846 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



[June 9, 1892. 



TORONTO DOG SHOW. 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



The judges appointed this year for the Industrial Exhibi- 

 tion Association's bench show of dogs, to be held at the city 

 of Toronto, Can., Sept. 12 to 15, are Mr. James Mortimer, of 

 New York city, who will take the following classes: Mas- 

 tiffs, bloodhounds, St. Bernards, Newfoundlands, great 

 Danes, deerhounds, bulldogs, Boston terriers, Scotch ter- 

 riers, Dandie Dinmont terriers, Skye terriers, black and tan 

 terriers, Yorkshire terriers, toy terriers, poodles, pugs and 

 the miscellaneous classes. 



Mr. C. H. Mason, New York city, Irish water spaniels, 

 Chambers, held and cocker spaniels, King Charles, Blenheim, 

 Prince Charles, ruby and Japanese spaniels, greyhounds and 

 wolfhounds. 



Mr. John Davidson, Monroe, Mich., pointers, English, 

 Irish and Gordon setters, collies, foxhounds, beagles^ har- 

 riers, whippets, dachshunds and retrievers. 



Mr. P. C. "Wheeler, Cincinnati, O. (late of London, Ont.), 

 fox-terriers, bull-terriers, Irish terriers, Bedlington terriers 

 and Italian greyhounds. 



The judges selected for this year's show are without doubt 

 the strongest combination ever brought together at any 

 show in America, and comprises an Englishman, an Irish- 

 man, Scotchman and a Canadian. Mr. Mortimer, who 

 makes his first appearance in Toronto, is considered one of 

 the best all-round judges on this continent. This year he 

 has judged at Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco 

 and Lewiston. He has superintended the Westminster 

 Kennel Club's shows, of New York city (the largest in 

 America) for a number of years, and has lately formed a 

 co-partnership with the Hempstead Farm, one of the largest 

 organizations in the United States for the breeding of 

 thoroughbred stock of all kinds, and has just left for Eng- 

 land to purchase additional stock for the farm. Mr. C. H. 

 Mason, who has often officiated as judge in previous years, 

 is well known and is also considered a thorough all-round 

 judge and one that gives his decisions regardless of friend 

 or foe. His book entitled "Our Prize Dogs" is without 

 doubt one of the best books of its kind ever written. Mr. 

 John Davidson, of Monroe, Mich, (or "Honest John" as he 

 is more generally known), is a thorough Scotchman. Every 

 one knows him and all speak well of him. He has been 

 judging for the last twenty years at bench shows and field 

 trials, and has judged from the Atlantic to the Pacific. His 

 work speaks for itself and few judges have the reputation 

 that "John" has. Mr. F. C. Wheeler (a Canadian), last but 

 not least, the youngest of the party, although not the first 

 time he dons the ermine, should draw one of the largest 

 collections of terriers ever brought together in Toronto, 

 being a thorough judge of that breed and having the confi- 

 dence of all the large breeders. 



We must congratulate the bench show committee upon 

 being able to secure such competent and well known judges, 

 and the show of 1892 should be the best upon record. 



C. A. Stone, Sec'y and Sup't of Bench Show. 



Tobonto, June 4. 



POINTS AND FLUSHES. 



CHICAGO, 111., May 28. — In a personal letter from a friend, 

 whose ideas are sound and practical, I noted some remarks 

 which are so apropos concerning certain phases of field trial 

 matters that I cannot forbear quoting them. 



He says: "The abuse of judges, both field trial and bench 

 show, is getting too frequent. Almost any disappointed ex- 

 hibitor uses the press to vilify the judges, and to present his 

 opinion, which cannot be other than biased. Reporters have 

 a right to call judges to order. This of course has its cor- 

 recting influence and stimulus. Butiiidges should be taken 

 for what they are, honorable men. With the reporters' criti- 

 cisms, exhibitors should be satisfied. The judge and re- 

 porter know no dog, own no dog, and they see them all, and 

 they are impartial. Not so with the exhibitor. The judge 

 may err, the reporter may err, the exhibitor may err, but the 

 greatest error of the latter is in placing his opinions before 

 the public by means of the press." 



Field trials and bench shows have now reached such a 

 stage of development that they are far beyond the unsettled 

 stage of experiment and the multitude of crude opinions 

 which formed the basis on which rules were made and the 

 trials were run in the early days of their history. 



The field trial judges of to-day have had, in' nearly every 

 instance, practical experience in field trial matters from 

 having acted as judge or from studying field trials closely 

 as spectators. In judging such large numbers of dogs as 

 tun in the different stakes of the large field trial associa- 

 tions, it is remarkable that the judges select the best dogs 

 with so much accuracy as they do. Considering the com- 

 plex nature of a field trial competition and the vast amount 

 of detail to be considered, I think that field trials are de- 

 cided with a very fair degree of accuracy. 



* 



# * 



With regard to the spotting system, it has proved to be 

 the most satisfactory one yet tried in field trial competition. 

 The objection has been made against it that dogs, running 

 under this system at different trials, were placed differently 

 each time. As a matter of fact, the records of last year will 

 show that the same dogs won at nearly every trial in which 

 they started. 



Every sportsman knows that a dog's hunting perform- 

 ances vary a great deal from day to day, some days being 

 excellent, other days ordinary or even poor. With this 

 irregularity the spotting system has nothing to do, nor 

 would any other system. If the spotting system is not a 

 good one, what one is better? The sportsmen of America 

 are progressive men ; and would readily adopt any improve- 

 ment on the prevailing system. 



The spotting system is not fully understood by many who 

 do not attend field trials, and therefore do not see the prac- 

 tical application of it. They seem to think that it affords 

 the judges an opportunity to spot a dog on a very brief trial 

 and that manyidogs do not have a proper opportunity to 

 show their merits. Nothing could be more erroneous. The 

 great merit of the spotting system is in that it gives the 

 judges a full opportunity to give each dog a most thorough 

 trial, which they invariably do. 



Under the heat system, the most absurd cast-iron proced- 

 ure prevailed, the theory and rules being of such a nature 

 that a very poor dog could win and the best dog be beaten, 

 the judges being utterly powerless to prevent it, although 

 they might know the true merits of the dogs. This seems 

 to be a remarkable statement, but all field trial men know 

 it to be true. 



Under the heat system each heat was considered a sepa- 

 rate race by itself , it having no relation to any other beat. If 

 a dog ran magnificently in every heat and in his last one he 

 ran poorly or made a bad showing from errors and few op- 

 portunities, he was beaten in that heat, and not only was 

 he beaten, but all the dogs which he had previously beaten 

 in the stake were beaten. The judges by the rules were pre- 

 cluded from recognizing any work which a dog did in any 

 previous heat, thus the work which a dog did in his last 

 heat was always considered as determining his merit. 



It has happened many times that a good dog has gone 

 into the final heat utterly wearied and incapable of working 

 well from long, severe, prior heats, while his competitor, 

 through a bye and short heats, was almost perfectly fresh; 

 yet notwithstanding the absurdity of running a competi- 

 tion under such conditions, it was often so done. The dogs 

 of ordinary or poor ability would often meet and beat dogs 

 of like kind, thus going up high in the series, while good 

 dogs which had been beaten by good ones were left in the 

 first series. 



The spotting system is run under rules which cover every 

 necessary detail. It affords the judges every opportunity 

 to try the dogs under all conditions of field work. The heat 

 system did not. Even in a case where a dog is balked by a 

 noisy opposing handler or ill-broken dog, "the judges can 

 give the dog an opportunity to work alone and thus show 

 his merits without hindrance. 



The dogs are always given a full trial before being retired 

 from the competition. A great deal of sentiment is wasted 

 on giving poor dogs a long, thorough trial. When a dog is 

 clearly incapable of winning.it is absui'd to keep running 

 him for the sake of pleasing his owner. The difference 

 between the best and poorest dogs in the stake is commonly 

 so great that but a very few minutes are required to test the 

 poorest ones. However, the judges are most painstaking 

 and careful in every instance, and give every dog a most 

 complete trial. 



With the names of the judges selected so far, as matter 

 on which to make a prediction, I believe that the trials this 

 year will be most skilfully managed and judged. 



B. Waters. 



FLAPS FROM THE BEAVER'S TAIL. 



Toronto, Can.— Dr. John Spencer, V. S., Bowman ville, is 

 getting out from England a fox-terrier bitch in whelp. 



Mr. W. B. Palmer, Woodstock, has disposed of all his 

 cockers except one or two bitches to Mr. A. Laidlaw. The 

 deal includes Red Roland, the well-known winner, the price 

 given for which was a long one. 



A line from Dr. W. H. Drummond, Montreal, advises me 

 of the safe arrival of the brace of Irish setters 1 wrote he 

 was getting out, Commissariat and Cora. They came in ex- 

 cellent shape and their new owner is fully satisfied with 

 them. A Newfoundland and a retriever were on the same 

 boat but I have been unable to find out their names or 

 destination. 



A kennel club is being organized in Montreal, several en- 

 thusiastic breeders having taken the affair in hand. 



Mr. C. H. Smith, St. Stephen, N. B., has bought another 

 Skye terrier bitch from Mr. W. J. Nichol, in whelp to Port. 

 She is to be despatched at once. 



The Hamilton committee are bound to make sure of their 

 show dates for 1893, the little trouble with Rochester, which 

 I hope to see amicably arranged, having stirred them up, 

 and have claimed the week preceding the Toronto show as 

 their dates. Nothing like being in time. 



A line from Mr. Stewart says the proposed Fox-Terrier 

 Club for Canada is meeting with unqualified approval. 

 This, if it goes through, will not be the first specialty club 

 we have had here as you supposed in "Dog Chat." The On- 

 tario Collie Club was in existence for some years, and owned 

 a register devoted to this breed alone, which was recently 

 taken up by the C. K. C. 



This club did good work for Canadian breeders, even going 

 so far as to hold collie bench shows and field trials, the first 

 of which was held in Toronto in connection with the Semi- 

 centennial Exhibition, 1884, and was fully reported in For- 

 est AND Stream of Sept. 25, 1884. Mr. John Davidson, 

 whom the report describes as "an old favorite in Toronto," 

 acted as judge, and Capt. G-reville Harston had charge of 

 the arrangements. The classes then were divided into 

 "rough" and "smooth or medium-coated," and such names 

 as Mr. Rothera's champion Lorne, Mrs. Harston's MissTim- 

 mins, R. Gibson's Lassie, two or three of "Bob" McEwen's 

 dogs and others were among the winners. Fifty dogs were 

 benched and the entries were made for the trials. 



From an advance copy of the Ottawa list I am able to give 

 the classification for next show. Two open classes of $7 and 

 $3 are provided in mastiffs, St. Bernards, foxhounds, bull- 

 terriers, Skye terriers and toy spaniels; one open class of 

 same money for Newfoundlands, deerhounds, harriers, Irish 

 water spaniels, bulldogs, Bedlington terriers, poodles, spitz 

 and dachshunds; one challenge class of *5 and two open 

 classes of S7 and $3 in greyhounds, great Danes, pointers, 

 English setters, Irish setters, Gordon setters, Clumber span- 

 iels, field spaniels, collies, Irish terriers, black and tan ter- 

 riers, Yorkshire terriers and pugs. Cocker spaniels have 

 one challenge class of .$5, two open classes for black, two 

 open classes for other than black, and two novice classes. 

 Fox-terriers have one challenge of $5, two open and one 

 novice classes of fl and $3. The entry fee is §1.50, and entries 

 close Sept. 17. The judges have not yet been announced. 



Toronto expects a much larger entry of toy dogs this fall 

 than they have ever had before, and" the committee have 

 considerably extended the classification, the latest addition 

 being an open class for Italian greyhounds with prizes of $7 

 and |3, which will be divided by sex if over six entries are 

 received. 



The London committee having been unable to make ar- 

 rangements, have given up the idea of holding a bench show 

 this year, and presumably Montreal will now claim the 

 same dates, which they were anxious to do, though nothing 

 definite on the subject has reached me. 



H. B. Donovan. 



DOG CHAT. 



The stealing of pet dogs by a band of professional thieves 

 in this city has, according to the Herald, become a very 

 profitable undertaking to these gentry, but a source of great 

 worry and anxiety to the unfortunate owners. According to 

 the files of that paper since May 1, over 100 dogs have been 

 advertised as lost, and rewards ranging from $25 to S50 

 offered for their recovery. In many cases the same dog was 

 stolen again immediately after the reward was paid. It is 

 difficult to break up this sort of thing, as directly the police 

 move in the matter the dog is sent out of the city and re- 

 covery or detection becomes almost impossible. The best 

 way to recover a dog is to seek the itinerant street dog 

 venders, who in many cases act as "fences," and ask to see 

 their stock with a view to purch asing; then possibly th e stolen 

 dog may be found among the stock brought out. The present 

 mode of capturing the street "curs" affords a preminm on 

 outrage and dishonesty, as the men employed are totally ir- 

 responsible and are only in the business for the monev there 

 is to be made out of it. The only way out of the difficulty 

 would be to put the dog catching business into the hands of 

 the S. P. C. A., who would send a uniformed special officer 

 with every dog wagon, and these men would be i^esponsible 

 for every dog captured and the manner in which it was 

 taken. 



The appeal of the committee appointed by the American 

 Kennel Club for a reduction of the express charges on dogs, 

 etc., to the express conference to be held in Chicago this 

 month, has been forwarded to Mr. W. J. Bryson, who will 

 present it personally to the chairman of the Conference. In- 

 cluded in the appeal is a schedule of prices charged by the 

 railroads in England, which, in comparison with American 

 rates, seem ridiculously small. 



As exclusively stated recently in these columns, a move- 

 ment is on foot to establish another kennel club for New 

 Jersey, and we now hear that after two very successful 

 meeting? at the Continental Hotel, Newark, N. J., tfhe New 



Jersey Kennel League was formed. Those present at the 

 last meeting were Mr. Kruser, a member of Governor Ab- 

 bett's staff; G. H. Muirhead, representing the Inter-State 

 Fair Association, of Trenton; ex- Alderman M. A. Hanchett, 

 of Orange, N. J.; Edward H. Radel, of Newark; Edward R. 

 Christopher, J. N. Sinnoek, Edwin H. Morris, E. H. John- 

 son, Ruben Collings, T. Farrar Rackham, E. A. Dillhoff, H. 

 Wardell, Wm. Wild, Cyrus P. Wilcox, Frank Link, Thos. 

 Leuthauer, and a deputation from the whippet coursing 

 interest. A constitution and by-laws were adopted and the 

 officers are to be elected at the next meeting of the League, 

 to be held at the Continental Hotel, Newark, N. J., on Fri- 

 day evening next at 8 P. M. Those interested are invited to 

 attend, and there is every evidence of the new organization 

 taking very active measures to insure better regulations 

 throughout the State in connection with dogs and shows at 

 the State Fairs. Whippet races, field trials, and sheepdog 

 trials are also in debate. 



Mr. C. C. M. Hunt called on us on his way from Florida, 

 where he has been spending the winter. He reports game 

 in abundance around Tallahasse, Fla., and has had good 

 sport over his pointer Grouse and Gordon Bend i go, both 

 field trial dogs. Mr. Ewing, owner of Rowdy Rod and 

 Harry C, and Mr. Upson, who owned the pointer Promo- 

 tion, were also shooting at the same place this winter. 



Mr. Frank Windholz is having one of those turns of luck 

 every dog breeder encounters some time or other. Last 

 Friday his noted bitch Princess Beatrice whelped eleven 

 pups to his champion Rockingham, but only three are liv- 

 ing at present. 



The Bulldog Club's nineteenth annual show took place 

 in London, May 24 to 26, and though it showed a falling off 

 in entries the exhibition as a whole was successful, more 

 especially the financial part of it. In all 137 entries were 

 benched. Mr, Pybus-Sellon being in Montreal, Can., at the 

 time, Mr. A. M. Hodgson, who withdrew his entries, judged 

 in his place. Nothing of any special merit was brought out. 

 Bedgebury Lion is still cock of the walk. His Lordship 

 beat the old-time champion British Monarch, a decision not 

 generally indorsed. The American class had no entries. 

 This seems an off year for our traveling fanciers. 



Spratts Patent (England) shipped per S. S. Helvetia, May 

 21, the Clumber spaniel Friar Bob, which goes to Mr. J. L. 

 Little's kennel, Brookline, Mass, Also the pug bitch Brad- 

 ford Nellie to Mr. Ballantine, Peoria, 111., who purchased it 

 from W. Holdsworth, of Bradford, Eng. 



During the English Kennel Club show this week a cricket 

 match will be played between exhibitors of the north and 

 south of England. The south is said to have a strong team, 

 but we hope, for the honor of Yorkshire and Lancashire, 

 that the northerners will "swipe" them hip and thigh. 



Mr. Klocke, of Pittsburgh, Pa., dropped into our sanctum 

 Tuesday, on his way to Boston. He is one of the oldest 

 breeders and exhibitors of dachshunds in this country, and 

 naturally we showed him the Manice Dachshund Cup, and 

 after duly taking in its handsome proportions he exclaimed, 

 "You bet! if I win that cup something will bubble over." 

 He expects to have a try for it next year with one of the 

 litter his noted Lina K. has just had by Mr. Manice's 

 Superbu8 II. 



The A. K. C. has received from the World's Fair managers 

 copies of the entry blank for the World's Fair show next 

 year. With each application for entry the exhibitor must 

 furnish a certificate from the secretary of the A. K. C. or 

 C. K C. showing that the dog has been registered in the 

 proper stud book. The stud number must be given in the 

 certificate. Exhibitors of dogs outside of America must 

 furnish satisfactory proof that such dogs are recorded or 

 are eligible to record in some recognized stud book. The 

 entry fee is $1.50 for each dog, to cover cost of feed and 

 benching of the dog. If the dog offered for entry is not ex- 

 hibited this money will be refunded. Entries close May 20 

 and the show is to be held June 12 to 17, 1893. Spratts Co. 

 will, we understand, bench and feed. It was at first intended 

 that no entry fee should be charged and every dog forage 

 for itself, as it were, but on Secretary Vredenburgh repre- 

 senting the hardships on the dogs and the confusion such 

 an arrangement would entail, Mr. Buchanan wisely deter- 

 mined to charge a fee for maintenance, etc. From what we 

 gather it is not at all probable that Mr. Goodrich will be the 

 superintendent, as announced some time since. The general 

 choice seems to be Mr. Mortimer and certainly he is about 

 the only man properly qualified for the position, but he 

 fears the red tape that would bind his efforts and wisely 

 objects, unless he could be given full power, and that would 

 be the only way the show could be successfully run. 



From Mr. W. J. Beck, the secretary, we hear that the date 

 of the holding of the trials of the American Field Trial Club 

 has been changed to Nov, 21. This, unfortunately, will clash 

 with the Eastern Field Trial meeting. 



An executive committee meeting of the Spaniel Club was 

 held Tuesday, June 7, at 874 Broadway, New York. The 

 following gentlemen received votes and were elected as 

 recognized judges bv the club in the order named: A. C» 

 Wilmerding, E. M. Oldham, C. H. Mason, J. Otis Fellows, 

 J. F. Kirk, J. Watson, A. Laidlaw, Geo. Bell, J. Mortimer 

 and J. Luckwell. The choice of judges in whom the club 

 has confidence is not restricted to members of the club and 

 therefore is entitled to recognition by committees of dog 

 shows. 



We have received entry forms for the Northwestern Field 

 Trials, to be held at Morris, Manitoba, Sept. 5. The fees are 

 $5 to enter and §5 to start for members of the club, and 85 to 

 enter and $10 to start for non-members. The whole of the 

 fees will be divided in a purse as follows: Sixty per cent, to 

 first, 25 per cent, to second and 15 per cent, to third. Other 

 particulars we have already given in our issue of May 26. 



Among the new kennel advertisements we notice this week, 

 H. M. Howes has bull-terrier puppies for sale; Dr. J. A. 

 Hartman, choice-bred pointer and setter puppies; National 

 Beagle Kennels, beagle puppies; Eau Claire Kennels, Gath's 

 Mark puppies; John Bittars, Irish setter bitch and puppies; 

 Dr. Blackburn, collie puppies; Chas. H. Collier, pointer pup- 

 pies; C. T. Brownell, first-class Gordon setter puppies: W. H, 

 Hyland, choice pointer puppies. In the stud, National 

 Beagle Kennels' Diamond Forest. Wants: Lock Box 24, 

 St. Bernard dog puppy. Boarding Kennels, etc., Donald 

 McVicar and Dr. Blackburn, the latter also offers a vermi- 

 fuge. 



Just as we go to press a letter from Mr. L. Gardner in- 

 forms us of the death of his celebrated English setter Roger 

 after an illness of two days. When the dog was first taken 

 sick Dr. Foote was telegraphed for, but owing to unforeseen 

 circumstances did not arrive till just after the dog's death. 

 He expressed the opinion that the dog died of inflammation 

 of the liver. Roger was whelped Dec 13, 1885, and was by 

 Count Noble out of Queen Mag. He had won numerous 

 prizes on the bench, but his field record was one to be proud 

 of, his principal winning being first in the Free-For-All 

 Stake at the Central field trials. 1889, when he defeated 

 Chance, Rowdy Rod, a subsequent winner of this stake, and 

 the pointers Roger Williams and Lebanon. Mr, Gardner 



