356 The Dog Book 



pounds. Twelve of the nineteen entered at New York in 1878 were black- 

 and-tan, four were tricolours, one black and white and one described as 

 brown and white. Mr. Jenkins Van Schaick, who was the Collie Club's 

 only president up to the time of his death, was an exhibitor, as were Doctor 

 Downey and Mr. Lindsay, names well known in later years. 



Mr. Allen S. Apgar, who joined the list of exhibitors in 1879, was the 

 first to take a decided lead, and he imported quite a number of dogs that 

 were very successful; indeed it is to Mr. Apgar we owe the first impetus 

 given to collie importing and showing in this country. It was owing to his 

 winning in 1879 that Mr. Lindsay decided to import a dog for New York 

 in 1880, and as we were returning to this country in the spring of 1880 

 Doctor James, a noted collie man of Kirkby-Lonsdale, upon hearing of this, 

 asked us to take out a collie. This proved to be Mr. Lindsay's purchase, 

 which he named Rex. We received the dog at Liverpool, and even now 

 we recall our surprise that any person should take the trouble of importing 

 such an insignificant-looking dog. He was a black and tan like his sire, 

 Carlyle, and was anything but an impressive dog, and none too good in 

 ears or tail carriage. The description we are now giving is our impression 

 at the time, after having been pretty well conversant with the run of dogs 

 at the English shows, and for the purpose of giving some idea as to the 

 strength of the classes here. Rex won at the New York Show a few weeks 

 after his arrival, and was very much the best dog in the show, so that Mr. 

 Lindsay's investment of five pounds turned out a very profitable one. 

 Mr. Apgar had also imported a few dogs for the show, and so had Doctor 

 Downey, but Rex beat them fairly, and he seemed to improve after that, 

 for he was able to do quite a little winning for several years. 



Sable dogs began to be imported, and they were variously described, 

 some as tortoise-shell, and one a lemon and white, according to the cata- 

 logues. Among the first was Lass o' Gowrie, owned by Doctor Downey, 

 who was much the best of her sex at that time. Her kennel mate, Tweed H., 

 a big, coarse dog, defeated Rex at New York in 1881, but Mr. Lindsay still 

 had the best dog of the show in his newly imported Ayreshire Laddie, a 

 grandson of Lacy's Old Mec. This was a larger dog than Rex and more 

 of a collie. Mr. Apgar had also got a new one in Nelson, but he was not 

 so good as Ayreshire Laddie, and Mr. Apgar tried again and got Marcus, a 

 big winner in England. We have seen it stated that Mr. W. W. Thompson, 

 who showed Marcus in England, is still, or was up to a few years ago, of 



