482 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



|May;26, 1894. 



POINTS AND FLUSHES 



\By a Staff Correspondent.] 

 Restricting Starters in Field Trials. 



Under date of May 7 Mr. J. B. Stoddard, of Thomasville, 

 N. C, writes me that it may be considered settled that, he 

 ■will go to Manitoba and prepare dogs for the trials ami 

 handle them therein. It is probable that Mr. Stoddard will 

 start for Manitoba in the near future. Touching on the 

 matter of entries Mr; Stoddard writes: "I think that the 

 Manitoba people should restrict the starters from large ken- 

 nels on the plan adopted by some of the smaller race meet- 

 ings, viz., allow as many entries as each kennel or party 

 desires to make, but only allow to such party one starter m 

 each stake. Some plan should be found to keep one man 

 from winning the whole thing, as in time the other members 

 will get tired" of putting up with no possible chance to pull 

 anything down. Gameness is a good quality, but it shows 

 a lack of discretion to try to butt an engine off the track. 



It is pleasing to note that there is a sentiment among the 

 professional handlers in favor of restricting the powerful 

 business combinations at field trials and thus opening up 

 more opportunities to the amateur, or those who have to 

 consider the question of dollars and cents when indulging 

 in their love of sport. „ 4 ,. _ ,, 



I have received several letters on professionalism at field 

 trials, but as they refer more to an indorsement of my views 

 than to a discussion of the subject in its public bearings it 

 would not help the discussion to publish them._ Still a pub- 

 lic expression of opinion is desirable. Field trial clubs can 

 not act intelligently in arranging their stakes if they do not 

 know what their patrons want. The amateur can give an 

 opinion which is quite as worthy of consideration as that of 

 a professional. Without the amateur field trials ca,n not 



There is no sport, other than field trials, but what the 

 principle of a handicap is recognized and applied in some 

 form. In trap shooting the expert professional is placed at 

 a longer distance from the traps, or is barred altogether. 

 Field trials must have such necessary arrangements as the 

 exigencies of the times require. The factors which make 

 field trials have changed greatly in the past few years, while 

 field trial managements have followed year after year nearly 

 the same lines. 



Professional handlers are necessary in field trials. It is 

 only when it becomes so powerful and overwhelmingly suc- 

 cessful that it becomes an evil. The handler who gets a dog 

 or two here, there and everywhere, represents an interest 

 from each man who employs him. Often he has the dogs 

 but one season. Each season finds him with a new lot of 

 dogs, or at most but one or two of the old ones. Such pro- 

 fessional is more on even terms with the amateur than he is 

 generally believed to be. 



But the professional handler who owns a large kennel and 

 devotes his time entirely to breeding, buying, selling and 

 handling, possessing also ample means to carry out any plan 

 he may have, is too formidable for the man who is strictly a 

 handler or small breeder. The handler and breeder who is a 

 capitalist in a limited way can keep his best dogs year after 

 year to run in the trials. He furthermore can engage dogs 

 of good quality owned by sportsmen, and develop and run 

 them for a share of the winnings. Field trial prizes have 

 been so large and the restrictions so few that taking dogs on 

 hares has proven quite profitable in some instances. Thus 

 the handler who can keep his dogs year after year, and bor- 

 row some of the best ones he has sold, and select others of 

 good quality which he can get from their owners for a share 

 of the. profits made up from the winnings, has a string of 

 dogs selected which mean everything as a powerful factor in 

 competition, and nothing whatever in sportsmanship. The 

 whole plan is purely mercenary. To the sportsman there is 

 nothing attractive in such competition. The chances are 

 unequal. In fact, the sportsman has so many odds against 

 him that he has but a forlorn hope. His formidable oppo- 

 nent has five or six dogs entered to his one. These dogs have 

 had the most thorough conditioning and prof essional train- 

 ing with a view to meet all the finesse of field trials. They 

 have had abundance of experience in sections where game 

 was abundant. Their handler, from years of study and ex- 

 perience, knows to a nicety the smallest detail of the compe- 

 tition and the rules governing it, and generally manages to 

 invent some new refinement in handling to spring on his 

 competitors each year at each trial. Some judges appear to 

 be non-committal, some managements appear to be timorous 

 where a loss of entries are concerned, the professional who 

 trains dogs for others loses heart in the competition, the 

 sportsmen hold aloof and field trials for the time being have 

 shown signs of decadence. The causes are plain enough, but 

 there does not seem to be everywhere the moral courage suf- 

 ficient to apply the remedy. Physical courage is abundant, 

 but moral courage is a bit short of the demand. 



Artificial Value of Field Dogs. 



It is hardly wise to take the field trials of the past few 

 years as a standard wherewith to measure those of the pres- 

 ent. The times have changed and canine interests have 

 changed with them. The breeding of dogs as a business or 

 as a side venture for revenue has steadily increased through- 

 out the country, while the game supply has grown less from 

 the destruction which occurs each year. The number of 

 shooters has steadily multiplied, and improved guns and 

 powders have added to their destructiveness. The local 

 shooters in particular have largely and uniformly increased 

 in numbers throughout the country. 



Dog breeding, from a business standpoint, is governed by 

 the law of supply and demand, as is every other business. If 

 there is over-production, cheap prices and slow* sales are sure 

 to prevail. If times are hard, the public is forced to dispense 

 with luxuries first and afterward with such things as are 

 least necessary. Both courses affect the interests of canines. 



It is but business wisdom for those who breed dogs directly 

 and indirectly for revenue to give the trials just as much 

 support as they did in past years when the purses were 

 larger. For those who are interested from motives of sports- 

 manship, the question of dollars has no interest, or at best 

 but a remote one. The clubs, one year after another, could 

 not afford the prizes they have been offering, nor did the 

 large prices received for the winning dogs help field trial in- 

 terests. Thus there was a double injury to breeding inter- 

 ests, with the collateral injury of making an almost purely 

 professional. The big prizes were more than the clubs could 

 afford to pay, therefore there resulted the harmful deficits. 

 The big prices demanded and mauy times secured for the 

 dogs placed the sport beyond the reach of men whose means 

 were short of ample wealth. It gave all dogs, which could 

 show relationsnip by blood lines ,to the winner, an artificial 

 value as field performers on the score of such blood relation- 

 ship. Many of the high-priced dogs, it is true, were bought 

 tor their stud service, but the. high prices sympathetically 

 affected all dogs which were well bred, or were so called 

 Prices which are forced to a high point by artificial agencies 

 are certain to ultimately end in injury. 



To attempt a thorough analysis of the canine interests 

 would take too much space. If sufficient is written to induce 

 interested parties to think over the situation, the object in 

 writing this will have been attained. Of course, this is in 

 reference to field trial matters, and the purpose is to bring 

 before those concerned the wisdom of supporting field trials 

 quite as liberally now as in the past. It is useless to attempt 

 to coerce clubsinto giving larger prizes by the indirect agency 

 of withholding support. They cannot afford to give more 

 It is tolly to ignore the real situation. Breeders will have to 

 return to the prices which can be paid by sportsmen, from 

 M50 to $300 or $400 for dogs which are good workers or of 



superior excellence. There are remunerative returns at those 

 prices, and they are better prices in the long run for all con- 

 cerned. I know the present business depression has its effect 

 on canine interests as well as on all other interests, but it is 

 but temporary. The signs of a return to genuine values in 

 field trial matters and practical field matters have been 

 written on the walls for two or three years past. Without 

 field trials there would be a falling off in interest and values, 

 which would mean an ending of the business of many train- 

 ers and breeders. The club members might lose a little 

 yearly diversion if their organizations disbanded, but the 

 trainers and breeders would lose a lot of serious yearly busi- 

 ness—therefore it is wise to support the trials. B. Waters. 



English Setters at Shows. 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



As an admirer and breeder of the English setter, it was 

 with no little pleasure that I read the communication from 

 John Davidson re the English setter at Boston, and I fully 

 expected ere this to have seen a reply from Major Taylor 

 defending his own criticisms. Being the owner of some of 

 the dogs criticised by the Major and referred to by Mr. David- 

 son, I will refrain from saying anything concerning them 

 except in one instance, that of Blue Jennie. In the report of 

 Boston show '93, he (Major Taylor) says "Blue Jennie, third, 

 is a bitch of good form throughout, and would have placed 

 her second, and Maid Marion first, who was second— this year 

 she is only fair in forelegs and round in barrel." Now in '93 

 she weighed 561bs., and was in such a grossly fat condition 

 that she resembled a pig fed for the slaughter, more than an 

 English setter competing on her beauty of form. This year 

 she weighed 491bs. (was even then too fat), and was only 

 taken from a litter of pups on Saturday, two days before 

 being sent to Boston, consequently she lacked that beautiful 

 coat she generally has, but which all criticisms on the 

 Boston show failed to note. I have never been a kicker 

 when beaten, when at times I have honestly thought 

 wronsly so, but when I see reports emanating from 

 a man who has the reputation Major Taylor has in 

 some English setter circles, and no one of the many real 

 English setter admirers take notice of it, I cannot help but 

 conclude that they are an apathetic set of fellows, who 

 haven't the courage of their convictions, i. e., that the Eng- 

 lish setter of "Stonehenge's" standard is the one and only 

 setter that should be classed as an English setter; and until 

 we can breed one to that standard we should refrain from 

 adopting a new one, and to fit every long-haired bird dog who 

 happens to win a field trial. The bench is a place to judge 

 form, not work or past reputations afield; and it behooves 

 the lover of the handsomest of all breeds of setters to come 

 out boldly and insist that bench show committees shall ap- 

 point judges capable of judging according to a standard, and 

 with courage to award the prizes irrespective of the owner- 

 ship of the animal judged. Until such is the case we shall 

 continue to see conflicting reports such as appeared in 

 America's two leading canine journals of May 19. American 

 Field, "Setter classes, 60 entries, was excellent," etc. For- 

 est and Stream, "A more weedy, snipy, slabsided lot I never 

 saw," etc., etc. 



From such a diversity of opinion how shall we know if 

 there was an English setter at Louisville or just a long-baired 

 bird dog. I am a lover of an English setter such as Rocking- 

 ham, Plantagenet, Cora of Wetherall, Monk of Furness and 

 their like. Dr. Jas. E. Hair. 



Bridgeport, Conn. 



New Jersey Kennel League Meeting. 



The annual dinner and meeting of this club was held at 

 the Davis Cafe", Newark, on the 14th inst. An accident pre- 

 vented the attendance of the president, Mr. Edward Radel, 

 and although the call was short, most of the more active 

 members were present and a very enjoyable evening was 

 spent. Mr. E. R. Christopher occupied the chair, and Mr. 

 H. W. Huntington and Mr. John Brett were guests. The 

 secretary read a large batch of letters from those who could 

 not attend. 



Mr. E. R. Christopher having acted as chairman of the bench 

 show committee, and as that was the chief event of the year, 

 he made a full report, referring to the fact that the show was 

 one of the few given within the past twelve months that 

 ranked as a first-class show; he referred to the very favorable 

 press reports, the good opinion exhibitors generally held of 

 the League, and spoke in flattering terms of the help afforded 

 them by Mr. E. H. Morris. 



The treasurer's report showed 7S members in good stand- 

 ing and a balance of less than a dollar, but as nearly $700 

 had been made good on the loss sustained in giving the show 

 those present did not inquire on which side of the book the 

 few cents stood, but were unanimous in its acceptance. 



The committee on diplomas reported that there had been 

 a delay owing to the first photograph of Queen Vic being a 

 failure, and that another had been taken on the first oppor- 

 tunity and a picture by Mr. G. Muss-Arnolt was submitted. 

 This was accepted and arrangements were made to have 

 the diplomas made and distributed forthwith. 



The election of officers for the ensuing year resulted in Mr. 

 Edward H. Radel being chosen President; Messrs. Charles 

 Heath, Miles A. Hanchett and August Hahn, Vice-Presi- 

 dents; Christopher Nugent, Treasurer, and Mr. Winter, Sec- 

 retary. The new executive committee elected being Edward 

 R. Christopher, Frank Link, Edwin H. Morris, W. .LWhelan 

 ^Walter L. Browe, John Brett, W. J. Davis, Dr. W. F. Seid- 

 ler; and E.. H. Morris was again elected as delegate to the 

 American Kennel Club. 



It was decided to leave the matter of another show to the 

 new committee, and as it was understood that Mr. Edward 

 H. Radel, the president, would assume risks, and what he 

 says goes, it is quite likely another show will be given in the 

 fall. 



The Canine Commonweal. 



ALL dogs are not born free and equal, nor have they 

 certain inalienable rights; and, among such rights as they 

 have, are not life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Yet, 

 paradoxical as it may seem, the caste lines are as sharply 

 drawn between different classes of dogs and individuals of 

 the same class, who are more fortunate in education and as- 

 sociation than their fellows, as they are among men who in 

 convention assembled declare that they are born free and 

 equal, and who as individuals believe and act on the theory 

 that "all men" means each one's own self. The other may 

 be born equal by conventional enactment, but the fellow him- 

 self is above his kind by virtue of a conscious knowledge of 

 his own excellence and inheritance, therewithal a self- 

 appointed right to pass absolutely on the status of his 

 brethren. Each one's own self-appreciation naturally re- 

 solves itself into self -exaltation or, what is nearly the same 

 thing, a depreciation of the rest of mankind, in either case 

 working to the singular excellence of each individual self 



A little knocking about in the business world, where 

 values are estimated at their true worth, is sure to cast out 

 some large redundancies of self esteem. But this is digres- 

 sing to a consideration of men, whereas my theme is docs 

 Yet, in .lights and shades of lesser contrast, the nature'of 

 man is reflected in that of the dog. 



The dogs, by some means undiscovered up to the present 

 time of writing, became convinced that society as it con- 

 cerned themselves, was all wrong, or, what was equivalent 

 to the same thing, that they had a grievance against society 

 Ly modern usage, strictly speaking, one dog with a dissatis- 

 faction has a grievance, but two or more dogs with that 

 same dissatisfaction have a principle. This is mentioned be- 



cause it has no equivalent in nature. Yet, the dogs of the 

 country once upon a time had a grievance, or, to be precise 

 and correct, they had grievances. 



First, they had many disagreements among themselves. 

 The city dog affected better manners and a haughtier deport- 

 ment when in the presence of his country brother. He wore 

 a newer and more fashionable collar, and his coat showed 

 more color and the effects of more careful grooming. The 

 country dog felt that he was just as good as any other dog, 

 and he lessened not his claim thereto whether he reclined 

 about in lazy postures, put his muddy feet on strangers, 

 made malapropos barkings, intruded uninvited and un- 

 desired. wore his coat dingy and full of rubbish, or conducted 

 himself in his best manner. It is true, he was also wont to 

 carry himself with much swagger, and utter many thousand 

 irrelevant barkings and whinings. While this country dog 

 had the candor to admit that he had instincts in common 

 with his brother, the city dog, he claimed a great deal of 

 credit to himself on the basis of wearing a rusty coat and 

 possessing the most unconventional manners. The natty 

 coat of his city brother was to him proof positive of effem- 

 inacy, while his polite bearing was interpreted as a haughty 

 assumption of superiority. They criticised the city dogs' want 

 of skill in chasing rabbits or pointing quail. A pretty collar 

 was accepted as conclusive evidence of personal inefficiency. 

 The country dog, too, by virtue of long a,nd undisputed 

 possession from timeimmemoral, boldly claimed title to the 

 sunshine, the colors of the landscape, the birds of the air, 

 the rabbits and the fish. Only by taking a glass of lemonade 

 together could the city and country be brought into har- 

 mony. 



The sectional prejudice was but slight compared to the 

 race prejudice. The St. Bernard thought himself bigger 

 than the others, and of these the great Dane elected him- 

 self the highest, while the greyhound considered himself the 

 longest family. The dachshund had a reputation for crook- 

 edness. The hounds claim great wisdom because they were 

 foxy, and the collies were certain of their good demeanor 

 because, they were sheepish. In short, a bit of difference in 

 coat or barking was considered sufficient for them to differ- 

 entiate themselves so completely that they were distinct and 

 apart in everything. These differences among themselves, 

 on matters of interest or vanity, were not so great as to blind 

 them to the wisdom of united action in reference to common 

 wrongs or grievances. All dogs, from the time when the 

 mind of man runneth not to the contrary, had suffered from 

 neglect or tyranny. , . „ , 



As they had a perfect right to exercise their freedom of 

 speech, no one thought for a moment that freedom of speech 

 could be wrong, particularly when the speech was made in 

 mass meeting assembled. 



The dogs of the country held such meeting, which was 

 quite representative in character. There were dogs of fine 

 breeding which would eat porterhouse steak or corn bread, 

 and there were curs which would eat the same, as it was 

 offered. There were others which would bark and look ugly 

 when on their own door step, but were abject and servile 

 when among strangers. Others again, which looked wise 

 without thinking or barked a great deal to win general ob- 

 servation, vied with those which tried to please every- 

 body. A few waited patiently for what might develop to 

 their individual gain. After about three days' consideration , 

 the convention passed the following preamble and resolutions: 



Whereas, From time immemorial the dog has been man's 

 best friend, sticking truly alike to him through adversity or 

 prosperity, intrepidly facing dangers in his defense and act- 

 ing as a spectator in his rejoicings, and 



Whereas, The dog has been man's best friend and the man 

 has been the only friend the dog ever had in his effort to at- 

 tain a higher civilization than that of his progenitor, there- 

 fore be it 



Resolved, That it is the sense of the meeting that man, 

 while he loudly vaunts his humanity and love of the dog r 

 too often allows that he has amply provided for our wants 

 by giving us some scanty scraps, the overflow from his table, 

 for our daily sustenance, and turning us out of doors at 

 night in lieu of a bed. 



Resolved, That in return for our unselfish affection, de- 

 votion and services, we do not think it just to estimate our 

 value in an equivalent of dollars and cents, the more so after 

 so many centuries of service rendered to man by his best 

 friend. It may be appreciation, but it is not agreeable. It 

 may be pleasant, but it is not filling to the stomach. 

 Neither is it justice. We have our pride, courage, memory, 

 reason, affection and many of the sensibilities of our masters, 

 whose civilization should imply more than refined savagery 

 in dealing with each other and with us. 



Resolved, That it is the sense of this meeting that the con- 

 ditions of the times demand that the dogs of this country 

 form themselves into a commonweal to protect themselves 

 from the oppression of those who by their skill and labor 

 have accumulated some goods. > We also claim that we 

 should have more social recognition. Our status socially 

 and in domestic life is insecure and indeterminate. To-day 

 we may be a petted companion on whom every luxury is 

 bestowed, to-morrow we may be vagrants. The ballot-box; 

 offers us no relief. In our wild state we ran in packs. 

 There was force and success then in numbers. As we ap- 

 proach feral life, we may make a like success in domestic 

 life. Let us be a commonweal. Let it be so written. 



B. Waters. 



United States Field Trials. 



Editor Forest and Stream,: 



The United States Field Trials Club at its last annual 

 meeting eliminated from its rules that old mossback robber 

 which has for years prohibited bitches in heat from running 

 in field trials. The owners of bitches can now enter them 

 and know that they will not be thrown out, and the owner 

 thus lose his entrance fee. This club is the only one in the 

 country that runs pointer stakes separate from setters. 

 The. pointer breeders and owners should not lose sight of 

 this feature and see that the stakes are liberally patron- 

 ized. The entries to the Bicknell Derbies will positively 

 close June 1, The judges selected are Mr. J. M. Freeman,, 

 of Bicknell, Major J. M. Taylor, of New York, and Royal 

 .Robinson. P. T. Madison, Sec'y-Treas. 



Indianapolis, Ind., May 19. 



The fact that another dog show is to take place shortly has 

 served to stir kennel affairs up a little on the Pacific coast. 

 The Oakland show, which takes place May 30, promises to be 

 well supported. The entries close May 23. A good hall has 

 been secured, and as Oakland is not far from San Francisco, 

 most of the latter city's fanciers will avail themselves of an 

 opportunity to exhibit their stock that the half-hearted action 

 of the Pacific Kennel Club deprived them of. At this show 

 the Fox-Terrier Club will donate a "Breeder's Cup," to be 

 presented to the breeder of the best fox-terrier pup. The 

 cup must be won twice before it becomes the property of a. 

 member. The entry fee at this show will be $3 for one entry 

 and $2.50 for each subsequent one. Mr. Higgs will superin- 

 tend. There are 228 classes provided. 



At the last monthly meeting of the Pacific Fox-Terrier 

 Club the treasurer reported a balance of $25, besides cups to 

 the value of $75. The officers elected for the ensuing year 

 are as follows: President, H. W. Fores; First Vice-Presi- 

 dent, C. A. Sumner; Second Vice-President, H, H. Carlton;. 

 Secretary, J. McLatchie; Treasurer, G. W. Debenham; i 

 Bonrd of Directors, A. S. Gonzales and Robert Siddle of 

 San Francisco; John Hefferman, of Stockton; W. H. McFee, 

 of Alameda, and J. W. Mitchell, of Los Angeles. The next 

 meeting will be held June 11. 



