From The Philadelphia Inquirer, 9 January 1898, page 6
FOLLOWING HOUNDS IN THE JERSEY WILDS
Down Around Waterford the Fox Hunting Fad Now Prevails
THE RABBITS ARE GLAD
“Bunny” Has a Rest While Villagers on “Old Dobbin” Try to Catch Sly Reynard—The Radnor Hunt Outdone.
Special to the Inquirer
WATERFORD, N .J., Jan. 8—A diversion new and exciting to the people in the lower section of Camden county gives promise of becoming one of the most popular winter sports in this section. Not until Harry H. Kunkle, of Wynnewood, Pa., came to Waterford three weeks ago with twenty-three fine American fox hounds did the farmer boys, the corner grocer and the village blacksmith and Innkeeper believe that there was any sport in following the hounds through the Jersey woods on horseback. Now they are enthusiastic over the sport and old Dobbin, who has been “eating his head off” and living in dried clover all winter, is being exercised as a fox hunter and he seems to enjoy the sport as much as his master.
A few days ago several of the residents of this place and Chesilhurst were invited by Mr. Kunkle to shoot a fox ahead of his dogs. In a very short time after Reynard was raised Jim Sinclair wounded him a few minutes afterward the hounds had him.
It was during this hunt that the Jersey rabbit shooters saw the fun to be had following the hounds on horseback. Houndsman Kunkle had kept close to the fox following the byroads on his hunting mare. As a result a fox chase was arranged for yesterday and an exciting one it was.
The woods within two miles of this place are overrun with foxes and within ten minutes after the hounds were unleashed, early in the morning, a fox was started. In the chase a few minutes afterward a second one was raised and the hounds were divided, sixteen of the younger ones taking the new trail and the other seven keeping on the original trail.
The first fox followed the New Jersey Central Railroad to Three Bridges and to Parkdale. He doubled at the latter place and followed the same course back to Chewtown, but there he went around the hounds again and off toward Atsion. When Reynard came back on the track he passed too close to the hounds and they “winded” him. At 11:30 the dogs caught the fox below Chewtown, but so close were the huntsmen that Jim Sinclair got the brush before the dogs had torn him to bits.
In the meantime the other fox had gone out of hearing distance. Off to Atsion and on toward Indian Mills and Shamong he went, followed by the greater pack of hounds and Houndsman Kunkle. Several time the hounds closed on sly Reynard, but he was a cute old fox and evaded them. At 5 o’clock in the evening they were called off away down in the Trenton Meadows.
So exciting was the sport that the residents here had a meeting to-night to organize a fox hunting club.
A few days ago the hounds raised the famous black fox that had been hunted unsuccessfully by sportsmen in this region for three years. Three times the black fox was seen and then he ran into the lair of a gray fox and the hounds, taking the trail of the latter, the cute black fox escaped.
Best regards,
Jerseyman
FOLLOWING HOUNDS IN THE JERSEY WILDS
Down Around Waterford the Fox Hunting Fad Now Prevails
THE RABBITS ARE GLAD
“Bunny” Has a Rest While Villagers on “Old Dobbin” Try to Catch Sly Reynard—The Radnor Hunt Outdone.
Special to the Inquirer
WATERFORD, N .J., Jan. 8—A diversion new and exciting to the people in the lower section of Camden county gives promise of becoming one of the most popular winter sports in this section. Not until Harry H. Kunkle, of Wynnewood, Pa., came to Waterford three weeks ago with twenty-three fine American fox hounds did the farmer boys, the corner grocer and the village blacksmith and Innkeeper believe that there was any sport in following the hounds through the Jersey woods on horseback. Now they are enthusiastic over the sport and old Dobbin, who has been “eating his head off” and living in dried clover all winter, is being exercised as a fox hunter and he seems to enjoy the sport as much as his master.
A few days ago several of the residents of this place and Chesilhurst were invited by Mr. Kunkle to shoot a fox ahead of his dogs. In a very short time after Reynard was raised Jim Sinclair wounded him a few minutes afterward the hounds had him.
It was during this hunt that the Jersey rabbit shooters saw the fun to be had following the hounds on horseback. Houndsman Kunkle had kept close to the fox following the byroads on his hunting mare. As a result a fox chase was arranged for yesterday and an exciting one it was.
The woods within two miles of this place are overrun with foxes and within ten minutes after the hounds were unleashed, early in the morning, a fox was started. In the chase a few minutes afterward a second one was raised and the hounds were divided, sixteen of the younger ones taking the new trail and the other seven keeping on the original trail.
The first fox followed the New Jersey Central Railroad to Three Bridges and to Parkdale. He doubled at the latter place and followed the same course back to Chewtown, but there he went around the hounds again and off toward Atsion. When Reynard came back on the track he passed too close to the hounds and they “winded” him. At 11:30 the dogs caught the fox below Chewtown, but so close were the huntsmen that Jim Sinclair got the brush before the dogs had torn him to bits.
In the meantime the other fox had gone out of hearing distance. Off to Atsion and on toward Indian Mills and Shamong he went, followed by the greater pack of hounds and Houndsman Kunkle. Several time the hounds closed on sly Reynard, but he was a cute old fox and evaded them. At 5 o’clock in the evening they were called off away down in the Trenton Meadows.
So exciting was the sport that the residents here had a meeting to-night to organize a fox hunting club.
A few days ago the hounds raised the famous black fox that had been hunted unsuccessfully by sportsmen in this region for three years. Three times the black fox was seen and then he ran into the lair of a gray fox and the hounds, taking the trail of the latter, the cute black fox escaped.
Best regards,
Jerseyman
