THE WIRE-HAIR FOX-TERRIER. 
and simply meant that he was always 
grooming and looking after his terrier, whom 
he always had with him. 
The wire-hair has never been in better state 
than he is to-day ; he is, generally speaking 
far ahead of his predecessors of twenty-five 
years ago, not only from a show point of 
view, but also in working qualities. One 
has only to compare the old portraits of 
specimens of the variety—apart altogether 
from one’s own recollections—with dogs of 
the present day to see this. A good many 
individual specimens of excellent merit, it 
is true, there were, but they do not seem to 
have been immortalised in this way. The 
portraits of those we do see are mostly 
representations of awful-looking brutes, 
as bad in shoulders, and light of bone, as 
they could be; they appear also to have 
had very soft coats, somewhat akin to that 
we see on a Pomeranian nowadays, though 
it is true this latter fault may have been 
that of the artist, or probably amplified 
by him. 
Perhaps the strongest kennel of wire- 
hairs that has existed was that owned a 
good many years ago by Messrs. Maxwell 
and Cassell. Several champions were in 
the kennel at the same time, and they were 
a sorty lot of nice size, and won prizes all 
over the country. Jack Frost, Jacks Again, 
Liffey, Barton Wonder, Barton Marvel, and 
several other good ones, were inmates of 
this kennel, the two latter especially being 
high-class terriers, which at one time were 
owned by Sir H. de Trafford. Barton 
Marvel was a very beautiful bitch, and 
probably the best of those named above, 
though Barton Wonder was frequently put 
above her. Sir H. de Trafford had for years 
a very good kennel of the variety, and at 
that time was probably the biggest and best 
buyer. 
Mr. Carrick, of Carlisle, was also a prom- 
inent owner years ago, and showed some 
excellent terriers, the best being Carlisle 
Tack, Trick and Tyro. The latter was an 
exceptionally good dog, and the variety 
lost a staunch supporter when Mr. Carrick 
retired in consequence of the disqualification 
of this dog for having a cut ear. Someone 
351 
had apparently been over zealous in the 
matter, entirely without Mr. Carrick’s know- 
ledge, it being as a fact proved beyond doubt 
that that gentleman knew nothing whatever 
about the operation. Tyro, bar this defect, 
was a very perfect little terrier that would 
probably do very well on the bench to-day ; 
there was in all likelihood no necessity to 
perform the stupid operation, for nearly 
all ears, if taken in hand, when the dog is a 
puppy, can be easily worked and trained 
into the orthodox carriage, and Tyro was 
a puppy when objected to. 
Mr. Sam Hill, of Sheffield, had also a strong 
kennel, always well shown by George Porter, 
who is now, and has been for some years, in 
America, where he still follows his old love. 
Mr. Hill’s name will ever be associated with 
that of his great dog Meersbrook Bristles, 
who has undoubtedly done the breed a 
great amount of good. Mr. Mayhew is 
another old fancier, who nearly always 
showed a good one. Mr. Mayhew has been 
in America now for many years. One dog 
of his, who it is believed became a champion, 
viz. Brittle, did at one time a big business 
at stud, perhaps not to the advantage of the 
breed, for he was possessed of a very bad 
fault, in that he had what was called a top- 
knot ring, a bunch of soft silky hairs on 
his forehead, an unfailing sign of a soft coat 
all over, and a thing which breeders should 
studiously avoid. This topknot was at one 
time more prevalent than it is now. 
Whether it is a coincidence or not one cannot 
say, but it is a fact that in the writer’s 
experience several terriers possessed of this 
fault have also blue markings, which again 
are almost invariably accompanied by a 
soft coat, and taking these two peculiarities. 
together it would seem that at some time, 
years ago, a cross with that wonderfully 
game but exceedingly soft-coated terrier, the 
Bedlington, may have been resorted to, 
though if so it would appear that nowadays 
any effect of it is gradually dying out. 
Mr. George Raper is one of the old fanciers 
who is still with us. Mr. Raper has for 
many years owned some of the best specimens 
of the variety, Ch. Go Bang perhaps being 
the most notable. Go Bang was a beautiful 
