Apeil 7, 1894] 



FOREST AND STREAM, 



299 



POINTS AND FLUSHES 



[By a Staff Correspondent.] 

 Clubs and Handlers. 



From some remarks made on my recent writings on 

 handlers and club membership, I am led to infer that some 

 of the readers may think that there was something personal 

 in the objection. It is difficult to handle any subject in 

 which personality is concerned without seeming to have a 

 personal motive, either open or concealed. But the objec- 

 tions raised were not on personal grounds at all. The whole 

 matter rested entirely on a principle of equity which always 

 has been and is recognized in all competitions. No man is 

 allowed to judge his own dog or horse in a competition, nor 

 is there a sentiment in favor of a contestant taking part in 

 both sides of a competition; that is, in the judging or man- 

 aging and in the competition. The sentiment is against it 

 in all competitions, whether the action or influence be direct 

 or indirect. The feeling that it is improper to have even a 

 remote personal interest, in both the judging or manage- 

 ment and the competition, has been shown a number of 

 times at trials when a judge withdrew from judging a stake 

 in which was a dog of his own breeding. Tbis I consider as 

 being an act of over-sensitiveness and unnecessary, since no 

 sportsman would be suspected of prejudice in favor of a dog 

 from such a commonplace and unimportant incident as be- 

 ing the breeder. A gentleman who has The standing and 

 qualifications which induce a club to give him an invitation 

 to judge certainly has stability enough to judge in a compe- 

 tition any dog he may have bred. 



This matter is presented merely to show to what an ex- 

 treme limit the principle is recognized when the circum- 

 stances are all direct, and not concealed by apparently inno- 

 cent and detached interest, as, for instance, club member- 

 ship. 



To bring out my meaning clearer, the protest made by Mr, 

 Avent in respect to the matter of the. alleged tampering with 

 Topsy's Rod in connection with the running of the absolute 

 heat of the Derby at Grand Junction, Tenn., in February 

 last, will serve for illustration as to the manner in which 

 complications may arise which affect the equity of a compe- 

 tition. Mr. Avent when he made the protest was a member 

 of the board of governors and for that matter he is now a 

 member. He entered a formal protest while the heat wa3 

 being contested in his capacity as a handler and owner. As 

 a member of the board he had a perfect legal right to pass 

 onhiB own protest in his capacity as such member. The 

 club has no rule against it nor has it any usage to the con- 

 trary to appeal to. Mr. Avent did not attempt to pass on 

 his own protest, nor do I mention the matter as implying 

 that he would do so. My purpose is simply to show the 

 complications which arise when a competitor is also one 

 who gives the competition and passes upon it, and to show 

 the imprudence of organizing a board on principles which 

 are antagonistic to a perfect equity of competition. 



It may be said that members of clubs who are handlers 

 would have too high a sense of courtesy and propriety to 

 ever act as a member on a matter in which they are directly 

 interested as a competitor, but that simply reduces a broad 



trinciple of equity to a matter of individual discretion. I 

 o not believe that the handlers who are now club mpmbers 

 would do anything which would impair the equity of a com- 

 petition, but, as I explained at the outset, there is abso- 

 lutely no intention to discuss persons. The broad principle 

 of equity is sufficient. Moreover, the membership of clubs 

 is not a fixed quantity. It changes more or less from year 

 to year. What a member or members this year might not 

 do other member or members next year might do if there be 

 no law against it. 



Again, a member of a board of governors should be able 

 to perform all the duties to the office. If he cannot do so for 

 private business reasons or interests which disqualify him, 

 he is not eligible to the office, particularly when there are 

 numerous members who have no disqualifying interests, 

 who could be elected to the office. A member of a board of 

 governors, at the same time being a competitor, might not 

 pass on his own protest, but he might be called upon to pass 

 on the protest of another competitor in the same compe- 

 tition, or to interpret a rule, or to rule on some circumstance 

 for which no rule was provided. He thus would have an ad- 

 vantage over his fellow competitors, since he had privileges 

 as a competitor, though under color of his office or by virtue 

 of his office, whichever term is most pleasing, which the 

 other competitors could not enjoy, and which he as a mem- 

 ber was free from; that is, his fellow competitors could not 

 pass on any of his protests or interpret rules or rule on unusual 

 cases. 



To this it has been replied that all handlers have the same 

 privilege to become club members and thus enjoy the apper- 

 taining privileges alike. All handlers cannot afford expen- 

 sive club dues, nor take the responsibility which comes to a 

 member, of standing an assessment for a deficit. Then 

 again, if all handlers belonged to a club, they would control 

 it in every respect, and it is necessary, to give the competi- 

 tion proper prestige, interest and importance, that the club 

 be managed by sportsmen who are not interested as handlers. 



In my opinion, handlers are in a manner opposing their 

 own interests when they become club members. It is not to 

 their interest to have a voice in the competition The non- 

 professional sportsman, who pays bis dues from mere fond- 

 ness of the sport, likes to have the arrangement of the 

 competition himself. He is an important factor from every 

 standpoint. It is not to the best interest of the handlers to 

 arrange and maintain, as members, a competition. If they 

 are members they will be present in force at the club meet- 

 ings, and will gradually get possession in managing the club's 

 affairs, this the more easily as they will practically be a unit 

 in their action. The other club members will never be at a 

 trial or club meeting in force, and they will hold entirely 

 different views, in all probability, as to the policy of the club 

 and will not act in unison. As they lose control of the club's 

 affairs they will lose interest, and everybody knows what 

 happens when a member loses membership interest. 



In presenting this somewhat novel idea, I feel quite sure that 

 time will prove the soundness of the principle that it is to the 

 mutual advantage of the clubs andthehandlersto remain in 

 their respective special domain. I have not much belief that 

 the foregoing will be accepted at present as good reasoning, 

 but I feel confident that it will beintime. ltwill beof interest 

 if some of the handlers will express their opinions on this 

 subject; and also club members might have some opinions 

 worth rjerusing. 



The Manchester Kennel Company was very unfortunate at 

 Grand Junction. Both their entries, Gleam's Sport and 

 Gleam's Pink, were very sick and conseq uently unfitted to 

 start in the stake of the U. S. F. T. C. Both dogs are excel- 

 lent performers, and it was a great disappointment to their 

 owners that they were incapacitated to compete. 



It would be wise for any club to engage four judges, one 

 of whom could be held as a reserve. At nearly all trials one 

 or two of the judges fail to appear or cannot act for some 

 reason. With a judge in reserve, the vacancy could be filled 

 without loss or annoyance. In case of a vacancy the usage is 

 to engage the most available man on the grounds or one of 

 the reporters, of ten against their inclination and judgment. 

 Often, too, against their convenience. Often, again, to their 

 discomfort after the decisions are made. 



The Heat System. 



There was some little advocacy of a return to the heat sys- 

 tom in the competition at field trials, or at least a modifica- 

 tion of it. That is, the heat system was to prevail, accord- 



ing to the views presented, till first place was decided, after 

 which the spotting system would be used in placing the rest 

 of the winners. The heat vs. the spotting system is already 

 a twice told tale, and needs nothing more in the way of argu- 

 ment. The theory that a dog which beats another dog beats 

 also all the other dogs which the latter has beaten is a 

 fallacy. It is unsound in theory and produces false results 

 in application. The reasons are that no dog's work or his 

 ability to do work is a fixed quantity. He may do perfect 

 work one day and may be "off his nose" or sick the next, or 

 he may be headstrong and bolt or chase in one heat and not 

 in others; in short, he may do a thousand things to lower 

 his work, and at best the average performance of a dog is not 

 made up of uniform detail, nor are the opportunities or con- 

 ditions alike one heat after another. 



But I promised to present the subject for an expression of 

 opinion, and for that purpose it is written. 



Any set of rules which are intended to serve the double 

 purpose of bringing the best dogs to the front and atthesame 

 time placate the vexation or temporize with the owners of 

 poor dogs or defeated dogs are a failure in conception and 

 must fail in practice. The time limit is one of the farcical 

 details of the rules at present. The dogs are in the competi- 

 tion to win or lose. When a dog is beaten or wins, he has 

 completed all that, in common sense, the competition affords 

 or is intended for. But it has been decided to give the owner 

 a fixed amount for his money right or wrong, thus at every 

 trial can be witnessed the solemn farce of a brace of dogs 

 being run over any kind of ground to kill time, because they 

 have not merit even to make a creditable competition. 



B. WATERS. 



909 Security Building, Chicago. 



"Vicissitudes of the Judging Ring." 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



In your issue of March 17, under above heading, I gave the 

 true happenings of the judging of the cocker Barefoot at the 

 New York show and asked the question, "Did Mr. Wilmer- 

 ding change his style of a cocker in less than ten minutes?" 



In your issue of the 21th, under same heading, Mr. Wil- 

 merding, in answer to my question, says: "The inclosed 

 letter covers the one which appeared in your last week's 

 issue under above caption signed F. M. Thomas and needs 

 no comment from me." I fail to see wherein Mr. Wilmer- 

 ding answers my question, the Only one I asked, viz., "Did 

 he change his style of cocker in less than ten minutes?" 



Mr. Pidgeon says: "I am surpi-ised to find what was con- 

 tained therein under the head 'Vicissitudes of the Judging 

 Ring.' " 



His being surprised was unnecessary, as I wrote him 

 saying that I had sent the facts to you. As to connecting 

 him, even inferentially, with "a train of circumstances" 

 which he. says are said to have occurred, and of which he 

 knows scarcely anything of his own knowledge, I will say 

 plainly that he knows fully of all I wrote in regard to Bare- 

 foot's judging and I have proof of this, or at least that he 

 did know before he left the show. It being news to Mr. 

 Pidgeon of Barefoot being sent out of the ring because Mr. 

 Wilmerding did not consider him cocker type surprises me, 

 for it was Mr. Pidgeon who told this to me and my friend. 



I am not in error as to handling Barefoot for the special, 

 but I was not with him in the ring during the whole of the 

 judging for the special. Mr. Pidgeon says further, "Being 



only eligible to the classes he was in probably got all he 



was entitled to — from the judge's point of view." What a 

 change in his opinion and choice of words. At the time of 

 the judging I remember well his being just the reverse and 

 having a much different feeling toward the judge and an 

 organization not necessary to mention here. 



Frank W. Thomas. 



Catskill. N. Y. 



[There are certain parts omitted in the above letter that 

 are not relevant to the case.] 



Denver Dog Show. 



The fifth annual dog show which opened at the Coliseum 

 Hall, Denver, on March 21, as in former years, did not prove 

 a financial success, and we are sorry to hear that the mem- 

 bers will have to dip into their pockets to make up the loss. 

 The lack of a suitable building in the central part of the 

 town, together with bad weather for the first day and a 

 big tire near the show on the second day which cut off the 

 electric lights, have much to do with the failure. The show 

 was well advertised and the dogs, while few in number, were 

 of very high quality. The show was kept open on Saturday 

 and the shortage reduced to about $250. 



The management was excellent in every respect and great 

 praise is due the committee, and especially to the superin- 

 tendent, Mr. H. C. Withengton, who did all in his power to 

 make the show pleasant to both visitors and exhibitors. 

 Messrs. F. F. Dole and J. Naylor were on from the East with 

 big strings and captured most of the prizes, the former win- 

 ning the prize for largest number in best condition. 



There was scarcely any competition in any classes except- 

 ing the St. Bernard and collu-s, and as the winners are all 

 well known criticism is unnecessary. 



In St. Bernards the Argyle Kennels and Mr. A, C. Shallen- 

 berger captured the blues, and in collies the local dogs were 

 well able to hold their own, the Carlowrie Kennels winning 

 both open classes with two very nice puppies of their own 

 breeding. 



A few sales were made during the show. The St. Patrick 

 Kennels sold a good young greyhound by Monk Bishop ex 

 Lady Graham Glendyne, six months old, to Mr. Jarrett 

 The Argyle Kennels sold the well-known smooth St. Bernard 

 Pratt's Belle, for $500, to Messrs. Wyaut and Bishop. The 

 Carlowrie Kennels sold a collie dog pup, litter brother to the 

 winner in open class, to Mr. Jarrett, also a nice young dog by 

 Maney Trefoil, to Mr. Mitchell Harrison, who is staying at 

 Colorado Springs, and who came to the show to see his deer- 

 hound Douglas win first prize. J. 



Hogs as Bird Dogs. 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



I read in your Chicago contemporary, in an article from 

 "Tar Heel," that in an English book published some sixty 

 years ago it is recorded that a sow named Slut was trained 

 to trail, point and retrieve game birds, and you have no idea 

 how sorry I am that this bit of English history has been un- 

 earthed, for I am afraid that the arms akimbo coterie, in 

 their great desire to be "Henglish you know," will be after 

 all the sows— razor backs— in the South to put into their field 

 trials and therefore handicap still more, and if possible set 

 aside entirely our truly useful and practical field dog. I fear 

 the danger still more on account of its being so well known 

 how fleet these sows are; they can easily outrun any pointer 

 or setter in the country. Our setters that are so intelligent, 

 so tractable, that have so often sat up before us for the pur- 

 pose of divining and anticipating our every waut, have been 

 snubbed and set aside long enough by the high class men by 

 calling them names in derision— such as plugs, scrubs, etc., 

 etc, and upon second thought I am not sure but it would be 

 well for them to transfer their pretended devotion from our 

 lovable setter, who is capable of fully understanding and 

 doing our bidding, without becoming sulky and inactive, 

 like those that run wild because they will not stand training, 

 to the sow, for there is no question but the sow could get into 

 the next county quicker and the race among the horsemen 

 would be so much more exhilarating and exciting. Let her 

 cornel S. 



Feb. 13. 



Flaps from the Beaver's Tail. 



Toronto, Can.— Mr. "Andy Laidlaw," he of cocker fame, 

 has added the Irish water spaniel bitch Marguerite and a son 

 of hers to his string, and we shall never probably see more of 

 the bitch on the bench which she has frequently adorned with 

 honor to herself and her late breeder, Dr. Nicoll, of Montreal. 



Mr. S, C. Stevens, the manager of the Montreal exposition, 

 informs me that a show will be held in Montreal this fall 

 probably the week following Toronto. If Ottawa hangs on 

 and one or two other places come into line, forming a brief 

 fall circuit, it would do much to strengthen the fancy here. 



Mr. Jno. B. Carmichael, of Victoria, B. C, has bought the 

 smooth fox-terrier bitch Blemton Rapture, bred by Mr. 

 August Belmont. She has been in California for some" time 

 and in 1888 was first in the puppy class at Syracuse, and in 

 1890 vhc. reserve at Boston and vhc. at Buffalo. She is in 

 whelp to Blemton Reefer (champion Venio— champion 

 Rachel. 



An executive meeting of the C. K. C. was held in Toronto 

 on March 30. Present: Dr. J. S. Niven in the chair, Dr, H 

 S. Griffin, Messrs. R. W. Boyle, T. G. Davey, C. A. Stone, H. 

 B. Donovan, secretary; Mr. Richard Gibson was also present. 

 The minutes of last meeting (as published in Gazette) taken 

 as read. In the matter of the agreement between C. K. C. 

 and A. K. C. the articles of agreement, letters from the sec- 

 retary of the A. K. C. and Mr. F. S. Wetherall read. It was 

 resolved to amend C. K. C. rules to agree with those of the 

 A. K. C. Moved by Dr. Griffin, seconded by Mr. Stone, that 

 report of committee be received and adopted by this execu- 

 tive. Carried. On motion of Dr. Griffin, seconded by Mr. 

 Stone, the secretary was instructed to communicate with 

 A. K. C, informing them of action taken by executive, but 

 that financial ratification must be referred to the club at the 

 next annual meeting (in September), but that notwithstand- 

 ing this delay we trust that awards at shows in Canada this 

 year under C. K. C. rules may be recognized. 



On the reading of evidence sent in the club found it had 

 no jurisdiction in the Melac— Minerva's Fawn case. A grant 

 of $43 was made the president for his expenses to New York 

 in connection with official business for this club. 



Both Messrs. Gibson and McEwen were in Toronto this 

 week attending the spring stallion show, where Mr. Gibson 

 judged. He informs me that he will judge the smooth fox- 

 terrier classes only at the Toronto spring show, having de- 

 clined to take the wire-haired classes. 



The special prizes, both cash and kind, offered at the 

 Toronto show, to be held on April 13 and 14, are both numer- 

 ous and valuable, and it is hoped the entry may be more than 

 a merely local one. H. B. DONOVAN. 



[Mr. Donovan forwards a list of the specials, but unfortu- 

 nately space does not permit of publishing a tithe of them.] 



The Specialty Show. 



Forest and Stream was the first journal to give news of 

 the coming specialty show to be held in New York, and in 

 fact provided all the news so far given on the subject. The 

 first official notification of the affair, however, comes to us 

 with the premium list. The show will be held in Madison 

 Square Garden, New York, in connection with the Hemp- 

 stead Farm display. The breeds that will be represented 

 are St. Bernards, collies, rough and smooth, and bobtails, 

 fox-terriers (smooth and wire), spaniels and bulldogs. 



St. Bernards and collies and smooth fox-terriers get $20 and 

 $10 in challenge classes, $20, $15, $10 and $5 in open; puppies 

 and novices, $15, $10 and $5. The other breeds get $5 less in 

 each class than the above-mentioned breeds. Clumbers and 

 Irish water spaniels do not have separate sex classes. The 

 specials are very numerous. St. Bernards, collies and fox- 

 terriers get $25 cash from the Madison Square Garden Co. 

 Other cash specials of more than ordinary value are given, 

 besides the numerous trophies and other specials donated by 

 the different specialty clubs. 



Entries close April 20, and the fee is $5. Mr. Jas. Mortimer 

 will superintend. 



The show will commence May 1, and continue till the 4th. 

 The bench show committee will be composed of W. H, 

 Joeckel, Jr. and J. A. C. Johnson, of the St. Bernard Club of 

 America; J. D. Shotwell and Thos. H. Terry, of the Collie 

 Club of America; John E Thayer and H. W. Smith, of the 

 American Fox-Terrier Club; A. C. Wilmerding and Rowland 

 P. Keasbey, of the American Spaniel Club; J. H. Matthews 

 and E. Willard Roby, of the Bulldog Club of America. 



Judges will be: For collies, Robt. McEwen, of Canada; 

 fox-terriers, R. F. Mayhew, of New York; spaniels, E. M. 

 Oldham, of New York; bulldogs, James Mortimer, of Hemp- 

 stead, L. I. The St. Bernard Club hopes to secure the ser- 

 vices of Mr. Sydney W. Smith, of Leeds, Eng., as judge. 



Dr. H. Clay Glover will be the veterinarian. 



Red Cockers. 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



It is far from my intention to meddle with the storm of 

 criticisms Mr. Wilmerding seems to have stirred up through 

 his judging at New York, preferring to leave this to the old 

 hands at the game. What strikes me as peculiar in their 

 many spaniel controversies during past years is the fact that 

 while a great deal of interesting reading is afforded, there is 

 little real information to be gained that would help a novice 

 like myself to breed on the right lines. Lately I have been 

 very much impressed with the fact that the red or dun 

 cockers seem almost invariably to be well-made, active-look- 

 ing dogs, higher on the legs and much straighter than the 

 black ones. Now, in going through the aisles at New York 

 it was almost the exception to find a black cocker straight in 

 the forelegs. Many of them were wretchedly crooked, and 

 "Uncle Dick's" pat simile of "crocodile fronts" occurred to 

 me. 



I have never been fortunate enough to breed a red cocker, 

 but I am told that they will often come in litters whose 

 parents are pure black. How is this? And how is it that 

 they are so straight in front compared to their black brothers 

 and sisters. In breeding reds to reds can one be sure of get- 

 ting all that color, or must the breeding be persisted in until 

 a strain is formed? These may seem foolish questions to the 

 veteran breeders, but I think many others will concur in my 

 statement that too much of dog breeding is taken for granted 

 nowadays, and the new ones, like myself, that, is, new from a 

 show point of view, must glean their knowledge by casual 

 remarks dropped at the bench side, or worry along as best 

 they can and find out for themselves, which is an unsatisfiie- 

 tory process at the best. I don't want to interfere with this 

 judging controversy, but I would like to know about tho-e 

 red cockers. Red Cockers. 



Mount Vernon, N. Y., March 33. 



We learn that in the early part of the New York show, Mr. 

 Oldham, the spaniel judge, was walking near the Post-Office 

 and saw an Irish terrier with a show tag on going full speed 

 down Broadway. In speaking of the loss of Shargar, the 

 Irish terrier, from the New York show, to a Broad way police- 

 man, the latter stated to Mr Oldham that he also saw the 

 dog below Fultonstre3t, and had it not been for his belt, that 

 impeded his quick stooping, he would have caught the dog 

 as it passed him on the run. The police were on the lookout 

 for it. The dog has not been seen since. He was evidently 

 frightened at the noise and bustle of the streets. 



