THE LEONBERG Doc. 491 



not aware of the fact that it takes a long time to create a breed with peculiar points out of 

 two other breeds, so that this new breed will propagate these peculiar points to the offspring. 

 Now, Mr. Essig advertised his new breed directly after he had crossed a Newfoundland 

 and a St. Bernard. I believe this was the origin ; but two other dogs may have been chosen ; 

 that makes no difference, because the puppies found a ready sale by persons who wanted 

 nothing but size and muscle. Some artists of fame I am sorry to say drew splendid 

 pictures, ever so much idealised, and a few periodicals printed, and accompanied them with 

 glowing descriptions. Essig was the lion of the day at once. He had calls from high-born 

 and low-born persons ; every one wanted those noble dogs, of which the papers related 

 marvels. The demand exceeded the supply, and the consequence was, other large, ugly dogs, 

 dogs of the Pyrenees, Wolf-dogs, and the common Watch-dogs of Wurtemberg, all these 

 were mated together. So great was, at that time, the faith in Essig's proceedings, and so 

 little were known the principles of breeding, that he himself dared to state publicly in 

 advertisements and pamphlets, that his dogs had sprung from the above-mentioned breeds 

 and, this, in a couple of years or so ! That state of things, when people believed in such 

 humbug, has changed now-a-days. We have, at present, in Germany, four clubs, established 

 for the purpose of breeding thoroughbred dogs. All these clubs I am a member of three 

 of them do not countenance the Leonbergs any more ; and, at our shows, we distribute these 

 mongrels in the classes they resemble most, either into Newfoundlands, St. Bernards, Wolf-dogs, 

 Shepherd-dogs, Setters, just as the case may be, even amongst the smooth-coated St. Bernards. 

 My statements are proved not only by Essig himself, but even by the articles I am 

 criticising. From them appears the origin of the different breeds, and also the want of given 

 points for the new breed. For ' size ' and ' long hair ' are just as good as no points at all, 

 especially when the texture of the hair is not defined, or when we read that 'some have 

 split noses, others not.' The gentleman who carried the so-called Leonbergs to America, 

 about which the article in Boston appeared, may have acted in good faith, just as other 

 Germans did, before the Leonberg bubble exploded. But to me it looks suspicious, that 

 the small landowner Essig is called a baron ! True, a great many high personages own 

 and owned Leonbergs ; but this is no proof for their pure breeding or other qualities. 

 Most of these gentlemen received them as presents from Mr. Essig, who knows full well how 

 to make the mare go. Of course, a great many of his and similarly-bred dogs are striking and 

 good-looking animals. But good looks are never a sign of any breed, and as it is, the Leonberg 

 is a cur. I did not come forward sooner, because I expected some Englishman would set matters 

 right, and because I am at present not used to the Queen's English. But friends of mine urged 

 me not to be silent, saying, even, it was my duty to denounce the Leonberg humbug." 



Subsequently Mr. Charles Goas, a German gentleman residing in Manchester, replied to 

 Herr von Schmiedeberg, and from his letter we extract the following quotation : 



"About twenty-five years ago, Mr. Essig, of Leonberg, a small town in Wurtemberg, 

 owned a pure bred St. Bernard dog and bitch of the same breed, which had been presented 

 to him by the Superior of hospice of St. Bernard. About this time in an avalanche the 

 whole of this grand breed perished in the fulfilment of their noble duty ; and Mr. Essig, not 

 like a humbug, as Herr von Schmiedeberg chooses to call him, but as a thorough gentleman, 

 restored the two mentioned animals to the Superior of the hospice. He, therefore, is the 

 man we have to thank that we have at the hospice still the original breed of St. Bernard 



