The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, April 16, 1899, Page 17

g - ve eiereEe T S T3 S 5 in the farther cor- 1d at Burlingame. and well-kept roads by tall eucalyptus st a shifting net the gay assemblage over pretty he back In luxurious « gures sitting high N e, ned caps, white hunting stocks, short gray coats, white breeches and riding boots, as if they had just stepped out of so many bandboxes. They are not in the traditional “pink” of the hunting field, but never- thel they present a very brave appearance. The ladies who ride are in the usual dark, well-fitting riding-habit and silk hat. Now and then one of them stops to adjust a strap here or a buckle there ren. girls school and feom feom nd 45 they move about in the throng. 1 the rt—such is the back- At last the time is up, there will be no more walting for at a meet of the San giragglers. The huntsman resigns his charge of the pack to the ster of the hunt and the whips, the horn—a mere little toy trumpet, it looks—is sounded, and the impatient dogs, made the nore keen by an gxtra short ailowance of food, are off on the trafl. “They're off! ~They're oft!" flies through the crowd, and those fleld is the huntsman in ck, conferring, perhaps, with t regarding ne feature Vie) g Sylie A E fan slote nfe Nalioln S who to follow the hounds draw out from the throng and are thelr sleek mounts, keeping the hounds gfter them at a rattling pace—not too fast at first, however, for the 3 erous flippings of the six- man who rides down a hound duffer in the hunting fleld thar E at whist. have found the scent, and giving volce, - e, that soon leads the whole pack worst duffer that ever bestrode pigskin. h their crops are z in groups of tw Tess Oor two among ng greetings with each other he who trumps his goon the old hounds off they go at a long, swing out of danger from even the . 3 HiERE il 1 Wi 1 mi‘!wtmiz f * | il 3 o o B ouUN t ™ok KEEPER RETURNING FROM They streak off across the country In a scattered fight, the master of the hunt keeping well to the fore with them, and the sound.of their yelps and barking makes pretty music in the still afterncon air. Then follows a run that sets the blood tingling. Across the meadow they go, with the hounds well ahead. A fence is in front, but the dogs slip through it like water through a sleve. Now the foremost rider reaches it, and, tightening his rein as the horse rises on its haunches, he is borne easily into the air, down safely on the other side, and is off again, while the others follow swiftly after in an Irregular string. Then up the hill they go, slowing down a bit perhaps, but soon catching up with the yelping hounds when they reach a level stretch. And so they go, up hill and down dale, over grassy meadows, where of chaparral, in It is hot work, e at them, and through patch ed rabbits scuttle out of their w and of the dozen or more jumps on the run se are steep enough to try a man's nerve if he is not sure of his horse and of himself. Midway in the run t reach the “check,” an appointed resting place, where man and beast take breath and make ready for the hom d run. The huntsman and h sistants keep the hounds X till time is up, and then off they go for the finish. This 18 at some previously appointed place, and there are often the stolid kine which frighte! THE SAN, MATEQ HUNT CLUB'S FAMQUS RACK OF HOUNDS. TH VNI et Toean eight-seers there to welcome the first man in. As there is no fox there i8 no “brush” to win. The dogs are rewarded with hunks of meat, odorous of the scent they have been fol- lowing, but for the human hunter there is no tangible prize. But he has his re- ward. Thirst and ap- petite are his In un- wonted measure, and the tired hunters ad- journ to the house of him that lives near- est and there regale themselves with refreshments both potable and edible. Then home they go in time for a tub and change before dinper, which meal they attack with appetites worthy of hackwoods- men. This and sound sleer o' nights are the ’cross-country rider reward. Such is a run the San Mateo Hunt enjoys, weather permitting, twice a week in the seascn, from the late autumn until summer drives the members to mountain or the seashore. Sometimes, too, they have extra runs on holidays. The start is made at a quarter to four in the afternoon from the polo ground of the Burlingame Club, from Laurel Creek, or from some other convenient locality. \They make a run of from eight to twelve miles through the neighboring hills, and are at home again In good season for the evening's meal at seven. The hounds with which they hunt, comprising some thirty couples, were purchased for $5000 by Walter Scott Hobart some three years ago from L. S. Howland of Washingten, D. C., and are famous among the ’'cross-country riders of Washington, Baltimore and New York as the Chevy Chase pack. When he bought them Mr. Hobart al secured the services of J. S. Keating, the huntsman, who had been r them for seven years past, and “Jerry” still has them in his charge. At first Mr. Hobart tock the pack out only when he had guests who wished to hunt, but some two years ago a number of his nelghbors got together an = ized the San Mateo Hunt. Thg 31;1‘:::! njf the club for this vear are: John Parrott, pry ent; Major J. L. Rath- bone, vice president; Francis J, Caro- lan, secretary; Duncan Hayne, treas- urer; Walter Scott Hobart, master of the hounds, and J. H. Howard, C. A Baldwin, F. J. Carolan and E. D. Boy. lard, whips. Among the i are C. de Guigne, H. P. Bowie, C. A. Baldwin, J= rlf‘i*.f::fcrx‘abe? Hayne, W. E. Lastar, W. S. Hobart, an Hay J. H. Howard, W. H. Howard, Alvinza Haymacd’ JDujrj‘dxeruI}lufim' Hugh Hume, J. J. Moore, Henry J. Crocker, Harry Simpking B v McNear, E. D.'Beylard, H. P. Bowle, John Lawson, K. M. Tobiy. J. S. Tobin, Harry Poett, Charles Dunphy, Messrs, Douty, Willlaneon’ Bromfield, Eaton, Walters, Kohl and Casey, and some twenty othors. The residents and farmers in the neighborhood are all proud of the hunt, and perty owners along the foothills from Belmont to San Bruno have freely given right-of-way over their lands. . The Spring Valley Water Company has also granted the same privileges over all its holdings. The club is careful not to abuse these privileges and it regularly sends 2 man out after®ach run to replace any fenos = s that n lh;_s'.r- been knocked off and otherwise to repair all damage. * club is popular with all residents, anc any of farmers and cattlemen are subscribers. % ey ot Those who ride reguiarly with the hunt are W. S. Hobart, J. J Moore, J. H. P. Howard, J. S. Tobin, Charles Dunphy, Duncan Hayne, Hugh Hume, C. A. Baldwin, John Lawson, F, J, Carofan, Harry Poett, J. D. Grant, Harry Simpkins, E. D. Beylard, F. McCreery and Fred McNear. The members frequently have a friend or two down from town and give them mounts for the run. Mr. Hobart has a stable full of hunters and jumpers—among them his gray hunter Royalty, which st prize for hunters and for jumping at the New York horse Merry Boy, a large bay hunter. brought from the East, and his famous Huntress, the bay hunter Ali Baba, and a dozen or more good jumping ponies. The Burlingame Club has a large brown hunter which the members often ride. Mr. Carolan has a couple of good hunters and expects to add two more to his stable in the near future. The two Tobins, McCreery, Harry Howard, Simpkins, Moore, Dunphy and Hume have each several free-going, good jumping ponies that make the runs handily—and, indeed, no well-introduced sportsman need lack a mount at & run of the San Mateo Hunt. It Is the intention of the hunt to incorporate this summer and secure a lease of some suitable property in the foothills back of San Mateo. In time they will doubtless erect a handsome clubhouse, and (Continued on page 20.)