June 29, 1888, J 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



457 



inventory of his "traps," the use of which I Was to learn 

 later. Here came my first surprise. There may he some 

 proper or authentic, names for the articles I saw, hut if so 1 

 have never learned them, and therefore cannot tell yon here 

 of all of them, and in fact it would make too long a list for 

 one article. Suffice is to say that as I examined oue thing 

 after another, and asked questions, that the conversation 

 ran about like this: "What is this for?" 1 asked, picking 

 np a rod with a hook at the end. "That ? That's tor yank- 

 ing 'em out of the rocks." Well, I will call that the 

 "yanker." "What is this?" "Why that is to punch 'em 

 up, you know." And that is the ''puncher;" and so on I 

 found scratchers, corkscrews, fireworks, hobhydiuguses and 

 whatnots of every device aud description, and it any one 

 knows of a new contrivance that is sure death to coons, if 

 they will only write to Norman he will buy it on sight, pro- 

 viding he has not already got one. But of all this almost 

 endless paraphernalia there was one thing that was the idol 

 of Norman's coon-loving heart, this was an enormous lantern. 

 I at first quizzed him about stealing the headlight of a loco- 

 motive, but upon closer investigation I saw that it was some 

 two or three sizes smaller, yet made to imitate one almost 

 exactly. This was Norman's especial pride, and he carried 

 it in that manner to let others know it was too. But that 

 lantern met with all sorts of mishaps all along the line of its 

 experience, and finally brought up after making a flying 

 leap from the top of a O'Jft. ledy;e with broken glass and 

 many a dent and bruise, and when last 1 saw if was put 

 away under a shed for chickens to roost upon, and according 

 to my judgment it did better service at this than it ever did 

 as a lantern. 



And now a word about the owner of all this paraphernalia. 

 This was Norman, and Norman was a coon hunter, and he 

 knew coons from the wee little baby coous clear up to full- 

 grown men and women coons, and knew them well, too; 

 could tell all abtdit their family arrangement and their reg- 

 ular diet, etc But, like all coon hunters, his stronghold 

 Was his ability to somehow have the rest of the boys do the 

 Work while he was bragging about thv dog. I have investi- 

 gated cOon hunting some since that night and have come to 

 the conclusion that the ideal coon hunter is composed of 

 fOur component parts. First— A little work; yes, just as 

 little as possible. Second— Lots of creepers, ropes, lanterns 

 and things mostly for the boys to carry! Third— Dogs, 

 Fourth — Brag; yes, lots of brag; he cannot be a good coon 

 hunter without having this last attribute thoroughly de> 

 veloped. He must brag about his dog first, last and always, 

 and intersperse between whiles by bragging about what he 

 did one night last week. 



Say! Hold on! Did you get any coons? Oh, I had for- 

 gotten all about the coons! Yes; I will tell you. You see 

 Norman told me I must take him where there was large 

 timber aud near to water, and as the General's sap works 

 was the largest timber 1 knew of, and also had a brook run- 

 ning through it, I took him there. It was a blind venture 

 in the dark\ and I did not know whether we would find a 

 coon or not, but we went. We were on the ground in good 

 season, and turned loose the dogs — there were two of them. 

 One of them was a good dog and hunted for coons, the other 

 was good for nothing except to hunt for the first dog and 

 get into a light with him whenever he treed a coon. They 

 had been loose but a few minutes when the old dog opened 

 on a fresh trail and went straight up the mountain. We 

 had been walking in an old cart path along by the brook 

 that ran at the foot of the mountain, but as the dog was go- 

 ing at full cry up the mountain we would follow to save 

 time. A quarter of an hour's hard climbing hadput us both 

 out of breath, and we halted to rest a moment, when all at 

 once the dog stopped barking and we heard him no more- 

 He had lost him in a ledge, was Norman's verdict, and in a 

 few minutes was back to ns and we were back in the old cart 

 path again 



Then followed a long walk in the old cart path of perhaps 

 two miles and no more signs of coons; we came to an open 

 field and waited, wheu all at. once the dog "barked up" close 

 by. We were soon there; the coon was up a tall chestnut 

 tree and T was to climb it. 1 had never had a pair of climb- 

 ers on in my life and only knew in a general way the use of 

 them. But Norman buckled them on aud 1 went up the tree. 

 I found no difficulty in reaching the first limbs, although 

 they were 70ft. from the ground, and after drawing up a gun 

 and a lantern I was able to see the coon and shot him out 

 without further delay. The dogs tackled him immediately 

 on his reaching the ground, and shook the little remaining 

 life out of him, and after their usual fight over the coon 

 Norman got them quieted and we, gathering up our game 

 and equipments, started on. 



Then followed a long tramp over ledges and through briers 

 in an unsuccessful search for the cart path, aud long before 

 we reached the brook we could hear the dog making his 

 melancholy music far off upon the mountain side. He had 

 started another coon and we would have to climb the moun- 

 tain again; this was glorious. We had just come down and 

 knew evt ry step of the way aud the prospect was anything 

 but pleasing. But Norman, who had been listening all this- 

 time, remarked with a good degree, of satisfaction manifested 

 in his voice, "That dog is coming this way;" and sure enough 

 he was. Thought for once we were in luck, but this only 

 showed how green I was, for presently he turned to the right, 

 crossed the little brook and started up the mountain ou the 

 other side. This was Old Eagle's Crag, and was worse by far 

 than the mountain we were on. In a few minutes we heard 

 the dog "bark up" and knew that he had him treed, and by 

 the sound could guess that they were far up its ragged sides 

 if not indeed upon its very top. 



Then came an hour of hard climbing that brought us 

 every moment uearer to that steady stream of hoarse barks 

 which kept the mountains ringing with their dull echo and 

 filled our ears with the music of expectancy. Aud just as 

 we thought that our prize was almost wou and that our 

 climbing was almost ended, we came face to face with a per- 

 pendicular wall of rock: and there, by tiie weird flickerings 

 of our lanterns, we could dimly discern, far up and out upon 

 the very highest point of this, the Eagle's Crag itself, a 

 monster pine, standing, as it were, a sentinel for that whole 

 country, and up this pine— the coon. 



We turned away to the right; another hard pull, more 

 rocks aud brush, another old brush fence, aud we were at 

 the foot of the pine. And now how are we to get the coon, 

 who was evidently at the top of the tree? The tree stood 

 upon the very edge of the ledge, which broke off in one per- 

 pendicular jump of nearly, if not quite, 100ft. There was an 

 old log fence which ran along the top of the ledge and passed 

 directly beneath the tree. It was broken down in many 

 places, but the old logs remained; and Norman took up his 

 station astride of one of these logs, just back from the edge 

 of the precipice and under the tree at the place where he 

 thought the coon would drop when I should shoot him out, 

 and I went up the tree with lantern and gun to do the 

 shooting. 



The wind was blowing as it only knows how to blow on 

 top of such high points. My lantern w-ent out while up the 

 tree, and I had to get down in order to light it again. And 

 again I wentup. a little more careful, and I had almost found 

 the coon. Yes, I had seen him, but the branches were so 

 thick that I only saw a bunch of fur, when, in trying to 

 shift his position a little, the limb on wuich he was standing 

 broke beneath him, and down he went "kerslap" right in 

 front of Norman, I gave a quick glance down through the 

 thick limbs and saw Norman's big lantern going through a 

 series of curves and semi-circles, and finally fly off on a tan- 

 gent. I heard it strike the rocks where it fell, then all was 

 dark. 



The dogs were having a terrible time with the coon and 



Norman was having a worse time with the dogs. The log 

 ou which he sat had slid off toward the edge of the ledge, 

 and as he could see nothing he did not dare to move, and to 

 add still further to his confusion the dogs, which he had 

 seized by their collars and was holding apart one on each 

 side of him, seemed bound on getting together to finish up 

 their usual fight. 1 hurried down, to see what could be 

 done, and on reaching the ground I found Norman still 

 astride the log and clinging to the. dog collars like grim 

 death. 



And the coon. Well the coon was not hurt at all, he had 

 jumped under the log that Norman sat upon and somehow 

 in the scrimmage neither dog had been able to hnut him, 

 and when his light went out Norman thinking that the coon 

 was dead and that the dogs would hurt each other fighting, 

 hail clung to them all this time, with the live coon right be- 

 tween his legs as he straddled the log. It did uot take long 

 for the dogs to throttle the old fellow after I got down with 

 my light, and as we drew him out from under the log where 

 he had made so tough a fight, Norman exclaimed, "What a 

 monster," and sure enough he was a monster. Then Nor- 

 man thought of his lantern and when found it proved to be 

 all right except another bruise had been added to its already 

 well battered sides. After gathering up our load we started 

 for our team. 



I had had cooning enough for one night and I informed 

 Norman that I was going home and he had better tie that 

 "blo„med" dog behind. "Oh no!" he said, "he'll come 

 right along, he won't get any more coons. So down the 

 ledge we clambered, on down the mountain till we came to 

 the brook, still on till we found the cart path and following 

 this for some half a mile when Norman said: "Hold on a 

 minute, where's that dog?" We had not noticed him for 

 some time and as we waited aud listened, all at once far off 

 on the mountain side came back to our ears the uncertain 

 baying of the dog, yes he was barking up again. 



Unloading our game at the foot of a large tree we again 

 climbed the mountain and after a hard scramble of half an 

 hour or more we stood at the foot of the tree, a hemloi'k of 

 giant dimensions, 7 or 8ft. through at the base and rising 

 like a monarch that it was 75ft. by actual measurement 

 without a limb— the largest tree 1 ever saw without ex- 

 ception, 150ft. from base to top, and here was where I found 

 thecoou. I climbed that freehand know whereof I affirm, 

 for it took me over two hours to investigate the extreme di- 

 mensions of it. 



I now had had cooning euough for on enight and so had 

 Norman, and mv advice was followed, the dog was tied 

 behind. We retraced our steps to the tree where we had 

 left the other coons, found them and our way back to the 

 team as best we could, bundled in aud drove home in high 

 spirits, well pleased with our experiences of the night. 



The early morning was just showing light in the east, 

 tinginy; the distant hilltops with that hazy beauty only seen 

 at this hour of the day. The world was awaking iuto life 

 the first few chirps of the song sparrow beneath our window, 

 and I rl ropped asleep. 



I had forgotten our coon hunting experiences of the night; 

 forgotten Norman: forgotten the dogs; forgotten everything, 

 I was so tired. .1 was sleeping for all I was worth when 

 some one called in my window, "Say, you! You going to 

 sleep all day." It was Norman and I crawled out. He was 

 weighing the coons when I came down. I looked over his 

 shoulder; 571bs., yes, that was all. Three coons in one night, 

 aggregate weight 571bs. And I— well, 1 could not raise my 

 hands to my head for a week I was so lame. Notliks. 



DOG TALK. 



INTENDING- competitors should not forget that the entries 

 for the Derby of the American Field Trials Club close 

 July 1, The address of the secretary is C. W. Paris, Box 

 718, Cincinnati, O. A large number of entries have already 

 been received and the club is confident that this stake will 

 prove to be fully equal to that of last year. The entries for 

 the Derby of the Southern Field Trial Club close July 10, 

 and as the trials will be run on grounds but a short distance 

 from those of the former club, dogs can be run in both events 

 without the necessity of a long and tiresome journey from 

 one to the other, Both associations should receive the 

 hearty support of the public, and we have no doubt that at 

 each meeting there will be keen competitiou for the valuable 

 prizes offered. The secretary of the Southern Field Trial 

 Club is T. M. Brumby, Chattanooga, Tenn. 



The New Jersey Kennel Club will hold their dog show 

 next spring at Jersey City the week previous to the New 

 York show. There has been a report current that the club 

 would hold a show in Brooklyn next fall, but there is no 

 probability that this will be done. 



We received a call last week from Mr. William Rollinson 

 of Seaforth, England. Mr. Rollinson is well known in mas- 

 tiff circles, and some good ones have come from his kennel 

 to this country. It is his intention to make his future home 

 in America. 



We are informed that the pointer dog Luck of the Goat, 

 winner of the pointer prize in the Acton Reynald Stakes at 

 the recent National field trials in England, is now on his 

 way to this country and that his future home will be at St. 

 Paul, Minn. 



Miss Anna H. Whitney has recently imported from the 

 kennel of Mr. J, Blagburu, Hull, England, the St. Bernard 

 dog Beauchamp; he' was whelped March, 1885, aud is by 

 champion Beauchief and out of Bereugaria (Phantom- 

 Brena) . 



The Fox-Terrier Club has decided to make classes for all 

 terriers at its annual show this year. We have no doubt 

 that this move will meet with the favor of fanciers of the 

 different breeds and that the show will be well supported 



Mr R. S. Ryan of Baltimore, Md., has recently imported 

 from the kennel of Mr. L. P. C. Astley, Dudley, England, 

 the fox-terrier dog Splint, by Keuto a Splinter and out of 

 Patience. Mr. Ryan intends to do a lot of winning with him. 



Messrs. Chas. H. Mason and John Davidson have been in- 

 vited to judge at the dog show to be held at Buffalo, Sept. 

 11 to 11. We understand that the show will be held under 

 the rules of the National Dog Club. 



The poison fiend has been at work at Lockport, N. Y., and 

 several valuable dogs have fallen victims to the acts of this 

 dastardly scoundrel. 



Mr. E. H. Moore has gone to England and will doubtless 

 bring home a big dog or two if he can find anything to suit. 



AMERICAN FOX-TERRIER CLUB. — New York, June 

 20.— Editor F orest and Stream: The American Fox-Terrier 

 Club will bold their specialty show, including all terriers, 

 at Saratoga Springs, Aug. 30, 31 and Sept. 1. Special prizes 

 of cups to be given. Enti-y blanks will be ready in ten days. 

 — H. P. Fbothisgham, Secretary. 



BALTIMORE DOG SHOW. — Editor Forest and Stream: 

 The Maryland Kennel Club claim the dates March 19, 20, 21 

 and 23, 1889, for their first annual dog show. Will give you 

 further particulars later.— W. Stewaet Diffendekffek, 

 Secretary. 



FIELD TRIAL RULES. 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



With many others equally interested I have waited long 

 and patiently for some older and wiser head to give lis the 

 much needed light upon this important subject. After the 

 "line upon line " already written, there would seem to be 

 little left to be said, aud so there is; but unfortunately 

 that little has been left unsaid. In a nutshell, what we 

 want is less discretionary power to judges. While the un- 

 scrupulous need restraint, the honest won't object, and 

 would hail with delight the protection given them by a code 

 of rules clearly defining their duties and ridding them of un- 

 necessary responsibility. 



I have long favored the limit-heat system, and, in this 

 respect, the rules adopted by the S. F. F. A, places that 

 organization a long step ahead of the others; but even these 

 rules are, in my judgment, defective, in that they do not 

 carry the matter far enough. 



It seems to me that ali heats in the first series of a stake 

 should be run at least 30 minutes after first game is pointed. 

 If the heat cannot be decided at the end of 30 minutes, then 

 run _15 minute heats until a decision can be reached, al- 

 ways deciding trie heat at the end of such interval. 



My object in timing from the first find, is to eliminate as 

 far as possible the element of luck, which may make the in- 

 ferior dog stumble on game near the close of the heat and 

 thus enable him to get in his work and win m a few minutes 

 while the other and better dog is ranging over barren 

 ground. Then make the heats in ail succeeding series at 

 least 45 minutes after the first find; followed by 20 minute 

 heats, in case a decision cannot be reached without. This 

 will allow more time for the best dogs in the stake when 

 they come toge! her. 



Another perplexing question to deal with is the odd or 

 bye dog. But the following plan, if adopted, will, I think, 

 simplify if it does not entirely overcome the difficulty. Take, 

 for example, a stake of 21 doA's If oue dog, say No. 8. should 

 be withdrawn, then No. 9 should take his place, and there 

 wo-dd be no bye; on the other hand, if there were no with- 

 drawals, the twenty-first dog should be run a side heat 

 while 19 and 20 are running. Then in the second series he 

 should be placed next ahead of the last dog, which would 

 place 21 where he could not possibl y get a bye or side heat 

 except in the contingency of an even number' of withdraw- 

 als, and one of them must be No. 19. In the third series 

 (supposing 21 to have beaten 17) the order of running would 

 be as follows: 3, 7 ; 11, 21, 19, 15, always placing the odd dog 

 of the previous series uext ahead of the last one of the pres- 

 ent series. My reason for running the odd dog's side neat 

 while the last brace is running is, that the judges cannot 

 know until then that there will be no withdrawals, and it 

 places him, as nearly as possible, on equal terms with his 

 competitor, since he always runs against ti e dog winning 

 the heat run just before his side heat in the previous series, 

 unless one dog above him is withdrawn; in which case he 

 will come against the odd dog of the present series, who ran 

 simultaneously with him in the previous series. 



R. I. HAMPTON. 



Athens, Ga. 



AMERICAN KENNEL REGISTER. 



FOLLOWING are the numbers of the dogs entered in 

 the June number of the American Kennel Reijuter: 



BEAGLES. 



Beantv, C. E. Nichols. Little Queen, A. McCollum. 



Dora, C. E. Nichols. 6895. Ross W., H. L. Kreuder. 



BULLDOGS. 

 Doctor, Chas. F. Peasley. 



COLLIES. 



Alpha Floss, E. P. Cloud. 6300. Rachel, Miss C M. Teese. 

 Fargo, S. Caiwallader. 6301. Zelda, Win. Stevens. 

 Juno If., Jas. Watson. 



MASTIFFS. 



Clement, L. A. Berger. 6308. Madge, G. W. Glazier. 

 Derbyshire Lad, G. Dive n. 6309. Or, on Belle, W. H. Auld. 

 Ellersslie Wanda, J. L. Hope 6310 Peg, Edgar 11. Gait. 

 F ritz, Geo. C. Hall. 6811s Rhoda. W. K. Warwick. 



Greenwood Juno, Green- C813. Salva, Greenwood Mastiff 



wood Mastiff Kennels. Kennels. 

 Mac, Geo. P. Perry. 6313. Tootz, C. C. Richardson. 



NEWFOUNDLANDS. 

 Zero, L. B. Scott. 



POINTERS. 



Alaric, J. D. Van Buren. 0319. Rex, W. H. Harris. 



o2<>; . 



6299. 



6302. 

 6303. 

 6304. 



0306. 



6307. 



63H. 



6315. 

 6316. 

 0317. 

 6313. 



032;?. 

 63,23. 



Doctor, W. S. Bidweil. 

 Guess, W. S. Bidweil. 

 Psyche, A. W. Perego. 



Dainty, H. Montague. 



6320. Scipio At'ricanus, J.D. Van 

 Buren. 



6321. Sport, J. P. Lucas. 

 PUGS. 



6326. 

 6327. 



6328. 

 032H. 

 0330. 



o 131, 

 6332. 



6333. 

 6334. 

 0305. 



0347. 

 0-J4S. 



6:350. 

 6351. 



0352. 



0353, 



6350. 

 6357. 

 6^58. 

 635?. 

 6361. 

 6362. 



6321. Gypsev, J. J. Hooley. 

 East Lake Virgic, Mrs. Al. 0335. Midget, E. Montague. 

 G. Eberhart. 



ST. BERNARDS— Rough-Coated. 

 Alpha, W. H. Auld. 6336. Lady Nettie. P. E. Lamb. 



Canada's Merchant Prince, 6337. Langfortl, A. Hoysradt. 



W. H. Auld. 6338. Lilly Belle. J. D. Nevius. 



Dom Pedro, C. D. Cugle. 0339. Moate Chiasto,J. J. Conner. 

 Folko, J. E. Stryker. 6340. Neva, Okas. Herring. 



Gertrude, A. T. Churchill. 6341. Niuo. Warren F. Daniels. 

 Ms. Wm. Roome, 6342. Prince, A. B. Vanlilaricom. 



Jack of Diamonds, C. E. L. 6343. Prince Mercnant, Joseph 



Kinnear. Hellen. 

 Juliette, D. Driseoll. 6344. Queen, F. Stott. 



Lariie Beruic, W. H. Auld. 63 15. Romeo, D. Driseoll 

 Lady Gay, A. B. Vanblari- 6346. Schyler, W. H. Stott. 

 com. 



Smooth-Coated. 

 Apolloua, John Keevan. 6319. Queen Miranda, H. S. Pit- 

 Cnang, Albert R. Helmer. kiu. 



SE r IE US— English Settebs. 

 Royal Albert, Jr., Chas. F. Murphy. 



Gordon Setters. 

 Don, P. B. Garland. 



Irish Setters. 

 Dash G., Mr. Gordon. 0351. Doctor, G. H. Sagendorf. 



Duke of Leinster, L. J. 6355. Ruddy, Arthur Bender. 

 Knapp. 



SPANIELS— Cumber Spaniels. 

 Rake, W. C. McMahon. 



Field and Cocker Spaniels. 

 Anite, E. Shirely. 



TERRIERS— Black and Tan Terriers. 

 King, A. W. Smith. 



Bull-Terriers. 

 Ginger, Abott Lawrence. 6360. Little Sam, A. H. Simonds, 



Scotch Terriers. 

 Swift, Wm. E. HofL 



Yorkshire Terriers. 

 Tatter Deux, John L. Lincoln. 



THE A. K. C. PRONUNCIAMENTO.— Editor Forest 

 and Stream: The vacuity of the A. K. C. is again shown in 

 the late deliverance of its secretary on that dreadful buga- 

 boo "speculative" shows. At what meeting oi the Executive 

 Committee was it determined that the use of its rules by 

 gentiles and barbarians was forbidden by the A. K. G. ? Who 

 authorized the f ulmination <°f an edict f raught with conse- 

 quences so dire ? Whea was there ever a show '-under the 

 auspices" of the A. K. C. ? Does the fundamental principle 

 that a secretary is merely the clerk of the body he officiates 

 for find an exception iu the case of the A. K. C. ? The duties 

 of a secretary hegin aud end wit h recording the acts of his 

 organization and making them public iu the required way. 

 Who ever heard of his having either legislative or judicial 



