Nov. 22, 1888.J 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



381 



Perseverance (E. Comfort), blue belton setter bitch 

 (Chalkley D— Cassino W.). 



Desmond IT. (C. T. Thompson), Irish setter dog (Frisco- 

 Grouse). 



Winnie II. (C. T. Thompson), Irish setter bitch (Frisco- 

 Grouse). 



Ben Httr FkANKLTn (Walter Smith), orange and white 

 English setter dog (Ike— Leda). 



Victoria (J. A. Stovell), Irish setter bitch (Berkley— 

 Noreen). 



Victoria II. (Stovell & Thompson), Irish setter bitch 

 (Blarney— Victoria) . 



Golden Rod (Bryn Mawi Kennels), lemon and white 

 pointer bitch (Beaufort— Zuba). 



First Series. 

 Foreman's Pride beat Premier (absent). 

 Horace beat Golden Rod. 

 Sachem beat Rap (absent). 

 Perseverance beat Victor of Blue Stocking. 

 Desmond II. beat Ben Hur Franklin. 

 Winnie II. beat Victoria II. 

 Victoria a bye. 



Second Series. 

 Victoria beat Foreman's Pride. 

 Horace beat Sachem, 

 Desmond II. beat Perseverance. 

 Winnie a bye. 



Third Series. 



Victor beat W iunie. 

 Desmond II. beat Horace. 



Fourth Series. 



Desmond beat Victoria and wins first. 



Perseverance being the next best dog beaten by the win- 

 ner, and not having time to run Victoria and Perseverance 

 together, they divided second and third. 



The Philadelphia Kennel Club have determined upon 

 having plenty of birds to decide these trials on next year, 

 and will in all probability go further south. The selection 

 will likely be made during the coming winter. Leaving 

 Frederica and the Delaware House the club will find it diffi- 

 cult to get as comfortable quarters, and the kind attention 

 to both themselves and their dogs as that given by both Mr. 

 Call and his good wife will be sadly missed. Their atten- 

 tion to the dogs deserves particular mention. 



WATCHDOGS. 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



T have just read two articles on the above subject, by Dr. 

 J. Sidney Turner and Miss Marie J. Gale, that are deserving 

 of notice. Both are considerably out of the way of ordinary 

 discussion on doggy matters, in that they dispute positions, 

 and do not attack the holder of them. This is an example 

 that it would be well for all writers to follow, and it is most 

 shockingly neglected, as witness the discussion on "pure" 

 Gordons, etc. Dr. Turner has made a singular omission for 

 so old a hand at mastiffs, when he speaks of the boarhound 

 using its "punishing jaw," and does not mention that 

 peculiarity of the mastiff that is the glory of the breed as 

 watchdogs, i. e., the universal disinclination they have for 

 biting except as a last resort after all other measures have 

 failed. They will bristle up, growl, push between an 

 intruder and his object, spring on a trespasser and knock 

 him down, or catch bold without biting before they will 

 actually bite. I suppose I have had two dozen full-grown 

 mastiffs in my care, and I never had one who bit as a first 

 measure, and but one who would use her teeth except as a 

 dernier resort. That this is a fixed characteristic of the 

 breed, is shown by Bingley's mentioning it as early as 1809, 

 and Pierce Egan copies 'Bingley verbatim. Bingley was 

 apparently a naturalist, while Egan was thoroughly versed 

 in everything pertaining to English country life and English 

 sports, and it is certain that with his knowledge of English 

 country gentry, their homes, mode of life, associations, etc., 

 he would not have copied Bingley had he not known that 

 Bingley's statements were accurate. 



The lady's article is peculiarly interesting in the exactness 

 of statements it makes, and I think that her position is cor- 

 rect in that there is a breed with which what we call boar- 

 hounds. Great Danes, Ulmer, Siberians, etc., is confused, 

 that is of good temper. I strongly suspect that the mastiff 

 we find mentioned in various parts of the continent by 

 Marryat (in various novels) and other writers is this breed 

 the lady alludes to. But this is not the light in which the 

 matter must be looked on when considering the value of the 

 breed for watchdogs. We must consider what kind of a dog 

 will be taken as say Great Dane, and ninety-nine out of one 

 hundred will take it to be the dog appearing like a cross 

 twixt mastiff and greyhound, that Germans keep, that Ger- 

 man butchers, tanners and beer hall owners have around 

 their premises, and that students bring home from German 

 universities. I have known or known of dozens of these 

 dogs, from the days of poor Butler's "American" dog Prince 

 down, and I cannot remember of one that was thoroughly 

 trustworthy and brave. I remember that John L. Cassiday 

 (Larkin) told me that Butler was not in the habit of beiDg 

 afraid of anything that wore hair, but was very circumspect 

 when he went around Prince. 



I think the lady is also mistaken in writing of a "Sibe- 

 rian" cross in boarhounds. I cannot recall any mention of 

 a large breed of dogs coming from either Russia or Siberia. 

 Mr. Wynn mentions a "Russian" mastiff he once owned, 

 who was a devil in temper, very stupid, but of excellent type 

 of head; but he does not give any evidence that the dog came 

 from Russia, and I suspect it was something like that "Rus- 

 sian" collie that Mayor Grace showed at New York a few 

 years since. The old dog show habitues remember when 

 there was a class for "Siberian bloodhounds" or "Siberians" 

 at our shows, and will remember that the class was filled 

 with a lot of long-legged, crop-eared beasts that the keepers 

 were very shy of. I remember how poor Charley Lincoln 

 told me how Dr. Gordon Stables was all upset in his judg- 

 ings at New York by seeing a lady poking an umbrella at a 

 "Siberian" in a stall near by (you will remember the judging 

 was done on a stage then), and he was so disturbed with 

 apprehensions of the lady's safety that he had to stop the 

 judging until he could get Charley to move the lady away 

 from her dangerous position. 



This term "Siberian" however, was a complete fabrica- 

 tion, and was originally got up by Butler to "pass" a lit- 

 ter of vast mongrels he had. What the breed of their pro- 

 genitors was, nobody knew, not excepting Butler, but they 

 astonished even that old hand by their vast size. Butler 

 and a lot of his cronies were around the stove of one of the 

 resorts out Bloomingdale road, discussing jorums of "hot." 

 when somebody suggested "Siberian bloodhounds" as a 

 name, giving as a deciding merit that nobody ever came 

 from Siberia, so there was no chance of the "purity" of the 

 breed being disputed (a fine sample of what "pure" breeds 

 generally are). This was after Butler had taken that 

 "American" humbug, Prince, to England and disposed of 

 him there. I would be very much pleased to find a copy of 

 Waterton's writings of natural history; I have often 

 seen scattered articles of his, but no regular natural 

 history; Waterton was the beau ideal of a practical 

 naturalist, aud as he owned and bred mastiffs, he would be 

 very apt to say something of value as to their disposition 

 and usefulness. Does anvbody know of such a work? 



W. Wade. . 



Hdwos, Pa., Nov, 10. 



PRACTICAL JUDGING. 



Editor Forest and, Stream: 



Mr. Watson, in speaking of his award of third prize to my 

 Highland Chief at the Buffalo show, claims that the dog is 

 lacking in proper conformation to enable him to gallop. He 

 has judged the dog yet did not nor can he find his defect. I 

 imported him for a specific purpose and "he fills the bill," 

 as Mr. Watson will find out later on. 



Highland Chief ran in a Sapling Stakes in England, and 

 after winning them was sold on the field for £185, 



In Mr. Watson's report of t he San Francisco show he says, 

 "Jennie June won well in bitches and got the special for best 

 greyhound," Mischief winning second prize. When these 

 two dogs ran in the same stakes Jennie June was knocked 

 out in the first course, her opponent "not letting Jennie 

 in,' while Mischief (second to Jennie iu the show, and prop- 

 erly so according to Mr. Watson) won the stakes in grand 

 style. These facts prove that Mr. Watson's opinion of the 

 true conformation of a greyhound and how he "will shape 

 iu his stride" are not substantiated by practical tests of 

 speed and endurance. 



These are not by am means .Mr. Watson's first and only 

 mistakes in greyhound judging. When 1 recall the fact 

 tha t there was some years ago a dog show htdd in New 

 Haven where he judged this breed of dogs, I have to smile 

 while regretting that he has not advanced much in his ideas, 

 and which, if they are carried out, will not tend to improve 

 that dog in which "speed is everything, and I would sacri- 

 fice everything in way of points to attain that object." 



h. w. Huntington. 



BENCH VS. FIELD. 



IGNDON, Out., Nov. 16 -Editor Forest and Stream: 

 j Having just returned from a short shooting excursion 

 of three davs in the field, I send you a. brief report of our 

 doings, and to show what can be done over second and third 

 rate dogs in the Province of Ontario. Our dogs comprised 

 Knight of Snowden, Locksley, Jester, a second prize winner 

 at the late London dog show, and Betty, a young Irish 

 bitch, owned by Mr. Davidson, who accompanied me on the 

 trip. 



We arrived at our destination in good season for a day's 

 sport, and taking Knight, Jester, and the Irish bitch, went 

 out for a short trip, intending to return to take a hand in a 

 pigeon match which was to take place in the afternoon. On 

 our return shortly after noon, although sultry and extreme- 

 ly dry, we laid out a bag of 17)4 brace of quail aud ruffed 

 grouse, which we thought excellent. Mr. Davidson's bitch 

 was not up to the high standard he had formed of her, but 

 then it was her first day out for the season, and all her pre- 

 vious work had been south last winter. 



On the following day, being exceedingly anxious to see 

 Locksley hunted by his former owner, I insisted upon Mr. 

 Davidson taking him in charge, as on the only trial I had 

 given him he displayed a tendency to wildness; I took the 

 puppy Jester. 



On entering the first field I was treated to an agreeable 

 surprise in the perfect understanding that existed between 

 the dog and his former owner. On being cast off he cut out 

 the field like a quarter horse, wheeled to the whistle, and, 

 casting his head into the wind, weut boldly up and nailed 

 bis first covey in a manner that made "light eyes, long loin, 

 cow hocks and badly carried tail" all disappear on the instant. 

 On the birds being flushed his behavior was perfect, and the 

 manner in which he retrieved his first bird under his old 

 master delighted me, although when purchased he was not 

 warranted to retrieve game, having been broken by the force 

 system during the past winter and had not been tried on 

 birds. His actions on this occasion caused me to raise his 

 price above the $200, the price stated in your columns, for 

 which he could have been bought. 



Our luck in finding game continued through the day, and 

 in the evening we turned out a beautiful lot of game. 

 Aside from the pleasure we take in occasionally showing 

 dogs on the bench we take great pleasure with them in the 

 field, and a bench show dog without field qualities is of no 

 use to me; that being the case, I am content with such dogs 

 as Knight, Liddesdale and Locksley, particularly the former 

 two, over which I have spent so many enjoyable days, and 

 which as field dogs I have never seen excelled, although by 

 some they may be classed only as second or third raters. 



Our bag for three days consisted of 93J£ brace of quail and 

 partridge, which is not bad for Ontario. T. G. Dave v. 



A 



ST. BERNARD CLUB OF AMERICA. 



MEETING of the Board of Governors was held Mon- 

 day, Nov. 12, at the Hoffman House, New York city. 

 The following gentlemen were present: E. H. Moore, Geo. 

 M. Elwood, W. H. Joeckel, Lorenzo Daniels, with K. E. 

 Hopf in the chair. Mr. Moore had come all the way from 

 Boston, and Mr. Elwood all the way from Rochester to at- 

 tend the meeting. Messrs. E. B. Sears, of Melrose, Mass., 

 John Keevan, of New York city, and T, H. Hastings, of 

 Fond du Lac, were received into membership. 



After a long and thorough deliberation, it was decided to 

 offer a series of specials to be competed for at the most 

 prominent shows in 1889. According to the constitution, 

 the competition is open to members of the club only. 



These specials are to be solid silver cups varying in value 

 from $15 to 835, a nd are to be known as the St. Bernard Club 

 cups. They will be distributed as follows: 



Westminster K. C. Show.— Two cups, value $25 each; one 

 for the best smooth-coat, the other for the best rough-coat 

 (dog or bitch); four cups, value §15 each, for the best Amer- 

 ican-bred smooth -coated dog aud bitch, and for the best 

 American-bred rough-coated dog and bitch; two cups, 

 value §15 each, for the best smooth stud dog with two of his 

 get, and for the best rough stud dog with two of his get. 

 Total value. $140. 



New England Club (Boston) Show.— Two cups, value $25 

 each, for the best smooth-coat and for the best rough-coat 

 (dog or bitch); four cups, value $15 each, for the best Ameri- 

 can-bred smooth-coated dog and bitch, and for the best 

 American-bred rough-coated dog and bitch; two cups, value 

 $15 each, for the best smooth-coated brood bitch with two of 

 her get, and for the best rough-coated brood bitch with two 

 of her get, Total value, $140. 



Chicago Show. —Four cups of $25 each, for the best smooth- 

 coat (dog or bitch), for the best rough-coat (dog or bitch), for 

 the best American-bred smooth-coat and for the best Ameri- 

 can-bred rough-coat. Total value, #100. 



N. J. K. C. Show.— Four cups of $15 eacbr-for the best 

 American-bred smooth-coated dog and bitch, and ditto 

 rough-coated dog and bitch. Total value, $00. 



Philadelphia Show.— Two cups of $25 each, for the best 

 smooth-coat (dog or bitch), and for the best rough-coat (dog 

 or bitch. Total value, $50; grand total, S490. 



In order to prevent these cups from being awarded to dogs 

 unworthy of the honor, the stipulation was made that a 

 dog or bitch, in order to be eligible to compete for them, 

 must have won a prize in its respective class at the show 

 where the competition is to take place. To make it very 

 plain: If the best dog or bitch, owned by a member of the 

 St. Bernard Club, is awarded a v.h.c. only in open or puppy 

 classes, the club cup cannot be awarded to the said dog or 

 bitch and reverts to the St. Bernard Club. 



You will notice that the club means, by its very liberal 

 offers, to encourage its members to come to the front with 

 their home-bred dogs. There are many owners of good 

 dogs that are still giving the club a wide berth and do not 

 care to support it. When the time comes the club, in its 



turn, will not support them. The initiation fee is $10, an- 

 nual dues $5. A word to the wise is sufficient. A number 

 of judges were selected who will be recommended to the 

 bench show committees as being approved by the club. 



The offer made by Mr. Thos. P.. Lee, of Toledo, to donate 

 the stud services of his champion Victor Joseph as a special, 

 to be competed for at a show to be designated by him, was 

 accepted with thanks. It was decided to hold puppy and 

 produce stakes, which will be announced later. 



The annual meeting of the club is to be held on the first 

 day of the Westminster Show, Feb. 19, 1889. K. E. H. 



THE COURSING MEETS. 



THE following are some expressions of opinion as given 

 by those interested in the sport of coursing: 

 M. E. Alii smi, Hutchinson, Kp/Hl.— U I don't think For- 

 est and Stream ought to be too rough on me about the 

 wolf hunt we bad out. on the coursing grounds. Out West 

 we don't have much style about us in our sport, and think 

 it's all right to kill a wolf any way you can, whether he's 

 in a pen or not. Besides, you have to work schemes to get 

 your gate money. If you didn't have any gate money where 

 would be the fun?" 



Dr. G. IrwvnRoyee, Topcha, Kan— "I want it understood 

 that I volunteered to chase the wolf along the fence in the 

 Hutchinson inclosed wolf hunt, simply as a matter of ac- 

 commodation to Mr. Allison, and to advance Avhat I thought 

 to be the interests of the sport of coursing; but I told Mr. 

 Allison the right idea would have been to run the wolf 

 around the yard once or twice, and then take him up. I 

 didn't like to see him killed in a corner. I want it under- 

 stood, too, that I didn't own Ruby in the delayed courses at 

 the American Club meet, and that I 'rode furiously two or 

 three miles' only to accommodate Mr. Allen, who couldn't 

 take care of Ruby himself.^ 



H, C. Lowe, Topckn, Kan.— "Do you know, while I 

 shouldn't for a moment wish to boast of my own property, 

 to be sure, I mean to say that White Lips is the greatest 

 greyhound bitch under the. bloomiu' canopy, excepting 

 Patira, and Patira is the greatest except White Lips. I feel 

 positively melancholy when 1 think what a spactacle they 

 will make of all the other entries at the coursing meets next 

 spring and fall. And, don't you know, my imported Lord 

 Neversettle is going to show a rare good one. He is, without 

 do:ibt, of the highest grade." 



Dr. Van HuinmeV ', Omaha, Neh. — "Did you see Master 

 Rich jump the fence? Did you see him kill his jack every 

 time? Did you see him bring back the rabbit's tail in his 

 mouth, that time he ran in the slips with Rowdy? Great 

 dog, Master Rich! Do 'cm all up next year! Do 'em all 

 up!" 



D. C. Lusc, Great Bend, Kan.— "Did you ever notice that 

 a jack rabbit's eyes are set in his head so that he sees square 

 behind him when he runs? You watch one, and you'll see 

 bim swerve to one side just the instant a grey houud is about 

 to pick him up. Of course, a jack can't run with his head 

 over his shoulder. He always looks straight ahead; but he 

 always knows what's going on behind hfm, you can bet your 

 life. He's built that way." 



Chan. Smith, Des Moines, la— "Sam Hinkston, of Wei- 

 don, Decatur county, Iowa, is an old Englishman, and owns 

 a pack of foxhounds, which he delights to run. He also 

 owns a mare, that does something that 1 never before heard 

 of any horse doing. She jumps a wire fence, slick and 

 clean. I know it, because I've seen fellows who saw her do 

 it. She's a daisy." 



F. H. Perry, Des Moines, [a.— "My red Irish Nino is the 

 handsomest bitch in Iowa. Just look at her, isn't that 

 quality for you? She's a whole house and lot in the field, 

 and just as good as she looks." 



Col. R. S. MaeDunald, St. Louis, Mo.— "It is true, Gyp 

 didn't win the cup in the grandparent stakes at Great Bend; 

 but just keep quiet till next fail. I'm going to get a dog 

 over from England that will win something or die. I have 

 a friend over there now, and he has instructions to pick out 

 as good a young dog as he can find on the island. I'm going 

 to come to Great Bend better fixed next year, and you'll find 

 my dog right down close at the end. Bear that in mind." 



R. D. Williams, Lexington, Ky. — "I wish to whisper in 

 the ear of Forest and Stream, not necessarily for publi- 

 cation, that I shall bring down a greyhound to Great Bend 

 next year that will simply make an Uncle Tom's Cabin dog 

 out of anything that meets him in the slips. Don't mention 

 this." 



C. P. Page, Minden, Neb.— "If my luck will only turn so 

 that I don't get all my dogs killed before they run, next year 

 I shall make a mournful procession out of the rest of the 

 greyhounds at the meet. Just keep it quiet. 1 don't want 

 it generally understood." K. HouG-H. 



A DAY WITH THE BLUE RIDGE BEAGLES. 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



As most of your readers know, the beagle is specially 

 adapted to the pursuit of rabbits, and a day in the field with 

 a pack of good beagles is hard to beat in the way of sport, 

 I always enjoy a description of dogs engaged iu a hunt, and 

 thinking others will do so, I will give you a description of 

 some of the ones used on this occasion. Thone (Rip— Blos- 

 som, A.KR, 5711) was bred by Prof. W. W. Legare, Selma, 

 Ala,, and is a beautiful white, black and tan, and has a 

 beautiful tongue — long, clear and flute-like. Dan, same 

 color, was bred by Robert Cromwell, Jr., Baltimore, Md., 

 and is by his Jack out of Music. Nell, Dinah, Sue and Jol- 

 ley's Tom were all sired by Thone. 



Having decided to accept the oft -repeated invitations of 

 Dr. J. G. D.to hunt with him, the morning of the 14th Octo- 

 ber found the writer and two boys, accompanied by W. J. H., 

 on their way to the Doctor's. 



On arriving at our destination we found the Doctor had 

 been unexpectedly called away, but he had kindly arranged 

 with his brother-in-law (an old schoolmate of the writer) for 

 our reception. 



The first honors of the day in starting a, rabbit from its 

 form lay with Sue, the smallest one of the pack, weighing- 

 only about 121bs., while Dinah Avas the first one to taste 

 blood, she catching the rabbit after it was slightly wounded 

 by H. Some excellent running was done by the dogs, and 

 some fine shots were made by some of the party. 



After tramping around through briers, bushes and swamps 

 for a while we returned to the hospitable home of friend S., 

 where we were cordially received and enjoyed the bountiful 

 dinner set before us by Mrs. S. as only those whose appetites 

 are sharpened by outdoor exercise know how to appreciate. 



In the evening, after having been in the field about five 

 hours, our score of results was as follows: Twenty-one 

 rabbits were started and seventeen were either caught by 

 the dogs or killed by some of the hunting party. Three of 

 those started were not run by the dogs, being started by 

 some of the party while the dogs were after others. This 

 really makes the score seventeen out of eighteen, which I 

 call tolerable good work for dogs that are mostly young 

 ones. 



The Blue Ridge Beagle Kennels generally run from three 

 to seven brace of beagles, but on this occasion only had 

 three brace. The beagle is just being introduced in this 

 part of the country, and they are very popular with sports- 

 men who have tried them. They will, in all probability, 

 supercede the larger or foxhound, as foxes are extremely 

 scarce and the beagle suits better for rabbit hunting than 

 the larger hound, and two or three of the little fellows can 

 be kept on the food required for one large hound. 



Blue Ridge. 



Denver, S. C. 



