386 



FOREST AND • STREAM. 



r^ov. 2, 1895. 



Ten Spot— G, A. Buckstaff 's b., w. and t. dog (Jim Lee 

 — Spaedte) 



with 



Ringer— R. Engelmann's b., w. and t. dog (True— 

 Dolly). 



Unser Fritz— G. A. Buckstaff'sb., w. andt. dog (Royal 

 Rover — Bess) 



ivith 



Speedie— Dr. A. White's b., w. and t. bitch (Bounce— 

 Nellie). 



Class E— Derby. 



For dogs and bitches, 13in. and under, whelped on or 

 after Jan. 1, 1894. 



Oonah— Truman Sears's w., b. and t. bitch (Sandy- 

 Phyllis). Sole entry to qualify. Speedie, entered in this 

 class, was found to be over 13in. and was transferred to 

 Class B. 



Champion Class G. 

 For dogs and bitches, 13in. and under, having won a 

 first prize at any beagle trial held in America. 

 Spotted Chief (first in Class A) 

 against 

 Speedie (first in Class B). 



Champion Class F. 

 For dogs and bitches of all ages, 15in. and over 13in., 

 having won a first prize in any beagle trial held in Amer- 

 ica. 



Royal Dick (first in Class C), sole entry. 



Tuesday, First Day, Oct. 22. 



The weather was at first cloudy and cool, clearing later, 

 the day being most pleasant for work, except for the dry- 

 ness of the ground, which proved excessive and injurious 

 to the sport, as the dogs could trail but little. 



Derby— Class D. 



Ramrod— Ddke.— These had no leas than four rabbits 

 to try upon, putting one to earth, and losing the others 

 after much baffling work in dry cover. The judges tried 

 them well for thirty minutes. Ramrod usually was ahead 

 and gave tongue merrily, though of no quality in voice. 

 He was eager, but his legs were better than his nose, and 

 he was erratic. Duke showed the truer trailer and safer 

 dog. Mr. Engelmann handled Ramrod, Mr. Hiller Duke. 



Ten Spot — Ringer. — Mr. Niss handled Ten Spot, Mr. 

 Engelmann Ringer. Ringer opened first and did some 

 work on a sprung hare. Ten Spot was far away and hard 

 to find. He seemed very independent and averse to pack, 

 and was lost much of the time. He was bold and rapid 

 when lined out, but inferior to Ringer in true beagle qual- 

 ity at handling the hare. The latter made most ot the 

 music and did most of the work. They had thirty min- 

 utes. 



Unser Fritz— Speedie.— Mr. Engelmann handled Fritz, 

 Mr. William Bush Speedie. The latter, after one baffling 

 try, located a second hare at a brush pile, but even after 

 its course was plainly seen could get no scent to give 

 tongue upon for 75yds. It was seen the dogs could do 

 little on the dry leaves. Speedie proved merry and active, 

 and made one drive through the scrub which looked like 

 sport for a moment. So much could not be said for Fritz, 

 which seemed quite unable to negotiate a trail under the 

 conditions. They had three hares in their forty minutes. 

 Second Series. 



Duke — Ringer. — These the judges allowed one hour 

 and ten minutes, and they had two rabbits and a good 

 spin on one of them. One rabbit was seen in form, and 

 both dogs actually walked over and upon it, not catching 

 scent. Ringer caught the rabbit after it sprung, but it 

 escaped. Duke showed quality in this heat, drawing to 

 the other's tongue well, but keeping busy himself in work- 

 manlike way. In voice he would lose to Ringer, but not 

 in nose and true trailing genius. 



Ramrod — Speedie. — The usual course was followed: a 

 hare was jumped by the pedestrians, and the dogs trailed 

 briefly and then lost, hardly giving tongue at all. A 

 second hare offered a better chance. Ramrod drove this 

 off for a quarter of a mile, but did little else, and was not 

 remarkably handy at hitting off a trail at its freshest, the 

 ground being too dry for his nose. They were taken up 

 at 12:30, and the party repaired to the comfortable farm 

 house of Mr. Wm. Bush, where a good lunch refreshed 

 all. 



Third Series. 



Ten Spot— Speedie. — The judges asked to see these run 

 before making the Derby decisions. They were put down 

 at 2 P. M. and taken up at 3 P. M. Speedie continued to 

 Bhow plenty of range, but her nose had not improved 

 since morning. Ten Spot pursued his original policy of 

 going off and getting lost and not saying anything about 

 it. 



The judges placed the Derby winners as follows: Duke, 

 first; Ringer, second; Ramrod, third; Speedie, reserve. 

 The Buckstaff special prize, $5, for best voice in the Derby 

 was given to Ringer. 



Duke, first, is owned by Mr. Henry Hiller, of Columbus. 

 A good chunk of a beagle, with some nose, brains and 

 muscle. Ringer, second, is owned by Mr. R. Engelmann. 

 of Milwaukee. A lemon, tan and white, of good voice 

 and well built for rangy work. Ramrod, third, is also 

 owned by Mr. Engelmann. He is less of beagle type, his 

 spiky nose fitting well with his thin and yaupy voice. 

 Speedie, reserve, is owned by Dr. A. White, of Milwaukee. 

 She is a compact beagle of very marked speed and eager- 

 ness. Age will make her a good beagle. 



Derby— Class E. 



But one entry qualified— Oonah, property of Mr. Truman 

 Sears, of Pine River, Wis. Mr. Engelmann handled her, 

 or tried to do so, but the little thing provednoo much for 

 anyone. She was very timid, and only made one attempt 

 to follow a rabbit by sight. She allowed no one to get 

 near her, and at length ran away entirely and was lost at 

 nightfall when the party left the woods and went home. 



All-Age-Class A. 

 Spotted Chief— Alderman.— Mr. Engelmann handled 

 Chief; Mr. P. Woog, Alderman. The brace went down at 

 3:40 and were not taken up till 5:10. No less than six rab- 

 bits were seen, but the footing was so deplorably dry that 

 not even the old dogs could do anything. It was start, 

 puzzle, fault and quit, one time after another, most dis- 

 couraging in all. Nevertheless Chief showed he could 



partially hold a trail at times and also do a bit of ranging. 

 Both dogs did all one could ask under the conditions, 

 Chief's nose winning attention. 



Wednesday, Second Day, Oct. 23. 



Another beautiful • day, clear and bright, and so pleas- 

 ant it was a delight simply to be out in the woods. The 

 scent appeared to lie better toward evening, or at least it 

 was then that the first work of any merit in the entire 

 meeting was shown. Then there was really a little gen- 

 uine beagle work done. Speedie, which only reached 

 "reserve" in the Derby, went out of all prediction for 

 herself and won the All- Age bitch class with a lot of 

 margin. Her work in her heat with Pearl Caroline was 

 high-class, even in view of the fact that she knows the 

 grounds and runways thoroughly from having hunted 

 them so often under Mr. Bush, who keeps her at his farm. 

 It was refreshing to see at last a bit of real beagle work, 

 after nearly two days of worse than mediocre quality. 

 Speedie did little the day before, but now seemed to come 

 to her nose, and certainly showed all the range and speed 

 any beagle should have, and for a beagle^at least a pass- 

 able voice. 



The bitch Oonah, which ran away the day previous, 

 was found, ,and at length jaught by Mr. Niss after long 

 pursuit by the entire party. She was wild and ugly, and 

 bit Mr. Niss when he caught her. 



During the afternoon the party was joined by Mr. E. L. 

 Harris, of Kansas City, an enthusiastic beagle fancier 

 who had come up from his home to see the Northwestern 

 trials. Mr. Harris has nine beagles at home. He thinks 

 a Southwestern beagle club may perhaps be organized. 



Mr. G. A. Buckstaff, the president of the club, was in 

 the field all day, but was obliged to return to bus home in 

 Oshkosh in the evening, thus having only one day at the 

 meet. 



All-Age— Class A. 

 Royal Rover— King Lead.— Mr. Buckstaff handled 

 Rover; Mr. Niss, King Lead. Down at 8:50. Rover opened 

 at once, King joining briefly. Both showed good voice, a 

 relief after the soprano beagles of the day before. Lead 

 showed the better range and speed, and held to the trail 

 better. Under decent trailing conditions both dogs might 

 have been disqualified, for they blundered continually. 

 Put into a form from which a rabbit had just been started, 

 they could not do more than puzzle and lose. The two 

 worked wide apart most of the time. No less than five 

 hares were seen. It could not be told what rabbit they 

 were trailing, but it was certain they did not hold any 

 one. It was hard judging in the thick scrub, but the 

 judges were active and patient, and gave them one hour 

 and ten minutes of faithful trying. This the two at least 

 repaid by plenty of range and plenty of tonguing, but 

 with poor display of nose. 



Second Series. 



Spotted Chief— King Lead.— Mr. Buckstaff handled 

 Chief; Mr. Niss, Lead. This was much a repetition of the 

 heat previous, plenty of work and voice, but little meri- 

 torious trailing. Put on a hot trail, both dogs failed to 

 take it up. No doubt they put up several rabbits. One 

 was driven out of the scrub and ran to earth unpursued. 

 The two then took a lot of work out of a small rabbit and 

 ran it to a standsti'l. The rabbit doubled not 25yds. 

 ahead of the dogs on hard grass ground, and squatted, 

 much fatigued. It was seen by the entire party, and for 

 five minutes the judges tried to get the dogs on the trail. 

 Yet they were entirely at fault and wide of the trail. 

 They were then caught and brought up and the hare was 

 started. It ran 30yds. and stopped. Even then the dogs 

 missed driving it out. Chief uncertainly nosed it out, not 

 giving tongue. He was within 10ft. of the rabbit when it 

 sprung. Running entirely mute, he caught and killed the 

 hare inside of 60yds. Under the circumstances, judging 

 was only guessing, but so far as could be guessed Chief 

 appeared a bit more reliable, aside from his part in the 

 coursing match which closed the heat. Up at 11:10. 



Royal Rover— Aldekman.— Mr. Buckstaff handled 

 Rover; Mr. P. Woog, Alderman. Down at 11:25. Both 

 showed range, Rover of better voice. Rover apparently 

 put one rabbit to earth. Both ran sighted for a moment, 

 out could not hold the trail and went at fault. Not much 

 could be said for the sport afforded, which was pursued 

 under most discouraging conditions. Up at 12:40 and the 

 party went in for lunch. 



The judges placed Spotted Chief first, King Lead second, 

 Royal Rover third, Alderman reserve. It was at least a 

 near thing to put Chief over King Lead. 



Spotted Chief, first, is "bony, strong-framed, rangy 

 and honest. As to nose, few deponents could say much 

 for him or for any dog run at the meet up to this time. 

 King Lead, second, is more compact and is of useful look. 

 He is of good range and has very fair voice. In common 

 with Chief, the weather was too much for 'him. Royal 

 Rover, third, is of smaller type. He has a pleasant voice, 

 which he is not averse to lifting up betimes. His legs often 

 carried him beyond his nose. Alderman, reserve, is white 

 and slaty-drab with tan. He also ran. 



The F. F. Merrill special prize for best voice, §5, in this 

 class was given to King Lead. 



All-Age-Class B. 



Lady E.— Panic— Mr. Engelmann handled Lady E.;Mr. 

 Woog, Panic. Down at 2:15. Panic showed fair voice 

 and some speed. Lady had the squeakiest treble ever 

 carried by a beagle. They opened in three different trails 

 and crowded two hares. Panic drove one a stiff gait, and, 

 losing for a moment, Lady saw it and sprang for it and 

 the two killed it. The rabbit was found to be diseased 

 and weak. These two were given a good trial in a brier- 

 covered thicket and had full chance. Up at 2:55. 



Pearl Caroline— Speedie. — Mr. Niss handled Pearl; 

 Mr. Bush, Speedie. A move was made to wider cover. 

 In a swamp a hare was put up. The dogs, as had now 

 become customary, were caught and had their noses 

 poked into the form. Yet they did not hit off this trail 

 right, Speedie casting it in the wrong direction and Pearl 

 making slow work of it, whispering where one should 

 have expected full cry. Another hare was sprung, but 

 the dogs went wide apart and perhaps had different trails. 

 A third rabbit appeared, coming from toward Speedie's 

 voice, and Pearl took the trail of this and drove it off in good 

 style. A fourth or fifth hare was started on a scrub oak 

 fiat and went off like a bullet, a great buck rabbit, large 

 as either of the dogs. Here began the first decent work 

 of the entire meeting, and that of quality to raise the en- 

 thusiasm of all. Speedie lined this hare out and went 



after it like an arrow. She worked it in a half mile circle, 

 the big rabbit, which came- to be known as "Old Moss- 

 back," being seen as it came back over an open glade at a 

 fence. It made into the scrub, but Speedie drove it out, 

 coming full cry and at terrific pace fair on the trail. No 

 less than three times she drove this big fellow over same 

 circle, the rabbit seen each time by nearly all the party. 

 She seemed all at once to have come to her nose and 

 rushed her game with a speed and precision refreshing to 

 behold, and in a way which revived the drooping spirits 

 of all. She was alone in this last work, distancing Pearl. 

 The "Mossback" was not stopped and at length put 

 Speedie at fault in spite of her brilliant work. Up at 

 4:05. 



Ruth C— A Bye.— She was handled by Mr. Woog and 

 Lady E. was put down with her. Ruth showed good 

 voice for a bitch, but was given to babbling. Lady's 

 voice was singularly thin and squeaky. Both of these 

 dogs failed to carry a trail till poked against it by force of 

 hand. This was the same big hare of the previous heat; 

 it swung wide and carried the dogs far out into the 

 woods, coming back again to the oak flat. Up at 4:30. 

 Second Seines. 



Panic — Speedie. — A small rabbit crossed a glade, and • 

 the dogs were laid on, Speedie giving tongue first, Panic 

 also opening and displaying good speed in the bustling 

 they gave the rabbit over the oak flat. They drove over 

 a swamp at full cry and then were at fault. Speedie 

 worked this out first, and drove off alone at a tremendous 

 gait, showing much positiveness and brilliance. Panic 

 followed, jumping high in the air in the effort to get 

 sight, but forsaking her own nose. Up at 5, 



Pearl — Ruth. — In usual custom the judges found a 

 hare for the dogs. When brought up Pearl went right, 

 but was slow at it, and soon was hopelessly at sea. Ruth 

 was cheerful and gave tongue nicely, but it was soon 

 seen that there was not always any rabbit going when 

 she opened. Ruth continually followed Pearl when the 

 latter was casting about, silent, for the trail. At dusk a 

 rabbit crossed a glade, but the dogs could not be laid on, 

 though brought to the spot where it crossed. Not very 

 high-class performance. Up at dark. 



The judges placed Speedie first, Panic second,' Pearl 

 third, Ruth reserve. 



Speedie, mentioned in the Derby as reserve, is a com- 

 pact tan and brindle, with good speed lines and good 

 speed. She doubles close under at speed, like a grey- 

 hound, and she is very fast. To-day she seemed to have 

 nose, and she certainly outclassed any performance of the 

 two days. It would not show good judgment to want a 

 faster beagle. As she is a '94 puppy, she may well ask 

 consideration for her years. Panic, second, is a dachs- 

 hund tan color, and stands low. She however has speed, 

 and is a merry worker, with a passable voice. Pearl Car- 

 oline is a beefy, heavy black and white, of which under 

 usual conditions one would expect work steady, if not 

 rapid. She has a mind of her own and a voice not dis- 

 tasteful. Ruth, reserve, is smaller, tan and black, of 

 melodious voice and range enough, but not of level- 

 headed beagle sense, on her showing of to-day. 



Tlmrsday, TJiird Day, Oct. U> 



The weather was clear and mild, but the trailing 

 seemed no better. The runnings were finished before 

 lunch. After lunch the trials were terminated by a 

 grand hunt, in which all the dogs were turned down in 

 the expectation of making a great commotion among the 

 rabbits. To the surprise of all only three rabbits were 

 killed by five guns, or rather only two, for Speedie caught 

 one of them herself. The grounds, which had swarmed 

 with rabbits, were deserted entirely by them — a very use- 

 ful lesson on the practice of hounding deer. 



Class C— All-Age, Under 1 31n. 



Royal Dick— Prince II.— Mr.Engelmann handled Dick; 

 Mr. Woog, Prince. Down at 8:55. Dick nosed out and 

 drove a rabbit, but lost. J udge Steff en as usual found a 

 rabbit and the dogs were put on its form, The two 

 proved a merry couple, running well together, and both 

 active and eager, Dick, however, taking chief honors in 

 the work, such as it was. Up at 10. 



Phyllis— Queen Singer. — Mr. Englemann handled 

 Phyllis; Mr. Niss, Queen. A hare was started, and as 

 usual the dogs were rounded up and carried to the trail in 

 their handlers' arms. They nosed off slowly, but did not 

 open. At last both gave tongue and went off well to- 

 gether for 300y*is., puzzling then and harking back on 

 the dry cover. Queen's greater size gave her more speed, 

 and she went away from Phyllis, which is only a toy 

 beagle. Queen showed good voice. Phyllis seemed a 

 bright little worker. Up at 10:50. 



Second Series. 



Prince II.— Queen Singer.— Prince was faster and 

 went off ahead on a trail he hit off. They drove the hare 

 hard to a brush heap, where it doubled back and they 

 over-ran, faulted and lost in the scrub. Up at 11:25. 



The judges placed the dogs in this class as follows; 

 Royal Dick, first; Prince, second; Queen Singer, third; 

 Phyllis, reserve. Royal Dick, first, is a well-built, small 

 beagle, lemon, tan and white; a merry goer. Prince, 

 second, is a black, white and tan, with a turn of speed at 

 times. Queen Singer is tan and brindle, not a bad one 

 and of good voice. Phyllis is almost too small for actual 

 work, and would drown in a heavy dew, 



Class E— Derby, Under 1 3in. 



Oonah, sole entry, was run with her dam Phyllis. 

 Oonah was the runaway of the day previous. She now 

 proved more under control, and the two made a merry 

 brace, Oonah leading her mother roundly on one rabbit. 

 Oonah's timidity does not take the form of gun-Bhyness, 

 but is more like a case of fiightiness or temporary insan- 

 ity. She did better as she became better acquainted with 

 those in charge, her owner not being present. Up at 

 11:45. 



Championship— Class G. 

 Speedie— Spotted Chief. — These two made the only 

 entries, Speedie qualifying on her winning of first in the 

 open bitch class and Chief in his first in the All-Age open. 

 Mr. Bush handled Speedie; Mr. Engelmann, Chief. There 

 was only one way for it, and that was to give the cham- 

 pionship to Speedie, which outclassed the other fairly. 

 As soon as put down (at 11 :50) Speedie started and drove 

 a rabbit at full cry. She left Chief entirely out of it, and 

 by the time he found the trail she was a quarter of a mile 

 away and alone. She is as fast a beagle as one ever saw go , 



