2io The Dog Book 



THE AMERICAN GORDON'S BRIEF CAREER 



We have now carried the record to 1890, and at this stage it is necessary 

 to say something regarding the efforts to change the type of the Gordon 

 setter. Mr. Harry Malcolm of Baltimore was a firm believer in a lighter 

 built dog than the show Gordon, and as there are always a good many dogs 

 not quite right according to show points he did not experience much 

 difficulty in getting a good deal of support from men who would like to win, 

 but could not, and were willing to join any movement that might lead to 

 that result. So the American Gordon was boomed, and as the American 

 Kennel Club was not very strong at that time it was easily led into 

 changing the vacillating stud-book title for the breed and styling the 

 variety, "American Gordon and Black and Tan Setters." But in the 

 " Stud Book " for that year, 1890, the record of registrations was under 

 the title of "Black and Tan Setters." Mr. Malcolm in his article on the 

 American Gordon, published in 1901, hailed this diluted recognition of the 

 title as a great victory, but the club which was to support the new title 

 never put forth another effort, and next year the records of the American 

 Kennel Club returned to "Gordon Setter" and have remained so ever since. 



The American Gordon was a light-built black and tan setter incapable 

 of winning against dogs of type, and no owner is going to continue paying 

 entry fees and express charges on dogs incapable of winning. The Gordon 

 distinction was very much like present-day foxhound division. A first- 

 class hound is shown as English. When not good enough to win in that 

 class he is made to do duty as an American. Not but what there is a fox- 

 hound perfectly eligible to be shown as American, but not the half-bred 

 harrier type that wins under that title. 



The Beaumont Kennels of Dr. Myer were broken up in 1892, Mr. 

 J. B. Blossom, who had been showing a few dogs, taking over the best of the 

 Beaumonts, and adding thereto some new ones, such as Heather Bee and 

 Heather York. He thus became the only dangerous competitor to the dogs 

 of Dr. Dixon, for the Meadowthorpes had given up exhibiting and all the 

 dogs had been sold. Next year the Dwight Kennels was started at the 

 town of that name in Illinois, the dogs being owned by Mr. J. R. Oughton, 

 who aided most materially in advancing the interests of the breed through- 

 out the West. He even invaded New York, and with Heather Lad won 

 first in open class and also took second with a puppy. Another Western 



