418 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



[Dec. 13, 1888. 



NIGHTS WITH THE COONS. 



ST. LOUIS, Mo., Nov. 35— Editor Forest and Stream: 

 The second annual coon andpossum hunt of the King's 

 Lake Club took place last Saturday night, in the vicinity of 

 the club's preserve in Lincoln comity, this State. King's 

 Lake is 53 miles from this city on the St. Louis, Keokuk and 

 Northwestern Railway: a short ride from the depot is neces- 

 sary to reach the club house, and there every convenience 

 awaits the weary traveler. Saturday morning's train carried 

 up a delegation" of members and invited guests to indulge 

 in tbe bunt. The night prowlers were reported very plenti- 

 ful in the heavily timbered bottom laud. The report proved 

 true; the. hunt netted the hunters for the little while they 

 were out three coons and two possums. 



It was noon when the party arrived at the club house and 

 they were invited by superintendent A. C. Grimes to partake 

 of a splendid dinner. After dinner some took rods and 

 minnow buckets and tried to entice a bass or croppie on 

 their liues, but poor success attended their diligent efforts, 

 not a fish was taken. The water was high and muddy and 

 the fish were not inclined to be caught. When the water is 

 clear King's Lake is a famous place for angling, and during 

 the past month some large strings of bass and croppie were 

 brought to this city from there. The club has placed in the 

 lake a large quantity of young bass and croppie for stock 

 which no doubt will afford most excellent sport in a few 

 years. 



King's Lake is from 200yds. to 300yds. wide and about 9 

 miles long, and is known to everyone in this part of the 

 country. The country between the lake and (he Mississippi 

 Raver is a low timber bottom, quite, numerously covered 

 with sloughs which at times afford magnificent sport at 

 mallard ducks. A few years ago mallard were so plentiful 

 in King's Lake bottom that bags of 100 or 150 a day were 

 quite common. 



Other members chased themselves back into the timber 

 •in quest of ducks, but when they returned, weaiyfrom a 

 long tramp through mud and water, a few brought in 

 -'game" (i e., a plentiful bag of woodpeckers.) Not dis- 

 couraged in the least, they pinned their hopes upon the event 

 of the trip, the coon and possum hunt. 



Darkness was beginning to cast its shadows over the coun- 

 try and the hearts of the hunters were bouncing with joy at 

 the prospects of a grand battle between the coon and hounds. 



As soon as supper was over preparations were begun 

 Heavy clouds shut off all view of the sun all day, and now 

 they were going to do the same thing for Luna. This had 

 no discouraging effect upon the enthusiastic hunters. The 

 plans for the attack were laid and the. captain of the hunt 

 Major David W. Caruth, gave strict orders that it must "o 

 on without fail. The natives who were to go along as guides 

 and choppers began to arrive, and they brought their coon 

 dogs. At 8:30 some one wanted to know why the command 

 was not now on the move. He was answered by Maior 

 Caruth that they were waiting for old Sol. Who was old 

 Sol? asked a dozen of the party in chorus. Why old Sol 

 was the chief guide, and was to act as captain of the natives 

 and was to direct the charge. Without him the hunt would 

 prove a flat failure. About a year ago a similar hunt had 

 been arranged and carried through to a successful termina- 

 tion, and the club officers were determined that the Present 

 one should be more successful than the former. 



Old Sol made his bow to the party in the sitting room 

 As soon as he was Inside all pressed forward to get a "look at 

 the old fellow and take him by the hand and inquire how 

 the rheumatics. were. Sol has lived in the neighborhood all 

 hir 



mother was alive and enjoying good health. After huntim- 

 up axes, torches and all had supplied themselves with staffs 

 and the seven dogs were collected, Sol took the lead and 

 with a long drawn out whoopee, the dogs were given the 

 word to dash off and do their level best. 



The party numbered fully thirty-five and they entered the 

 bottom. In a short time-some one said, "Listen, the dogs are 

 trailing," and the prospects of some fun made all in the 

 party feel happy. 



"Dat am old'liambler and Snider," said old Sol " and 

 dey's got a coon sho and right in 'mongst d em big trees in 



uB UOttODl. 



All haste was made toward them, and there up one of 

 the biggest trees the outline of a coon could be seen plainly 

 Someone proposed giving 50 cents if any one could climb the 

 tree and shake the coon out, but as the tree was barren of 

 branches for along way np, the offer was declined bv the 

 natives, consequently there was nothing to do but to nut th£ 

 choppers to work and lay that forest giant on the ground 



Four big strong willing hands came forward and the 

 chips were soon flying in a lively manner. Dri ring the time 

 that the choppers were cutting into the heart of that three 

 £±^^ll a ^^\^ ,Wting fires at" 



3, with a fi 

 ib house. 

 *o heard to ex 



claim and the next moment down came that monster oak 

 and the coon of course came with it. As soon as it began 

 falling the dogs dashed toward it with a mad rush to 

 pounce upon the coon. w 



The hunters did some tremendous shouting and the does 

 joined m, making a noise that was almost deafening The 

 coon was a big one and made a magnificent fight. He sent 

 some of the green dogs howling away with pain, and the v 

 graceful y retired to the rear, not caring to take any further 

 interest m the a ffair except as onlookers iurmer 



A circle was formed, and everybody was saying something 

 to the dogs by way of encouragement. Old RamMer was 

 true blue and showed wonderful pluck. There was a younj 



™££ a m d Smd f ' a yeai * old < and he Proved to b J a re- 

 markable one for his age. He was crippled when a mippv 

 and had only the use of three legs, his left foreleg 1 S of 

 no account whatever, but this did not lesson his work as a 

 coon dog nor put him behind the other dogs in the lum t 

 He was always in the front, and when there was any fight 

 mg co be done he was right there all the time S 



iwice the coon managed to drive the dogs back, and when 

 he did he tried to break through the crowd a ad get awav 

 It was amusing to see how suddenly the circle would part 

 at the point the coon was making for. At one time a dozen 

 or more of the party were piled in a heap while trying to 

 -escape from the coon. The fight was a grand one; some of 

 those present said it was the hardest battle they had ever 

 seen a coon make. Old Rambler aud Snider saved the daw 

 without them that coon would never have been brought 

 'cumbed 55 a trophy of the hunt. At last, however, he 'sue- 



Old Rambler and Snider were petted by nearly every one 

 ?.° r „ tl i e _. s P 1 . e ? d i d wo , rk they had done, After comSing 



; his whoc 

 )f more ga 



r "rii"" J ""iT"^ " '^vc vim ucam giving the weTcc 

 intelligence that he was trailing again. Sol said it w 

 another coon He could tell from the way Rambler gave the 

 alarm that it was a coon he was trailing. When the nartv 

 came up with the dogs it was found that in place of one 



n Ht^?L h a ad &$ event trees - Well, coons were 



plentiful to a certainty This was more than the most san- 

 SEPS?^^^ W hopedfor. The first thing old Sol did 



him. He was a young one and was soon dispatched. The 

 attention of the party was then centered upon the other fel- 

 low, who was by this time no doubt nearly frightened to 

 death by the fearful noise. 



The tree was a small one and was cut in short order. 

 When the coon struck the ground Snider was there to receive 

 him. This also proved a young one and the rest of the dogs 

 were held, • o as to give Snider the opportunity of winning 

 the battle by himself. He made short work of the coon. 



It now began to snow a little and Sol said that unless the 

 track was very fresh it would be impossible for the dogs to 

 trail them. As it was past midnight and all were satisfied, 

 it was decided to start for the club house. Some remarked 

 that it was ten miles to the club house. This caused severa 

 loud "Ob's" to be heard from some of the party. Old Sol 

 was appealed to; he replied about three miles. This came as 

 a great relief to many *f the party, who were enjoying the 

 pleasures of their first coon and possum hunt. As predicted 

 by old Sol the snow did spoil the sport so far as the coons 

 were concerned, because the dogs failed to find another one 

 on the way home although they passed through some beauti- 

 ful country for coons and had there been no snow would un- 

 doubtedly have found a few more. Shortly after the last 

 coon was caught the dogs treed a couple of possums which 

 were soon added to the party's bag, 



The club house was reached about 2 o'clock; and although 

 quite weary from the ten miles or more they had tramped 

 around in the bottom none was willing to go to bed until 

 the hunt was gone over again. The grand battle the first, 

 coon made was commented upon at great length. Many 

 who took part in the hunt said that they had been on many 

 a coon hunt but they had never seen such a fight as the first 



B. Agler, E. O. Hunter, L. Tomkins, Mark Taylor, J. K. 

 Hayward, L. I). Dozier, F. P. Day, J. H. Crawford, J. F. 

 Perkins, R. J. Medley, R. U. Leonori, Jr., Maj. D. Caruth, 

 P. H. Degnau, Emmet Degnan and Mortimer F. Taylor. 



Unser Fritz. 



AUGUSTA DOG SHOW. 



AUGUSTA, Ga., Dec. 8.— Editor Forest and Stream: The 

 . Augusta Poultry and Pet Stock Show, in connection 

 with the Exposition, closed to-day. The display of poultry 

 was the finest ever seen, The dog department had not as 

 many 

 were 

 F. R 

 Patent. 



MASTfFFS.-JJo(/.s; No entry. Bitches: 1st, Fountain City Ken- 

 nels' Juno; 2d, B. F. Perry's Dot. Puppies: 1st, Fountain Citv 

 Kennels' Queen; 2d, B. F. Perry's Ben Perry. 



ST. BERN AR1)S.— Rough-Coated— Dogs; 1st, A. A. McDuffle's 

 Major Prince. Bitches: 1st, A. A. McDuffle's Aggie. Puppies- 1st 

 withheld; 2d, A. H. Vonderleith's Rex.— Smooth- Co atbd— itoas : 

 1st, A. A. McDuffle's Wando. " 



NEWFOUND LANDS— 1st, E. Collins's Doc; 2d, H. C. Hall's 

 Dave. 



GREYHOUNDS.— Dogs: No entry. Bitches: 1st and 2d, W. F 

 Thomas's Purity and Jess. 

 POINTERS.— Champion- Fountain City Kennels' Rosa. -Open 



t entries as the show of last January, but the dogs 

 of a very high order. The judging Avas done by Mr. T. 

 ackam, of New Jersey, and the benching by Spratts 

 The award of prizes was as follows; 



H. Gregg's Sf 



ENGLISH SETTERS. -Doge: 1st, J. A. Graham's Rex G.; 2d, E. 

 M. Booker's Bob Toombs. Bitches: 1st, J. A. Graham's Whisper 

 San Roi; 2d, II. May's Berne West. Puppies: 1st, W. E. Scofield's 

 Blitz. 



IRISH SETTERS.— Dogs: 1st, Dr. McHatton's Jumbo. Bitches: 

 1st, Dr. McHatton's Nora O'Neill. 



BLACK AND TAN SETTE RS. — Dogs: 1st, J. Molver's Bellman; 

 2d, J. Butlei's Trimmer. Bitches: 1st, J. Mclver's Beauty. 



COCKER SPANIELS.— F. E. Collins's Rose. 



. cry his»h 



com., U. tl. P. Scott's Uubeb. High com.. J. L. Boardman's Shep- 

 herd. Bitches: 1st and 2d, Chestnut Hill Kennels' Metchly Sur- 

 prise and Gem. Very high com., O. II. P. Scott's Lady Neph. 

 High com., J, L. Boardman's Queenie. Puppies: 1st, Chestnut 

 Hill Kennels' Roslyn Brueu.— Smooth-Coated— 1st, Chestnut 

 Hill Kennels' Lady Bird. ' ,jUe8rau1, 



IRISH TERRIERS -1st, Chestnut Hill Kennels' Breda Jim. 

 FOX-TERRIERS.-lst, withheld: 2d, W. F. Thomas's Zip, 

 PUGS.— Dogs: 1st and 2d, Miss M. Bannister's Jumbo, Jr , an d 

 Saxcn. High com., J. E. Kerr's Beauty. Bitches: 1st and vorv 

 high com., Miss M. Bannister's Fussv and Dai-v: 2d, J. E Kerr's 

 Nellie. Puppies: 1st and 2d, Fountain City kennels' Joe and 

 Girlie. 



SPECIAL PRIZES. 

 Kennel collies, Chestnut Hill Kennels; pointers, Fountain City 

 Kennels; setters, J. A. Graham; piigs, Miss M. Bannister; terriers. 

 H. Madden. 



Augusta. 



DOG TALK. 



MR. A. E. PITTS, of Columbus, O., bas recently im- 

 ported from the kennel of Mr. George Raper, Prest" 

 wich, Ring., the young for-terrier dog Ruby Signal, by Raby 

 Mixture and out of 01 ivebud. He will be exhibited at the 

 coming shows, and his owner expects to make it warm for 

 some of the cracks. 



Mr. C. Ormsby, Secretary A. P. D. C. advises us that the 

 names ot Mrs. M. A. Rives, and Messrs. Chas. P. Holmes 

 and James Mortimer were incorrectly included in the list of 

 petitioners given in the item relating to the Pet Dog Club 

 in our last issue. 



SCENT. — Commenting on the recent articles in these 

 columns about the dog's scent and their following wagons 

 the Indianapolis People says: "Will P. Wallace says on 

 this subject that in his opinion the dogs follow the scent of 

 the master, horses, buggy and wheels and gives the follow- 

 ing as a case in point: A few years since, Mr, Joseph Becker 

 was a confectioner, on West Washington street, and the 

 possessor of a few Gordon setters. One evening bis delivery 

 clerk had cause to deliver with his horse and wagon a freezer 

 of ice cream quite a distance in the country, on the Central 

 avenue road to Broad Ripple. One of these setters followed 

 the wagon, which was driven out on the Meridian street ex- 

 tension to the first cut off road to the right, beyond Fall 

 Creek— leading to the Central avenue pike. During the de- 

 livery of the goods, Mr. Becker and his wife drove out the 

 same road, past the cut off and straight ahead to the end of 

 the Meridian street extension. About twenty minutes after- 

 ward the driver of the wagon returned by the road he had 

 selected when driving out and no sooner had the setter 

 reached Meridian street than he placed his nose to the 

 ground and immediately left the driver and pursued the 

 course taken by his master and eventually found him. The 

 dog in this case obtained scent from the wheels and horses 

 only. Speaking about dogs, Will P. Wallace also cites the 

 iollowing case where a dog displayed more sense than scent. 

 An old German gardener, living about four miles south of 

 this city, on the Three Notch Road, was the possessor of two 

 large animals, a cross between all the dogs in the county 

 One of these animals on every Thursday morning did all the 

 churning for the family by means of a treadmill, while the 

 other one generally spent the day in barking at the one in 

 the mill or making social calls in the neighborhood. One 

 Thursday morning the master changed dogs, much to the 

 d f h § h * ? f tne steady worker and to the great discomfiture 

 ot the idler. Matters ran along in this way for about three 

 weeks, when, lo ! one Thursday morning the newly initiated 

 dog was found missing and the old stand-by was again put 

 to work. In the evening the truant returned, giving the 

 family a hearty welcome. He pursued this course for four 

 consecutive Thursday mornings, whereupon his master, be- 

 coming very much discouraged, chained him every Wednes- 

 day in order to have him on hand tbe following morning to 

 do the churn act." The churn dog's absenting himself was 

 not au unusual trick at all, as churn dogs go. It is a com- 

 mon thing for them to make off the night before churning 

 day unless chained up. & 



Mr. R. B. Sawyer, proprietor of the Riverview Kennel, at 

 Birmingham, Conn., has disposed of his pugs, andin future 

 will keep only bulldogs. His kennel at present contains 

 champion Merry Monarch, Portswood Tiger, Soudan and 

 Beatrice, all well-known, 



Mr. R. W. Craig has removed to Omaha, Neb., aud all 

 communications for him or the Wacouta Kennels should be 

 forwarded to that place, in care of the Omaha Herald, the 

 management of which he has assumed. 



Mr. A. R. Kyle, of South Norwalk, Conn,, has sent his 

 collie bitch Heather Belle to England, to be bred to Metch- 

 ley Wonder. 



CHESAPEAKE BAY DOGS. 



TWENTY-THBEE years ago, on the Gunpowder River- 

 I saw a Chesapeake Bay dog. I had never seen one be- 

 fore, but had been told by men who had shot on the Chesa- 

 peake, that they were wonderful dogs. There was some- 

 thing about the dog that had attracted my attention, and 

 being a lover of a good dog and also very fond of duck shoot- 

 ing, I naturally asked a great many questions about the 

 Chesapeake Bay dogs. I bad shot a great many ducks on 

 the New England coast and had always used setters and 

 spaniels to retrieve my birds. Very cold, rough weather 

 was hard on the setters, and a setter that was good for wood- 

 cock, snipe and partridge, I disliked to use for a duck dog 

 as two or three years would use them up. 



Soon after I was on the Gunpowder River, I came Jyest 

 into northwestern Iowa. Here I found fine duck and goose 

 shooting. But I had the same trouble with my retrieving 

 dogs I had had in New England. The ice, snow, cold water 

 and rough weather of northwestern Iowa were very severe 

 on my duck dogs. In one severe, cold storm at Ruthvan, 

 Iowa, I nearly ruined one of the best setter dogs I ever saw. 

 He was in the cold water most of the time for six hours, re- 

 trieving redheads aud canvasback ducks. A friend and 

 myself shot two hundred and fifty that day on the pass, and 

 the dog had to retrieve most of them. 



Soon after this I received, through some friends who had 

 shooting points on the Chesapeake and Currituck, a very 

 nice pair of Chesapeake Bay dogs. Their hair was straight 

 but very thick. The bitch was wavv coated. They were 

 very fine looking dogs and about eight months old when I 

 received them. Neither of them had had any training. 



About two or three months after I received them, the ice 

 broke up in our river and the ducks began to come north. 

 I got up at daybreak one morning and took the dogs with 

 me to the river to see how they would like cold water and 

 the gun. I found that they were fond of both. I shot a 

 number of ducks and the dogs brought them to me. They 

 did not seem to care for ice, but would go anywhere after a 

 duck. It was so cold that they would frost over as soon as 

 they came out of the water. 1 gave them several mornings' 

 work afterward, that spring, and found that, I had as fine 

 a pair of duck dogs as one could wish. They got many 

 ducks, when I th ought they were lost in the floating ice. 



They are active and will come on the run with a duck in 

 mouth. They handle game with great care and I have never 

 seen any teeth marks on a bird that was retrieved by my 

 dogs. 



One morning, the first of this month, I was about twenty 

 miles northwest of here with my brother and a friend after 

 ducks aud geese. I had my Chesapeake Bay bitch with me. 

 We had had a fine morning's shoot, near a large slough, 

 where there were quite a good many ducks and geese. 

 \bout nine o'clock we thought the flight was over, so we 

 gathered up our birds aud started for the wagon. The 

 country around us was all burnt over. We got out of the 

 slough on to the high ground, and were walking slowly 

 along when we saw a large Canada goose making for the 

 slough. We sat down on the burnt ground and" I called. 

 The goose answered and turned directly toward us. I called 

 again and the goose came on until he got within about 50yds. 

 of us. I told my friend to shoot as he would some no 

 nearer. He shot aud the goose fell almost to the ground. 

 When within about 4ft. of the ground he seemed to recover, 

 and I told the bitch to go. Away she went after him. They 

 went over a ridge about one- ball mile from us. I ran quickly 

 to the top of the ridge, and when I got there I found my 

 bitch coming out of a large slough with the goose in her 

 mouth. The goose weighed fifteen pounds. 



If a duck or goose ever falls to the ground, the Chesa- 

 peake Bay dogs are sure to get it. They are very powerful 

 in the water, and do not seem to fear anything when in the 

 water. They swim very high and very fast, and no dog that 

 I have ever seen seems as much at home in the water as the 

 Chesapeake. 



They have a fine nose and are very sure to get birds in the 

 bad sloughs of the Northwest, where the grass grows very 

 high and the mud is almost impassable. 



My bitch has had three litters of pups, and the pups have 

 the same love for the water and the guu as the old dogs. I 

 also bought two Chesapeakes from another strain, and they 

 are fine retrievers. One of them is out in the country with 

 a man that shoots a great many ducks. He thinks her work 

 is perfect. The color of all my dogs is sedge brown. They 

 show but little in the grass in the bunting season. 



I like the Chesapeake Bay dog very much for a house dog. 

 They stay at home and mind their own business, and are 

 not roaming over the country doing mischief for their 

 owner to pay for. They are kind to children. 1 have never 

 known my Chesapeake Bay dogs to bark at a child. My 

 bitch stays in my house nights, and I do not think it w r ould 

 be good for any one to try to break into the house. 



They stand the winters of the Northwest well, and will 

 play out in the snow when the mercury is 30 or 40 degrees 

 below zero. J. G. Smith. 



AMONA, la., Now 24. 



WORCESTER. KENNEL CLUB. — Worcester, Mass., Dec, 

 4.— Editor Forest and Stream: At a meeting of the Worces- 

 ter Kennel Club, held at the Bay State House, Monday 

 evening, Dec. 3, 18^8, the following officers were elected: 

 President, Harry W. Smith; First Vice-President, Col. Rock- 

 wood Hoar; Second Vice-President, Frederic Kimball; Sec- 

 retary, Edward W. Dodge; Treasurer, Fred W. White; 



Bench show dates, Apri b>, 10, 11 and 12.— Edward W. Dodge, 

 Sec, , 426 Main street. 



Bogs: Hieir Managemcnt.and Treatment in Disease, By 

 Ashtnrmt, Price $3. Kennel Record and, Account Booh. 

 Price p. Training vs. Breaking. By S. T. Hammond. 

 Price $1. First Lessons in Dog Training, with Points of 

 all Breeds. Price 50 cents. 



