2BO 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



LOOT. 18, 1888. 



"PRACTICAL" JUDGING. 



REPLYING to Mr. Davey's letter in the Oct. 4 issue affords 

 me unbounded pleasure. The London fancier has, I 

 am told, been in the dog fancy off and on for about ten 

 years, and although he has never owned a first-class speci- 

 men, or shown himself capable of distinguishing between 

 good form and bad, he has learned to be ''practical," which 

 in his case consists in being able to kill birds and hoUow at 

 his dogs. 



One hears this word "practical" very generally used by a 

 large number of persons who have not an eye for beauty in 

 form aud other points which contribute to the make up of 

 high class dogs, and there is far less in it than many persons 

 suppose. It is the one and only retreat of men who when 

 they discover that an eye for correct form in horses and dogs 

 is not the same thing as steering a horse to victory or judg- 

 ing a dog. Jockeying and judging belong to a different 

 class. Ability to judge and ability to jockey are usually 

 separated by a wide margin. The brilliant player is not as 

 g rule the brilliant composer, and vice versa. Hon. Al 

 Smith has forgotten more about pugilists than the Boston 

 champion ever knew. The late Lord Falmouth knew more 

 about true form in horses than a dozen McLaughlins aud 

 Garrisons put together. 



Nature seldom endows mortal man with great talent in 

 several directions. If she gives him the ability to rise above 

 his fellows in any one thing she feels that she has been suf- 

 ficiently liberal. This word "practical" is also found to be 

 a very convenient subterfuge for the dog as well as the 

 owner. If poor doggy doesn't get a prize the owner makes 

 it widely known both in the show and out that "Slackback 

 is a smasher in the field. He could run the first prize win- 

 ner to a standstill in something less than ten minutes. And 

 look at his pedigree! Sire, Croxtetb; dam, Jemima, a black 

 bitch imported to North Carolina by Major Judgemen, of 

 the Tennessee riflingmen. I tell you, he's a darling. Didn't 

 bring him here expecting to get a prize; he's put up for field 

 work, and that doesn't do for these men. I offered to make 

 a match with the owner of the first prize winner for $5,000 a 

 side, but the skunk crawled out." And for four solid days 

 those who go near Slackback's bench hear nothing but 

 "field," "practical" and "dollars." If the judge is incompe T 

 tent and Slackback wins, you will never hear a word about 

 "practical." This is usually about thestyle: "Didn't I tell 

 you so? He won way off. Coarse brutes those. Look at 

 that spike-nosed duffer squinting past the corner. Wonder 

 men have no more sense than to show dogs like that. 

 Wouldn't have 'em as a gift." Yes, Mr. Editor, this word 

 "practical" is a godsend for both dogs and owners, and I 

 will have more to sav about it by and bye. 



Mr. Davey takes exception to the statement that Roger 

 was overlooked at New York and that I gave him his first 

 blue ribbon. The first thing that a man should make sure 

 about before he jumps into a public controversy is that he 

 knows of what he is going to write. The New York show 

 of 1888 is not the only one that has been held in this city. 

 There was a show in 1887. "Antwerp," an amateur (pray 

 don't mistake him for a professional, which, in these day's 

 means a competent judge), made the awards, or perhaps I 

 had better say raffled the prizes. There were in the open 

 dog class 33 entries. The first to emerge from the sack 

 after it had been well shaken — some vulgar persons said that 

 it had also been soaked, and not in water— was Rollo, the 

 third prize winner at Buffalo. Prince Royal H, who got 

 nothing at Pittsburgh, squeezed through next; and Pride of 

 Dixie, by dint of searing his better looking competitors to 

 the other end of the sack, got out third. Ted's Bang (his 

 name sounded so sweet to "Antwerp") came next and was 

 given the reserve. By this time the other dogs had become 

 so thoroughly exhausted that they made a wild rush from 

 the sack. It was difficult to tell which got to the judge's 

 pants first, so "Antwerp," who is a bit of a racing man, 

 called it a dead head and placed Forest Planter, Gloster, 

 Ned, Prince Jester, Royal Howard and Cecil v.h.c. It was 

 a terrible finish and the atmosphere was loaded with choice 

 epithets from, the bewildered onlookers, who certainly got 

 what they paid for, a "practical" lesson in the art of judg- 

 ing. When the numbers had been hung out somebody dis- 

 covered that there were other dogs in the sack. The ring 

 steward quietly unloaded these and it was soon apparent 

 that they were scattered about the ring at an equal distance 

 from the winning post and accordingly they were all given 

 h.c. The ring steward was a bit fly. He had heard 

 strange stories about mongrel dogs hiding themselves away 

 in the corners of the sack from fear of beating their typi- 

 cal competitors, and so he gave it another good shake. 

 With a grand rush two beautiful dogs sprang forward and 

 started for the winning post. One was Dashing Rover, the 

 other was Roger. Roger was heavily handicapped, inas- 

 much as he had never been in such a contest before. Neither 

 the starter nor the judge knew him. His jockey handled 

 him as if he had received "waiting orders," which is not wise 

 unless the track be straight. There are so many sharp cor- 

 ners to get around on the New York course that unless a dog 

 has a good "send off" and is kept in the leading van, ho is 

 certain to be shut out at the finish. Dashing Rover was also 

 heavily handicapped, and it was seen in the "preliminary" 

 that his great weight, which consisted of first prize at the 

 Crystal Palace, would in all probability stop him, especially 

 as the starter and judge did not know the extent of his im- 

 Dost. Well, these two made a very exciting and close finish 

 for— sixteenth place!! Roger had a slight advantage because 

 he was not quite so good-looking as Dashing Rover. This 

 told in his favor at the fiuish and he was placed sixteenth 

 (c), with Dashing Rover unnoticed. Time, 2 hours, 57 min- 

 utes-starter, W. K. C. ; judge, "Antwerp." Now, Mr. Davey, 

 was I right or wrong in saying Roger had been overlooked? 

 Is a dog that is placed sixteenth, and behind those that are 

 not his equals in any one point, overlooked? If he is not 

 overlooked, what must we infer? I repeat the statement 

 that I gave Roger the first first prize he ever won, at New 

 Haven. Mr. Davidson gave him second at New York, 1888; 

 Dr. Jarvis placed Dad Wilson over him at Boston, and your 

 humble servant gave him first at New Haven, and will be 

 pleased to have Mr. Davey critcise the awards. I fail to see 

 in these statements anything that is calculated to stir up 

 the ire of the Scotch half of Mr. Davey's letter. Mr. Davey's 

 reply to my criticism of his dog Locksley is a masterpiece of 

 "practical'*' argument combined with slippery evasion. I 

 wrote of his dog and of Roger as follows: 



That good dog, Roger, overlooked hy New York judges, but 

 Anally placed in the position to which he was always entitled, won 

 well in the open class for dogs. I had the pleasure of giving him 

 the only blue ribbon he ever won. Locksley, a new one, was sec- 

 ond. His head, while not bad, is a trifle plain, and his eyes are 

 too light in color. In loin he is strong, but too long, and his hocks 

 are toe close, especially when in motion. Add to these defects a 

 long and not correctly carried tail and a lack of substance through- 

 out, and you have a fair description of Mr. Davey's clean built 

 and racy-looking son of Scottish Chief. In my opinion Mr. Dav- 

 idson made a mistake in placing him second. 



This is Mr. Davey's reply: 



With this criticism he passes him over and criticises the second 

 prize winner at Buffalo by saying his bead, while not had, is a 

 trifle plain. Admitting that his head is not perfect, are we to 

 suppose Roger, with Ms faulty muzzle, to he the correct type? 

 Next, Locksley's eyes are too light in color, while Roger's are much 

 lighter, or yellower, more correctly speaking. Without metion- 

 ing the good neck, beautiful shoulders, chest and back of Locks- 

 ley, he passes to his loin, which is "too long"— this must be in your 

 reporter's mind, as he is not a long dog— his hocks are a trifle too 

 close, which we consider a much better form than the opposite, 

 and the tail, if long, is carried much as the dog feels, not invari- 

 ably in the same position. We must further disagree with your 

 report in the matter of substance, as Locksley is a hardy, stout, 

 muscular dog, or he could never weigh as much as he does tn such 



light, condition as he was shown, and he is possessed of more 

 quality than any dog shown in his class. We are pleased to notice 

 that other reporters differ from yours about the merits of the 

 two degs mentioned, and however good a judge of non-sporting 

 dogs he may be, we would prefer some one else of more practical 

 experience to select a dog for our use in the field, and also as a 

 bench show dog. 



I am not averse to criticism, and am willing my dogs should 

 have their share of it, but would prefer reliable criticism, not 

 slight imperfections magnified and fancied ones brought forward 

 where none exist. 



What, may I ask, has Locksley's rather plain head got to 

 do with Roger's muzzle. I had previously called attention 

 to Roger's defects, and it was quite unnecessary to do so 

 again. The fact that neither dog is perfect in eyes nor muz- 

 zle is no evidence that Roger is not a vastly better-looking 

 setter, although it may be the style of argument that is used 

 by a "practical" man. I doubt if the editors of this paper 

 would feel disposed to let me have the whole of one issue for 

 a dog show report; and Mr. Davey does not pay himself a 

 compliment when he tell us that he is incapable of recogniz- 

 ing the fact that when the bad has been taken from the good 

 only the good remains. It is but a plain subtraction sum 

 and is quite "practical." I drew attention to the dog's defects. 

 That was sufficient. Mr. Davey does not deny the correct- 

 ness of my statements; he simply tries to dodge them. Note, 

 for instance, what he says about Locksley's loin. He does 

 not realize that a dog may have a long loin without being a 

 long dog, or that a dog may have a long back without being 

 a long dog. How is it when a dog is short in back and long 

 in loin ? Is he any longer than one that is long in back and 

 short in loin ? Very "practical," isn't it? Then look at Mr. 

 Davey's "practical" allusions to the hocks. In order to 

 prove that Locksley is not slightly cow-hocked, he solemnly 

 assures us that "we" (does it take two "practicals" to make 

 one competent?) consider close hocks "a much better form 

 than the opposite." In other words, Locksley is not cow- 

 hocked because cow-hocks are less objectionable than wide 

 ones. Who dare, say that Mr. Peshall has not met his equal 

 at last? Mr. Davey's, or rather "our" next practical argu- 

 ment is a scorcher. Make way ye Terrys, Schellhasses, 

 Peshalls and Horse papers, and letthe W. K. C.'s white ele- 

 phant bow low. Locksley does not lack substance because 

 he weighed— well, as much as he did weigh. If his height 

 were 20in. it would be just the same thing as if he stood 30in., 

 the weight is the substance. Now, Wade, all together- 

 Great Snakes ! 



How is it Mr. Editor that so many of the practical dog 

 meu in this country are wholly incapable of criticising a dog 

 or estimating the value of points when shown to them? 

 "Antwerp" is said to be an excellent sportsman, but a worse 

 judge of a dog never stepped into a ring. Luke White, a 

 field trial handler, is considered one of the worst judges that 

 stands on two legs. Mr. Tracy judged at New York in 

 worae style than many a fifteen year old boy could have 

 done. Then look at the judging of Mr. Seitner at Philadel- 

 phia (he has never been in the ring since and will probably 

 never get there again) and Mr. Wilson at Cleveland, to say 

 nothing of the shaky work of Mr. Sterling; or take C. B. 

 Wbitford, who ha3 the reputation of being one of the best 

 and trickiest of handlers. Did mortal man ever see a more 

 lamentably ignorant judge. When Mr. Davey was shown 

 Cora of Wetheral he remarked that he thought her a very 

 good one with the exception of her hindquarters, which he 

 considered very defective. It is an acknowledged fact that 

 the bitch's hindparts are nearly perfect and that her failing 

 is in front. These are a few of the "practicals." I have a 

 letter in my pocket from another and he writes me that he 

 feels certain his dog is a good one because it has a sensible 

 looking head, plenty of bone and is "Made on the soles of 

 his feet." I don't like italics, but where the information is 

 so intensely "practical," as in this instance, kindly use 

 them. 



These are not the only "practicals" or a hundredth part of 

 them. I have a brother who is a splendid shot and a sports- 

 man in every meaning of the word. He has seen hundreds, 

 yes, thousands of dogs, yet all the power in the world could 

 not make him a judge, and I doubt if he would pay $25 for 

 a dog on his own judgment. If he did the odds are that he 

 would get the worst of the bargain. Besides not possessing 

 the requisite qualities to become judges, these "practicals" 

 care not a rap about a dog's appearance so long as he "gets 

 there," and when he does "get there" they never think of 

 asking themselves which points have been the leading fac- 

 tors in biinging about the desired result. It is the same 

 thing in horses. Not one jockey in a hundred knows any- 

 thing about the make and shape of the animal he rides, arid 

 it would be worse than stupid to suppose that because he 

 handled his mount in good style and showed great judg- 

 ment from the fall of the flag to the finish he must needs 

 be a judge. Yet the man who rarely comes in contact with 

 the pigskin, and then only to jog over his estate on a high- 

 stepping cob, can breed good ones, knows every point and 

 the value of every point, and can tell at a glance whether a 

 horse is truly formed or not. 



Let us go into another field. How many of the men who 

 cover the walls of their houses with pictures are judges? 

 How many students of art ever become famous artists? How 

 many of the hundreds of thousands of persons that take 

 lessons in music ever become known as pianists? Not one 

 out of a hundred thousand. Why ? An artist is born an 

 artist, a judge is born a judge. Education, surroundings, 

 etc. , ripen the green fruit, that is all. Mr. Davey would not 

 be a judge if he lived five hundred years. He has not an eye 

 for beauty and correct form, and if he had he would still not 

 be a judge because he is incapable of estimating the value of 

 points positive and negative. Further than this, he has not 

 a desire to look at any man's dogs but his own. A judge 

 will pay S1,000 or $2,000 for a dog that has never been shown 

 and without anybody's opinion. Mr, Davey would not care 

 to invest $50 until he had consulted the writer of the Scotch 

 half of his letter, and in this he shows common sense. 



Mr. Davey wants "reliable criticism." Next week, by 

 your courtesy, I will prove to him that I was breeding sport- 

 ing dogs before his name had been heard of in connection 

 with the dog fancy, and that £ was considered a "reliable" 

 critic before Mr. Davey showed a dog, probably before he 

 owned one, and I will also see that he has some facts to 

 prove that, "however good a judge of non-sporting dogs he 

 (I) may be," I am a vastly better judge of sporting dogs. 

 Mr. Davey will perhaps kindly read the following, just to 

 put him pn until next week: "The subject of our illustra- 

 tion this week is Mr. Charles H. Mason's magnificent voung 

 mastiff Salisbury, whose success on the show bench has 

 been equaled by few dogs of the same age and breed, he hav- 

 ing won seventeen firsts and seven special prizes. * * * 

 At last Mr. Carr sold him to his present owner, who is 

 a well-known exhibitor and breeder of sporting dogs. 

 The price paid for him was £200, We heartily congratulate 

 Mr. Mason, who is a popular fancier and true lover of all 

 breeds of dogs."— From the Fcmders' Chronicle, April 2, 

 1880. C'has. H. Mason. 



EASTERN FIELD TRIALS CLUB. 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



I am in receipt of a letter from the Southern Railroad 

 Commissioners, stating that all trainers and visitors attend- 

 ing the Eastern Field Trials can, upon application to the 

 ticket agent, procure a certificate entitling them to a return 

 ticket at one-third the regular rate. I have also received an 

 additional entry for the Champion Stake which was delayed 

 in the mail. 



Spring (R. M. Hutchings, Galveston, Tex.), liver and 

 white pointer dog (Mainspring— Curfew). 



W. A, Coster, Secretary. 



THE HISTORY OF A MUSHROOM. 



ANOTHER CHAPTER. 



Editor Forest and Stream; 



Yet let me flap this hug with gilded wings, 

 This painted child of dirt that stinks and sings; 

 Whose buzz the witty and the fair annoys, 

 Yet wit ne'er tastes and beauty ne'er enjoys; 

 So well-bred spaniels civilly delight 

 In mumbling of the game they dare not bite. 

 Eternal smiles his emptiness betray, 

 As shallow streams run dimpling all the way.— Pope. 



The ancient manuscript which narrated some of the char- 

 acteristics of a parvenu-patrician of Atlantis, had a com- 

 panion piece, which also is obscure in its application; I 

 send it to you as also being an instructive piece of ancient 

 history. If the labor and pains I have had in transcribing 

 an almost illegible manuscript are rewarded by interesting 

 those who are curious about ancient customs, I desire no 

 greater remuneration. With such conclusive records, no 

 one will have the hardihood to assert that Atlantis is a 

 myth, or that there were not, in past ages, elements of dis- 

 content in the noble fraternity of sportsmen. The paper, 

 found in my great-grandpapa's files, was as follows: 



A MUSHROOM INTERVIEW. 



As was befitting a Lord whose genealogical tree was heavily 

 laden since the days of Adam, and in whose person were 

 united the graces of gentility with resplendent genius, His 

 Lordship, the parvenu-patrician, was possessed of a coat of 

 arms which excited the envy of prince and peasant, for each 

 device was an emblem of personal brightness as well as 

 family unions. The escutcheon had a green field in token of 

 His Lordship's erudition; on the sinister chief point, in 

 spirited relief, was a chestnut rampant; on the correspond- 

 ing dexter point was a peccary couchant; on the heart point 

 was an ass dormant. Few families could boast such honors 

 in heraldry, since few had the necessary talents and breed- 

 ing. To interpret each device will redound to the benefit of 

 the astute reader. The chestnut rampant was emblematic 

 of His Lordship's repeated assurances that he was a breeder; 

 the peccary couchant was an emblem of majestic repose, 

 contentment and self-confidence; and unoccupied intervals 

 of time in private life were happily represented by the ass 

 dormant. Never was escutcheon worn with greater pride 

 aud merit, in word and»deed. As a veracious chronicler it 

 devolves on me to thus describe Lord Jim's just pretensions 

 to true nobility, the more so as he posed as the only genuine 

 tailor-made gentleman of Atlantis. 



The fancy was more than fortunate in securing Lord Jim 

 as a volunteer member of the noble fraternity, which was 

 divided into two great divisions, denominated respectively, 

 the benchites and the birdcatchers— the former were devotees 

 of the beauty shows; the latter of the birdcatching contests. 



It is related of these men that they had some customs and 

 traits in common which were astonishingly strange. Almost 

 every member of the fancy (a generic term, for all) owned a 

 small brass bugle, which was cherished with anxious solici- 

 tude. None of these instruments were of the same size or 

 pattern, although they had the same compass, and while the 

 latter was limited to three or four true tones, which were 

 difficult to execute, there was on infinite variety of false, 

 discordant ones. It requires a fine ear and diligent practice 

 to draw four notes of such harmony as would win the appro- 

 bation of an audience. Custom sanctioned that each one 

 should use his bugle to sound his own praise — philanthropy, 

 victory at the beauty shows or at birdcatching, being the 

 common themes: and a performance on one of these instru- 

 ments was called "tooting his horn." Each horn was especi- 

 ally constructed to improvise on one subject, and if once 

 blown out of time or tune it detracted from its value or de- 

 stroyed it; consequently it required no little tact and judg- 

 ment to become a popular performer. It was universally 

 admitted that no class of men could toot their horns with 

 greater power and volume than the guild of birdmen; but 

 there were only a few who paid due regard to rhythm, ca- 

 dence, timbre and expression, it is therefore needless to say 

 that many poor and good horns were spoilt daily. 



These horns mightily tickled the fancy and vanity of 

 Lord Jim, they furnishiug a powerful medium to engage 

 the attention of the multitude to his own powers and deeds. 

 He had a dainty little horn made to blow a wheezy tune, 

 with one hundred tinkling embellishments, which he 

 named his "Free Stud Fee Waltz, composed by Me, Lord 

 Jim." That it might have the desired sensational effect, he 

 blew his horn in the most public ^places in a trial of the 

 waltz; but the tones were so asthmatic that nobody danced, 

 and the composition was received with derision. His lord- 

 ship thereafter had several small horns made, and essayed 

 repeatedly to charm the public. Some of them were split 

 by blowing too hard, others were leaky, and none had a 

 true note. Although passionately* fond of "tooting his 

 horn," Lord Jim had a horribly dull ear for harmony, and 

 no sense of proper opportunity; he could not distinguish the 

 false from the tiue notes, blew his horn in all places and 

 companies, the result being that all his attempts were as 

 weird as echoes from pandemonium; still, as the dreadful 

 noises were pleasing to him, they must be pleasing to every- 

 body, so he reasoned. His Lordship ascribed the repeated 

 failures to the diminutive size of the horns he had been 

 using. Proceeding on this theory, he had an immense horn 

 constructed, one larger than any known to the guild, a 

 Colossus among horns. In length it was thirty feet; breadth 

 across the bell, five feet. The smallest pipe was six inches 

 in diameter, and each was reinforced with steel hoops. On 

 the edge of the bell was a pendant chestnut about the size 

 of a cheese, the chestnut being a device of his escutcheon. 

 Hia Lordship had ample wind to blow this great horn, but, 

 as the intelligent reader anticipates, he made some horrible 

 discords. He composed a piece of music especially for it, 

 which he entitled, "I am a Breeder, Me, Lord Jimmie." He 

 would pose in public places, blow dreadful blasts, which 

 would «cho and re-echo in the very skies and cause great 

 sickness on earth. A variety of sounds would be produced, 

 sometimes it would belch a hoarse or a wild, unearthly 

 shriek; but oftenest, when His Lordship attempted his 

 choicest notes, it would bray; and I have heard honest men 

 say that the braying tones were so true that they were not 

 one jot behind Nature. The great vibrations caused the 

 pendant chestnut to keep up a constant ringing on the bell 

 of the horn, and "I am a Breeder" was a failure to every- 

 body but its composer. With an air of the greatest gravity 

 His Lordship would steal near an unsuspecting visitor at a 

 beauty show, blow a blast three hours long in his ear, and 

 then permit him to escape with a broken spirit and a 

 wrecked constitution, with the refrain "I am a Breeder" 

 ringing in his ears for weeks. Lord Jimmie was without 

 a rival in "tooting his horn." 



Many of the benchites and birdcatchers had a peculiarity 

 of physiological structure which has no parallel in history, 

 each had a detachable gall. By this strange physiological 

 freak they could leave their galls at home or take them 

 along, as appeared to be desirable or expedient. By culti- 

 vation and assiduous care, some galls attained majestic pro- 

 portions; and Lord Jim's, from an unusually vigorous 

 germ, outgrew all others, then he had a gall in size a happy 

 match for his great bugle. His Lordship would frequent 

 the most public places, roll his huge gall into position for a 

 pulpit, mount it, give a mighty bray on his horn, and har- 

 angue the multitude for hours,' something after this style: 

 "Ho ! ye knaves AND varlets! All te rogues, wretches AND 



