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FOREST AND STREAM. 



[Dec. 14, 1868. 



The Bright and Dark Side. 



Mr. 9. C. Bradley, secretary of E, F. T. C, is thoroughly 

 in earnest in promoting the success of his club and he has 

 a keen sense of the field trial situation. In a personal 

 letter he touches on field trial matters as follows: 

 ' 'I feel confident that there are many good men in this 

 country who will be glad to join our forces, if they could 

 but realize the pleasures to be derived from a field trial 

 outing. I believe that articles should be published in the 

 sporting press which would present the true sport to be en- 

 joyed at our annual trials, to the end that the public may 

 comprehend the true status of field trial club meetings. So 

 much has been written in the way of spiteful controversy 

 or to air the prejudicial feeling of some cranks that a part 

 of the uninformed public is disposed to believe that the 

 clubs are more or less mismanaged. I hope the time may 

 come when field trials, one of the most innocent and en- 

 joyable of all field sports, will be presented in their true 

 light by the sporting press and also by all who are interested 

 in the work of setters and pointers and in a good outing, 

 so that the public may realize the fact that the clubs are 

 managed and conducted by gentlemen who are of the 

 truest type of sportsmen." 



This letter has the right ring of faith and good purpose. 

 It makes public a fault, for nearly all tbe personal writ- 

 ings concerning field trials have been of the wrangling 

 or denunciatory character, implying that field trials were 

 largely made up of squabbles and bitterness of feeling. 

 Nothing in that respect could be more erroneous. No 



fathering has so many sincere and cordial greetings, 

 earty handshakings and genuine welcomes as has the 

 members of a field trial party. No stranger is a stranger 

 long if it be known that he loves a dog, and if he love a 

 dog in a genuine sense he is made much of, for he is in- 

 troduced and made welcome, and to him is "talked dog" 

 till exhaustion comes. Then there are the horseback 

 rides in the fields and woods: the constant stimulus to in- 

 terest as heat after heat is begun and ended; famous dogs 

 beating newcomers or newcomers beating famous dogs ; 



the ever varied scenes and combinations; the excitement 

 of competition; the abundance of varying incident to sus- 

 tain interest — all in a setting of nature's own handiwork, 

 in the luxuriance of the earth's vegetation and rich 

 autumn colors which come but once a year, beautiful and 

 pleasing, and all an adornment to man's more serious 

 diversions afield. 



Look at the list of gentlemen whose names recur year 

 after year in connection with field trials, and that of 

 itself will be an assurance of the genuine interest and 

 worth of the field trials. Among such men any real dis- 

 cord would not be tolerated for a moment. 



But after the trials are ended there is commonly one or 

 two malcontents whose minds — in their own estimation — 

 contain all the principles of equity and knowledge, all of 

 which, strange to say, are a part of their own selfish per- 

 sonality and have but one interpretation: that is, their 

 own selfish interests. They are no more a part of field 

 trials than a pebble in one's shoe is a part of one's person, 

 though both may be annoying. 



New Jersey Kennel League* 



At the last meeting of the executive of this club there 

 were present Miles A. Hanchett, president, in the chair; 

 Walter Brown, vice-president (by proxy); Dr. W. F. Seid- 

 ler, Frank Linck, Carl Brandt and Edwin H. Morris. 



The committee on a building for another show for 

 Thanksgiving week reported that, after an attempt to 

 Secure every building deemed suitable by the executive, 

 located at Newark or Orange, had to state its inability to 

 secure one. 



The meeting was called to consider proposals from 

 members located at Jersey City for a show there, follow- 

 ing that of New York next spring. 



It was the sense Of the meeting that such a show, given 

 by a local committee, should have the support of the club, 

 and the aid of those who gave their time and service in 

 making the Newark event successful was promised. 



Communications were received from those interested in 

 great Da.nes asking the League to use its influence against 

 any attempt to stop cropping in an arbitrary and summary 

 manner. 



The following resolution, offered by Frank Linck and 

 seconded by Carl Brandt, was unanimously adopted,: 



"Wliereas, This committee, partly composed of German- 

 Americans, representing a large German element, desires 

 to express its sy mpathy with great Dane breeders and 

 owners, it considers that such radical measures as those 

 proposed will work serious injury to the breed as well as 

 to vested interests. That the initiative in such cases 

 should be taken by the specialty clubs representing the 

 breed and not by any American Kennel Club committee. 

 That the delegate of the club be asked to consider these 

 points and to cast his vote to the best of his judgment." 



New members were elected. The treasurer report 3d a 

 balance in favor of the League. 



Edwin H. Morris, Sec'y. 



P. K, C. Members' Stake. 



The Members' Stake of the Philadelphia Kennel Club 

 was run Dec. 3. Weather was fine, frosty in the morn- 

 ing, warm and pleasant during the day. Birds — same 

 story as everywhere else in North Carolina this winter. 

 Only 4 coveys were found. The dogs were drawn on 

 the ground as follows: 



Dr. G. G. Davis's Loo with Murray S. Mitchell's Duly. 



J. F. Fleer's Gamester with Mr. G. H. Thomson's Frills. 



Murray S. Mitchell's Sandy Gladstone with Francis G. 

 Taylor's Ben Hur, of Riverview. 



Mr. Baker's Lou, a bye. 



Loo and Duly were "cast off at 9:10. Mr. Mitchell had 

 purchased Duly the night before and the dog refused to 

 hunt for him. He would not go out, but ran back to the 

 wagons to find his old master. After ten minutes of un- 

 successful attempts to make the dog hunt, Mr. Mitchell 

 asked permission to withdraw him, which was granted. 

 Loo was hunted on alone. She showed good pace and 

 range, very excellent style, and improved very much on 

 her good showing of the day before. After a long hunt 

 for birds she was finally successful, being discovered on a 

 covey point in the edge of pines. She was a trifle un- 

 steady to shot, but stopped readily to command. Up in 

 pines, she pointed three singles well; a bit unsteady 

 again on one of them. She is easily handled, obedient at 

 all times and hunts her ground with judgment. Up at 

 10:05. 



Mr. Fleer, the owner of Gamester, had not yet arrived 

 on the grounds, and to give him time the bye dog was 

 hunted next. 



Lou was put down at 10:10. She did not show any very 

 wide range, cutting buck a good deal, and waiting to be 

 prompted by her owner. Up in stubbles she pointed 

 where according to report a darky had flushed a covey. 

 Ordered on into woods she pointed; three birds found 

 which she had located badly. She was unsteady to shot. 

 Further on she pointed another single and behaved well. 

 Up at 10:59. 



DOGS OF WAR IN THE FRENCH ARMY. 



Sandy Gladstone and Ben Hur were the next brace 

 called up, as Mr. Fleer was Btill absent and remained so. 

 Put down at 11. Both dogs were not in condition to 

 hunt, being altogether too fat. They showed willingness 

 to go and stayed out well, but their pace was inferior. A 

 covey was seen to flush; Sandy out of sight and turned 

 up suspiciously near them. They were marked down 

 further up in pines and the dogs were worked toward 

 them. Ben Hur pointed indifferently, and Sandy, ordered 

 to back, went ahead and sat down among the birds, which 

 had bunched again. They flushed. Nothing further done. 

 Ordered up at 11:40. 



Frills was started at 11:43; hunted over a lot of ground 

 without finding birds. She was only moderate in speed 

 and range. Worked toward ground where covey had been 

 found on previous day and no results. Up at 12:35. 



The party now went to lunch, after which the judge 

 called up Lou and Loo to run together. A long drive to 

 other grounds and the dogs were put down at 1 :30. It 

 was soon evident that the Irish setter had the best of it 

 in every respect. No birds found; ordered up at 1:40. 

 The decision was promptly given declaring Dr. Davis's 

 Loo the winner. Everybody present indorsed the decision. 



Dr. Davis is to be congratulated upon having an Irish 

 setter of such first-class quality, and we hope that he may 

 be successful in breeding more like her. This is a great 

 step ahead in Irish setter interests. 



Edmund H. Osthaus judged the stake. 



Aged Dogs. 



Washington. —Editor Forest and Stream: Kindly per- 

 mit a constant reader of Forest and Stream to register a 

 gentle kick against some statements recently made in a 

 New York paper relative to canine longevity. The paper 

 referred to contains the picture of a pampered poodle of 

 Russian origin, and claims for him that "he is the oldest 

 dog in the world." His age is stated at 25 years. That is 

 a venerable age, sure enough; but Washington, the land 

 of huge fish and enormous trees, can equal, if not exceed, 

 the example. Don M. Hewit, of Yelm, Thurston county, 

 this State, has a half hound, alive and well, which was 

 whelped in June, 1870. He was reared by Mr. Walker, an 

 early settler, and has dragged down scores of deer in his 

 eventful life. Eleven unwounded and twenty-six dis- 

 abled wildcats have fallen victims to his ferocity, and he 

 is carved and seamed by numerous battles with cougar 

 and bear. His feet are deformed and tender from age 

 and rough usage, and he is very deaf. I have mislaid the 

 paper giving the exact age of the antique poodle, and so 

 cannot say positively that he is not older than the veteran 

 Yelm prairie; but my recollection is that there are months 

 at least in favor of the rugged old warrior out on the 

 Nisqually. „ I found the old hero last month while grouse 

 hunting, and took dinner with the family of his owner. 

 I regret now that a camera did not form part of my im- 

 pedimenta. Dr. J. A, Beebe. 



A. C. B. Stud Book. 



Vol, I. of the American Coursing Board Stud Book is an 

 invaluable work to all who are directly or indirectly inter- 

 ested in the greyhound. It contains the names, colors, 

 ages and pedigrees of greyhounds registered therein up to 

 July 1, 1895, and a list of members of the American 

 Coursing Board, constitution and by-laws of the latter, 

 code of running rules, list and officers of coursing clubs; 

 reports of meetings containing list of winners, dividers 

 and runners-up; registrations, re-registrations and changes 

 of ownership; list of owners, breeders and coursers; regis- 

 tration of partnerships and kennels, and names of official 

 judges and slippers. In its mechanical and artistic fea- 

 tures the work is most skilfully completed. Address 

 Roger D. Williams, Lexington, Ky. 



Gunshyness and Shooting. 



Dallas, Tex. — Editor Forest and Stream: I have just 

 returned from my annual quail hunt, and must say that 

 I never found birds so plentiful. After getting a bevy 

 scattered, and while working on the singles, I would very 

 often find a new bevy. The birds were welt grown and 

 the bevies large, showing that they had been molested 

 but little during their raising. The birds seem to be 

 feeding on small acorns, and I found but few in the 

 farms, 



I have a most excellent place to board, about five miles 

 from the railroad, with no small children to annoy me; 

 the cooking was of the very best; as to quail I soon tired 

 of them. 



I killed 136 and the neighbors had all they wanted. I 

 expect to go again in January. I had three dogs with 

 me, an English setter of royal blood and two pointers, 

 great-grandsons of Meteor. The setter and one of the 

 pointers were trained and did me good service, but the 

 other pointer was gunshy, and no one but a handler of 

 bird dogs can begin to know how provoking this fault is. 



Mr. Editor, did you ever once think how utterly worth- 



less a gunshy dog is? If you have one that will break 

 shot, chase and do other devilment you can manage to 

 have a little shooting and some fun with him, but if he is 

 shy of the gun you are emphatically powerless until he is 

 cured of this the very worst fault a dog can have. I did 

 say once that life was too short and dogs too numerous 

 for one to waste with such a dog and advocated a load 

 of No. 8 shot at short range, but this fellow has so much 

 hunt and energy in him I have concluded to try and 

 break him, provided I can control my temper. 



Muzzleloader. 



Brunswick Fur Club. 



Roxbury, Mass., Dec. 5.— The seventh annual winter 

 meet of the Brunswick Fur Club will be held at Bruns- 

 wick, Me., during the week of Jan. 13, 1896. 



The club headquarters will be at the Tontine Hotel, 

 where a special rate of $1.50 per day will be made to 

 visiting sportsmen. 



The annual meeting for the election of officers for the 

 ensuing year and for the transaction of other business 

 will be held on Monday evening. 



This is to be a rousing hunting meet, and all fox hunters 

 are cordially invited to be present and to bring their 

 hounds. Bradford S. Turpin, Sec'y. 



National Fox Hunters* Association. 



A cold day with a snowstorm threatening was Dec. 2, 

 at Owingsville, Ky., the scene of the National Fox Hunt- 

 ers' Association second meet. The Derby was started 

 notwithstanding the unfavorable weather, a large party 

 of ladies and gentlemen braving the uncomfortable tem- 

 perature and displaying much enthusiasm. The competi- 

 tion dragged owing to bad weather. Spencer Brothers' 

 Kit (Clark county, Ky.) was one of the winners. Judge 

 J. A. Perry, of Lexington, Ky., was expelled for a viola- 

 tion of the rules, consisting of hunting on forbidden 

 ground, concerning which he avers that the charges are 

 unfounded. 



Henmore Shamrock. 



Pittsfield, MasB.— Editor Forest and Stream: I read 

 with regret the death of my old companion, Henmore 

 Shamrock, in your issue of Dec. 7. Shamrock was im- 

 ported by me in 1890 and I exhibited him at the principal 

 shows for a number of years, and shot over him on snipe, 

 woodcock and grouse until the fall of '94, when I sold 

 him to Mr. Brown. He was a perfect companion and one 

 of the best all-round fielders I ever saw. 



F. L. Cheney. 



Information Wanted. 



Bay City, Mich.— Will some one who possesses the in- 

 formation please give me, through the columns of Forest 

 and Stream, the address of Mr. C. F. Waterhouse, a dog 

 breaker, who at one time lived in western Massachusetts. 



F. J. G. 



