The Gordon Setter 209 



An early Canadian fancier of the breed was Dr. J. S. Niven, of 

 London, who was also an importer of several spaniels and Irish terriers 

 with all of which he was very successful. He imported Blossom, the dog 

 selected by Vero Shaw to illustrate "The Book of the Dog" article, and 

 from which and the imported bitch Moll he bred Argus, a dog that had a 

 very good show record ere he was retired in 1887, winning about a dozen 

 championships besides other prizes. Blossom did not do nearly so well 

 and was only shown at two or three shows, one of them being London in 

 1 88 1, when he defeated his son Argus, it being the latter's only defeat that 

 we can recall. 



Philadelphia has always been a strong supporter of this breed. Mr. A. 

 H. Moore's Bob was the first of a long line of winners owned there, and was 

 followed by Mr. Maher's Royal Duke, who was the prominent winner of 

 his day. Ned Maher was a very popular owner and quite a good dog 

 was named after him, but when the owner registered it with the Kennel 

 Club he spelt the name Mayers, and the registration official did not 

 detect the error, which cannot now be corrected. Lapping the Royal 

 Duke period came the first of a most successful showing by Dr. S. G. 

 Dixon, also of Philadelphia, whose first good winner was Little Boy, who 

 began as first. New York, 1884, and as late as 1890 won in six champion 

 classes. 



Mr. Morris of New York had also at that time that very good dog 

 Beaumont, which in 1890 became the head of the Beaumont Kennels, and 

 had for company such good Gordons as Belmont, Beemont, Flomont and 

 others. Then there was the Meadowthorpe Kennels in Kentucky, with its 

 short-lived, but good-winning kennel of dogs, including the Gordons Mea- 

 dowthorpe Heather Roy, Heather Harold, Rex and Defiance. "Scotch" 

 Baillie, who managed the kennels, was an excellent judge of sporting 

 dogs and his entries were always close up to the blues. 



Dr. Dixon added materially to his kennel, and there never was a period 

 in the history of Gordon setters in this country when there were so many 

 good ones opposing one another. The Dixons included Countess of Rich- 

 mond, Duchess of Waverley, Field Marshal, Ivanhoe and Lady Waverley 

 as the chief winners, in addition to Little Boy, already mentioned. Mr. 

 Frank Smith, also and still of Philadelphia, had one or two money-winners 

 during this time. King Item, Roxie and Countess Roxie doing a creditable 

 amount of winning against such strong competition. 



