818 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



[June 16, 1894. 



That "Moss-Back Robber" Rule. 



The action of the U. S. F. T. Club at its annual meeting 

 in Chicago repealed the rule which made ineligible bitches 

 which were in season, comes up again and is worthy of dis- 

 cussion. Tn connection with this matter Inoticed Mr. Mad- 

 ison's note in Forest And Stream of May 26. He says: 

 "The United States Field Trial Club at its last annual meet- 

 ing eliminated from its rules that old niossback robber 

 which has for years prohibited bitches in heat from running 

 in field trials." ,, _, _.. , 



It is not really such a one-sided affair as Mr. Madison s 

 brief statement of the subject seems to imply, nor can one 

 readily perceive wherein the old ruling was unjust, much 

 less a robbery, if the subject is equitably considered in its 

 full bearings. , , , 



It may be incidentally mentioned that the consensus of 

 opinion and practice is still against the position of the U. S. 

 F. T. Club, it being entirely alone, so far as I know, m its 

 position in the matter under consideration, and its position 

 therein does not express the unanimous sentiment of the 

 club members. . t % 



It is true that if an owner's bitch is m season at the time 

 she is to compete in a stake and for that reason is barred, it 

 is a great hardship to such owner, inasmuch as the time, 

 labor and expense incurred are more or less lost. The train- 

 ing can be estimated as of permanet value, but the entry 

 fees are gone. So are for the time being any high expecta- 

 tions of wins and honors. Still the hardship is one inherent 

 in the ownership of a bitch and entering her in a competi- 

 tion. It is one of which the owner has a full knowledge 

 when he makes his entries, therefore he does so with a full 

 knowledge of the disqualifying possibilities. It is one on 

 which there has been a uniform ruling for many years by all 

 clubs. , , 



When a rule has been uniform and universal for a long 

 time it is well to inquire carefully into the reasons for it. A 

 change of circumstances or environment may make an old 

 rule obsolete, or inoperative, or undesirable, or irrelevant, or 

 whatnot. But there are certain principles and laws in the 

 physical world which remain unalterable, and there are cer- 

 tain instincts and trials in animal life which remain practi- 

 cally the same. Usage and rules based on unalterable laws 

 of nature were as good in the past as in the present. To be 

 mossgrown seems an impossibility even as a figure in this 

 matter. 



While it is unquestionably a hardship to an owner to have 

 his bitch barred from competition because she is in season, it 

 requires no lengthy argument to establish that he should 

 not transfer his own hardship to some other person, or to 

 several persons. No man should profit by his own act in 

 competing to the injury of the equity of the competition and 

 loss to the competitors. It is a loss to them if their entries 

 will not compete through there, being present some obstruc- 

 tive conditions foreign to the competition, and introduced by 

 some other competitor. They should not be required to suf- 

 fer such loss. The misfortune of a competitor is his own. It 

 should not be transferred to others. It is his own loss in the 

 same sense as if his dog were lame, or sick, or lost, etc., and 

 thus prevented from competing. 



It has been advanced that the modern high-bred dog, in 

 his energetic desire to seek birds in the hills, the vales, the 

 cover, the open, the horizon, will when so working entirely 

 ignore a bitch in season. Such is the dog of pedigree, of 

 blood, of training — of ownership other than the ownership 

 of the bitch in season. The modern dog is all hunt. Invari- 

 ably he goes skimming over the fields, with nose high in air, 

 seeking along promising nooks and covqrfor that which will 

 afford his owner a shot. Betimes he cuts frisky capers and 

 says, "Ha! ha!" He never loafs, nor tires, nor quits work, 

 nor thinks of anything but work. The strongest appetites 

 or passions of his animal nature are all subordinate to his 

 working pedigree and insatiable craving to work for his 

 master. Such is the well-bred dog, so industrious and loyal 

 to his work; so full of the potency for labor, inherited from 

 modern dogs, is the modern dog, that he feels not the most 

 ungovernable passion of dog nature. He sometimes stops to 

 drink. 



It is true that he will leave home, travel many miles and 

 be gone many days to gratify his sexual desire. The same 

 impulse appears to govern the nondescript cur; the dog 

 proud of his beauty of race-type, and the different dogs of 

 different breeds. The small, inefficient cur, humble in de- 

 meanor and with the constrained manner which is peculiar 

 to a life of constant want, arrays his cunning against the 

 strength and proud bearing of his large and well-fed rival. 

 In color, size, ancestry and manner of life they may all 

 differ, but in the impelling power of nature's law that the 

 species shall not become extinct, they are as one. 



At certain stages of a bitch's season, opportunity afforded, 

 dogs will take very little notice, of her, if at all. At other 

 stages they will notice but little else. To say that a dog will 

 not do so is to cast aretlection on his health or his soundness. 

 A dog with such erratic notions could not be put in the stud 

 with any serious claim for his merrits as a stud dog. 



Still, it is possible that by improved modern breeding a dog 

 will be produced which will be so organized as to have no 

 emotions or passions other than those scheduled by his 

 master for the day or for the event. He will cease to be an 

 intelligent organism, his instincts, passions, appetites and 

 purposes all merging into an animated mechanism. 



To have properly legislated on the matter, the rule should 

 have been intelligently arranged to govern it in its entirety, 

 not a dogmatic dicta which only fits one corner. The proper 

 way and the just way to have treated the matter would have 

 been to require the judges to pass upon it according to the 

 circumstances, the common sense of it, if the question was 

 raised. If the bitch appeared to be in season and did not at- 

 tract the dogs, let her continue in the competition If she 

 attracted dogs and thus balked their competition, run her 

 with some other bitch, and if that could not be done 

 run her alone, or, if the competition was at such a stage that 

 nothing could be done to keep her in it, then retire her per- 

 manently. The man who owns a dog and the meu who own 

 dogs have certain rights which are equally important and 

 worthy of consideration as those of the men who own bitches 

 With a full knowledge of the varying circumstances, discre^ 

 tionary powers would have permitted the equitable adjust- 

 ment of all cases which might occur. The old rule was 

 curtly mandatory. Any bitch in season would not be 

 allowed on the grounds In one instance they must stay out 

 In the other, the last, they must stay in Every case must 

 be measured alike. The incidental circumstances are out 

 of consideration. The very data, which should be considered 

 by the judges to rule each individual case, are all set aside 

 and each one is governed by the same set law, a law 'too' 

 based on some more erroneous assumptions in respect to 

 dogs disposition and nature, to say nothing of the eqiiitv of 

 a competition. ° B Waters. 



909 Security Builuino, Chicago. 



Editor Forest and Svrtam- 



. The Permission of the U. S. Field Trial Club to run bitches 

 in season in their trials, like most questions has two sides to 



J S &£$$P 1 &? t a ch * n S e in th e rules of any club, should be 

 to benefit the greatest number. The change in question 

 *P" e * n f the bitches thus affected, works equal harm 

 to the dogs that are drawn to run in same heats with them 

 One bitch in season may affect the running of two or three 

 dogs, or the whole series may have to be changed, thus 

 affecting the status of every <log in the stake to fecommo- 

 date one and handicapping the judges with additional 

 complications, that have enough to do already and who 

 often fail to satisfy all, in their awards. 



The argument I have seen used "the hunting inclination 

 in dogs is too great to be affected under such conditions is 

 all bosh. , 



The natural inheritance of reproduction is stronger than 

 any hunting instinct in animals. The human family does 

 not prove an exception, as we see accounts almost daily 

 where some brilliant mind has fallen— a slave to its behests. 

 It is not to be supposed dogs have great resisting powers 

 with their animal instincts only to restrain them, and these 

 on the side of reproduction. 



I fail to see where the change does "the greatest good to 

 the greatest number." Let the clubs refund the entrance 

 money paid on the bitches thus affected and bar those 

 affected, and not introduce new complications to the already 

 difficult problem of "picking the winner." P. H. BRYSON. 



Memphis, June 9; 



International Field Trials-Derby Entries. 



The field trials of this club will be held, commencing 

 Nov. 1, on the old grounds at Louisville, near Chatham, 

 Out., which have been well stocked with birds. The entries 

 are not so numerous as last year, there being only 21 against 

 34 in 1893. Last year there was but 9 starters, but it is ex- 

 pected that this year there will be nearly twice as many. All 

 whelped in 1893. 



ENGLISH SETTERS. 



Forest King — Forest Kennels' (Chatham and Toronto) 

 liver and white dog (The Sultan— Gyp), February. 



Hannah— Dr. Totten's (Forest, Ont. ) black, white and tan 

 bitch (J. E. D. -Carrie T.), June 6. 



Manitoba Mat— W, B. Wells's (Chatham) black, white 

 and tan bitch (.Jacob Staff —Manitoba Bess), Aug. 17. 



Forest Essie— Thos. Hallam's (Newbury, Ont.) black and 

 white bitch (The Sultan— Forest Novel), July 23. 



JUDY— T. C. Stegman's (Toronto) black and white bitch 

 (Banker— Bell), April 15. 



Rosebud— Sydney T. Miller's (Detroit) black and white 

 bitch (Monk of Furness Sting— Toledo Queen), April 15. 



KATE— Montague Smith's (Forest, Ont.) blue belton bitch 

 (Ben— Lou Mall), May. 



Dick— Montngue Smith's (Forest, Ont.) blue belton dog 

 (Ben— Lou Mall), May. 



Dash Antonio— R. Baugham's (Windsor) black and white 

 dog (Antonio — Lady Lucifer), Feb. 11. 



IRISH SETTERS. 



Mona Scully— Arthur D. Welton's (Detroit) bitch (Fin- 

 glas— Kate O'Shea), May. 



Killane— Jas. B. McKay's (Detroit) dog (Kildare— Ruth), 

 Feb. 26. 



River Roe— Jas. B. McKay's (Detroit) bitch (Kildare— 

 Ruth), Feb 36. 



POINTERS. 



Countess Graphic— Leamington Pointer Kennels' liver 

 and white bitch (Count Graphic— Wilkens's Nell), June. 



Faustina— T. G. Davey's (London) liver and white bitch 

 (Ridgeview Faust — Peggie), June 23. 



Lucy— T.G. Davey's (London) liver and white bitch (Ridge- 

 view Faust— Peggie), June 23. 



Forest Quail— T. G. Davey's (London) liver and white 

 bitch (Donovan— Forest Nell), May 5. 



Buttons— Chas. Hicklin's (Chatham) liver and white dog 

 (Hick— My Annie), June. 



Plain Sam— A. Harrington's (Leamington) black and white 

 dog (Hal Pointer — Kent's Star), April 1. 



Mole's Louise— Fred Mole's (Detroit) liver and white bitch 

 (Molton Banner— Graphic Diana), Oct. 21. 



ENGARiTA— R. J. Gardiner's (Chatham) liver and white 

 bitch (Molton Banner— Graphic Diana), Oct. 21. 



Forest Turk— Forest Kennels' (Chatham and Toronto) 

 liver and white dog (Donovan— Forest IN ell;, February. 



DOG CHAT. 



The noted great Dane bitch Neverzell, considered by many 

 good judges the most typical bitch of the breed that we have, 

 whelped on May 31 a litter of eight, five dogs, by Kennei 

 Lawrence's Earl of Wurtemourg. This should be an im- 

 portant addition to the fancy. 



Mr J. Wallace Wakem, of Highland Park, 111., intends 

 going in strongly for foxhounds, for he has just purchased 

 Blemton Stipend (sire of Blemton Stickler, etc.), Black Rock 

 (Dominie— Black Rock Belle), Beverwyck Moonray Bever- 

 wyck Punlass, the latter two from Mr. Rathborn, of Albany 

 and Suffolk Jewel. Wakem is the owner of Richmond 

 Jessamine. 



We hear that Mr. Anderson, who unfortunately did not 

 enjoy the society of Aristocrat very long, has consoled him- 

 self somewhat for the latter's death by purchasing a son of 

 Aristocrat that is said to be a grand young dog, named Aris- 

 tocracy. His dam is a granddaughter of Kir Bedivere This 

 dog is not 13mos. old yet, but stands 32V.<iu. high and is 

 beautifully marked. We trust Mr. Anderson will have the 

 good fortune he deserves with this one. 



"Bob" Armstrong, the hero of that little Phyllis fiction 

 was in town last week, and tells us that Sef ton Hero is not 

 being neglected at stud. Mrs. Humphrey Roberts, of Detroit 

 sent her Lassie, third at Detroit this year; Messrs. McEwen 

 and Gibson have also bred a bitch to him, but the result of 

 Mrs. Rand's experience has been very discouraging She 

 owns the. Carlowrie Kennels in Denver. Col. Before the 

 Specialty show she sent a black, white and tan bitch to Mr 

 Jarrett's kennels. The bitch was bred to Sef ton Hero about 

 a month since, and then shipped to Mrs. Rand. The express 

 people at Chicago have notified Mr. Jarrett that the bitch 

 was dead when it reached Chicago, and returned the crate 

 This is all the satisfaction that can be secured. They did not 

 even send the collar as additional proof that the bitch was 

 really dead. 



It is said that the early fall show that is to be given in 

 Saratoga will be only for five or six principal breeds, and that 

 the saying in classes will result in good prize money beinc 

 offered. If there is really going to be a show at this popula? 

 resort, it is time some preparations were being made and 

 dehnite particulars given out. 



The bloodhound Alchymist, imported last February bvDr 

 Lougest, was mated to Mr. Winchell's Bnreho Daisv Mav 

 18, The old dog went to Vermont to make the visit Y He £ 

 said to be doing well in the stud, and as he is a dog showing 

 intense quality, should have an influence for good in this 

 breed over here. & 



A writer in the Dog Fancier sagely remarks, in speaking 

 ^w'^T 5 ' '-WLite should predominate, brindl? 

 follow." This writer should study the standard more care 



of the bitch wh^Tcertain cbrffimgdl^SSi 

 contracting a cross bred or mongrel a^ance^ Sy *lt 

 taken when such puppies are born in selecting one or more 

 to keep with the bitch Cases of superfcetation are noHn 

 common m the dog and there may be mpngrels and pSre t£- 



riers in the same litter. I was told of a particularly good 

 fox-terrier which a friend of mine desired to purchase. She, 

 however, being a great favorite in the home could not be 

 parted with, and her owner said, 'She is, no doubt, very nice 

 to look at, but, unfortunately, her dam is a spaniel, and all 

 her brothers and sisters are spaniels, too.' " Mr. Lee recites 

 still another case. His bitch Venom, granddam of some of 

 his best terriers, after being mated with a fox-terrier dog, 

 formed a morganatic alliance with a Skye terrier. All the 

 pups with one exception were Skye terriers, or, at any rate, 

 half-bred ones. The exception was a white bitch with a 

 lemon-marked head. Her life was the one saved but merely 

 to keep with the dam as a matter of kindness. At four 

 weeks old she was sold for half a crown, and ultimately de- 

 veloped into one of the best bitches of the day— Nellie by 

 name, who, indue course, had at least one illustrious family, 

 an individual of which sold for $500, and all in that same 

 litter, which produced this high-priced one, became prize 

 winners and notabilities. So do not be in too great a hurry 

 to drown the litter if your bitch does go wrong once in a 

 while. 



The English Bulldog Club held its twenty-first show May 

 29 to 31, and was chiefly remarkable for the defeat of Dock- 

 leaf by Guido, who also in his regular class beat Facey Rom- 

 ford, King Orry and Aston Lion. The judge was Mr. Ber- 

 rie, who after placing Guido over pretty nearly every other 

 dog in the show, is said to have upset the talent by placing 

 the aged Ruling Passion over him. 



The St. Bernard Princess Florence was shown at Preston, 

 England, in a warm class and won, beating La Princesse and 

 Frandley Stephanie. Rufford Ormondo, the collie, however, 

 had his flag lowered by the bitch puppy Parbold-Pick-Me- 

 Up. 



The celebrated bull-terrier White Wonder is dead. This 

 handsome terrier, probably the best all-round bull-terrier 

 that ever came to this country, it will be remembered, was 

 imported by Mr. H. A. Harris, of North Wilmington, Mass. 

 At his first show at Boston he was protested for deafness; 

 since then he had not been benched in this country. Last 

 year he was purchased by Mr. W. J. Pegg, of Epsom, Eng- 

 land, and owing to his infirmity, his career in that country 

 has not been all smooth sailing. He won at Birmingham 

 show, but was again protested; but on bringing the case 

 before the Kennel Club, the dog was passed on Mr. Sewell's 

 certificate, and competing at Crystal Palace in April last, he 

 won under Mr. Shirley, who writes of him in his report as 

 follows: "White Wonder, the novice class winner, has a 

 beautifully-shaped head, powerful, but without the least 

 thickness, good eye, tight lips, and very clean and level from 

 cop of skull to nose; he stands well on good legs and feet, and 

 may certainly be pronounced a remarkably good specimen. 

 He is just a trifle flat in his ribs, and is a little short and 

 drooping in his quarters." Such a criticism from such a 

 judge is surely a fitting obituary for a dog that was whelped 

 so far back as 1888. White Wonder was by Gully the Great 

 out of Kit. 



The St. Bernard Baron Rudolph is dead. He was a well- 

 known prize winner on the other side. 



The entries for the English Collie Club show number 210. 



There are plenty of Skye terriers in Philadelphia these days. 

 The noted Queen of the Skyes has eight pups by champion 

 Sir Stafford; Bessie has seven by the New York winner 

 Elphinstone, and Scotch Rose is nursing five. Princess May 

 and Belle Stafford, both frequent winners, are due to whelp 

 June 21. 



There seems to be a steady movement afoot in this country 

 and Canada looking to the enactment of laws whereby dogs 

 will be considered as property. In many States recent 

 decisions have been rendered in local courts emphasizing the 



fact that dogs are property, and purloiners and destroyers 

 duly punished. In Toronto, Canada, an organized 



been 



effort is being made amoug well-known dog fanciers to have 

 the local government declare dogs as personal property. 

 These breeders are making every effort in this direction so 

 that the dog thieves may be brought to account. At present 

 a dog owner there has no redress. Mr. J. F. Kirk and others 

 are interested in the matter, and a deputation waited on 

 the government to urge the passing of a bill that will pro- 

 tect their kennels in which they have invested considerable 

 money. At a recent meeting of the Georgia State Sports- 

 men's Association the sportsmen present discussed this sub- 

 ject. Many of them are owners of valuable animals, on 

 which they are willing to pay taxes, if they can have them 

 protected in that manner, so they can sue for damages in 

 case such dogs are killed. The law they suggest is that dog 

 owners be allowed. to return their dogs for taxation if they 

 so desire, thereby making them property. Those who thus 

 return their animals and pay taxes on them will have them 

 made property, while others need not do so unless they 

 desire. 



Mr. Howard and the Handler's Prizes. 



There has been a good deal written about the handlers'' 

 prizes at Louisville show. For the information of those 

 who contend that Mr. Howard, a partner in the firm of 

 German-Howard Pug Kennels, Louisville, Ky., and Colum- 

 bus, O,, should have won this prize, either local or foreign, 

 it would not be amiss to give the number of dogs each hand- 

 ler was credited with. Handlers non-resident of Jefferson, 

 Ky., and Clark and Floyd counties, Ind., Lewis 63, Thomas 

 51, Eberhart 46, Howard 38. Local handlers, Blankenbaker 

 101, Green 70, Howard 57. Neither Mr. Blankenbaker nor 

 Mr. Howard knew what dogs they were to handle until they 

 arrived at the show, and in one case, we think it was Mr. 

 Blankenbaker's, the secretary or superintendent made out 

 a list of the dogs in the handler's name. Most of the local 

 handlers' dogs were local dogs that did not require any 

 further attention than that which their owners gave them 

 during the show. The action of the Louisville Kennel Club 

 therefore was eminently fair and just to those who really 

 did bring dogs to the show and honestly cared for them, 

 and for whose benefit and encouragement these prizes are 

 given. As an instance of Mr. Howard's methods in get- 

 ting together a string of dogs for the Columbus show it 

 may be well, and prove a warning to others, to shed a little 

 light on the peculiar decision rendered by his club on his 

 behalf and published in the kennel papers. Mr. E. Bardoe 

 Elliott was to judge great Danes at the Columbus show, 

 Feb. 28 to March 3. Under date of Jan. 2, 1894, Mr. T. A. 

 Howard wrote a letter to Mr. Elliott saying: "Another 

 thing keep in mind, you want a good great Dane entry and 

 you should work to that end to make you popular as a G. D. 

 judge. Any Danes you can get to come, if entered in my 

 name as handler, I will draw the winnings and give them to 

 you." Mr. Elliott very properly laid this before the Colum- 

 bus committee. An investigation committee consisting of 

 Messrs. Poston, Dempsey and Bridge, then took the matter 

 up, and their finding was as follows: "After a thorough in- 

 vestigation of the eAddence presented (which was Mr. How- 

 ard's letter to Mr. Elliott) we find that Mr. Howard has been 

 guilty of conduct unbecoming a member of this club, as 

 shown in the following exhibits: "In exhibit No. 1 we charge 

 attempted bribery of E. Bardoe Elliott as a judge. We also 

 find that the above charges are further sustained as shown 

 in exhibits Nos. 2 and 3." When the subject was referred to 

 the full board, Mr. Howard explained that in his zeal to help 

 the show and assist in getting a large entry, he had made a 



