Jan. 6, 1894] 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



13 



was held, who were standing in the office of the hotel where 

 a number of handlers were gathered in a circle. As South- 

 ern gentlemen habitually do, they had called to welcome the 

 -Strangers and make their stay pleasant. Their hearing ami 

 manner proclaimed them to' be gentlemen. The handlers 

 were engaged most fluently in airing a choice, ancieut stock 

 of grievances, sometimes two or three talking at a time, eanh 

 one clamorous to be heard. The gentlemen stood iu the 

 middle of the floor, amazement depicted on their faces, i 

 never saw them again. In fact, now that I think of it, no 

 town ever passed resolutions of esteem or admiration for the 

 sayings of the handlers. 



From the Sportsman's Standpoint. 



The competitive element never has had a full exposition 

 from the club member's standpoint. 



The professional, having strictly a business interest, is 

 apt to take for granted that the club and its interests are 

 also purely from business motives and from a business 

 basis. The following excerpt from a letter recently received 

 from Mr. Thomas Johnson, of Winnipeg, will explain the 

 matter in a few words better than I have in many lines. It 

 'has the ring of true sportsmanship. He says: "I am quite 

 willing to give my time and a little money— a thousand dol- 

 lars a year for the past seven years would not reimburse 

 Ijhe — for the advancement of field trials, or anything else 

 [that comes under the head of sports. I would* encourage 

 professional handlers to run their dogs, but would not be 

 subject to their insolence. The reason I intended to abandon 

 any participation myself as a competitor was so that there 

 should be no cause for a cry of judges to favor me." 



Referring to a letter from Mr. Brailsford, of England, in 

 which he says-' "One thing I am delighted at isthat our 

 good friend Wells has got to the top of the fence, and with 

 the bitch you thought so highly of on your prairies." 

 , Oil this point, Mr. Johnson remarks: "His allusion to Mr. 

 Wells's victory at Chatham shows the spirit that should pre- 

 vail in field trials." 



While in Canada, I observed among resident sportsmen a 

 much more gentlemanly acceptance of the judge's decisions. 

 ■ They do the judge the honor of considering that he is com- 

 petent. If they differ, they are civil, talk it over quietly 



CONSCRIPT (King op Kent-Hops). 



- give, you my opinion before asking yours. The trouble seems 

 among themselves, and retrain from being offensive or dis- & me to be in most part that breeders and exhibitors do not 

 courteous to the judge The unpleasantness m times past see enough of each other at shows, and therefore the whole 

 m Canada m reference to the judges has been started by tMng is looked upon simply as a question of business by 

 parties frrom this side of the line. I hope that the Canadian 1 manV aud b otLers of getting the best of the. award, and 

 sportsmen will have the good sense not to copy us, which | thenhome to get, something ready for the next show, and so 

 there is little danger ot their doing. In fact, we are far be- 0£u iustead 0 f business, pleasure 'and good fellowship, corn- 



lb 



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COSSET (King of Kent— Hops). 



hind the English in these respects. Their competitions are 

 friendly, sportsmanlike assemblages of competitors, and not 

 an aggregation of rampant savagery. There are some more 

 point-; I desire to touch on before beginning the manner of 

 handling at field trials, but there have been some hints 

 herein which may indicate room for improvement in the 

 handlers themselves. If their traditions and usages of the 

 jfeast are unalterable, they need not look for any wide or 

 rapid improvement in field trial interests in the future. 



The U. S. F. T. Club's Trials. 



The date fixed for holding the United States Field Trials 

 Club's trials has been changed from Feb. 19 to Feb. 12, thus 

 following immediately after the Southern trials. As pre 

 viously fixed, there was a week intervening between the two 

 trials, which, if the date had not been changed, would have 

 occasioned a loss of time and extra expense to the owners and 

 handlers. 



bined with a strong desire to have another chat on the favor- 

 ite type of the breeds they fancy. 



Now in my mind the simplest way of attaining these 

 much-to-be-desired ends is for the large clubs which have 

 annual shows to exert themselves a little more than they 

 have been doing to bring exhibitors, etc, in fact all in- 

 terested, closer together. 



Take the late. Toronto show for an example. Every dog- 

 man who has visited Toronto knows that it is a pretty poor 

 place to spend an evening after the show closes. Exhibitors 

 have to content themselves with their room at the hotel, and 



there they split up into little parties. Certain of them think 

 they have a grievance, and what they don't say about Brown 

 they say about Robinson, etc. 



Now, if instead of this arrangement the Toronto manage- 

 ment (headed by the genial Stone, who, although he rolls 

 quite a lot looking after the comfort of all hands, still finds 

 time to gather some moss) would engage a large private 

 room for show week, where all could get together and have 

 a sociable smoking concert and a plain soda (dogmen seldom 

 want anything stronger), a sociable evening would be 

 spent, and who knows what sores would be healed, what 

 friendships renewed and cemented under the benign in- 

 fluence of "Auld Lang Syne" and similar ditties. 



How often you hear the saying, "We don't have the jolly 

 times we used to have." Now, what are the good times re- 

 ferred to? Take Syracuse, Buffalo, London, Albany and 

 other shows of a few years ago and remember the quiet 

 evenings spent at those never-to-be-forgotten shows. If New 

 i ork, Boston, Philadelphia, Toronto and others would try 

 my suggestion, and, at their shows the coming year, arrange 

 tor some place where the boys could get together and spend 

 a sociable evening, I am certain the close of the coming year 

 would see a return to the times I have referred to, and in- 

 stead of a wordy newspaper war over every little trifle, a few 

 words at the reunion while the iron is hot would settle the 

 ■ whole business amicably. 



| Now let us have your views on the subject, Mr. Editor, and 

 • why not ask for correspondence on the subject from your 

 j readers? A letter from that prince of superintendents, Mr. 

 j Mortimer, would do much to give the idea a boom, for every- 

 body knows that though years may come and years may go, 

 he will always be with the boys. Solus: 



United States Field Trials. 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



The date of starting this club's field trials at Grand Junc- 

 tion, Tenn., has been changed by request of many of the 

 club s members and patrons from Feb. 19 to Feb 12 This 

 change will enable handlers to reach Grand Junction from 

 the Southern trials in plenty of time, as their trials will be 

 finished about Feb. 9. 



The Grand Junction trials will be judged by Dr N Rowe 

 Mr. W. W. Titus and Mr. Royal Robinson, with Mr J a' 

 Balmer m reserve With such an array of talent in 'the 

 saddles we hope to have a very pleasant meeting. 



The annual meeting of the club will be held in Chicago 

 March 15. p. T. MADISON, Sec'y-Treas 



Indianapolis, Ind.. Dec. 29. 



, , Tli e well known poodle champion Dexter has been sold bv 

 Mr. E. H. Morris to Mr. A. A. Cobb of Wilmington, Del 

 who intends taking up the breed. 



On Wednesday last the Fanciers' 1 Journal Publishing Co 

 made an assignment to Mr. V. M. Haldeman for the benefit 

 of its crditors. Mr. Haldeman will sell off the copyright 

 good will, fixtures, etc., at public sale within a couple of 

 vyeeks. It is rumored that Mr. C. T. Thompson will buy out 

 the concern. J 



The auction sale of the Cumberland Kennel Co., Nash- 

 ville, Tenn., Dec. 21, resulted as follows: Mr. Frank Sea- 

 right bought Melac for §475; Minerva, $135; Phcebe, $150: 

 Cumberland Flora, §35; Cumberland Queen, $20. Mr. P. 

 Hager, Nashville, bought Zella for §170 and Norman for $55. 

 Mr. H. L. Goodman bought Jennie for $70, and Victoria and 

 Xotta, Italian greyhound bitches, for $10 each. Another 

 party bought the Italian greyhound dog Prince for 812.50. 

 The kennel fixtures, including horse, harness and wagon, 

 sold for §172; total §1,224.50. A delay in receiving the letter 

 containing the above, information made it too late for last 

 Week's issue, 



B. WATEKS. 



909 Security Building, Chicago. 



A New Year's Time Suggestion. 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



Beading over notes of shows held from the year 1886 to 

 1890, and those from the latter date to the close of this year's 

 fall circuit, I could not help but remark a contrast. 



The good feeling that seemed to actuate dogmen, with few 

 exceptions of late, seems to have changed into one continual 

 snarl. Jealousy, ill feeling and abuse are rampant iu dog 

 circles, and instead of breeders, exhibitors and judges woik- 

 mg together for the good of our four-footed friends, as one 

 united brotherhood, all the good old feeling and friendly 

 rivalries seem to have passed away and little else remains in 

 the hearts of many but the wish to run down the other fel- 

 low aud his dog. 



I Why is this? And where are we to find the cause of this 

 much to be regretted state of things iu dogdom? and is 

 there a remedy and a cute for these evils? are the questions 

 I would ask you, Mr. Editor, and to put it properly, I first 



RIP RAP (King of Kent— Hops). 



