256 The Sporting Dog 



The first bench show in America was held at 

 Mineola, New York, in 1874, in connection with the 

 Queens County Agricultural Fair. It was princi- 

 pally made up of shooting dogs. Mr. Orgill, who 

 had a handsome family of small pointers, was one 

 of the principal exhibitors. The first West- 

 minster Kennel Club show was held in 1876, and 

 that association has thenceforward been recog- 

 nized as the leading factor in bench shows. 



In fact, I believe that it is the only club which 

 has had a permanent financial success. The 

 dog public is a small part of the population in 

 America, if we count only those who care for the 

 fine points of the breeds. In the last analysis it is 

 men of European birth who really sustain Ameri- 

 can bench-show activity. The history of bench 

 shows in a community usually is that the first 

 one which is held after a period of desuetude is 

 a pecuniary success, since the general love of 

 novelty and the friendliness of the newspapers 

 move a crowd. Then, from season to season, the 

 affair dwindles, and finally the club goes out of 

 existence. Four or five years pass, and another 

 nucleus of enthusiasts launches a new bench- 

 show club to go through the same experience. 



In the early days sporting dogs constituted the 

 important part of the exhibits. Of late years the 

 owners of sporting dogs have paid more attention 

 to trials on game and have neglected bench shows. 



