408 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



[Nov. 10, 1893. 



POINTS AND FLUSHES. 



Manitoba Matters. 



Chicago, Oct. 33 —The Free Press (Winnipeg, Man.) has 

 some crisp correspotnience of late on matters pertaining to 

 the Manitoba Field Trial Club and the Northwestern Field 

 Trials Club. The two secretaries, Messrs. Johnson and 

 Adams, are the chief writers of the correspondence. 



The Free Press stated on official authority that the Mani- 

 toba Field Trial Club elected thirteen new members at its 

 recent meeting, specif yina Mr. Qotzian "and twelve other 

 late members of that club" (the Northwestern). 



Mr. .lohnson, in his reply touching on this matter, said: 

 "It is not true that twelve members of the Northwestern 

 Field Trials Club resigned, but just one, Mr. Gotzian. * * 

 T will enrich the Winnipeg general hospital $U)0 if even a 

 fourth of the members menti on eff, members or late mem- 

 hers of the Northweatera Field Trials Club joined that club 

 as stated." , , „ 



Mr. E. D. Adams in reply stated as follows: "I would say 

 that T furnished the information for that article, and must 

 admit 1 did not notice the exact wording of that portion 

 which refers to Mr. Gotzian and tvvelve other members of 

 the N. W. F. T. C. as having joined our club, else I most 

 certainly would haVe corrected it at the time to read 'sup- 

 porters,' as it was not my iutention to do the N. W. F. T. C. 

 an injustice. The gentleman who proposed these members 

 stated most distinctly they were or had been supporters of 

 the N. W. F. T. C, and on reference to the published report 

 of the trials of that club at Morris I find the names of sev- 

 eral of them mentioned as having taken an active part 

 therein." 



Mr. Adams referred Mr. Johnson to Points and Flushes 

 in Forest and Stream of Sept. 8. 



In reply Mr. Johnson, among other remarks, said; "He 

 also suggests a perusal of Fokpist and Stream, which he 

 says will explain why the N. W. F. T. Club has an exist- 

 ence. It would be hard to get your readers to place much 

 confidence in the veracity of that report when it is known 

 that it was inspired from the same source as the official ac- 

 count of the Manitoba Field Trials Club's meeting." By 

 "report," Mr. Johnson means the Points and Flushes re- 

 ferred to as being in the issue of Sept. 8. 



The authority for all the statements in the aforementioned 

 Points and Flushes was. as stated explicitly and fully there- 

 in, the minutes of the Manitoba Club's meetings as spread 

 upon the club's books, and from the original correspondence 

 preserved by the club as part of its r ecords. There was no 

 attempt to make out a case against Mr Johnson. As .stated 

 at the time, or soon thereafter, in Points and Flushes, it was 

 treating of matters which were common go.ssipln Manitoba. 

 Mr. Johnson's version of the matter has been set forth fully 

 in reply, so far as he has thought proper to present it. 



There is one matter, however, that is worth thethouglit- 

 ful consideration of both clubs, and that is that the un- 

 pleasant wrangling which has been begun and which is 

 being perpetuated, will do neither club any good. On the 

 contrary, it will do much harm in checking the growth of 

 their support. Sportsmen who love sport for its own sake 

 and have a feeling that there should be propriety and refine- 

 ment in sportsmanship as well as out of it, will hesitate to 

 join any public organizations if they are to become, at the 

 same time, joint owners in a factional unpleasantness. 



There is room enough for two organizations in Manitoba. 

 There also is room enough in Manitoba for each club to run 

 its trials on different grounds. There is nothing so particu- 

 larly valuable or useful about Morris, Man., that it cannot 

 easily be duplicated elsewhere. There is a broad field for 

 the energies and talent of both clubs in furthering the inter- 

 ests of field sports and promoting the cause of good fellow- 

 ship. A great deal of energy will be mi.sdirected and lost, 

 if expended in nursing g'rieA^ances and making bright 

 auirks. 



In a letter received from Mr. .Johnson, under date of Oct. 

 19, he says: "I am sorry you did not get our view of the 

 case before publishing so one-sided an account. I could 

 prove to you that the charges against our club were just the 

 opposite, and could be fairly charged to the other." I can 

 only repeat that, in my opinion, it is not too late for Mi'. 

 Johnson to present his refutation. Neither Forest and 

 Stheam nor myself is endeavoring to make out a case against 

 him. What has been written on the matter was intended 

 for description of field trial matters in Manitoba. If the 

 history lacks completeness and Mr. Johnson can supply the 

 mi.ssing matter, it seems to me that he owes it both to him- 

 self and the field-trial public to publish the full and true 

 history. 



Unbroken Dogs at Field Trials. 



I have had a number of indorsements of what I wrote on 

 the subject of unbroken dogs running in field trials. The 

 following extract from the letter of a well-known trainer is 

 so forcible that it deserves publication: 



"No better plan could be adopted by dishonest competitors 

 than to enter a string of rank duflrers for the express purpose 

 of defeating every dog they happened to be drawn against. 

 You know it to be a fact that the best dog in the world can- 

 not perform his work moderately w^ell in company with an 

 opponent which refuses to back, or crowds up when he 

 should back at sight at any di.stance away from the pointing 

 dog; or that jumps in and flushes or chases: or that needs to 

 be yelled at to make him perform work that should be done 

 voluntarily. Every trainer knows that no dog, however 

 well trained, will work in company with a rank untrained 

 dog and do his work well. A day's shooting in .such com- 

 pany will demoralize a thoroughly trained dog to such an 

 extent that several days' work, under strict discipline, is 

 required to reconstruct him." 



The unbroken dog has beeu given a thorough trial and 

 generally was found wanting. The dash .and energy of the 

 unbroken state were found to be misleading. The wild dog 

 of one year, rated high from what constituted natural 

 qualities, was found to be worse the following year when 

 broken. There is not one valid reason why an unbroken dog 

 should be started in a competition, and there is every reason 

 why such dog should be thoroughly broken. 



Classes of Field Dogs, 



I have had in mind the importance of this subject, and 

 have been intending to write on it for some weeks, but the 

 columns of FoEEST and Stream are crowded with such 

 good matter every week that other good matter has neces- 

 sarily been forced to await its turn in publication. 



Concerning dogs as field performers, thev can be divided 

 into three classes, on their manner of doing'field work. The 

 distinction is a most important one, and must be learned 

 sooner or later by all who aspire to a thorough knowledge of 

 what constitute a dog's field qualities and how they com- 

 pare relatively in a competition. Beginners never, in a field 

 trial, estimate the work properly in respect to its relative 

 value. They always look closely to the details, and the dog 

 which gets the most points, etc., is, in their judgment, neces- 

 sarily the best dog. They do not consider the class of the 

 dog at all. 



A high-class dog may have but one or two opportunities 

 to show his abilities, yet he may show a quickness, capabil- 

 ity, confidence and finish in his work that would far excel 

 the work of a competitor which in quantity was much 

 greater. 



The High-Class Dog. 



No dog is more misnnder.citood and misrepresented than 

 the high-class dog, and, str^jnge as it may .'seem, field trifil 

 men have done the most to foster the contempt for hieh- 

 • class dogs— not int«£itioij.^liy, , Jiowever, but^fto^e the less 



effectively. It seems strange that men would act in opposi- 

 tion to their own interests, but it is easily and often done m 

 all lines of business, the love of gain being the impelling 

 cause. Permanent success is sacrificed for the gain of the 

 moment. 



The high-class dog has suflfered in the good opinion of the 

 sportsmen at large for the simple reason that field trial men 

 paraded the claims of certain dogs to high-class merit when 

 those dogs had no such claims. The sportsman who often 

 strenuously insisted on the high-class qualities of his dog 

 quite as often hungered for fat stud fees in connection with 

 his claim. The course of reasoning from a fat stud fee to a 

 high-class dog is very direct, from some owners' standpoint. 



The bogus high-class field trial dog has done much to de- 

 preciate the true high-class dog in the estimation of sports- 

 men. 



The true high-class dog is such whether in a field trial or 

 ordinary shooting. His qualities, briefly stated, are as fol- 

 lows: His disposition to work well and correctl v is such that 

 his training has not impaired any of his qualities. His 

 range is wide or close, as the character of the ground re- 

 quires In ranging over a rough country, or grounds partly 

 open and partly cover, he comes out at the right point of his 

 range to catch sight of his handler, and takes his course at 

 all times from that of his handler as a base of operations. 

 He works for the body scent of birds, draws to them with 

 skill and judgement, and points at the proper distance from 

 them, all being done with quickness and decision. He is 

 sweet-tempered and delightfully obedient, receiving any 

 order with cheerfulness and prompt attention. He directs 

 all his eiJorts skilfully in the interest of the gun. His en- 

 durance is sufficient to meet any reasonable demands of 

 shooting. He is "level-headed," a term which simply de- 

 notes a good, steady brain and the absence of nervou.sness 

 or nervous excitement. 



"Bird sense" governs all his efforts. The term denotes 

 the skill, knowledge of the habits of birds and how to work 

 skilfully and successfully in the interest of the gun, the 

 memory of places, et<;. The high-cla.ss dog stays out at his 

 work, rarely works over the same ground twice in suece,s- 

 sion, yet he works out all the promising ten-itory within 

 his range. 



The high-class dog is a rare dog indeed, and, in late years, 

 has become scarcer, although plentiful as a speculation. 



This sort of dog is most formidable in competition, and 

 there is none better for practical field work. He works well 

 without orders or assistance, and is happy in pleasing his 

 master. 



The Bogus High-Class Dog. 



This kind of dog is very numerous, and is not to be de- 

 scribed on any basis of set qualities. They commonly pre- 

 sent distinct qualities or peculiarities as compared one 

 against the other, but they have a similarity in having one 

 or more traits in common with the high-class dog, or traits 

 which are similar apparently, but not in reality, as for in- 

 stance, when a dog ranges wide and well so far as appear- 

 ance goes, but lacks in judgment in working out the likely 

 corners, and finds nothing, notwithstanding his imitation 

 of good work. 



This class of dog is most difficult to describe. The bogus 

 high-class dog may range and find well, yet, from exces- 

 sive nervousness or bad judgment, work badly on birds. He 

 may run fast and range wide, yet work his ground with bad 

 judgment, look to his handler for orders at every turn, and 

 often be working behind his handler instead of ahead or 

 aside of him. He may apparently be hunting well, but in 

 reality he may be self-hunting; and at every opportunity he 

 takes occasion to be lost to enjoy his self-hunting without 

 interference. Judges do not deal so severely with this kind 

 ©f a performer as they should. Sometimes the bogus high- 

 class dog may have every appearance of a hi^h-class dog 

 in his manner of work, supplemented with his handler's 

 assistance, such kind of dog being very inferior in intelli- 

 gence. This kind will point on footscent and will require a 

 lot of skillful helping from his handler to get him placed 

 near the birds. In ranging he often casts behind the 

 handler, works the same ground twice or more, and has no 

 knowledge of the kind of places birds haunt; in short, is a 

 high-class machine dependent on the handler for direction. 

 This kind of dog, however, goes with so much da.sh and 

 earnestness and does the work with such confidence that he 

 often deceives both judges and spectators, the pretty points 

 and great speed distracting their attention from the fact 

 that the handler is furnishing nearly all the plans. 



Then there is the hard-headed, disobedient dog which 

 finds birds in his own way, and the shooter works to him. 

 lioud whistling, hoarse shouting and much hard running 

 are necessary in handling this kind of dog. He is a hu.stler, 

 works to the gun part of the time and self-hunts in the 

 rest of it. He ia sometimes a half mile or more awav in 

 sight and sometimes he is a half hour out of .sight. You 

 will be told that all this is due to high-class. In short, the 

 bogus high-class dog presents many forms of field perform- 

 ance. Judges should keep a sharper eye for his especial 

 benefit. "Every dog has his day," but the bogus high-class 

 dog has had Ms years. 



This kind of dog may have a great deal of merit as a 

 worker, but is only bogus when thrust into a class in which 

 he does not belong. 



The Plug Shooting Dog. 



This class is a most useful one. The name is of recent 

 origin, and is used more to distinguish a good field dog 

 from a field-trial dog. The plug shooting dog is infinitely 

 superior, if a good performer, to the bogus high-class dog. 

 The plug shooting dog may be a field-trial performer or a 

 field dog, according as he is prepared and run. The name 

 itself is misleading and is founded chiefly on a revenue 

 basis, inasmuch the distinction between the plug shooting 

 dog and the field-trial winner must be made as wide as pos- 

 sible with a view to high prices. 



The field sportsman, one whose test is "an ordinary day's 

 shooting, should not be hasty in his adverse conclusions in 

 respect to field tiial dogs. It does not necessarily follow that 

 a dog is high-class because he is a winner, and it does not 

 follow necessarily that a dog is high-class because his owner 

 claims the quality for him. 



Field trial judges, who have not already done so, would 

 do well to note these distinctions. They have escaped the 

 notice of some judges in the past. 



The Ordinary Dog. 



The ordinary dog in a field trial may have one or two good 

 qualities of some kind, but his abilities ai-e so inferior that 

 his struggle is hopeless if there are a few good dogs in the 

 race. It is commonly a competition for him, including the 

 united efforts of dog and handler. 



The classes of dogs which run in field trials may therefore 

 be divided into three. 



1. The high-class dog, which works well to the gun, but 

 independently of assistance from his handler. 



3. The dog of many good qualities, but whose deficiencies 

 have to be supplemented by the brains and assistance of his 

 handler. 



3. The dog which requires hia handler to do a large part of 

 the work and the thinking. 



A more careful consideration of the class of the dog would 

 enable judges to arrive at much more accurate decisions than 

 they sometimes do at field trials. 



Kennel News. 



I noticed recently in a contemporary the mention of the 

 death of the famous field trial setter Chance,, as a piece of 

 news. TJjwe waa in it »o meutiQB qf , tbe date ot bis cl^atib. 



He died many months ago. There was nothing newsy about 

 the item at this late day. 



The same contemporary is constantly and skillfully add- 

 ing to a well-earned reputation for literary excellence, par- 

 ticularly in pure classical English construction. This week 

 I notice some choice phrases for which the public should 

 feel indebted and which it should cherish. The term "new 

 beginner" was used, a term most comprehensive and satis- 

 fying. Again, a most finished phrase is as follows: "Mr. 

 K. W. Jester writes us that he has sold all his hounds, m- 

 clndvng Babette," etc. No one can now doubt that when 

 the gentleman sold them "all," he included the others. 



Art, 



Chicago, Oct. 30.— 1 had the pleasure not long since of re- 

 ceiN-ing from Mr. Edward Dexter, Buzzard's Bay, Mass., a 

 photograph of liip Rap and Maid of Kent, both famous in 

 field trial history for great performances in comnetition. This 

 photograph was from a painting by Mr. E. H. Osthaus, of 

 Toledo, O., and it is remarkably spirited and skillfully ar- 

 ranged in respect to the pose of the dogs. There is a mo.st 

 pleasing fidelity to anatomical detail, a most important con- 

 sideration in any painting of animals. The texture of the 

 co.it appears to be perfectly represented, a feature in which 

 many painters fail more or less. The coat of a pointer is 

 often represented in paintings by something which appears 

 to represent a close-fitting seamless tin jacket, while the coat 

 of a .setter looks like amateur crochet work in yarn. Artists 

 who take delight in their work and strive foratruthful por- 

 trayal of their subjects, as does Mr. Osthaus, are most de- 

 sirable acquisitions to the guild of sportsmen. In a letter 

 recently received I learn that Mr. Osthaus will visit the 

 more important field trials this year. It will aftord those 

 who desire faithful portraits of their dogs a rare opportu- 

 nity to get them, if they can succeed in making arrange- 

 ments Avith Mr. Osthaus. 



The Untrained Dog. 



While fully appreciating the shortcomings and harMfiit 

 qualities of the imperfectly broken dog, I did hot appreciate 

 the fact that there are so many professional trainers who are 

 fully aware of all the facts concerning the matter. Here are 

 some extracts from a letter written to me by a trainer who 

 stands equal with the best in or out of his profession. He 

 says: "1 cjuite agree with you in your recent letter to 

 Forest and Stream. There is no unknown quantity more 

 entire'y unknown than the merit of a half-trained dog. 

 * * * It is the mode of reasoning, pursued by the judges, 

 which is at fault. They say, here is a well-trained dog of no 

 quality, and here is a dog of great natural quality but un- 

 trained. If trained, the latter could win it easily; and we 

 cannot justly blame him, because it is the fault of his 

 handler, and so the rank fellow gets it. How would it be on 

 the track if a horse were allowed to break every time a com- 

 peting horse crowded him, and he was thereupon allowed 

 his time to recover, just because when he did not break he 

 showed greater bursts of speed than his competitor? Then 

 suppose the judges would say: Oh, well! It's the fault of 

 his driver. If he held his horse on his feet he can out-trot 

 anything on the track; therefore, in consideration of his 

 showing the -greatest natural trotting gait, we will allow 

 him his time the same as if he had not broke his trot. 



"It is all wrong. If I am anything I am practical, and too 

 well up in mv business not to' know the comparative merit 

 of dogs in different stages of training. * * * Any practi- 

 cal man knows the racing dogs are not hunting. Any animal 

 in the wild state does not "hunt in any such manner. I do 

 not refer particularly to their pace, but to their manner of 

 hunting, working out the ground intelligently and their 

 general bird .sense." 



Tbere is a great deal of practical wisdom in the foregoing. 

 Field trial associations and field trial judges will not go 

 wrong in their field trial practice if they hereafter insist 

 that dogs competing in the trials be properly trained. They 

 should also insist on less noise being made by the handlers 

 than is made at an ordinary charivari. 



There is not a single reason, founded on fairness, why dogs 

 should not be properly trained, and there is every reason 

 why they should be so trained. 



The American Language. 



And now I desire to say something more about the Eng- 

 lish language (practically the American language) as used 

 bv some of the kennel press. 



"From a literary standpoint FOREST AND Stream is admit- 

 tedly without rival, and from any other commendable 

 standpoint it has no superior. One has but to turn to its 

 bright pages to see the results of the work of the skillful, 

 educated editor, and to see the higher cla.ss of writings ad- 

 mitted to its columns. Its contributions are almost uniformly 

 instructive and elegantly written; they are not a mass of 

 trashy nothings. Briefly, its matter is written ia the Eng- 

 lish language. 



But, I keenly regret to write it, some journals use the 

 American language with such added inspired philological 

 idiosyncrasies as present themselves. In a mild, gentle man- 

 ner I aspired to be a benefactor to the kennel world by im- 

 proving, up to a colloquial standard a>t least, the editorial 

 American language of a contemporary. It was visionary in 

 theory and a failm-e in practice. For reward, I only ex- 

 pected the gratitude of the public. All self imposed refor- 

 mations are thankless attempts. I now attempt for fun 

 what I before attempted as reform. The following is a 

 valuable contribution to the American language noted in the 

 news of the week: 



"Unaware of the approacb of an express train from Don- 

 caster, the pack, which had been engaged in cub hunting, 

 was crossing the Great Northern Railway, and was ran into 

 before the driver could pull ivj)." 



I do not think that .A.merican locomotive engineers "pull 

 up" their engines, although drivers in England may do .so. 



"The huntsmen, who were following, narrowly escaped 

 losing their lives." That is good. 



"Which Includes a new Scottish terrier i/ii Ashley Plug," 

 is not bad for "English as she is spoke," with a seasoning of 

 vacuity. 



"He arrived with the dogs all in first-class condition in 

 spite of the very severe passage." How he could do so "in 

 spite of" an impersonal or inanimate object is not ex- 

 plained. 



There are numerous other quaint expressions, but space 

 is too valuable to enumerate them in these columns. Be- 

 sides it is wrong, inasmuch as many things which are not 

 conventional are grandly picturesque. Magnitude and 

 stability are always grand. Any one would cut a sorry 

 figure attempting to smooth the Rocky Mountains with a 

 blacksmith's file, or attempting to make a trout brook of 

 the Mississippi River. The majestic grandeur of each would 

 remain intact. Hence a man is facing disappointment when 

 he attempts to reform the American language. 



In last week's E'oRE.ST and Stream I noticed the mention 

 that Mr. W. W. Titus had moved to Waverly, Mi.ss., and 

 would hereafter confine his training to dogs for field use. I 

 received a letter of the same tenor from him. I believe that 

 he will find his departure in husiness a profitable one, and 

 will probably have more business offered than he can ac- 

 cept. But what I wish more particularly to mention is the 

 loss to field trials by his withdrawal from active competi- 

 tion. He is a man whom everybody esteems and admires, 

 and deservedly so, He ran his dogs skillfully, fairly and 

 quietly. In the many years T have seen "Billy'' Titus run 

 in trials! never saw him attempt a mean trick or even take 

 ft,u unfair adyantajge, iBeyer^eai-d hira roar as aMcker^ 



