The St. Bernard Dog 585 



came up to her Uncle Remus lot. Judith carries us back to the time the Rev. 

 W. H. Walbridge did so much for the improvement of the breed, twenty- 

 five years ago. In February, 1889, he purchased of Mr. Betterton the smooth 

 bitch Regina, a daughter of Champion Sirius, the intention being to have 

 her bred to Guide, to whom she already had had puppies that had won. 

 Before this was done Mr. Walbridge received a photograph of Keeper, by 

 Ivo out of that famous bitch Sans Peur, and he cabled to breed Regina to 

 this young dog. The product of that union included Empress of Contocook 

 who till she was retired was an unbeaten bitch and was sold to Colonel Rup- 

 pert for $800 in the palmy days of the breed. Judith was another, and 

 there was a dog puppy named Keeper of Contocook, never shown on ac- 

 count of a deformed leg owing to an accident when a puppy, but which in 

 his owner's opinion was the best of all that matured. Our St. Bernard ex- 

 hibitors may want to know who Mr. Walbridge was as a St. Bernard breeder 

 outside of our opinion, and to them we will say that on the last occasion of 

 our seeing him at the New York show of 1892, we stood near the ring gate 

 in company with Messrs. Reick, Sears, and Moore as the last of the smooth 

 St. Bernards passed out, and we heard Mr. Reick say to Mr. Walbridge, 

 ' You have done more by your importations and breeding to improve the 

 St. Bernards of America than any other man in the country. " To which 

 both the others cordially agreed. Regina was bred to Watch and others, 

 the Watch mating being always considered doubtful business, but she never 

 repeated the Keeper success. Being smooth-bred Judith was always apt 

 to get smooth or medium-coated puppies, and as Alton was somewhat short- 

 coated that litter were mainly smooths, with some inclination to length when 

 in full coat. Judith was bred to Sir Bedivere, but that undoubtedly good 

 dog never sired anything worth showing. 



Sir Bedivere was the highest-priced dog shown here, and he would never 

 have come to America even at his price had it not been that his sun had set 

 as a money-making sire in England, for after two years breeders were asking 

 where the Sir Bedivere puppies were. All he won here he was fully entitled 

 to, but we did not bow the knee to him as the perfect dog by any means. 

 His beautiful expression and the dignity gained by his depth of face were 

 impressive, but he was deficient in skull and by no means above criticism in 

 hindquarters, while a little more freedom about the neck would have im- 

 proved him. Sir Waldorf was to our mind a better all-round dog; and, with face 

 markings, Alta Bruce would have surprised the captious critics who passed 



