Jan. t, 1891.1 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



481 



long way removed from high-class form. Mr. Hemmingway 

 has not "learnt." Mr. Nelles says "Gothamite" writes 

 deadly rot. perverts the truth and knows nothing about 

 cockers. He further states that Red Jacket is a good little 

 dog notwithstanding that "Gothamite" has pronounced him 

 an "Trish-setter-beaded, cheeky, shallow-bodied and over- 

 long' ' 

 are c 

 writer 



placed the "fish-headed" Jersey over the wonderful Doc, 

 relegated Johnny and Drake to obscurity, and has not 

 "learnt." This disposes of the Spaniel Club's judges, with 

 the exception of Mr. West. This gentleman bought a puppy 

 that Mr. Watson and myself said was a good one— Doc. He 

 placed Doc over Jersey, and is the only spauiel judge who 

 has "learnt" (somethiug). Mi-. Mercer got a couple of dogs 

 from Capt. Vieth, about four years ago. These dogs were 

 terribly poor specimens of the breed they were supposed to 

 represent, but Mr. Mercer didn't know it. After reading, 

 digesting and profiting by certain reports which appeared in 

 Forest And Stream, Mr. Mercer withdrew these dogs from 

 competition. This showed excellent judemeut on his part, 

 because the dogs could no longer win. Yes, Mr. Mercer has 

 'learnt." Mr. West "learnt" which was the right type of a 

 dog to purchase and exhibit. Mr. Mercer "learnt" which 

 was the right type to keep at home. Neither, of course, was 

 "led by the nose" by Mason. Thev followed the advise of 

 Forest and Stream and "learnt." "Honor to whom honor 

 is due." May they never forget. 



"Gothamite" is not led by the nose by Mason; he does not 

 ape Mason in anything. Not he. Rut he tells us just the 

 same that Jersey is a "fish-headed, sway-backed, weak- 

 jointed" animal. Pray tell us, "Gothamite," is that criti- 

 cism original? is it just your style or is it mine? I thought 

 1 had written almost exactly the same criticism in these 

 columns months ago. It is all right, only you have tacked 

 it on to the wrong dog. This may niake little difference to 

 you, but it makes a great deal of difference to the dog. 



You, "Gothamite," have refused to retract an outrageous 

 falsehood, meanly conceived. Before I retire you to the 

 obscurity enjoyed by Johnny and Drafte, 1 will prove to the 

 readers of this journal that I neither started nor encouraged 

 the "long and low craze" in cocker spaniels. "Our Prize 

 Dogs" was written in 1SS8. The notes on the dogs criticised 

 were made in 1887. Now turn to page 434 and you will find 

 the following comments on the cocker spaniel Black Pete: 

 <<* * * Undoubtedly a good-looking dog, yet not of the 

 type we like. His owner has managed to show him in fairly 

 good condition and under the weight limit for cockers; and, 

 of course, he is eligible to compete in the cocker class. But 

 it seems to us that he has an equal right to compete in the 

 field class; the formation of head and length of body indi- 

 cate that the latter is actually where he belongs. For the 

 cocker class we want a shorter and more compact body and 

 a head of entirely different formation. Brieflv described, 

 Black Pete is a long, low and handsome spaniel, but not a 

 typical cocker." Is that starting a "long and low craze" in 

 cockers? Is it "encouraging" a "long and low craze"? Now 

 read the concluding lines on Helen, page 450; "* * * This 

 bitch has a beautifully formed body, but it is too long in pro- 

 portion to the length of her limbs. She lacks liberty and is 

 too near the ground; in fact, is not of correct type." This is 

 the starting I gave the "long and low craze";*this is the en- 

 couragement it had from me. 



Permit me to suggest that for a New Year's gift you give 

 us "Gothamite's" name, that we may shun him as we would 

 a "Brittle" or a "Wildfowler." Happy New Yearl 



Chas. H. Mason. 



Editor Forest and Stream.: 



I hope the controversy going on at the present time as to 

 what constitutes a cocker, will bear fruit, and not end in 

 smoke; and that, as several of the gentlemen engaged in the 

 dispute often act as judges at our Canadian bench shows 

 and those held in the United States, they may not adjourn 

 until they agree among themselves what a bench show 

 cocker is, and ought to be, giving to the public his measure- 

 ment, from the end of his little nose to the end of his little 

 tail. I think that the ma j ority of spaniel ra en are of opinion 

 that the judging and awards in the cocker classes at the 

 several dog shows held in Canada in the fall of the present 

 year were a farce and an absurdity. A smile invariably 

 comes to my face when I read the reports of the cocker 

 classes in the various papers, at such terms as— "a worker, 

 evidently a worker, he looked the worker all over, etc." How 

 many of the cockers thus commented upon know the scent 

 of a woodcock from a sparrow? I hardly think I would be 

 far wrong if I say one out of ten ; and even at this I would 

 be favoring the cocker. Would it not add to the number of 

 entries at bench shows if a class were made for cockers to 

 trail by scent and retrieve, also retrieve from water? As for 

 work, it doesmot matter one cent whether a cocker is long 

 or short, high or low. It is the breed the dog comes from 

 and the pluck the dog is made of that tells. 



As good a cocker for the field as I ever owned, and an 

 all-day dog, was 12|in. high and 30in. long. As a wood- 

 cock shooter for the last twenty-five years, with the cocker 

 and field spaniel, and one that has in all probability killed 

 as many woodcock during that period as any man in Amer- 

 ica, I would say to those wanting a cocker for the field, pick 

 a pup from hunting stock, one with a good-sized head, 

 long, broad nose, long neck, deep chest, strong back and 

 loins, and straight forelegs. The more bone the better. It 

 matters not whether or not the hocks are much bent, 

 as the hocks look rarely straight behind the dog, and do not 

 turn in too much. Now as to coat, avoid a fine, silky-coated 

 cocker, as in nine cases out of ten he is useless. Let the field 

 cocker have a nice, black, glossy coat, with the hair not fine, 

 with lots of feather on chest, legs and between the toes, and 

 a good thick tail. I say avoid the silky-coated cocker. Why? 

 Because if the dog is at all cold or wet, after an hour or two 

 you will have him in at your heel. When you stop to get 

 your lunch he will be found lying shivering and shaking 

 on your coat, or coiled up on a bed of leaves or grass, and 

 when you make a start again to hunt you will have to pull 

 your coat from under him, or if not on your coat, you will 

 have to whistle and call him for several minutes before he 

 can be got to move, and then follows shivering with his tail 

 between his legs. 



In the meantime what has the coarser haired little fellow 

 been doing, sitting up alongside of his master watching his 

 every motion, and partaking of his justly earned share of 

 the lunch, and ready to resume the hunt the moment you 

 lay your hands on your gun. This is no imaginary picture, 

 but one that has happened to me again and again, and I 

 dare say others have had the same experience 'as myself 

 with these silky-coated lap dogs. I do hope that spaniel 

 men and spaniel judges will unite and lay aside all jealousy, 

 abuse and personalities, and come to a thorough under- 

 standing between themselves, and give to the public a clear 

 and precise standard, and having agreed upon, and formed 

 the same, stick to it when judging. The records of the 

 awards made by the different judges at Toronto, London, 

 Ottawa and Kingston bench shows, 1S90, certainly say we 

 have no standard, so we go it blind. Harry B. Nicol. 

 Cookstowx, Canada, Dec. 32. 



STREAM during the past eight or ten years he would have 

 learned that only a strong and lucid argument, courteously 

 put forth, could have any chance of beating Mr. Mason in a 

 discussion on dogs. To start in with a misstatement is 

 simply to insure the annihilation of the man who is foolish 

 enough to try it, and "Gothamite" has already half acknowl- 

 edged he did it, for has he not said "to start" and "to en- 

 courage" are one and the same thing? I have heard Mr. 

 Watson say a. score of times that a cocker should not be long 

 in body and that we were breeding them too near the 

 ground, and the very best and most conclusive proof that 

 Mr. Mason uever favored extreme length can be found iD 

 his clever reports in this paper and in his splendid book 

 "Our Prize Dogs." It is well known that Mr. Mason was 

 always a great admirer of Miss Obo II., in fact he was 

 largely instrumental in bringing that good bitch to the 

 front and keeping her there. Yet he says in "Our Prize 

 Dogs" that Miss Obo II. is too long between the couplings. 

 It is rather late in the day for "Gothamite" to apologize, 

 but he should do it, and then get out, leaving the field to 

 those who are content to write the truth and nothing but 

 the truth. If Messrs. Mason, Willey, Kirk, Watsou, Laid- 

 law, Niven, Wilmerding, Nelles, Oldham and "Uncle Dick" 

 will join in the discussion it may be fruitful of good results 

 and "Gothamite's" misstatements will do no harm except, 

 to himself. Obo. 



NOTES AND NOTIONS. 



I NOTE that "Ashmont," in a Western weekly, advises 

 that when a dog swallows some foreign substance he be 

 fed some substance that will adhere to the intrusive object, 

 and make it up into a ball, suggesting flour; I will add 

 squash, pumpkin or any of the fruits of the curcurbitse, 

 they all being largely composed of stringy indigestible mat- 

 ter, admirably adapted to catch on anything and round up 

 into a ball. I suppose that "Ashmont" intends at some 

 early date to issue either a revised edition of his work on 

 canine medicine or a second volume of it. This would seem 

 to be demanded both by the interests of dog keepers and his 

 own reputation. Such "hints" as dressing an irritating 

 spot with carbolic acid to paralyze the local nerves; the effi- 

 cacy of cocoanut meat as a tanacide, and his directions to 

 facilitate the expulsion of foreign matter from the bowels, 

 are of too great value to be left lying round loose in back 

 numbers of any paper. 



Another writer who would serve the doggy public by pub- 

 lishing a book is "Hibernia." Sarcastic, even cutting, as 

 much of his writings have been, I don't know where one 

 will go to pick out more nuggets of solid, useful informa- 

 tion, of the most practical kind than to his varied streams 

 of amusing writings. How to recover a stolen dog; how 

 a dog dealer ("Lyin Tommy") knows when a dog is stolen, 

 etc., etc., has been given us by "Hibernia" among his jok- 

 ings. Add to this his thorough experience with dogs and 

 his scientific attainments, and a book by him would be most 

 valuable and immensely interesting. 



So also, many of the suggestions of "R. W. S." were most 

 valuable, not exactly trenching on "Ashmont" but admir- 

 ably supplementing him. It strikes me that it would be a 

 good notion to gather up the fragmentary articles of solid 

 and permanent value that drift round in back numbers of 

 our kennel press and publish them in permanent form. 

 How often in a discussion of some fundamental question in 

 dogdom will we see some master hand like Dalziel, Lee or 

 Boulton referring back to something that appeared in some 

 paper? By the memory of one man this matter has been 

 saved from obscurity for a time, but how soon it will be lost 

 again? It is a duty somebody owes the doggy public to 

 gather these jewels out of the dust heap of general news- 

 paper articles. 



Why is it that dogmen are so contentious? I suppose that 

 question has been asked hundreds of times and, for all I can 

 see, will be asked many more hundreds of times. It is 

 hardly worth while attempting an answer, which must be 

 pretty much a guess after all, but dogmen would do well to 

 bear in mind Lord Mansfield's remark in the trial of the 

 famous "Running Rein" case, that "If gentlemen will race 

 with blackguards they must be judged by the company they 

 keep." So as long as dogmen will recognize "bums" and 

 knaves as on the same plane with themselves in doggy mat- 

 ters the "bums" and knaves will flavor the soup. 



In some paper I recently saw a regret that the most noto- 

 rious knave in dogdom, a man whose name was a synonym 

 for the most unblushing fraud, was not present at some 

 show! The Looker- on. 



Editor Forest and- Stream: 



Your correspondent "Gothamite" has committed a most 

 serious blunder in stating that Messrs. Mason and Watson 

 started the "long and low craze" in cocker spaniels. He 

 has already made a double somersault and it is any odds 

 that when he comes down he will break his young neck. If 

 "Gothamite" bad been a careful reader of the Forest and 



REVIEW OF PREMIUM LISTS. 



WE regret that we had not an opportunity ere this to re- 

 view the premium list of the Charleston bench show, 

 to be held Jan. 13 to 17, particularly as this is the first show 

 of the Southern series next month. There are in all 155 

 classes, with prizes of §10 in the challenge and §5 and $3 in 

 the open classes in most of breeds. Every breed with the 

 exception of bloodhounds, Dalmatians, foxhounds, poodles, 

 Chesapeake B lys, Airedales, Bassets, wire-haired fox-terriers, 

 Irish, Welsh, Bedlington and black and tan terriers, Italian 

 greyhounds and Mexican hairless have challenge classes, and 

 this we hardly think is a wise provision, as it is very certain, 

 so far away from the kennel base, the open classes will fill 

 much better and consequently ought to have had the most 

 money. Numerous cash specials are given, and each breed 

 has a special kennel prize of $5, and this with a $10 special 

 for best kennel of any breed will materially increase the 

 money that can be won. The judges, as we have before 

 stated, are Dr. H. Clay Glover and H. W. Lacy, both of New 

 York. Judging will commence Jan. 14. 1891, and no dog may 

 be removed before Saturday, Jan. 17. Puppies may be taken 

 home the second night. The classification is a liberal one 

 and should be well supported by exhibitors, especially as 

 this is the first stopping place of the circuit, Charleston, 

 S. O, New Orleans, La., and Greenville, S. C. In connection 

 with the dog show, a grand poultry show will be held, styled, 

 owing to its importance, the Crystal Palace Show of Amer- 

 ica. Exhibitors- are promised a Southern welcome in its full 

 sense, and we hear that several prominent kennels from the 

 North will send representatives. All wins count toward the 

 challenge classes, that goal all blue-blooded canines aspire 

 to attain. Entries close Jan. 1, with Benjamin Mclnness, 

 secretary and treasurer, Charleston, S. C. Entry fees are $3 

 and New York exhibitors can obtain extra entry blanks at 

 this office. 



The New Orleans show will be held Jan. 20 to 25, 1891. at 

 the Washington Artillery Hall. The premium list sets forth 

 quite a tempting array of prizes. The challenge classes for 

 most of the principal breeds have S15 and §10, and the open 

 class prizes range from §10 and §5 to $5 and $3 in the smaller- 

 breeds. The spaniels are well provided for by Classification 

 No. 1 of the American Spaniel Club, with prizes of »8 and 

 H in the open and $10 and §10 (first and second) in the chal- 

 lenge class for field, and $10 each for dog and bitch cocker 

 spaniels. There are thirty-four specials, cash and otherwise, 

 already promised, besides a special of 825 for the best dog in 

 the show, second getting §10. The judges are Messrs. John 

 Davidson, Hermann F. Schellhass and Hon. N. D. Wallace, 

 Coming just after the Southern Sportsmen's Association's 

 field trials, the show is sure to be well patronized. The en- 

 tries close Jan. 15, 1891, with Mr. A. E. Shaw, secretary, New 

 Orleans, La., the fee being $2 only. The show being under 

 A. K. C. rules, all wins will count. 



The Greenville, S. C, bench show is the last of the South- 

 ern circuit, and takes place Jan. 27 to 30. As this club, now 

 known as the South Carolina Kennel Association, has been 

 admitted to the A. K O, their wins will now count, For 



the principal breeds there are challenge classes for each sex, 

 with $10 and $5 as prizes. Then in the open classes, all 

 breeds with the exception of greyhounds, deerhounds, fox- 

 hounds, Chesapeake Bays, spaniels, poodles, bulldogs, bull 

 and all other terriers, pugs, dachshunde, Bassets, beagles 

 and miscellaneous, have fcio and .*5, those named having $5 

 and $3. The cash specials are quite numerous, showing that 

 a good deal of money can be picked up at this show. For 

 instauce, $10 is given for the best pair of mastiffs and St. 

 Bernards (rough and smooth each), there are also several 

 kennel prizes of §5, and a silver cup valued at §20 is offered 

 for the best kennel of all breeds, Mr. John Davidson judges 

 all classes. The entry fee is §3, entries closing Jan. 20 with 

 Mr. F. F. Capers, Greenville, S. C. Great interest is said to 

 be taken in this their inaugural show by the residents of 

 Greenville, and nothing will be left uudoue to make every 

 visiting exhibitor welcome. 



DOG TALK, 



I WAS both surprised and disappointed to read in theJate 

 papers of the return of the St. Bernard Prince Regent 

 to England. Surprised, because. I had not thought American 

 St. Bernard breeders so blind to theirowu interests and dis- 

 appointed, in their judgment, Possibly my opiuion is not 

 much, but I have seen nearly all the St. Bernards of England 

 and America and I consider him the best living stud dog. It 

 is rumored that he was not a success here as a stock getter. 

 Possibly not, in fact probably not. Have the breeders not 

 yet learned the fact that but one imported dog in twenty is 

 a success the first year. A few get acclimated quickly, but 

 most of them take from six months to a year. I do not wish 

 to provoke controversy or cause any hard feelings or I would 

 narae a few specimens in proof of my statement. But to re- 

 turn to Prince Regent. Before he was two years old he had 

 sired the two best St. Bernards of the day, Princess Florence 

 and Scottish Prince. I may be a little premature in calling 

 Scottish Prince better than Sir Bedivere, but he is at least the 

 best of his age. These two specimens are from two different 

 bitches of entirely different breeding, Moss Rose and Lady 

 Ida. Many dogs throw good bitches and many throw good 

 dogs. Many more throw good pups to only a few bitches. 

 Prince Regent has proved his ability to throw good puppies 

 of fither sex from different bitches. The two dogs I have 

 mentioned are only the best of his get, he has sired main 

 good ones. Sydney Smith told me this summer that he 

 meant to get him back but I did not dream that my country- 

 men were so blind to their own interests as to allow him to 

 return. 



The Massachusetts Kennel Club have secured a neat club 

 room at 34 Central avenue, Lynn. The boys are beginning 

 to talk about the coming show, and predict a success. 



Iu further confirmation of "J. W.V statement re im- 

 ported bitches coming in season some weeks late, I will say 

 that all of those imported this fall have been from thiee 

 weeks to two months late. 



I notice in the Stock-Keeper's list of St. Bernard bitches, 

 that Mr. E. B. Sears owns champion Plevna. Whew! Isn't 

 that rather a staggerer for Mr. Moore? I congratulate Mr. 

 Sears on his purchase, She is queeu of all the bitches in 

 America. Now let Mr. Moore or Mr. Diffenderffer purchase 

 Princess Florence, and New York show will rival the 

 Windsor St. Bernard Club show. 



Messrs. H. A. & W. L, Harris state in a letter to Forest 

 and Stream, published Dec. 4, that my statement regard- 

 ing White Wonder, in issue of Sept. 4, is false in every par- 

 ticular, but in their so-called "proof" they simply make an 

 assertion without giving the first atom of proof of their 

 statement. I repeat that White Wonder, uow owned by 

 Messrs. Ham-is, is by White Sam out of Rose, and that every 

 word of my statement is true and that I can substantiate 

 every word of it. The gentlemau who accompanied me 

 during my investigation lives within a few miles of Mr. 

 Harris. Those who gave ma my information are gentlemen 

 of far better standing than Mr. Hinks, and saw the dog 

 almost daily for months. I do not misunderstand Messrs. 

 Harris. I consider them gentlemen, but I can prove 

 that they were badly swindled if they bought White Wonder 

 (Beryl) for a sound dog, and if they did not, still they have 

 purchased a false pedigree. I never yet made a statement 

 in print that I could not substantiate, and until they can 

 prove what they say I would thank them not to call my 

 statement false. Namquoit. 

 St. Louis, Mo. 



THE POINTER CLUB SPECIALS. 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



The Pointer Cluh of America offer the following cash 

 prizes, open to dogs owned by members of the club. 



New York Show— §25 to best pointer dog in open class, §25 

 to best pointer bitch in open class. 



Chicago Show— §10 to best pointer dog in open class, §10 to 

 best bitch in open class. 



Pittsburg Show— §10 to best pointer clog in open class, §10 

 to best pointer bitch in open class. 



The Pointer Club is in a thriving condition, and proposes 

 to do something handsome in the way of offering cash prizes 

 at bench shows and field trials. It is now in order to be- 

 come a member and a cordial invitation is extended to all. 



GEO. W. LaRue, Sec'y-Treas. 



New Yobk, Dec . .29. 



DEATH OF FORD LASS. — Chattauooga, Tenn., Dec. 16. 

 —Editor Forest and Stream: On the 7th inst. I had the sad 

 misfortune to lose my fine imported Dandie Dinmont bitch 

 Ford Lass, under very distressing circumstances. She was 

 due to whelp on Nov. 30, but was six days behind when she 

 delivered seven fine lively puppies, but it was plain to be seen 

 that she was still to whelp another. I paid no particular 

 attention until night time, w hen she appeared to be sufferi ug, 

 and upon examination I found the pup was df ad and turned 

 around. I worked with her till 3 o'clock next morning, but 

 still no relief. Next day I saw my family doctor, got advice 

 from him, gave medicine all day and sat up with her all 

 night. Next day I had Dr. Forbes (a good Y. S.) and another 

 doctor to examine her. and they found an operation neces- 

 sary. As a last resort they took it from her bv means of the 

 knife, when it was found to be at least three times as large 

 as any of the others. By that time she had become so weak 

 that she could not stand the operation and died at ll P. M. 

 Iu her death I lost the kindest and most affectionate dog I 

 ever saw, and one that can never be replaced. Besides quite 

 a heavy loss from a financial point of view, as I could find 

 no mother for the other seven live puppies, I lost her and 

 eight puppies of as highly bred stock as there is in the 

 United States. Of one thing I am certain: if there is a 

 heaven for dogs. Ford Lass is certainly there, as a better one 

 never lived, and as I laid her in the erave I carefully made 

 for her, I felt a tear roll down my cheek and am not ashamed 

 to own that I wept for so good a friend.— Wm. E, Hoef. 



A BARZOI MISSING.— Pittsburgh, Pa., Dec. 25.— Editor 

 Forest and Stream: Mr. Hacke's Barzoi Czar strayed away 

 on last Thursday night and I would ask sportsmen to be on 

 the lookout for him. He is a white dog, with aray sides and 

 edge of ears lemon, which are small and lay like a grey- 

 hound's; head smooth and rather heavy for a barzoi; eyes 

 hazel; coat long and silky like a setter's; forelegs feathered 

 and tail fringed. One of his hindlegs had been'broken and 

 has a lump at point of fracture on the_inside above the hock 

 joint. He stands 39in, at shoulder.— J. B. Grimes, 



