The St. Bernard. 47 



prizes in puppies, as well as both cups that were 

 offered. 



Not long after this time, about 1882, Mr. R. 

 Thornton introduced a beautiful smooth bitch, a 

 brindle with white markings, called Leila, and for a 

 year or so she was the best of her race appearing 

 in public. Then longing eyes were cast at her from 

 the other side of the Atlantic, and she with Mr. 

 S. W. Smith's Duke of Leeds and two others of less 

 note were sold for ^"800, this being about the first 

 occasion upon which our American cousins opened 

 their pockets to take from us some of our best show 

 dogs. 



Without much interlude we are brought right up 

 to the institution of the St. Bernard Club in 1882, 

 when the variety obtained another fillip, and two 

 years later the Rev. Arthur Carter introduced 

 his immense puppy Plinlimmon, the biggest and 

 handsomest dog ever seen up to that time. So it 

 was considered such things had reached a climax, 

 and Plinlimmon, who was bred by Mr. W. M. Pothe- 

 cary, of Lymm, Cheshire, would be the dog of the 

 century. Proving the chief attraction at all shows 

 where he appeared, he reclined in dignity on his 

 bench, he held levees throughout the day, he gave his 

 paw to the ladies, he beamed pleasantly on the 

 children. His colour was handsome and bright, he 



