June 9, 189S.] 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



545 



"What a Tarpon Can Do. 



Velasco, Tex., May SI— Editor Forest and Stream: 

 This account from the Houston Post of the antics of 

 Brazos tarpon is quite correct and trustworthy. It al l 

 happened on May 28: "As the steam tug Mollie Mohr 

 was coming up the river from the jetties this morning 

 she ran through a school of tarpon about half a mile 

 below the city. Three of these huge fish leaped clear 

 across the tug's forward deck, one of them narrowly 

 missing Tom Ross's head, the second struck the cabin 

 near where Captain Marshall and a fireman were stand- 

 ing and made a dent as large as a man's fist in the hard 

 wood. The third struck and bent an iron drift bolt half 

 an inch in diameter, and glancing off hit Wm. Schun- 

 field between the Bhouldere, knocking him senseless; in 

 fact, it was thought for a time he had been killed, and it 

 will be some time before he will be able to resume work. 

 Captain Marshall says the river for a considerable dis- 

 tance was alive with these silver kings, leaping around 

 as if all the tarpon family had concluded to celebrate 

 19ft. of water on the Brazos bar."— M. P. M. 



Pike County Trout. 



Dtkgman's Ferry, Pike County, Pa-., June 3.— I have 

 some good fishing news to give you. Mr. Hale Jones, of 

 Easton, Pa., who has been here since May 12, has been 

 fishing almost everv day and has been very successful. 

 But on Decoration Day he surpassed all others and "took 

 the cake," catchiug 181 trout, all very nice fish. They 

 were caught in Dingman Creek, above Beaver Dam. Mr. 

 Ward, of Newark, N. J., on Decoration Day caught 83 in 

 Adams Brook, all very nice fish. Mr. 8. Cole on the same 

 day caught 31 in Trout Run, 9 of which weighed lllbs. 

 Our streams are all doing splendidly, better than ever 

 before, showing plainly the good benefit of continued 

 stocking of the waters.— Phit.ip F. Fulmer. 



Rangeley Trout. 



Littleton, N. H., June 1. — Messrs. George Whittaker, 

 George Bellows, G. E. Lane, F. A. Russell, J. P. Pres- 

 cott, L. E. Collins and A. F. Dow, who left Littleton 

 May 20 for the Range ley Lakes returned the 81st inst., 

 bringing with them lOOibs. of dressed trout. During the 

 stay at the lakes they remained at the Anglers' Retreat, 

 at the Middle Dam. It rained nearly every day and on 

 the 23d there was a fall of 3tn of snow. The largest 

 trout taken weighed 7Ibs., the lucky fisherman being G. 

 E. Lane. All were well pleased with the trip and expect 

 to repeat it again next year. — W. S. H. 



A Cast-Net Record. 



It may be remembered that "Podgers" visited St. Vin- 

 cent's Island near Apalachicola last fall and wrote up his 

 trip and gave an account of the plentitude of fish and 

 fowl on the island. A letter just received from that 

 fisherman's and sportsman's paradise says: "Dick and 

 myself went up the creek (lagoon) the other day, and 

 with one cast of the hand net caught 95 bream and perch 

 and 5 mullet, making 100 in all, the largest catch we ever 

 made at one cast." Has this ever been exceeded? 



A Rhode Island Salmon. 



Westerly, R. I., June 3. — A salmon, 32in. long, weigh- 

 ing 9|lba., was taken in Pawcatuck River here to-day by 

 a small lad while trolling for pickerel. The fish was evi- 

 dently one from the plant made by the State Fish Com- 

 mission a few years ago. — L. 



The Davis Rod Tip. 



It is one of those things of which one says on first sight, "Of 

 course; why didn't I think of that?" When he saw it "Podsrers" 

 said, "That's an idea I've been carrying around with me for 

 years.' The familiar principle that a rope or line or thread will 

 run with less resistance through a pully block than oyer or 

 through anything else without a wheel has been adapted by Dr. 

 Davis to rod t ips. The device is illustrated in our advertising 

 pages. Practically, we have demonstrated that it does facilitate 

 the running of the line, and the advantage of its use increases in 

 compound rate with the size of the fish on the line. The Davis 

 tip is a new notion and which promises to take, and practical test 

 is likely to lead to permanent use. 



The Yankee fish hook is an invention intended to catch lish. 

 As the repeating rifle has superceded the muzzleloader on 

 account of its greater efficiency, so this fish hook is destined to 

 supercede the old fish hook. The manufacturers claim that it is 

 an impossibility for a fish to bite without being hooked. Alas for 

 the fish! But this age recognizes success alone, and thehook that 

 catches the fish is bound to be popular.— Adv. 



Salmon fiBhers headed for the Nipissiguit. Mirimichi, Resti- 

 gouehe and other rivei'3 will be benefited by taking with them a 

 copy of Halloek's "Salmon Fisher." Don't you forget it.— Adv. 



PIKE-PERCH PLANTED IN KENTUCKY. 



In our issue of May 12 we mentioned the important addi- 

 tion of pike-perch to' streams in Kentucky. We are now in 

 receipt of the followiug letter from Mr. Charles A. Dailey, 

 secretary of the Kentucky Fish and Game Club, who ac- 

 companied the car during the distribution of the fish: 

 Editor Forest and Stream: 



Yimv letter of the 23d inst. to Mr. Forsman has been 

 handed me for reply as I accompanied the fish car on the 

 trip. About ten million fry were hatched. These were de- 

 posited in Salt River near Shepherdsville, at Bowling Green, 

 in a spring-fed lake at Lexiugton, at Paris, at Winchester, 

 in Rotindstone Creek near Langford, and at its confluence 

 with Rockcastle River, at Pineville, in the Cumberland, at 

 Danville and Lebanon Junction. Tbe bulk of the fish were 

 planted at Pineville, which is the headwaters of the Cum- 

 berlaud. I inclose a clipping from the Courier-Journal 

 which will give you the full information. The Government 

 work at the Ohio Falls in deepening the channel and harbor 

 has driven away fish. However, cats, jack-salmon a.ud chubs 

 are caught in large numbers. Chas. A. Dailey/. 



Louisville, Ky., May 28. 



Ohio Fish Commission. 



Mk, John D. Law has succeeded Dr. James A. Ilenshall 

 ou.fche Ohio Fish Commission. 



The JojS. Dixon Crucible Co., of Jersey City, X. J., are manu- 

 facturers of the finer grades of graphite productions, from lead 

 pencils to lubricants aod stove polish. This company owns and 

 operates the only successful graphPe mine, in America at Ticon- 

 deroga, 1ST. Y., and has always been celebrated for the high quality 

 of its productions. The company wishes to call especial atten- 

 tion to its Silicv Graphite Paints for roofs, etc, the principal 

 component of which, graphite, is impervious to heat, cold, acids, 

 alkalies or any known chemicals.— Adv. 



F I XTU RES. 



DOG SHOWS. 



Sept. 6 to 9.— Second Annual Dog Show of the Hamilton Kennel 

 Club, at Hamilton, Canada. A. D. Stewart, Sec'y. 



Sept. 6 to 9.— Rochester Kennel Club, at E,ochester, N. Y. Dr. 0. 

 S. Burn her, Sec'y. 



Sept. 15 to 16.— Fourth Annual Dog Show of the Toronto In- 

 dustrial Exhibition Association, at Toronto, Canada. C. A. 

 Stone, Sec'y. 



Sept. 20 to 23.— Western Michigan Kennel Club, at Grand Rapids, 

 Mich. H. Dale Adams, Galesburg, Mich., Superintendent. 



Sept. 27 to 30.— Dog Show at Ottawa, Can. Alfred Geddes, Sec'y. 



Oct. 25 to 28.— Omaha Kennel Club, at Omaha, Neb. E. L. 

 Marston, Sec'y. 



FIELD TRIALS. 



Sept. 5.— Manitoba Field Trials, at Morris, Man. A. Holloway, 

 Winnipeg, Man., Sec'y. 



Nov. 7.— International Field Trials Club, third annual trials, at 

 Chatham, Ont. Amateur Stake, Nov. 7. Open Stakes, Nov. 8. 

 W. B. Wells, Sec'y. 



Nov. 7.— United States Field Trials, at Elizabethtown, Ky. P. 

 T. Madison, Indianapolis, lud., Sec'y. 



Nov. 8.— New England Field Trials, at Assonet, Mass. Geo. E. 

 Stickney, Newburyport, Mass., Sec'y. 



Nov. 14.— Fourth Annual Trials of the Brunswick Fur Club, at 

 Princeton, Mass. J. H. Baird. Sec'y. 



Nov. 15.— American Field Trials, at Columbus, Ind. W, J. Beck, 

 Sec'y. 



Nov. 21. -Eastern Field Trial Club Trials, at High Point, N. C. 

 W. A. Coster, Sec'y. 



Nov. 28.-Philadelphia Kennel Club Trials, at High Point, N. C. 

 F. G. Taylor, Sec'y. 



Dec. 5.— Central Field Trials, at Lexington, N. O. Col. Odell, 

 Sec'y. 



THE BEAGLE STANDARD. 



Editor Forest and. Stream: 



One gentleman of some note as a dealer in dogs, in his 

 article in your issue of the 19tb, seems to fear that the har- 

 mony which prevails in the ranks of the National Beagle 

 Club will be marred if any attempt is made to change the 

 standard of the large class of beagles from 15 to 16in. When 

 I read the article I could only say, "Another advocate of the 

 diminutive beagle," who looks only in a prejudiced way 

 upon the subject and forgets that the standard has already 

 been tampered with, and an added inch given to his favored 

 class. Now, as there are two classes of dogs, the 13in. class 

 and the loin, class, would it not be a good idea to let the de- 

 cision of this matter rest in the hands of the larger class 

 members of the club? 



Like many others, this gentleman seems to jump at con- 

 clusions and wants to bring one class up to defend itself in 

 a matter already acted upon in its favor, and most decidedly 

 to its advantage. I mean the diminutive beagle which is 

 not a subject of discussion, and no change is proposed as 

 that class has already had its turn, and received what it so 

 sadly needed. It includes now quite a number of excellent 

 dogs that viewed from a 12in. standpoint would have been 

 merely "weeds" and "culls." Then such owners and breed- 

 ers should glorify the inch, inasmuch as it makes so many 

 winning dogs out of "culls" and "weeds". 



Yet I may be wrong in this opinion. I forgot for the time 

 being that such dogs as exceeded 12in. could be shown in 

 the loin, class, and I presume the same rule applies to the 

 "big end weeds" of the 13in. class. It is at least not gener- 

 ous to take an inch off the larger class standard and not 

 compensate such class for the appropriation of such inch. 



I do not understand from the nature of the letter pre- 

 sented by Mr. Phoebus to the National Beagle Club that he 

 alone desired the, change, inasmuch as his introductory 

 states that the subject of discussing such point was one he 

 understood to be under consideration, and he could do no 

 other than write because he was not able to attend. 



The National Beagle Club certainly have thought there 

 was some merit in his letter else they would not have or- 

 dered it printed. 



I want to tell Mr. Krueger that men's opinions undergo 

 changes. While I have gone from the little fellows in 

 beagles to the larger class, he has dropped from the upper to 

 lower class, and I doubt if among his little ones he can find 

 one that equals his Racer, by Rally ex Lill. I esteemed 

 him the superior to his Cameron's Racket in everything, 

 aside from head. These were both sizable dogs, and if I am 

 not mistaken Racer was slightly over the present standard, 

 yet he was a dog of great substance, being muscular and 

 competent to drive all day; but to-day Mr. Krueger would 

 have to call him a " weed. " I sent a man once to offer a long 

 price for this dog, but I could not get him. Now I see by 

 some paper he offers "Beautiful beagle puppies at $5 and 

 some rabbit dogs (trained beagles I suppose) at $5 to $8." I 

 can only conclude they must be "weeds." I know that 15in. 

 dogs properly mated to like bitches produce like themselves, 

 but 12 and 18in. pairs often produce much larger than their 

 kind. 



When a youngster I used the small dogs in company with 

 the gun, and they are quite good that way, but even with 

 all their good qualities I could find and kill more rabbits 

 with an aggregation consisting of curs, shepherds and an old 

 cocker, which belonged to the neighborhood. We had to 

 resort to this kind when the little fellows "played out " 

 Afterward I got the larger kind. Those dog's made a 

 sportsman of me. I could go out with them, like older men 

 with their foxhounds, withont a gun. I had the sport of 

 many chases and much game, while the riders came home 

 with the fox's pelt and sometimes they did not. I can 

 watch these work up a cold foot and enjoy the rush when 

 cottontail is afoot, and f usually get the game, through the 

 efforts of the dogs alone. Sometimes the rabbit goes to 

 earth, but in that event I can have equally as much sport 

 some other time. Another thing I notice, my dogs don't 

 run to the boom of the gun as the little ones did, and thus 

 leave me to hunt the rabbit if I killed it or lose time in 

 getting them started again, if I missed it. Now, if some 

 hunter shoots the rabbit they are after, these dogs never 

 leave the trail, but go right on until they find the game. 

 But all this is foreign to the subject. Should the standard 

 be raised an inch? Yes. Why? Because there seems to be 

 and is a certain height to which these dogs grow, and the 

 very best of them, both for looks and work, are from 14^4 

 to 15%in. with the preference for quality in favor of the 

 larger ones. Then if such is the case why should the club 

 keep these dogs out of events when they are competent to 

 do better work, and more of it, than such as are admitted 

 to these events on account of the present fixed measure- 

 ment? 



You cannot obliterate the type by any rule of measure- 

 ment, a beagle differs from a harrier as much as a foxhound 

 differs from a bloodhound, and size has nothing to do with 

 it. Why are neither of the others required to be so high or 

 so low? Some dogs are classed by weight, why not these? 

 There has been a great improvement in those breeds iu the 

 past years, and that improvement in the main is solely on 

 account of their being bred large, strong and vigorous, 

 competent to do such work in the field as will make sports- 

 men iu the truest and fullest sense of the word, of those 

 who follow them. 1 have often thought it would be neces- 

 sary to try and breed sportsmen to truly appreciate these 

 excellent sporting dogs. 



I am sure much could he added to the appreciation of 

 beagles if they were bred truly in accordance with natural 

 laws, and not "pinched" and starved to have a pretty head 



and no substance. My dogs are all 15 and 15Xin.; bitches 

 14}^ to loin., and I know they are good ones, and can sicken 

 the field trial and bench show winners in a five days hunt. 

 These dogs are not registered, but they trace their ancestral 

 lines back to the old Rowetts. If this proposition goes 

 through I shall show them, if not, I shall not change them 

 for smaller. They are full-blooded beagles, bred for work 

 in the field, nourished and pushed when young for bone and 

 muscle, as all young stock should be to assure proper de- 

 velopment and strength when matured. There is but one 

 thing that surprises me in this discussion, and I have fol- 

 lowed it closely, and that is, that a man of Mr, Krueger 's 

 former standing and prestige as a beagle man should 

 disapprove of the efforts for the advancement and improve- 

 ment of this breed of dogs, to say nothing of offering rabbit 

 dogs for from $5 to $8, when it is well known that a beagle 

 cannot be raised to be a qualified hunter for less than $20. 



Wm. Edwards. 



East Moriches, Long Island, N. Y. 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



I take great pleasure in expressing my opinion in regard 

 to changing the standard height of the beagle. I say em- 

 phatically no; leave it alone. 



No adequate reason has been advanced why it should be 

 increased, and very naturally too, for there is none, while on 

 the other hand there is every reason to oppose such a change. 

 It is due in a large measure to the rigid standard that has, 

 up to the present time, been held sacred by beagle fanciers, 

 that our favorite breed has attained such a high rank in the 

 canine world, and to my mind nothing will so check the 

 steady advance as tampering with the old standard, espe- 

 cially as regards size. If the typical beagle of the future be 

 16in. high, then other parts of the standard will in all prob- 

 ability gradually be altered, and in a few years the beagle 

 of to-day will not be able to recognize his progeny. 



As Dr. Wesley Mills says in his recent book on the dog, 

 "Quality is different from character, though it may enter 

 into the latter. It is a certain refinement arising from per- 

 fection in details of form and character. A dog of quality 

 may be compared to a 'gentleman' among human beings." 

 Now, the beagle of to-day has this "quality" in a marked 

 degree. Alter his height but an inch and you lower the 

 quality accordingly, for you destroy this "perfection in de- 

 tails of form and character." In other words, raise the 

 standard to 16in. and you must go back, say, to where the 

 breed was twenty-five years ago, and begin over again in 

 order to reach the present perfection of Frank Forest and 

 Topsy S. in a 16m. class. 



I am glad to see that practically everybody opposes this 

 innovation, not because it is an innovation, but because all 

 recognize that it will injure the beagle; and as a member of 

 the National Beagle Club I shall do my part to see that it is 

 not adopted. , H. Gardner Nichols. 



Cambridge, Mass., June 1. 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



In regard to the beagle standard I must say that I am in 

 favor of the large dog, and give you my reasons: I believe 

 breeders would get better results from 'breeding to a well- 

 built dog from 15 to 16in. high, and that in a short time we 

 would see less light-boned, weedy-looking specimens on the 

 show bench. I believe also that a dog 15 to 16in. high will 

 do better work in the field and give a better day's sport 

 than the smaller dog. 



Now, it seems to me the best way to settle this would be 

 at the N. B. C. field trials next October. Let all that are 

 interested come and bring their dogs and see for themselves 

 which does the better work, the large or small ones. I am 

 sorry to see that the different breeders that have already 

 given their ideas on this matter seem to be of the opinion 

 that Mr. Phoebus wants to have the standard raised just 

 for his own dogs, which I am positive is not the case. At 

 the Boston show I am almost sure the majority of the 

 beagle men present spoke favorably of the large dog as a 

 fielder, and I am surprised that they have kept quiet so 

 long. I cannot see really what Mr, Phoebus has to gain 

 supposing the standard is raised to 16in. He has dogs that 

 can and do win under the present standard in the best of 

 company. I believe his ideas are that much better work 

 can be done by a large dog than a small one, and I fully 

 believe he had the interest of the breed at heart when be- 

 spoke of raising the standard. I would like to see this 

 matter well discussed, omitting all personalities, simply 

 saying just what in the writer's opinion is the better dog, 

 and it will come out all right, and one of the grandest breed 

 of little dogs on the face of the earth will be benefited bv it. 



W. S. Clak'k. 



THE PEARL OF PEKIN INCIDENT. 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



There is a phase of this case which out of justice to Mr. 

 John Grace must be brought to the attention of kennel 

 editors and others. It seems to have been assumed that the 

 decision of the course in favor of Chicopee Lass by Mr. Grace 

 was wrong, and that Mr. Grace's only excuse for so deciding 

 the course was that he did not witness the collision. You 

 and others speak of the decision of Mr. Grace being "re- 

 versed." Mr. Greene of Colorado wrote a letter last fall to 

 Turf-, Field and Fa.rm in which he asserted^that the judge 

 should have at once given his decision in favor of Pearl of 

 Pekin. 



Tbe kennel writers have perhaps been misled by Mr. 

 Greene, knowing that he judged the meeting at Great Bend 

 some years since and should be well informed as to rules of 

 coursing, but for Mr. Greene himself there is no excuse, and 

 he owes to Mr. John Grace an apology. Mr. Greene's as- 

 sertion that the decision of the judge should have been given 

 to Pearl of Pekin is contrary to the rule and would give to 

 the judge powers that are expressly granted to the commit- 

 tee. The duty of the judge is to decide the course according 

 to points, and there his duty ends. Mr. Grace decided that 

 Chicopee Lass won the course simply because she had out- 

 scored Pearl of Pekin. 



Rule 30 very plainly required that the protest of Mr. Bar- 

 tels should be sustained by the committee, but with that 

 part of the subject Mr. Grace, had nothing to do. The state- 

 ment that the decision of Mr. Grace has been "reversed" is 

 likely to place Mr. Grace in a false light. 



J. Herbert Watson. 



Brooklyn, N. Y. 



["Rule 30, Riding Over a Greyhound. — If any subscriber 

 or his servant shall ride over his opponent's greyhound 

 while running a course, the owner of the dog so ridden over 

 shall, although the course be given against him, be deemed 

 the winner of it, or shall have the option of allowing the 

 dog to remain and run out the stake, and in such case, shall 

 be entitled to half its winning."] 



Prom far-off Kansas Mr. E. B. Bishop writes tis his dogs 

 are all doing well. Ruby Glenmore is in whelp to Fingla,s 

 and Coleraine to Beau Brummel, and both of the O'Cal- 

 laghan dogs have improved very much. Mr. Bishop has also 

 purchased from the reverend gentleman a sister to Elphin 

 II., that was to start in the late trials in England, but came 

 iu season; she is said to be a handsomer bitch than Coleraine; 

 also a dog and bitch puppy out of Aveline by Fingal III. 

 There seems to be a run on this blood now. Mr. Bishop 

 speaks enthusiastically of the shooting out there, saying; 

 "One day we killed thirteen hawk?; and seventy -two snipe 

 and plover, no potting." 



