THE HUNT SECRETARIES’ ASSOCIATION.
Mr. Philip Barnett, Hon. Secretary of the Association, informs us that an annual meeting will be held on the Monday of Derby week, at Tattersall’s Rooms. Mr. Barnett has changed his residence, and his new address is Yewden Manor, Henley-on-Thames.
A correspondent kindly informs the writer of the article on Hermit in last month’s number that although the Stud Book is responsible for the statement that the Rev. J. King (Mr. Launde) was the breeder of Ascetic, it is not quite correct; Mr. King gave the mare Lady Alicia to one of his tenants, Mr. Charles Clark, of Ashby, as he could not get her to breed for several seasons. Mr. Clark sent her to a half-bred horse, and that was successful. Subsequently Mr. H. Chaplin gave her a free service to Hermit, and the result was Ascetic. Mr. Clark was, therefore, the breeder of the famous sire of steeplechasers, and, as a good old sportsman, and for long years a follower of the Belvoir and breeder of horses, he is very proud of it. He has retired from farming, and some few years back his friends subscribed a £1,000 testimonial for him, as a proof of their goodwill and esteem. It is rather singular that Ascetic was absolutely Hermit’s first produce.
Following the very successful meetings of the International Gun Dog League and the Kennel Club, which were held on the Orwell estate of Mr. E. G. Pretyman early in April, the spring trials of pointers and setters were resumed at the end of the month at Aqualate, and finished the first week in May on the Duke of Sutherland’s fine preserves at Lilleshall, in the same neighbourhood, near Newport, Salop. Aqualate had been visited more than once by the English Setter Club. Sir Thomas Boughey (who made the Albrighton pack of foxhounds what it is) is a staunch supporter of working trials, and, although he was unable to superintend the beating arrangements as he had done at the earlier meetings, because of serious illness, the best of the Aqualate and Forton ground was placed at the service of the stewards; no trials could have been more thorough. A drawback, in a certain sense, as regards Sir Thos. Boughey’s ground is that it swarms with hares; and, although they were not so numerous at the recent meeting as they had been in 1901, when the Club last visited the estate, they proved to be troublesome, and one which was caught in its form by the Derby winner, Colonel Cotes’s Pitchford Carol, was the downfall of the latter. Although he is a thoroughly broken puppy, he is self-willed, and it would have been almost unnatural had he not pinched the hare, although the proceeding meant his dismissal from the stake. Colonel Cotes, however, had other strings to his bow, for he won the first and second honours in the Setter Puppy stake with Pitchford Dear and Dorothy; and later the former beat the winning pointer, Mr. W. L. Nicholson’s Factor, in a competition for a special prize. This finished the first day’s work on the Aqualate side of the estate. As the brace competition and all-aged stake were the only events which were left on the card, there seemed to be a chance of our getting away early in the evening of the second day; but a snowstorm put a stop to all work, and the judges decided to postpone operations until the following morning. Then the card was quickly run through, although, with the exception of the performance of Mr. Herbert Mitchell’s Lingfield Beryl in winning the all-aged stake, the work done was very moderate indeed. Mr. Mitchell’s Beryl and Linda also won the brace competition; the judges, however, declared that no single item of brace work had been done, the dogs having worked independently instead of assisting one another. The meeting was a great triumph for Mr. Mitchell, but a greater one awaited him, for the next week his bitch, Lingfield Beryl, won the Champion Stake on the Lilleshall ground, and then with Linda won another brace competition, the third they had secured during the campaign. Beryl was, undoubtedly, a little stale towards the finish, but she won easily enough, and brought her owner’s winnings to £256 in three weeks. Colonel Cotes, with a mixed team, won more money, his puppies being a very choice lot, and a contest between his Derby winner, Pitchford Carol, and Mr. Abbott’s Bold Alice, the winner at Lilleshall, would have been very interesting could it have been brought off. The Duke of Sutherland’s ground was excellent, a lot of the work being done on the old Lizard racecourse, where Sir Hugo was galloped by Wadlow in his training for the sensational Derby of 1892, when he won classic honours for Lord Bradford, with odds of 40 to 1 freely betted against him.
THEATRICAL NOTES.
We must reluctantly confess to finding ourselves in the sorry plight of the pitcher that went too often to the well. When we saw “Captain Brassbound’s Conversion” we realised that we have been just once too often to the well of humour at the Court Theatre, of which Mr. Bernard Shaw is the copious spring. Generally one of the most attractive features of the productions at the Court Theatre is the happy way in which the parts appear to fit the artistes to whom they are given. But in the case of Captain Brassbound we have sustained a disappointment in this respect. The only lady in the caste is Miss Ellen Terry, and for her saving presence we are most thankful, and we consider it one of her greatest triumphs that she should galvanise Lady Cecil Waynflete into a very attractive human being. Mr. Fred Kerr is seldom found in a misfit part, but the titlerôleof the play, Captain Brassbound, the modern but still bold buccaneer, is scarcely worthy of his art; and a still greater disappointment to us was to see Mr. Edmund Gwenn, who in “Man and Superman” was the very prince of chauffeurs, playing the part of Felix Drinkwater, the prolix cockney adventurer, who to our mind possesses no semblance of humanity. There are a variety of foreign characters in the play uninteresting enough, and altogether we can only hope that Captain Brassbound is an early effort of Mr. Bernard Shaw which we may use as an example to point the advance he has shown in his more recent works, and not as an instance of his present ability.
Having fortified for many a day and night the Garrick Theatre with “The Walls of Jericho,” the fertile pen of Mr. Alfred Sutro was called upon to provide a fresh theme for Mr. Arthur Bouchier and his talented company.
“The Fascinating Mr. Vanderveldt,” a comedy in four acts, is a skit upon a phase of Society—with a big S, when so many members of the peerage are concerned. The motive of this smartly written play is that of an adventurer, who in order to force a lady into marriage endeavours to compromise her by compelling her to pass, unchaperoned, a night at a village inn, at which he also is staying. You can all take your choice about the play. If you are serious you may regard it as a melodrama of the motor-car; if you are flippant you may laugh at the farce of the sparking-plug; but however you take it, you must regard yourselves and the play as very chic and up to date, and then everybody will be pleased. Mr. Vanderveldt is labelled “fascinating” in the promiscuous fashion that some eggs are labelled “new laid,” perhaps with just as slight veracity, and in this matter much depends upon faith. To some of us he appears to be a colossal cad, but to the ladies in the play he is made to appear irresistible, although even to some of them, may be, highly ridiculous.
There are a couple of dull old gentlemen suing the Lady Clarice for her hand, and there is a very proper colonel who has the cheek to give her good advice, but not the nerve to keep on asking her to marry him, and there is the fascinator who can do more with a lady in ten minutes than many a man in a lifetime. And greatest and most novel creation of the author’s brain, we have theDeus ex machinâin the proper person of the clergyman who drives the motor and saves the reputation of the light-hearted lady, by his ready adaptation of the sparking-plug. And so the alleged fascinator is left in the parlour of “The Cow and Calf Inn” to the novel experience of drinking a bottle of champagne to his own solitary cheek, and the tongues of the gossips are silenced, and there is a prospect of wedding bells in honour of the alliance of the coldblooded colonel with the laughing Lady Clarice.
This same Lady Clarice is played by Miss Violet Vanbrugh, and that, to our mind, is the best of the play, for she gives a very charming rendering of what cannot be regarded as a very great part.
Of so-called musical plays there are just now a large variety in London, no less than eight West End theatres being devoted to that form of entertainment. Mr. George Edwardes has in “The Little Michus” at Daly’s Theatre what appears to be a perennial success, and certainly the charm of Miss Denise Orme, the music of Messager, and the mirth-compelling humour of Mr. George Graves, with a fleeting appearance of the great Genée, combine to provide a delightful evening’s amusement. At the Prince of Wales’ Theatre “The Little Cherub” has grown into “A Girl on the Stage,” with much the same company as before, including those very funny men, Messrs. Willie Edouin and W. H. Berry. Miss Ruth Vincent is a valuable recruit with her charming voice, and Miss Zena Dare and Miss Gabrielle Ray are as beautiful as ever.
Wyndham’s Theatre now finds itself the home of “The Girl behind the Counter,” a musical comedy by Leedham Bantock and Arthur Anderson, with music by Howard Talbot. It affords us an opportunity of welcoming back to the stage that popular singer, Mr. Hayden Coffin, who is great in the part of a millionaire miner just returned to London society in full mining kit, and an imperial arm tattooed with the Union Jack. He is supported by Mr. J. F. McArdle, who supplies most of the comic element in a manner pleasantly suggestive of Mr. George Graves. Mr. Horace Mills as an office boy apparently has based his methods upon those of Mr. Edmund Payne, and there is a family likeness between the work of Mr. Laurence Grossmith and his brother Mr. George Grossmith, junior. Moreover, Mr. Hayden Coffin always seems to us to be imitating himself, so that a mind keen upon imitations can revel in its fancy at Wyndham’s Theatre just now, although about the best mimic of them all, Miss Marie Dainton, who brightens the caste, did not, when we saw the piece, give any of her celebrated imitations. Miss Isabel Jay sings and masquerades charmingly as the girl behind the counter, and Miss Coralie Blythe is once more at her best in asoubrettepart. There are several good musical numbers and some amusing lines, and altogether we can recommend “The Girl behind the Counter” as a capital entertainment.
Another amusing entertainment is “The Dairymaids” at the Apollo Theatre, with those charming ladies, Miss Carrie Moore and Miss Agnes Fraser, disguised first as dairymaids and then as athletes. They have a half-sister in Miss Florence Smithson, and as Miss Phyllis Broughton and Miss Gracie Leigh are also in the caste, it will be seen that there is no lack of fair ladies in “The Dairymaids.” Mr. Walter Passmore supplies some fun, although, personally, we dislike his dressing up as a woman; but the hit of the evening was made by Mr. Dan Rolyat, who, we believe, is a new-comer to London. As a comic sailor-man he at once won the hearts of his audience by his funny methods and agile clowning, and probably by this time his part has been expanded to allow him better opportunities than he at first enjoyed.
The last scene of the play takes place in a ladies’ gymnasium, which is a clever set, and bids fair to make “The Sandow Girl” very popular.
Sporting Intelligence.[During April-May, 1906.]
The international match for the tennis championship of the world (professional) and £250 a side was played at Prince’s Tennis Club at Brighton on April 22nd, 25th, and 28th. The match was between C. Fairs (champion), and Ferdinand Garcin (challenger). The conditions of the match were the best of thirteen sets, played on three separate days, four sets to be played each day. The match was exceedingly well fought, but terminated in a victory to Fairs by 7 sets to 4, 56 games to 47, 373 strokes to 332.
The final round of the amateur tennis championship was played between Mr. E. H. Miles, the holder, and Mr. Jay Gould, amateur champion of America, on May 7th, at Queen’s Club. The holder retained the championship, defeating Mr. Gould by 6 games to 3, 36 strokes to 33.
We regret to record the sad end of George Jones, huntsman of the Whaddon Chase Foxhounds, who was found dead in a barn at the kennels. It appears that owing to a change in the mastership Jones was leaving, and this so preyed on his mind that he took poison, which caused his death.
Gamekeepers have sustained a very real loss by the death of the Earl of Mansfield, who was one of the most active supporters of the Gamekeepers’ Benefit Society, and who took a great interest in all questions relating to the gamekeeper’s profession. Lord Mansfield was the owner of some forty-six thousand acres in Dumfriesshire, Perthshire, and Clackmannan, in addition to Ken Wood, near Hampstead. The late peer was succeeded by his brother, the Hon. Alan David Murray.
A remarkable sale of shorthorn cattle was witnessed last month, when Messrs. John Thornton and Co. dispersed the well-known herd that had belonged to the late Mr. Philo L. Mills, Ruddington Hall, Nottingham. The sale of 115 head reached the great total of £17,930, an average of nearly £157 each. The highest price was 1,100 gs., paid by Mr. F. Miller for the two-year-old bull Ruddington Prince Christian; his half-brother, the famous King Christian of Denmark, being bought by Mr. A. W. Hickling at 900 gs. The dam of these two bulls, Countess Farewell 5th, realised 600 gs., and her six-weeks-old heifer calf 400 gs., both going to Mr. E. N. Casares, a noted Argentine buyer; whilst yet another of her sons, a yearling, realised 200 gs., the total for the five being 3,200 gs., an average of 640 gs. each. Three representatives of the Dainty tribe sold at 500 gs., 420 gs., and 130 gs., respectively, and nine descendants of the Duchess tribe made an average of £250. Five calves, averaging eight and a half weeks old, and all of them by the 900 guineas bull, averaged £230 a piece. The herd was widely distributed, thirty-four head going to South America, sixteen to Scotland, two to Ireland, the remainder finding new homes in twenty-three English counties.
Mr. S. Laing Moffat, the Secretary of the Hunt Servants’ Benefit Society, states that the following amounts have been received as the result of caps: The Croome, £36 1s. 9d.; Eridge, £35; Badminton, £30; Surrey Staghounds, £26; Burton, £20 15s.; South Staffordshire, £19 14s. 7d.; Cotswold, £18 4s.; Fife, £17 17s. 6d.; and the Warnham Staghounds, £17 15s.; while a collection made at the South Hereford Foxhounds and Ross Harriers’ Point-to-Point Races realised £10 16s., the total amount equalling £232 3s. 10d.
The trade for really first-rate Hackneys and harness horses appears to be unaffected by the presence of the ubiquitous motor car. Thus Mr. W. Scott’s mare Menella, the winner of two firsts, the gold medal and special prize at the last show of the Hackney Horse Society, was sold at the Thornholme sale to Messrs. Carr and Co. for 1,175 gs. The black gelding Gay Mathias was sold at the same sale to Mr. A. Gemmell for 650 gs. The average price paid for ten Mathias mares and geldings was fully £319; whilst the twenty animals sold averaged nearly £185, against £108 at last year’s sale. Since the sale Menella has been exported to the United States.
Much regret is expressed in the Hursley country at the decision of Mr. F. C. Swindell to resign the mastership. Mr. Swindell has hunted hounds since 1883, commencing with a pack of French hounds given him by the Marquis of Anglesea, with which he hunted part of Cannock Chase. From 1885 to 1894 he was Master of the Puckeridge, and from the latter year until 1898 of the Old Berks. He then went for two seasons to the Taunton Vale, taking over the Hursley in 1903.
Knowle Halma, the champion mare at the recent Hackney Horse Society’s Show, was sold to Sir Lees Knowles, Bart., at Mr. R. W. Jay’s sale, for 650 gs. At the same sale the two well-known show geldings Southport Performer and Towthorpe Performer realised 395 gs. and 250 gs. respectively, both being purchased by Mr. T. Mathieu, of Brussels. The sale was a very successful one, an average of nearly 128 gs. being obtained for twenty-four lots.
During the last month good prices have been paid at Tattersall’s on several occasions for polo ponies. Mr. U. Thynne disposed of Ariel at 150 gs., and Mr. Dennis of Toko at 110 gs., Nettle at 103 gs. and Glisten at 100 gs. Colonel Godley received 110 gs. for Black Nancy, Mr. McCreery 125 gs. for Sunset, and Mr. Dixon 105 guineas for Dolly. Major Neil Haig’s ponies sold well; Ardaghhowen made 290 gs.; Bluey, 128 gs.; Alcibiades, 90 gs.; and Mrs. O’Shea, 88 gs. The hunters and polo ponies belonging to the officers of the 14th Hussars were all sold and realised good prices. A gold medal polo pony from Captain Walker made 175 gs., and Seddington, from Captain Campbell, 165 gs.
A great loss has been sustained by the Zoological Society owing to the death of Daisy, the fine female specimen of Ward’s giraffe, obtained from Mr. C. Reiche in 1895. The loss is the more to be regretted since Daisy was in calf to the young male presented to the Society by Colonel Mahon in 1901. The immediate cause of death was tuberculosis of the lungs.
The first important sale of blood stock at Newmarket was that of the horses in training, thirteen in number, belonging to the late Sir James Miller, and they fetched very good prices, considering that all their racing engagements are voided by the owner’s death. The total realised was 7,475 gs., making an average of 575 gs. each, and three of the thirteen reached four figures. The highest price was 2,500 gs. for Roquette, a two-year-old filly by Chaleureux-Roquebrune, who went to M. Edmond Blanc’s stud in France; and another two-year-old, a colt by Sainfoin-La Sagesse, winner of the Oaks, was sold to Mr. W. Raphael for 1,650 gs.
April 16th.—At Oval, Surrey v. Gentlemen of England, former won by eight wickets.
April 30th.—At Oxford, Oxford University Seniors, drawn.
May 2nd.—At Lord’s, M.C.C. and Ground v. Notts, won by latter by forty-four runs.
May 3rd.—At Cambridge, Cambridge University Seniors, Magnay’s side won by eleven wickets.
May 3rd.—At Oval, Surrey v. Hampshire, former won by 337 runs: Surrey, 178 and 331; Hampshire, 68 and 104.
May 3rd.—At Cardiff, South Wales v. Yorkshire, drawn: South Wales 50; Yorkshire 268 for nine wickets.
May 10th.—At Oval, Surrey v. Leicestershire: won by former by an innings and 270 runs.
May 10th.—At Southampton, Hampshire v. Yorkshire: won by latter by 7 wickets.
April 28th.—At Prince’s Club, Brighton, the Championship, C. Fairs (champion) v. F. Garcin; Fairs won by 7 sets to 4, 56 games to 47, 373 strokes to 332.
May 7th.—At Queen’s Club, the Amateur Championship, E. H. Miles (holder), v. Jay Gould; won by former 6 games to 3, 36 strokes to 33.