Jan. 3, 1889.] 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



481 



as prolific breeding places, secure from predatory birds and 

 small boys, as well as places of refuge to trout which wish 

 to escape the sawdust of the main stream. I have seen trout 

 streams, especially in the pine barrens of northern Wiscon- 

 sin and Michigan, which were by no means as favored as 

 this Mill Brook, the current being comparatively sluggish, 

 and not so capable of purging itself of sawdust; yet I know 

 of few trout streams m any lumber region where its deni- 

 zens cannot avoid the sawdust if they will, by withdrawing 

 to the headwaters or lateral tributaries, provided fish ways 

 are supplied to enable them to surmount the dams where 

 the accumulations chiefly occur, What I remark as most 

 singular in the Mill Brook is, that the trout gather most 

 where the sawdust is thickest, both on old mill sites and on 

 sites where mills are running now. I take my best trout 

 right from Under the flume of a whipstock factory and saw- 

 mill, where the refuse is dumped as fast as it fdrms. 



But I recall to mind a still more striking example of the 

 iunocuousness of sawdust. There is in Hampshire county, 

 Massachusetts, a series of three large natural reservoirs, 

 varying from half a mile to two miles in length, which for 

 fifty years have abounded in pickerel, perch, eels and bull- 

 heads. It is said that they originally contained trout, but 

 the water is dark and discolored by the drainage of spruce 

 and cedar swamps. At the outlet of the lowest pond once 

 stood a village called Hallockville, which operated a grist 

 mill, sundry sawmills, and what was then the largest ^tan- 

 nery in Massachusetts. It was burned in 1846 and never re- 

 built, and the dams and foundation walls are now almost 

 destroyed and buried by a new growth of forest. But the 

 sluice and flood stream below are still clogged with the 

 sawdust and tan bark deposited a half century ago, and the 

 water is black aud forbidding, though much broken into 

 swirls and rapids by boulders and ledges. But for the color 

 of the water, it is a most likely-looking place for trout, 

 though it has been tested time* and time again without 

 successful results. It has always been maintained, from 

 the date of the building of the tannery, that there were no 

 trout in it. I used to fish it myself when I was a boy. Last 

 summer I took therefrom five small trout with a worm. 

 They had doubtless worked their way up from the Buckland 

 streams below, for they never came through the dam from 

 the pickerel ponds above. Nevertheless the lower streams 

 are occupied by many sawmills and carry their proportion 

 of sawdust, that substance which some of your correspond- 

 ents maintain is fatal to fish life. I leave your readers to 

 draw their inferences, and trust that Mr. Fred Mather will 

 feel himself sustained by this testimony of the streams. 

 That gentlemen is not apt to make mistakes. He is gray 

 with the experience of years, and that is better than guess- 

 work. Charles Hallock. 



Washington, Dee. 29. 



fennel 



FIXTURES. 



DOG SHOWS. 



.Ta,n. 1 bo 4.— Fourth Dog Show of the Meriden Poultry Associ- 

 ation. Joshua Shute, Secretary. No. 430 Pratt street, Meriden, 

 Conn. 



Jan. 15 to 19, 1889.— Seventh Annual Dog Show of the Southern 

 Massachusetts Poultry Association, at New Bedford, Mass. F. 

 W. Dean, Secretary. 



January, last week.— Western Pennsylvania Poultry Society's 

 Fourteenth Annual Show, Pittsburgh, Pa. C. B. Elben, Sec'v. 



Feb. 5 to 8, 1889.— First Annual Dog Show of the Columbus 

 Fanciers' Club at Columbus O. Thos. R. Sparrow, Secretary. 



Feb. 7 to 12.— First Annual Show of the Hudson River Poultry, 

 Dog and Pet Stock Association, at Newburgh, K.Y. J. H. Dreven- 

 stedt, Secretary, Wnshmertonville, N. Y. 



Feb. 12 to 15, 1889.— Fifth Dog Show of the New Jersey Kennel 

 Club, at Jersey City, N. J. Geo. L. Wilms, Secretary, 142 Monti- 

 cello avenue, Jersey City, N. J. 



Feb. 19 to 22, 1889.— Thirteenth Annual Show of the Westminster 

 Kennel Club, Kew York. James Mortimer, Superintendent. 



Feb. 26 to March 1, 1889.— Second Annual Show of the Renssalaer 

 Kennel Club, Troy, N. Y. Alba M. ide. Secretary. 



March 5 to 8, 1889.— Second Annual Dog Show of the Albany 

 Kennel Club, at Albany, N. Y. Geo. B. Gallup, Secretary. 



March 12 to 15, 1839.— Second Annual Show of the Fort Schuyler 

 Kennel Club, Utica, N. Y. James W. Dunlop, President. 



March 19 to 22, 1889.— First Annual Dog Show of the Maryland 

 Kennel Club, at Baltimore. Md. W. S. Diffenderffer, Secretary. 



March 28 to 29, 1889.— First Annual Dog Show of the Massachu- 

 setts Kennel Club, at Lynn, Mass. D. A. Williams. Secretary. 



April 3 to 5, 1889.— First Annual Show of the Rochester Kennel 

 Club, at Rochester, N. Y. Harry Yates, Secretary. 



April 2 to 5, 1889.— .Annual Show of the New England Kennel 

 Club, Boston, Mass. J. W. Newman, Secretary, No. 6 Hamilton 

 Place. 



April 9 to 13.— First Dog Show of the Worcester Kennel Club, at 

 Worcester, Mass. Edward W. Doyle, Secretary. 



April 9 to 12, 1889.— First Annual Dog Show of the Masooutah 

 Kennel Club, at Chicago. 111. John L. Lincoln, Jr., Secretarv. 



April 16 to 19, 1889.— The Seventh Dog Show of the Philadelphia 

 Kennel Club, at Philadelphia, Pa. Wni. C. Child, Secretary. 



May 22 to 35.— Pacific Kennel Club Show, San Francisco, Oak 

 FIELD TRIALS. 



Jan. 14, 1889.— Sixth Annual Field Trials of the Pacific Coast 

 Field Trial Club, at Bakersfield, Cal. N. P. Sheldon, Secretary, 

 320 Saasome street San Francisco, Cal. 



A. K. R.-SPECIAL NOTICE. 

 nPHE AMERICAN KENNEL REGISTER, for the registration 

 of pedigrees, etc. (with prize lists of all shows and trials), is 

 published every month. Entries close on the 1st. Should be in 

 early. Entry blanks sent on receipt of stamped and addressed 

 envelope. Registration fee (50 cents) must accompany each entry. 

 No entries inserted unless paid in advance. Yearly subscription 

 $1.50. Address "American Kennel Register," P. O. Box 2832, Kew 

 York. Number of entries already printed 6850. 



DOG SHOW REPORTS. 



PEORIA, 111.— Editor Forest and Stream: In looking 

 over the show reports of New York, Boston and Buf- 

 falo, I find a few comments by your reporter— Mr. Mason, I 

 believe — which t would kindly ask for an explanation of. 

 It is not in the spirit of criticism I write, but simply for in- 

 formation. I am unable to attend the Eastern shows, and, 

 with many fanciers, depend entirely on the studs r of show 

 reports to fix in our minds the relative value of dogs and 

 control our purchases in the East. I happen to own a puppy, 

 sire Minting, dam Lady Beatrice, and am anxious to know 

 about what the quality of the dam is as judged by an expert 

 such as your reporter must be, and have followed his com- 

 ments closely and am still at sea. He describes the bitch at 

 New York (vhc), showing her to be faulty in fiye points; 

 but I have read his description of Caution attributing to 

 him four bad points, so I concluded Beatrice must be a good 

 one. The next report was Boston. Here, after an opening 

 statement that mastiffs were the best and largest class ever 

 seen in America, and that bitches numbered sixteen, with 

 Duchess and Lady Beatrice well ahead. I made up my mind 

 Beatricewas an exceptionally good one, and procured a puppy 

 from her. Now, after this study of his reports before buy- 

 ing, and thinking I had a rare-bred one, he dashes my hopes 

 to the ground in his Buffalo report. Describing Derbyshire 

 Lad, he says, "Out of a very ordinary bitch." Well, his 

 dam is Lady Beatrice, and what are we to think? Was she 

 good enough to win in Boston and yet, as dam of Lad be 

 "very ordinary"? or is it not the same Lady Beatrice, or how 

 is it? If not trespassing on your space too much, I should 

 like to be straightened out in the matter. 



Ghas. E. Bunn. 



THAT LONG ISLAND RABBIT BAITING. 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



Before speaking about what I regard as genxiiue sport, I 

 beg to express some opinions on that which to my mind is 

 very far from it. Some sportsmen (?) on Long Island seem 

 to have taken up the idea that a cased and benumbed rabbit, 

 turned loose withiu 25yds. of fox-terriers, affords amusement 

 worthy of human aspiration. There can be no disputation 

 upon subjects of taste. But the sport (?) above indicated can 

 hardly be so classed; and I am unable to see how persons of 

 common refinement can find entertainment, much less pleas- 

 urt, in what closely approaches barbarity. If, as I see, it 

 requires only from 30 to 50yds, for the dog to catch the rab- 

 bit, and none ever escape, I fail to see how anyone of becom- 

 ing taste and ordinary human sensibility can tolerate it. I 

 beg to suggest with all respect that the Hempstead sportsmen 

 could have much more sport, exhilarating and healthful , and 

 but little more expensive, if they would "come to North Car- 

 olina and try the old fields in the central part of the State, 

 with hounds or beagles and a shotgun. They would not 

 then get all which they would start. If they vised fox-ter- 

 riers only they would get v«ry few. The judges aud other 

 sportsmen could not ride during the chase, but would have 

 to "foot it," to the grent improvement of their health. 



As I said, 1 cannot discuss a matter of taste. I may con- 

 tend that certain indulgences are not accordingto ray notions 

 of good taste. Now, as none of the rabbits escape aud every 

 "course" is successful, why cannot these gentlemen amuse 

 tlieiusolves equally well by shooting a 10-bore shotgun 

 loaded with -klrs. of gunpowder and l\(oz. of No. 10 shot, at 

 the side of a barn 30x60ft. at a distance of 20yds., with a 

 rest at that? They would hit every time. Or they might tie 

 the rabbits to a stake and shoot with a rest at 30yds. Then, 

 if they killed at every shot, the fun might come in by count- 

 ing the pellets in each carcass. 



But there is plenty of healthful sport rendered keener by 

 the possibilities of an occasional miss both in the open field 

 and the brush. Bob White can afford it and the central 

 counties of this Commonwealth, especially off of the lines 

 of the railroad, present many attractions. Luxuriant sports- 

 men, who come among us in a palace car, with all the neces- 

 saries and comforts of life and a quantity of what is neither 

 necessary nor health oil, may enjoy themselves — "after a 

 fashion''— but will have little of the sport enjoyed by those 

 who get away from the sound of a railroad whistle and con- 

 tent themselves with such accommodations as the country 

 can afford. 



I have made three trips into Chatham county during the 

 present season. Birds were not so abundant in the field as 

 I had expected. In consequence of this the bags were not 

 large ones. But I had some sport nevertheless and quite as 

 much exercise as I wanted. My own little gun caused the 

 death of only 102 in all of them, and it required almost 175 

 shots to do it. That was far better than any of my compan- 

 ions did. On two of the occasions my competitors killed 

 two or three birds more than I, but they burnt more powder. 

 The fact is I cannot walk as fast nor as long as somepersons. 

 I am obliged to get over ground slowly and keep a sharp 

 lookout to avoid stumbling. In plain English, I economize 

 ray breath and muscle, and hence fail to shoot as often as he 

 does who rushes along over gullies, stones and marshes, 

 and through thickets of brush and brier. My little dbg is 

 getting old. too; and he, like his master, is deep in the shade 

 of life. Still he does his best and holds out as long as he 

 can. Poor old Argo! Well, he and I have bad "lots of fun, " 



Wells. 



Rocktxuham, N, C. December. 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



Considered in the abstract, there can be no defense to the 

 charge that all "sporting," i. c, the hunting, chasing or 

 killing of any wild animal without some useful 'purpose hi 

 view, is simple cruelty, and a strict application of abstract, 

 principles might properly class such -'sporting" as brutal 

 cruelty. Now we all know that this cannot be true in actual 

 practice, for we know many men of the kindest of hearts 

 and the noblest of impulses, who are devoted to such sports. 

 Take for instance the English country gentlemen. No race 

 or class of men ever rivaled them in mental, moral and 

 physical characteristics. They have done more for the ad- 

 vancement of the race in intelligence, culture and all its 

 highest attributes than any other existing. It is simply 

 absurd to say that such a body of men can be habitually 

 cruel or brutal, yet they are, and always have been, pre- 

 eminent in the sports of the field. Then what are the quali- 

 fying circumstances that explain the enigma? Simply that 

 the tree, outdoor exercise, the stimulus, bodily and mental, 

 resulting from sports, elevate them to not only a pleasure, 

 but a potent factor in human development. In this stimulus 

 the excitement of overmatching the game in wits, skill, en- 

 durance, and the contest between human skill and wild 

 animal vigor, instinct and wariness, affords the stimulus of 

 the enjoyment. As perfection in hunting weapons andskill 

 in using them advances, with it grows a higher standard of 

 privilege allowed the game, that the contest between 

 hunter and hunted may remain as nearly equal as possible. 

 As I understand it, this is why it is not "sportsmanlike" to 

 shoot a bird in a tree or on the ground. I know it is now 

 bad form in fox hunting to relay a fox with fresh hounds 

 (although it is sometimes done if a particular fox becomes 

 too much of a terror to chickens and must be extirpated as 

 a nuisance), and a bag fox is looked on with contempt by all 

 but "dude" fox hunters. 



Now if my premise that all hunting of game, not for some 

 useful purpose is per se cruel, in the absence of some quali- 

 fying circumstance, I would ask what possible defense can 

 be set up for the performance of capturing a lot of timid 

 hares, confining them for a season, and then turning the 

 frightened, confused brutes loose in strange grounds to 

 be dogged to death by a lot of fox-terriers ? That it is 

 destitute of the first trace of "sport" is shown by the pub- 

 lished accounts of the recent devilling to death of rabbits. 

 A rabbit is taken out of the cavern of a pocket, shown to 

 some dogs, let loose and is run into in 31 seconds. Now 

 many and many the good foxhound have 1 seen running a 

 rabbit on his native ground, and the chases lasted ten min- 

 utes oftener than they did five, and when bunny was picked 

 up in any such time as even three minutes we always felt 

 that he didn't have a fair chance. 



I never saw a rat-killing match, but from accounts of 

 them I should say that the performances at Hempstead 

 were duplicates of the sports of "Mose," "Bill," et id hoe. 

 Cannot you interview a "bhoy" and get an expert opinion 

 whether the dignitaries at Hempstead have faithfully fol- 

 lowed out rat-pit etiquette ? Ratting has at least two 

 claims on favor, it tends to the suppression of destructive 

 wild animals, and thegameness of the rat surely impels him 

 to fight for his life, aud the terriers are put on record 

 whether they have earned a right to exist, but the pitting 

 of the most timorous animal living, whose natural coward- 

 ice is improved by confinement in a box, against a pair of 

 terriers, is — well, "high toned" will probably do as well as 

 anything. W. Wade. 



Hulton, Pa., Dec. 20. 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



I have read with a good deal of interest certain comments 

 in Forest AND Stream regarding Long Island "rabbit 

 coursing" and I must acknowledge that my sympathies 

 rest entirely with the rabbits. On the Western prairies it 

 must be grand sport coursing hares in the open, and it cer- 

 tainly is excellent amusement in the East, shooting rabbits 

 in the swamps and thickets; but a person who takes'pleasure 

 in seeing a number of harmless animals, caged and half dead 



with fright, killed as if they were vermin, is not my ideal 

 of a sportsman. In Australia we are told that the (domes- 

 tic) rabbit is a plague; and in some portions of our West 

 that, the jack rabbit is a nuisance. Where such a state 

 exists it is allowable of course to make use of unusual 

 means of extermination; but with game in the East as it is, 

 steadily diminishing in numbers, there is no such excuse 

 for want on destruction. As for the cruelty of such a way 

 of killing, I suppose that is an open question; but for one I 

 protest against degrading rabbit chasing to the same cate- 

 gory as rat killing. If a rat killer is a sportsman, all I can 

 say is that I don't wan't to be known as a sportsman. * 

 Boston, Mass. 



Editor Forest and: Stream: 



My attention having been called to the Hempstead mode 

 of killing rabbits, I wish simply to state, without any un- 

 due warmth in the matter, that while I have always advo- 

 cated the necessity of outdoor, manly sports, I must confess 

 that I never could see the sport in anything bordering on 

 brutality. I should as soon advocate cockpits, bull fights, 

 dog fights, prize fights, and all other demoralizing and 

 devilish systems that make men worse and not better. That 

 is the rule I wish to apply. "If this be treason make the 

 most «f it."- Occident. 



SedAlia, Missouri. 



Editor Forest and. Stream: 



Measured by the low standard of the Yankee fox hunter's 

 ethics, the Hempstead method of coursing hares is murder- 

 ous and beneath the contempt of any one who calls himself 

 a sportsman or even a decent man. But as it insures the 

 certain death of the hare and pleases the dogs and, except- 

 ing the hare, the other participants, who no doubt are true 

 sportsmen, it must probably be conceded that it is a very 

 noble sport. Bull baiting and badger drawing were once so 

 considered, but we have fallen on better times, when such 

 brutality is not tolorated, Awaksoose. 



Vermont. 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



The life of an animal is as dear to that animal as the life 

 of man is to man, and consequently man should not deprive 

 an animal of its life except in case of necessity, and when we 

 do take from an animal its life, surely we should not out of 

 the pain, torture and death of the animal extort or even 

 attempt to extort pleasure. The act of taking the life of an 

 animal for food is justified. The act of taking the life of an 

 animal for pleasure is simply concentrated cruelty. The 

 butcher, when he takes life, performs what he considers an 

 act of duty. The rabbit-baiter, when he takes the life of 

 rabbits for the purpose of extracting pleasure for his morbid 

 appetite, performs simply an act of cruelty. You pay your 

 money and take your choice. I prefer the butcher. 



Old Jimmie. 



ST. BERNARD PUPPY WEIGHTS. 



MELROSE, Mass., Dec. 2$.— Editor Forest and Stream: 

 On receiving this week's Forest and Stream the first 

 thing my eye rested on was "Mastiff Puppy Weights," and 

 credited to "Plinlimmon and Lady Wellington. Perhaps it 

 is unnecessary to say anything about it, as Plinlimmon is 

 too well known, but it don't sound very w-ell, and as I own 

 Lady Wellington I prefer to call her a St. Bernard. Will 

 you kindly mention in your next issue some of the heaviest 

 rough St. Bernards you kuow of at 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10 

 months old, and oblige not only yours truly but several 

 others. E. B. Sears. 



[The mastiff heading was a clear case of heterophemy. 

 We have no record of weights for consecutive months, and 

 would be glad to receive such, together with measurements 

 and method of care and feeding.] 



Albany, N. Y.. Dec. 20 — Editor Forest and. Stream: Hav- 

 ing noticed in your last issue an account from the Halfway 

 Brook Kennels of the St. Bernard puppy Princelinamon, 

 aged 3 months and weighing just 501bs.. I would be very 

 happy to hear through your columns the measurements 

 of said puppv.it Hallway Brook Kennels would oblige. 1 

 have a St. Bernard puppy from my Mt. Sion III., aged 5 

 months. His measurements are: 



Height (at shoulder) 24 inches. 



Length of nose to stop 4 



Stop to occiput (5 " 



Occiput to setting on of tail 3-i " 



Length of tail 23 " 



Girth of chest 32 " 



" " loins 29 " 



" " arm 9K " 



" " muzzle. 13 " 



" « skull 19 " 



Weight 841bs. 



Do you think he weighs too much for his measurements? 

 Should I reduce his feed or continue to feed the same? He 

 is very health y and strai gh-tlimbed. By advisi ng me through 

 your columns you will greatly oblige A SUBSCRIBER. 



[The puppy is a larae one for his age. Give him plenty of 

 exercise, and do not allow him to get too £at.] 



PITTSBURGH DOG SHOW. 



\T17E have received the premium list of the fourteenth 

 VV annual dog show of the Western Pennsylvania Poul- 

 try Society, to be held at Pittsburgh, Pa,, Jan. 39 to Feb. 1. 

 In the mastiff, rough St. Bernard and smooth St. Bernard 

 classes, the premiums are, champion dogs $15, bitches the 

 same; open, dogs, 810, 85, and silver medal; bitches the same; 

 puppies, $10, IS, and society medal. In pointers (two classes) 

 and English setters the 'champion prizes are §10, with $15, 

 $5 and picture in each of the open classes, and 110 and society 

 medal for puppies. In some of the other classes the prizes 

 are $10 in the champion, with $10 and $5 in open classes. In 

 other classes special prizes are offered, and some have $10 

 and society medal, and a few, including spaniels and some 

 of the terriers have $5 and society medal. Entries close dan. 

 19. The address of the secretary is C. B, Elben, Box 303, 

 Pittsburgh, Pa. 



NEW BEDFORD DOG SHOW.— The premium list of the 

 twelfth annual exhibition of the Southern Massachusetts 

 Poultry Association, to be held at New Bedford, Mass., Jan. 

 15 to 19) is ready for distribution; 140 classes are provided 

 for dogs, with prizes of 60 per cent, of entrance fees to first, 

 30 per cent, to second and highly commend to third. There 

 are also a large number of valuable special prizes offered. 

 Mr. Charles H. Mason will judge all classes. Entries close 

 Jan. 8. The address of the secretary is Frank W. Dean, 

 New Bedford, Mass. 



MR. W. R, DOCKRELL'S ADDRESS, — 68 Fitzjohn's 

 avenue, Hampstead, N. W.— Editor Forest and Stream: In 

 a book recently published entitled "Our Prize Dogs," some- 

 body has inadvertently given my address as 7 Newman 

 street, Oxford street, which is incorrect, my proper address 

 is 68 Fitzjohn's avenue, Hampstead, London, N. W. By 

 kindlv inserting this in vour widely circulating journal you 

 will oblige, W. R. Dockrell. 



EASTERN FIED TRIALS CLUB.— There will be a meet- 

 ing of the Eastern Field Trials Club at the St. James Hotel, 

 New York, Jan. 8, at 8 o'clock P. M, A full attendance is 

 requested, 



