March 14, 1889.] 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



159 



his feet are defective his chances of winning are very small. 

 They should be like the cat's, close, compact and thick 

 through the pads. This form will allow him to travel over 

 yocks and stones, through plowed fields with perfect safety, 

 while the. splay footed, thin-padded foot will soou hecome 

 sore, and in a newly turned held entirely swamp the dog, 

 while the better footed one goes galloping past imgrand 

 Style. 



Much of the success in a greyhound depends upon the 

 heart and lungs, and to insure their perfect freedom of 

 action it is necessary that the chest be deep and the ribs 

 well sprung. Flat-si dec! dogs are rarely ever fast, and should 

 one perchance be run across it would be found that he was 

 utterly unable to gallop for any length of time, but be 

 relegated to the list of those useful only for rabbit coursing, 

 where the quarry is quickly killed or run into its wan-en. 



At no time is the ml 1 value of a good, broad, nicely arched, 

 strong back better demonstrated than when the hare is 

 forced from its original course by the dog or leaves it by its 

 Own volition. When the turn comes and both dogs are 

 nearly side by side, the weaker backed one will gallop far 

 beyond the hare, from his inability to turn quickly, while 

 the stronger will be able to recover himself the quicker and 

 so score the greater number of points. The mere fact of a 

 greyhound having killed its hare is no evidence of his having 

 won the stakes, for there are many instances where the kill- 

 ing has been done by one dog while the other scored all the 

 ■points. 



The hindquarters are virtually the propelling power of the 

 dog, and unless they are properly formed in all respects the 

 value of the dog is decreased in proportion to the defect. 

 They should be strong and muscular, the stifles well bent, 

 and the more cimeter-like in form the greater the power. 

 "Well let-down hocks indicate greater leverage and conse- 

 quent increased speed. The tail, the steering apparatus of 

 the greyhound, should be as near rat-like as possible. With 

 coursers its fineness is of little consideration provided the 

 remainder of the doe can gallop fast and stay as well, but 

 with those who exhibit their dogs at the shows this part of 

 his anatomy is looked upon as indicating to some degree the 

 breeding. 



As the uses of the greyhound are speed, coupled with 

 ability to undergo a punishing course to a successful issue, 

 the matter of color is of no moment whatever, and as a result 

 of such a conviction we have nearly all the colors imagin- 

 able. Red, red and white, and vice versa, black, black and 

 white, and white and black are the colors most frequently 

 met with, while the less common are pure white, red or 

 black brindle, blue, solid or mixed with white. 



That careful and intelligent breeding is generally produc- 

 tive of good results cannot be better illustrated than by 

 glancing over the coursing items of our English contem- 

 poraries, where page after page is devoted to that one sub- 

 ject. "Like produces like;" and so it is we see the best blood 

 so perfectly intermingled that the strains now before the 

 public are capable of performing prodigies both in speed as 

 well as endurance. If our own breeders will study closely 

 the lessous the coursers of the old world have given them, 

 the improvement in this magnificent breed of dogs will be 

 in perfect harmony with the wonderful strides we are mak- 

 ing in all athletic and out-of-door sports. 



Of the temper and disposition of the greyhound enough 

 cannot be said in praise; gentle in the extreme, affectionate 

 and intelligent as a spaniel where he is made a companion 

 of; peaceable with other dogs, yet able to hold his own with 

 the very worst of them when attacked, using his powerful 

 jaws and lancet-like teeth with killing effect; especially 

 attached to his master, from whom he cannot be easily 

 weaned; proud and aristocratic in his bearing to a marked 

 degree; these qualities coupled with his great value in the 

 coursing field recommend him to the especial favor of the 

 dog-loving world. H. W. Httntimgton. 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



In reading your paper of Jan. 31, 1 notice some remarks on 

 coursing, by Mr. H. W. Huntington, in answer to a letter 

 written by Dr. Van Hummel. As my greyhounds are 

 mentioned in their correspondence, will you allow me space 

 for a few lines? 



I quite agree with Mx. Huntington in his able letter that 

 those interested in coursing cannot do better than go to 

 England and select some high-priced greyhounds. It would 

 be to the interest of coursing if a few sportsmen would take 

 bold and show the same spirit in the selection of greyhounds 

 as our shooting friends do in selecting pointers and setters, 

 we should then soon have coursing taking high rank among 

 our field sports, but Mr. Huntington infers that my impor- 

 tations are. not quite, costly enough for this country. Allow 

 nie to put him right on this point. 



My imported White Lips, who ran so well last year in this 

 country, was never bred or owned by Mr. Dent, but she was 

 very highly tried as a puppy. She won the first time she 

 came out, taking the Med way puppy stakes at the Hoo Club 

 meeting, in her next race she filled the nomination of that 

 well known and rare judge of a good greyhound, Mr. Miller, 

 owner of Misterton, m the Newmarket Champion Stakes, 

 one of the most important puppy stakes in England. Mr. 

 Miller is not a likely man to run anything but a well tried 

 puppy, when he could have the pick of so many good ones. 

 During the latter part of the season of 1888 the kennel 

 White Lips was trained in as a puppy was somewhat neg- 

 lected, consequently the greyhounds in that establishment 

 did not show their true form. 



If Mr. Huntington will refer back to the Waterloo Cup 

 winners, he will find that many winners of that important 

 event, like White Lips, did not show their best form as pup- 

 pies; no better example, than last year's winner, Burnaby, 

 who was a second-season dog when purchased by Mr. L. 

 Pilkington, his present owner, for £40. It is the same with 

 greyhounds as it is with race horses. We have heard the 

 most experienced trainers say that when a youngster has 

 once shown fine form, if he appears to lose it for a season, he 

 will in most cases come back to that good form again, unless 

 he meets with an accident; so I think it will puzzle Mr. 

 Huntington or any one else to know how good White Lips 

 may have been when she ran at Great Bend last year. So 

 the' American greyhounds must not be passed over so hastily 

 and pronounced so very bad because White Lips led and 

 beat them. Let Mr. Huntington give us all the pleasure of 

 his society this year at Great Bend, and let him bring along 

 one of these §5,000 greyhounds he speaks of. And he must 

 not return to the East feeling discouraged should White 

 Lips lead and beat this high-priced one. No greyhound can 

 have more good running blood in her veins than this bitch. 



My other imported bitch Partera is by Mortimer, a son of 

 the celebrated Coomassie, twice a winner of the Waterloo 

 Cup, out of Mrs. Junks, by Lord of Avon. This bitch has 

 two crosses of the mnch sought for David blood in her. I 

 got Partera quite as a personal favor from Mr. L. Pilking- 

 ton, owner of Bumaby, last year's winner of Waterloo Cup. 

 I cannot do better that quote his own words in a letter to my 

 brother: "I should advise your taking Partera instead of 

 Patrosa, for I think she is the better greyhound; she is much 

 better looking; she is a particularly fine bitch; indeed, I 

 seldom have had a better looking one, and she is grandly 

 bred. Both bitches are grand stayers." 



My latest importation, Lord Neversettle, is by Jester out 

 of Mr. Stone's Squirrel. This combines the best racing 

 blood in England at the present time. Jester is the sire of 

 Huic Holloa, and many other winners, and is own brother 

 to Paris, sire of Miss Glendyne and Princess Dagmar, both 

 winners of the Waterloo Clip. Lord Neversettle won three 

 courses in the Gosforth Derby (64 dogs) with the best tried 

 puppies. He was only beaten by Garraoci, one of the divid- ' 



ers of the stake. Lord Neversettle divided the Partington 

 stakes at Heatley. We can state without fear of contradic- 

 tion that it is the opinion of many of the best judges in 

 England that Lord NeverBettle is one of the fastest dogs of 

 the present day. 



The Sporting Life of Jan. 5, published in London, Eng., 

 makes the fol lowing remarks: "The greyhound Lord Never- 

 settle, by Jester out of Squirrel, has just been shipped to 

 Hutchinson, Kansas, U. S. A., and from his marvellously 

 good breeding should prove a worthy sire to the. stud." 



In conclusion let me say that a greyhound, like a young 

 racehorse, must be selected by his racing points, and good 

 blood, here lies the great secret in purchasing your grey- 

 hounds in England. Do not be led away with the idea that 

 only £1,000 can get you a good one. Let a greyhound 

 have fine shoulders, a strong neck, short back, well sprung 

 ribs, and a powerful loin, so he can gallop rouud a table, 

 and with big quarters to send him up the hills, and above 

 all, good legs and feet; built on these lines, he is as good 

 on the show bench as he is on the coursing field. 



I hope before the year is out to have the pleasure of meet- 

 ing Mr. Huntington at one, of our big bench shows. He 

 must not be surprised if be finds one of my imported grey- 

 hounds a hard nut to crack. H. C. Lowe. 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



Mr. D. N. Heizer, of Great Bend, Kas., one of the most 

 prominent members and officers of the American Coursing 

 Club, spent a few days in Chicago last week, and it was my 

 pleasure to have a talk with him about the greyhounds and 

 the jack rabbits of his vicinity. Mr. Heizer is pleased to 

 note that at recent English sales Jester stock has brought 

 even better figures than those demanded for the saplings 

 had over by Great Bend men last year. These dogs ne re- 

 ports as developing and doing finely. Trales has come into 

 a considerable demand as a stud dog. With true gamenoss, 

 Mr. Heizer insists that he will go away with the money next 

 year. 



Mr. Heizer informs me that Bessie Lee, winner of the All- 

 Aged last October, has lately changed hands in rather a 

 singular manner. Bessie Lee was bred by Uncle Bobby 

 Smart, and after the decision last fall Uncle Bobby claimed 

 that he had only given Mrs. Luse the puppy upon the con- 

 dition that if she won, he, Uncle Bobby, should have back 

 either the bitch or her winnings, there being no actual con- 

 veyance of title. Sale of the bitch was effected to one Riden- 

 ower, to whom entered Uncle Bobby with a navy six, and 

 persuaded him he didn't want Bessie Lee. In the ensuing 

 replevin suit Uncle Bobby was awarded possession of Bessie 

 Lee. Rather an unfortunate affair all around, it seems. If 

 the. bitch hadn't won there wouldn't, have beeu any trouble. 

 Mr. Luse will therefore not nominate Bessie Lee next 

 October. 



Kansas has had one of her Italian winters this season, 

 and the jack rabbits could not do •therwise than thrive. 

 Mr. Heizer says that a week or so ago a small party took 

 seven good greyhounds and went over to Amos Johnson's 

 farm, toward Ellinwood, for a little run. There had been a 

 light snow and a cold wind, and the jacks not having stirred 

 about much were well gaunted and speedy. There were 

 nine jacks started, and out of the nine only one was caught; 

 although the whole seven of the greyhounds were slipped. 

 This result was in nowise due to the inferiority of the dogs, 

 but to the superiority of t';>.e hares. Take a strong jack rab- 

 bit that has been gaunted for a day, and it will require an 

 exceptionally good brace to kill, and no single greyhound 

 will do it on a clear field and with a good start allowed. 

 Quite different from rabbit-baiting, this ! It cannot be too 

 strongly emphasized that coursing, as conducted at the 

 American Club meet, is a sport rightly so called, possessing 

 all the elements thereto, and devoid of all the quality of 

 onesideness or certainty in the event. There is no sport 

 more fascinating, and the meets above mentioned grow like 

 a rolled snowball, from the fact that each visitor comes ne'xt 

 time and brings his friends. 



Mr. Huntington's late articles on coursing are of interest 

 to a great number of Western readers, who sincerely hope 

 that he and his friends may be present at the next meet of 

 the American^Club, and that in the meantime he may do 

 much to encourage the sending on of dogs whose owners can- 

 not attend. The next annual meeting is going to be a big 

 affair, but it cannot be too big, and there cannot be too many 

 gentlemen like Mr. Huntington present. One thing it is 

 refreshing to be able to say, and that is, that there need be 

 no doubt or hesitation in regard to the quality of the sport 

 which will be had. The meet is no longer a question in 

 any regard, but a success; and especially should it be borne 

 in mind that the supply of hares is assured. More men, 

 more greyhounds and better, more money, more enthusiasm 

 yet, are the things wanted; although there is absolute sup- 

 ply of all these now, there is always room for more. As to 

 the jack rabbits, they just eome up out of the ground, ap- 

 parently. I feel sure that no Eastern gentleman will make 

 the trip to these breezy and clear-aired plains and see the 

 dashing sport of coursing with any shadow of after regret 

 for his time and outlay. Make it a mass meeting of all our 

 greyhound men next year. There are plenty of surprises in 

 store for the next meet. Let the greatest surprise be the 

 general one at the magnitude of the attendance. 



About the success of the American meet there is no ques- 

 tion, but there does seem to be some little question about 

 the credit due to the original effort at inaugurating this 

 success. In Mr. Huntington's later article he remarks: 



In Dr. Van Hummel's reply to my article under the above 

 heading, he gives us an account of the severe struggle he and his 

 co-workers had to brin* coursing in the West to its present state 

 of existence, and tells me how that very few either understood or 

 appreciated its beauties and exhilarating effects; how at their 

 first meet there was scarce a corporal's guard and a very.few 

 dogs, yet how from time to time they have educated, as it were, 

 their brothers to a full appreciation of the glories of eoursing 

 and instilled into them a determination to try conclusions with 

 whoever might care to compete. The result Of the combined 

 efforts of the Doctor and his friends is now plainly visible in the 

 grand exhibition they had at Great Bend last October, and illus- 

 trates most beautifully what can be achieved by dint of hard 

 work and perseverance. My only regret is thai, the genial Doctor 

 could not be induced to remain here in the East a littlo longer, 

 and through the medium of bis enthusiasm instil into same of 

 our greyhound owners a hit of the push, backbone and "get- 

 thereness" which he imparted to his Western friends, resulting 

 finally in the formation of the American Coursing Club. 



There is an unintentional injustice in the statement as it 

 reads, and I should like to correct it, and if Ido Dr. Van Hum- 

 mel injustice thereby, it shall certainly also be uninten- 

 tional. The first part of the paragraph is that which refers 

 to "Dr. Van Hummel and his friends," and the unfairest. 

 part is that which gives the "genial Doctor" more promi- 

 nence and more credit than his friends. The plain fact of 

 the matter is: there is only one man who deserves any men- 

 tionable credit for starting the American Coursing Club, 

 and that man is Dr. G. Irwin Royce, who seems latterly to 

 be rather lost sight of. It was Dr. Royce who gave his time 

 and who gave also of that unpurchasable commodity, enthu- 

 siasm, at a stage when others were holding back. In the 

 first steps of organizing a meet Dr. Royee acted under the 

 backing of a gentleman who guaranteed all expenses, it is 

 true, but it was he who was upon the ground, who gave 

 time and labor and enthusiasm, aud who was, indeed, for 

 the first year at least, the whole club in himself. As to Dr. 

 Van Hummel's "severe struggle," he himself knows as well 

 as all the rest of us that his only severe struggle was to keep 

 from falling off the fence where he sat during the first year. 

 He has been a regular attendant since, just as the other mem- 

 bers, and has wrought his dogs to try to win money, 

 just as the other »embers have; hut whoa it coiaes to 



■peaking of an unselfish and devoted pushing of coursing 

 interests, and a purely impersonal and uumercenary love 

 for the sport, Dr. Van Hummel knows, and so does every 

 man in the club, that there hasn't been a man worth men- 

 tioning by the side of that nervous and fly-away Dr. Royce, 

 who was all over the field at once. Dr. Royce has not won a 

 first as yet, it is true, but he has done his best, and I am sure 

 a great many would rather see him win one than any other 

 contestant. The man is a fool who expects to get credit for 

 his work. The work itself must be the reward, and that 

 itself will soon be forgotten in the rapid drift of men and 

 things. The American Club is growing and changing, and 

 in this growth it is easy to forget the early history of its 

 struggles or to recount it inaccurately. Now, I won't have 

 it that way. I would not and do not disparage Dr. Van 

 Hummel. I would not credit the "genial" Doctor less, but 

 the nervous Doctor more. I want to say that much for Dr. 

 Royce while there is time and opportunity. And next fall, 

 if it should be my pleasure to report this meet, as it has been 

 for each previous meet from the first, I shall be happy to 

 baste Dr. Royce the best I can if he doesn't have his dogs in 

 the slips on time, which is something he never does if be ca n 

 avoid it. He is always looking after some other fellow's dogs. 



The American Clubmen will hope that Mr. Huntington 

 may meetsuccess in stirringup his lethargic Eastern friends. 

 There is no better way of starting a club in the East than to 

 come out and see one m the West. One can do almost any- 

 thing when he feels as if he had to, and I am sure that is 

 the way Mr. Huntington would feel if he saw coursing as 

 "she. is did." As to the question of catching and shipping 

 fifty jack rabbits to the Last, while I do not know the name 

 of an individual to whom I could direct him, I should think 

 it very strange if the jacks could not be found. They might 

 all be dead when they reached their destination, for theyate 

 great fellows to butt out their brains against a cage. There 

 is no more wild and untamable animal than the jack rab- 

 bit, and those who know it say that it can never be tamed 

 at all. Whether it would thrive in the East is a great 

 question. It is native to a high and dry country. 



E. Hough. 



Chicago, Feb. 11. __________ 



The following letters from Mr. M. E. Allison, manager of 

 the National Coursing Association, of Hutchinson, Kas., 

 will be of interest to those who have lately made inquiries 

 about obtaining live jack rabbits for coursing purposes, and 

 will be of yet greater interest as bearing upon the sport of 

 coursing in what may be called its most recent form. The 

 National Association was the first inclosed coursing club to 

 organize in the middle West, and it probably holds more 

 chance for extended growth than any similar association of 

 the country, its only considerable rivals being in California. 

 The first meet, held last October, was given under the most 

 trying circumstances, the necessary details not being com- 

 pleted, chiefly through lack of time. It is to be hoped that 

 the association will be able to get plenty of hares together, 

 and have everything ready for a rousing meet this spring. 

 The establishment of a good spring meet will be of the ut- 

 most interest to coursing men, who now have practically 

 but one meet a year. More than that, if the Hutchinson 

 Association be shown to be a practical working concern, and 

 no doubt appears that such will be the case, it Is almost sure 

 that coursing will be seen all through the East. Mr. Alii 

 son says: 



"Our first meeting we knew would be a partial failure, 

 under the circumstances, at best, but we needed all the 

 assistance and sympathy of our friends instead of condem 

 nation. We all make mistakes and my mistake was to hold 

 the meeting at all. We were unprepared, but we had 

 advertised it, and we had to do something, and we did the 

 best we could under the circumstanses. We are still short 

 of rabbits and if I don't get at least fifty more yet this win- 

 ter I will postpone the spring meeting until fall. We have 

 had no snow and the weather has been so warm that they 

 could not be caught this winter. I have had contracts with 

 California parties to furnish them and they say that has 

 been the trouble there. They have had one drive for me and 

 failed. They are to have another soon and still hope to get 

 them. I will make no more mistakes in holding meetings 

 without rabbits and those well-trained. I have had a great 

 many inquiries as to how the enterprise is getting along 

 and showing anxiety as to its success. It is attracting the 

 attention of prominent showmen. I have got enough rab- 

 bits now to stock up on by waiting for them to breed, and 

 they have done splendidly this winter. It is snowing to - 

 day for the first this winter and if it get deep enough I may 

 be able to get some here yet. Mr. H. C. Lowe is still here 

 working his dogs every day. I have hunted very little this 

 winter and my dogs could not catch a flea. They have had 

 no exercise since the meeting." 



In a letter of Feb. 23 Mr. M. E. Allison says: "I am very 

 much afraid we will not be able to hold our spring meeting 

 on account of lack of rabbits. They are the hardest thing's 

 to get I ever saw. I have had several contracts with Cali- 

 fornia parties to furnish them, and sent them money to buy 

 boxes, and they have held drives for our benefit and so far 

 have failed. I shall not advertise the meet or do anything 

 until I am sure everything is all O. K. The weather is 

 against us this winter. 



"I have built a track from the mouth of the chute to the 

 escape about twenty feet wide as smooth as a floor. I took 

 the sod all off and leveled it up like a broad road, and I 

 think when a dog gets after one on that road he will just 

 fly through there. The rabbit will be trained to know his 

 only means of escape is at the lower end, and the closer he 

 is pressed the more apt he is to keep this track. I shall 

 build a brush fence about a rod in front of the escape, so 

 that a rabbit can get away from the dogs before he goes 

 through the escape. I have arranged a very good device for 

 capturing rabbits on the outside of the park. It is a pitfall 

 along the fence, covered with boards, so that when they step 

 on it the board tips down and drops them in. There is a 

 tunnel under the fence so they can escape into the park. 

 This plan has met with good success, and we have got a 

 dozen or more that way. They follow the path along the 

 fence, and are into it before they know it. From the letters 

 I am getting every day it makes me think more of my enter- 

 prise all the time. I got a letter from Taylorville, 111., to- 

 day, asking for information on how to start a park and 

 stock it up. Inclosed coursing will be the thing in the 

 next five years." 



EASTERN COURSING CLUB. 



A MEETING for the purpose of effecting permanent organ- 

 ization of the Eastern Coursing Club was held at the 

 Hoffman House, New York, Saturday, March 9. At request 

 of the gentlemen present Mr. J. Herbert Watson took the 

 chair. 



On motion of Mr, Growtage, the report of the committee on 

 constitution and by-laws was accepted. Mr. Blackmau 

 moved that the report be acted upon by sections. Seconded 

 by Mr. Huntington . Carried. The report was then taken 

 up by sections and finally adopted as a whole. The consti- 

 tution provides that the membership shall be unlimited. 

 The initiation fee is $5 with annual dues of the same amount. 

 The board of directors, to consist of nine, three to be elected 

 each year. The annual meeting to be held during the an- 

 nual coursing meet or during the months of October, Novem- 

 ber and December of each year. 



The election of members of the board of directors was 

 as follows: Messrs.Thos. H. Brush,W. J. Blackham, L. Mor- 

 timer Thorne-Jr. , W. B. Growtage, Edgar A. Garbutt, Robt. 

 Lambert, H. W. Huntington. J. Herbert Watson and Alba 

 M. Ide. 



A meetimg of the board, of directors having beon called to 



