92 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



[Fisb. 2fi, 1885. 



J|7ri» fennel 



FIXTURES. 



BF.NCH SHOWS. 

 March 5. ltfRS.-wpricrs ESjpsitloh bog Show, New Orleans, La, 



Entries close l-Y'li. M. L. F. Whitman, Superintendent 



Marel.t8.iy aud 20. 1*5. -Second Annual Show of the New Haven 

 Kennel Club. L\ S, Porter. Secretary. Now Haven. Qan± 



Aprilvto to, 1H85.-First Annual ' Dog Show N, E. I&tmel Club, 

 JMusie Hull, boston. J. A, Niekerson, Secretary. 15!)A Tremont street. 



April SI, 28 and 83. -Annual Dog Show of the St. Louis Gun Club, 

 W. A. Al origin. Secretary. St. Louis, Mo. 



April 28. 29, 30 and May 1. -Ninth Animal Dog Show of the West- 

 minster Reunel Club at Madison Square (huMeu. Entries close April 

 14, James Mortimer. Superintendent, 48 Mroau street, New York. 



May 5, 0. T and 8. 1885.— Second Annual nog Show of the Cincin- 

 nati Sportsman's Club. Cincinnati, U. W, A, Coster, Superintendent. 



May IS, 14 and 15,— Third Annual Dog Show of the Toronto Dog 

 Show Association. W. S. Jackson, Secretary, Toronto. Out. 



June 2, 3. 4 and 5.— First Annual Dot; Slum- of the Illinois Kenuel 

 Club, John H. Nay lor, Secretary, 8, [88 Archer avenue, Chicago, ill. 



A. K. R.-SPECIAL NOTICE. 



HPHE AMERICAN KENNEL REGISTER, for the registration of 

 x pedigrees, etc. (with prize lists of all shows and trials), is pub- 

 lished every month. Entries close on the 1st. Should be in early, 

 Entry blanks scut on receipt of stamped and addressed envelope. 

 Registration fee (50 cents) must accompany each entry. No entries 

 inserted unless paid in advance. Yearly subscription $1.50. Address 

 "Ameiiean Keune! Register," P. O. Box 2833, New York. Number 

 of entries already printed 21 13. 



EASTERN FIELD TRIALS CLUB, 



THERE was a meeting of the Board of Governors of the 

 Eastern Field Trials Club at the St. James Hotel. New 

 York, on Feb. 10, The treasurer's report showed that the 

 receipts last year were $3,010.40 and the expenditures #2,500.- 

 73, leaving a balance on hand of $419.67. The names of Messrs. 

 Pierre Loriiiard and Henry" B. Livingston, New York, were 

 proposed for membership. The resignation of Mr. Charles 

 Heath, Newark, N. J., was accepted. It was voted that the 

 president appoint one or more members to constitute a com- 

 mittee with himself to revise the running rules. It was voted 

 that the Derby of 1885 should be under the same conditions 

 and with the same prizes as last Year. The purse is sfiOD, with 

 $250 to first, $150 to second and $100 to third, entries close May 

 1, with S5 forfeit and $10 additional to starters. The following 

 additional conditions were adopted and ithe secretary was 

 instructed to advertise them with the notice of the closing of 

 the entries." 



For the protection of breeders and owners of thoroughbred 

 dogs no entry will be accepted unless accompanied by a certif- 

 icate signed 'by the owner of the sire of the entry, stating the 

 date when the dam was served and a like certificate from the 

 owner of the dam, stating date of whelping. The secretary 

 was instructed to communicate with the agent of the Associ- 

 ated Press and learn if arrangements could be made for a 

 daily report of the trials. 



N. A. K. C. RULES. 



Editor Forest and Stream; 



The now most worshipful A. K. C. came into being in re- 

 sponse to a restiveness at absurd, contradictory and sometimes 

 suspicious actions of dog show managers and' judges. It was 

 felt that there must be somebody to pass on such cases, and 

 exercise a controlling influence. In their infancy dog shows 

 did well enough with Charlie Lincoln as everything, but we 

 have got past that. The exhibitor has come to feel that he 

 has some rights that even their majesties "The Committee" 

 shotdd respect, and the "pointer protest" and "mastiff puppy" 

 eases showed plainly that if these rights were disregarded 

 "The Committee" would hear of it. 



Unfortunately the above cases and the W. K. C.'s reply to 

 Mr. Mason, wherein they shirked a duty by dodging behind 

 Rule 12, shows that the managerial mind has not yet taken 

 in this idea. In the last case Mr. Mason was performing a 

 duty to dog showing by pointing out flagrant violations of the 

 rules for government of the show. The W". K. C. probably 

 thought, "Mr. Mason, you sadly disturb our peace by bring- 

 ing disagreeable matters to our notice. Will you please go 

 to— China?" But why in the world didn't they say so? And 

 not decline bo investigate an alleged wrong entry, etc., because 

 they had a rule to protect them from having to pay a prize 

 twice. 



One of the chief evils of shows has been absurd decisions on 

 rules. Wnat has the A. K. C. done to remedy this? Honestly, 

 not an iota. They have issued a lot of show rules, jumbled to 

 excess, about the common premium list rules, with the child- 

 ish ' 'extra" idea, and the knavish Rule 17. I suppose the 

 editor of A. K. li. feels constrained to be dignified and courtly 

 in expression, or he would never have dealt with the rules in 

 such kid-glove style. They are simply a string of half -digested 

 rot, full of omissions, and with no new features except the 

 ''extra" and Rule 17 kinks, The ordinary course pursued in 

 such eases is to appoint a committee to revise or report rules, 

 and then consider, amend or approve them. In this case the 

 practice seems to have been to pa.tch and tinker at the old 

 rules, and then swallow them blind. I suspect that the real 

 secret was that the inspiring minds were so intent on rigging 

 up Rule 17, so as to suppress Mr. Mason, that they had no time 

 for anything else. If I mistake not, the "extra" idea is a 

 maggot of the "constructing" president's own hatching. But 

 not content with doing nothing to cure the evils of hap-hazard 

 rulings, we are treated to a refinement of them, now famous 

 as "construction." I challenge your readers to quote another 

 instance of such preposterous overturning of a rule as Major 

 Taylor's "construction" of Rules 8 and 9. In effect he said 

 that he repealed an old rule and enacted a new one. The 

 editor of the A. K. R. may say as much as he pleases about 

 the rule being intended to operate just as it reads. All the 

 exhibitor cares for is how it does read, and that and its 

 meaning is plain as day. 



However, to improve on perfection of stupidity, our "con- 

 structor" calls a meeting of the Executive Committee at three 

 days' notice. The "committee" (?) undertakes a proper "con- 

 struction," and succeeds in making soot very much blacker. 

 The secretary reports the meeting, and does not say where it 

 was held nor who were present; so I am quite sure your idea 

 that it was held in Cincinnati and that the representation was 

 by proxy is all wrong. Such "construction" could only have 

 proceeded from a meeting in the moon. 



Now, in behalf of the public, I would inquire of the A. K. C. 

 what is at the bottom of "construction"? Is your president so 

 lacking in comprehension of common English that he cannot 

 understand the wording of Rule 8? If so, he is evidently un- 

 fitted for his position, and should be relegated to judging set- 

 ters. Does he think his wishes of more weight than the 

 express rule of the club? Another reason for the same relega- 

 tion. Or, worst of all, was this "construction" for the purpose 

 of" favoring some particular dog or dogs? Ah! if this is the 

 case, the usefulness of your president, both as president and 

 as a judge, is wrecked forever. Understand me, I bring- no 

 charges, as I have no evidence; but, gentlemen of the A. K. C, 

 you must take this matter up. If you wish your club or your- 

 selves to retain the confidence and respect of tne canine 

 world, you must lift your club out of the slough "construc- 

 tion" has dumped youinto. You cannot afford to he under 

 the suspicion of condoning your president in either of the 

 alternatives. It might also be well to inquire by what author- 



ity the Executive Committee presume to Interpret rales. A 

 ride derives its force from its promulgation by the association, 

 and the province of an executive committee is sufficiently 

 Helmed by its name. Most of Us are chock ftdl of suggestions 

 lor remedying existing evils, fdr promoting shows and their 

 Usefulness; but what is the use of submitting tiur cherished 

 bantlings to a club that allows its president to publicly 

 ahnoiince that b-1-a^c-k spells white? 



As all who know him look to Mr. E. S. Porter, the secretary 

 of the A. K. C, for plain common sense, I intended" to put 

 him on the stand and inquire What the New Haven Kennel 

 Club propose to do with "construction," Rule 17, etd. ; but 

 their prompt display of anti-"cdnstrUction," and their refresh- 

 ing independence in appointing Messrs. Mason, Davidson and 

 Watson as judges, gives them no uncertain sotmd. The N. E. 

 is.. C. have done well in their selection of Messrs; Watson, Ap- 

 gar and Barlow, but their dallying with ••construction" has a 

 suspicious look, and unless they take warning from the signs 

 Of the times, Mr. Nidkerson may find a reason for "owners of 

 the best Stock" delaying their entries. W. Wabh. 



Hulton, Pa.) Feb. Sh, 181$, 



A GRATEFUL DOG OWNER. 



Editor _ Forest and Stream; 



The instances of a man's, whose pet dog lias been picked up 

 when lost, or wandering, being imposed upon in the way of 

 expected or demauded reward; are so common that when 

 a case occurs where the boot pinches on the other leg, it 

 seems to me worth recording. I was standing on the rear 

 platform of a Cambridge horse car to-day with my clog follow- 

 ing. After the conductor (a bright and smart looking young 

 mau) had collected his fares, he addressed me as follows; "I 

 see you watch your dog very closely, sir." 1 replied that I 

 should be very sorry to lose him, "I suppose," said he "if 

 you should do so and somebody brought him back to you, you 

 would thank them," To this remark I answered that under 

 such circumstances in the past I had so often had to give 

 something more substantial in addition to thanks, that I was 

 very careful not to let my dog get out of my- sight, and as I 

 saw that he evidently had something to tell, I drew from him 

 (with very little difficulty) the f olio wing statement. 



"A day or two ago," said he, "on my outward trip, when 

 my car was just about where we are now, I noticed a very 

 handsome Irish setter following the car. 1 had not seen his 

 owner get on, but supposed that he must have done so, until 

 we got to tne Square, and the passengers all having left, I 

 saw that the dog was alone. He was a well bred dog, well 

 groomed, and had a very nice collar on, and as I noticed that 

 the hostlers and switch tenders had dropped to the fact of a 

 nice dog being lost, I got apiece of string and tied him up in 

 the office, leaving him there during my next round trip. 



When I got back I bought some meat, took him home and 

 fed him, as he was very hungry and dry, and when I got 

 through my clay's work, as I found his owner's address on the 

 collar [giving the name and one of our most expensive and 

 fashionable hotels as the residence], I thought they would be 

 worried, and that it would be a kindness to take him home 

 rather than put them to the expense and trouble of paying for 

 an advertisement aud sending for him. So I took him to the 

 hotel, asked for Mr. So-and-So, and would you believe that, 

 although they were very glad to see the dog, they never even 

 said that they were obliged to me for the trouble. I had 

 taken?" 



Now, that gentleman has not only accepted the gift of a 

 few cents from a man who has to support a family on $1.75 or 

 $2 a day, and taken a couple of hours of his time out of the 

 very small proportion of the twenty-four that they have for 

 rest and enjoying the society of their wives and children, but 

 he has done me and every man who owns a dog a positive in- 

 jury, as my friend the conductor and all his friends will think 

 twice in the future before putting themselves out to return a 

 stray dog to its owner. Of course there are two sides to every 

 story, but I do not see what the other version of this one can 

 be. McMAO. 



Bostok, Mass., Feb. 15. 



POINTER BREEDING. 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



Your issue of Jan. 29 contains a communication from Chas. 

 H. Mason entitled "Pointer Breeding," which is a reply to 

 mineof earlier date. Mr. Mason cannot beg the question nor 

 escape the bench show and field trial record of 1884. 



I did not mean to say of Chancellor, field trial champion. I 

 used the word with an interrogation point, which the printer 

 inadvertently omitted. 



Mr. Mason says I insinuated his dogs were not pointers. 

 Well, sir, I had my doubts, never having heard of their distin- 

 guishing themselves by doing a pointer's work 



Mr. Mason denies that he spoke disparagingly of American 

 sportsmen, and challenges me to produce the record. Here it 

 is. In an article published May 12, 1883, he says: "I speak 

 but the truth when I say I have not seen a judge ef pointers 

 since my arrival in America, two years ago. There are, I 

 believe, a few practical men to be found, but the majority 

 are upstarts," etc., "who cannot distinguish the difference 

 between a jyoint-er and a foxhound" (italics mine). 



Let us hold to the point; and the record proves I am right. 

 When Mr. Mason attacked Croxteth in 1883, he denounced him 

 as worthless and unfit to breed to : even questioned his pedi- 

 gree, and predicted ruin and disaster to the pointer interest, 

 from which it would take years and years to recover. 



Now 1 assert, and the press has said in substance, that the 

 pointers shown during the past year were, as a whole, the best 

 ever seen in this country. And the record proves that Crox- 

 teth has contributed a large share toward improving and rais- 

 ing the quality and standard of our pointers. 



Mr. Mason begs the question when he says: "Jilt and Lady 

 Croxteth are not first-rate bitches, and that there was not a 

 first-rate pointer bitch at the New York show." Thenhe cites 

 Water Lily as an illustration, and to prove what a poor lot the 

 large pointer bitches of this country are, he tells us she was 

 only commended at the Bh-mingh'am show: "There being 

 seven others ahead of her, and she got all she deserved''' (italics 

 mine). The language imphes that her position in the class 

 was due to her individual imperfections. If Water Lily got 

 all she deserved, she yvould, according to Mr. Mason's state- 

 ment, be only sixth-rate, and does not score over 75 points out 

 of a possible 100. 



When Mr. Mason made the above statement he uttered a 

 libel against the large pointer bitches of this country, and the 

 gentlemen who have judged those classes at bench shows, by 

 implying that they gave first and champion honors to an ani- 

 mal scarcely worth mentioning. The fact is an animal need 

 not be perfect to be first-rate, provided the faults are of the 

 negative kind. What Mr. Mason expected to prove against 

 Croxteth's get by bringing in Water Lily-is not apparent, as 

 she did not boat Jilt. Vanity won the special prize for best 

 pointer bitch in the New York show; so it follows that Water 

 Lily was beaten. As before stated, Mr. Mason declared Jilt 

 to be the best bitch in show, and now says, "So far Croxteth 

 is the sire of two good-looking bitches— Jilt and Lady Crox- 

 teth— but they cannot win over such bitches as Mr. Lloyd 

 Price's Bow Bells." Will Mr. Mason tell us how many bitches 

 he knows of that can win over that famous champion? When 

 it is remembered that Bow Bells is the best bitch ever got by 

 old champion Bang, and that she has never been beaten, but 

 has held the championship of England for years against all 

 comers, and is in fact perfection, but for a little throatiness, 

 it becomes apparent what really magnificent beauties -Tilt and 

 Lady Croxteth are. Mr. Godeffroy may well be proud of his 

 favorite when he gets such stock. 



Mr, Mason says, "Croxteth almost invariably stamps his 



structural faults on his get." I deny that. As Mr. Mason' is 

 not a practical sportsman, but a dog fancier and a showman, 

 he occupies a position from which he may legitimately criti* 

 cise the "beauty points" of dog& But when he attempts to 

 dischss the structural form of the pointing dog he leaves that 

 vantage ground and enters a field on which every practical 

 sportsman is at home; and there Mr. Mason's experience does 

 not wa mint him to speak authoritatively. Mr. Mason thinks : 

 I was joking when I wrote that not one of Beaufort's get had 

 been considered pood enough to start in a field trial, and gives 

 as a reason why they have not shown dp there, that the dog 

 has not been long enough in the stud. But just previously he 

 said Beaufort sired the first, second, vhc. and he. winners at 

 toe TV ashington show, also the winning bitch and pup at the 

 New Haven show, also Fritz, first at New York. As Beati- 

 fort will be six years old in April, and Fritz four years in May, 

 and as these, shows were all held in the spring Of 1884, it is 

 apparent that the dog has been in use, and has been bredfrOto 

 for the last four years. Try another argument, Mr. Mason, 

 after awhile you may blunder on to the true reason why Beau- 

 fort's get has not showed up at field trials. 



Mr. Mason charges certain structural defects to Croxteth's 

 get, which if present to the extent he says they are would 

 seriously handicap those dogs in a field trial. I will now give 

 Mr ; Mason an Opportunity to demonstrate what he says, or I- 

 ■Will prove that lie is not only a false prophet, but one who 

 has not the couraga of his alleged convictions. 



Mr. Mason writes: "How many of Croxteth's get had rtin 

 in a field trial twelve months after Mr. Maedona, landed with 

 him in America? Try again; 'Saxon.' Unfortunately I tMa^ 

 son jdo not Own ally of Beaufort's get that are old enoUgh to 

 compete against Croxteth's; but I know where to find them.- 

 * * * 1 w ill show two young dogs by him against anything 

 'Saxon' can produce, either for money Or a handsome piece or 

 plate, ¥100 forfeit, * * * or I [Mason] shall be glad to en 

 tertain any reasonable proposal 'Saxon' may inakc. - " 



Very well; here is my proposal: I Will thatch one, two of 

 three brace of Croxteth's get against an equal number of Beau- 

 fort's in a field trial race for §1,000 a side, $250 forfeit; the 

 race to be run as early as convenient, under the Eastern field 

 Trials Club rules. To save valuable time and facilitate mat- 

 ters (as I am a thousand miles or more away from Now York) 

 I Will nominate a New York pointer owner, who will act for 

 me in arranging all the details as to time, place, judges, ref- 

 eree, etc. Saxon. 



ENGLISH KENNEL NOTES. 



XXV. 



I^HE result of the Liverpool show is gleefully claimed by 

 . the Kennel Club as a point in them favor,' because the 

 shbW was for the first time held under their rules. Their rules 

 or anybody else's rules, it is all the same, if you have good 

 men "to apply them. It was again a case of ni en, not meas- 

 ures; the success is due to the energetic executive, not the 

 rules. 



The arrangements of the first day were well planned and 

 calmly carried out. In particular we, who had reporting 

 work to do, were gratified with the intelligent celerity shown 

 in posting up the awards; the pass-out scheme almost solves 

 the. re-admission difficulty. 



The show was well patronized by the public, but the kennel 

 world was not strongly represented. Among Others I missed 

 Mr. Langdale, but I see his editor found a hack to do his work. 



Mr. C. Martin showed in the St. Bernard open dog class a 

 litter brother to Plinlimmon. He is a grand young dog, but I 

 doubt if he will ever be first-rate behind; he appears to have 

 outgrown himself. With time and care it is possible that Peter 

 the Great will win some prizes. Thetis, a noble daughter of 

 Bayard, is framed to breed grand stock, Hers was a popular 

 win. 



Chieftain took the prize in a small class of deerhounds, and 

 thus soothed his owner's Crystal Palace disappointment. 



The knights of the slips had a good collection of their beau- 

 ties to inspect; the judging though was Very indifferent. The 

 Palace winner was out of it. A bitch named Dorset received 

 the admiration of the coursing men. 



Collies, a very large entry, had the advantage of being 

 judged by a man who knows his work. The consequence, was 

 a reversal or two faulty C. P. decisions. Young Cockie made 

 his appearance again, but though he is not still quite the dog 

 that won so many prizes at a Palace show, he was good 

 enough to beat Rockingham and the rest. Matchless easily 

 avenged her late defeat. Dahlia got her deserts, second prize. 

 I thought the local class was unusually brilliant, 



The variety classes were more than habitually interesting. 

 The spectators were bewildered and bewondered at such 

 curious creatures as the antediluvian terrier, Old Adam, who 

 has seen a great deal of the world; Rallie, the rough French 

 hound, and Piston, a rare specimen of some foreign breed. 



Good fortune and zeal have combined to rescue the Liver- 

 pool show from impending oblivion, and this year's visitors 

 will look forward to another merry meeting with the cheerful 

 circle of officials. 



The Dachshtmd Club (how do you like darxhooud for the 

 pronunciation '0 have published their entries for the 1885 pro- 

 duce stakes. Twenty-three bitches can be called a fan- total, 

 though it oddly represents thirteen breeders. The largest entry 

 is made by the stately and fair exhibitor Mrs. Merrick-Hoare. 

 I am inclined to believe that the value of produce stakes is 

 somewhat over-rated, for there are generally some better 

 youngsters bred outside the stakes. 



Our dead-alive, I mean Live Stock Journal, says that the 

 effervescent Irish chaplain, Mr. O'Callaghan, has sold some of 

 his stock in hign quarters, at prices of similar altitude. The 

 parsons are "coming it" fairly strong in the dog line. Now 

 then ye Vanderbilts, Kaisers, Kings, and other personages, 

 what d'ye lack? Rough or smooth, old or young, dog or bitch, 

 come take your choice and pay your money, disestablishment 

 is on the way. I wonder why the Emperor of all the Russias 

 did not complete that talked of purchase, did the fluttering 

 canon startle up a buyer nearer home for the Rev. A. Carter's 

 PlinlimmOn. 'Ware decoy ducks, Mr. Smith! 



Mr. Vero Shaw, in his new article on the Scotch terrier, 

 rather unkindly confesses that "it Would bo a useless task to 

 try and convince his detractors that Scottie is a handsome 

 dog." H one had only the illustration that accompanies his 

 paper to go by it would be hard to contradict him. Avery 

 every-street couple they look, just big enough to kill a rat or 

 feed a cat. 



Mr. Ashwin's bad luck on the show bench put him in danger 

 of being forgotten, he has averted that misfortune by issuing 

 a circular to the members of the Collie Club soliciting their 

 support in dividing the over large classes by colors. He dra ws 

 attention to the fact that in January, 1S84, a meeting of the 

 club passed this resolution, "That the collie classes, having 

 become so large, it is desirable at the principal shows the 

 collies should be divided into two classes according to their 

 color, viz.: black and tan, black, white and tan, black and 

 white, and black, into one class, and sables, and any other 

 color, into another class." The Kennel Club wisely declined 

 to accept the suggestion and instead added several extra prizes. 

 Mr, Ashwin would be glad if his proposal had the object of 

 ridding us entirely of dogs with coats of an undecided color. I 

 don't agree with iiim, as no points are given for color, a judge 

 should hold that a good collie, like a good horse, can't be a bad 

 color. Mr. Ashwin, when he insinuates that judges are gener- 

 ally influenced in favor of black and tans, is unsupported by 

 most exhibitors who are strongly of opinion that at present 

 there is a marked p:irtiaLt\ due tc a passing fashion, for 

 sables, and "pretty" dogs generally, lie acts squarely up to 

 the sapient advice' of not prophesying until you know in say- 

 ing he "expects the time is not far distant when three judges 

 will be appointed." That step was resolved upon, I under- 



