June 26, 1890.1 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



457 



DOGS OF THE DAY. 



A MONTH ago a gentleman permanently connected with 

 the A. K. C. suggested that I might be of some assist- 

 ance in endeavoring to revise the constitution so as to get it 

 ready for a new issue of printed copies, which would have 

 it complete up to date. The constitution of a club is not a 

 thing that can be juggled with. It is not a weathercock 

 which chops and changes with every little flaw of the wind, 

 but something that should be like a lighthouse, substan- 

 tially built, with its beacon ever flashing a warning against 

 foolhardy or ignorant navigators who^rush recklessly on- 

 ward, and if they cannot afford time to steer around the 

 obstacles, go at them nose on, like Missouri River boats at a 

 sand bar. They trust in the numerical strength of the crew 

 to pole them over, little reckoning the damage done by the 

 course pursued. 



Most organizations have constitutions so framed that there 

 is deep water all around and it is fair weather sailing, even 

 in stormy times. Some few are different, and worst of all, 

 that I know, is the A. K. C, which is worse than Hell Gate 

 ever was to steer through on a racing tide. When, added to 

 this, we have a disregard of even the plain directions to the 

 sailing masters of this craft, is it any wonder that it is a 

 continued struggle to keep it watertight and on an even 

 keel? At the last meeting the president in some of his re- 

 marks drew attention to an article, one of this series, and 

 stated that he did not think it proper that I should criticise 

 the club and what was being done. My reply was that the 

 A. K. C. had no warmer supporter than myself so long ns 

 its rules were abided by, but that under no circumstances 

 would I retreat one step from my right to criticise any 

 action, whether by pen or voice. It is not fair criticism, 

 such as I hold mine to be, that will hurt the A. K. C— that 

 never hurt any person or any club. Illegal actions, persisted 

 in when their illegality has been plainly demonstrated is 

 what is to be feared, and not fair criticism. But f am steer- 

 ing wide of my destination in regard to the new constitution. 

 As I said, this is not a thing to hurry over, and I have from 

 time to time done a good deal of thinking, the result of the 

 suggestion made to me. The conclusion I have arrived at 

 is this: 



We have arrived at a stage at which a very radical change 

 is essential as to the executive committee. As at present 

 constituted it is a misnomer and its manner of construction 

 makes itunwieldy and unrepresentative. When the A.K.C. 

 began with a dozen clubs it was all well enough to have 

 every delegate on the committee, but we have now close 

 upon fifty clubs each, one of which has a right to be repre- 

 sented at executive as well as club meetings. One fault 

 conspicuous in this method is that the men who execute or 

 carry out the rules, being also those who form them, they 

 are responsible to no one but themselves, and are therefore 

 indifferent as to the line of demarkation between the widely 

 distinct duties of legislators and executors. If as executors 

 they go wrong, immediately as legislators they can decide 

 that they did right, and this is just what has been done by 

 the A.K.C. Then, again, while it is permissible in a club to 

 be represented or not as it sees fit at a club meeting, it is 

 essential that committeemen should attend to their duties. 



These seem to me to be the obstacles to a continuance of 

 the executive committee as at present provided for, and 

 looking around for something as a substitute therefor I 

 find two similar organizations, each of which has a model of 

 executive work and which might be copied with advantage. 

 These are the National Trotting Association and the Na- 

 tional Amateur Rowing Association. The former calls its 

 executive committee the board of review, aud it is made up 

 as follows: The country is divided into districts, and all dis- 

 tricts have an equal number of representatives in the board. 

 At each board meeting one member from each district is 

 entitled to a seat, and the manner of their selection or ap- 

 pointment is for the president to ask each district member 

 in rotation if he can be present. If the answer is negative, 

 then the next one is asked until an affirmative answer is 

 received. The Rowing Association executive committee 

 consists of nine members, t hree being elected at each anuual 

 meeting to serve for three years. The objection to the Trot- 

 ting Association system is that with continued cases there 

 is an absence of knowledge of what has been done before 

 except by official statement, which is only good in the ab- 

 sence of personal knowledge and is necessarily inferior 

 thereto. The Rowing Association system, while admirable 

 for that body, hasits disadvantages for the A.K.C, and I am 

 inclined to the idea that a combination of the two would 

 work to the greatest advantage. This, then, is my sugges- 

 tion, which 1 would like to have criticised: 



The executive committee to consist of either twelve or 

 fifteen members, of which of the first committee one-third 

 shall act for three meetings, one-third for two and one-third 

 for one, and every one-third subsequently appointed shall 

 act for three meetings. The method of appointment to be 

 by rotation of clubs in alphabetical order. Should a club 

 decline to be represented, then the offer to be made to the 

 next in order. The associates to always have the right to 

 be represented by one of their delegates, in whichever order 

 they desire. Further, I would suggest the holding of com- 

 mittee meeting more frequently than every three months 

 during the show season; that the present advisory commit- 

 tee be superseded by one consisting of the three senior mem- 

 bers of the executive committee: that their duties and powers, 

 as well as those of the executive committee, be purely execu- 

 tive, and as such Tdearly defined. Further, to insure the 

 attendance of members, I would have a $10 fine for every 

 absentee. This to be absolute, and be charged to the club 

 the absentee represents and not the individual. Due notice 

 of inability to attend to alone be a waiver of the fine. In 

 conclusion I would say that this is written without any dis- 

 cussion with any one and are purely my personal views. 



I think we may all congratulate ourselves on the great im- 

 provement for the better in the discussion of kennel sub- 

 jects. On my part I have avoided personalities, and the 

 same is to be said of Mr. Mayhew and Peregrine, the new 

 man at Boston. There is always room for difference of 

 opinion, and good is bound to result when the tone in which 

 these di ff erences are expressed is unobjectionable. Mr. May- 

 hew has gone into the Peshali credential case again, but'l 

 cannot see but that he has weakened his position. His 

 argument is too brittle to stand any handling, if he will ex- 

 cuse the pun. There is no conflict at all between the appoint- 

 ment of M. Malcolm as delegate for the year and that of Mr. 

 Peshali for the meeting of May 22. The credentials of the 

 latter contained the explanation of Mr. Peshall's appoint- 

 ment for that particular occasion, and limited it thereto. 

 The very verbiage which Mr. Wise held to vitiate Mr. Pe- 

 shall's credentials was what really gave it effect. Without 

 it the Maryland Kennel Club would have had two delegates, 

 but with the explanation came the fact of Mr. Malcolm re- 

 tiring from office for that particular occasion. It is not the 

 province of the A. K. C. nor any person to criticise the 

 method of Mr. Peshall's appointment, outside of the Mary- 

 land Kennel Club, and that club has by its action shown 

 that it fully upholds the validity of the appointment. The 

 proxy held by Mr. Malcolm, which he presented at the A. 

 K. C, meeting in February, was not, as Mr. Mayhew says, 

 "parallel to the case in question." If he will look at it he 

 will find that it is a proxy, nothing more or less, signed by 

 the delegate; whereas Mr. Peshall's was a certificate of ap- 

 pointment, signed by the club secretary, as required by the 

 A.'K, C. constitution. One was entirely wrong, yet it was 



accepted as correct by Mr. Vredenburgh, and, as I am in- 

 formed, with full knowledge that it was not good. There is 

 really no necessity to discuss this phase of the case, for Mr. 

 Anthony, as soon as I had replied to Mr. Wise, withdrew 

 his motion. Mr. Anthony is coo clear-headed a man not to 

 detect the flaw in the indictment, although I do not doubt 

 that he could have the same vote for his motion had he 

 maintained it as was obtained for his personal motion 

 against Mr. Peshali. While I disagreed" with those who 

 voted for the latter, I recognize that it was a call for per- 

 sonal opinions and not subject to criticism, as was the other 

 motion. 



In the Collie Club stakes announcement which appeared 

 in Forest and Stream of June 12, there is a slight omis- 

 sion. The date should read, for collies born on or after 

 July 1, 1889. There was also a reference to the probability 

 of the A. K. C. adding $50 to the sweepstakes. It should 

 have been W. K, C. I think I need only to draw the atten- 

 tion of Mr. Shotwell, the Collie Club secretary, to the fact 

 that the last sweepstakes closed on May 31, and the present 

 might as well be dated back to June 1. Some good dogs 

 might be barred out by omitting the month of June. I do 

 not" exactly understand about the Produce aud Futurity 

 stakes. Will Mr. Shotwell please give an explanation. 

 What I paid in from June to November, 1880, was refunded. 



I understand that that gentleman proposes to again take 

 an active part as an exhibitor, I am advised that he has 

 bought a sister to Purity, in whelp to Christopher, and a 

 youngster by The Squire out of Roslyn Gaylass. Besides 

 these I hear of a Maney Trefoil— Ethel If. bitch puppy at 

 the Orange Kennels, on which the C. C. secretary builds 

 high hopes. 



After the close of the Cincinnati Dog Show, Dr. Cryer 

 called upon me with reference to the award of I lie pug ken 

 nel special, which he had been advised was won by the 

 Kberhart Pug Kennels. He had made out a protest, but on 

 looking at the catalogue and noting the dogs which won in 

 competition for the prize, I said, "Th?re is some mistake, 

 Mr. Mortimer could never have made any such decision. I 

 would telegraph him and get his answer before doing any- 

 thing more." Acting upon this suggestion, Dr. Cryer re- 

 ceived from Mr. Mortimer the following reply: "Dear Sir — 

 I found upon looking over my marked catalogue that the 

 special prize of §10, offered by the Cincinnati Kennel Club, 

 for the best kennel of pugs, was not awarded. This was 

 due to the fact that this special was not enumerated in the 

 judge's book. The only pug specials that 1 awarded were 

 specials No. 27, in catalogue, and No. 32. (Both these were 

 for Cincinnati owued dogs.) I have wired Mr. George Hill, 

 the superintendent., dra wing his attention t o the unfortu- 

 nate omission, and will write, him by this mail. Of course 

 your kennel wins the open special. Youv very truly. JAMES 

 Mortimer." Prominence ought to be given to this, because 

 in a Chicago paper, containing a report of the show, there 

 appeared a labored attempt at justifying the award to the 

 Eberhart Kennels, which that paper announced had been 

 made. 



There was a decision made at Cincinnati which is likely 

 to be brought before the A. K. C, and it is this. Mrs. Frank 

 Smyth, of Germautown, sent her cocker spaniel Toady Obo, 

 and when the class was called he was awarded Brat prize, 

 On the following morning (Wednesday) Brant-ford Red 

 Jacket and Duke Obo turned up. The class was ordered to 

 berejudged, with the result that Toady Obo was put back 

 to vbc. The show rules contain the following: 



I. No dogs will be received before Monday, .June % or 

 after 8 A. M. Tuesday, June 3. 



X. The judging will commence promptly Tuesday morn- 

 ing, June 3, at 10 o'clock. * * * It' any (log is not found 

 in its stall when called for by the judge, the judging will 

 proceed without it. Tins rule will be ri.qidly enfolded, 



The italicised word appears so in the catalogue. 



As a protest has been made to the A. K. C. Iam precluded 

 from doing anything beyoud stating the facts as given to me, 



In the last issue of Forest AND Stream Mr. Shotwell re- 

 plies as to Prince Charlie and the novice. His reasons for 

 disagreeing with me are doubtless perfectly good— to him, 

 but they are not so to me. One thing he says f do most 

 strenuously object to, and that is his concluding that I bull- 

 dozed Mr. Fletcher and the Boston committee. Such a 

 statement is neither correct nor courteous. I. was not pres- 

 ent when the dogs were judged, aud never had one word of 

 conversation regarding the dog being in the novice class 

 with Mr. Fletcher or anybody else. I had one or two long 

 talks with Mr. Fletcher, and he never even broached the 

 subject. I don't think Mr. Shotwell knows Mr. Fletcher, 

 for he is hardly the man to tackle on a brow-beating mis- 

 sion, especially on a first acquaintance as ours was. As to 

 it being an oversight on Mr. Shotwell's part that he judged 

 the dog at New York, permit me to say that I would have 

 followed the same course as I did in the Glenlivat case, and 

 the dog would have been judged just as Glenlivat was. 



As for my sticking to the "boodle," as Mr. Shotwell calls 

 the $3 the dog won, I will make this proposition to Mr. 

 Shotwell. I will agree to waive the seven days protest 

 clause and the $5 deposit if Mr. Shotwell can got the Boston 

 Club to accept his protest at this late date and refer it to the 

 A. K. C. Or if he prefers it I will agree to Mr. Vredenburgh 

 making a protest on behalf of the A. K C, the question to 

 be decided at the September meeting of the A. K. C. 



Mr. Frank Dole has not sailed Cor England as hepurposed, 

 the cause of the postponement beiug, I regret to say, the 

 serious illness of Mrs. Dole. 



Mr. Crowell dropped me a good-bye line before he started 

 last Wednesday across the Atlantic. Mr. Crowell's London 

 address is Williamson's Hotel, Bow Lane, Londou, E. O. 

 It is not unlikely that he may get as far as Switzerland ere 

 he sets his face homeward. 



There is quite a kick among the Pacific Kennel Club 

 members over the admission of the California Kennel Club 

 to membership in the A. K. C. They should not be unrea- 

 sonable, but remember that they are not likely to hold a 

 show this year at least, and exhibitors should not be de- 

 prived of the opportunity of getting a show if another club 

 desires to give one. I will guarantee to say that if a club in 

 any Eastern city announced that it would not hold a show 

 in 1891, and another club from the same city appeared for 

 membership, it would be elected by the A. K. C. .1. W. 



FOX-TERRIER STOLEN.— Editor Forest and Stream: 

 On or about June 11 there was stolen from my place at High- 

 land Falls, N. Y., the fox-terrier bitch Bl'emton Forrest, 

 white, with black tickings ou body and tan tickings on ears; 

 three years old. All persons are warned from buying or re- 

 ceiving this dog. A liberal reward will be paid for her recov- 

 ery. — John A. Logan, Jr. (Highland Falls, N. Y.). 



DOGS.— Nalotres medicated Soap for washing dogs, destroys 

 all irritating insects, removes doggy smell and leaves the animal 

 refreshed and happy. This prize medal soap, used by all the 

 leading owners in Europe, is now sold by Park & Tilford, McKes- 

 son & Bobbins, E. JTougera and all Druggists,— Aov. 



A. K. C. MANAGEMENT. 



Editor Forest and Stream; 



I should like to have had Mr. Peshall's letter come to me 

 in my regular daily occupation at a time when the night 

 editor was shouting "Swamprd again, boys, cut everything 

 down to the lowest notch." I think I could have put it in- 

 side a column and made it better every way. Not but what 

 Mr. Peshali carries his reader along with him, still the 

 features are not striking enough, being lost through the 

 leagth of the letter. Boiling the letter we find as a residue 

 this statement. Mr. Peshali was chairman of the stud 

 book committee in 1888, and that committee contracted with 

 Mr. Lewis to take all and pay all during the second six 

 months of the year. This he did up to Mr. Vredenburgh's 

 return in December. The books then showed a balance of 

 over 81,000, yet that balance, all but a few dollars, was in 

 Mr. Lewis's pocket. 



Hold iug the position he did, Mr. Peshali ought to know 

 what he is talking about when he makes the foregoing 

 statement. 



The cash, however, does not disappear from the books ioto 

 Mr. Lewis's pocket, but the account is carried on to Jan. 11, 

 1890, when it is balanced, the balance being $1,228.28. That 

 T can testify to, for Mr. Vredenburgh showed me the book. 

 He did not, however, advise me of any such arrangement as 

 Mr. Peshali testifies to, nor did I bear anything of that 

 until after I had seen the books, wrote what I did in Forest 

 And Stream a week later and some two or three weeks later 

 show Mr. Peshali, in the presence of Mr. Winslow, the 

 memorandum I had in my pocket, which was in Mr. Vreden- 

 burgh's writing. Then Mr. Peshali told us what he stated 

 in his letter last week. That I did uot make it public is for 

 the reason I then gave to Mr. Peshali, when I told him that 

 it was for him to do the disproving o£ the figures I had ob- 

 tained and published. 



How did the money, if it went into Mr. Lewis's pocket, 

 get back into the A.K.C. treasury? That it must have 

 been replaced is evident by the treasurer's report. Mr. 

 Peshali says Mr. Vredenburgh told him that Mr. Belmont 

 had come to the rescue of the club. Of that I know 

 nothing. If the money was so put into the treasury it 

 can be proved without much trouble. There is, how- 

 ever, a rather peculiar thing in connection with this 

 part of the story: When at the annual meeting I 

 asked for information as to the accounts, Mr. Vredenburgh 

 replied that he was glad of the opportunity of refuting cer- 

 tain rumors, and he mentioned specifically as one of these 

 rumors that Mr. Belmont had given $1,000 to the club, and 

 he denied point blank that Mr, Belmont had given one 

 penny to the club. If any one has the opportunity to com- 

 pare the statement of Mr. Vredenburgh as given in the 

 Official report of the meeting and the report {riven by Mr. 

 Peshall's stenographer, he will find that the official report 

 has been materially altered. Then again, at the last meet- 

 ing Mr. Belmont as definitely stated that he had never given 

 a cent to the club, aud then went on to say that if he stated 

 that he had not given a cent to the club 'he expected to be 

 believed. In the official report the specific statement is 

 eliminated. Of course I am aware that these reports are 

 not verbatim, being condensed by some one, but it is at least 

 unfortunate that both Mr. Vredenburgh's and Mr. Belmont's 

 specific statements should have been struck out, while 

 wholly secondary remarks in the same connection were re- 

 tained. If Mr. Peshall's statements are proved to be correct, 

 then we will have to believe that these omissions were pre- 

 meditated, but Mr. Peshall's statements are only ex. -parte, 

 and his side may be only good until the other is told. Even 

 if proved untrue, however, it. is not the less uufortuuate 

 that the statements were cut as they were, for to a certain 

 extent it lends color to the accusations. 



A part from anything that the American Kennel Club may 

 do iu the case, it seems to me that it devolves upon Messrs. 

 Terry, Schellhass and Lewis to say something. If they can 

 deny Mr. Peshall's statements as to the disposal o> the 

 biilauce during M r. Vredenburgh's absence it should be done 

 quickly. The present is not a ti me to staud upon the order 

 of doing, but to do. We know that if the assertion is 

 false they are the ones who cau deny it. We believe that if 

 it is false one or the other will say so, and if silence reigns 

 supreme they and the A. K. C. officials cannot blame people 

 from coming to the same conclusion that one of the stauueh- 

 est of the A. K. C. supporters has when he told me a week 

 or so ago that he more than feared there was a nigger in the 

 fence. 



For my part 1 do not take either side, but await develop-' 

 ments. I have endeavored iu what I have said to bring out 

 the salient features ou the side of the accusation, so as not 

 to let them be clouded over by side issues. And I say these 

 are the things that are to be proved correct or false. " Noth- 

 ing said against Mr. Belmont personally has any place in 

 the issue, nor are Mr. Peshall's peculiarities to be weighed 

 in the balance. The question before the court of canine 

 curiosity is: How did the money that Mr. Peshali says was 

 paid to Mr. Lewis get into the A. K. C. strong box again? 



I hope the interest in the case will not prompt the editor 

 of Forest and Stream to adopt the prevailing newspaper 

 craze and offer $100 for a solution of the question, answers 

 to be written only on coupons printed iu the paper. J. W. 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



In reply to an article of Mr. Peshall's in your issue of to-day, 

 regarding the Auditing Committee appointed to examine 

 the accounts of the Secretary-Treasury of the American 

 Kennel Club, in which he says: " Now as far as the Audit- 

 ing Committee that was appointed is concerned, permit me 

 to now state to the dog men and breeders of this country, 

 that the accounts of the American Kennel Club have not 

 been audited by the. said committee, that is, they simply 

 signed the statements made out by the secretary and treas- 

 urer. Two of the committee have so said to several parties, 

 and one member of the committee, I believe, has written a 

 letter to that effect." We desire to say that every statement 

 contained in above quotation is unqualifiedly false, as we 

 did examine the accounts as directed, and that we made out 

 and signed our own statement, Mr. Vredenburgh taking no 

 part in the examination except when (tailed upou to srive any 

 needed explanation of entries, and that he took no part 

 whatever in preparation of our report. We individually 

 deny having made any such statements as are contained in 

 above article personally or by letter. 



A. Clinton Wilmerding, 

 J. M. Tat lor, 

 Geo. W. La Rue. 

 New York, June 19. 



Editor Forest and Stream.: 



In Mr. Peshall's slanderous letter published in your issue 

 of last week he saw fit to accuse me of fraud, dishonesty and 

 trickery in manipulating the funds of the American Kennel 

 Club, and of submitting'an untrue statement of the finances 

 of the club for the year 1889. The charges contained in this 

 letter are too ridiculous and absurd to answer. To all who 

 know me personally a denial is unnecessary. To those who 

 know me only as the secretary of the American Kennel 

 Club, I desire to state publicly that it is only a short time 

 ago that Mr. Peshali urged me'to accept a position of trust 

 aud confidence under a high railroad official (the president 

 of the Lehigh Valley R. R. Co,), to whom he (Peshali) had 

 recommended me as a person not only competent, but one 

 who would be valuable to him. On consultation with Mr. 

 Belmont I decided to remain with the American Kennel 

 Club. At the time of this high recommendation by Mr. 

 Peshali, be knew as much about my method of transacting 



