March f l, 1896. 
£01 
"Our First Dog." 
Editor Forest and Stream: 
As a new subscriber to, but a long admirer of your 
valuable paper, I want through your columns to thank 
Mr. O. H. Hampton for "Our First D.ig,*' which appeared 
in Forest and Stream of Feb, 8. 
I had been up several days and nights, without being 
able to take my clothes off, watching over a very sick 
boy, not knowing what the final result would be. I 
thought I saw a change for the better, and pretty soon he 
asked me to read the Forest and Stream to him; for my 
boys, like their father, are fond of hunting and fishing, 
and consequently much pleased with Forest and Stream. 
In glancing over the paper to find a piece to read to him 
my eye fell upon that headed "Our First Dog," and men- 
tally recalling my own experience as a youngster with 
my "first dog," and knowing that my boys had also 
had a "first dog," I read the piece aloud, and I feel 
assured, if Mr. Hampton could have heard the hearty 
laugh of that sick boy, the first for many days, he would 
have been fully repaid for writing the same, even with- 
out knowing a paxent's gratitude for the pleasure it had 
given his sick son, as well as an evidence of his improved 
pondition, which improvement, I am glad to say, has con- 
tinued. 
Well can I recall my "first dog." As a boy, living 
on a farm (and I have an idea, someway, that a boy 
raised on a farm has an advantage over other boys), I 
managed to get hold of a rat terrier pup, called him Trip, 
and after many trials and tribulations he grew to be a 
dog, fearless and sagacious, and the attachment between 
that dog and myself was something that only a fellow who 
has "been there" can fully understand and appreciate. 
Often did he ride behind me on horseback, keeping his 
balance almost as well as I could, and many a 
time of a cold night did that dog go to bed with 
me, keeping my feet warm at first, but invariably in the 
morning would I find him with his head on the pillow 
with mine— (as I write this my wife is sitting by and she 
remarks that it is a good thing that dog is not living now, 
else he would be kicked out of bed. I wonder if she 
means me or the dog). I remember on one occasion, 
when, to my surprise, I had caught a muskrat in a "gum" 
set for rabbits. Upon opening the door Trip put his head 
in and received a terrible gaBh from the muskrat's teeth, 
but nothing daunted, waited till the muskrat came out 
and soon made short work of him. He was always ready 
to fight, big or little, and when at last, old and decrepit 
but still beloved, he got into a mill-race, planked on both 
sides, and was drowned. He was given a decent burial, 
and although since that time I have owned many a dog, 
registered and pedigreed though he may have been and 
often was, I have never loved a dog as I did that "first" 
one, and now as I look out of the window and see one of 
my boys playing with their "first dog," I wonder if it's 
permissible to wish one were a boy again, freed from the 
cares and responsibilities of this "work-a-day world." 
I note with pleasure the efforts that are being made, 
and so ably seconded by your valuable paper, for the 
protection and preservation of game. I regret to say that 
game in this State, especially partridges (quail), are almost 
a thing of the past, owing to the severe blizzard of last 
winter. A few years ago partridges were plentiful. I do 
not believe that there are now 150 in this (Fauquier) 
county. Our Legislature is now in session and I have 
made strenuous efforts to get a law passed to prohibit 
the killing of all game in this country for two 
years, but without success. A law has been passed 
to prohibit the killing of partridges in the State 
for two years from its passage (Jan. 27, 1896), but I fear it 
will not have the desired effect. We have no game 
wardens, and it is almost impossible to keep a certain 
class from killing prohibited game when the opportunity 
offers, hence one of the arguments for the prohibition of 
killing all game for a time, at least, especially when there 
is no game in abundance. 
Well, one can console himself in part [that all the bass 
in the Shenandoah, Potomac and Rappahannock rivers 
are not extinct, and when one can show, as I can in my 
office, the head of a bass weighing 5+lbs. (the bass, not 
the head), and caught on a light rod and reel, one can 
feel that life is yet worth living. C. M. White. 
VlltGISTA. 
Gordon Setter Club of America. 
The annual meeting of the Gordon Setter Club of 
America was held, pursuant to notice, at Madison Square 
Garden on the second evening of the New York dog snow, 
Feb. 20, 1896. Present in person and by proxy — Messrs.' 
Blossom, Oughton, Van Zandt, Lee, Billings, Meister, 
Seehusen, Hen dee, Sperry, Bleistein. 
Minutes of the year's meetings were approved. 
The Secretary-Treasurer, Van Zandt's, report showed a 
balance of over $80 in the treasury of the club, and was 
approved. 
President Blossom's action in regard to the non-holding 
of field trials in 1895 was approved, and in view of the 
hope of better prospects in dogdom during 1896 he was 
empowered to make arrangements for field trials during 
the coming Autumn, if in his judgment sufficient inducf- 
ment offered. It was again decided that the attention of 
dog show managers and judges be directed to the im- 
portance of holding competitions in the show-rings only 
by daylight, as proper consideration could not be given 
to correct tau-markings on Gordons by any artificial light. 
Attention was also requested to the standard of the club, 
so that while the characteristic head and body of the 
Gordon might be preserved in their original formations, 
the old type of heavy head and body might be modified. 
The election of new members during the year was ap- 
proved. 
The following were elected officers and executive com- 
mittee for the ensuing year, viz, : 
James B. Blossom, New York, President ; John R. 
Oughton, I> wight, 111., Vice President ; L. A. Van Zandt, 
New York, Secretary-Treasurer; E. H. Seehusen, New 
York ; C. Cap. Hendee, Milwaukee, Wis. ; Geo. Bleistein 
Buffalo, N. Y. : E. K. Sperry, New Haven, Conn. 
Also resolved that the managers of dog show3 be again 
urgently requested to, as far as possible, give us new 
judges for the coming shows, so as to stimulate entries, 
as the judgments upon the Gordons likely to come up 
for decision are so well known by repetition year after 
year that there is little encouragement for exhibition of 
either the older dogs or new and younger specimens. 
It was resolved that owners of Gordon setters be re- 
quested not toj exhibit their dogs at any show where 
Gordons were not put down upon exactly the same foot- 
ing in premium lists as other setters. 
L. A. Van Zandt, 
Sec.-Treas., Gordon Setter Club of America. 
Ma so out ah Kennel Club's Show. 
Chicago, Feb. 28.— The railroads in the territory of the 
Trunk Line Association, bounded on the south by the 
Potomac and Ohio Rivers, north to the St. Lawrence 
River, and from the Atlantic Ocean to Buffalo and Pitts- 
burg, but not including the New England States, have 
granted us a reduction of fare of oue and one-third for 
the round trip ; that is, visitors pay their full fare going, 
and procure certificates when they purchase their tickets, 
and if 100 of such certificates are presented, they receive 
order for return ticket at one-third fare, etc. 
W. J. Bryson. 
POINTS AND FLUSHES. 
The following is the entry list of the Mascoutah Ken- 
nel Club's seventh annual Bench Show, March 10 to 13: 
Mastiffs 28, St. Bernards (rough-coated), 90, St. Bernards 
(smooth-coated) 46, bloodhounds 5, Great Danes 48, New- 
foundlands 7, Russian wolfhounds 1, deerhounds 4, grey- 
hounds 11, foxhounds 6, pointers 35, English setters 38, 
Irish setters 23, Gordon setters 37, Chesapeake Bay dogs 2, 
field spaniels 11, cocker spaniels 43, Clumber spaniels 1, 
Irish water spaniels 7, collies 82, Old English sheep dogs 2, 
poodles 28, Dalmatians 9, bull dogs 3, bull terriers 52, Bos- 
ton terriers 18, dachshunde 26, beagles 12, fox terriers 
(smooth) 83, fox terriers (wire haired) 16, Irish terriers 21, 
Scottish terriers 6, Black and Tan terriers 13, whippets 5, 
Bedlington terriers 4, Dandie Dinmont terriers 5, Skye 
terriers 3, schipperkes 2, Yorkshire terriers 16, toy ter- 
riers 11, pugs 22, King Charles spaniels 8, Blenheim 
spaniels 15, Prince Charles and Ruby 3, Italian grey- 
hounds 7, miscellaneous 14; total 929. 
Mr. J, Otis Fellows has been asked to name terms to 
judge at Los Angeles, Oakland and Seattle shows. 
Mr. Henry Bottomly was arraigned before Judge 
Piatt, Toledo, Ohio, on Feb. 24, for stealing a dog at the 
recent show held in that city. He pleaded guilty and 
was sentenced to pay a fine of $75 and costs. 
From a Connecticut exchange we learn that Mr. Seldon 
Minor purchased the foxhound Driver, which has distin- 
guished himself both in the trials and on the bench. His 
former owner claims that he shot twenty- five foxes ahead 
of Driver in his first season. As bearing on the matter of 
sport, it is noteworthy that successful fox hunting as por- 
trayed above from a New England standpoint would be 
considered an unpardonable infraction of the sport in 
other sections of the country. 
Modern British Canoeing. 
As canoeing is pictured in the following extracts from the Field, it 
cannot be said that any material advance is being made in Great Brit- 
tain • and as compared with absolute inactivity in designing and build- 
ing in this country, it is hard to say which side is the worse off, the 
one which is making do effortfor improvement, or the other in which 
this improvement takes such an extravagant and absurd form as a 
mercury-ballasted centerboard. It is through this class of freak im- 
provements that canoeing has become almost obsolete. 
With the first week of the. new year we received the first news of 
actual building. The owner of the Solo, the fin keel canoe, which last 
season came from the Midland Club, 'Birmingham, to compete in the 
Royal Canoe Club Cup race, sends us information which will greatly 
interest those who look with favor and trust to the new cruising canoe 
class. Mr. Wale is building strictly within, not only the letter, but 
the spirit, of the R. C. C, cruising class. 
The new canoe is 15ft. lOin. over all, and 13ft. 6in. on the waterline ' 
42m. beam, 14in. of freeboard amidships will give her a bold height 
of side and good internal depth. She will have a whale-back deck 
made of two skins; it is a point which men who contemplate building 
should look to, is the whale-back or very much raised middle line of 
deck. In the Nautilus, which was built in the winter of 1893 the deck 
forward of the well was brought up to a high pitched ridge'at middle 
line, instead of a rounded or humped deck; this ridge gradually dies 
away as the stem is neared, until the deck becomes quite flat trans- 
versely, but it sheers up with the sheer of the gunwale to the stem 
head; there could well be 8in. rise of ridge of deck above gunwale 
level on a 42in. of beam at fore end of the well, some 2ft. 6in. forward 
of mid-length. 
It is satisfactorily wonderful how neatly such form of deck casts 
aside heavy water; at first sight it might be thought that thiBform of 
deck would hold wind, but, as a fact, at 20° ltet of the boat the deck 
lino or beam line is lyiDg horizontal to the transverse water plane, 
and therefore bidden or under the lee of the gunwale, and when the 
wind is abeam, or forward of it, is the only time that body-surface 
exposed to the wind can be detrimental to speed. Mr. Wale has kindly 
offered to send for publication some important details of her fitment 
and mode of building, which he considers will hold many novelties. 
Both in the case of the above-mentioned canoe, and of another 
shortly to be put on the stocks, we hear of the difficulty as to settling 
the exact situation and form of the rudder; Mr. Wale knows the sai£ 
ing advantage of an under- body rudder fitted with direct tiller action • 
but as at the same time he wants fixed draft not to exceed 4 in he 
finds, and anyone would also find, it difficult, if not impossible to get 
an efficient rudder operative within such draft. The way, however 
would be, if a rudder housing case is objected to as cutting up the' 
canoe s accommodation, to fit an under-body rudder when open water 
is the cruising or racing field, and for river cruising to have the 
ordinary stern post fittings and rudder ready for such work. 
But^in doing this care must be taken to keep the sail plan in proper 
balance to the very altered condition of the center of lateral resis- 
tance. There is far more virtue or vieiousness in the balance of cen- 
ters than commonly meets the eye, and a neat adjustment of the cen- 
ters or powers above named to a balancing point is of more impor- 
tance in a cruiser than in a racer; with a neat balance of sail plan to 
the joint effect of rudder and center-plate in a craft devoid of dead- 
wood at stem and stern (where the rudder is held by gear at midships 
steady in line of keel or slight weather helm), she will sail her course 
long spells at a time, without the constant nandling which is neces- 
sary m an unruly boat. Of course, not so in a heavy sea, but even 
then she will be far easier to handle. With the old time form of 
fine wedged bow or deep forefoot, this was almost impossible of 
attainment, because as the water heaped up on the lee bow in a fresh- 
ening breeze the center of lateral resistance traveled forward very 
fast; but with the latest models lateral resistance is almost confined 
to center-plate and rudder. 
In the same connection, a point of great importance is to obtain a 
form of center-plate, whether simple or ballasted, which maintains 
practically the same position, as to its center of resistance, when 
partly lifted as when down. A slight travel aft is bound to be found 
in any keel-pivoted plate of folding type; but a very considerable shift 
is found mall pivoted single plates, and is extremely defrimental to 
balance, and if loaded is also fatal to trim of the boat. The difficulty 
it not danger, of all vertical lifting plates is found when striking hard 
ground at good speed; the plate is then struck at its lower fore corner 
or bulb end, and if it cannot lift immediately and automatically, some- 
thing must go or the boat must stop; but in most cases it would prob- 
ably be a break up. There are several forms of lifting bulb or loaded 
plates in the market; but the automatic liftability on striking bottom 
coupled with absolute immunity from pendulous oscillation when 
jumping seas, must be obtained, otherwise a weighted plate is not a 
safe shipmate, and a vertical dagger is an unpleasant one. 
Quite the latest up-to-date idea in regard to ballasting may now be 
claimed by the canoe sailing fraternity. We mentioned on Jan 18 
that a member of the Midland Club, Mr. Wale, was building a "cruis- 
ing class" canoe for the coming season, and we gave her leading di- 
mensions. The Solo, which Mr. Wale brought out last year, was cer- 
tainly novel in many ways, though she was not quite successful in 
racing; but then the weather played the deuce with the sailing ma- 
chines, and Solo was one of them. Another matter was that Solo at 
the last moment had her bulb keel reduced to feather weight, which 
gave her an all-round complete curve or circle of stability, for she had 
none comparatively, and she revolved in the water whenever a squall 
struck her, 
Mr. Wale has not been slow to catch on to scientific ideas of ballast- 
ing and to blend them with the restrictions of the cruising class. 
This is as it should be, and unless the racing division better them- 
selves they will find that a canoe, we assume complying in ever? way 
with the B.oyal Canoe Club class definition, has been produced which 
may prove a hard nut to crack. At present we know nothing about 
her model or details of design, but the ballast novelty has been 
opened out, and is both novel and highly ingenious. 
Mercury is the ballast used, and though this metal has often been 
mentioned as possible ballast, and sometimes reported to be actually 
in use, we have never known of it as a fact. In the present case, how- 
ever, we have it declared to be so by Mr. Wale. The mode of using 
the mercury is decidedly ingenious to a certain extent, but there are 
two great risks always present, which we will mention later. 
The drop keel of Mr. Wale's canoe is a composite structure, shaped 
in what is commonly called the Hope dagger-plate form; it is com- 
posed of two very thin, bard-rolled brass plates, tightly riveted to- 
gether near their edges. The mercury is poured in at a suitable hole 
at the upper part of the plate, which is subsequently properly closed 
or sealed. The weight of the mercury distends the plates, like water 
does when poured into a mackintosh water-bag, and consequently 
forms a gentle form of bulb keel, the mercury being of course lo- 
cated at the lower part of the (quasi) brass bag. When the keel is 
lifted, the mercury takes a new position in the keel, now along its 
front edge, but still at what has become, by lifting, its lower edge— i. e., 
the ballast always remains at the bottom. 
Mr. Wale found, as might be expected, a tremendous difficulty in 
getting the plates riveted mercury-tight, for mercury will penetrate 
where water cannot: and herein lies danger the first. Of course the 
pinhole for pivoting the plate keel on at its fore edge can be so con- 
structed, of solid metal flanged and the plates of the keel riveted 
thereto, as to be mercury-tight at first, as is the keel plate; but in 
sailing, a violent collision with ground or submerged obstruction 
throws an enormous strain on that pin connection; and at the same 
time the dagger-board is a form peculiarly liable to be twisted by bal- 
last at its lower part. Herein the risk of starting a leak in the riveting 
along the edges of the plate is a constant source of danger of losing 
all or nearly all the mercury. 
Mercury at about two shillings and threepence a pound, and some 
25lbs. to 501ba. being used, is an expensive item to leave at the bottom 
of the sea; also mercury, in inexperienced hands, is a most difficult 
thing to handle; but, on the other hand, it is quite ideal ballast for 
such delicate toys as sailing canoes up to date are. For our own part 
a lifting lead bulbed keel is sufficiently effective, and quite expensive 
enough. Of course the bulb and the case can be so formed as to 
house the bulb when up equally as much and snugly as the mercury 
bag can be housed. 
The second danger point in the mercury-bag keel is that if s stability 
properties are lost at the very moment when the sole value of bulb 
keel should come into action— i. e„ when the boat is knocked down 
flat by a squall, or by a sea into her sails. With sliding-seated or even 
only deck-seated position of crew a plain center-plated canoe can be 
sailed without capsizing in all ordinary circumstances, and a bulb 
keel in such cases is useless; but when the heavy squall or sudden 
savage gust of wind comes down upon the sails, and the canoe is 
thrown over to a great angle of heel, the bulb keel comes into real 
action and rights her. Now, in the mercury-bag keel the very oppo- 
site may prove to be the action of the mercury. If the craft is sud- 
denly thrown flat down with mast in the water, as they are often 
thrown— that is, with keel lifted clean out of the water— the mercury 
will shoot away from the outer point of the keel and into that portion 
which is in the case in the body of the canoe, hence giving impetus to 
the capsize instead of averting it. Of course, this is assuming that we 
have been told the whole construction of the plate keel. 
Again the question has been put to us in relation to the meaning of 
the Royal Canoe Club rule as to sliding deck-seat length; the wording 
of the rule is, "Sliding seat, if any, when rigged in to be within the 
beam of the boat. 1 ' There are, no doubt, several ingenious ways of 
forming a telescopic sliding seat which, when shut, does not overlap 
the side of the boat, but can open and extend out-board a long way 
further than a plain slide board of 42in.— the extreme beam. A plain 
board can only be extended some 20in., as its in-hoard end cannot pass 
the ceDter in most forms of seat, and in any case must have and re- 
tain sufficient connection with the fixed seat to bear the man's weight 
out on its end. No doubt the fair interpretation of the rule is that 
only a single board was contemplated as practicable, and indeed the 
meeting which passed the rule had before it the suggestion of a teles- 
copic slide, but thought it— and we think it— impracticable in real sail- 
ing. Probably such a seat could be worked, but with42in. of beam 
and a slide of single plank of 42in. all the stability necessary would be 
gained, and the man would be in a better position for working and 
steering his craft. The inglorious days and ways of monkeying away 
out belong to and will probably stick to the 30in. racing machine. 
As, however, the Royal Canoe Club challenge cup will probably be 
raced for by canoes under the rule quoted above, it would be well 
that the committee should as soon as possible give a decision thereon, 
and thus prevent a regrettable dispute at the starting line In any 
case, those who are building or fitting out intending to race, whether 
they be members or visitors, should have early information. 
The A. C. A. Race Programme. 
We have received from Mr. Walter C. Witherbee, chairman of the 
regatta committee, the following draft of a proposed programme for 
the races at the annual meet in August. The programme is given out 
for comment and discussion, and we shall be glad to hear opinions 
on it. 
Event No. 1: Paddling and sailing combined, y mile alternately; 
total, 3 miles; time limit, iy hours. Start to be made paddling 
Event No. 2: Paddling, y, mile, straightaway. 
Event No. 3: Sailing, 4y Iniles: time limit, 2 hours. 
Note.— Events Nos. 1, 2 and 3 are record races under Rule 5 of sail- 
ing regulations. 
Event No. 4: Trophy paddling, 1 mile straightaway. 
Event No. 5: Unlimited sailing, three classes, 6 miles; time limit, 
2y hours. Starters in trophy sailing race to be selected from this race 
according to elapsed time 
Event No. 6: Trophy sailing, 9 miles; time limit, 3]^ hours. See 
XLUI6 ■) ■ 
Event No. 7: Dolphin sailing trophy, iy 2 miles; time limit, 3 hours 
The canoe winning first place in event No. 5 will not be allow ed to com- 
pete m this event. 
Event No. 8: Hotel Champlain cup, 4y miles. 
Event No. 9: Orilla cup, iy 2 miles. Limited to members of North- 
ern Division. 
Event No. 10: Jabberwock trophy, 3 miles Limited to members of 
the Central Division. 
Note — Events Nos. 9 and 10 are to be sailed providing a Northern 
and Central meet is not held. Events Nos. 7 and 8 may be contested 
for at the same time, in the discretion or the regatta committee 
Event No. 11: Club sailing, three classes, 4y miles; time limit, two 
hours. First three members of any club to count. A club to be rep- 
resented must enter at least three men. Ah men entered must have 
b £?„ otae m embers of the club they represent before the first day of the 
1896 meet 
Event No. 12: Limited sailing, 3 miles; time limit, one and one-half 
hours. Sail area limited to 100?q. ft. , and sliding seat prohibited, 
Event No. 13: Novice sailing, 3 miles; time limit, one and one-half 
hours. Open only to members who have not sailed a canoe prior to 
Sept. 1, 1895. 
Event No. H: Unclassified sailing, 4% miles; time limit, two hours 
Note.— The regatta committee reserve the right to handicap in this 
race. 
Event No. 15: Paddling; open canoes not under BOlbs. weight V, 
mile straightaway; single blades. 
Event No. 16: Tandem paddling, y mile straightaway; decked 
canoe; double blade. 
Event No 17: Tandem club paddling,^ mile straightaway ; open 
canoes; single blade. " 
Event No. 18: Club four paddling, y mile straightaway. (Canoes 
not to be less than S8m. wide and 16ft. long.) 
Event No. 19: Hurry-scurry; swim, paddle, run. 
Event No. 20: War canoes, 1 mile; canoes not to be over 25ft. long 
Dor contain more than nine persons. 
Event No. 21 : War canoes, 1 mile; canoes not to be over 35ft. lone 
nor contain to exceed 16 persons. e ' 
Event No. 22: Ladies' paddling; open canoes; y mile. 
Event No. 23: Ladies' tandem, open canoes; single blade, U mile 
Ij/vent No. 24: Mixed tandem, open canoes, single blade, 14 mile 
■pent No. 25: Novice paddling, open canoes, y 2 mile: open to men 
who have never paddled a race outside of their own club races 
Event No. 26: Open four; tug of war. 
Event No. 27: Tail-end race; open canoes, single blade; paddler to 
kneel in bow and paddle with the wind, bow first, 200yds 
Event No. 28: Hurry-scurry, obstacle or tournament, 
. Note.— The committee reserve the right to call any, except the more 
important and older A. C. A. races, at any time during the meet when 
in their judgment the conditions are right. 
Note.— The right is also reserved by the committee of f ollowine the 
system of handicapping that was used at the last meet 
ItoYt^toSSS? than tW ° StarterS Pre86nt them ^ve S at 
