490 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



[Jau. 18, 1867* 



FOX-TERRIER CLUB STAKES. 



THE stakes of the American Fos-Terrier Club, annotinced 

 in owv issue of Dec. 2, for which entries closed Jan. 1, 

 have received the followinR entries: 



The Tomboy Stakes of 1887— For a silver cup presented 

 by the president of the American Fox-Terner Club, 

 added to a sweepstake of ?5 each p. p. , for fox-terrier 

 bitches whelped after Jan. 1, 1886. and to be competed for 

 at the spring show of the New Jersey Kennel Club in 

 1887. 



A. BELMOinr, Jr. —Tiara (Result— Diadem), Daimetta 

 (Bacchanal— Delta), Festive (Bacchanal— Arrow), Verdict 

 (Result— Diadem). 



Feed Hoey.— Lemonade (Splauger— Lurette), 



John E. Thayer.— Meersbrook Nan (Meersbrook Ross— 

 Meersbrook Model), Lady Mixtiire (Mixture— Warren Lady), 

 Fraulein Mixture (Mixture— Shame), Bel grave Violet (Bel- 

 grave Primrose— Nina). 



Edward Keley.— Votary (Bacchanal— Delta). 



The Apollo Stakes of 1887.— For a silver cup, presented 

 by the Secretary of the American Fox-Terner Club, 

 added to a sweepstakes of 85 p.p. for fox-terrier dogs 

 whelped Jan. 1, 1886, and to be competed for at the 

 spring show of the Hartford Kennel Club in 1887. 

 A. Belmont, Jr.— Mephisto and Faust (Bacchanal— Mar- 

 guerite). 



Feed Hoey.— Luke (Mixture— Lyra). 



John E. Thayer.— Shameless Mixture, Sandy Mixture, 

 Sly Mixture and Dandy Mixture (Mixture— Shame). 



H. S. RoBBixs.— Bristles (Regent Vox— Fandango). 



C. T. Bailey.— Mt. Toby Mixture (Mixture— Dido- . 



Edward Kelly.— Fiddler (Earl Ley cester— Clover Fidget). 



H. P. FR0THINGHA3I.— Mugwump (Stableford Joe— Mari- 

 gold). 



HOMEREED Puppy Stakes.— For a silver cuo, presented by 

 John E. Thayer, Esq., added to a sweepstakes of So p.p. 

 for best fox-terrier puppies, whelped after April 1, 1886, 

 to be competed for at the spring show of the New Eng- 

 land Club in Boston, 1887. 



A. Belmont, Jr.— Faust (Bacchanal— Marguerite), Festive 

 (Bacchanal— i^row). Verdict (Result— Diadem), Snoozer 

 (Regent Vox— Saffron). 



John E. THAYEE.—Lady Mixture (Mixture— Warren Lady). 

 Fraulein Mixture, Shameless Mixture. Sandy Mixture and 

 Dandy Mixture (Mixture — Shame). 



H. S. Bobbins.— Bristles (Regent Vox— Fandango). 



Edwaed Kelly.— Votary (Bacchanal— Delta) Fiddler (Earl 

 Leycester— Clover Fidget), unnamed (Shovel— Clover Blos- 

 som), unnamed (Earl Leycester— Spite), unnamed (Clover 

 Spice— Priscilla). 



E. L. Kalbfleisch.— Gustav (Bacchanal— Tansy). 



G. B. Inches.— Muddler and Scrap (Mixture— Bunch). 



C. Rathbone. — Orange Tippler and Orange Toper (Bac- 

 chanal—Thyme) . 



. L. & W. Rutherfurd.— Unnamed (Shovel— Violet), un- 

 named (two) (Splauger— Diana). 



THE IRISH SETTER. 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



Can any of the readers of the Forest and Stream tell 

 me why it is the Irish setter does not get to the front in the 

 field trials? In fact, they rarely get third place. And yet 

 no one can deny his value for "business" in the field. He is 

 a tireless worker, a wide ranger, possesses a good nose, and 

 is generally a fii'st^class retriever from either land or water. 

 These qualities ought to make him a winner at field trials, 

 but he seldom ''gets there." I have o%vned, handled and 

 studied this strain of dogs for ten years, and while not claim- 

 ing to be an expert by any means, have observed some 

 peculiarities about him which I have observed in no other 

 dog to so great an extent. 



The most imnortant of these, and one that proves a serious 

 impediment when hunting in company, is extreme jealousy. 

 I have a bitch which has seen but little field ser^dce, yet is 

 under excellent control, and as steady a dog as I ever shot 

 over when out with her alone. Yet, when in company she is 

 quite another animal. Then she is wild, head.strong, and 

 almost unmanageable. If she makes a point and another 

 dog is moving up, she is .sure to mn in and flush, and perhaps 

 chase the birds. If the other dog makes the point .she will 

 dash in ahead and flush. In short, acts as though deter- 

 mined to do all the hunting and find all the game, and ex- 

 tremely jealous of her companion. I should like to inquire 

 of professional handlers and sportsmen who have had con- 

 siderable experience with this dog, if they have observed 

 this trait. It is as strongly marked in dogs of this strain 

 which have come under my observation as is their red color. 

 Mav this not be one reason they show so badly infield trials? 



The red Irish has always been a favorite of mine, becai'se 

 he combines all the best qualities of other strains as a field 

 dog for the sportsman. His beauty is unciuestioned. He 

 can stand heat as well as any pointer and better than any 

 other setter, and cold as well as the latter and better than 

 the former. As a ranger he can do more work and stand it 

 longer than any other dog living. He is a natural retriever, 

 and will plunge into a river of "floatmg ice after a duck or 

 goose with all the spirit of a Chesapeake Bay dog. There is 

 no more stylish dog, and his gameness is proverbial. Their 

 faults, in addition to those spoken of, are an inclination to 

 be headstrong and gunshyness. For this reason I prefer 

 the bitches to dogs— they are much more tractable. But I 

 think this is due more to the fact of a lack of work than 

 natural obstinacy. Some of them are gunshy. I own one 

 at this wTiting which was extremely gunshy when a pup, 

 but has entirely overcome this fault. So, I presume, this is 

 no more common with the Iri.sh than other strains. 



I am pleased to learn that the Irish setter men have organ- 

 ized a club to push my favorite to the front as a field dog, 

 for there is where he surely belongs. Tenderfoot. 



WEnniKGTON, Kan., Deo. 37. 



THE BEAGLE CLUB. 



FOLLOWING is the President's annual report to the 

 Beagle Club: "It is with pleasure and gratification 

 that I submit for your consideration, this, our Third Annual 

 Report. The prosperity and success in accomplishing the 

 objects for which we were organized has been all if not more 

 than the most sanguine of our members anticipated. I am 

 pleased to state that in addition to oiu- prosperity we close 

 the year with a balance in the treasury, a feature which we 

 have been unable to boast of heretofore. The' financial con- 

 dition has been brought about by those of our members who 

 are heartily in accord with the interest and success of the 

 Club, by donating each an amount for that purpose. While 

 it is pleasant for us as members of the Executive Committee 

 to thank each one individually for their contribution, it is 

 equally disagreeable to note the indifference or lack of inter- 

 est manifested by a few. It is true that our expenses have 

 exceeded the receipts from annual dues, but it must be con- 

 ceded that evei y dollar laid out has been of inestimable value 

 in promoting the success of our club. We gave special prizes 

 at nearly all of the bench shows east of the Pacific Slope, and 

 have had the co-operation of all bench show managers, inas- 

 much as the beagles have been properly classified and the 

 judging has been done in accordance with our standard, and 

 iurther, in consideration of the elTorts of your Executive 

 Committee the judges in most instances have been selected 

 from our own members. If any have doubts as to the bene- 

 ficial influence which the American English Beagle Club 



has exercised in educating and teaching the fanciers of the 

 beagle hound as to what he should be, let him recall his ob- 

 servation of this class of dogs as he saw them, say at the 

 time when we were organized, four years ago, and piit them 

 in comparison with what he has seen at'the same shows 

 during the past year. It needs no arguement to con^'ince the 

 mo.st careless observer that the change is, to say the lea.st, 

 remarkable. Then we saw a few good dogs and many mon- 

 grels. Now instead we see a large class of well-bred well- 

 formed and graceful dogs. It is not unreasonable or difficult 

 to infer that this marked change is the direct result of the 

 good influence of our Club, of which we are so justly proud. 

 Let us continue in our present prosperity by all working in 

 harmony, paying our dues promptly, and securing new 

 members, and those that are worthy of oiu- affiliation. I 

 trust it would not be unbecoming for me, as your President, 

 to offer my personal thanks to our Secretary' and Treasurer 

 for his imtiring ambition and efiicient labor, to which we 

 owe so much tor our success. The New England Kennel 

 Club have desired us to name (which I have been pleased to 

 do) some of our members from which they can select a judge 

 for beagles, at their show to be held in the spring. They 

 propose to provide very liberally for the beagles, both as re- 

 gards classes and prizes, and it is very much desired that oxir 

 club will use its best efi:orts to make a grand display of 

 beagles at this show. In conclusion I am pleased to state 

 our list of membership contains the name ot none except of 

 those in good standing. That we may for the ensuing year 

 elect a good, efiicient corps of officers, is the sincere wish of 

 Yours very truly, C. E. Nichols, M. D., President, (Jan. 1, 



MASTIFF TYPE. 



Litcra scripta ma nct. 

 Editor Forest and Stream: 



You will forgive me for again troubling you on this subject, 

 but reading Mr. C. H. Mason, remarks on the mastiff Sylvia 

 in his report on St. Johns dog show in your is.sue of Oct. 28, 

 1 cannot help taking exception at what he writes in reference 

 to Mr. Wade. That Mr. Mason knows wh.qt a mastiff should 

 be as Avell as any man in America is certain, and Mr. AVade 

 has perhaps a touch of cacncthes scrihoixH, and like all en- 

 thu!3ia.sts, rides his hobby hard, but all lovers of the mastiff" 

 owe Mr. Wade a deep debt of gratitude for arguing that "if 

 a mastiff has not good legs and feet he is useless" {vide Mr. 

 Thompson's words in History of Ma.stiff", p. 188). 



Mr. Wade's statements may be at times misleading, and 

 occasionally unintentionally incorrect when he writes about 

 English specimens who he only knows about from portraits 

 andr reports, but for all that he has opened the eyes of English 

 breeders as well as his owti countrymen, that well-grown 

 limbs are requisite to constitute a perfect mastiff as well as a 

 good head. 1, for one, trust Mr. Wade will not lay his pen 

 aside, and hope he will resume the discussion of mastiff 

 points whenever he sees his way to expose fallacies. If we 

 authorities are unable to defend the type and characteristics 

 we hold and the awards we make, it serves us right to be cut 

 up by Mr. Wade or any one else who has the courage and 

 ability to attack errors. 



My chief object, however, in writing this letter is to repre- 

 hend the slight ill feeling I can foresee arising between Mr. 

 Wade and his literary opponents. Now this should not be. 

 In the heat of argument we are all apt to write at times 

 what causes a slight sting, but this should be forgiven and 

 overlooked by good fellows. Messrs. Wade, Watson, Mason 

 and Haldeman are all too good men even to feel vexed with 

 one another owing to their individual cranks, fallacies, 

 fancies or prejudices, for it is only the egotist who sets up 

 never to be mistaken in canine matters. 



I have borne the brunt of many a literary kicking in my 

 time and got into several hot disputes, but .somehow my lit- 

 erary adversaries have nearly always become subsequently 

 warm personal friends. I am now too much of a paid free 

 lance to feel the smart of literaay prick.s and. therefore, as 

 an old hand, would wish to say to Mr. Wade and his oppo- 

 nents: Gentlemen, argue the matter out as mxich as you 

 like and the editor can afford us space; but let us do it coolly 

 and in all friendliness: let no ill feeling arise; just smother 

 it in your own bosoms, for remember good men, like good 

 mastiffs, are none too plentiful. Cranks and fads are all 

 veiy well, but friendship is better; and I, for one, write not 

 to crash an opponent, but to convince the majority of my 

 readers. 



Mr. Wade will persist in poking at Mt. Sipvius until it 

 falls and perchance xmAvillingly crushes him. In your issue 

 of Oct. 21 Mr. Wade drags forward the remarks of an'unknown 

 reporter in the English Field on the mastiff Victor Hugo to 

 support his argument on mastiff type. Now, 1 have as mucli 

 contempt as anybody for that organ, whose infallibility I 

 cannot admit, although I have always admired the merits of 

 the paper and ability of its egotistical old editor. 



Let me tell Mr. Wade, " Litera' scrii)tW- manent," people 

 cannot get over their o-\vn words. By Stonehenge, page 142, 

 I can show, according to the editor ot the Field's own writ- 

 ing, Victor Hugo, being " withorrt the slightest particle of 

 liuildog appearance, either in skull or expression," is defect- 

 ive and untypical in head, having more the character of the 

 boarhound "than the English mastiff. .Stonehenge says of 

 the mastiff: "Head of large size, between that of the blood- 

 hound and bulldog in shape. The teeth generally meet, but 

 if anything there is a slight protuberance of the lower jaw." 



Now. how can any dog "without the slightest particle of 

 bulldog in appearance, either in skull or expression," have 

 a tjTpical head, according to Stonehenge? the infallible 

 Pope Walsh, editor of the Field, whose mere reporters can- 

 not outweign the edicts of its editor, I presume? 



Of Mr. Edgar Hanbury (who reaped such pecuniaiy ad- 

 vantage by stud fees from the .short-faced Rajah) [the big 

 bulldog, as Pope Walsh called him when I placed him over 

 Green's Monarch], Mr. Wade says, "if there is an authority 

 in England it must be he." 



Very well, Mr. Wade, we will see what your authority 

 holds, although he has written very little on the subject of 

 mastiff type. However, in 1880, some one asked the simple 

 ciuestion, ^'Should mastiff's be undershot?" 



In the Live StocJt Journal issue of June 18, 1880, there 

 appeared a reply from Mr. Hanbury and also one from my- 

 self. Being brief, I quote both in extenso, as they will be 

 instructive to American breeders: 



"To the Editor of the Live-Stocli Journal: Sir- In answer 

 to 'C. H.' I unhesitatingly reply that the mastiff' should 

 be undershot, which may at once be seen from the following: 

 1. All dogs used for baiting purposes should be undershot, 

 as it enables them to get a better hold, and also to hold on 

 longer, as they can breathe more freely. 3. Formerly the 

 mastiff' was used for bear-baiting as well as for watch pur- 

 poses. 3. Foi-merly the mastiff' was usually undershot^ of 

 which there is abundant proof. Cu vier and other naturalists 

 class the mastiff' among tThe undershot breeds. However, of 

 late years the public, and a few of our modern judges, losing 

 sight of the original uses of the mastiff, have gone in for the 

 'big yellow dog' stamp, a fine animal to look at. but, like 

 many of the vast dray horses, only fit for show. The under- 

 shot jaw is now more difficult to obtain than the overshot. 

 As a judge, I prefer the jaw to be slightly under.shot. but 

 not sufficiently so as to interfere with the truncated (1 e., 

 cut off) appearance of the muzzle.— M. B. Wynn, Hon. Sec. 

 of the Mastiff Club. 



"P. S.— I think all who act at times as judges of mastiffs 

 who happen to see 'C. H.'s' query, should openly exijress 

 their views in order that the public may suit themselves 

 whom they will ejchibit under.'' 



"SiK—Iii reply to 'C. A.'s' question about the formation of 



the lower Jaw in mastiffs, allow me to state that, havteg 



bred such dogs for nearly thirty years, more have had the 

 projecting than level mouths; indeed where you get the lat- 

 ter the rauEzle is invariably pointed, which all admit to be 

 an evident objection. Knowing that nearly all the best 

 mastiffs have now the underhung jaw, I think that this 

 point ought to count for good in a judge's opinion, provided 

 there is nothing so pcsitive as Tvill ofl'end tlie eye. For in- 

 stance, I maintain that the shape of Beau's lower lip causes 

 the supposed mistake, rather than the so-termed mis-shapen 

 jaw, and consequently so grand a dog ought not to be dis- 

 qualified on that .score. As to any strict standard of cor- 

 rectness, iu the nljsence of any definite law, T believe either 

 should be considered right; of the two a moderate undershot 

 jaw, in my opinion, is preferable to a level mouth. You 

 might as well revive the old prejudice and destroy all brin- 

 dles as eliminate from a litter of whelps any which happen 

 to come into the world with underhimg jaws.— EdgAR Han- 

 bury," 



Mr. Wade and others will kindly notice Mr. Hanbuiy 

 stated "a moderate undershot jaw is preferable to a level 

 mouth in his opinion." Now 2vlr. Hanbury cannot affirm 

 Victor Hugo's long boarhoundlike head (and T opine over- 

 shot jaw), is typical or even correct, without eating his own 

 words, and by so doing he would vii-taally lie admitting how 

 he must have misled the public to his own pecuniary advan- 

 tage in putting Royal to the stud and then awarding prizes 

 so frequently to short-headed specimens, so easily recogniz- 

 able as the oft'spring of his own stud dog. Whatever Mr. 

 Edgar Hanbury may have seen in Victor Hugo to reverse 

 the awards of such consistent judges as Messrs. Beaufoy and 

 Taunton, he surely could never contradict and stultify his 

 previous awards by affirming it was the long untypical head 

 of that vast size-jjo.sses.sing specimen that influenced him in 

 the least in the dog's favor. 



In reply to Mr. Wade's long letter in your issue of Sept. 30 

 I may inform him of his error. 



The Emperor's dam had a very short muzzle, far shorter 

 than my champion Peeress. Countess transmitted her short 

 muzzle and grand head to my Stanley by Granby, as well as 

 to The Emperor, by The Shaw, 



The rest of Mr. AVade's letter T will not touch upon, not 

 %vi,shing to attack a man whose hai^df; are full, although he 

 again quotes from portraits in .speaking of the collie Old 

 Cockle, whereas I awarded that specimen h'rst prize at Birm- 

 ingham in 1878, 



Mount Sipylus has now fallen, and I trust Tantalus will 

 not be crashed. With this letter I must close the subject, as 

 I cannot aft'ord the time it occupies to reply to such import- 

 ant questions in settling a nation.sl type, 



I have just received some interesting particulars concern- 

 ing a Lyme Hall mastiff named Juno, owned by a clergy- 

 man iu Comwall thirty-six years ago. He says she was not 

 red or reddish, but fawn, with Idack points, with a short, 

 head and massive skull, deep chest and very powei ful. She 

 was a most faithful and affectionate creature and never 

 challenged anyone who openly rang the door bell, but if they 

 prowled on the premises sue forcibly detained them, although 

 without biting. He says .she came from Lord Falmouth, 

 who had her from Mr. Legh, of Lyme Hall. Such was the 

 tyiie and disposition of the old English mastiff". 



M. B. Wynn. 



The Elms, Rothley, Lancashire, England. 



"THIS WON'T DO.*' 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



I iDeg .space in your columns to make a short reply to your 

 editorial of the above caption in your issue of Dec. 30. There 

 are circumstances which provoke a wrong which often 

 is greater than the wrong itself. For instance, the taking 

 of a human life— the greatest of all wrongs— is frequently 

 justifiable, and the slayer is honorably .'icqriitted. I contend 

 the circumstances which caused Mr. Stephenson to have 

 Ben Hill pulled was a greater wrong than Che pulling, and 

 he should be honorably acquitted. 



Rule 2, National Field Trials Club, says: "If two dogs 

 owned or exhibited by the same person should be drawn tn 

 ran together, or come together iu any succes.sive heat, the 

 second dog shall change places with" the next dog in the 

 order of running." This rule was not made because a man 

 could not handle two dogs at one time, but was made ex- 

 pressly to induce one person to enter more than one dog, and 

 to prevent dogs owned or handled by the same person run- 

 ning against sucli other until the end of the race when all 

 others were run out. 



Mr. Stephenson owned Ben Hill and handled Lillian. Mr. 

 Bevan handling Ben Hill did not lessen Mr. Stephenson '.h 

 interest in him. No one would have been so obtuse (not 

 even the average reporter) but could have seen that Mr, 

 Stephenson could not have been exiiected to run Bob Gates 

 and Lillian (he handled both but owned neither) against 

 each other in the second series of heats. Yet Mr. Stephen- 

 .son's interest in Ben Hill (even while he was handled by 

 Mr. Bevaai) was greater than both tl ie others combined. 



The executive committee certainly could not have given 

 this rule much study when they decided Mr. Stephenson had 

 ns> interest in his o\vn dog, for it has always been ruled that 

 a man handling one dog had interest enough in it to prevent 

 it from running against any other dogs he handled, there- 

 fore they must have decided his interest was in Lillian and 

 he had no interest whatever in Ben Hill because he did not 

 handle him. The executive committee made a grave blun- 

 der probably for want of deliberation, po.ssibly by hastily 

 taking the advice of some would-be Solon and forced Mr. 

 Stephenson to cut his ov\-n throat, and because he should 

 choose which .side he cut you demand the severest punish- 

 ment be meted out to him. " Mr. Stephenson was placed in a 

 very ernliarrassing situation by their blunder. He knew and 

 eveiy one know s \s-ho know Lillian and Ben Hill that -she 

 will" beat him ninety-nine times in every hundred. Now 

 suppose he had beaten her in this heat, the cry would have 

 been raised at once and probably telegraphed to the four 

 quarters of the globe by some pay-me-handsomely-or-I'U- 

 stab-you-in-the-back reporter that Mr. Stephenson had pulled 

 Lillian to let Ben Hill beat her. 



I have known Mr. Stephenson for a number of j^ears, have 

 alwavs known him to be honest, honorable, free and open, 

 scorning anything underhanded, whatever he does he does 

 openly and would alwaA S sacrifice himself rather than his 

 fiiends should have the" faintest grounds for suspecting his 

 fidelity. How easily he could have thrown this whole thing 

 on Mr. Bevan. But when Mr. Bevan came to him with 



treat tears trickling down his cheeks saying he thought he 

 ad two friends in America who would be true him in his 

 hour of trouble, but both had deserted him and he thought 

 he would have to le*ive the country. Mr Stephenson extend- 

 ing him his open hand said, Mr. Bevan you have obeyed ujy 

 in.structions. *'I am your friend." He then goes before the 

 handlers' committee ;md tells them Mr. Bevan is not to 

 blame, that he shoulders the whole responsibility, yet you 

 ask the severest punishment be meted out to a man whom 

 the (unintentional) blunder of the executive committee has 

 placed in this unenviable position, because he comes out 

 openly and acknowledges everything rather than allow any 

 blame to fall on the shoulders" of a poor confiding youth, or 

 acts on your sneaking suggestion of losing Ben Hill. Mr. 

 Stephen,s"on Itnewhe was not jeopardizing any ones interested 

 but his one. Ben Hill had beaten only one dog and this one 

 he knows would never be selected to ran another heat even 

 if Ben Hill should win first money. When he was forced to 

 ran his two entries together he protested, and wanted to 

 ^vithdraw his dogs because be thought the deci.?ion unmst 

 but was compelled to run them. He should now demand hi 



