans, etc., of Essex, and the Van Riper?, of 

 Hudson. 



The most of those who kept hounds for these friendly con- 

 tests among the dogs did not often shoot a fox; but those 

 who kept dogs and hunted for Reynard's pelt, or to protect 

 their chicken coops, gave him a fusilade with their old flint 

 locks at every opportunity. The leaders among these several 

 strains of dogs were intermixed, and one that cropped out as 

 a stud dog was Salters' Ring, a fair-sized dog, blaek and 

 white, with tan ears and head. By the beginning of the next 

 decade, from 1830 to 184.0, perhaps Jersey had as fine fox 

 dogs as any country could boast, and, with the exceptions of 

 a few instances, were owned by the same families. In 1832 

 a millwright, by the name of Richard Silence, came from the 

 powder mill on the Brandy wine, Del., and brought a fine 

 black and yellow tan slut called Sprimr, and made his home 

 near Westfield. This slut was slightly hooped-back, well 

 proportioned and rather undersized, and brought with her a 

 reputation that she never lost in Jersey. She was known as 

 "the Powder Mill Slut," and was four years old. Among 

 the Westfield dogs she at once went to tho front. At once 

 the challenge went out far and near, and from time to time 

 the different sections closed battle, but every time the "Pow- 

 der Mill Slut" took the lead, and became the most notorious 

 dog in New Jersey, as she had been in Delaware. This pow- 

 der mill slut was purchased in 1838 by Enus Parcels at 

 Springfield. She had been bred to Robt. Montgomery's Bport 

 when about six years old. Two of this progeny came to the 

 front— En. Parcels' Sport and John R. Olarges' Bone. This 

 year Abraham Joraleman, of Belleville, got a fine black-tan 

 slut pup from Daniel Vreland, Bergen, Hudson Couuty, which 

 he called Fashion. In the early part of the decade, from 

 1840 to 1850, while there were many fine dogs, this slut went 

 to the front. She bred many fine pups, but her best litter 

 was in 1846 from Dal, owned by Peter Bush, at Saddle 

 River, Bergen County. Dal was bred from white June, 

 owned by the Ludlows, at Hohokus (dog unknown). Of this 

 litter of pups the principals were Philo, Zac and Fashion II., 

 and perhaps there never was in this section three more power- 

 ful fox-hounds bred in one litter ; in fact, nearly all the 

 Fashion and Dal strains were perfect models of fox hounds, 

 full size, and the larger number were black tans, though Zac 

 was black and white speckled. This Fashion stock got into 

 Morris Oounty, and now runs in the veins of their fox-hounds, 

 as will appear presently. About this time Hon. Adolphus 

 Pennington imported two beagles, Whip and Ready, from 

 England, and at about the same time Mr. Joraleman gave him 

 a beautiful slut pup from Fashion II., which was called 

 Bettie. From Bettie and Whip 'Dolph filled the country full 

 of mixed trash. Near this time also, a French gentleman 

 living near Orange by the name of Pillot, an admirer of the 

 chase, imported from his native country two or three beagles. 

 The mixing of these beagles with the old fox strain that had 

 been perfecting for thirty years was nearly their destruction, 

 and now there will be seldom seen in Bergen, Hudson, Essex 

 and Union counties anything but what bears the flat head, 

 flat ears, flat tail, and sometimes the bow-legged marks of 

 their beagle origin. It must not be supposed that the per- 

 sons named were the only ones who had fine fox-hounds, for 

 the blood of old Ring, Spring, Dal and Fashion ran in the 

 veins of more than 100 dogs ; and in Newark, in twenty 

 minutes, for a hunt, a dozen dogs could be gathered that had 

 been graduated at High School. High School was kept by a 

 colored man by the name of Harry Blower, up near the Rizer 

 or Moonocky Swamp, where he had an eld yellow fox who 

 was skillful in all the arts of his species— he could run shal- 

 low ditches, fallen logs, fences, brooks, cattle and sheep 

 herds, etc., greatly to the discomfiture of the young fry ; and 

 before a pup could graduate he mnst master the rules of 

 geometry. In 1854, greatly to his shame, your correspondent 

 upset the old yellow fellow with a charge of shot, when he 

 was found toothless from age. There were many other foxes 

 in the near vicinity of Harry's, but this old yellow chap 

 made it a point to live within a quartet of. a mile of the house 



ready, and if an evening escaped that he did not have a tilt 

 he must have felt neglected. 



From 1850 to 18G0, the thickening of the population, im- 

 provement in fire-arms, backed by these well-bred and well- 

 trained dogs, the foxes soon began to diminish, and by the 

 year 1860 there were no foxes worth hunting for east of the 

 Orange and Westfield mountains in this State. In 1850 Union 

 County had very few foxes. This decade opened with a tol- 

 erable sprinkling of foxes in Essex, Bergen and Hudson 

 counties, and Philo, Zac, Fashion II., and several other dogs 

 of promise in Essex; Hudson had several good dogs, and so 

 among the Bushes there were good dogs. In 1850, also, 

 James Campbell, Belleville, purchased two fine fox dogs at 

 Fort Lee, N. T., called Bogus and Europe. Bogus was all 

 over tan, and Europe was black and tan. In 1851 Bloomfield 

 Leard brought some fine dogs from the State of Maryland ; 

 in 1856 he brought a slut called Lace ; all noble dogs. Not a 

 week passed, summer or winter, but the heavy bay of the 

 hound was heard eilher in the Hackensack meadows or on 

 the Orange Monntain. At Bloumfield, in 1858, Mr. Artemus 

 Vangiesen, had a good slut called Liz, who littered to old 

 Zac, then belonging to Mr. Leard, who then, notwithstanding 

 his twelve years, could make a strong run. Of this litter Dr. 

 Eobinson had the choice pup. This pup, with a slut pup re- 

 ceived from Canada, was sent to the Leonard Brothers, Great 

 Swamp, Morris County. The slut was called Pet and the dog 

 Veno. The Leonards also had a splendid dog called Dan. 

 When Veno got old enough to hunt foxes there was sent up 

 for his education a very practical dog called Loud, raised at 

 Highberney, "Morris County. The dog Veno grew and waxed 

 strong, and his fame went out over the land for skill, speed, 

 beauty and eudurance. Old fox hunters would totter on their 

 staves for miles to admire him. He was large, average size, 

 square made, medium tail for thickness ; a beautiful black 

 and tan : long, high head, deep nose, good lip ; ears average, 

 pointed, came out low on the head, drooped with a gentle 

 twist, and were as fine and soft as a lady's cheek. Pet bore 

 two litters of pups to Veno ; Harry Kelly, at Chatham, had a 

 slut littered to him ; a slut near Danville bore him pups, and 

 there were others. It will be seen how these noble animals 

 had followed the tide of empire. When their work was done 

 in the eastern part of the Slate they were ready in the fox 

 regions of the West. From 1860 to 1870 opens in Hunterdon 

 and Morris, and a new set of men. The Smiths in Hunterdon, 

 who had a pup from Leard'a plunder, bred from Zac and 

 Meilland's Lace ; the Leonards in great Swamp; Kelly and 

 Cranes in Chaihani; Ballentines in Beruardsville; Loues, 

 Walnut Grove ; Helms and Kings, near Berkshire Valley ; 

 Deckers, Hyberny. All these hunters were not pesscssed of 

 dogs that came through the Zac line, since there were some of 

 Fashion II. 's pups got up that way, and many good dogs 

 from other parts; but where the old Eastern strain was fairly 

 infused it was telling in the chase. There is no use for fox 

 dogs now east of the Pickle range of mountains, Hunterdon 

 County, and the western edge of Morris Couuty, and the only 

 good dogs within my knowledge now are owned about Ho- 

 patcong Lake. 



I am indebted to Mr. B. Leard and Mr. Chauncy Woodruff 

 for valuable information relative to these dogs, and Mr. 

 Wosdruff has skulls enough of these noted dogs to stock a 

 museum, and pretends to" point out their leading characteris- 

 tics by the bumps on their heads. He has made these skulls 

 a study for more than forty years. Straight Bork. 



Twelve Months Experience with a Sports- 

 man : or, How to Prevent his Dog from 

 Barking Nights. 



Editob Foerst ANO Sl'fiKAM: 



Conscious that I am about to trespass Jon foreign grounds, 

 it is becoming in me to approach cautiously, not fearlessly, 

 and write Dear Editor. 



I am a sportsman's wife. None of my many friends mourn 

 more over this fact than do I ; but if this is the avenue 

 through which I may yet prove a blessing to mankind I am 

 reconciled. I married my husband many miles away from 

 his home (in fact, the ceremony was performed in nty own 

 father's house), and for the reason that he was handsome 

 and I loved birn. At that time as to his genealogy and par- 

 ticular traits of character I knew nothing and cared less. 

 Oh 1 the devotion, that delightful accompaniment of the first 

 six months of married life. The dear boys 1 What para- 

 gons of consecration they then are! 



My husband has a father (iny father-in-law). He— that 

 father— mailed a letter, which read as follows : 



"John, 1 think you have played about long enough, and, as 

 I intend the old homestead snail be yours, I wish you would 

 think about settliug, and come home immediately. You must 

 remember you have left us heavilyburdened. I shall certainly 

 be obliged to dispose of the pack if you don't put in an ap- 

 pearance pretty soon. That institution is a source of annoy- 

 ance day and night. Let me know by return mail when we 

 hall see you. Your aff. father, 



"John J. Jones, 8r." 



The only part of that letter which made any impression on 

 me were the two words "settling" and "pack," "Pack" 

 I didn't understand, and I was too well bred to insist on the 

 interpretation. "Settling" made me uncomfortable, for I 

 telt that meant business of some sort. That awful word 

 ' ' settling ! " Demolisher of air castles ! Annihilator of honey- 

 moons ! 



Shortly after the receipt of this fatherly epistle, I awak- 

 ened one morning to find the sunlight struggling through the 

 heavy blinds of the "old homestead." In a moment more I 

 discovered that 1 was alone— the first time that I had been in 

 a room all by myself in almost seven months. I was quietly 

 pantomiming a scene, when my attention was arrested by a 

 fearful, roaring, rushing sound", as though all creation was 

 torn loose. Believing myself to be in a land of tornadoes, I 

 hastened to the window, threw open the shutters with a de- 

 termination to leap before the house fell on my head. Im- 

 agine my horror at beholding my John— my darling!— dash- 

 ing down the avenue on a black steed, surrounded by what 

 seemed to me a million dogs. " Merciful God ! He will be 

 torn into shreds before he can ever escape them :'' Nearer 

 dead than alive, I staggered into the hall, down the long 

 Btair-case, to give the alarm. The only word I could utter 

 was " dog." "Swallow the wine, child !" was what I heard, 

 and forcing myself to the command, I was soon sufficiently 

 restored to be.made to;comprehend that my "better half" was 

 only exercising the hounds. His dear presence, at the break- 

 fast table, handsomer than I had ever seen him, assured me 

 that he existed, and not in tatters. 



My nerves had undergone so severe a shock that I was bade 

 to remain, in doors for the day, with, a promise that in the 



early evening I should witness a display of fire-works from 

 the back porch. A sly hug at the library door, and I am 

 alone again. I used to be fond of books, but since, since— I 

 can only compare myself to the man who experienced a 

 change of heart at a revival of religion. "What he once 

 loved he now hated, and what he once hated he now loved." 

 Precisely me. The characters in the book were stupid; 

 n rthing but a real live hero would hold my attention now. 

 However, the day was before me, and, pettishly enough, I 

 sauntered to the centre-table for a glance at the journals. 

 Forest asd Stefan and Ron and Gun! "Delightful," 

 though! I, "something new. I have never seen this publi- 

 cation—and "The American Sportsman's Journal!" If the 

 punter's ink had stung me I could not have dropped the 

 paper quicker. A sportsman's journal, and in my husband's 

 library! No doubt it displays all kinds of secret keys; ex- 

 plains all manner of ways of house-breaking, etc., with re- 

 presentations of night lamps and dark lanterns in every 

 corner. 



I sat and thought, and thought, and thought, until my curi- 

 OMty getting the better of my senses, I picked up the jour- 

 nal. I ventured to open it, and furthermore, I traveled 

 Straight through it, column alter colimn, until I came to tho 

 en 1 ; but never letting loose of the conviction that a "sport- 

 ing man " was but a twin-brother to the thief and the robber. 

 A gentle tap on my shoulder caused a hasty movement of the 

 muscles of the neck, when just under my left car shot out to 

 view the muzzle of a gun. The cold steel touched my face. 

 With a shriek, I sprang to my feet. " Dearest, I have got a 

 'Parker.' " In his glee he (for it was my John) pressed the 

 treasure to Ids bosom, but that treasure was not, me. 



".Hip, hip, hurrah!" and I was forced through a series of 

 Present arms I Forward, March ! and Halt ! clear out to the 

 back porch ! Next in order was to sit on a block of wood, 

 over which hung a sheep-skin, and to look at a white patch 

 fastened to a big oak, away down in the field yonder. "Now, 

 pet, 1 am going to put a dozen shots into that paper the first 

 time." "Oh! oh! oh! he intends to shoot it." In my 

 amazement I looked up to the heavens, and then down to the 

 earth. There, spread out at my feet, were what I am now 

 familiar with : a rifle, two revolvers, a pair of spurs and a 

 case of knives. Every possible means of torture in 

 existence. " John ! I say, John ! come here." Frightened 

 at my command, my husband hastened to my side. 

 Trembling from head to foot, I mustered all the courage 

 I could, and said, "John, are yon a sporting man?" "Ha 1 ha ! 

 ha! Why, dear? "The Governor calls mo a sport when 

 I slack up on the books occasionally." " The Governor I 

 Does the Governor of your State reside in this place?" " Not 

 exactly— father, I meant." "For shame 1" and away went the 

 gun and my heart, too, in the shape of my husband, as fast as 

 his long legs could carry him. 



" Perfectly adapted to the race -course," mused I ? 



Six months have passed since that day of experiences. How 

 wise I have become in that short time. 



I still read Forest and Stream and Ron and Gun. For 

 what so much interests my husband must interest me. And 

 very much as I would wander through a succession of masonic 

 lodge-rooms, have 1 waded through the columns of that 

 journal. Ever looking from the right to the left, with tho 

 hops to discover some "side degree" by which I could, at 

 least, "rest peacefully next my husband." A star of promise 

 has peeped over the horizon at last. My Eastern Star! All 

 hail ! bright messenger of love. I can now join hands with 

 my lord, for I am satisfied he is chief among the sportsmen. 



Tho doses oi' discipline I have swallowed would di3treBS all 

 the quack doctors in the Union. Firearms ! Why they are 

 nothing. 1 don't mind the pistol under John's pillow at all. 

 I even gripped the horrid thing myselt one night, when John 

 was away, and walked straight down to my father-in-law, and 

 presented arms. It was a new piece, and on being questioned 

 as to whether 1 understood it, I promptly responded, " Yes, 

 sir." The servant had lost the key of the wood-house door,' 

 and we were in danger. Taking the deadly weapon to the lamp, 

 1 said, " You see, sir, it is loaded, and you have only to pull 

 back the lop thing and pull on the under thing and you are 

 all right." I delivered this information deliberately, and went 

 back to bed as serenely as though I had pulled the thing 

 myself. _ 



This is not all. I am acquainted with every dog in the 

 "pack." I uow understand the meaning of this term, and 

 wonder how John's father ever did manage. It is odd how 

 I took possession of those animals. But here is the secret. 

 If I had John at all, except when he was fast asleep, I must 

 run with the dogs. I could not afford to lose my husband, 

 consequently I must follow him. The time was when he fol- 

 lowed me. Oh! that detestable "settliug." Nevertheless, lam 

 happy in the thought that I am a dutiful wife. To share in 

 the joys of my husband is the mainspring to my zeal. 



My ingenuity has been taxed to the uttermost in order to 

 keep pace with his freaks. Now that I assume the responsi- 

 bility of the " pack," he never notices a dog unless it annoys 

 him ; but then I don't mind that. What I am after is the 

 dear man's society, and at last have devised a plan whereby I 

 obtain it. A walk is the only thing that will ssttle a 

 a supper for John. I hive repcately suggested aSeidlitz pow- 

 der, magnesia, common cooking soda, etc. But none of them 

 will he adopt. The walk is the one thing needful Imagine. 

 how weary he must be when he at last reaches his own door, 

 always between the small hours of one and three o'clock a. m. 

 On one of these occasions ho happened to make an unusual 

 amount of noise. The gate clicked, bang went the front door, 

 and at this the " pack" set up a howl. Each individual dog 

 barked naturally enough. It is dog-nature to bark at a noisa 

 in the night. John was much disturbed, and so was I. A 

 terriblegust of cold air, and a cold hand on my forehead, with 

 a hoarse whisper in my ear, " Wifey, did you feed the digs 

 to-day?" made me realize that 1 had been needlessly disturbed. 

 I was thoroughly awake. "It is all I ask you to do, dear, and 

 I do wish 5'ou would remember." 



"It is yourself and uot hunger that causes the dogs to 

 bark," I tartly replied ; at the next moment repenting, and 

 giving the cradle an extra jog I went out to pat the creatures 

 on the head, that he might fall asleep. This will never do. 

 I shall catch my death. This barking must be forever stopped. 

 My joy knew no bounds when I discovered through your 

 popular journal that others as well as myself were laboring 

 for this same result. 



I have studied each man's plan carefully, and agree with the 

 last oue mentioned— that the use of the whip would result 

 in injury to both man and beast. The dog is liable to bark 

 any time after a dogging, aud the man might take cold. The 

 " elevator plan " is certainly dangerous, and the " magnetic 

 treatment" altogether to expensive. At the outset every 

 sportsman possessing a wife would reject it. For no live 

 woman would consent to have a hole bored through the win- 

 dow casing. That peek-hole could never exist in my bed- 



