Nov. 10, 1817.1 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



S13 



INDIANA FIELD TRIALS. 



rpHE entries for the Indiana Kennel Club's first annual 

 X trials at Bicknel, Ind., Nov. 7, came too late for publi- 

 cation last week. The list is as follows: 



ALL-AGED STAKE. 



CHANGE (S. H. Socwell), black and white setter dog (Dash- 

 ing Don— Daisey Starlight). 



TOPST W. (M, R. Williams), black, white and tan setter 

 titch (Sweep— Lady rape). 



LARK P. (Curtis Wright), black, white, and tan setter dog 

 (Glen— Topsey 8.). 



Jim Blaise (Joseph Becker), orange and white setter dog 

 (Don Nilson— Nellie B.). 



PoLLrll. (J. B. Stoddard), white and black ticked setter 

 bitch (Josh Whiteomb— Polly). 



Ben Laniek (Harry S. New) lemon and white pointer dog 

 (Jo Bowers ). 



KING Don (King Don Pointer Kennels), seal brown, white 

 and ticked pointer dog (Vandovort's Don— Vandevort's 

 Luck). 



Gladdes (P. Tindolph), black, white and tan setter bitch 

 (Gladstone— Sanborn 's Nellie). 



Pendragon (S. II. Socwell), black, white and tan setter 

 dog (Count Noble— Floy i. 



Jack W. (E. M. Usher), orange and white setter dog (Sar- 

 gent—Eva). 



THE DERBY. 



Zetta King Don (J. B. Carnahan) lemou and white pointer 

 bitch (King Don— Queen Faust). 



Glennis (II. A. Comstock), red Irish setter bitch (Chief- 

 Grace Glencho). 



Queen ok Tennessee (W. A. Evans), black, white and 

 tan setter biteli ( Gath's Hope— Freda). 



Cherrystone (Devonshire Kennels), liver and white 

 pointer bitch (Trinket's Bang — Pearlstone). 



Log Roy (Royal Robinson), liver and white setter bitch 

 (San Roy- Nettle). 



Daisy Roy (Royal Robinson), liver, white, and tan setter 

 bitch (San Hoy— Nettle). 



DASH (John A. Hunter), red Irish setter dog (Royal C— 

 Belle). 



Shot (Joseph Bicker), red and white cross-bred setter dog 

 ( Nellie B.). 



Link (Geo, Sluthour), liver and white pointer dog (pedigree 

 not given). 



Rose (Harry S. New), red Irish setter bitch (Elcho ). 



A RACCOON HUNT. 



THERE may be more invigorating and health-preserving 

 sport than hunting the raccoon, but there certainly is 

 nothing fraught with so much danger. Our party of five left 

 Philadelphia last week bound for Peach Bottom, an isolated 

 village on the banks of the Susquehanna, for a week's gun- 

 ning. We had scarcely reached our destination and washed 

 our hands at the Hotel de Bostick before the subject of coon 

 bunting was broached, every one expressing themselves 

 favorable to a trial. It was impossible to go that evening, 

 so a date was fixed ts suit all parties and the matter dropped 

 until it was time to start. How we occupied our time 

 between the proposition and the date fixed is scarcely worthy 

 of mention, suffice to say that not being experienced gunners, 

 we traversed miles of bills and woodland without bagging 

 much of the coveted game. Anyhow, the night arrived for 

 the discomfiture of the coons. Upon the man arriving 

 with three of the best foxhounds we have seen for some 

 time, we prepared ourselves for the chase. 



At about nine o'clock we started out, nine in the party. 

 The night was intensely black and only for the useful lan- 

 terns which we had there would probably have been some 

 trouble ere we had traversed 100yds., the roads being a little 

 more rugged than our main thoroughfare of Philadelphia. 

 After walking about a mile we were brought to a stand by 

 the owner of the dogs calling a halt. In the quiet of the 

 night he had heard the distinct howl of his favorite hound 

 yelping as only foxhounds can when on a hot trail. After 

 carefully listening we were informed that the dogs had treed 

 a coon about half a mile away and nearly at the top of a 

 mountain. The next question was how to reach them. The 

 hill where we stood was certainly too steep, being nearly per- 

 pendicular, so walking a little distance we found a more in- 

 viting entry and made a start upon bands and knees, carry- 

 ing our lanterns on our arm. We had not proceeded many 

 steps before one of the party missed his footing and in less 

 time than it takes to tell it, was precipitated to the bottom 

 again. Ho vever, not being fatally injured he mad _ another 

 attempt and finally caught up to the party, using language 

 "not suitable for publication." With several scratches from 

 briers, stabs from locust thorns, we finally reached the dogs 

 at the bottom of a sycamore at least 60ft. high. There was 

 no doubt as to the coon being here, as these dogs are never 

 false. The youngest of the party then ascended the tree 

 while the dogs at once stationed themselves at intervals a 

 little below the tree waiting for their prey to be shaken 

 down. 



In some cases the tree is cut down, but not where it is ac- 

 cessible by a good ascensionist. When near the top the. boy 

 located the object of his search, and gave warning to the 

 people below to be on their guard. He then reached the 

 limb whereon Mr. Coon was reposing. With a couple of 

 good shakes the animai made a leap downward, striking in 

 his descent an old limb, which snapped off and caused quite 

 a discomfiture among the dogs, for they followed the broken 

 limb instead of the coon, and the coon gained a fair ad van - 

 tauge in the run. The dogs trailed him for about a mile, 

 finally driving him to earth at the foot of some rocks, in a 

 dangerous place for the party to venture. In fact, had it 

 been daylight instead of night, I would not have risked my 

 neck for the best farm in the locality, and I can safely 

 answer for the rest of our party. With the aid of pipes and 

 cigars we endeavored to drive our friend from his earthly 

 home with smoke, but he evidently was used to fumigation 

 or had another exit, for our efforts were fruitless and the 

 bole was abandoned. 



After a tramp up hill and down dale for another hour, the 

 dogs all this tune working assiduously, we heard a word of 

 warning from the oldest of the three to the effect that a 

 second coon had been driven to a tree. The hill we climbed 

 this time was even worse than the first, being thickly over- 

 grown with laurels and locusts. However, we managed, 

 after an unusual amount of exertion on the part of the fat 

 man of the party, to land at the dogs, who were barking at 

 an old dead tree with two butts, and both of them hollow. 

 For some unlucky reason, we started to smoke the most in- 

 viting trunk, thinking the coon must be there, but he evi- 

 dently had escaped, much to the dissatisfaction of the dogs, 

 who knew more about it than we did. Iu the attempt to 

 smoke the tree the lieutenant of the party had set fire to it, 

 and do all in our power we could not extinguish the flames. 

 The hunt bow looked as though it would terminate in a for- 

 est fire, the tree being surrounded by dead leaves and timber; 

 but with the shrewdness of old foresters, our chaperone 

 took charge of the situation and ordered a space cleared all 

 around the tree, and then awaited developments. The sight 

 in itself was grand, but the outlook was not so rosy, the idea 

 of inceudiarism striking us in our weak points. Luckily, 

 however, we prevented further damage after two hours' hard 

 work. 



; Some of the most nervous of the party wanted to give up 

 the chase at this point, but the majority persuaded them to 

 continue, so on we went. We had traveled now upward of 

 ten milesv which would surely he eiqual to fifteen along good 



roads; but bent on killing a coon we proceeded. In the 

 course of half an hour the captain beard the dogs and was 

 informed by their tonguing that they had treed a possum. 

 When half a mile away the owner of' the dogs could tell by 

 the tongue what they were after, coon, fox, possum or pole- 

 cat; and could easily define whether it was hoied or treed. 



We ascended the hill and sure enough the possum was 

 treed. To make sure of this fellow we had to shoot him, 

 the tree being too small to climb. The gunshot struck his 

 hindquarters and down he came; but no sooner had he done so 

 than away he went like the wind, followed by the clogs who 

 grabbed him before he had gone 30yds. and* soon bad him 

 disemboweled. We descended the hill with much difficulty, 

 our lieutenat coming down in a sitting posture, from the ef- 

 fects of which he is to-day eating his meals standing up. 



The success we had attained in killing a possum seemed 

 to appease our appetite for coon hunting, so we decided to 

 return home along the Peach Bottom Railroad. We were 

 now about three miles from the hotel at 2 o'clock in the 

 morning with our lights burut out. This state of affairs 

 looked rather gloomy with three miles of narrow-gauge 

 between lis to tramp on, the Susquehanna on one side and 

 deep precipices on the other. However, we concluded to 

 start, and any one who has tramped on a narrow-gauge rail- 

 road at 2 o'clock in the morning can imagine our discom- 

 fiture and sympathize. We reached the hotel about 3 

 o'clock and were welcomed by the cook, who, always on the 

 lookout to please, had prepared us some quail on toast. 

 The remainder of our trip was spent gunning for birds with 

 fair success. We could advise our readers to give this place 

 a trial in a month's time for ducks, as they are very plenti- 

 ful. S. 



PHiLADEnrniA, Pa. 



PERFORMING WOLVES AT THE WESTMINSTER 

 AQUARIUM. 



THE directors of this popular pleasure resort have pro- 

 vided a good many rare shows for the amusement of 

 the public, but nothing so perfectly strange and new has 

 been produced as Mr. Rudesmdo Roche's troupe of trained 

 wolves. Performing dogs are plentiful enough, we have a 

 troupe of eleven horses at the Avenue Theatre, we had 

 Gougou and his learned pig at the circus last Christmas, 

 elephants, too, and all kinds of wild animals have been 

 trained to do tricks for public entertainment, but wolves are 

 something quite new in this line. The afternoon perform- 

 ance that 1 attended at the Aquarium I learned afterward 

 is not so complete as that gone through iu the evening. 

 When I arrived Mr. Roche was in the middle of his "show." 

 A high railing is fixed round the Aquaria stage, and the 

 cart containing the sixteen wolves, each in a separate com- 

 partment, is wheeled into this ring. The proprietor, attired 

 m a military costume, directs his pupifs by voice, and carries 

 for his protection nothing but a couple of whips, one of the 

 short riding description, and the other like an ordinary 

 driving whip. The first impression the sight of these crea- 

 tures makes upon a doggy man is their resemblance to a 

 smooth gray collie with prick ears. They go through all 

 the regular tricks of the ring — standing on chairs, leaping 

 over hurdles, etc. I was rather struck with the surly man- 

 ner in which they did everything— there was very little of 

 that pleasure in their work that dogs exhibit so strongly. 

 The whip has to be brough t into play very frequently, out 

 never unnecessarily. One can easily see that these savage 

 brutes, however well trained, can hardly be called tamed. 

 A snarl accompanies everything they do, and when rated 

 they crouch like a beaten dog, curl up their lips, and snap 

 viciously at the whip— and emit a very canine yelp when 

 punished. They know perfectly well what they are told to 

 do, but they have to be made to do it. Some of them are 

 less ferocious; one or two are even friendly. I noticed also 

 that when Mr. Roche praised these they wagged their tails 

 with pleasure and "grinned" like collies. The effect is very 

 uncanny as they trot round the ■ in closure, with light, 

 stealthy, springy steps, and their shifty eyes watching the 

 master, who gives his commands with sharp precision, and 

 they obey the command with military quickness. Two of 

 them mounted a table and then clambered up one on each of 

 Mr. Roche's arms and balanced themselves there, at the 

 same time licking his face; he then let them take meat out 

 of his mouth. The last turn is putting his head into the 

 mouth of one of them. When the performance is at an end 

 the pack are kenneled one by one. In the cart are two rows 

 of dens, one above the other, and eight in each; at a distance 

 they look like lockers with the doors open. Each wolf, as 

 he is called by name, springs into his compartment and the 

 door is closed. The last, when summoned, took no notice of 

 the order, but rolled about on his back just like a dog play- 

 ing. When Mr. Roche prodded him with Ms foot and told 

 him get up, the wolf made an angry snap at his master, who 

 immediately stooped down, and grasping the vicious beast 

 by the neck, picked it up, carried it across the stage and 

 thrust it into its den. Mr. Roche afterward informed us that 

 he had received a remonstrance from some well-meaning 

 people about using the whip too freely, but taking the 

 ferocious and treacherous nature of the creatures into con- 

 sideration, we must admit we were surprised to see so little 

 of it. A severe flick is required to make an impression, as 

 their coat and hide are very thick. It requires extraordinary 

 force of will to keep the lot in order when they are all loose 

 on the stage. During the second representation at the 

 Aquarium, the lot started fighting. Mr. Roche was not able 

 to restore order until one of the animals got so terribly 

 mauled that it expired shortly after, and their owner did not 

 escape Avithout several severe bites ou his hands, but a few 

 wounds more or less do not trouble him in the l«ast, his 

 arms, legs, body and face are covered with scars inflicted by 

 his lupine friends. 



Having asked the superintendent of the building, Mr. 

 Lingley, for an introduction, I was astonished on being pre- 

 sented to Mr. Rudesindo Roche to find the great man of a 

 stature much below the average height. He laughed when 

 I remarked upon this to him, and said it was only the effect 

 of his military "make up" which gave him on the stage the 

 appearance of being a tall man. However, what be lacks in 

 height Mr. Roche makes up in breadth and general massive- 

 ness. He speaks many languages and becomes very agree- 

 ably communicative when we struck common ground— dogs. 

 "Why," he said, smiling, "it was through dogs that 1 Be- 

 came a public performer as a tamer of wild animals, I will 

 tell you all about it- In the first place, I am a Spaniard, 

 but t speak German well, from having been established some 

 years in Hamburg as a wine merchant; that is really my 

 business. I was always an animal lover, and in Hamburg I 

 owned several big Ulmer dogs, what you call boarhounds, I 

 think, and a few horses. I trained all of them, dogs and 

 horses, to such perfection that I became the talk of the 

 town. When, therefore, a well-known circus came to us, the 

 lion tamer gave me a call and appeared struck with the con- 

 trol I had over my animals. 1 told him I could train any 

 animal. He immediately offered to bet me £250 that he 

 would name an animal I could not. I accepted the bet, and 

 he named the wolf! I confess I felt astonished, and when I 

 went to the Hamburg Zoo to have a look at the breedj I saw 

 I had my work cut out to train these uneasy, restless beasts. 

 Well, 1 started with five wolves, which I obtained from Mr. 

 Carl Hagenbeck. the animal dealer in Germany. He got 

 them from Russia. They were about eighteen months old. 

 Whether I won my bet? Certainly I did; in one year they 

 knew as much as my dogs. I had done this for my private 

 satisfaction, but you can imagine my tame wolves were 

 talked about, and the next thing in my history is when 

 the Hamburger WeinTiftrndler makes his first public bow 



as a wild-animal trainer, dressed in a semi-mi litary uniform, 

 and surrounded by his wolves at the Reichshalle in Berlin. 

 That was five years ago, and my contract with the manage- 

 ment was £150* for fourteen days' engagement. Before I was 

 allowed thus to make public exhibition of myself, I had been 

 obliged to conquer strong domestic prejudices against the 

 stage, and so forth. When the curtain went up, Lfelt nerv- 

 ous for the first time in my life — that was stage fright — but 

 it soon wore off as the loud plaudits approved each part of 

 the performance; the success was enormous. When the cur- 

 tain fell I cried with delight. I remained in Berlin five 

 months, and from then abandoned the wine trade for my 

 new career. Since that I have, appeared in Paris, Moscow, 

 St. Petersburg, Vienna, etc. 1 also got together a regular 

 circus of my own, and six trained stags that I then owned 

 were great ly admired. In Russia an incendiary set fire to my 

 circus, and all was burnt, vans, properties, horses, stasis, 

 wolves, everything!" "What did you do then?" I asked. 

 He gave up the circus idea, and started off to Siberia and 

 caught twenty-seven wild wolves, but six of them died cm. 

 rot/fc from the bites they received in fighting with one an- 

 other. Asked how long it took him to train a wild wolf, Mr. 

 Roche replied he had taught four fresh arrivals to perform 

 in public within twenty-nine days. I expressed my astonish- 

 ment upon hearing this, and also my wonder that with his 

 small physique, he was able to control such savage brutes, 

 who appear to be always on the alert for a chance of attack- 

 ing him, "It is evident you don'tdo it by force," I said, with 

 a smile. "Ah," replied Mr. Roche, "you fire ouly half right. 

 Look here," and he rolled up his sleeves, exhibiting to my 

 astounded gaze the most magnificent arm I have ever seen 

 on a man; even Jem Smith, the doughty champion of the 

 prize-ring, could not show against this enormous mass of 

 muscle. 



"That Is one of my secrets," said the tamer, enjoying the 

 surprise I could not hide, "and now you will understand 

 why I can so easily support a wolf weighing about lOOlbs. 

 on each arm outstretched. My strength is enormous; but 

 you want to know my process — it is kindness backed by 

 force. This is how I proceed with the raw material. I carry 

 the wild beast in bis box into an inclosure, and then knock 

 the lid off. As he crawls out I face him with nothing in the 

 shape of protection but gloves on my hands. The wolf, you 

 know, is a crafty coward, and seldom commences an attack. 

 If the beast when hesees me, walks away with his head down 

 and looking furtively at me, I know at once he is good-temp- 

 pered, that is, for a wolf; but if he stands crouching and curl- 

 ing his lips, I know I have got a job before me. But which- 

 ever they are it is necessary for my purpose that they should 

 fly at me, in order that I may have the opportunity to show 

 the wolf that I am his master. This is the first le'sson and 

 the key to all that follows. I endeavor to make a good im- 

 pression at the start. Well, the wolf crouches for his spring; 

 1 stand waiting with my hands ready; as he jumps I catch 

 him in the air by the throat, and thus holding him, clutched 

 with a grip of iron, his jaw forced open by the muscular 

 strain, [draw his face slowly to mine and bite his snout, 

 and keep my teeth there, till he whines, when I fling hi m 

 away, and with angry words and scowl order him into his 

 cage; the bewildered, baffled and beaten creature sneaks 

 away like a whipped cur. After that the wolf is my humble, 

 if uncertain servant. Though some of them once bitten are 

 not twice shy, and require a second dose; the rest of the 

 training is the same as with other wild animals. I never 

 use the whip in training. Twice a year, of course, the wolf 

 is subject to sexual disturbances, becomes savage and has to 

 be 'bitten' again." 



"Owing to their treacherous character, ' ' I said, ' T presume 

 you can place no reliance upon them, and so you are always 

 more or less in danger during the performance?" "It is that 

 which makes my show particularly acceptable to the public," 

 replied Mr. Roche, smiling. "You are bitten sometimes, I 

 suppose?" "Bitten, I should think so; look, here and here," 

 pointing to long scars on his face and. hands, "and all over 

 my body." "Have the whole lot ever turned upon you dur- 

 ing a performance?" "Yes, once; the management one even- 

 ing informed me that the Emperor of Austria was coming, 

 and having heard so much of His Majesty's prowess as a 

 sportsman, I devised a special feature for him. The cage 

 was wheeled into the iron-railed-in ring, and I walked into 

 the ring covered with strips of raw meat, freshly cut, wound 

 round my arms', flung over my shoulders and all about my 

 body, at a signal the doors of the dens flew open, and the 

 whole of the wolves leaped out, smelled the flesh, and not 

 heeding my yells, flung themselves upon me. 1 fought des- 

 perately for a few moments and then swooned. The specta- 

 tors were horror-struck. When my man saw me on the 

 ground he rushed in and attacked the wolves. They immedi- 

 ately left my prostrate form and turned upon him. Just 

 then I came round, and, struggling to my feet, went to my 

 man's rescue. How ever we both got out I shall never 

 realize. I fainted again outside, and was in bed many weeks 

 before the scars, which were of a shocking nature, healed up. 

 My man was also badly bitten. The Emperor, I must tell 

 you, had me treated with the greatest kindness, and was 

 much upset by the fearful sight he had witnessed." 



After listening to this blood-curdling account, I did not 

 jump at Mr. Roche's invitation to go and inspect the wolves 

 behind the stage; still I went, as I wanted to see their mouths 

 and the whips he uses. The latter are of the ordinary kind, 

 there is no spike fixed to the end, as some people have sup- 

 posed, when they saw Mr. Roche turn the butt to a wolf 

 snapping at him; the animal then bites into the handle, and 

 the tamer at once takes it by the throat. The whips are 

 covered with the marks of their teeth. The trainer always 

 wears gloves, because if bitten, the tooth enters clean into 

 his flesh, the leather of the gloves cleaning off any dirt or 

 foam. Their teeth, especially the long side fang teeth, are 

 terrible to contemplate. I felt the thick dense mane of one 

 of them, and have mentally congratulated myself that I had 

 not lost my hand over it, was turning to emit the stage when 

 Mr. Roche" said, "Ah! but we have not seen my bear-dog yet. 

 Bring him along," this to his servant, who dragged forth a 

 large heavy animal of the German mastiff kind. It has a 

 short red coat, a big unshapely head, and, as it is still grow- 

 ing, may make up in height to equal its bulk. Its owner 

 has taken it into the ring several times, but the poor beast 

 gets punished too much by the sly bites the wolfs give him. 

 Mr, Roche tells us the wolves eat ISOlbs. of horseflesh a day. 

 He never feeds them himself, for the same reason, he said, 

 that he does not like, very young wolves to begin with; they 

 get too friendly and familiar, and will not pay attention, 

 and when spoken to angrily just fawn about his leg^s. Mr. 

 Roche is now teaching his pupils to sing, and in saying this 

 and good-bye he slyly mentioned that he did not thinlc the 

 vocal artistes at the Aquarium like it much, as the wolves 

 have not the good manners to wait for the chorus. — (?. R. K. 

 in th-c Stock-Keeper. 



THE RICH AND RARE AND SANDY JIM RACE. — 

 Hutchinson, Kas.,Nov. 22, 1887.— Editor Forest and Stream; 

 By request 1 send you particulars of the side-race which was 

 to* have been run on the grounds of the American Coursing 

 Club the week following the coursing meet, between. Dr. Q. 

 Van Hummel's dog Rich and Rare and Mr. M. E. Allison's 

 dog Sandy Jim, On Saturday, Oct, 22, Mr. Allison gave me 

 810 and told me to go to Dr. Van Hummel and arrange a 

 match for $20 a side, between Rich and Rare and Mr. Alli- 

 son's Terry, to be run the following Monday, Mr. H. C. 

 Lowe to judge; best three out of live courses; stakes to be 

 §50 if preferred. Dr. Van Hummel agreed to run Terry on 

 Monday for $20. At my request, Mr. W. W. Carney (the 

 owner of the ranch where the club grounds are situated) was 

 given Mr. Allison's 810 and chosen to act as stakeholder; and 



