394 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



[June 10, 1886. 



MASTIFF JUDGING. 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



I could not possibly get a mention in the class for logic that 

 you -would win first in, but then, it would be the logic of the 

 collegian in the old song: 



"Oh! logic, logic, not the shallow rules 

 Of Loekes and Bacons, antiquated fools; 

 But wit's and wrangler's logic." 



And you will remember how he demonstrated that an eel 

 pie was a pigeon, and was rewarded by a promise of a chest- 

 nut horse, which was made good by a horse chestnut. 



I do not think it will conduce much to the satisfaction of 

 your readers for us to discuss horse chestnuts vs. chestnut 

 horses, so I will let all your digs at me go by unless they affect 

 the more important question of what a good mastiff is. You 

 quote Mr. S. W. Smith as saying that Baby was the better 

 dog, but Ilford Caution the better mastiff. Which is the eel 

 pie and which pigeon here? Isnt a mastiff a dog? If so, how 

 can the worse dog be the better mastiff? Or are you giving 

 only "wit's and wrangler's logic?" If the age of Crown Prince 

 was the only objection that Mr. Beaufoy had to him, why did 

 he select a dog in King Canute that is decidedly free from the 

 snub nose and ricketiness of Crown Prince? (As I undei-stand 

 it, H. M. King Canute is lame behind, not straight or weak). 

 Dogs under twentv-seveu inches are not disqualified by the 

 standard? Why ain't they? Does not the standard propose 

 to show what is the correct thing, and when it gives twenty- 

 seven inches as the minimum, does it mean that twenty-five 

 inches will do? Or can it be said that a measurement falling 

 below the minimum is within the scope of the standard? This 

 must be "eel pie." "Deficiency in the specimen" won't do, for 

 that plainly means falling short of the intended perfection, but 

 twenty-seven inches is a fixed, definite statement that allows 

 of no ratiocination. Your worst stumble is over the compara- 

 tive value of head and weak loin. Does not the standard 

 say of loin, "broad, flat and muscular?" How can a weak 

 loin be a muscular one? This must be "pigeon." As to 

 walk, etc.," not counting as a demerit, do you propose to say 

 for one moment that the standard was designed to encourage 

 the breeding of lame dogs? If not, where is the significance of 

 your reference? I "prove the contrary by pointing to the 

 course of the lights of the O. E. M. Club," do I? Well, the 

 italics I now put in should dispose of that, or does "logic" im- 

 ply that "some" is the whole? "The rules of the Kennel Club 

 are silent as to standards," but is it not the place of the judge 

 to learn what the standard set up by the conservators of the 

 breed is, and then try to apply it? Your reference to the dis- 

 puted paternity of' Crown "Prince loses force when it is 

 remembered that the only question among English breeders 

 is, was he by the Shah or by his son, the Emperor? As to 

 the placing of Ilford Cambria and Lady Gladys, I under- 

 stood Dr. Perry that he preferred Ilford Cambria, but that her 

 indifferent condition and Lady G-ladys's rare fettle was what 

 decided him. This is a point* that there is no use squealing 

 about; it never can and never will be. reduced to a positive 

 definition, and must be left to the judge's fancy. As to 

 Prussian Princess and Rosalind, I never saw the former move, 

 and am positive that to my fancy she has far the grander 

 head, as Rosalind sadly lacks depth of lower jaw. I just want 

 to know if there can be any "plainer teaching" than that crip- 

 pled dogs, dogs that shamble instead of walk, watch dogs that 

 could not spring on a toad, should not be first prize, winners? 

 If you say that this is not correct, then you must say that we 

 should breed lame dogsl The first-prize winner should be the 

 dog we want to breed; if he is lame, we want to breed lame 

 dogs. Considerations as to what he may prove in the stud are 

 totally foreign here; the only question is, "which is the 

 nearest the dog we want to breed?" and all the dog show rot 

 that was ever got off cannot chance this proposition. 



Now as to your criticisms on Ba'<y. You say he is light of 

 bone. He measures 11 inches, tight measure. My De Buch, 

 who has always been commented on, "immense bone," meas- 

 ures just the same. "He stands too high on the leg." Well, 

 he is 30 inches at the shoulder, and his elbow is fully 2 inches 

 above the lower edge of his chest. If there is another dog in 

 the land as comparatively short on the log as this, please name 

 him. Again quoting De Buch, he is always called short on 

 the leg,but he cannot approach this. "He is faulty in muz- 

 zle." Well, I don't see where, unless "faulty" means short of 

 perfect. He certainly would be improved by more breadth of 

 muzzle, but it is only*3X inches long and girths 15 inches. The 

 lack of breadth is chiefly due to his muzzle being almost per- 

 fectly parallel, an excellence very uncommon in mastiffs, as I 

 have seen them. "There is a lack of substance all through 

 him." I will admit that he was low in flesh, but he is a dog of 

 tremendous power and activity, and the man who could stand 

 before his rush or spring will ' be well balanced on his pins. 

 I would rather risk an encounter with any three of your 

 dwarf or cripple pets than one with him. I may have been 

 all wrong in supposing that layback is a characteristic of a 

 pug, and if so, I beg the pug's pardon ; but I do know that the 

 one I compared with a "short-faced" mastiff was a first prize 

 winner, and it did have lots of layback, if not as much as the 

 mastiff. 



The fact is, that the amount of rot and humbug that has 

 crept into dog matters, particularly as to judging, is tremen- 

 dous. Only a little while since, as sensible a man as "Porcu- 

 pine" asserted that the puppy type of a collie was the correct 

 one. Now remember that fashion can make enormous fools 

 of us all, but the reign of the jade is only temporary, oi 

 rather the slut only sticks to one thing for a moment's time 

 and when you say that "a walk like a broken -legged grass 

 hopper" is no demerit, you are bidding very high for the 

 hussy's favor, and may get it, but don't you forget it, she will 

 spill vou very suddenly, and you will look very pretty in the. 

 fine mudhole she will land you in. I am sure I am very wil- 

 ling to "go before the country" with you on this bare issue as 

 vou state it, that a lame dog can be a good specimen. 

 * W. Wade. 



p Hulton, Pa., May 28. 



[We are not disposed to chop logic with our correspondent. 

 There are a few points, however, in this communication that 

 we will briefly notice, leaving to Mr. Wade the task of deduct- 

 ing and classifying the logic. In his article two short weeks 

 ago, Mr. Wade" speaks contemptuously of the course of some of 

 the lights of the Old English Mastiff Club, which "certainly 

 seem to point to the conclusion that all that a dog need have 

 is a head, and that if that can be seen sticking out of his stall 

 it i« a waste of time to take him into the ring." To-day he 

 says of Prussian Princess: "I never saw her move, and am 

 positive that to mv fancy she has far the grander head . " If m 

 deducting the logic of this, Mr. Wade should conclude that 

 "the ruling fashion has been followed" with a vengeance, we 

 can assure him that he will find but few to dissent from his 

 view. Mr. Wade also "vigorously defended" Mr. Dalziel for 

 placing Prussian Princess over Rosalind, notwithstanding the 



f. . .9 . i.- -u-j on^ f.mconiiprt,lir was 



it takes years to alter the character of the head. That the 

 standard, although in accordance with the ruling fashion, is 

 too lenient with radical faults may be true. We tried to show 

 Mr. Wade that his mastiff standard does not take due cogni- 

 zance of what may be grave faults. We cited as an example 

 the broken-legged, grasshopper-gaited specimen described by 

 our correspondent, and pointed out to him that tinder the 

 standard such a specimen might win, for the greatest number 

 of possible merits forfeited by the lameness would be, 

 under that standard, only Z% out of a total score of 100 

 points. By proving this we were not in the least 

 defending lameness as a desirable or even tolerable quality of 

 a mastiff. On the contrary, we consider it a fault so grave 

 that we think the standard ' ought to provide for positive de- 

 merits for the infirmities of the broken-legged grasshopper 

 specimens. Nor does it follow that, since the standard per- 

 mits such things, the judge or critic who impartially applies 

 its rules as a test of the comparative merits of animals under 

 examination is a blooming idiot or a deep-dyed villain, if 

 occasionally a "good all-round dog" gets beaten by a competi- 

 tor worse than him at some points, but enough his superior at 

 others to win the place. If Mr. Wade will use the flood of 

 eloquence and ink at his command in giving practical lessons 

 of instruction to breeders, showing them just how they can 

 produce grand-headed specimens that are perfect in other re- 

 spects, instead of wasting his energies in waging Falstaffian 

 warfare, he will both deserve and secure the sincere thanks 

 of every lover of the noble breed. J 



teach" that "the ruling ^ — — 



and blindly followed, Mr. Wade trots out a lame dog 

 with a flourish and offers to throw himself, dog and all, 

 upon the mercy of a jury of his countrymen and abide 

 the issue. Whatever he is driving at we fail to under- 

 stand. A glance at the remarks which he misquotes will 

 show' that the fault of lameness was not under dis- 

 cussion, but that we only mentioned it to illustrate the work- 

 ing of the standard. When Mr. Wade can point out a single 

 instance where Forest and Stream has not condemned the 

 fault, it will be time enough to "go before the country,' It 

 is an axiom of the intelligent mastiff breeder that a good head 

 means good blood and a bad head the contrary. Bad legs and 

 weak loins may soon be bred out by judicious mating, while 



SPANIEL JUDGING AT NEW YORK. 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



What is "Brindle" trying to get through himself? In last 

 week's Forest and Stream he tells us of things that didn't 

 happen at the recent New York show, and endeavors thereby 

 to cast discredit on Mr. J. F. Kirk as a judge of spaniels. He 

 states that Brahmin and Black Beau, Jr., won! The latter 

 won, although he does not improve as he once gave promise 

 to, and always will lack substance and be light of muzzle; but 

 where did Brahmin win? Certainly not at New York, where 

 he had competitors. There were two there better than he in 

 his class, and I am not quite certain but three. 



"Brindle" asks, "Does Mr. Kirk consider a field spaniel and 

 a cocker as the same, except as to weight?" Certainly not, 

 "Brindle;" certainly not (though I hardly know the gentle- 

 man, I think I can answer for him). The field spaniel is a 

 heavier headed, coarser dog all over than the cocker, with 

 more lumber, but at the same time a most useful dog in the 

 field; while the cocker is "eminently a well built, graceful and 

 active little dog, showing strength without heaviness or clum- 

 siness," etc., etc. [Vide American Spaniel Club Standard.] A 

 winning cocker cannot be fatted up and be made a good field 

 spaniel; nor a typical field spaniel be reduced and made to 

 wm in the cocker class. Sabe? We might breed two cockers 

 and get both good field and cocker spaniels in the same litter. 

 Why is it so? Because from time immemorial our predecessors, 

 the English breeders, have bred cockers and field spaniels 

 together, and our dogs to-day throw back. Whether it is ad- 

 visable to alter this, or if it can be done, I am not prepared to 

 say. However, "Brindle," be more careful next time you 

 write for the public weal (?) and read up on spaniels before- 

 hand. Bulldog. 



AN " EXPERT " IN CRUELTY. 



DR. BERIAH H. WATSON, of Jersey City, was arrested 

 last Friday on the charge of cruelty to animals. The 

 arrest was made at the instance of President McAneny, of the 

 S. F. P. C. A. and Mr. C. J. Peshall, President of the New 

 Jersey Kennel Club. Watson is the Jersey City surgeon of 

 the Pennsylvania Railroad and is an expert employed by the 

 railroad company to give testimony in suits against it. The 

 company found that people who were injured on the road 

 frequently claimed that after some time had elapsed succeed- 

 ing an accident they suffered from spinal diseases. In order 

 to controvert this Watson began his experiments on the dogs. 

 The matter coming to the notice of the S. F. P. C, A., Presi- 

 dent McAneny of that Society and Agent Crosby repaired to 

 the doctor's bam, where the experiments had been made. The 

 Jersey City Journal reports the visit as follows: 



The details ot what was seen, and the information gained 

 from the young man, who is evidently an a&sistant of the 

 doctor, in his so-called scientific experiments are almost be- 

 yond belief. ' In one corner of the. place was a pen, about 

 twelve by six feet in dimensions, and in this were confined 

 six dogs of mixed breeds. By the aid of along stick the ani- 

 mals were stirred up and all seemed to be aciive and healthy 

 except one, a large black brute, which refused to move from 

 his recumbent position in response to the prodding of the stick. 



"Where does the doctor get all these dogs?" asked Mr. 

 McAneny of the conductor. 



"He gets them all over," was the reply. "Many ol them he 

 buys from boys." 

 "How often do you feed them?" he was asked. 

 "Twice a day with fresh meat from the butchers." 

 Turning their attention from the pen, the visitors entered a 

 partitioned room on the other side of the building. Its dimen- 

 sions were about twice those of the pen. In this was a rudely 

 constructed table running the length Of the room, a stove, 

 several glass jars, which evidently contained specimens ot 

 some sort, and hanging upon the wall was a contrivance which 

 looked like a portion of a set of harness, made of leather and 

 canvas; attached to the ceiling of this room was a suspended 

 rope. From questions put to the young colored man, the 

 method used by the doctor is as follows: The harness is placed 

 upon the dog selected for the experiment, and he is hoisted to 

 the ceiling. A trap door is opened, and the dog being loos- 

 ened from the harness, is allowed to drop through the trap. 

 Under the dog is a similar trap opening in the floor below. 

 Suspended from this lower trap door is a square frame of iron, 

 suspended by side bars, about three feet below the floor. 

 From two sides of this frame are projections of iron six inches 

 lon°\ extending inward, the space between the two points be- 

 ing"about four inches. As the dog descends he comes down 

 back first. He strikes against the iron projection, and if the 

 result happens to be a fracture of the spinal column, the poor 

 brute is ready for the long days of agony whicn he must 

 endure to satisfy the curiosity of his tormentor What be- 

 comes of the dogs which may be otherwise injured, the visit- 

 ors did not learn. . ., 



Addressing his guide, President, McAneny said: Of course 

 when the doctor breaks the dog's back you stop feedmg the 



^"Yesl" replied the boy, "we don't give them anything to eat 

 then." , „ , „, 



"How long do they live— a week or ten days?' 



"About ten days," was the reply. . 



The young man showed the officers the place in which the 

 maimed and suffering brutes are kept during the time of ex- 

 periment, but it was empty. He denied that there were any 

 such dogs about the place at that time, and a search of the 

 premises failed to show any reason for doubting his asser- 



tll Dr, Arrowsmith, the veterinary surgeon of the >S. P. C A., 

 visited the bai n last night at the request of Mr McAneny, and 

 made an examination of the inactive black dog. He stated 

 this morning that the animal was all right. 



In explanation of the experiments bemg made by Dr. Wat- 

 son, the surgeon made the following statement: 



"i have known ot these operations for some time, and 1 am 

 satisfied that there is no cruelty exercised. Dr. Watson is the 

 expert of the Pennsylvania Railroad in matters ot accident, 

 and he is working hard to gain the information necessary to 

 determine a question which is often raised in the cases of 

 parties who are injured by accidents. The desire if to find 



whether a concussion to the spine will, after a lapse of two, 

 three or six months, produce a decrease of vitality or loss of 

 nervous power along any portion of the spinal cord. The dogs 

 are placed under the influence of an anaesthetic, and the dog 

 is then subjected to a blow or a fall. The desired effect, a 

 simple concussion to the spine, is not always the result, as an 

 injury to the muscles or tissues defeats the end desired." 



The members of the New Jersey Kennel CJub have interested 

 themselves in the matter, and President Peshall, of the club, 

 held a consultation this morning with President McAneny, of 

 of the S. P. C. A. It was decided that the work of Dr. Watson 

 does not come within the limitation of Section 17 of the act for 

 the prevention of cruelty to animals, which reads as follows: 



"Nothing in this act contained shall be construed to prohibit or 

 interfere with any properly conducted sciertiflc experiments or in- 

 vestigation?, which experiments or investigations shall be performed 

 only under the authority of some regularly incorporated medical 

 society of this State." 



Certain physicians who have been spoken to about the case, 

 say that there cannot be any possible benefit derived in the 

 interest of science, and that the only apparent benefit to be 

 derived from the experiment is to secure expert testimony for 

 the use of the railroad and other corporations in defending 

 suits. Mr. McAneny endeavored to see Dr. Watson, but was 

 unable to do so. 



A later report in the Journal says: 



There is now in the hands of the Society for the Prevention 

 of Cruelty to Animals a book in which the doctor kept a 

 minute record of the features of each case, and a perusal of it 

 may be interesting to the opponents of this system of scien- 

 tific (?) research, as well as to those who are disciples of the 

 practice. It will be seen that these operations, when stopped 

 by the officers of the S. P. C. A., had extended over a period 

 of about four months, commencing on Feb. 9. A resident in 

 the vicinity of the doctor's place said yesterday: "Theassist- 

 ants came every other day about 3 o'clock and this is the day 

 for them. .Each dog seems to have been designated by a 

 number." Here is a specimen of the records of the tortured 

 brutes: 



dog no. 22. 



April 8— Stump-tailed dog. Dog dropped, apparently stunned for 

 four minutes; pupils dilated. Nine minutes after fall dog got up 

 and walked unsteadily across laboratory floor, and fell slowly. An- 

 swered calls. Forelegs stiffly extended. Saliva (lows freely ; occa- 

 sional deep sighs; when placed on the table the dog expectorated a 

 large quantity of bright red blooJ, mixed with frothy mucous. 

 Seven hours after the drop the dog agaiu arose, walked unsteadily 

 across the laboratory floor and coughed periodically two or three 

 times, ejecting with each effort thick bloody sputa. The dog died at 

 noon on April 9, and the spiue was preserved for further examina- 

 tion. 



It is pro bable that the Society will bring a separate suit for 

 each case noted in the doctor's record. President Peshall, of 

 the Kennel Club, wished to have the six dogs found in the pen 

 taken from the bam and placed in the care of a competent 

 person, but as the doctor promised that the animals should be 

 well cared for, it was decided to let them remain there. Presi- 

 dent McAneny, of the S. P. C. A., has been the recipient of 

 many thanks for the promptness which he has displayed in 

 the matter, and he in turn feels grateful for the assistance 

 which he has received from Mr. Peshall. The cases will be 

 prosecuted vigorously, and with all the power of the Society. 



Dr. Arrowsmith has explained that his expressed opinion 

 of the want of cruelty in the operation was founded on Dr. 

 Watson's untrue assertions to him. A Dr. Cropper, of Jersey 

 City, has been arrested as an accomplice in the maltreatment 

 of the dogs. 



WESTERN FIELD TRIALS DERBY. —Editor Forest and 

 Stream: In your list of entries for the Western Field Trials 

 Derby you have Capt. Tucker's "Katarax" a black and white 

 setter dog. It should be black and white pointer bitch. Will 

 you please make the necessary correction.— R. C. Van Horn. 



L. & W. RUTHERFURD'S KENNELS.— Mr. Thos. Daw- 

 son has taken charge of the Messrs. Rutherfurd's kennels 

 at Allemouchy, N. Y. 



KENNEL NOTES. 



KENNEL NOTE BLANKS.— For the convenience of breeders we 

 have prepared a series of blanks for "Names Claimed," "Whelps," 

 "Bred" and "Sales." All Kennel Notes must be sent to us on these 

 blanks, which will be forwarded to any address on receipt of 

 stamped and directed envelope. Send for a set of thorn. Sets of 

 200 of any one form, bound, for retaining duplicates, sent postpaid, 



30CentS - NAMES CLAIMED. 



Notes must be sent on tne Prepared Blanks. 



Joan II By F H. F. Mercer, Ottawa, Can., for Clumber spaniel 

 bitch, whelped March 17, 1886, by Johnny (Ben-Joan) out of Jill 



^ Banal JU By S. M. Youne, New York, for red Irish setter dog, whelped 

 Sept. 9,1885, by Kelso (OMencbo— Sweetheart) out of Tara (Nimrod— 



S Jfef. 1$r J. H. Conklin, New York, for red Irish setter bitch, 

 whelped Oct. 20, 1SS5, by Elcho, Jr. (Elcho-Rose) out of Meg (Elcho 



~%ladi'ator. By Geo. Ricker, Quincy. Ill . for black white, tan and 

 blue ticked English setter do*, whelped July 22, lttto. by Bonaparte 

 (Royal Blue-Modjeska) out of Queen Dido (Rake— Dido). . 



Tonv By E K Howes, Milwaukee. Wis. for liver and white 

 pointer dog, whelped July 14, 1881, by Toby (Faust-Lady Jane) out 



0£ ftn-iJ jr ( By b Ch7sTI~Tuttle, Newmarket, N. H., for blue belton 

 Llewellin setter dog, whelped Jan. 10, ts86. by Count Gladstone (Royal 

 Blue-Mod jeska) out of Parte Queen (Paris-MissTvvilig hi ). 



Florence W. By Willard Van Tassel, Llizabe'h, N, J., for black and 

 tan Gordon setter bitch, whelped May 10, 1880. by ^ Dixon's Pilot 

 (Grouse, E. 5.097-Dixen's Maui) out of Bess A. (A.K.R. 3430). 



Ap»llo II. By Wm. J. Enrich. New York, for tawny and white 

 rough-coated St. Bernard dog, whelped Nov. 21, 1885, by NerotApollo 



~Ba?$T% K Ehrich, New York, for tawny brindle and 

 wbbe Trough coated St. Bernard dog, whelped Jan. 25, 1885, by Bello 

 (S H S.B. 14) out of flemma (S H.S.B. 111). 



cTnld Medal Bv Geo. Gillivan, West Jefferson, O.. for PJigdog, 

 wheipeJ April *>, 1888, by Bradford Ruby (A.K.R. 2997) out of Flossy 



{iL r^MCoin'n. By Geo. Gillivan, West Jefferson. C for pue dog, 

 whelped May 29, 1886, by Treasure (A.K.R. 472) out of Peggy (A.K.R. 



1S Venus By W. H. Cookson, Hudson, N. Y . for tan and white fox- 

 terrier bitch? whelped Feb. 25, 1885, by Regent Vox (Tackler-Sanay 

 Vic) out of Nettle (A.K.R. H0% 



tan 



ff Tinlp New Haven Conn., for white bull-terriers, three dogs and 

 on?bh^ha^dAml 1886, by Count (A.K.R. 8178) out of Young 



Duke ofNaso aud Queen of i»«o 

 N J . tor lemon and white pointer aog and i bitch, wbe'ped . May 15 

 1886 by Nick of Naso jNaso II , E. 8,123-Petugo, E. 15,175) out of 



IriRtte? AoZ ^ whehfed El 21, 1886, by Prince (A.KR. 1968) out 

 ° £ ^!mS!utKmnelf: ~By Harry A. Fletcher, Woodforfl's, Me., for 

 U DuK/^ Flathush, L. L, 



for his kennels of setters. 



