Nov. 80, 1895. 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



477 



RANGER, A TALE OF A DOG. 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



I always like to read about the almost human intelli- 

 gence, the loving disposition, and the sense of gratitude 

 that dogs show toward their masters sometimes. I know 

 dogs are good. I have seen dozens of them and can see a 

 dozen any day bypassing almost any six houses in North- 

 wood, and these tales of deeds on game dead or alive, and of 

 frisky smart dogs, always make me think, these days, 

 about my dog. Ranger is his name and choicer Wheeler- 

 town stock never was bred. 



His eyes are brown, his hair is mostly black, his nose is 

 long and pointed, and intelligence — what dog lover can 

 really do his dog's intelligence justice? I almost fear to 

 try and do my dog justice, but I feel that Ranger ought 

 to be told about. 



I got him when he was a little staggering puppy and 

 when his hair had just begun to assume the lovely wavy 

 appearance which characterizes well-bred dogs. A double 

 kennel was made for him and he was made happy with 

 choice food. Good dogs should be fed with care and bad 

 ones shot. Even now, as I think bow we pampered 

 Ranger, I almost feel that we never treated him justly. 



Ranger was like all puppies in his youth. As he grew 

 older and got over the sickness brought on by being 

 carried three miles in a basket he developed rapidly in 

 that peculiar line of intelligence which dog fanciers so 

 love to see in their own dogs. We fondly watched his 

 growth till one memorable day he sowed his first wild 

 oats. It was in midsummer just after noon that Ranger 

 pushed bis nose into the crack of the kitchen door and 

 first eyed the mysteries within. 



He had been down to the spring not long before and 

 thoroughly washed himself. I always thought it was be- 

 cause he wished to present himself to th'e household in a 

 proper spirit and in proper garb. Unfortunately he 

 crossed first a place where my brother had dug not long 

 before a few fish worms, then a heap of wood ashes. 

 When the circumspection had been finished he stepped 

 gingerly on the freshly mopped floor; then walked to the 

 wood box, crawled along under the stove, walked under 

 the table to a chair. On to this he hopped, then opened 

 up his delicately formed mouth. He closed his jaws on 

 the beef roast which rested steaming on a platter. 



The dog carefully dragged the dripping roast toward 

 him across the white tablecloth. It was too large to be 

 carried by such a small puppy, and so he dragged it 

 across the floor, having rested it a moment in my father's 

 chair seat. 



As he reached the door leading out the servant, having 

 called the family to dinner, gave one glance and gasped: 

 "Oh, my clean floor!'' 



My father was just behind her and with a stride crossed 

 the floor, and as the puppy was about to leave the back 

 porch lifted roast and dog into the air. Our dinner that 

 day consisted of other things than roast, if I remember 

 correctly. 



Now, the Wheelertown stock is of remarkable intelli- 

 gence, and it is not its fault if there is one dog fancier 

 who does not know it. It is a remarkable fact that when 

 anything belonging to my father, after that kick, if left 

 exposed within Ranger's reach he would immediately 

 show fight, but he never touched anything belonging to 

 any of the rest of us except as shall be told. 



He succeeded in ruining an overcoat belonging to my 

 father one day, and only escaped with his life over the 

 bank, as my father came out of the house armed with a 

 shotgun. As the irate man reached the bank he saw 

 Ranger sitting forty rods away on the flats with his jaws 

 up in the air howling dismally. Two days later he sig- 

 nally retrieved himself by putting a herd of cattle to wild 

 flight from our front yard. 



One day our servant found the dog in the kitchen. She 

 promptly threw a club at him; and thereafter her dresses 

 (or anything else of hers), hung on the clothesline, in the 

 house or anywhere accessible, were torn down and made 

 away with, while dresses belonging to my mother were 

 untouched. The dog showed human intelligence in its 

 revenges as well as in other things. 



About this time I had to leave Northwood for six to 

 eight months. Letters from home often reached me, and 

 usually contained some such footnote as this: 



"That dog of yours ought to be shot. He brought five 

 beheaded chickens into the kitchen yesterday— at least 

 we suppose he brought them. We don't know whose 

 they- are, but Elgie heard Bill Brant say last night that 

 something, presumably a fox, had carried off six of his 

 chickens the night before." 



Bill Brant, it may be remarked, lived a mile distant 

 from our house. 



Then again: "I wish some one would shoot your dog. 

 Ranee Rude, four miles up the road, saw a gray dog 

 chasing his sheep about 8 o'clock two nights ago. About 

 9 o'clock that night Ranger came across the porch covered 

 with dust till he looked gray. He went down to the 

 spring, and in a little while came back as black as 

 ever," 



When I came home for the summer about the first 

 thing I saw was Ranger in the road. It ia positively 

 marvelous how good the memories of some dogs are. 

 One has only to read the lines of the Forest and Stream 

 to find that out, but the Wheelertown is different a little. 

 When I got out of the carriage I said to Ranger: "Hea-a! 

 good dog, yes he is." It was truly affecting to see the 

 dog, having been barking loudly a moment before, for 

 joy, I fondly believed, go around the corner of the house 

 with his tail between his legs. . 



All summer I coaxed him with tender meat in my 

 hands and tossed it lightly toward him, but he probably 

 thought the meat was stone. At any rate, if I came 

 within five rods of him he fled in fear to bark from some 

 safe distance. 



The dog was and is a first-class watch dog, but I some- 

 times feel that he is an unmitigated nuisance. If I return 

 from anywhere after dark, or before for that matter, that 

 dog barks his "man bark;" for, strange to say, he has a 

 bark for dogs, for cows and for men, each of which is dif- 

 ferent from the other and very easily recognized. 



My flog is now in good health, but though I got him in 

 hopes that I might make a famous hunter out of him, he 

 persists in leaving rabbit tracks to flush chickadees; leav- 

 ing partridge trails to run mice, weas-ls and such things. 



I hope that no one will disbelieve this life of Ranger, 

 Ranger is a curious dog of a curious stock, and 1 believe 

 somewhat different from the ordinary run of blooded 

 dogs. Raymond S. Spears. 



Field Trial Dogs. 



Lynchburg, Va.— Editor Forest and Stream: The let- 

 ters that have appeared in your valuable paper lately, 

 anent field trial dogs and their handling, etc. , have struck 

 a responsive chord in my heart. Mr. .Brailsford's letter 

 which was published in Forest and Stream of Oct. 12 I 

 have before me now, and it seems to me to touch upon a 

 very weak spot in what I gather to be the system now in 

 use. I say "gather" because I only get my information 

 from Mr. Brails ford and others who have written on the 

 subject, and also from your able reports; I have never 

 been fortunate enough to witness the work of any dogs at 

 field trials. 



It seems to me that I would not care to shoot over a dog 

 that minded his own business and not mine; that quality 

 is all very nice and proper in a human being, but in a dog 

 I don't want it. To my mind a dog should obey his 

 master and go where that master wishes him to go, and 

 for that reason a dog should frequently be on the watch 

 for signals from his master. The stealing of a point by 

 a greedy dog is to my mind as reprehensible as a hold-out at 

 poker; a well-established case of a steal of that kind should 

 according to my idea disqualify a dog in any stake, with 

 a possible exception in the case of a puppy. Puppies will 

 do things that older dogs would not think of doing. 



Here is my idea of the whole matter (and for that reason 

 I wish Messrs. Titus and Dexter well in their endeavors to 

 establish something like a championship event): I am 

 the possessor of a dog that I claim to be as good a dog as 

 any in the country at what I consider to be true field work. 

 He is young, fast enough for a man on foot and a wide ran- 

 ger where the country is open ; where the country is more 

 or less rolling and covered with scrub he never goes very 

 far out of my sight. He takes care to have the best of the 

 wind, and when he catches sight of me on looking up to 

 locate me a single wave of the hand sends him to the 

 spot I want him to hunt. He knows me, and I believe 

 has recognized the fact that I am older than he, and that 

 I have good bird sense; anyway he does not grudge trying 

 every bit of the ground when I have silently expressed 

 my desire for him to do so. Some men whistle and shout 

 to their dogs, but it is all in the way you teach them. To 

 proceed: My dog is stanch on a point, steady to shot and 

 wing, retrieves when told to, and, though I cannot say 

 what he might do were a good meaty bone in the case, he 

 won't steal a point from another dog, but just backs him 

 in a manner to make you love him. 



Now then, what I am getting at is this, although I have 

 perhaps gone a long way to get at it: Do field trials pro- 

 duce a better ideal of a hunting dog than the above? If 

 reports are correct, and if my ideas are correct, they 

 certainly do not, and I have Mr. Brailsford's opinion to 

 back me up in some measure. If Mr. Titus and Mr. Dexter 

 will give me a chance, should business engagements not 

 prevent, I will be on hand to try what my dog can do 

 against the others, just to see if he is as good as I think 

 he is. Virginia. 



The Field Trial Champion Association. 



On the evening of Nov. 20, at Newton, N. C, pursuant 

 to a call for those interested in forming a champion field 

 trial organization, a number met for that purpose. The 

 following is a list of the charter members: Edw. Dexter 

 and Bayard Thayer, Boston; N. T. Harris, Lynden, Ky. ; 

 J. L, Adams, Louisville: J. N. Seale. Jackson, Tenn.; 

 George J. Gould, F. R. Hitchcock, Theo. Sturgis, 

 New York; P. Lorillard, Jr., Jersey City; W. R. 

 Holliday, Prairie Station, Miss.; C. H. Phelps, Jr., 

 Philadelphia: A. M. Young, Manchester, Tenn. ; W. W. 

 Titus, Waverly. Miss.; J. M. Avent, Hickorv "Valley, 

 Tenn.; W. B, Stafford, Trenton, Tenn,; C. E. Buckle, 

 Charlottesville, Va. ; W. H. Hammond, G. Muss- 

 Arnolt, Tuckahoe, N. Y. , and Prof. Edm. H. 03thaus, To- 

 ledo. Following is the list of officers elpcted: Presi- 

 dent, E'lw. D?xter; First Vice-President, C. H. Phelps; 

 Second Vice-President, J. N. Seale; Secretary -Treasurer, 

 W. B. Stafford; Executive Committee of five, P. Lorillard, 

 Jr., A. M. Young, N. T. Harris, W. H. Holliday and Theo. 

 Sturgis. A committee on constitution and by-laws and 

 running rules was appointed , to report at an adjourned 

 meeting on the following Friday night. At the adjourned 

 meeting the report on constitution and by-laws was 

 adopted. Report on running rules was referred back to 

 the committee, to report on them at an adjourned meet- 

 ing. The prize is to be $300 and the champion cup 

 off t- red by Mr. Ewing. The winner is to be en- 

 titled to the name of champion field trial winner. 

 The nominating fee was fixed at $20; starting fee $10, to 

 be paid at the time of drawing for positions. Any dog 

 that has been placed in an all-age subscription stake, and 

 possibly of Derby's, shall be eligible to compete. Entries 

 to close on Jan. 1, 1896, except for dogs which are placed 

 in all-age stakes subsequent to that date and prior to the 

 running of the stake. Such dogs must make entry within 

 five days after the date on which they won. The first 

 trial was set for Feb. 10, at West Point, Miss. , but in case 

 the Southern Field Trials are not concluded by that date 

 the stake will not be started till two days after those trials 

 are completed. 



E. F. T. Club Annual Meeting. 



The meeting was held on Thursday, Nov. 21. Present, 

 Messrs. Lorillard, Hitchcock, Phelps, Sturgis, Bradley, 

 Hodgeman, Dexter, Meares. Osthaus and Coster. P. 

 Lorillard, Jr., in the chair. Rules of election suspended 

 and the secretary was instructed to cast a ballot electing 

 the following gentlemen to membership: Dr. J. S, Brown, 

 Montclair, N. J. ; Joe Meares, Linwood, N. C. ; W. S. Bell 

 and S. B. Cummings, Pittsburg, Pa.; G. Muss-Arnolt, 

 Tuckahoe, N. Y. 



Board of Governors: W. A. Coster, Edw. Dexter, H. 

 B. Duryea. F. R. Hitchcock, Joseph H. Hunter, P. Loril- 

 lard, Jr., W. B. Meares. Jr.. F. A. Hodgeman, S. C. Brad- 

 ley, C. H. Phelps, Theo. Stureis, W. S. Bell, Edw. H. 

 Osthaus, Bayard Thayer, J. E Orr. 



The following ia a list of officers for the ensuing year: 

 President, P. Lorillard, Jr.; Vice-President, C. H. Phelps; 

 Secretary and Treasurer, Simon C. Bradley. The club 

 tendered to the retiring secretary-treasurer a vote of 

 thanks for his past services. Stakes of 1896 to be the 

 same in every respect as those of this year. Carried that 

 the officers constitute a committee to arrange for grounds 

 for the trials of 1896, Winners of Subscription Stake, 

 excepting they be winners of previous All-Age Stakes, 

 shall not be barred from competing in the All- Age Stake. 



Irish Setter Trials. 



Room 22, 400 Chestnut st., Philadelphia, Pa., Nov. 22.— 

 Inclosed please find entries for the Irish Setter Club's 

 trials, to be run at High Point, N. G, Dec. 2, 1895: 



ALL-AGE. 



Mr. W. L. Washington's dog Finglas (Fingel III.— Ave- 

 line), whelped April 13. 1890. 



Dr. G. G. Davis's bitch Loo (Finglas— Currer Belle TV.), 

 whelped July, 1893. 



Dr. G. G. Davis's bitch Currer Maud (Finglas— Currer 

 Belle IV.), whelped July, 1893. 



Muckross Kennels' dog Henmore Shamrock (Muskerry 

 — Avoca), whelped Jan. 28, 1888. 



Mr. James B. Blossom's bitch Squaw (Darrah Pat— Ruby 

 Glencho), whelped April, 1890. 



Mr. Alfred von Cotzhausen's bitch Lady Finglas (Fin- 

 glas — Lady May Swiveller), whelped March 21, 1894. 



DERBY. 



Dr. Wm. Jarvis's bitch Signora*(Signal— Oline), whelped 

 July 20, 1894. 



Mr. F. E. White's bitch Mollie Gibson (Dakin— Jessie 

 Fremont), whelped Oct. 13, 1894. 



Mr. Alfred von Cotzhausen's bitch Lady Finglas (Fin- 

 glas — Lady May Swiveller), whelped March 21, 1894. 



Geo. H. Thomson, Sec'y I. S. C. 



United States Trials. 



[Special to Forest and Stream.] 



Newton, N, C., Nov. 25. — The Pointer Derby was run 

 yesterday with nine starters. Blethely. Sister Sue, Sap- 

 pho and Hessie D. were cast out after first series. Com- 

 petition very inferior. Winners were: Virginia first, 

 Crackerjack second, Rip Saw third, Ridgeview Cash 

 fourth, Leo fifth. 



Setter Derby begins to-day with seven starters: 

 Domino, Arapahoe, Marie's Sport, Tory Fashion, Mazeppa, 

 Gleam's Ruth and Feu Follet, All-Age Pointer has 

 eleven starters: Rexfast, Ridgeview Regent. Nongull, 

 Rancocas Belle, Tick Boy, Jingo, Komus, Elgin's Dash, 

 Glad's Lady, Tamarack, Jr., Tory Baron. Heavy rains 

 delay start to-day. The judges are J. King. J, L. Adams, 

 W. S. Bell. B. Waters. 



National Association of Field Trial Handlers. 



A meeting of the Association was held on the evening 

 of the 19th inst. at Newton, N. C. It was decided to 

 make a gift of the balance in the treasury, $30 and a few 

 cents, to the Champion Field Trial Club and to disband 

 the Association, which were done accordingly at an ad- 

 journed meeting on the 21st inst. 



National Fox Meet. 



Owingsville, Ken., Nov. 23.— Visitors coming to the 

 National Meet here should buy tickets to Preston, Ky., on 

 the 0. & O, R. R. We are five mileR from Preston and 

 will meet all comers there. S. C. Alexander. 



POINTS AND FLUSHES. 



Mr. G. Muss-Arnolt, whose oil paintings and pen-and- 

 ink portraits of dogs have been received with so much 

 approbation by American sportsmen, had two- oil paint- 

 ings of field scenes which he gave his friends the pleasure 

 and privilege of seeing during his stay at Newton, N. C, 

 while the field trials were on. One painting was of two 

 setters on point and back, the other of two pointers in the 

 same attitudes. Both were of marvelous finish and there 

 was a fidelity to detail which made a realistic effect. It 

 is hardly necessary to add that the paintings were greatly 

 admired. 



Hunter — "Boy, did you see a rabbit run by here?" Boy 

 — ''Yep." Hunter — "How long ago?" Boy — "It'll be 

 three years nex' Chris'mas." — Judge. 



Newfoundland Caribou. 



Caribou Shooting in Newfoundland, 1894. by S. T. Davis, M.D. 

 (Shongo), with a history of England's oldest colony from 1001 to 1895, 

 is the title of an exhaustive work treating on the physical features of 

 that island, so near and yet so little known; and of its fauna and 

 flora, fisheries, agriculture, mineral resources, government and 

 finance, education and aborigines, introductory to a description of a 

 hunting trip. The last five chapters are devoted to a most interesting 

 and instructive history of the preliminary arrangements of the trip, 

 beginning at New York as the rendezvous and starting point of the 

 party, and following all the journeyings and events from the start to 

 the return. A vast fund of practical information is embodied, which 

 is invaluable to any one who takes a similar trip,.and which was ob- 

 tained by the author only after much correspondence, study and per- 

 sonal experience. The reports that vast numbers of caribou were ia 

 Newfoundland were the incentive to the trip. On investigation, the 

 author was convinced that the reports, which he at first doubted, 

 were short of the reality. The fall of 1894 was set as the season for 

 the outing. A native guide was engaged through correspondence, he 

 agreeing to furnish carriers, canoes, a log tilt and game. A camp 

 stove, specially made, was secured, in which, besideB its own furni- 

 ture, were packed cooking utensils, a coil of copper wire, J£lb. of 

 arsenic, one pair of moccasins, two pairs shoe packs, one pair heavy 

 woolen stockings, forty rounds of rifle cartridges (.40-65), one 

 bag chewing tobacco, two bags smoking tobaceo, lib. alum 

 and one hank of heavy cord. The bottom of the stove 

 was padded with excelsior to protect the carrier's back, then all 

 covered and sewed securely with heavy bagging, and all completed by 

 buckling on the carry strap; total weight, 761bs. Each member of the 

 parry took as much baggage as he pleased to the point of disembarka- 

 tion, Pilley's Island, after which each one was restricted to one hunt- 

 ing hat, one hunting cap, one hunting coat, one cardigan jacket, two 

 undershirts, one pair hunting pants, one extra pair pants, four pairs 

 stockings, two overshirts, one pair hunting shoes, one extra pair 

 shoes, one pair rubber boots, one pair gloves, one pair woolen blankets 

 (single), one rubber blanket, one carry-all, one match sate, six hand- 

 kerchiefs, and one towel, washrag, cake toilet soap, gun (rifle or rifle 

 and shot), jointed cleaning rod and oil, light reel, short trunk rod, fly 

 book, extra hooks, etc., case needles, thread, buttons, compass, hunt- 

 ing knife, drinking cup, pair slippers (heavy soles), package paper, 

 envelopes, postals, pipe and tobacco, cigars, etc., and one good opera 

 or field glass. A few of the common and most necessary medicines 

 were taken along, and a case of implements for mounting skins, repair- 

 ing guns and fishing tackle, etc. A combination shotgun and rifle is 

 recommended so that both grouse and big game can be shot. Two 

 guns add too much to the weight of the baggage. A small tent is a 

 necessity, and the party found the Protean, 7x7ft., 8oz. army duck 

 served admirably. By way of the Red Cross Line, which has two 

 steamers, which leave Brooklyn every two weeks, the first stop ia at 

 Halifax, the next at St. Johns, Newfoundland, and the next at the 

 Pirytes Mines, Pilley Island, Bay of Notre Dame, where North Ameri- 

 can reindeer or caribou can be shot. The average time northward 

 from New York, including stops, is about six days, two days of which 

 are consumed at St. Johns, and twenty hours at Halifax. The 

 return trip, including stops, is about one da? more. The 

 rates, including meals and stateroom berth, cabin, first-class, 

 are: New York to Halifax and return, $28; New York to St. 

 Johns and return, $34; New York to Pilley's Island and re- 

 turn, $72. For a party of four, $14.40 deduction, 5 per cent. less. 

 Twenty cubic feet of baggage allowed regardless of weight. No dutv 

 on baggage or guis if they are brought back to the States. Thn 

 author bestows words of praise on the accommodations. He recoiu- 



