282 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



IMaroh iJO, lt98. 



National Beagle Club Meeting. 



The quarterly meeting of the National Beagle Club of 

 America, was held at the Astor House, New York city, on 

 Monday, March 20. The meeting was called to order by 

 President Kreuder at 4:45 P. M. Present President Kreuder, 

 Vice-Presidents Schellhass and Appleton, Secretary and 

 Treasurer Ijaiclc; Executive Committee, Rogers, F. W. 

 Chapman, Pease, Tallman, Roberts and Lozier. Minutes 

 of previous meeting were read and approved. 



The secretary read his quarterly report, which shows the 

 club in a healthy financial condition. Delegate Schellhass 

 stated that the A. K. C. Avould not consider the matter in 

 relation to having the winnings at the first bench show held 

 by the N. B. C. recognized, and it was voted that the matter 

 be dropped, Mr. Kreuder, as a committee on game laws, 

 reported progress. The committee appointed to purchase 

 suitable articles for special prizes for the Philadelphia, 

 Baltimore, Washington, Elmira and Boston bench shows 

 made their report and placed before the members present 

 some very handsome pieces of silver they had purchased. 

 The report was on motion accepted and a vote of thanks 

 tendered the committee. The report of the auditing com- 

 mittee was read and referred back to the committee with the 

 request that they giA-e a clearer account of some items in 

 their report. Messrs. J. O. Wedell, W. G. F. Hoffmann, W. 

 S. Gates and W. S. DiffenderlJer offered their resignation 

 from the N. B. C, and the resignations were accepted. The 

 secretary of the A. K. C. in a communication asked the N. 

 B. C. of America to forward him the names of official .iiidges 

 of the club. It was voted that the secretary forward to each 

 member of the club a list of membership, with the request 

 that they select and check off six names from the list, said 

 members to act as judges for the club. A communication 

 was read fx-om the New England Kennel Club requesting 

 the N. B. C. of America to forward the special prize that 

 was donated by the club, so that they could have it placed 

 on exhibition with other prizes. The committee was in- 

 structed to forward the prize as soon as convenient. Voted 

 that no special prize be given to the Indianapolis bench 

 show. Messrs. Col. De Lancy Kane, Knickerbocker Club, 

 New York; A. D. Lewis, Hempstead, L. I., and G. B. Post, 

 Bernardsville, N. J., were elected to membership. Meeting 

 adjourned at 6:45 P. M. George Laick, Sec'y. 



Tareytow, N. Y., March 34. 



A New Year's Eve Fox Hunt. 



He dreamt as he lay on tlie marble hall, 

 Of hunting days when he led the van; 

 Ajid he uttered a low and plaintive whine, 

 As before his brain in succession they ran. 



— Foxhound^s Reverie. 

 To-NIGHT, as I sit smoking my meerschaum, and dreamily 

 muse on scenes of bygone days, I see, through the woof of 

 wreathing smoke, my spurs and hunting horn hanging on 

 the wall, and my thoughts wander back to a scene almost 

 similar to this, during the Christmas holidays. 'Twas the 

 night before New Year's Eve, and C. and I were sitting before 

 the open fire laying our plaus for the morrow, when suddenly 

 the bell rang aud a note was handed in to us. It; ran— "You 

 are cordially invited to participate in an old time fox hunt in 

 Linganore Hills, Saturday (New Year's Eve), at 9 A. M 

 Hastily, Col. B." 



Here was the solution of our problem, and throwiug all 

 other plaus to the winds, we retired that night to dream of 

 baying hounds and ringing horns, in sweet anticipation of 

 the morrow. 



The next morning we were up betimes, aud having quickly 

 dispatched a hot breakfast, repaired to the stable to find the 

 ponies saddled, and impatiently pawing to be off. We were 

 soon in the saddle and away for the appointed rendezvous, 

 and on the road we discussed the powers of our bronchos, a 

 pair of keen-limbed sorrels, to take the inevitable jumps. Of 

 their speed and bottom we were fully assured, but their 

 ability to take a fence over four feet two was to be proved 

 tha,t day. 



It was a typical hunting day, cold and gray, with a strong 

 suggestion of snow, the chill northwest wind sending the 

 blood coursing through our veins with increased vigor, and 

 made the ponies buck and pull as if our weight was but a 

 trifle and the five-mile journey a preliminary warning. 

 When we arrived at the meet we' found the rest of the party 

 already assembled, and pausing but a moment to tighten our 

 girths, we joined them just as the hounds were cast oli. We 

 first beat a clump of pines and dwarf locusts, but without 

 success, aud then rounded ixp on the side of a little knoll 

 covered with long broom sedge, a graud place for "His Sly- 

 ness" to take his morniug sun bath. 



The hounds were working on the other side of the hill, 

 when a low cry from one of the party showed us reyuard less 

 than 50yds. away, sneaking across the bottom, his bushy 

 tail flattened against the earth, aud his every motion indica- 

 tive of stealth and subdued activity. lu a momeut the 

 hounds are blown in, and Music, a grand old black and tan, 

 with the wide bushy thighs and long arched neck of the true 

 foxhound, is the first to catch the scent, and bounds away, 

 opening at every jump upon the trail of the now thoroughly 

 frightened fox. Quickly the rest of the pack breaks into 

 full cry, causing the woods to echo and re-echo with the 

 deep ringing music that rolled and vibrated through the bot- 

 toms in enchanting harmony, music that thrilled our very 

 souls like the rich pealing of an organ 'neath a master's 

 hand. 



As we dashed away in hot pursuit we saw before us a sight, 

 the remembrance of which will cling through a lifetime. 

 The old leader bounding along through the frost-silvered 

 grass, behind him the other hounds running so well bunched 

 that they could have been easily covered by the proverbial 

 blanket, their sonorous uotes blending in a grand chorus of 

 melody that made the echoes ring again, and the horsemen, 

 now thoroughly imbued with the spirit of the chase, gallop- 

 ing along with reckless disregard of unhaxspy consequences, 

 striving almost in vain to hold in their excited mounts. 

 Soon we have left the bottom and cross a piece of plowed 

 ground, so frozen that our progress is considerably retarded, 

 and the hounds get a lead of almost a half a mile. When 

 this had been crossed, and we were endeavoring to overtake 

 the dogs an accident occurred that came within an ace of 

 resulting seriously. 



One of our number, the hero of many a chase, was gallop- 

 ing ahead, mounted on a gallant old hunter, when suddenly 

 his mare struck a stone aud fell, throwing her rider heavily 

 forward. We hastened to his assistance, aud though con- 

 siderably stunned, he bravely remounted and was once more 

 in the lead, crossing a marshy field that yielded 'neath our 

 horses' feet and bespattered us with half frozen mud. 



Jump after jump was tried and successfully taken, and 

 though occasionally somebody would come to grief, still, the 

 mishaps were only trifling, and only served to make those 

 ■whom they befell more cautious. Our ponies jumped most 

 creditably, and took the worst ditches like veterans, soon dis- 

 pelling the doubts we at first entertained concerning their 

 ability as hunters. Our course now lay through a level 

 stretch of woods, thickly sprinkled with pines, Avhose mossy 

 carpet deadened the footfalls of our horses, and enabled us 

 to press on with renewed vigor, for we had run almost eleven 

 miles and surely the end was not far off. 



Away in the distance we could hear the baying of the 

 hounds, and, as it swept through the pines, now high and 

 clear like silvery chimes, now low like deep muilied bells, 

 each one of us felt that buoyant sense of exhilaration, and 

 that thrill of utter umestraiut that only a fox-hunter can ex- 



perience. But reyuard well deserved his name ^ofyie sub- 

 til," and, true to nature, chose a course that led up through 

 the foothills, in whose rocky fastnesses he effectually dis- 

 tanced both dogs aud men. 



When we reached the cross roads on the top of the ridge, 

 the snow, that had been threatenbig all day, was now falling 

 briskly and warned us to end the chase, not without a feel- 

 ing of keen disappointment on our part. We hastily built a 

 rousing fire, a,nd a strange group we made as we gathered 

 about its cheerful blaze, way up ia the heart of the moun- 

 tains. 



Our horses picking at the scanty herbage, their manes aud 

 foretops thickly sprinkled with the flaky snow, and we re- 

 galing ourselves with "Maryland Club," that mellowed the 

 clear notes of the hunting liorns as they recalled the baffled 

 dogs, and without which a fox hunt is indeed incomplete. 

 And oh, what music can compare with the sound of those 

 fox horns as they rang out on the wintry air, their liquid 

 notes pouring forth iu a flood of golden melody that was 

 caught up aud re-echoed from every crag and peak of the 

 wild, fine woods, aud held us spellbound with its magic 

 chai'm. 



At the quail supper that followed that evening many a 

 health was drunk to the gallant fox that had run so nobly, 

 and though he did escape us, we one and all voted it the sur- 

 vival of the fittest. 



That night we sat a.round the blazing hearth "fighting our 

 battles over" until the sound of the bells ringing out to the 

 "flying cloud, the frosty light" announced the close of the 

 dying year, and warned us to take our rest. Truly it was a 

 fitting way to end the old year. J. Frajtcis Smith. 



Frederick, Md. 



Self-Hunting Dogs. 



Eureka, Cal.— -BcZitor Forest and Stream: On page 59, 

 J an. 19, your answer as to self-hiinting dogs gives no remedy 

 only restraint, which I believe to be true. I would advise a 

 restraint which I devised for a pair of setters which were a 

 source of much trouble to me, and while the device did not 

 prevent exercise it did stop running away. I had tried a 

 chain with a log attached iu the yard, with result that log 

 became detached, dog with chain went hunting, his mate 

 came home after four days, dog was found in field self- 

 fastened, very hungry and dry. As the younger would only 

 go with the older, I placed on" the latter a strong, wide collar, 

 21-^in, wide heavy single leather, on opposite sidas securely 

 fasted a %in. iron ring with straps from each ^in. wide by 

 J^in. thick and about Sin. long, a turned hickory stick with 



A, collar. B B, ?4in. rings. C 0, f§n. straps. D, hickory stick, 

 largest m middle, 15ia. long, ij^in. middle, taper to liu. at ends. E E, 

 shoulder to prevent strap slipping. 



round ends, 15in. long by l^in. in diameter. Sin. from each 

 end a depression was turned >^in. long by >gin. deep, the ends 

 of the straps were passed around and riveted in these, so the 

 stick could turn but not get out. This hanging under the 

 neck at such a height that the dog could walk or trot, but 

 any attempt at running it would swing and hit him on 

 the forelegs in such a manner as to discourage the 

 most ardent hunter. In a few days the dog, which, like 

 most of his blood had an almost human knowledge, learned 

 that in order to run he mu.st stop the motion, and when fol- 

 lowing the carriage, which he invariably did, if pressed from 

 a trot would lower his head till the stick rested on the 

 ground, seize it in his mouth and keep his pace with the 

 team; hut this knowledge of iiow to carry it was never used 

 to go hunting. Whether the pride inherent in all good hunt- 

 ing dogs, caused shame to be found hunting with such a de- 

 duce in his mouth, or if the excitement of the chase caused 

 forgetf ulness and dropping of stick, sore shins, I know not, 

 but I do know that I never had any trouble when the stick 

 was on aud nothing but trouble when off, and my dog had 

 plenty of exercise. The measiirements given only apply to 

 one dog. Any one will find the proper height from ground 

 by trial, and straps can be made adjustable in neck rings, 

 but irot at the stick, as it would make a place to get brush 

 and sticks caught in. A good spread of straps on the stick 

 is desirable, as it prevents the stick from swinging around 

 end-wise. I send a diagram, that my description may be 

 more easily understood. 



Excuse the length of this my first contribution, I suffered 

 long from this trouble, aud while not a cure, it is the only 

 relief I ever found, aud at same time give freedom to the 

 dog, and if my brother hunters find any relief in itiam paid. 



S. F. Balcom. 



Where Is the Cocker as a Sporting Dog? 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



The letter signed "Cocker" in your last issue is, to say the 

 least of it, refreshing. But what a shame it is for such a 

 writer to write under a nam de jjluiuct Why not give us 

 poor spaniel men a chance to \vrite him privately for the 

 best means to have the cocker made to "Cocker's" liking in- 

 stead of keeping us guessing as to who this most learned 

 Solomon could be. 



Aud what a dear, harmless little letter it is, to be sure, 

 surely dictated by one of the dear little boys, for of a verity 

 no granddad so fond of a cocker could be so very ignorant as 

 to write of the cocker spaniel of to-day as "little saucy-faced 

 black things done up in cotton and silks, and look at their 

 snub noses, snarling faces!" Can this well informed lover of 

 spaniels have attempted to cross the nuiddy Hackensack and 

 caught a wee smirching, or has he been reading some of the 

 writings of well knowh writers and thought, so long as we 

 had had lots of abu.sive criticisms, sympathetic criticisms, 

 and last but not least, effervescent criticisms, that it was high 

 time to have a refreshing criticism on a breed, and then fol- 

 lowing the prevailing custom, picked out the breed he knew 

 least about to write most upon. 



Can you wonder, Mr. Editor, that I dare not attempt to 

 answer 'Cocker's" letter A'ery fully on this occasion, but I 

 will promise him that if he -will stop such nonsense as the 

 sample I have given above, and write fairly, gi\ung his rea- 

 sons for favoring the old type of cocker, that there are those 

 who will be glad to point out to him where the modern 

 cocker is in many points s^iperior to the ancient one. 



Solus. 



INDIANAPOLIS DOG SHOW. 



Indianapolis, Ind., March 2S.— Special to Forest and 

 Stream: Show opened this morning, with good attendance, 

 especially this evening. Mr. Roger Williams is ill and his 

 classes were judged by Dr. Van Hummel. Several Eastern 

 handlers are here with good strings. The entries number 310, 



AWARDS. 



MASTIFFS.— CHAiLBSTGE—Dosfs.' 1st, Wallack's Merlin; 2d, Bunn''s 

 Ormonde. Bitches; 1st, Bunn's Miss Caution. — Open — Dogs: 1st, 

 Bunn's Mai-qui.s; 2d, Burnham's Grover. Bitches: 1st, Younghus- 

 band's Minnie Beaufort; 2d, Bunn's Minna Minting. 



ST. BERNARDS.— Open— Dops.' Isfc, Bonsfleld's Lord Dante; 2d( 

 Anderson's Elmer. Bitches; 1st, Bonsfield's Lady Tavlor; 2d, Tuxedo 

 Kennels' Constance.— Smooth— Open— X)0(/.9.- 1st, Pratt's Alton II. ; 2d, 

 Fornof's Lawrence Gaza. Bitches; 1st. Tuxedo Kennels' Nun Nicer. 



BLOODHOUNDS.— 1st, Huntington's Jack Shepard. 



GREAT DANES.— Cuallenge— 1st, Cumberland Kennels' Melac— 

 Open— Dofirs.' 1st, Studebacker's Major McKinley; 2d, Anderson's San- 

 dor. Bitches: 1st, Osceola Kennels' Neverzell; 2d, Cumberland Ken- 

 nels' Charmlon. 



RUSSIAN WOLFHOUNDS.— Challenoe— 1st, Hanks's Svodka.— 

 Open— Do(?.s.- 1st, Huntington's Osslad; 2d, Hanks's Peter the Great. 

 Bitches: 1st, Hanks's Vinga; 2d, Huntingtau's Lobedya. 



GREYHOUNDS — CHAiLENGB—lsfc, Purbeck's Pious Pembroke.— 

 Open— Doi/s.' Withheld. Very high com., Manatang Kennels' Hen- 

 more King and Watcher. Bttches: 1st, Purbeck's Wild Rose; 2d 

 withheld. High com., Manatang's Marguerite. 



POINTERS.- Chau^enge- 1st, Daniels's Count Graphic— Open— 

 Dogs: 1st, Daniels's Boxer; 2d, Proctor's Spotted Boy. Bitches: 1st, 

 Donoghue's Sal II. ; 2d, McGuffln's Maid of Ossian.— LiGnx-WEioHTS- 

 Bogs: 1st, Hackwalt's Rush of Lad; 2d, Biddle's Glamorgan. Bitches: 

 1st, Kueho's Kent's Pearl; 2d, Daniels's Duchess. Large entries in 

 these classes. 



Bitches: 



Williams's , , „ _ , _ 



1st, Lewis's Victress Lewellyn; 2d, Washtenaw Kennels' Nellie Breeze. 



IRISH SETTERS.— Challenge— 2)og.s; 1st, Oak Grove Kennels' Sem- 

 inole. Bitches: 1st. Boazell's Queen Vic. — Open— Dof/s.' 1st, Sharpless's 

 Blarney, Jr.; 2d, Carmichael's Shamrock Brice. Bitches; 1st, Oak 

 Grove Kennels' Marchioness; 2d, Dixon's Lady Cleveland. 



GORDON SETTERS.— Challenge -X»Oifs.- 1st, Dixon's Ivanhoe. 

 Bitches: l.st, Dixon's Duchess of Waverly.— Open— i>og,9.' 1st, Lewis's 

 Duke; 2d, Overman's Bob. Bitches: 1st and 2d, DLxon's Princess 

 Louise and Catherme. 



FIELD SPANIELS.— OHALLENGE-lst, Donaghue's Newton Abbott 

 Torso.- Open— Dogs; 1st, Hilderbrand's Glencalrn Rioter. 



COCKER SPANIELS.— Challenge— 1st, Jersey Cocker Eeimels' 

 Pickpania.— Open— I>o(/s.- 1st, Fiekls's Brantford Jet Bitches: let and 

 2d, Jersey Cockei- Kennels' Lady Dufferin and Nora U.— Any Other 

 GovoR— Dogs: 1st. Jersey Cocker Kennels' Brantford Rufus. Bitches: 

 1st and 2d, Pancoa.sr's Brownie a.nd Ditton Brevity. 



CLUMBER SPANIELS.— 1st, Cobb's Our Joan. 



IRISH WATER SPANIELS.— 1st, Fink's Trouble. 



COLLIES.— CHALLBNGE—lst, Long's Charleroi.- Open— jDo£rs: 1st, 

 Hawkes's Sir Walter Scott; 2d, Mueller's Scotilla IV. Bitches: Ist, 

 Blaple Grove Kennels' Dot 11.; 2d, Argyle Kennels' Sparkle. 



NEWFOUNDLANDS.— 1st, Condon's Surpass; ad, Springstein's 

 Pluto. . r « 



POODLES.— Challenge— 1st, Biddle's Berri.— Opkn— 1st, Carter's 

 Blackjack; 3d, Hatcher's Parisian. 

 BULLDOGS.— No entry. 



BULL-TERRIERS.— Challenge— 1st, Dale's Attraction.- Open— 

 Dogs; 1st, Lugbora Kennels' Crisp; 2d, Chautauqua Kennels' Sir 

 Monte. Bitches; 1st, Brison's Countess of Dufferin; 2d, Chautauqua 

 Kennels' White Gypsy. 



DACHSHUNDS.— 1st and 2d, Loefllei-'s Hundesport Bergmann and 

 Lina K. 



BEAGLES.— Challenge —I>o,fys.' 1st, Glenrose Kennels' Fltzhugh 

 Lee. Bitches: 1st, Glenrose Kennels' Butterfly.— Open— Z>0(/s.* 1st, 

 Roberts's Doctor; 2d, Harding's Hawkeye. Bitches; 1st, Rockland 

 Kennels' Lonely; 2d, Glenrose Kennels' Gypsey A. 



FOX-TERRIERS.— Chalusnge— Ist, Hanks's Grouse.— Open— Dogs/ 

 1st, Riedinger's Cincinnati Boy; 2d, Argyle Kennels' BelvoiTiNan. 

 Bitches: 1st, Toon & Symonds's Lady Rosemary; 2d, Fishburn's 

 Venus. 



IRISH TERRIERS.— Doj7S.- 1st, Toon &. Symonds's .lack Briggs. 

 Bitches: 1st, Toon & Symonds's Salem Witch. 



BLACK AND TAN TERRIERS.— Doffs; 1st, Foote's Sultan ; Sd.Toon 

 & Symonds's Prince Regent. Bitches: 1st, Toon & Symonds's Gypsey 

 Gui. 



YORKSHIRE TERRIERS,— 1st and 2d, AlUsei-'s Dick York and 

 Minnie York 



TOY TERRIERS.- 1st, Englehai-t's Daisy; 2d, Grady's Nellie. 

 SCOTCH TERPJERS.— 1st and 2d, Toon & Symonds's Teal and 

 Rhudaman. 



PUGS — Challenge- 1st, Cryar's Bob Ivy.— Open— i>0(7S.' 1st, Engle- 

 hart's Tfot; ad. Lake Shore Kennels' Duke Howard. Bitches: 1st, 

 Toon & Symonds' Pi-incess May; 2d, Hardy's Miss Penrice. 



KING CHARLES SPANIELS.— 2d, Saunders's Tags. 



ITALIANjGREYHOUNDS.— CnALLENGE-lst, Lewis's Spring.— Open 

 —Dogs: 1st and 2d, Buglehart's Guy and Rob Roy. Bitches: 1st, Engle- 

 hart's Pysche; 2d, Mack's Queen. 



AVHIPPETS.— lat, Thomas's Boston Model 



SKY^E TERRIERS.- 1st and 2d, Smith's Barnaby Rudge and Islay. 



Judging concluded. Awards follow in order, first and 

 second. H. W. LAcy. 



About Dogs. 



The editor of the Meadville, Pa., Repuhlican is a man 

 after our own heart, and even the free list would not be good 

 enough for him. He loves a dog, we are sure, because it is 

 a dog. This is what he had to say about the W. K. C. show: 



"There was a great dog show in N"ew York a few days ago, 

 and it was one of the wonders of the world. We have looked 

 at the illustrated report of it, and are astonished at the in- 

 numerable shapes into which men have succeeded in fashion- 

 ing dog meat. It resembles what might be called in music 

 'Dog with the variations. ' There is the natural dog, as a 

 base to begin with; the animal we played with when" a boy; 

 the pup which bit our bare heels as we tried to run away 

 from him; the grown-up dog which holed the woodehuck and 

 helped dig him out and did all the work killing him; the 

 faithful companion which followed ris through the woods 

 and over the hills a mile away, led by the tinkle of the cow- 

 bell, as we gathered in the roaming herd for the evening's 

 milking, and treed the squirrel or pheasant a quarter of a 

 mile out of our way, and would have been barking to this 

 day if we had not responded to his notice that he had 'im. 

 This dog was, aud is the ideal dog, the natural dog from 

 Avhich we diverge to find the dog of the dog show. As iu the 

 music with the variations, whatever may be the variation, it 

 always winds up its contortions in a return to the old tune,, 

 so the dog of the dog show, though lie may get almost away 

 from his class, still has in his make-up enough of the natural 

 dog that we can know he belongs to the same class as the 

 dog of our boyhood. His nose may be banged up as if he 

 had run against the fence when he was in a plastic state; 

 his ears may be (;ut oft' square or bias, or stretched down, 

 or pulled back; his tail may be long and bushy, or bare 

 as a rat's tail, or may lie clean gone; it may curl and lay 

 over his back, or stand up straight in the air, or poiut 

 straight to the rear; his leg.3 may be straight or knock-kueed 

 or as bow as a bulldog; he may be tall or low, wide or uai-- 

 row, long or short, and of any one of the hundred or more 

 shapes into which the fancy of the fancier has drawn him, 

 and still through all his disguises we can see the dog of our 

 boyhood. It is a matter of great wonder to us what thi.s dog 

 manipulation all means, o\-er and abo\'e a desire to find how 

 many possible combinations may be made in the dog gamut, 

 how many variations may be made iu dug harmony without 

 entirely losing the old tune started witli at the beginning, 

 the original ideal dog we know and loved when a boy." 



